Mount St. Mary
Catholic High School

Vol. 1 / Issue 5

BE YOUR BEST ALWAYS

“O Lord and Master of my life, take from me the spirit of sloth, faintheartedness, lust of power, and idle talk.
But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to your servant.
Yea, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own sin and not to judge my brother, for You are blessed from all ages to all ages.
Amen”
― St. Ephraim the Syrian

In the spotlight
Mr. G
Dylan Kemether

     Mr. Kevin Grieshop is in his second year as a Geometry teacher at Mount St. Mary. He became a part of the basketball program as the JV Boys Head Coach and Boys Varsity Assistant Coach this year. Coming straight from Ohio, Mr. G, as his students call him, has made a significant impact with his big and likable personality. He enjoys sharing stories and experiences from his life to help his students learn and grow as people. 

     What is your passion? 
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     “I would say my passion is my faith and affecting as many people as I possibly can through that faith and also my personality. Leaving a good impression on other people; to help them get better.”

     What are you most thankful for today? 

     "I’m thankful for my family. I’m thankful for the gift of life. I’m thankful for just the opportunity to be here. We know from the recent Moore accident, and just the world in general, that every day is a gift. I’m trying to learn that we have got to appreciate that more than we do.”

     How do you want to be remembered? 

     “I think I would like to be remembered by my ability to relate to people for the better. Whoever I come in contact with will be like ‘that guy was actually ... he left a good impression on me.’ So that’s always my goal, trying to encourage, while also challenging. Without turning people away from me or what I’m trying to get across.”

     There are a few more questions, so be sure to click on the picture for the rest of the story.

In the spotlight
​Jaxon Cervantes ​
Dylan Kemether

     Jaxon Cervantes, is a senior from Edmond. He attended St. Elizabeth Seaton and is one of the most helpful people that you will meet at Mount St. Marys. He is talented at soccer and football. Jaxon is also successful in academics, being a part of the NHS. He has two younger brothers at The Mount, so when he graduates this year, his leadership and kindness will be taken on by them.

     What is your passion? 
     “I would say I am most passionate about playing soccer, especially with my two younger brothers, and I like my teammates that we have here at the Mount.”

     What are you most thankful for today? 
     “I’m kind of thankful for it every day, but, in general, I’m thankful for my family because of how supportive they are of me.”

     How do you want to be remembered? 
     “I would like to be remembered for how I treat people, and that they feel that they can be themselves around me, and I respect them.”

     Be sure to click on the picture for more of this interview.

ROCKET Baseball Confident
BENJAMIN WINTER


        Rocket baseball’s talent and depth are better than in the past. There is a real chance the team could win the championship this season. Junior Ryan Wagner commented, “I think with this group of boys we will have a connection that will help us get farther.”

      The Rockets' team chemistry will improve despite a changing roster. The team’s mindset is entirely different from last year, and the coaches recognize this. Coach Jeremy Carey expressed, “For the first time since I’ve been here, we have a true mentality where [we] all love playing together and having fun.”

        Sophomore Robert Kalsu agreed, “I feel like the team has great leaders. We are all connected [and] all know our goals. Our team is [excellent]. The boys are going to state this year!” 

       Rocket Baseball has a tournament March 19 through 21 in Chandler. Everyone is invited to show up and support the team.

The bible and a cup of joe
Benjamin winter


     A Bible study is the study of the Bible by ordinary people as a personal or spiritual practice. It's usually peppered with discussions on passages from the Bible, and attempts to interpret and understand the meaning. 

     Lattes with the Lord is a more relaxed version of a Bible study with coffee and donuts. It is a time to have a warm "cup of joe" and a chill discussion on beliefs. It's not intended to get heated, although it might. Lattes with the Lord is a way to share faith in a relaxed atmosphere.
      
     Sophomore Rebekah Cleary, a frequent member, explains it as "a monthly meeting where we grow in our faith with Jesus. We usually have a guest speaker, and we usually have a variety of questions that are deep and show your loyalty and faith to Jesus." She adds that sometimes the group "will make cards for people in need, such as veterans." And unless it is misunderstood, "As in the title coffee is provided."

     Theology Teacher Miss Katie Kastl is in her 2nd year leading the Bible Study club, "Anybody can be in (the club). It's open to the whole school. If you can come you should come. There isn't a certain requirement." When asked about the importance of the group, she explained, "It's about us growing with God. Also about us as high school kids. How do we live a faith-filled life? We have talked about struggling with prayers today. We talked about healthy relationships with God and how we hold ourselves to a standard that God expects out of us."
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     Lattes with the Lord is a Bible Study. It is also a close-knit group. A place to share the faith, to examine beliefs and to listen to the Word of God. All while enjoying a hot cup of joe and donuts.  

