The Blackfriar Chronicle - October 2014

EDITORIAL BOARD INVESTIGATES PROPOSED DIVERSITY INITIATIVE Our first Editorial Board piece asks some questions about the 25:40 initiative and presents the Blackfriar Chronicle’s opinion. > EDITORIAL PAGE 2

FRIAR GOLF TAKES THE INTER-AC CHAMPIONSHIP

BREAKING BAD ALTERNATE ENDINGS

Team rallies to a tremendous finish, including individual championships for Friar golfers.

What if our students and faculty wrote the series finale? > MEDIA & TECH PAGE 7

> SECTION PAGE 3

BLACKFRIAR Chronicle

The

www.mpfriarslantern.COM

OCTOBER 2013

VOLUME 14, NUMBER 2

Win for the Ages, First Win in Ages

CHANGES PROPOSED TO SCHOOL SCHEDULE

Va r sit y Aca d e mic Competition Team secures a major win at a home meet.

Student survey findings and proposed new schedules highlight recent faculty presentation.

Christopher Bunn ‘16 REPORTER

Jack Marchesani ‘15 & Matt Lanetti ‘15 REPORTERS

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t he st udent body had off for an in-service day on Friday, October 11, Malvern’s faculty gathered in the Duffy Center theatre for a four-hour presentation by Independent School Management.

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Independent School Management (ISM) is a consulting corporation hired by Malvern to complete a scheduling analysis.

ISM has completed over 4,500 previous consultations, and they have a great deal of experience in schools like Malvern. You may have seen two strangers walking around campus t hroughout spi r it week. You may even have been interviewed by them - ISM interviewed 13 high school students and 15 middle school students, as well as many of Malvern’s faculty and staff. In the October 11 presentation, Roxanne Higgins, president

and senior consultant at ISM, shared an in-depth analysis of Malvern’s current schedule and programs, and concluded by proposing three different possible schedules for the future.

Higgins defined a schedule as “the framework from which you deliver your mission.” She presented that a school’s schedule has four complex dimensions - time, people, space, and program. “We can’t even draw four dimensions,” she said.

“My goal is that everyone has to give up something.”

One main theme of ISM’s presentation was that changes to the school and schedule must reflect best interests of the students. Examples of changes proposed on this theme included more predictability in school life (teachers should stick to testing days and not overdo tests), less homework, unstructured times and breaks in the day for socialization and relaxation, more rally points during the year to increase morale, and a more productive 9th periodstyle time.

the dark and rainy d ay of T hu r sd ay, October 10th, the Academic Competition team managed to secure a win against Pe n nsylva n i a L e a de r sh ip Charter School (PALCS) and Technical College High School (TCHS).

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STUDENTS DISCUSS FUTURE OF THE SCHEDULE JACK MARCHESANI ‘15

The student body may things like Halloween costume remember taking an online surday and spirit week, but also vey during spirit week. This poll, having unusual events such as which was sent to each class, “fake facial hair day” and other asked question on how much activities. you enjoy Malvern and how you feel about your education.

Another survey finding was Based on the survey and student what Higgins called a “sophointerviews, ISM composed a more slump”. Although Higgins list of the school’s rally points noted that Malvern’s scores t h rou ghout were a l most the year. The always above list of upper average, show“MY GOAL IS THAT school events ing that in genEVERYONE HAS TO contained the eral Malvern GIVE UP SOMETHING.” homecoming students enjoy -Roxanne Higgins, ISM dance, prom, school more the Christmas than most talent show, other schools, and others. ISM also made a one exception was the sopholist of rally points for the middle more class. A noticeable dip school, which was 2 pages long could be seen in both dedicaand had several times as many tion to school work as well as events, containing familiar enthusiasm for school, when

compared to the other 3 classes.

Higgins explained this by noting that there may be fewer activities for the sophomores and possibly less attention given to them, and recommended a focus on improving the sophomore experience.

Another theme of the presentation was how the school currently uses time. “Every minute is not equal to every other minute,” said Higgins.

