The Blackfriar Chronicle - April 2015

Four Star General visits Malvern

Will you go to prom with us?

Review: “To Pimp a Butterfly”

We sat down with Father Son Banquet Speaker, General Chilton, to talk about his work, his life, and sleeping in zero gravity.

Senior Mike McCarthy ranks this year’s best promposals, scary bunnies and all.

Guy with barely any rap experience reviews an album that may well be remembered for decades.

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BLACKFRIAR Chronicle

The

www.mpfriarslantern.COM

APRIL 2015

VOLUME 15, NUMBER 7

Malvern Football headed to Chicago for season opener

On August 28, 2015, Malvern Football will be traveling to Chicago to open the season against a fellow Augustinian School.

ILLUSTRATION / M. PICHOLA

Technology changes, both in and out of the classroom, are making Malvern a more “mobile campus.”

Jack McClatchy '17 REPORTER alvern has big plans for technology in the classroom, in a world where students are spending more time on their iPhones than listening to teachers.

Mr. Kevin Whitney, Director of 21st Century Learning, says that Malvern’s IT Department is working to “make Malvern a more mobile campus for teachers, students and guests.”

The new plans for technology at Malvern were not “made in a meeting with everyone there,” said Mr. Algeo, Head of the Upper School. “It has been evolving… This has come out of our strategic plan on the needs of both the needs

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of students and teachers.”

“The plan started about two and a half years ago,” said Mr. Terrence Norko, Head of the Technology Department, “with the reincarnation of how Malvern is teaching its students through studentcentered learning. It’s all supposed to support that idea.”

One part that directly affects students is the transition from MyBackpack to a new service called Schoology, a service that is more nuanced than MyBackpack.

Schoology has additional features, such as offering mobile apps that integrate into the service to aid teachers and students.

Schoology's website describes the service as a learning management system designed "to make online education

a collective effort and to increase the overall impact of everyone involved in a student's education." The company was founded in the 2007-2008 school year, and offers both a basic free version for teachers and an paid enterprise version that can be adopted by entire schools or districts.

Norko confirmed the move from MyBackpack to Schoolog y in an interview.

The move from MyBackpack to a new service was not an easy shift. The Blackfriar Chronicle reported on this transition in February 2015, before the Schoology platform could be confirmed.

"This huge process takes over a year,” Whitney > PAGE 7

Alum opens McKean Defense to students Field trip provides insider perspective for students interested in engineering.

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Daniel Malloy '18 t is a great experience for the kids, the coaches, and for our school,” said a proud Athletic Director Mr. Kurt Ruch. The upcoming Chicago trip is one of the most notable and one of the longest distance for the football team in recent years.

“We have traveled to other states for football - we’ve gone down to Jersey to play, we’ve gone down to DC - but never this kind of distance where (the team) has to go and stay overnight,” said Mr. Ruch.

The varsity football team will travel to legendary Soldier Field to play the opening game, home of the NFL Chicago Bears. The stadium has a rich history as the oldest current stadium in the NFL with 90 years of operation.

The game is set for August 28th. Some may have concerns that the trip may be cutting close to the start of classes for the 2015-2016 school year. Mr. Ruch cleared up some doubt on that issue.

“It will definitely be before school,” he says. “They will be back in plenty of time.”

The players traveling to Chicago will be from 10th to 12th grade. “We are taking players from 10th to 12th grade, which I consider to be the varsity,” said Head Coach Aaron Brady. “We have a JV schedule, but everyone is on varsity.”

The team they are facing, the St. Rita of Cascia Mustangs, is a formidable opponent, but Coach Brady feels his team will be ready for the challenge.

“They are very solid,” said Coach Brady. “They put about 6 or 7 guys into Division 1 college football every year. It is a quality program. It will be a challenge for us, but we should

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Tyler Pizzico '17 With Moore's help, Brady scheduled a follow-up tour of FRIAR LIFE EDITOR McKean Defense's facilities as part of the Experiential Learning alvern students interested in engineering program. had an opportunity to witness the field “We drove down to McKean Defense which first hand at the McKean Defense group This is just is in the Philadelphia Navy Yard. The first part of on April 14. A tour of the facilities and of the USS one of many the day was spent listening to and learning from the New Jersey was arranged by Eric Moore ‘02 and Mr. future trips engineers and graphic design team,” said participant Aaron Brady, the Director of Experiential Learning. we would like Tait McGlinn ‘16. “From there we went to Camden The opportunity first presented itself at a casual to schedule to tour the USS New Jersey where we got to see the meeting on a February 25 in the top floor of Sullivan for our engine rooms and some cool behind-the-scenes stuff Hall. Among the attendees were Brady, Moore, students. we couldn’t see otherwise. and Mr. Kevin Quinn, Science Department chair.

-Mr. Aaron Brady McGlinn believes the trip was a great learning Moore gave a presentation covering the aspects of his opportunity. “The engineers were great and happy career as an individual and the facets of his company, to answer all of our questions. It was definitely cool McKean Defense. He also covered his extensive military back- to see what they have been doing over the past years transferground and shared a few stories with the group present. ring from written designs on huge pieces of paper to CAD or

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MCKEAN DEFENSE / A. BR ADY

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April 2015

THE BLACKFRIAR CHRONICLE

EDITORIAL Projects VS. Tests: The Final (Exam) Countdown The Editorial Board explores the choice between a project or test as a form of final assessment.

Editorial Board ast year, Malvern Prep began a new final assessment format where large projects took the place of tests in some subjects. Instead of having students complete a traditional final assessment, english, social studies, and science classes had projects instead.

Mr. Algeo confirmed what appears on the spring 2015 calendar - that language, science, and social studies classes are scheduled to have traditional tests, while english, math, and theology classes are scheduled to have projects instead.

Subjects with alternate assessments might also have students do something else in addition to the final project, but for a 4th quarter grade. For instance, a theology teacher might have students complete a cumulative test which would just count as a test, in addition to the final project.

The Editorial Board believes that diversity in assessment is important. We agree that projects and tests evaluate different aspects of learning.

A project assessment can determine a student’s ability to access information and apply the knowledge. A long term project tends to also further teach a student.

Students learn to use their classroom knowledge in context: using digital thermometers on a solar cooker, examining an actual stomach in a dissected pig, or learning to use computer software to graph speed over time for a physics project. These real world skills may not have been learned without a cumulative project assessment.

Long term projects also teach skills not solely applicable to the subject. Communication, making deadlines, thinking outside the box, planning, responsibility, and division of labor are some of the many important life skills learned and used in projects.

When questioned on the topic, Malvern alum Rory Magargee

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'10 said, “These skills are so important in the maturation process of any individual that will certainly prepare them well for college and real life scenarios.”

Magargee went on to say, “I think it is important for to at least expose Malvern students to long term projects that will force them the learn how to delegate the workload, how to meet deadlines, and how to communicate effectively.”

There is a high demand for workers with a mastery of those skills. Although classroom knowledge is valued, much of that information is available to modern workers through the internet.

A worker’s value also includes the ability to apply the information and work with others towards a goal.

Projects, however, do have rather significant limitations. It can be difficult to make a project truly comprehensive of the entire year. While a test can ask short questions about a variety of topics covered by the class, a project is often limited in scope.

A traditional test has the benefit of being fast, straightforward, and relatively easy to grade. Tests can cover any topic from the class and are not limited in scope. A test, however, often fails to measure the student’s ability to apply the material to the real world. A calculus exam that asks a student to solve for simple derivatives can fall short in quizzing real world material.

The Editorial Board believes that there is value in both traditional tests and projects. We agree with the decision to include projects in the finals process, but we also suggest that more teachers use projects in midterms as well.

Studying for 6 finals or midterm tests can be just as difficult as completing 6 projects for finals or midterms. A 50/50 split in both midterms and finals would allow for a diversity of assessment methods and a less stressful experience for the student.

Editorial Board came to realize that many students have a strong preference towards projects or tests in particular classes.

ILLUSTRATION / M. UPDIKE

For example, a student may prefer a test in calculus over a project.

We suggest that, when possible, teachers give students the option to choose between a project and a test. If this choice isn't possible on the level of midterms or finals, teachers should try to incorporate such options in the regular assessments of the classroom. •

FRIAR LIFE

Annual Father/Son Banquet a hit 2015 event headlined by a former astronaut Tommy White '17 CONTRIBUTOR he relationship between a Father and Son is truly remarkable. It is a relationship that should be celebrated.

For 69 years, Malvern has celebrated this relationship with the Father-Son Annual Banquet. This is an evening where Malvern students and their Fathers meet on campus to share conversation, food, and camaraderie. This year, the annual event was held on April 20 in the O’Neill Center. Each year, the Banquet is organized by the Father’s Club.

This year’s chairman was Mr. Zachary C. DeCarlo (father of Zachary DeCarlo '15). Mr. DeCarlo said that he and his team searched for a speaker based on three criteria. They were looking for a speaker who would be interesting and appealing to both students and their fathers. An ideal speaker would represent the Augustinian values of Malvern. The third criteria was a speaker who had overcome hurdles in his life and career.

This year’s speaker was retired General Kevin Patrick Chilton. The Father’s Club was thrilled that General Chilton accepted the invitation to speak at Malvern. According to Mr. DeCarlo, General Chilton was “honored that we asked him to speak because he feels that it is his duty to give back in this forum.”

General Chilton is the highest ranking U.S. Astronaut and is a 3-time space shuttle traveler.

His speech that focused on the power of teamwork, courage, and leadership.

“You can take the brightest people in the world and give them a problem to solve. If someone doesn’t stand up and be the leader in solving that problem, the problem cannot be solved,” said General Chilton, advising on leadership and taking initiative in a situation.

General Chilton showed the audience a video of his first flight into space on the shuttle Endeavor. It showed his experiences and his training prior to going onto the flight. A theme of the video was the perseverance that is necessary to obtain such high goals.

One of the major themes of General Chilton’s speech was teamwork. He stressed the importance of building a great team before a crisis begins. In the video, he showed a satellite that the team was supposed to capture. The team spent close to two years training for this task. On the actual mission, they spent several hours attempting to corral the satellite without success. He explained that the members of the team were deflated and dejected because they were not immediately successful. Because of their strong bond, they were able to identify the problem and eventually work toward a solution. His speech stressed the importance of competence, confidence, and toughness when presented with a problem.

In addition to the General Chilton’s speech, there were two Loyalty Awards given out at the

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GEN. CHILTON SPEAKS AT FATHER/SON BANQUET / T. PERO

banquet. The first award was the Fathers’ Club Loyalty Award. This award was given to Tom Locke, parent of Harrison Locke '15. This award was presented by Rev. Father Flynn. Mr. Locke has been a member of the Malvern community for 7 years and is the prior president of the Father’s Club. He was recognized for his outstanding loyalty and service to the Malvern community.