Rocket Soccer
Benjamin Winter

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Photo courtesy of TV/Webcast
      Rocket Soccer is confident about this upcoming season. Sophomore Xander Robinson states, "I feel solid about it. We have a strong team and we have great coaching that will take us to the next level."

      Rocket Soccer has something to prove this season after coming up just short last year, losing in extra time. The team is eager for a state championship. How to achieve the state championship? "By staying focused and learning how to handle the pressure. We have the experience and I feel like we, as a team, are ready for the moment," says Sophomore Xander Robinson. 

        Three strikers returning  this season are Abraham Garcia, Eric Jaquez, and Miguel Hernandez. They are looking forward to leading this team to victory. When asked how this team will make it, Junior Miguel Hernandez responded, "Working harder than ever before and playing more like a team. We have a good bond that most teams don't have."  
       
       The girls' soccer team is looking fantastic so far this season as well. They are very confident heading into this season, hoping to return to their playoff form. Sophomore Ashlanne Fuentes said, "I think this season we need to work on being positive and playing together as we look toward the next couple of seasons since we are a young team." Ashlanne is only in her 2nd year as a varsity starter. With her as the starting Midfielder, the future is very bright for Rocket Soccer. 

      The team has many returning players from last season like senior Christina Personette and junior Stephanie Sherry. When asked how the girls' team will win the state championship this season Stephanie Sherry responded, "The mindset we have is to stay positive. We can't put anyone down and we ultimately have to work together. We will be able to overcome any obstacle." The star Junior is hoping to repeat the success she had last season and carry on her junior campaign. 
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[Pictured] Jaxon Cervantes. Photo courtesy of JRC Media.

Tennis Time
Dylan Kemether

     Tennis season is here at The Mount. With three seniors playing tennis this year, the team looks to make a splash. Coach Leigha Liuzza and athletes are very confident about what they can accomplish this season. "Several of our players have the potential to win tournaments. We will be successful at regional and state levels," said Liuzza.

     The team seems to have improved from last year due to the amount of work that they are putting in. The extra year of experience and practice has helped this team grow as a unit. "We should be competitive. We should have a fuller, more competitive team than last year." Said Coach Liuzza.

     Is the team prepared for the upcoming season? "It's about fifty-fifty. We have many players who have put in the time on their own." Said Coach Liuzza.

     The tennis team is very serious about their sport, and they are always searching to improve on the court. "The girls' side is looking much stronger than they did last year. There is more experience than there was last year," said senior JP Pierce. This team appears like it can be very successful this year and for years to come.

Coffee Talk
Ignacio Ruiz

     In the 1990s, SNL had a series of skits called "Coffee Talk" with Mike Myers playing an older Jewish woman with an exaggerated New York accent who loved Barbra Streisand. This article is a different coffee talk. 

     Where does the phrase "cup of joe" referring to coffee originate? There are three prevailing theories about this - one involving the Navy, one a slang term, and one being common.

     The first theory states that back in 1913, Josephus Daniels was the Secretary of the Navy. At one point, the Navy used to allot liquor to their sailors. Mr. Daniels issued General Order 99 in 1914, which made the most potent drink available on ships coffee. Since then, sailors have been ordering a "cup of Joe" in Josephus' honor. And naturally, the tradition continued, so it eventually became part of the jargon. Although the Navy quit issuing liquor to the sailors before Order 99, it just seems to go well, and it appeals to that rebellious side of everyone. So, raise your cup of coffee to good ole Joe, Josephus "Joe" Daniels, that is.

     The second theory states that coffee is known as java and jamoke, a jargon term from the 1930s. Jamoke itself is put together from java and mocha. To shorten it even more, and be hip about it, it became "joe." Shortening names has been a common thing since the 1930s: Java/Jamoke to Joe. Today it's Instagram to Insta, or Snapchat to Snap. It's probably even shorter by now.

     The last theory suggests that the common man has been called Joe for quite a while. Back in the day, a working joe was the average working man. So what is the average Joe's drink but coffee? Eventually, coffee became Joe, and so we get a "cup of joe" from there.

     Personally, I like the Josephus "Joe" Daniels theory. It just appeals to me. Whichever you believe, coffee is a standard drink, available pretty much everywhere not just at Starbucks. Do you drink coffee? How do you like it? Where do you get it? Let us know by sending us a comment.
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     And have some coffee talk, "You'll see, it's like 'buttah,' " he said in a terrible New York accent.

College Fair

Mount St. Mary held a college fair to help students with their after high school decisions. Representatives from seventeen different universities came to talk with interested students and hand out information. Click on the picture to watch some highlights of the event.

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