Christmas Concert

This year's Christmas Concert featured performances by the Mount's Band, Choir, and Strings. The Mount Michael Speech team also performed renditions of Christmas classics, comedy, and poems.

Music Sampler: African Bell Carol - Sleigh Ride - Christmas Pops Trio

Photos

Student-Faculty Christmas Dinner Photos

Christmas Dinner Photos

Feast of the Immaculate Conception Mass Photos

Going Places: Kyle Svingen '07

Looking back, there are so many things that I loved about my four years at Mount Michael— the high academic standards demanded by the teachers, the effort and sportsmanship expected by the coaches, and the support and brotherhood shared among the students. One of the aspects I took for granted was the implicit expectation that every student was going places. The question in the spring of Senior year was not if one was going to college, but where one would enroll in the fall. “I’m going to UNL to study Engineering” or “I’m going to St. Thomas to pursue a degree in Philosophy” or “I’m going to be a cadet at West Point.”

I went to a small liberal arts school in Northfield, Minnesota called St. Olaf College, where I majored in Physics and Religion while participating in numerous music ensembles and engaging in all the richness of campus life. Like my four years at the Mount, my time at St. Olaf prepared me to be successful, both personally and professionally. Perhaps the most valuable gift from the values-based education I received at Mount Michael and St. Olaf was a deeper understanding of my place in the world.
Conversations with monks, teachers, professors and peers helped me shape a world view that led me to understand the privilege I have been given. Both of my parents went to college and were able to send me to the best college-prep high school in the state, which empowered me to study at a leading liberal arts college. This privilege is not anything to be ashamed of; instead, it can be used as a tool for the greater good.

After graduating in May of 2011, I signed up for an AmeriCorps service year with a nonprofit called College Possible right here in Omaha. AmeriCorps is a federally-funded national service organization; it’s similar to the Peace Corps, but members serve within the United States. College Possible is a nonprofit formed ten years ago in Minnesota’s Twin Cities with the mission to help low-income students earn their college degrees. Upper-income students are more than ten times more likely to earn a college degree by the age of 24, compared to their low-income peers; this is a disparity that only contributes to the cycle of poverty. College Possible is making college admission and success possible for low-income students through an intensive curriculum of coaching and support. Ninety-one percent are students of color who come from families that make an average of $25,000 per year. Students attend twice-weekly sessions after school during the course of their junior and senior years. My role within College Possible is a junior coach; I work with high school juniors, building the idea that college is an expectation, not an aspiration, and facilitating ACT test-prep, learning about the college application process and exploring college options. In their senior year, the curriculum shifts from test-prep to applying for admission, financial aid and scholarships. College Possible coaches continue to support our students throughout college, giving our students every benefit we can to empower them to success. Over the last ten years, 98% of our students have earned college admission, and of those, 80% have earned a college degree or are currently enrolled in college!

College Possible has done awesome things for low-income youth in the Twin Cities and Milwaukee; Omaha is the third city in which College Possible operates, and we are very excited to make a difference in this community. In our first year, we will be serving 60 students in two local public schools, and we are hoping to serve in six high schools next year, with plans for further expansion.

I’m excited to be making a difference in the lives of these students. Many never considered going to college prior to enrolling in College Possible, and now they are on a path to success. Just like at Mount Michael, the most common question posed to a College Possible Senior isn’t if he or she is going to college, but where; our students believe in themselves, and know that they are going places!
~ Kyle Svingen (’07) (article featured in the winter 2011 edition of the Michaeleen)

Rawandan Students Share Similar Experiences

Yunsik Oh | Staff Writer  for “The Mount”   photos by Joey Bastian

Mount Michael is home away from home for many foreign students. Rwandan natives David Gatete, Songa Rugangazi, and Johnny Bucyana are no exceptions. “I love Mount Michael. Even though I am away from everyone at my home, I feel no difference. Everybody here is just like my brothers and part of my family,” said Gatete.

These three Rwandans came to Mount Michael for different reasons. Rugangazi wanted to go to a college in the United States, and his parents wanted him to go to a boarding school here so he could get adapted to American culture and the American way of learning and teaching. By searching the internet and asking around, he found out about Mount Michael.

Bucyana said, “My mom works in Haiti. She’s a doctor and she’s been there for one-and-a-half years, since the earthquake. She wanted me to go to a boarding school since she was not at home.” Some of Bucyana’s family members also study in the states and have even graduated from college here. “Coming here was not a sudden decision,” said Bucyana.

Gatete came to America to learn English. Gatete said, “My dad owns a construction company in Rwanda, and my mom goes around to other countries buying machines for dairy products for the Rwandan people. My dad was the person who sent me here. He heard about Mount Michael from the person who helped Songa discover the school. Two years ago, our president made the French language illegal in Rwanda, and he forced all the schools to use English instead of any other languages. My dad thought it was necessary to learn English to succeed in Rwanda,” said Gatete.

Future plans for these three Rwandans remain unclear. After graduating from college, most of them are planning to go back to Rwanda and help their families. Gatete said that he wants to study engineering and architecture as his major in college, and then return to work at his dad’s business.

“I want to study industrial engineering as an undergraduate major and hopefully get my MBA after that. I would like to get work experience in the U.S. before going back to Rwanda,” said Rugangazi.

As for Bucyana, he is still largely unsure of what he will do after college; however, one thing is for certain. “I am not sure what I am going to do after graduating college because it depends on what job I get,” he said. “But I can say that I definitely enjoyed my time at Mount Michael and it is going to make an impact in my life.”

D J Wooten: Man Behind the Beard

Nate Van Haute | Staff Writer for “The Mount”

Every November at Mount Michael, new faces emerge, not because of transfer students or new teachers, but because of a fundraiser for a non-profit organization put on by student council. This year, D.J. Wooten has emerged as the top facial hair grower at the Mount. Along with many other students, Wooten paid 5 dollars in exchange for a shave-free month. Although many students admire Wooten for his uncanny ability to grow facial hair, there are many other reasons why students look up to him.

Wooten grew up hearing all about Mount Michael. His dad graduated from the Mount in 1987, and after earning his PhD in nuclear physics, he got a job working in the military. Because of this, the Wooten family has lived in many different places. Wooten moved to Nebraska right before his freshman year, and knew that Mount Michael was the place for him. “It was a tough transition at first, but I have come to love Mount Michael,” said Wooten. He admits to missing his friends in Ohio, but they keep in touch with Skype. “We often play Dungeons and Dragons, which is always a good time,” he said.

D.J. Wooten loves staying involved and cherishes the little free time that he has. At Mount Michael, he is involved in robotics, band, cross-country, wrestling, and track. He said, “I love being able to play sports at Mount Michael because of the small environment.” In the classroom, Wooten excels. He maintains a competitive GPA and is regularly active in the classroom.

Wooten said that his favorite teacher is Dave Cormier, not just because of his facial hair, but because of the way he runs his class. Wooten said that there is a lot of learning, and also a lot of laughing. Outside of the Mount, Wooten is also very involved. He is active in Boy Scouts and loves adventures. “My life has been one large adventure,” he said. “I don’t know many other kids who have moved six times.”

Other students admire Wooten for his study habits and personality. Classmate Jimmy Steier said, “D.J. is a really funny kid. He maintains a perfect balance of having fun and maintaining good academic standing.” Classmate Josh Bloomquist said, “We often call D.J. Sasquatch for his facial hair, but he takes it well. He gets along with everyone in the school and is a great role model.” Although his facial hair will be gone in December, Wooten will continue to be a model student.