#1StudentNWI: Niners Finish Out the School year

#1StudentNWI: Niners Finish Out the School year

WHAT’S HAPPENING? — Armageddon and Other End of the Year Activities

The school year at Andrean cannot end without the celebration of the insane field day known as Armageddon. Every year, the classes battle for the Armageddon title and bragging rights for the next year. This year, the Class of 2018 was victorious. The seniors also won Armageddon last year.

The Armageddon opening ceremonies are always extravagant, featuring a video and opening game based on that year’s theme (this year was Fortnite), the lighting of the Armageddon torch, and the tug-of-war competition. Once the opening ceremonies were over, the competitions began. Niners competed in everything from quiz bowl to ultimate frisbee to gaga ball. At the end of the day, everyone came back into the gym for the final dodgeball competition.

Final exams immediately followed Armageddon this year. Shortly after the end of the school year, Bishop Hying celebrated the Baccalaureate Mass at Our Lady of Consolation Church. Graduation itself took place on June 10 at 2:00 p.m.

WHAT’S COMING UP? — Niners Don’t Stop for Summer

1Student-Andrean-June-2018-02Summer break has started for the Niners, but many students are still involved with their extracurriculars. Fall sports, including volleyball, football, soccer, girls golf, boys tennis and cross country, will condition and train as a team over the summer in order to prepare for the upcoming season. Even though their first games and meets are still several months away, the summer will be over before they know it.

Many of these athletic teams are also hosting camps over the summer for middle schoolers. These camps, while providing a fun opportunity for younger children, will also allow future Fifty-Niners to get a glimpse of what high school is like.

This summer, Andrean will also be welcoming the incoming Class of 2022. Several events, including the freshman picnic and orientation, will take place. Incoming students will be given details as the events get closer.

TEACHER FEATURE — Mrs. Anne Weiss

1Student-Andrean-June-2018-03Mrs. Anne Weiss began her career when Andrean’s U.S. history teacher left the position a week before the first day of school. Little did she know, this fortuitous job opening would lead to the career of a lifetime. 49 years later, Weiss is still teaching the same class, with no plans to quit any time soon.

Weiss graduated from Marian University in 1967 with a degree in history and a minor in Latin. She joked that “nothing there was going to get [her] a job,” which is why she decided to attend the University of Wisconsin to earn a masters degree in South Asian Studies. Her plan? “…[to] teach at the college level or work for the government and save the world… whatever college students were thinking in the late sixties,” she said.

However, Weiss left the program after a year to get married, and the rest is, well, history. At the time, her husband taught German at Andrean, which is how she was offered the position. For Weiss, teaching ended up being the ideal career.

“There is no job like it where you get to start over with a clean slate every year, correct your mistakes, plan for the future, and know, just know, that this year will be the best one yet,” she said.

Weiss later returned to school to obtain a Masters in Education and certifications in accounting and math.

Weiss currently teaches AP U.S. History, probability and statistics, and algebra II. She feels a special connection to U.S. history as a subject because she lived through much of what she teaches. Weiss also coaches the history team of Academic Super Bowl. The team has done relatively well in recent years, taking home the State Runner-Up title in 2016. Weiss always prefers the years when the theme relates to the United States; she is looking forward to 2020, when the theme will be the Roaring Twenties.

Even though Weiss has never taught anywhere else, she knows that the Andrean community is her home.

“Andrean has always been about fellowship and community… it’s the family thing, don’t you know,” she said. “There has always been a feeling of ‘we are all in this business together’ that I find very appealing.”

STUDENT FEATURE — Luke Nicksic

1Student-Andrean-June-2018-04Luke Nicksic did not always think of himself as a leader, but if the past four years of his life are any indication of the future, he will definitely go far. This year, Nicksic was a key player for Andrean varsity soccer and wrestling teams. He is also a part of student council and is highly involved in his faith life. Nicksic lectors at St. Paul’s Parish, and this year, he had the opportunity to lead one of the senior class’s Kairos retreats.

Nicksic’s largest extracurricular commitment by far has been to wrestling. After only winning one match his entire freshman season, Nicksic realized that success would only come from hard work. His work ethic and support from his family allowed Nicksic to enroll at the Region Wrestling Academy, where he was trained by the best in the sport. By junior year, he was able to qualify for Semi-State. Despite all of his own dedication and hard work, Nicksic still attributes his success to those who supported him on his journey.

“That’s a testimony to the people around me and my partners. That’s all them, really,” he said. “Following their lead taught me to be humble and work harder and take good criticism.”

Throughout high school, many of the adults in Nicksic’s life recognized his potential as a leader. His soccer coach recommended early on that Nicksic become a coach, but when Mr. Jaycob Knazur sent Nicksic to Hoosier Boys State, the teen was able to find the path he really wanted to pursue.

“[Hoosier Boys State is] where I got a taste of the military, because none of my family members that I knew were in the military,” he said.

While attending the summer program, Nicksic attended an information session held by the armed forces. He immediately liked the military lifestyle and mentality. Nicksic recognized that servicemen need to be team players, a skill he learned through wrestling.

“You’re only as good as your drill partner in practice,” he said. “If you’re drilling, and your partner doesn’t really care, doesn’t want to put in the work, then you’re not going to get any better. Nothing’s really an individual anything."

Recently, Nicksic was awarded a $180,000 NROTC scholarship by the Marine Corps. He will be going to Virginia Military Institute where he plans on wrestling. After that, Nicksic will serve in the Marine Corps for four years. Nicksic hopes to go on active duty, but true to his character, he says he will go where the marines need him.

“It’s about what the marine corps needs, not what you need. That’s part of being in the service,” Nicksic said.