The second award of the evening was the Student Loyalty Award. This award was given to Joe Martin '15. This award, voted on by Malvern’s faculty, is presented to a student who embraces the values of Malvern and exhibits these values in his everyday life. This award has been given annually since 1947.

The Father-Son Banquet is a remarkable Malvern tradition that has been celebrated for decades. “The Father-Son banquet was so much more than just me having dinner with my two sons,” observed Dr. Robert Satriale, father of Frank '15 and Mario '20. “It was all the fathers and all their sons coming together that made it remarkable, like one big family.” •

What does General Chilton have in common with the average Malvern student? Learn more on page 8.

THE BLACKFRIAR CHRONICLE

April 2015

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FRIAR LIFE Juniors travel to Costa Rica for spring break Quidditch comes to Malvern The first of the 2015 junior service trips proves a successful and impactful experience

Students will be competing in a new sport this Spring that will make Malvern seem just a little bit more like Hogwarts.

HARRYPOTTER.WIKIA.COM

JUNIORS AT WORK IN COSTA RICA / R. ALGEO

Jimmy Canuso '17 ARTS EDITOR uring the days leading up to Easter, a group of 7 juniors traveled to Costa Rica to do service. They left early in the morning on Saturday, March 29 and did not return until Easter Sunday night.

During the trip, the Malvern representatives worked with the Maleku people, an indigenous tribe near the town of Guatuso.

Mr. Ron Algeo, Head of the Upper School, chaperoned the trip, along with Mr. Joe Miele.

On the first day of the trip, the Malvern group helped to clear away any debris on the walking paths in the rainforest.

“The rainforest is very important to [the Maleku],” said Algeo. “Their whole tribe and history is based on a cohabitation with the rainforest there. They refer to it as their supermarket or doctors office.”

Algeo noted that the members of the Maleku tribe get their food from the rainforest, and there are a lot of medicinal plants grown there. The students got to try putting a plant that makes anesthesia in their mouth. When they chewed it, their mouths went numb.

The next thing the group did was build a greenhouse.

The greenhouse would help to grow the forest, which had been slightly depleted by people who were not part of the tribe. The well-being of the rainforest allowed plants and trees to be big enough to plant and not be taken over by animals or weeds. To help, students dug an irrigation system for the greenhouse in which they grew a lot of the plants.

The trip wasn’t all service, however. Students enjoyed a day of leisure when they all went ziplining and to a resort with hot springs.

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“It was just our day to have fun,” said Alex Sorenson '16. “Probably the most fun part was playing soccer with the guys [in the tribe], because they’re all really sick at soccer. We just kind of went along.”

Throughout this trip, Algeo and the students were able to really get to know and connect with the adults and children of the tribe. Getting to learn some of their language and a lot about their culture was a great experience for them.

Sorensen said that getting to know the Costa Rican people was the most impactful part of the trip. “They’re always smiling, even with just a simple life,” he said. “It taught us that you don’t need much to be happy.”

The Malvern group ended up doing about 25 hours of labor during the 10 days of the trip, according to Sorenson.

“I am thrilled with his year’s trip,” Said Mr. Larry Legner, Director of Christian service. “The boys were great the chaperones were wonderful. The chaperones can’t speak enough good about the boys. They thought they were wonderful and did everything they were asked to do.”

Legner noted that the juniors accomplished a lot. “The thing is, with planting trees and building greenhouses (etc.), you don’t see the benefit of that for ten to twenty years, but they started something in building the greenhouse where these seedlings can grow so that they don’t get stomped on.”

According to Legner, Malvern has been doing the Costa Rica trip for three years. He selected Costa Rica because he wanted a specific kind of trip where they were actually working with people in need; not just going in and “painting a wall”.

With only 600 Maleku people left in the world, the juniors worked very hard to help rebuild their rainforest, after many countries have come in and destroyed it.•

The

BLACKFRIAR Chronicle

is a monthly student-run publication at Malvern Preparatory School. Its online affiliate is the Friar’s Lantern (www.mpfriarslantern.com).

Mission Statement The Blackfriar Chronicle and The Friar’s Lantern are the student-run publications of Malvern Prep. The principal goals of the publications are to provide accurate and relevant information to the Malvern community and to offer a forum for intelligent dialogue on all things Malvern. The reporting for these student publications is conducted thoroughly and edited by student leaders to ensure this accuracy to the best of our ability. In order to fairly provide all points of view, contributions from all members of the Malvern community are welcomed and encouraged through letters of opinion, student reporting, and respectful commentary. mpfriarslantern1@gmail.com / Twitter @friarslantern1 / facebook.com/TheFriarsLantern EDITORS IN CHIEF SECTION EDITORS EDITORIAL BOARD Jack Marchesani '15 All editors Friar Life Media & Technology Matthew Lanetti '15 Mike Flanagan '16 Tyler Pizzico '17 Mike McCarthy '15 David Wright '15 MANAGING EDITORS Sports Local/World News Jack Walker '18 Print: Michael McHugh '15 Sean Christman '17 Jake Sorensen '15 Jack Magargee '18 Online: Chris Bunn '16 Patrick Ferraiolo '17 Social Media / Podcast INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER Arts Ben Yankelitis '16 Justice Bennett '16 Tommy Pero '17 Jimmy Canuso '17

Jack Marchesani '15 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ed by the efforts of Student Council, the Malvern student body will participate in an event straight out of Harry Potter: Quidditch.

On Wednesday April 29th, student council will hold Malvern’s very first Quidditch tournament during the D schedule.

“Initially, the idea came up in our summer leadership meeting,” said Student Council moderator, Ms. Teresa Lohse. Lohse explained that Student Council has been working hard on organizing the tournament for several weeks.

According to Student Council President Ryan Doane '15, extensive research was done by the Student Council in order to understand how the game was played.

Doane also explained that Mr. Muntz constructed the hoops necessary for the game, and Dr. Fry provided gowns for the players to wear.

The tournament will feature 8 teams, two from each grade. Students were asked to submit applications for teams in the weeks prior to the event, and >PAGE 5

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Ted Holleran: Vice President of Student Council We had the chance to sit down with new Student Council Vice President, Ted Holleran '16, who was recently elected to office.

Chris Bunn '16 MANAGING EDITOR tudent Council Vice President Ted Holleran is not a person to be underestimated. Standing at a 5’5”, one might not notice him at first, or even mistake him for a middle schooler.

However, Holleran has always been known as a vocal person within the Malvern community. His occasional columns for the Blackfriar Chronicle along with his comedic attitude has allowed him to become one of Malvern’s most recognizable figures.

Now, he is Vice President of Student Council.

One of the main reasons Holleran wanted to run for office was to make the school nicer. “[I want to] do more fun activities that unify the student body. Unitas,” he said.

W hi le Hol leran has claimed to face different challenges before, he claims the biggest challenge of running was Alex Freud’s speech. “It was a big challenge, because

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it beat mine,” he said.

In addition, he also emphasizes the limitations he had in delivering his speech. “I was not allowed to use any pyrotechnics. I did have the music,” Holleran said.

The actual speech was a major part of Holleran’s campaign. “Ideally, it would have been a speech, just with jokes on it.” he said. “Like a fine cake, adorned with frosting and decorated with sprinkles. But I couldn’t write a great speech; e.g. make the cake.”

“So what I did was serve a platter of frosting and sprinkles, offering just as much content in my speech as nutrients in the frosting,” said Holleran.

In r unning for Student Council, Vice President Holleran wanted to affect some new changes in student life. “I have been noticing a lot of things as of late,” he said.

One change Vice Pre sident Hol ler a n would like to enact while in office concerns the popular Spirit Week.

During this entire week of themed dress down days, Vice President TED HOLLERAN M. MCHUGH

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April 2015

THE BLACKFRIAR CHRONICLE

FRIAR LIFE >MCKEAN DEFENSE, 1

Alum makes splash in Philly Sports Kyle Scott, editor and founder of CrossingBroad.com, has been making all the right moves to succeed in the competitive world of blogs.

Scott went on to work at four different jobs before Crossing Broad became his full-time work, at wellknown businesses such as GSI Commerce and the Philadelphia Inquirer. He gained the unique experience with online marketing and business while at these jobs that has allowed him to run his site as a profitable full-time job.

Scott is fluent in the language of advertising and sales. His jobs hen Kyle Scott ’01 posted a video of a Philadelphia Eagles wide taught him “ how to approach receiver at a concert in the summer of 2013, he thought it would advertisers and tell them what they just get some publicity in Philadelphia. He figured it would bring want to know.” CrossingBroad has his blog a few new readers. expanded to even sell tee shirts.

He never thought he would be receiving calls from ESPN within a few Scott has learned how to make profit KYLE SCOTT / B. YANKELITIS hours after posting the video of Riley Cooper using a racial slur at a concert. off of a website.

While the Riley Cooper post brought a lot of readers to the site, it is Scott’s At one point during his employcreativity, passion, and business skills that have kept readers ment at GSI Commerce, Scott was in charge of updating the coming back. Topics on the website include Philly sports, Phillies’ online store the night the Phillies won the 2008 Philly pop culture, and whatever may be in the news that day.

One of Kyle Scott’s World Series. Scott was understandably upset he had to work Scott wants to post things that both he and the readers favorite stories on on a possibly historic night for the city. He wanted to be with enjoy. For example, on March 12 when the Eagles signed Crossing Broad was his friends celebrating so he found the only bar in the city running back DeMarco Murray, the site provided updates when he found with Wi-Fi. As Brad Lidge struck out Eric Hinske to secure on Murray’s flight from Texas to Philly. and posted a high the title for the Phillies, Scott was sitting in the middle of “It was ridiculous, but it was fun. I was having fun and I definition video of the loud bar working on his laptop with his hoodie up while could tell readers were having fun. Traffic on the website was an attack on a New beer was being thrown. “Everyone was celebrating and people good,” said Scott. “It’s so irrational, but we were celebrating York Rangers fan at were asking ‘why do you have your laptop? The Phillies just with the readers - Something regular journalists can’t do.”

Geno’s Steaks. The won the World Series’”. His “busy work” during a time of If Scott was at a Philadelphia sports game, most likely, piece helped the euphoria helped us all buy our celebratory shirts and hats. no one would recognize him as the editor of “Philly’s Most police and led to an The site CrossingBroad is truly a unique blog. When comIrreverent Sports Blog.” He is a humble and unassuming arrest. paring his site to the popular sports blog Barstool, he said person who blends into a crowd at a sports bar. He has not that “CrossingBroad is more serious.” According to Scott’s applied for media credentials because he has no interest in LinkedIn page, the site receives over one million monthly writing typical game recaps and previews. Although he may impressions from 300,000 readers. CrossingBroad is a local not be standing out physically, he is standing out online. site so Scott is able to write about things that are unique to a Philly sports Scott attended Malvern from 1997 to 2001, where he was known as Kyle fan. One recent post described his experience with the new hot dogs being Laskowski. (He uses his middle name as his surname online). Scott is grateoffered at Citizens Bank Park. The story detailed the food, the long walk ful for his experience at Malvern and he said most of his best friends today across the stadium (something everyone can relate to), and even dealing with are classmates from Malvern. He fondly remembers teachers such as Mr. a grumpy vendor.