Higgins noted that Malvern wastes a great deal of time in areas such as 9th period and transitions between classes. The idea was to use these times for more applicable (and enjoyable) purposes. ISM’s proposal recommended no more than three > PAGE 9

Thursday’s win was definitely a high point for the team, setting off a great start to the season for both the varsity and junior varsity teams. The varsity team, consisting of 8 students, ended the competition with a score of 110 points, besting PALCS’s 85 points and TCHS’s 35 points. The JV team, with 12 students, also secured a victory, ending with 75 points against PALCS’s close 70 points and TCHS’s 10 points.

Now in its 30th anniversary, the Chester County Academic Competition consists of 24 local Chester county high schools competing against each other. In each tournament, > PAGE 7

Cross country sweeps Inter-Ac Championship Runners tackle mud, sweat, and hills in a highly competitive season Matthew Heisler ‘16 REPORTER OR the past eight weeks, the 28 members of the Cross Country team collectively have ran about 5,600 miles. How far is that, you ask? Ohau, Hawaii is 5,600 miles from Philadelphia. So is Istanbul, Turkey.

All of that training has paid off. Malvern swept the Inter-Ac Cross Country Championship at Belmont Plateau on Monday,

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October 21st,with both the JV and the Varsity taking their titles.

The JV set the tone, running first and placing 11 runners in the top 25 spots. Danny Ferraiolo won the meet with a time of 18:29, while Mike McHugh crossed the line in second place. In the varsity race, Jaxson Hoey was just 1.7 seconds off the pace of the race winner,completing the course in 16:04.6. His brother,

Josh Hoey, led a group of four Malvern runners across the tape in 4th,5th, 6th, and 7thplace.

“This is what we have been working for all season,” said sophomore Colin Wills.

That season started off with a win at the McAlpin I nv it at iona l at Episcopa l Academy on August 30th, where the top four runners were Friars. Jaxson Hoey took

first, completing the 5000 meter course in 17:11.

The team won again at Rose Tree Park on September 14th.

Malvern took home the trophy at the 24th Bulldog Cross Country Invitational, placing all five scorers, Jaxson Hoey, Billy McDevitt, Brendan Stec, Colin Wills, and Ryan Doane in the top 17.

Cross country faced its toughest test on September > PAGE 5

CROSS COUNTRY TAKES ON PENN CHARTER MALVERN PREP SOCIAL MEDIA

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October 2013

THE BLACKFRIAR CHRONICLE

EDITORIAL EDITORIAL BOARD

Diversity initiative will change the face of Malvern for the better The Editorial Board commends a recentlyannounced diversity initiative - and raises some questions.

EDITORIAL BOARD

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recent Board of Trustees Meeting, Malvern introduced a new plan that will change the face of the school.

This initiative, named the 25:40 Initiative has one goal: to increase diversity here at Malvern Preparatory School, a place that for decades has been overwhelmingly caucasian males. A questions on the minds of many: will Malvern still be Malvern?

realization something is not right becomes clear. Compared to our Inter-Ac peers and other competitors, Malvern shows a lowly 6.6% visible diversity among students. The next lowest of our peers is 18% while the rest seem to cluster in the high twenties. So why does it seem we fall so far behind? Some believe that Malvern’s current diversity status is due to its location, costs of attending, and a precedent that has been set, but this initiative looks to break that barrier.

The main focus of the proposal will involve offering admission and scholarships to qualified students of more diverse, neglected backgrounds. The goal 25:40 hopes to meet is to have 20% visible diversity by 2019. What may seem far HOW EXACTLY away is only 5 academic years away. The current 6th WILL THE MALVERN graders will be entering their freshman year. Malvern COMMUNITY BENEFIT will seem to change in the blink of an eye to some.

