Rock BottomScotus Central Catholic Volume 17 • Issue III • December 20, 2016 Columbus, Nebraska 68601

http://issuu.com/scotusjournalism

S t u d e n t s s t a r t a n e w c h a p t e r

Junior high students aren’t able participate in many clubs or activ-ities. This year has proven a little different with the start of junior high FBLA.

FBLA is a group that teaches leadership and business instruction

By Kira DreherStaff Reporter

for students that want to pursue such a career. It has only been opened up for the high school, but this year is was started up for all grades.

“I wanted to join FBLA the first day I heard about it. I love helping people, being creative, working with others, and doing activities throughout our community,” eighth grader Emily Ferguson said.

Ferguson is one of sixteen stu-

dents in JH FBLA, taking a big part in helping with the creation of the “portacath pillow.”

“I saw the idea on Pinterest and thought it would be a nice project for the junior high,” FBLA sponsor Patti Salyard stated.

The pillows help cancer pa-tients who have ports in their chests and are uncomfortable in a vehicle. The pillows attach to the seatbelt of

a car and help protect that area from becoming irritated.

“The nurses were excited to have these pillows. They know the patients will appreciate them,” Salyard said.

Two junior high students made a trip to the hospital with Salyard to deliver the gifts to the patients.

But that’s not all junior high FBLA will be doing the rest of the

year.“Second semester, they will be

involved with FBLA Week, which will include a drive for troops who are connected with Scotus, a food drive, and an activity with senior citizens. In the spring, they will have a business competition consisting of keyboarding knowl-edge, proofreading, and spelling.

Scotus was full of crafts and Christmas cheer at the annual Craft Boutique.

The Scotus Mothers Club held the craft fair on the first Sunday of December and had the largest crowd ever seen at the boutique.

Deb Ohnoutka, a teacher at Scotus and member of the Moth-er’s Club, who was on the bou-tique committee for the first time this year, said, “This is the most volunteer help we have gotten for a long time so that was really help-ful because it made everything go smoothly.”

The Scotus Mothers Club is a fundraising group for the school made up mothers of alumni or current Scotus students. They are in charge of coordinating and bringing the boutique to life.

“Teachers are allowed a certain amount in their classroom bud-gets, but that doesn’t always cover everything they want, so they make a wish list and those are the extra things,” Ohnoutka said. “The Scotus Mothers usually use some of their

money from the boutique to help buy things for the teachers off of their wish list.”

Another way the boutique benefits the school is through the band bake sale. The band students donate baked goods or $15 which goes toward the band department and improving the instruments, buying new instruments, and other band costs. One of the custodians at Scotus, Rob Daniels, spent many hours making apple butter to be donated to the band and sold at the boutique.

“I used to be in band actually, and I love band and I remember how it was kind of tough raising funds so I was thinking I could do something cool and easy that would be able to work for them,” Dan-iels commented. “I really love the school here, and the kids here are really great. It was just something I saw that I could do, and I can make good apple butter!”

The boutique has been in action since 1982, but this year it had the largest turnout in Scotus history. There were over 100 vendors, over 1600 shoppers, and nearly 100 volunteers.

“There are people that come in and work to do physical work, there

are people that donate food for the lunch stand, and there are people who are volunteer callers for all those things too,” Ohnoutka said. “There are lots of different jobs for all the volunteers to do.”

The Shamrock Singers and a small ensemble of the band per-formed at the boutique too. The band stayed in Memorial Hall while the Singers caroled around the entire boutique.

“It came about just by the Scotus Mothers asking if I could get a group of band students to do it. It has become a tradition and I personally look forward to it each year. It’s fun to rehearse Christmas carols with a small ensemble,” band director Kristen Cox said. “As musicians, it is a way for us to give back to an organization that has supported us in so many ways throughout the years. I also feel the music adds to the experience of the boutique and makes our craft show even more special.”

Planning for the next boutique will start in April.

“We just really appreciate all the help we have had,” Ohnoutka concluded.