Dougherty, Ms. Lohse, Mr. Stewart, and Mr. Driscoll.

Scott has published a variety of different stories on the website. He says Scott went on to obtain a communications degree from Villanova and a the site “does not pull any punches” in stories that can mock and rip others, minor in political science. He advises Malvern students to “keep an open but in a May 2014 Philly Magazine profile he admitted “I don’t always feel mind” in college. He sat through classes in college that he felt were meaninggood” about stories like that. One of his favorite stories was when he found less at the time, but he now appreciates the chance he had to diversify himself. and posted a high definition video of an attack on a New York Rangers fan at “Certain things you do will really stick with you,” he said. If he makes a Geno’s Steaks. The piece helped the police and led to an arrest. reference to something from his Russian history class on the site and someone Scott has appeared on Comcast Sportsnet, Fox 29, 97.5 the Fanatic, and gets it, his day is made. Additionally, he suggests to “get involved with any- 94 WIP. You can read Scott’s work daily at CrossingBroad.com and find him thing you enjoy. You get to meet people and learn things you will not learn on twitter at @CrossingBroad. • in the classroom.”

Ben Yankelitis '16 SOCIAL MEDIA & PODCAST EDITOR

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computer animated designs. They talked a lot about how important it is for an engineer to be able to know what will work and what will not before expending too much time and money on a project.” he said "It was also great to see a general reassurance of the things I've been learning in Physics this year," said McGlinn.

“I think it’s is very important for students who are interested in engineering to try and continue to have a relationship with this company. I believe it will serve us very well in the future to have this experience that many others are not fortunate enough to have, and to hopefully go on more trips with McKean,” said McGlinn.

Brady is happy to stay connected with the company. However, he does not want to stop at only one.

“This is just one of many future trips we would like to schedule for our students,” said Brady. “We want to continue to increase involvement of our students in these programs,” said Brady Many alumni, like Moore, have opened up similar opportunities for students to see the world outside the classroom.

“The alumni network at Malvern is a future blessing for our students,” said Brady. “Every alum that I meet wants to help the students here in any way that they can. we are truly fortunate to attend a high school with this kind of alumni support. It is very rare.”

McGlinn echoed Brady’s gratitude. “None of this would’ve been possible without the help of Mr. Carlini and Lt. Moore who have these connections to Malvern. I want to thank them for giving us the opportunity to be a part of such a big trip and a great experience,” said

YES THERE WILL BE A MAY ISSUE! Open Reporters’ Meetings Monday & Friday 7:45 AM . Duffy 118

MEDIA AND TECH Today in Tech: Apple Watch Apple Watch is on sale, with orders backed up until summer. Is it worth the cost?

Mike Shaak '16 REPORTER pple’s newest project, the Apple Watch, was released on April 24. Many eager fans’ pre-orders have already backed up to July.

It is projected to sell more in pre-orders than the Android Wear watch sold in all of 2014. Is the Watch really worth the wait and expensive price tag, anywhere between $349 and $17,000?

The Apple Watch will come in three different versions, the standard Apple Watch, the Apple Watch Sport, and the Apple Watch Edition. The Apple Watch Sport is the cheapest, starting at $349, followed by the Apple Watch starting at $549, and the Apple Watch Edition the most expensive ranging from $10,000 to $17,000. That expensive price tag gives you a special 24-karat case, and that’s it. For an extra $16,000, you get a special gold case, and a special charging box. This is the only Apple Watch that may not be worth the value.

The normal Apple Watch and the Apple Watch Sport are

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both sold at a pretty good value. They start at $349 and both work very well according to customer reviews. One advantage the Apple Watch has over the sport is its crystal sapphire screen, which is scratch resistant. They all run the same applications, operating system, and APPLE.COM come in two different sized screens, which are 1.5 inches and 1.7 inches diagonally across.

It seems that the popularity will vary with different types of people.

Science teacher Mrs. Anna Geider Geider notes, “I do not

plan on buying an Apple Watch. I certainly hope my husband doesn't want one either. I have seen two or three students wearing them but I do not think they have gained popularity with teens yet.” Geider is concerned that technology is taking away from interpersonal interactions.

Freshman PJ Barker has one ordered an Apple Watch for his birthday, but will not be receiving it until June, since the pre-orders are backed up. He ordered the 1.7 inch Apple Watch Sport. He says he is extremely excited to try out all the new features, such as the quick text reply or phone calls. Barker also thinks browsing the internet on your wrist would be “cool.”

Now it is up to you on which to buy, or to buy it at all. Keep in mind that this accessory is priced higher than most phones on contract, and must be linked with your phone to run most applications. Keeping it connected will also drain your phone’s battery, which is already an issue with many Apple phones. However, it’s an easy and quick-access way to get to notifications, or to maneuver your way around the traffic that usually blocks Warren Ave. •

THE BLACKFRIAR CHRONICLE

April 2015

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FRIAR LIFE Faculty of the Issue: Mr. John Ostick Economics extraordinaire Mr. John Ostick shares what makes him still interested in teaching after a long and distinguished career.

Ben Yankelitis '16 SOCIAL MEDIA & PODCAST EDITOR fter more than 30 years of teaching at Malvern, Mr. Ostick remains a favorite of graduates and current students. His passion and excitement for his students have led to Economics becoming a class that most upperclassmen do not miss out on.

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When did you start at Malvern?

I hope I can remember… That’s a joke. This is my 30th year at Malvern Prep. I can’t believe it. It’s been a tremendous experience. The teaching profession has everything like a business cycle. Up’s and down’s. I think in teaching, the ups are incredibly rewarding. But the downs become incredibly stressful. I tell young teachers during the down times to think about getting through that because the ups are so great. That’s been true of my whole career at MR. OSTICK / MR. OSTICK Malvern and all of my 39 years teaching.

Before I was here I was at St. Joe’s Prep as the basketball do very well on their feet. It shows a confidence level. coach and math teacher. An opportunity arose to come More importantly, I watch Malvern students, all boys, to Malvern in August. Father Duffy, the principal at hug, and not feel any kind of weirdness. That speaks the time, asked me how I could leave volumes to me. There’s something in at that time, when school is ready to a Malvern student, that really cares start. I said, “Father, I understand why about others. As men, they’re willing as an administrator that would concern “I feel like I am to embrace each other. I didn’t see that you. But I didn’t look for this job. This in Bill Murray’s at other places. came my way. For me and my family Groundhog’s Day. and what I love doing, I think I should I’m always teaching Your students this year put together pursue doing it.” He said, “I like that 17 and 18 year olds.

“Econ” music videos this year and one answer.” Father Duffy was a great man The 17 and 18 year group actually won a contest. Were you and a great leader. old boys I taught in impressed?

1987 theoretically All economics teachers love to talk ecoYou touched on it with the up’s and are no different nomics. I have a colleague and friend in down’s, but what has been your favorite than my students San Diego who put together a national part of your job at Malvern? now. ” video competition for AP. It’s always been the people. First, my The students have to show they undercolleagues. There has not been a better -Mr. John Ostick stand the content at a college level. The group of people for the last thirty years economic content in these videos is who have been here. People that when really good. Working as a team to build you came to “work” were interested in a product is also very important. The your family and what you were doing. That’s always been contest also helps me keep seniors engaged in the spring. the case here at Malvern. It wasn’t work for me. It’s We started four years ago and our guy’s thought we would my profession. I love what I’m doing and my colleagues never be able to compete with some of the top videos. I enhance that. said, “let’s try”.

For the students: I feel like I am in Bill Murray’s Alex Tran '13 and a few others got the highest Malvern Groundhog’s Day. I’m always teaching 17 and 18 year olds. video with “What is Debt?”. They were the pioneers. Last The 17 and 18 year old boys I taught in 1987 theoretically year, we got third place in the national contest. Not that are no different than my students now. So, I’m teaching the content changed, but the production improved and the same group. I’m stuck in Groundhog’s Day and I love teamwork improved. it. I teach with a passion and it works a lot. Sometimes it This year we got number one. It’s been a real nice thing doesn’t work. But whether kids think economics is dull for those guys. They did a great job. It’s called “Fiscal or not, they know I care about what I’m doing, which is Funk.” The content in the video is superb.• a good connector.

The kids here keep me driven. We do a lot of oral presentations. I’ve taught at three schools and some universities, but the kids at Malvern are the best I’ve ever seen. Kids >QUIDDITCH, 3 teams were then selected from the groups that applied.

Many students were unsure of how Quidditch is actually played. Since the original sport featured in the book series had flying broomsticks, there were some obvious limitations.

On April 24 during Community Time, Student Council moderators Lohse and Dr. Joan D’Lugos held an informational meeting on the rules of the game.

“There are 7 people on a Quidditch team and everyone has an assigned position, the object of the game is to get the ball through any one of the three hoops and at the end of the game whoever either catches the snitch or has the most goals wins," said Doane.

As excitement builds around the tournament both Malvern players and spectators alike are preparing for event.

Brendan O’Connor, Senior Class Representative, will be announcing for the event. He stated that the idea for a Quidditch tournament at Malvern didn’t actually come from the Harry Potter series, but instead from the 2013 Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn movie “The Internship.”

O’Connor demonstrated his announcing abilities by abruptly shouting, “Harry Potter’s got the snitch!” in a public setting. His excitement was obvious.

Drew Schantz '15, a varsity lacrosse player, will take a short break from his main sport to focus his attention on Quidditch. “I saw a Snapchat story of Quidditch and immediately I got hype,” said Schantz. “I’m a huge Harry Potter fan, so I really wanted to play this game. I’ve also always wanted to fly so this is a close second.”

John Skrocki '16 said, “I’m extremely enthusiastic about the upcoming Quidditch tournament. I’ve thought of myself as a natural bludger.” Skrocki will be playing for junior team Blake Gryffindor.

Doane believes that “trying something and experiencing something new will be the best part.” •

Campus Hero of the Issue: Mrs. Catherine McGettigan Twenty years of supporting our students’ health.

Desmond Papariello '18 REPORTER rs. Cat her ine “K it ” Mc G et t ig a n is ou r school nurse, and a vital part of our school. We decided to find out more about the person who has cared so much about each and every one of us for the last 20 years.