The name of the 25:40 initiative comes from Matthew’s Gospel, chapter 25 verse BEYOND COMPETING 40 where it is written “The King will reply, WITH PEER SCHOOLS ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of Many would agree a recipient of such a scholarAND THEIR HIGHER the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, ship would definitely reap the benefits of a Malvern RATES OF DIVERSITY? you did for me.” This new strategy aims to help education, and to take advantage of the opportunities those students of different races and socioecoto excel in a variety of activities, sports, and acanomic backgrounds than the typical 93.4% of demic ventures in the spirit of St. Augustin. But how Malvern students in order to enable students exactly will the Malvern community benefit beyond who are both academically qualified and underrepresented to have competing with peer schools and their higher rates of diversity? the opportunities to be successful at our school. As a result, these students will strengthen their own lives and add to the community.

In order for a community to properly function and excel, it must consist of diverse members. If every member of a football The initiative will likely face some challengers who claim, “If team was a quarterback, the ball would never get snapped. The it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” But if one takes a look around, the 25:40 initiative would embody the spirit of the brotherhood in

the fact that the Body of Christ is made of many different yet all essential parts.

Malvern is a college preparatory school, a school that prepares us for our future endeavors in the real world. In almost all cases, students in a few years will be venturing to schools in which diversity is a central element in student life. This new initiative will give the typical Malvern student the chance to see different perspectives and encounter the differences in our world.

Doubts will surely be rampant, but when a proposal as monumental as 25:40 is introduced, we assume it has been carefully researched and planned. Finances will have to be raised, work will have to be done but the Board and the administration are prepared to bring the plan to life.

The BFC commends the goal of the 25:40 Initiative. For many years as students we have been taught to aid the least of our brothers. We experience the overwhelmingly rewarding experiences offered through the Christian Service Program. It is nice that the mission of Christian love will finally be apparent all over campus. If the plan is executed the right way, if we are doing this for the right reasons, Malvern will truly embody the brotherhood we attempt to establish. Challenges will arise, but anything worth fighting for is not immediately accepted.

Diversity is a noble goal and the 25:40 Initiative is Malvern’s best opportunity to meet the letter and spirit of Matthew’s Gospel.

The Editorial Board is excited to see Malvern transform for the better under the vision of 25:40.

OPINION

OPINION

Video games: To censor or not to censor?

Shutdown Shenanigans Our student body president comments on the actions of the higher government John Monday ‘14 CONTRIBUTOR

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HE late

Ronald Reagan once said, “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the government and I’m here to help.” This is a real side splitter from the old Gipper.

But enough about Bonzo, my aversion toward a president that I didn’t live through will be saved for my Black Flag music parties.

The point I’m trying to make is that this conservative viewpoint, that government is ineffective and in fact evil, has apparently never been stronger than today. So much so that the GOP decided to shut it down!

This is of course a joke; the government shutdown in reality is just another ill-fated attempt by Republicans to defund the Affordable Care Act. This coming after the fact that Obamacare has been passed democratically, not once, but twice inadvertently in the presidential election

in 2012 and in the congressional elections.

This shutdown surprised much of the American public and media, being that the US has not had a shutdown since 1996. Some people were confused about what the shutdown was even for, and others wondered what a shutdown entailed. Well, the shutdown, is for the debt ceiling - but more importantly, as mentioned before, for the Affordable Care Act and the GOP’s never ending fight against it.

What a shutdown entails, however, is a bigger question.

The shutdown has had tremendous impact already and more are sure to come. According to the Washington Post, there are a variety of negative effects: more than 2 million federal workers will see their paychecks delayed and 800,000 of them may not get repaid, millions of veterans will not see the money guaranteed in benefits, the CDC will halt its flu programs just as the flu season gets under way, food safety programs by the FDA

operations are going to cease, financing for small businesses will be hampered, national parks have closed and the tourist trade has taken a hit, Head Start programs will slowly start closing, disability benefits could be interrupted, and finally the NIH (National Institutes of Health) will have to turn away 200 patients each week, including kids with cancer.

The point of all of this is that government is involved in a lot of things; a lot of things that help people and make the country run effectively, and because of the shutdown, these beneficial programs and workers will be forced to stop doing the work which is so necessary.