By Matt HoenkStaff Reporter

By Emma RuskampStaff Reporter

Emma Ruskamp/Rock Bottom staff

kiRa DREhER/Rock Bottom staff

Mothers Club fundraises at craft boutiqueStudents raise money for local Simon House

Junior Emily Carstens and senior Emerson Belitz shop at one of the tables set up in the Dowd Activity Center at the Craft Boutique. The Scotus Mothers Club coordinates the boutique annual-ly to raise money to buy teachers items off of their classroom wishlist.

Seniors Matt Hoenk and Dalton Taylor show off their beards as they present a check to the Simon House. The fundraiser raised a total of $615.

The students at Scotus broke the usual clean-shaven, plain sock rule this November in an attempt to raise money for the local Simon House.

“I thought [the fundraiser] went pretty well. The guys who partici-pated kept the neck line clean, and everybody from the students and staff handled it well,” Scotus Presi-dent Jeff Ohnoutka stated.

The fundraiser, which took place from November 7th through the 30th, raised a total of $615, which was donated to the Simon House. The check was presented to Harriett Janicek, an assistant manager of the Simon House, at the winter activities pep rally on the 30th.

“I decided to participate in the fundraiser because it was for a good cause. Also, as a lot of people know,

I am not very a big fan of shaving,” senior Dalton Taylor said.

Many students from each grade decided to take part in the fundrais-er. There were two different ways that students could break the dress code to ensure that no one was left out. Students could choose to not shave, wear multicolored socks, or both. The cost to be a part of this event was ten dollars for not shaving and five dollars for wear-ing crazy socks. With only fifteen students opting to partake in the no shave portion of the fundraiser, the crazy sock option was the money leader for the fundraiser.

“After the student council brought it to my attention and Mrs. Lahm stepped forward as the spon-sor for that group to help organize [the fundraiser], I thought it could be a good thing,” Ohnoutka stated.

This particular fundraiser had been discussed by the student council in previous years, but they

See FBLA, Page 2

See SHAVE, Page 2

2December 2016News

Eighth graders Emily Ferguson and Christina Oakley deliver portacath pillows to Columbus Community Hospital. The junior high FBLA made 24 pillows and hope to make more in the future (pictured left).

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Go to the Scotus website andclick on the Rock Bottom link

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1/4/2017

FBLA

Honors will be given to the top two in each area. This competition will help prepare them for the high school State Leadership Conference in which they compete for top honors against FBLA

Scotus Journalism pictures for sale:

Kira Dreher/rocK Bottom Staff

GO SHAMROCKS!

ROCK BOTTOM STAFF

Editor:Tate VunCannon

Staff writers:Advisor:Mrs. Angie Rusher Kira Dreher

Haley Faust Matt Hoenk Eastyn Klink Mallory O’Hearn

Amberly Parker Kaylie Rocha Emma Ruskamp Layne Schroeder Matt Strecker

SHAVEPhoto courteSy Patti SalyarD

members across the state of Nebraska,” Salyard com-mented.

The students helped during the football season at the concession stand for the home games alongside the

high school FBLA members. Eighth grader Lizzie

Parker is one of many junior high students who plan to continue FBLA through the rest of junior high and high school.

“It’s lots of fun, and I have learned a lot,” Parker said.

Salyard concluded, “We are very proud of how involved they have been and the great work they do.”

had seen more interest this year by the students which caused them to take up the idea with Mr. Ohnoutka.

“I loved doing crazy sock November because I could finally showcase my best socks to the entire school,” sophomore Bekah Hergott said.

The question that now arises is whether this will become a Scotus tradition or if it will be a one-time event.

“I haven’t decided

yet, we will have to wait.” Ohnoutka said

Scotus is now back to the usual clean shaven, plain sock dress code that the students have become accustomed to. Whether or not November next year will bring back the facial hair and crazy sock trend is still up for debate, but the important thing is the school came to-gether this November to raise money for a good cause.