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What were you doing before you were at Malvern?

Before I was at Malvern I was working at the Shipley School part time, because prior to that I was taking care of my kids. Being at Shipley part time was very good because I was able to get my feet wet with what I should expect every day as a nurse. So when I applied for this job I really felt qualified with what to expect and how to work. I don't know if anyone knows this but I am actually the first full time nurse that Malvern ever had.

Prior to me, the district nurse would come in, and mothers helped out.

Do you feel like your experience at the Shipley School really helped how you are as a nurse today?

It really did. I worked in my pediatrician’s office a little bit, I have always worked in pediatrics. But working at Shipley really helped me understand what is expected, and what to expect with students coming in, and students who have medication. It really helped me.

And the good thing about when someone told me about this job and referred me to Mr. Stewart at the time... I felt like I could do it because I had that prior experience at Shipley.

When I first came here I was not that comfortable just because I did not know everyone yet. But after a few years when I really started to know everyone. I really got comfortable and made everything work with the office and what I had to do for the students.

The great thing in the beginning is that I could go to Mr. Stewart or Fr. Duffy and they supported with everything I needed.

What originally drew you to this occupation?

Basically because of my love of my >HOLLERAN,, 3 Holleran would like to get rid of “Cowboy Day” Another major concern is to keep people off the grass. This has been a passionate issue for Holleran throughout his time at Malvern. This particular issue is particular importance for Holleran. “We don’t walk on the grass at Malvern,” Holleran said.

Holleran also wishes to address the issue of mandatory fun. “Its going to be difficult to think of new things that are new and captivating, but still work. ” Holleran said.

Finally, he wants to “ buckle down” on the dress code. “In the past few years, I have seen a steady decline in kids upholding the dress code.”

MRS. MCGETTIGAN / D. PAPARIELLO

pediatrics, and because this job was ideal for me to be able to work and also be home with my children when they got home from school. It was so great to be able to work and spend time with my family.

How has Malvern changed since you've been here?

[Laughs] It has changed… The core values have not changed, but when I am at faculty meetings and I hear about all the innovative and creative things teachers are doing, I feel like the education piece has changed. I do feel that the students have more to do, and I do not know if that is a good thing or bad thing because the competition to get into college has become so great. In that respect, students used to have one activity after school. Now students are playing on three teams for a sport when it used to be just one.

What is one of the worst or saddest injuries you have had to see or work with?

This is probably one of the most difficult things I have had to endure in my twenty years here. That’s seeing a bright and energetic young freshmen come in, and eventually finding him and getting to know him and his family quite well. I got to see him over the years be diagnosed with cancer, be treated for that diagnosis, and then I eventually saw him the day before he passed away. Just seeing his strength and the strength and courage of his family... It’s just one thing I don’t think I could ever identify with or help with because you kind of feel hopeless when something like that happens. • When asked how he wants to be described in the future, Vice President Holleran had only one word to say: “Ace.” He hopes his academic career is remembered, “for having the largest range in Physics from class grade to AP test score.”

But Holleran is thinking about the future. “I don’t want to focus on how I want to be remembered,” he said, “but how I can make the school a better place.”

W hen asked for h is f ina l thoughts, Vice President Holleran had a few words to say.“Mr. Koenig, it’s all for you,” he said. After a few minutes of thinking, Holleran added, “Lyndon B. Johnson made money off the Vietnam war.” •

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FRIAR LIFE

Plan for two new 3D printers in the works Learning Commons looks to purchase two new 3D printers for learning commons, while students question why.

The inactive and limited use of the current Learning Commons ccord ing to Educat ion 3D printer has become the brunt of Ser v ices Administrator a joke. A 3D printer was installed and budget manager of the in the Learning Commons when it Learning Commons, Ms. Diane opened in Fall 2013. This printer has Dougherty, Malvern Prep intends not been functional since Fall 2014. to purchase two new 3D printers When introduced with the idea for next year. One of the new printof two new 3D printers, many quesers would be smaller scale and more tioned the reasoning. “Why would everyday, and the other be larger and we do that?” said incoming Student more advanced, said Dougherty.

Council Vice President Ted Holleran T he s e pr i nte r s m a y e v e n '16. Alex Yablonski '15 wondered, come with scanning capabilities.

“Why not just reduce tuition?”

Dougherty described a camera that Dougherty said the motor on circles the perimeter of the printer to the current printer has been broken capture the dimensions of an object, since this past fall and the company in order to print a duplicate. to replace the part has gone out of The proposed new printers business. The current 3D printer will are part of a greater vision for an be given to the Robotics team. enhanced maker lab, said Dougherty.

“We are hoping to figure out She estimates the combined costs of what is wrong and f ix it or salthe two new printers to be around vage parts to build our own,” said $3000.

Quinn, who is also the adviser of the Some students and faculty memRobotics team. “The printer is still bers see extreme value in new 3D 95% functional, so it'd be a waste to printers. toss it out.”

Incoming St udent Council Dougherty would like to safePresident Alex Freud said “I think if guard against another 3D printer we were to get two new 3D printers becoming broken by having the they would become beneficial to the Student Tech team assemble the students because with just one no one new 3D printer. By doing so, if the MIKE DROOGAN ‘16 & BEN YANKELITIS ‘16 EXAMINE OBJECTS PRINTED ON THE LEARNING COMMONS 3D PRINTER / J. BENNETT can really use it but if we were to get printer were to break down again more I think students would have the there would be students who know opportunity to use them and it could be a very good resource to it from the ground up for repair. have.”

“You open up the box and they have to assemble it so they “We want to enable students to reach the higher tiers of would literally know from the nuts and the bolts how this Bloom's taxonomy. Knowledge and understanding are great, but machinery runs so if there were any mechanical difficulties they who cares if you aren't doing something with them?,” said Science would be responsible for it,” said Dougherty.

Teacher and Department Leader Mr. Kevin Quinn. “As we push Even when in use, some students doubt the quality of work for more and more student creation it helps to have tools that able to be produced from the technology. Yablonski said, “So far, will support that cause.” our 3D printer has just made desk candy. I haven’t seen anything However, others are skeptical. like substantial, important, or relevant come out of it.”

However, Quinn mentioned the usage of the 3D printer “We are hoping to figure out what is wrong to produce a battery by Jack Murphy '15, and a model of the and fix it or salvage parts to build our own.

Malvern Chapel by Jack Szipszky '17.

The printer is still 95% functional, so it’d be Some 3D printers run on a program named CAD, or a waste to toss it out.”

Computer-Aided Design. Quinn said that there are various other programs, such as Google Sketchup, that can help a stu-Mr. Kevin Quinn dent designing a product for the 3D printer without extensive Justice Bennett ’16

CHIEF INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER

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DUST COLLECTING ON LC 3D PRINTER, WHICH HAS BEEN INOPERATIONAL SINCE FALL 2014 J. BENNETT

>PAGE 7

Bloom’s Taxonomy explained Malvern’s theory for 21st century learning is titled Bloom’s Taxonomy, named after a man who never lived to the 21st century.

Justice Bennett '16 CHIEF INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER

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loom’s Taxonomy is a six-level hierarchy to describe the six different cognitive levels of thinking; remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating.

Benjamin Bloom, who formulated the theory, is a Pennsylvania-native educational psychologist who actually never lived in the 21st century. He died in 1999.

Traditional education approaches tend to only focus on the lower-levels of remembering, understanding, and applying.

However, according to some teachers, Malvern is challenging students to reach all levels and deepen a student’s critical thinking and learning.

REMEMBERING Basic recounting of terms, facts, etc.

Ex. When was the Constitution signed?

UNDERSTANDING Demonstrated grasp of material through means of organizing,

comparing, and inferring based upon information Ex. How does the United States Constitution compare to any other governing system before it?

APPLYING Using foundational knowledge to solve problems in other situations.

Ex. How does the First Amendment apply to a school newspaper?

ANALYZING Breaking down events into its foundational underlying motivations and examination of relationships or elements related Ex. What was the overall Constitutional framers intent for the size of the government?

EVALUATING Present, defend and criticize opinions based on ideas or work presented.

Ex. What are the most successful aspects of the Constitution today?

CREATING Building or discovering patterns from a wide array of objects Ex. Write your own Constitutional amendment and discuss how it improves the old one. •

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FRIAR LIFE >3D PRINTERS, 6 CAD knowledge.

Dougher t y is look ing into printers made by companies such as Thingiverse that have preloaded designs that make it extremely easy for students to print certain items.

Dougherty said that the middle schoolers have been avidly using a second 3D printer in the Middle School. Eighth Grade Science Teacher Mrs. Vernice Mulcahy said, “Early in the year, there was a line of things to be printed.”

As part of their experiential learning block, middle school students often printed out things like iPhone cases or other preloaded items in the Thingiverse database. “It was just about the novelty to create anything that want,” said Mulcahy.

Since then, middle schoolers have started to create other things like an Intramural trophy or paper football upright.

“A lot of students are using TinkerCad [in the middle school],” said Mulcahy. “It’s free and really easy to use.”

Mulcahy is looking into purchasing another 3D printer for the middle school next year, and specifically one with a scanner. The students would like to scan President Fr. James Flynn’s head for B.A.S.H. using the 3D printer scanning function, said Mulcahy.

With the student-centered learning approach of Malvern, it appears as if 3D printing will be an integral part as we move forward. “The 3D printer is like a book waiting to be opened,” said Amir Webb ’17. “It is a like a new world waiting to be discovered.”

Te ac her s l i k e Q u i n n a nd Dougherty hope that students start to see the value in the capabilities in coming years.

“I think so far 3D printing has really become the brunt of the joke because the printer has just sat in there mostly, and it’s unfortunate,” said Quinn. “It’s a shame because it is a really game-changing technology that would be nice to incorporate.” •

General Kevin P. Chilton visits Malvern for Father Son Banquet General Kevin Patrick “Chili” Chilton is a four star general, and the highest ranking military official to travel into space.

Tommy Pero ’17 the Air Force Academy. He did this because he ARTS EDITOR originally wanted to be an airline pilot. hat does General Kevin P. Chilton, He almost majored in geography, but eventhe four-star Air Force general, tually decided on engineering. After graduating noted astronaut, and this year's from the Air Force Academy, he earned his masspeaker for the Father's Club Banquet have in ters in engineering from Columbia University on common with a typical Malvern student? a Guggenheim Fellowship.

The tendency to doze off.