However, this is not the prevailing view at America’s favorite source of misinformation, Fox News. So far, the FNC has called this shutdown a “slimdown” and blamed it on Democrats and Obama. This is a farce considering the actual effects of the shutdown, and the fact that the Republicans are 100% responsible for it. Is it not telling that > PAGE 9

Are violent video games the cause of mass shootings, and can censoring these games prevent the shootings?

John McClatchy ‘17 CONTRIBUTOR

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OLU M BI N E H i gh S chool .

V i r g i n i a Te c h . Au ror a , Colorado. Newtown, Connecticut. The Washington Naval Yard. All these places have one thing in common: they were all the sites of horrendous mass shootings. These mass shootings have become a major problem here in America, as mentally ill individuals with access to firearms have stormed movie theaters, schools, or even the Naval Yard, to just unload.

In each of the shootings listed above, the death toll ranges from 12 to 33.

In the wake of these tragedies, popular opinions have driven Congress to bring forth new gun restrictions. After the Newtown school shooting in December of last year, President Obama signed executive orders restricting the purchase of certain weapons. This was due to the fact that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) did not allow the same

GTAV COVER ART VIDEOGAMER.COM

legislation earlier this year to be put on the floor.

At the time, when so many were concerned about gun control, Wayne LaPierre, the Executive Vice President for the National Rifle Association (NRA), tried to shift blame on violent video games, claiming “... there exists in this country, sadly, a callous, corrupt and corrupting shadow industry > PAGE 10

THE BLACKFRIAR CHRONICLE

October 2013

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FEATURED NEWS STUDENT OF THE ISSUE

STEC AT HOME IN THE RECORDING STUDIO

BRENDAN STEC

Brendan Stec: Behind the glasses GOLF TEAM WITH THE INTERAC TROPHY

MR. GARY DUDA

Friar golf triumphs at Sunnybrook Golf Club Malvern Golf Captures its first InterAc title in 6 years Brendan Hallinan ‘14 SPORTS EDITOR

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golf team fired a 14 over par, 230, to win the sixth and final Inter Ac league match, and thus to secure the Inter-Ac overall team championship.

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Junior Mike Szipszky led the team and all Inter Ac golfers with a stellar 1 under par performance. Seniors Mike Davis, Kevin McGeary, and Brendan Hallinan followed with scores of 36, 38, and 39 respectively. Junior Mike Lamond finished with a 42 to round out the scoring.

Only the top 6 out of 8 scores count for each team.

The team rallied from an early deficit to the Haverford School in the beginning of the season to win the

championship. The Friars won four out of the last five Inter-Ac matches after tying for second with Episcopal Academy in the first match.

Instead of matches being head to head, all six teams compete at once.

Each of the 6 Inter Ac teams hosts one tournament a year. A victory in an Inter-Ac match counts for 5 wins and 0 losses. The team’s final record was 27-2-1.

Besides the Inter-Ac trophy, the golf team brought home multiple pieces of hardware on Wednesday.

Davis was the overall individual champion, posting a record of 239-3112 over the 6 Inter-Ac tournaments.

Lamond, Bacskai, and Szipszky were individual medalists at the Haverford, Penn Charter, and Chestnut Hill Invitationals respectively.

Jack Marchesani ‘15 REPORTER

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UITE possibly

the epitome of the Malvern man, Brendan Stec is one of the most involved, committed, and well-known faces at Malvern. As a senior, Stec serves as a role model to many, and is often seen as quintessential friar.

the 2013 US Open and has been the site of four US Opens before that.

Malvern will be represented by seniors Mike Davis, Kevin McGeary, and Brendan Hallinan and juniors Mike Szipszky, Brendan Bacskai, and Mike Lamond.

The

is a monthly student-run publication at Malvern Preparatory School. Its online affiliate is the Friar’s Lantern (www.mpfriarslantern.com). Editors’ meetings are every day 1 at 7:30 AM. Reporters’ meetings are every day 2 at 7:45 AM in Duffy 118, and are open to any interested student.

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.

