Nolan Catholic High School marked the two-year anniversary of 9/11 with a prayer service of hope and calling on Thursday, September 11, 2003. The tone of the service was one of hope and rebuilding, with a particular emphasis on how individuals are called to be peacemakers in the events and relationships of everyday life.
The prayer service was held on the campus’ baseball field beginning at 8:26 a.m. The service included a candle lighting ceremony conducted by all one thousand one hundred fifty-five NCHS students, faculty, and staff. The Liturgy of the Word also included a time of reflection by the school President, Rev. Larry Doersching, S.M.
Sophomore Corey Zebian, U.S. Naval Sea Corp member, reads during the prayer service.

Legal Mind Making Plans
This past summer, senior Christopher Tisdell attended the National Student Leadership Conference on Law and Advocacy at Stanford University. He spent two weeks preparing research for a mock trial case with other students and presented the mock litigation in a San Francisco, CA court.
The experience was the second such leadership conference Tisdell has attended with other nationally selected students. He plans to participate next year as resident assistant for the program the summer after graduation.

National Merit Scholarship Competition
The names of the Semifinalists in National Merit Scholarship Program were announced Sept. 25. This year Nolan Catholic has three Semifinalists, (scoring at least 216 on the PSAT/NMSQT) Jerry Michael, Madeline Gomez, and Andrew Shields (pictured right). The Commended Students (scoring at least 200 on the PSAT/NMSQT) are listed in the bar at right. Congratulations scholars on these achievements.

Danseuse
Natasha Ashton , a junior at NCHS pictured left, recently performed with Ballet Arlington in the corps de ballet for George Balanchine’s Divertimento during the Company’s season premiere (Oct. 3 & 4) performances at Texas Hall in Arlington. An advanced student with Ballet Arlington’s Academy of Ballet, Natasha is one of a few exceptional students selected by the company’s artistic directors to dance in the corps de ballet. She has performed in many company productions during the past two years, including the role of Clara in The Nutcracker .
Natasha has attended various summer intensive dance programs including the Imagination Celebration’s Debbie Allen Institute at TCU. For the past three summers she has been on full scholarship at the Debbie Allen Dance Academy in Los Angeles. This past summer, Natasha was also accepted into the prestigious American Ballet Theatre’s summer program.

Technology Bolsters Biology
Mrs. Judy Sheedy’s 9th grade biology class had a problem. The chapter that deals with biochemistry is a difficult topic of study for most ninth grade biology students. NCHS purchased a site license for an interactive computer program to facilitate learning. The class used the program with the laptop computers in class to review for an upcoming test.

Here is what one of the students, Angie Lux, said of the experience:
“Biology is so exciting! In this class we are reviewing for a big test on the chemistry of life. These laptops [with the programs] are helping us. They are making it much easier to review and they add so much more excitement to our studying in class . . . These laptops also make studying more structured and less stressful.”

When the students are not using the laptops in class, they can access this program in the computer lab.

Reviving the Literary Magazine
Mr. Larry Oliver will be starting up the literary magazine at Nolan Catholic (reviving the moribund tradition). The group will create works of fiction, non-fiction, art, and photography. The first edition will be in an electronic format, EZine. Look for more information on-line at www.nolancatholichs.org.

Día de los Muertos
The Spanish Club is preparing for its next event: Día de los Muertos at the end of October. Under the leadership of President, Lorraine Licon, and officers - Andrea Downey, Melissa Meyers, Jackie Rothschild, Frank Perera and Lauren Power, the club will be learning about the ceremony and celebration of Día de los Muertos. While creating altars, cooking pan de muerto, and decorating skulls and skeletons, they will be remembering loved ones who have gone before us.

Help was needed and the NCHS Senior Christian Ministry class gave it. The Nolan Catholic Senior Religion class is currently running three critical programs for the White Lake School: school library, computer lab and science lab. The class is carrying out the ministry it studies and then discusses it in the classroom.

This Senior Religion class is currently running three programs which were cut this year at the White Lake School due to insufficient funds: library, computer lab and science lab. The twenty-seven seniors in the class have broken into three groups. Some class time is used to write lesson plans, practice teaching, making handouts and worksheets, etc. This preparation, teaching, and materials are then used at White Lake School every Wednesday. During the Thursday class periods back at Nolan Catholic, the seniors process how the experience went at the elementary school.

The Christian Ministry class studies the theology of ministry and holds discussions and reflection time in the classroom. The B period (last class of the day) spend Wednesdays at White Lake School as their community ministry, applying what they have learned to help the school in need. Some of the NCHS students stay longer to continue working with the White Lake students. Others have volunteered to help White Lake with school projects like their Preschool Program and Fall Fundraiser.

This class would like to “pass the torch” to the spring semester Christian Ministry class so that this program does not end. The White Lake School is hoping for the same thing.

Aaron Bartholomew
Geoffrey Calvin
Greg Chellgren
Michael Coleman
Allyson Davis
Kevin Garnett
Christine Haw
Christine Hoang
Elizabeth LeConey
Derek Lindberg
Jessica Lollar
Andrew Pham
Emily Short
Caitlin Styrsky

Fall Play
Theatre Nolan’s Fall Play “The Importance of Being Earnest” runs October 23, 25, 30 and November 1st at 7:00 p.m. in the Auditorium. Tickets are $3.00 for students $5.00 for adults.

Thank you to everyone who came out to support the 2nd Annual Student-Directed Melodrama on September 19 and 20. “Heaven Help the Po’Taters!” was a great success and a good fundraiser for the Thespian Society. Senior Nicole Seaman and cast did a fabulous job! Hope to see you all back next year for this new Nolan Catholic tradition!

Speech & Debate
The following are the results of the first 2 tournaments for the Speech and Debate team.

Carroll H.S.,Southlake
Judy Le - semifinalist, Prose (out of 63 entries)
Eric Rychaert - semifinalist, Prose (out of 63)

Newman Smith H.S., Carrollton
Christine Hoang - 3rd place, Best LD Debate Speaker Award (out of 58 debaters)
Judy Le - 6th place, Prose (out of 48 entries)