After earning his masters in 1977, he served But napping in Study Hall is very different as a combat ready pilot and flight instructor than falling asleep while sitting over high-pow- and eventually became an officer. By 1987, he ered explosives. was assigned to be an astronaut candidate with “Every one of my launches, when I was NASA, according to NASA’s website. strapped in the shuttle, I fell asleep,” said General General Chilton went on to spend 704 hours Chilton. “I knew I was going somewhere that in space, or roughly one month, over three trips day. I was hoping it was a low in 1992, 1994, and 1996. He earth orbit, but I knew I was began as a pilot, but worked going somewhere. I was ok “It wasn’t that his way up to a commander by with either way.” you feared death his final mission.

The fear and thrill of space if you’re squared He was aware of the danf light is something that can away with God, gers of space travel. “ You captivate and attract audiences which I always was.” knew what the risks were, and of all ages. General Chilton is you accepted those risks. No the highest military official to -Gen. Chilton one held a gun to our back to ever fly in space. march out to the launchpad.

He w a s bor n i n L os We skipped out there. We were A ngeles Ca l i for n ia , a nd excited to go,” he said. attended St. Bernard High School, according to Despite the danger of space travel, General NASA’s website.

Chilton kept to his faith. “It wasn’t that you During his childhood, Chilton recognized feared death if you’re squared away with God, that his parents and teachers were his biggest role which I always was,” he said. models.

For Chilton, the hardest part didn’t come “From my parents, I learned how to treat peo- from the fear of sitting over “four million pounds ple,” said Chilton. “My father was always one to of high explosives,” but rather, the fear of not say whatever job you are given, you should be the being there for his kids. best at it, and you should leave your role better “Seven days before launch, you had to say than it was when you took it over.” goodbye to your kids. That was always really hard He said his parents taught him to live by the for me, really hard. I hated that,” he said. “I would golden rule of treating others the way you’d like look at my children, and I would see they need a to be treated. dad. That’s my job. That’s my most important job.

“I’ve adopted their leadership styles as well,” That’s what scared me the most.”

Chilton continued. “If I’m going to leave places After leaving NASA, Chilton worked for the better than I started, then I expect the people that Department of Defense and became the comI lead to do the same. At the same time, I’m going mander of the United States Strategic Command to treat them the way I’d wanted to be treated if in 2007, according to United State’s Department I was working for them.” of Defense’s website. While in that position he After high school, General Chilton attended was in charge of all cyberspace security. The

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>TECHNOLOGY PLANS, 1 told a reporter. “That is really a big shift, a major technology change happening behind the scenes."

Another aspect of the plan is to remove the teacher consoles and SMART Boards in the classrooms.

Whitney said that teachers will get updated laptops that can also serve as tablets. This will allow them to be more mobile in their teaching, such as walking around the room while operating the computers.

The specific model to be used for teachers is the Yoga 11e version 2 from Lenovo, said Norko.

Mr. Whitney described future plans for a “digital desktop.”

“Students and teachers can click on a shortcut, and a virtual PC desktop can come up,” said Whitney. “You can then use Office Suite, Adobe, and other programs specific for subjects like math and science.”

For students, they will be utilizing a different yet similar service, said Norko. “It’ll be what is called a ‘Thinapp’ solution.

In the grand scheme of things, software that is specific to the departments will be available with 24/7 access. The functionality will be the same, regardless.”

While the new computers with virtual desktops sound amazing, Mr. Whitney said the new technology plans are not a “silver bullet.” “[The updated laptops] are not some unbelievable toy. It’s more cost efficient, and allows for more mobility in the classroom,” Whitney said. “And that’s important, because we don’t have an unlimited budget.”

GENERAL CHILTON / NASA.GOV

Director of the NSA and other organizations reported to him.

Chilton was later elected by his fellow astronauts into the Astronaut Hall of Fame.

As for the future of space travel, Chilton believes that the only way humans will get to Mars is if a leader steps up and says that people need to get to Mars. He said it should be the same way President John F. Kennedy declared the United States would get to the moon before the end of the 1960’s.

Today General Chilton enjoys skiing, cycling, horseback riding, and traveling and being with his wife, who is also a general in the Air Force. He also has four children.

After 34 year career with the Air Force, what does General Chilton consider to be his greatest accomplishment?

“It’s a work in progress, and that’s being a good dad, being a good husband. It’s hard to be proud of the other stuff because I know I owe that to so many other people.” •

The cost of replacing the teachers’ computers will come just under $40,000, said Norko.

A concern for the removal of the SMART Boards is where exactly they will go. “We certainly won’t dispose of them,” said Algeo, “We’re sure that there’s another school we can sell or donate the boards to.”

“We have not discussed where the boards will go, and if they’re going to be sold or not,” said Mr. Caniglia, Chief Financial Officer of Malvern. “We won’t know until we start taking the equipment apart.”

As for the rest of the plan, a definitive figure could not be established, as it is in the process of being drawn up, Caniglia said.

In February, the Blackfriar Chronicle reported ILLUSTRATION OF THE NEW TEACHER COMPUTERS’ FUNCTIONALITY / CHROMESPOT.COM that students will not yet be required to bring an approved technology device for the 2015-2016 school year. According to Head of School Mr. Christian Talbot, a “A more mobile campus allows students and teachers to student-centered learning environment must be established learn or teach anywhere, at anytime,” said Norko. “It removes before Malvern will take the next step and ask each student to the need for the four walls of the classroom and being on purchase his own device. campus.”

In the midst of all these changes to occur, the term “more Students at Malvern have a different definition for a mobile mobile campus” has not yet reached a solid definition. campus. “I think it means having stuff like iPads and Macs “Of course, a mobile campus and classroom doesn’t mean in class, to let us go online,” said Nick Calvaresi, '17. “And the classroom’s moving,” said Whitney. “But we have more everyone should be required to have one.” mobility within it. Instead of sitting in the console, the teacher In the ever-changing world of student-centered learning, is moving through the classroom, tablet in hand, presenting a students will have to wait and see how these changes, and a topic, and that teacher or a student can write something on the more mobile campus, come into play.• screen from that tablet.”

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SPORTS Athlete of the Issue: Mike Fay ‘17 Fay shares thoughts on his Malvern experience and Malvern sports.

Patrick Ferraiolo '17 SPORTS EDITOR ophomore Mike Fay has proven to be an essential part of Malvern athletics in only two years. As only a Sophomore, he currently starts on two varsity sports teams: Lacrosse and Football.

His contributions to both of these teams have not gone unnoticed, and his commitment to play lacrosse at Notre Dame proves that.

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What grade school did you attend before Malvern?

I attended Peirce Middle School in West Chester So I know that you play two different sports in Lax and Football, which sport is your personal favorite? Why? MIKE FAY / P. FERR AIOLO I love both sports, but if I had to chose one I would say lacrosse. I like how fast paced the game is and how anybody can go on a run at any time during a game.

What does Malvern mean to you?

Malvern means more to me than just a great education. It means being part of a community where I can grow and become the best version of myself.

So right now you are in season with lax, what are your thoughts on the team this year?

We are a young team, but we have a lot of talent. We have had a lot of ups and downs in the beginning of the year, but I am confident that we can finish strong throughout the remainder of the season.

You committed to Notre Dame, how does having the acceptance to the school affect the rest of your high school experience?

It does not affect my high school experience at all. I still have to try my hardest in class and make sure to use all of the great resources Malvern has to offer. I am still the same student and I continue to enjoy my high school experience along with my peers.

Obviously sports are important to you, but how do academics affect your life?

Academics are equally if not more important to me then athletics. Academics were something I took into extreme consideration when going through my college process. My experience with academics will carry on for a lifetime, while my experience with athletics will only be a memory after I can't play anymore.

How does your coaches prepare you for games? Is the practicing process different or the same for lax and football?

The practicing process is fairly similar for both sports. Our coaches use gamelike scenarios while keeping a high tempo practice. They drill in our minds that if you do the simple things right then you will be successful as a team.

How does leadership affect your Malvern teams?

Leadership is huge for a team. Without leaders you cannot fill your potential.

Anyone can become a leader, and the more leaders you have the better the relationship between your teammates will be What is your favorite part about Malvern Prep-- outside of athletics?

Definitely the community. Everyone is looking out for each other and pushing each other to be the best person they can be. The atmosphere around Malvern is something that can't be matched.

Was it easy to make the decision to go to Notre Dame? How long did the decision take?

My decision to pick Notre Dame was fairly easy. Although I had to do a lot of thinking into the future I was very confident in my gut feeling. Right when I stepped foot on campus I felt welcomed, and knew it was somewhere that was worth being away from family for. My decision to make my verbal college commitment took about 10 months. •

Malvern Rugby set to travel to Ireland The Malvern Rugby team will travel to Ireland to play against high caliber talent next year.

Patrick Ferraiolo '17 SPORTS EDITORS n the last few years, Malvern sports teams have been traveling all across the world, both inside the country and out. Now, they will continue that trend with the Malvern Rugby team, who will travel overseas to Ireland next year.

“For a few years now, we have been trying to set up an international touring program,” said head coach Mr. Matt Boccuti.

“We started to work out that we will be able to go on an every other year basis.

Last year we went to Portugal and played in a youth tournament out there,” he continued. “We played against a lot of other international teams.”

According to Boccuti, the trip will be huge for the team - both on the field and off. “This trip is absolutely important for our players and our team. A lot of the success we had last year, especially in the tournament during the end of the year, we definitely contribute to playing high level competition overseas,” he said.

Because they were able to play against such talent, they played in the National High School Rugby Championships, and placed second.

“After coming back from Portugal, our rate of play and skill level really elevated from seeing how other teams play,” said Boccuti. “Rugby is a very international sport, and the best teams we can play are not in our country. So if we want to start playing like the best, we have to see how they play.”

Based off this previous successful trip, players on the team are optimistic about the upcoming one.

Sophomore Sean Kelly commented, “This trip will bring the team together and take the team to the next level by

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MALVERN RUGBY TEAM / L. KENNEY

experiencing tougher competition.”

Besides from having optimistic on-field success, this trip hopefully will allow the Rugby team to bond as a team.

“The international trips give us a chance to build the Rugby family. We have a lot of close connections traveling,” said Boccuti. “The trip is not just for our players.

Last year we took 21 players and 22 family members [to Portugal]. This becomes a very family oriented trip.”

Since they only play around four out of the seven days on the trip, the scheduling of the trip will allow the team and accompanying families to spend some time enjoying Ireland.

Currently, the Rugby team’s record this year is 0-5.

“This is a rebuilding year for us,” said Boccuti. “We graduated about 20 seniors last year, and we are replacing them with a bunch of freshman and sophomores that are very promising.”

“The future looks very bright for the program,” said Boccuti. •

>FOOTBALL TO CHICAGO, 1 be fine.”

During his last coaching job at Gonzaga College High School, Brady’s team played travel games similar to this one. So, he decided to do the same at Malvern.

Brady said he called all of the other Augustinian schools in the United States. Two of them got back to him, and one was St. Rita’s.

