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Xavier High SchoolNews2

The XpressBi-weeklyXavier High School 6300 42nd St. NE Cedar Rapids, IA 52411Volume 15 Issue 10

Editors-In-ChiefAnna Busse

Cassie BuschCopy Editor

Carolina VonKampenNews EditorDaniel Pape

News AssistantQuinlan Moran

News WritersCarolina VonKampen

Maria Efting

Opinion EditorBryan BanowetzOpinion Assistant

Peyton RosencrantsOpinion WritersHannah Gibbs

Brennan Graeve

CJ Lampe

Morgan Noonan

Gina Reiman

Chloe Streif

Ben Valentine

Student Life EditorJenna Fenske

Student Life AssistantColette Miller

Student Life WriterLauren Lutgens

Mini-Feature EditorAnna White

Mini-Feature AssistantAmeena Challenger

Mini-Feature WriterRachel Brady

Feature EditorMegan Lynch

Feature AssistantRobbie Thinnes

Feature WriterMary Esker

Health and Lifestyle EditorAnsley O’Brien

Health and Lifestyle AssistantHannah Chute

Health and Lifestyle WriterMolly Vipond

Arts and Entertainment EditorMaddie Smith

Arts and Entertainment AssistantEmma Hunt

Arts and Entertainment WritersLauren Van Hoeck

Payton Janney

Meghan Gerke

Ashley Pudil

Sports Co-EditorsConnor Collins

John RichardsonSports Writers

Alex Fox

Connor Collins

Shannon Mulcahey

Kyle D’mello

Lizzy McWhinney

Backpage EditorNicole Draker

Backpage AssistantMcKenzie Potter

BusinessHailey SojkaDistribution

Brennan Graeve

AccurateBookkeeping & PayrollService

Computerized AccountingPayroll Services

Phone: 393-8200Fax: 393-1089

3627 Center Point Rd. NECedar Rapids, IA 52402

University of Iowa dances “FTK” The letters, “FTK,” echoed

through the crowd on February 1, 2013 at the University of Iowa. This is no sporting event, and cheerleaders are not leading this chant; rather the Morale Captains, the leaders of the 19th University of Iowa Dance Marathon, held annually in support of children plagued by cancer.

The University of Iowa Dance Marathon consists of 24 hours of non-stop dancing by students who choose to dance “for the kids” hence the abbreviation “FTK.” “The Big Event,” another name for Dance Marathon, supports children at the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital; specifically those in pediatric oncology, the treatment of cancer, and bone marrow transplant patients.

In its 19th year of existence, Dance Marathon raised $1,529,650.19 for the cause, bringing the grand total to $12,738,161.24.

Xavier alum Lura Carstensen, who now works as a Child Life Specialist in the Oncology Outpatient Clinic at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, began Mini Dance Marathon (MDM) at Xavier in 2008 with a group of her closest

organization is much more than raising money. It is about hope, support, and love that we give to these families throughout the year.” Carstensen added, “They are going through such a horrible and difficult time and Dance Marathon is able to take a little bit of that hardship and make it smoother. They create a support group for these families that will last for the rest of their lives and I believe that whoever gets involved in dance marathon will forever be changed for the better.” Students interested in attending Xavier’s Mini Dance Marathon can pick up a form in the main office.

friends in honor of her sister, Kira, who had lost her battle to cancer in 2007. She rallied the Xavier community to help her cause, and that year MDM raised $13,258 for the kids. Lura also got involved in “The Big Event.” “At Iowa I was a dancer my freshman year, a morale captain my sophomore year, campus relations chair, which dealt with all other student organizations that wanted to be involved and helped with programming my junior year and my senior year I was the executive event director,” Carstensen said.

This year, Xavier will hold their MDM on March 9. In order to attend, students must raise $20 for the cause. The dance will be three and a half hours long, with live music from various Xavier bands and prizes for the dancers.

“The money goes to help kids that can’t help themselves. Student Senate is really excited, and they have so many good ideas for this year. Everyone should attend it in order to support the kids!” Student Senate Secretary senior Ben Helms said.

Carstensen had nothing but positive things to say about Dance Marathon. “I want people to understand that this

Quinlan Moran Assistant News Editor

Maria Efting News Writer

Greene Square Park undergoes upgrade Plans are in place to renovate

Greene Square Park this fall. A committee of stakeholders from downtown Cedar Rapids has been meeting for close to a year to discuss a two million dollar project to update the park, according to Jim Kern, the chairman of Cedar Rapids’ Visual Arts Commission.

If the planning process moves ahead as scheduled, renovations for the project could start this fall. The motivation behind the effort is largely due to the park’s location between the new downtown library (predicted to open in August) and the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art. The park sits between both sites’ front lawns.

The reconstruction proposal calls for many changes that would modernize and commercialize the park. The concrete planters that line the park on its Third Avenue

employees and families. Fundraising for the project

will begin in March. If the planning and construction move ahead on pace, Greene Square Park’s transformation will be completed by the spring of 2014.

side would be removed, as many complain they are visual barriers. Trees in poor health would come down, while ornamental trees, bushes, and shrubs would be added. A play area will be added to the southeast corner of the park, while the southwest corner will be renovated to include a picnic area. The addition of an outdoor ice-skating rink for the winter is also planned.

“We want to keep it vital, interesting, clean, appealing and attractive,” Kern said.

These changes will be largely appreciated by the park’s many users. Greene Square Park is used as a venue for Uptown Friday Night concerts and the Saturday morning farmer’s market, both held throughout the summer. It is also a place to meet and gather for downtown

Xavier students dance at the 2012 Mini Dance Marathon. Mrs. Wagner Photo.

A layout of the newly designed Greene Square Park. Gazette Photo.