“They were supposed to play at Soldier Field, and the team that they were supposed to play didn’t want to play them anymore,” said Brady. “So, they went to the School Board of Chicago and the Chicago Bears and asked if they could play us, another Augustinian School from Pennsylvania, in this game, and they agreed to it.”

This game is one of 3 games to be played at Soldier Field that day, called the High School Football Kickoff.

Traditionally, the game features some of the top prep and public school teams in the state of Illinois, but it was agreed to let Malvern football play.

The team will be staying in Evanston, Illinois near Northwestern University. Not all of the logistics are set in stone yet.

“We still don’t have the final costs of the busing and the hotel,” said Ruch. “We can expect it to be funded by the parents and some fundraisers as well,” said Mr. Ruch.

Both Ruch and Brady believe that this will be a great opportunity for the program and especially for the athletes.

Brady cited the camaraderie that teams build in travel. “You get to stay overnight and spend time with your friends,” said Brady. “However, there are certain rules that need to be followed.”

He noted that players develop maturity when they travel. “That experience of playing travel games is invaluable to young men when they go on to college,” said Brady. “There is a certain maturity that goes along with playing a travel game and staying overnight.”

Wide receiver Chris Brown ‘16 is worried that the long ride will derail the focus of the team. However, he is still excited about the opportunity. “We were given an amazing opportunity not many other people have,” he said. “We want to take full advantage of it by playing our best football and getting that first W to start the season off right.”

Lineman Justin Titchenell ‘17 noted the experience will help the team grow. “The season opener against St. Rita's is going to be a great experience for the team to see what it is like to travel for a game.”

Ruch looks forward this unique season opener. “To go to another state and another city, in this case to play our brother school is an outstanding experience for our kids for years to come,” he said. •

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April 2015

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NEws Pondering Papal predicament The Pope is coming to the city of Brotherly Love in September for a weekend. Malvern will remain open all week.

Jack Magargee '18 REPORTER he Papa l v isit to Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families in September 2015 will be the first since St. John Paul II came in 1979.

This will also be Pope Francis’s first visit to the Americas since he was inaugurated.

Malvern is still in the process of deciding whether or not any sponsored trips will be made to the World Meeting of Families.

This Papal visit will be a part of The World Meeting of Families.

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS This is held every three years and sponsored by the Holy See's Pontifical Council for the Family, according to the event's website. This year's event is scheduled Monday, September 21 - Sunday, September 27.

The theme of the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia is “Love Is Our Mission: The Family Fully Alive."

The website indicates that keynote speakers and breakout sessions scheduled Monday through Friday will take place at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

According to the website, details for the Papal Visit have not yet been confirmed. The Holy Father is expected to be in attendance on September 26-27 for a Unlike Philadelphia Festival of Families and Papal Mass. archdiocesan and According to a CBS report, all Philadelphia archdiocesan schools will be closed other area schools, Wednesday, September 23 through Friday, September 25. The public school district Malvern Prep will of Philadelphia will be closed on Friday, September 25 due to anticipated crowds remain open during and street closures. the World Meeting Unlike these schools, Malvern will remain open throughout the week of the of Families this World Meeting of Families.

September.

“It is a conference for families so if people want to go with their families they will be excused from class that day,” said Director of Augustinian Identity and Mission Father Chris Drennen.

“It’s not something we want to put on a burden on everyone on account of price, and I’m not sure everyone has that interest,” Drennen said.

According to the registration page on the website, prices for attending the World Meeting of Families range from $95 for early registration for ages 6-17, to $400 for on-site registration for adults.

Mr. Algeo said, “Our first initial reaction was to close school, but we surveyed other schools - girl’s schools in particular such as Villa and Notre Dame because students tend to have siblings there and families will be looking for a nice match. I believe Villa Maria is not giving any time off.”

“Our decision was not based off theirs, but we try to stay as close to them as we can,” said Algeo.

Though no sponsored field trips have been confirmed, on-campus involvement may still be an option. Administrators have a desire to incorporate topics spoken about by the Ppe in Malvern classes.

“There have not been (talks) yet, but I would be shocked if there aren’t in the near future,” said Algeo. •

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2016 Presidential field forming Candidates for both parties have now thrown their hats in the ring, and Malvern is beginning to buzz.

Jack McClatchy '17 Global Perspectives teacher, “Diversity of opinREPORTER ion is always essential to democracy.” s candidates from “But the reality of modern both parties have elections is that it costs hunofficially announced dreds of millions of dollars to their 2016 campaigns, the “There has always run for office, and if you don’t election has officially begun. been interesting have a good shot, why should Already, hopefuls for and impassioned you throw your hat in the the party nominations have debates, as well ring?” added Burke. been courting voters in Iowa as a diversity of The Republicans, howand New Hampshire, states opinions, which is ever, have three official canwith the first primaries of the a good thing for didates: Senator Ted Cruz cycle. us as a school, and (TX), Rand Paul (KY) and The Democratic Party for the country in Marco Rubio (FL), all current has only Hillary Clinton general.”

Senators. off icially in the race, but The frontrunner in New there are potentials in former Mr. Rick Poce Hampshire, former Governor governor Martin O’Malley Jeb Bush (FL), has not offi(MD) and former senator cially announced his canJim Webb (VA). didacy. His name, however, made responders “I don’t know if this [Clinton running unop- in a recent poll by Suffolk University think of posed] is such a good thing,” said Mr. Burke, “dynasty” and “too many Bushes”.

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OPINION Why Video Evidence Changes Everything The addition of body cameras on police officers can significantly change police behavior for better.

Jake Sorensen '15 WORLD NEWS EDITOR ases of police brutality, especially involving white cops and black civilians, have made many headlines in the last 4 years, going from Trayvon Martin in 2012 to Walter Scott only a month ago. n previous cases, there was ambiguity on whether or not each case was self-defense. Such ambiguity has resulted in heavy debate. But with the advent of police wearing body cameras, an objective perspective on these cases is now possible.

W hat happened in Nor t h Charleston, SC on April 4, 2015 didn’t receive as much press as what occurred in Ferguson or Florida. The main difference was in the immediate evidence available - a bystander managed to film the whole thing.

According to coverage by the New York Times, when Michael Slager stopped Walter Scott, 50, for a broken taillight, a bystander shot a video. The video, which has been viewed over a million times on YouTube, shows a scuffle between the two men. When Scott broke away and ran, Slager fired his weapon eight times as Scott collapsed and died. In the video, Slager drops something beside Scott’s body, which civil rights activists believe was a Taser.

If there had not been a direct recording of the event, it is likely that there would have been alternate interpretations of what happened.

By forcing police to wear body cameras, that ambiguity would no longer exist. Having an unbiased account of what happened more or less guarantees a fair trial. Video evidence is the clearest proof of anything that happens.

Body cameras have already been

C I

"I really don't think someone should be punished for their years of service or their family," Burke said. "And that goes for both Bush and Clinton."

Mrs. Harriet Lappas, AP US Government teacher, said that Jeb Bush is the most electable of the current and potential candidates of the Republican Party.

"He has some really liberal views (for a GOP candidate)," she said, "Especially on immigration, which scores well with Latinos."

“I also think he’s very different from his brother George,” Lappas said, “I’m surprised by the liberal stances that he’s taking. I think the name’s the same, but he’s not the same.”

She has different thoughts on Clinton, however. “I really think we’ve seen the Clinton act before, and Bill is very involved in her campaign, and her platform in general.”

Burke has said that it is too early for in depth discussion on the race, so there has been little reaction in class to the elections.

proven successful in certain areas. In Rialto, California, an experiment by the College of Policing set out to find the effects of having police wear body cams. The results were clear. In February 2012, complaints towards police dropped by 88%, and police found themselves using force only 60% of the time. The experiment began only one year before those results were released, indicating that swift success with body cams may be possible elsewhere.

Having police wear these cameras are just as beneficial to them as is the public.

"A visual documentary of an encounter between a police officer and a citizen would be evidence of police officers' professional treatment of civilians,” said Dean of Students Mr. Tim Dougherty. “It might alleviate allegations of police misconduct and unprofessionalism or document such abuses."

While it might seem that footage collected on body cameras might be subject to tampering, editing footage is not as easy one might think.

According to Mr. Rogai, English Department chair and advisor for Malvern’s TV studio, "The easiest way [to alter footage] is simply to delete it.” Deletion of footage would count as destroying evidence.

Rogai noted that there are a number of companies who are competing for the body camera contracts, because there is a lot of money involved. If there was any concern for getting these cameras everywhere, it would rely mainly on cost.

The expensiveness of these cameras is something that may decrease in the future, but the need for police accountability is an issue that will need to be addressed sooner than later. •

In the past, elections have gotten huge attention, said Mr. Rick Poce, Assistant Dean of Students and Philosophy teacher. “There has always been interesting and impassioned debates, as well as a diversity of opinions, which is a good thing for us as a school, and for the country in general.”

As to whether or not in-class debate translates to votes, Poce is not so sure. “Well, there’s only a small section (of Malvern students) who can vote during the elections,” he said, “But that doesn’t stop the discussions and debates.”

Mrs. Lappas has said that she will press hard for students to go out and vote. “We had someone from the League of Women Voters come and register people, and I’m going to push like crazy to get as much people as possible out to vote in November.” •

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April 2015

THE BLACKFRIAR CHRONICLE

MEDIA and TechNOLOGY A Brief History of Slime

REVIEW: To Pimp a Butterfly

Super Slime Soccer creator, Jens Møllerhøj, goes one on one with the BFC

Guy with barely any rap experience reviews an album that could be remembered for decades.

Ted Holleran '16, Alex Mankowski '16 REPORTER, CONTRIBUTOR t ’s been ca l led ever ything from the “greatest unblocked game at Malvern” to the greatest game of the 21st century.

From its humble grassroots origin as a Robotics homeroom staple, to a campus-wide phenomenon, Super Slime Soccer has found its way into the hearts of hundreds, with no end in sight. The story of Super Slime Soccer is one of success, full of hardships, eternal rivalries, and incredible victories. Who knows how far Super Slime Soccer will go in its success and popularity, but there is one thing certain: Slime is here to stay.

It all started as the brain-child of a certain Jens Møllerhøj. We got in touch with the benevolent creator for an inside scoop of the genesis of the game, inside secrets, and other games to come.

I

Where did you grow up and what is your background?

What is your education and how did you get into programming?

I grew up, and still live in, Copenhagen, Denmark. It’s a great city to live in - it’s characterized by having biking lanes everywhere, a lot of happy Danes (smiling). I’m currently taking a master degree in computer science at the University of Copenhagen. I got into programming because I wanted to make games. Super Slime Soccer was my big hobby project in high school.

Jake Sorensen '15 WORLD NEWS EDITOR do want to preface this review with one fact about my own music tastes; I am honestly not a big fan of hip-hop as a genre (what a surprise!). But I don’t think the entire genre of rap is bad, since I would not be even reviewing this album if I had such a close minded opinion.

I’ve always been more of an Animal Collective, Daft Punk kind of guy - I am obsessed with experimental and synth-based songs. Thankfully ALBUM / TO PIMP A BUTTERFLY though, even someone like me can see that Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly is primed to be one of the greatest rap albums of all time.

Already earning itself perfect scores from music critics everywhere, Lamar’s newest album has been seen as an instant classic. It manages to tackle many political themes without sounding too preachy or taking away from the music itself. I did enjoy Lamar’s previous album, good kid, m.A.A.d city, for it’s melancholy episodes of the rapper’s upbringing in Compton. I was also a big fan of the ambient beats used throughout the album, like in “Swimming Pools (Drank)”. But I can tell this album will last the test of time To Pimp a Butterfly marks a very strong shift from the gloom of gkmc to both pride in an oppressive society and rage against the racist status quo. I believe that shift is what will make this album so memorable in the future. For the last four years (and even longer than that), African-americans have suffered greatly in trying to achieve the American dream. With the violence brought about by both street gangs and the police who are meant to protect them, black Americans seem to be left in a hopeless situation. But in this album of self love defeating hate, and brutal honesty in the face of lies, Kendrick Lamar sends a message of hope to the hopeless.

The album begins with a brief, crackling sampling of Boris Gardiner singing “Every N***** is a Star”, which can almost sum up the self-loving aspect of this entire album. Immediately, it jumps to this strange yet beautiful fusion of Jazz and Funk, with Kendrick rapping about his first girlfriend under all of that. But that’s only the refrain; he spends the next two verses rapping about how African-american artists are being used, or “pimped” by both entertainment industries and then America itself, in the form of Uncle Sam. Yes, this

I

SUPER SLIME SOCCER

Have you made any games other than Super Slime Soccer?

I’ve made a lot of games. About 40 is my best guess. But unfortunately, they were very low quality, and I haven’t saved them.

What inspired you to create Super Slime Soccer? Have you played the original?

Yes I’ve played the original. My friends and I had so much fun with it, I figured I would try to extend the experience.

How do you feel that Super Slime Soccer is our school’s game of choice?

That’s awesome - I wish more people played my game.

Sometimes people contact me and tell me that they like the game, that’s really nice. >PAGE 11

Tidal Music Review: CD Quality At A Price

>PAGE 12

Is Jay-Z’s new music service good enough to survive?

Chris Bunn, '16 MANAGING EDITOR

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mongst an already crowded streaming music market, a new player has entered in the US. Dubbed Tidal, it differentiates itself on streaming high quality music.

In March, music streaming service Tidal made waves when it announced that Jay-Z has acquired its parent company. Since then, it has slowly been making its way to the mainstream through social media campaigns and TV ads.

However, ever since Tidal has been under new ownership, there has been questions as to if it can survive.

Tidal is trying to keep a profitable public images despite losing its CEO, losing its top 20 spot in the iPhone app store, and competitor Spotify’s increase in revenue.

All of that aside, is it a solid music streaming service?

Interface Tidal’s web player is one of the most well designed players in the music streaming industry. From a visual standpoint, the interface is just as visually pleasing as other music services. A mainly black interface with bright blue highlights dominate the interface.

On the side, there are a couple of tab to easily access different parts of the service. Users can click on shortcuts for playlists and their library. The “Tidal Rising” tab shows music that is trending in the service. A “videos” tab shows music videos from different artists.

Navigating through the interface is quick and easy. In the web player, the interface is responsive. On congested Malvern Wifi, I rarely had to wait for screens to load.

The mobile apps are also visually consistent with the web interface as well. Both Android and iPhone apps are well designed.

Library Tidal’s music library is a mixed bag - at best.

On one hand, there are some noticeable gaps in the catalog. When I imported a heavily hip-hop playlist, two songs were missing out of a total

of 22. Browsing through other genres, there were a few songs missing as well. It’s worth noting that the missing songs were older than the other songs on the playlist.

However, one of the main advantages of Tidal is the exclusive content that artists have to offer. Both Rihanna and Beyoncé have had exclusive tracks on the service.

Another advantage of Tidal is the availability of music videos. As a whole, the amount of music videos available on the service also seems on par with other competitors. On the example playlist, out of the songs that have music videos, all of them were available on Tidal.

In addition, there is exclusive music videos only available on Tidal.

As of this review, there is very little exclusive content. This may be subject to change, however, as more artists join.

Often, when music played back, it stuttered more.

The quality of the music has also been a mixed bag. In general, I cannot tell the difference between music streamed on Tidal and music streamed on Spotify. Using both cheap $10 headphones and higher end headphones, there was not a noticeable difference.

A quick survey of casual music listeners also had the same result.

However, discussing Tidal with an audiophile friend, he has been able to notice a difference between the audio quality. Subtle aspects of songs can be heard much more clearly, and it close to CD quality audio.

When played back on higher end equipment (such as a professional DAC), the difference in the quality of the audio is more noticable. On an ordinary computer, there wasn’t a perceivable difference.

Performance and Playback As noted above, the web interface is quick and fast. Despite the large file sizes, music streams quickly, even on a relatively low slow connection.

However, the playback on the mobile apps are an entirely different story. On two different Android devices, the app crashed occasionally.

Value The cheapest tier of Tidal starts at $9.99. This level, called Tidal Premium, allows full access to the entire library, as well as access to music videos. However, the more expensive Tidal HiFi allows users to stream higher quality audio.

Competition Two of the most obvious competitors are the popular Spotify and Beats Music. Both services are priced at around $9.99, which places it at the same price as Tidal Premium.

However, this is half of the price of the higher quality Tidal HiFi. Tidal shares many of the same features as its competitors. For example, a radio feature is present, which is similar to the radio feature in Spotify.

However, there are some missing features. There is no desktop application for computers, and all music must be streamed through the web app. As a result, music cannot be played offline on computers and only on the mobile app.

Should you drop Spotify in favor of Tidal? Unless you can perceive the difference between the higher quality Tidal HiFi option and Spotify’s high quality option, then there is little reason to switch. The $9.99 Tidal Premium tier offers the same features of Spotify, but at the expense of a limited library.

With that being said, Tidal’s music service is not terrible. In fact, it is excellent compared some of its smaller competition. With some help of Jay-Z, Tidal could become a serious competitor in the future. •

THE BLACKFRIAR CHRONICLE

April 2015

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ARTS Artist of the Issue: Matt Pichola ’16

Middle School to perform Shrek the Musical Jr.

This month’s Artist of the Issue talks about what he is passionate about.

Tommy Pero '17 ARTS EDITOR unior Matt Pichola talks about his involvement with Graphic Design and plans to start his own business.

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Where are you from?

Chester Springs, Pennsylvania Where did you go to grade school?

Owen J. Roberts What are you involved in at Malvern?

Ice Hockey. I sort of consider myself involved with the Blackfriar Chronicle because I do a lot of graphic design work, but not technically [a part of it].

What are your other hobbies?

A lot of hockey. Other than that, it’s just hanging out. I enjoy nature.

How did you get involved with graphic design?

When I was in fifth or sixth grade, I just randomly started doing some sort of photoshop work because it seemed fun, and that’s how it started. Then I took Graphic Design I here, and that really started everything for me. I’ve >SUPER SLIME, 10 What is your favorite slime?

I really like the Bomb Slime. I didn’t really know what I wanted when I started making it, but I like how it turned out.

Now, at our school we have an organization called the Federation of Slime. They are in charge of monitoring official slime games and tournaments. As part of Federation rules, some slimes are deemed overpowered and therefore are off the table for official competitions. These slimes include and are limited to Cosmos Slime and Fisher Slime. What is your opinion on the banning of these slimes from official games?

That’s a good idea. I would properly ban the Monk Slime too [Monk Slime is presently pseudo-banned by the Federation of Slime, yet many

Who doesn’t like the ogre in a bog?

been doing it ever since then.

What do you want to do with graphic design in the future?

Hopefully, I actually plan on starting my own business. I have a few people who are on board with that.

What would the business do?

I’m not one hundred percent sure on that yet. My dad owns a security business, so I might do something along those lines but with graphic design.

It’s hard to make just a straight business for graphic design, but I think for the most part, that will be a big part of it.

Which work that you have made are you the most proud of?

A lot of the work I’ve done this year for the Blackfriar Chronicle, I’ve been pretty proud of. Compared to last year and years before that, this year I really stepped up and did much more work and spent more time on it.

What’s a project that you’d most want to take on it the future?

There’s a lot of projects that end up in cities that end up on the side of a bus or the side of those little things players are lobbying for its complete ban]. Balancing the slimes has been very hard, and some of them could need some work. Why not just make people choose a random slime? That would be more fair (smiling).

What can you tell us about the hidden slimes? These are the slimes that are found in the code, but not available for play. The ones we have found are Murder Slime, Cowboy Slime, and Diver Slime. Are there any others? What happened to them?

What were their powers going to be? Will they be available for play in the future?

(Laughs) Those were some Slimes that I planned on making, but never got around to.

What can you tell us about the cheat

MATT PICHOLA / T. PERO

you go under for bus stops— just like anything that’s shown out in the city that a lot of people would see.

What are your goals for your senior year?

I hope there’s a Graphic Design II course here. If not Ms. Plows and I spoke about me being her teacher’s assistant for one of her Graphic Design I classes. Hopefully, [I will] just get a lot of graphic design work in, commit to college for it, and see what’s in store for next year. •

settings in the options that appear to have no effect?

I also wanted to make some cheats, but I guess I forgot.

Will there be any updates to the game in the future?

Maybe, I don’t know if I would bother. I guess I would rather make some new games. If you guys send me a list of prioritized things you would like to have changed, I guess I could look into it (smiles).

Is there anything that you would like to say to the student body of Malvern Preparatory School or the Federation themselves?

You guys are awesome, keep playing and have fun.

In the words of Chris Abbott ‘16, ”Slime is Brotherhood.” •

Joseph Lister ‘21 and then an adult. Molly is the oldest CONTRIBUTOR of the three ages of Fiona. n May 15th and 16th the "It’s always a really nerve-rackmiddle schoolers are telling ing experience,” said Sorensen about us (once more) of our child- waiting for the announcement of her hood friends Shrek and Fiona. role. “But I trusted the judgement of Middle school students were the directors.” told about the play during a Monday Molly has been acting for the chapel ser vice and received an Middle School play since sixth grade. email regarding the play. The email “My friends talked about it and my described the play as a brothers go to Malvern. “high energy show, full Auditioning was prob“Great of colorful characters.” ably one of the best music, and a According to Dr. decisions I’ve made,” she name that is Fr y, after bouncing said. “Fiona isn't really recognizable ideas off of the prolike any other princess by all.” duction team, they I’ve seen on T.V. and decided on something mov ies. She’s inde-Dr. Fry with, “great music, and pendent, a little rough a name that is recognizaround the edges and able by all.” Auditions maybe a tiny bit crazy.” for the play wrapped There will also be up around March 10th. no lip-syncing, said “When I was first picked for Mr. Jonathan Springer, the Middle Shrek I was overjoyed,” said Jacob School Music teacher and play direcSpringer ‘19. “Donkey (played by tor. “We will work with the talent we Chase Sakers ‘19) is really awesome. have.”

The chemistry between him and me Dr. Jim Fry, who directs the is really awesome.” show, commented, “The students “With the character part I’ve tried involved in the productions, past and to get as much Scottish in Shrek as I present, are all super talented.” can,” said Springer. His favorite song "[The play] is super fun," said in the show is Travel Song.

Chris Krein '21, who plays a soldier.

Villa Maria Academy’s Molly "It's a challenge I'm up for," said Sorenson '19 will play Fiona. The first Sorensen.” • time that Fiona is seen on stage, she has just been kidnapped at age seven.

Later in the show Fiona is a teen,

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Resurrected Malvern Dance Crew to Perform with Notre Dame Fifteen Malvern students will be performing alongside students from the Academy of Notre Dame de Namur.

Tommy Pero '17 “I’ve never thought I would have so much fun dancing,” said Dance Crew ARTS EDITOR member Rob DiCicco '16. n Friday, May 1st, the Academy of Notre Dame Company and They will perform one “great disco number,” as Devenney described it.

Malvern Dance Crew will be performing at Notre Dame at 7:00 As for the future of the program, Devenney hopes to continue the Dance PM, according to Notre Dame’s website.

Crew in fall of 2015.

While this may seem like a rare or strange event to some of Although he will be graduating in a few months, Daubney the student body, this is not the first time the Malvern Dance Spring Dance also expressed his hopes for the future of the dance crew. He Crew has performed.

Performance hopes that with underclassmen involved, the program will keep The program originally started three years ago when the curgoing in the years ahead. rent seniors were freshmen. They performed again the year after Friday, May 1 “Dance is a really great thing for the mind and body, and that, but not last year, according to Phil Daubney '15, one of the 7:00 PM I don't think a lot of guys think about that too much,” said key members of the dance crew.

Daubney. “It's also a ton of fun! I'm hoping guys will see this Daubney said the program started this year again because, Notre Dame show and realize how cool dance can be.”

“Grease was such a huge success and had such a big turn out on Academy “People should come to the show because it'll give them the guys’ part. A lot of them wanted to stay involved.” the opportunity to watch their friends give it all they've got on Malvern students were selected based on their ability and stage,” said Daubney. interest, according Pam Devenney, the Dance Director for Notre Dame and Mike McCarthy '15, all-Inter-Ac offensive lineman and member of the the Dance Crew, Dance Crew, added, “It’s going to be a bunch of your Malvern friends and Devenney said the goal of the production is to, “[Expose] males to the brothers, out of our comfort zones, on stage. We might be wearing silver world of dance, and show audiences guys can dance and the athletic side of sequins. Again.”• this art form.”

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DAUBNEY AT REHEARSAL / M. MCCARTH Y

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April 2015

THE BLACKFRIAR CHRONICLE

Promposal: (noun) the act of attempting and failing to be creative when nervously asking a female to prom.

Usually done with much sweat on one’s palms.

Michael McCarthy '15 MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY EDITOR es gentlemen, it is yet again that dreaded time of year in which our minds are forced into creativity to come up with the infamous “promposals”. Should you go all out with an original “pun” and risk looking like a try-hard? Or maybe you should stay safe with a cliche promposal (but fortune does favor the bold)? Or will you be “that guy” who just calls or, even worse, sends a text?

Over the past number of weeks, many of Malvern’s juniors and seniors have been in a state of indecision and uncertainty as to the seemingly ever present question of “Have you asked anyone to prom?”

Some brave souls have embarked into the deep waters of the Promposal Sea. These courageous souls have dared greatly and won great victories to make the gods proud! For some of you struggling to still think of how to ask that special lady friend to prom, get your pen and paper ready for some notes.

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Top Three Malvern “Promposals” of 2015 1. Top honors for this year goes to junior Rob DiCicco, who held nothing back when he dressed up in a genuine Villa cheerleader uniform to ask his special someone if she would be “his cheerleader” on May

9th. The determination and willingness to embarrass himself in front of his peers in the name of his “bae” are inspiring to us all.

2. Silver medal goes out to senior Phil Daubney. Daubney not only got his hands on a full bunny outfit to ask his beloved to the big shindig (or scare her into submission depending on how you feel about humanoid rabbits) but also came up with an extensive pun: “Before someBUNNY else asks you, I’d be very HOPPY if you would go prom with me.” Cuteness overload ensues.

3. Rounding out the medal round is senior Nick Parente. Parente decided to avoid the “cute” angle, as exemplified by Daubney, and decided to go full scare tactic. Parente, conspiring with Villa’s principal, got his girlfriend called down to the office and “fake-chastised”. She was given a printout of her “punishments”, which included a day suspension, five detentions, and finally, the worst punishment of all, assigned to go to Malvern prom with Nick Parente. Poor girl.

Honorable Mentions Doug Corsi (senior): Promposal during a Sacred Heart Academy assembly John Iannuzzi (senior): manually inserting a small piece of paper with the word “prom?” on it into a fortune cookie, complete with resealed packaging.

Mike McCarthy (senior): Yes this is me. I’m really narcissistic so I felt the need to do this. I gave her a teddy bear, it was pretty adorable. Yea… so... like that was it.

Dave Lanetti (senior): Promposed dressed in a tuxedo speedo, top hat, and suspenders.

Pat Coffey (senior): text message •

Microsoft Finally Ditching Internet Explorer The tech giant will phase out the archaic web browser as it rebrands.

Ben Yankelitis '16 PODCAST & SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR t t he company ’s annua l symposium on March 17, Microsoft Convergence, it was announced that “Project Spartan” would begin. This project is going to produce a new rebranded and redesigned web browser.

So what took Microsoft so long to modernize? Who knows, but it certainly is necessary. Although the logo with that “e” is iconic, the actual browser has basically already become phased out by the process of natural selection. The browser is not compatible with iOS and Android, a major reason why Internet Explorer will be going “bye-bye”.

Browsers like Chrome, Safari, and Firefox which are available on mobile devices have taken over. According to StatCounter, a web traffic analysis tool, Internet Explorer was the browser of choice for 95% of Internet users in 2003. In 2010, when competition arrived and people began to use multiple platforms Internet Explorer dropped to below 50%. Internet Explorer was utilized by only 13% of internet users in February 2015 .

In an informal poll of Malvern students, 90% of the participants said they use Chrome and 10% said they use Safari. When asked about Internet Explorer being phased out, zero of the participants showed concern.

Junior Aaron Salinas explained the collapse, “Internet Explorer's functions have been enhanced and surpassed by other web browsers, and it doesn’t stand out anymore.”

Chrome and Safari offer users the ability to easily transfer settings across all platforms. Rob DiCicco ‘16 said he prefers Chrome because it is “more user friendly.”

Teenagers are showing little interest in Microsoft’s developments, while many are in tune with what Apple, Samsung, and Google are developing. Project Spartan must be a significant improvement for Microsoft. A smart phone compatible browser will not get the job

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A. SALINAS

done. Microsoft will continue to stay out of Teenagers touch with our younger are showing population if they do not little interest have some sort of impresin Microsoft’s sive innovation. developments, To put this whole while many are situation into terms we in tune with what can understand let’s cast Apple, Samsung, Bill Gates and Microsoft and Google are a s P it bu l l a k a M r. developing.

WorldWide. Yes, Pitbull has been incredibly popular in the past. He’s had multiple hits that everyone has loved. We spent a whole summer jamming to “Give Me Everything Tonight”.

However, Pitbull has not adapted to the times. He has not done what he needed to, as the kids say, stay hip.

So, Bill Gates - Don’t be Pitbull.’

And, Pitbull - Please provide us with better music. •

>TO PIMP A BUTTERFLY, 10 all in the first song, which is only 4 minutes long, and there’s 15 more to go on this 84 minute long album.

Unlike gkmc, To Pimp a Butterfly focuses on many different topics, not all of them necessarily related to Lamar’s own experiences. One thing that connects them all together is the snippets of a poem in the intros and outros of the tracks near the beginning of the album: “I remember you was conflicted, misusing your influence. Sometimes I did the same, abusing my power, full of resentment, resentment that turned into a deep depression” being one only beginning of the poem. This all culminates into album’s final track, where we found out that Lamar had been reciting this poem to none other than Tupac Shakur, the 90s rapper killed in a gang shooting. Lamar was able to do this by taking some of Tupac’s responses to an 1994 interview. This 12 minute closer ties all of the chaos that happens before it together, with Lamar summing it up in an “on the spot” poem:

“The caterpillar is a prisoner to the streets that conceived it Its only job is to eat or consume everything around it, in order to protect itself from this mad city While consuming its environment the caterpillar begins to notice ways to survive One thing it noticed is how much the world shuns him, but praises the butterfly The butterfly represents the talent, the thoughtfulness, and the beauty within the caterpillar But having a harsh outlook on life the caterpillar sees the butterfly as weak and figures out a way to pimp it to his own benefits Already surrounded by this mad city the caterpillar goes to work on the cocoon which institutionalizes him He can no longer see past his own thoughts He’s trapped When trapped inside these walls certain ideas take roots, such as going home, and bringing back new concepts to this mad city The result?

Wings begin to emerge, breaking the cycle of feeling stagnant Finally free, the butterfly sheds light on situations that the caterpillar never considered, ending the internal struggle Although the butterfly and caterpillar are completely different, they are one and the same."

One piece of trivia to this: The album’s original title was going to be “Tu Pimp a Caterpillar”, with it’s abbreviation (TuPaC) referencing you-know-who.

The depth of this album really surprised me, to be honest. When I saw all the praise everywhere for this album, I thought it was just music critics trying to seem progressive or something, even though I was aware of Kendrick Lamar’s talent before I heard this album. But after listening to this masterpiece, I can honestly say they weren’t wrong at all. I was going to list my favorite songs from the album, but it’s actually really difficult for me to do that right now. With fantastically innovative instrumentals combined with deep and witty lyrics, To Pimp a Butterfly deserves all of its perfect scores. •