Editors in Chief Joe DiSipio ‘14 Brian Tatlow ‘14 Managing Editors Print: Dan McGlinn ‘14 Online: Matt Lanetti ‘15 Section Editors Friar Life Matt Magargee ‘14 Mike Higgins ‘14

Opinion Anthony Abron ‘14

Arts Billy Bevevino ‘14

Media & Technology Open

Sports

Beyond Malvern Jake Sorensen ‘15

Brendan O’Connor ‘15

Brendan Hallinan ‘14 Editorial Board Contributors Andrew Aprahmian ‘17

Contact: mpfriarslantern1@gmail.com

Justice Bennett ‘16

Tyler Pizzico ‘17 Andrew Stetser ‘15

Students who work on high school newspapers and yearbooks: ____Get better grades in high school ____Earn higher scores on the ACT ve d ! l o ____Get better grades as college freshmen v In _X__All of the above Ge t Source: Newspaper Association of America 2008 Research Study

Why? you ask. Is it because Brendan is dedicated to his schoolwork and his future? Is it because he’s one of the leaders of the Malvern cross country and track team? Is it because of his blossoming career in the music production industry? Or is it a combination of the three and many more that make Brendan such an inspiring character on Malvern’s campus?

“Born and raised in Chester Springs, and I came to Malvern in 9th

grade from Saint Aloysius Academy,” he said with the dreaded uptalk.

(As a rising junior, I had only heard of that terrifying term, but Brendan explained to me that it was ending sentences with a raised tone of voice - an apparent cardinal sin in Mr. Roper’s British Literature class - all the while vigorously correcting himself.

Stec explained his involvement on not only the Malvern Cross Country team, but his leadership role on the winter and spring track teams as well.

From that he moved on to his leading role in the Malvern Theatre Society.

No, not on stage, but from behind the booth, as one of the leaders of the sound team (without him and the crew the show literally would not go on).

I asked Stec if he thought these things set him apart. > PAGE 9

Students and teachers react to first reverse C schedule

The Inter-Ac season finishes on Saturday, October 26 at the Individual Championship at prestigious Merion Golf Club. Merion was the site of

BLACKFRIAR Chronicle

The Blackfriar Chronicle sat down for conversation with Stec about his school career, his passion for music, and his plans for the future.

Billy Bevevino ‘14 ARTS EDITOR

“I

got ten hours of sleep last n ight ,” sa id Jack Marchesani ‘15. Like most others Jack was able to get a couple extra hours of sleep on September 25, due to the first reverse C schedule.

While many of the students were sleeping until homerooom at 9:15, the faculty reported to the Learning Commons at 8:00 AM. In an email to the faculty, Kevin Whitney, Dean of Curriculum, explained that the purpose of the reverse C schedule is to provide the faculty with time during contract hours to explore professional development topics.

“I think it’s very valuable from a professional development standpoint,” said Mr. Tim Dougherty, Dean of Students. “It gives the teachers more of an opportunity to meet as a group.”

While Mr. Dougherty was a supporter of the Reverse C Schedule, other teachers were ambivalent. “I don’t mind it either way,” said Dr. Fry, “but it does make the day feel longer.”

There was a varied response toward the reverse schedule from the student body. One of the supporters of the Reverse C Schedule was freshman Dom Distefano. “I really liked it. I got to sleep in today,” he said.

Others did not feel the same. “I don’t like it at all,” said senior Ben Aman.

“I would have much rather gotten out at 1:45.” Freshman Andrew Apharamanian agreed. “The Reverse C left me with less time to be productive in the afternoon.”

One Reverse C Schedule is on the calendar each month for the rest of the year. Whether it means more sleep or more professional development, Malvern is going to get used to the change. 

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October 2013

THE BLACKFRIAR CHRONICLE

FRIAR LIFE School community gets ‘Friared Up’ for Spirit Week Malvern’s Spirit Week once again a huge success Tommy Ferrari ‘14 REPORTER

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yes, spirit week! A time where the leaves have begun to change, alumni return back home, and students can be found frantically searching for a date to the homecoming dance! In between all this, student council arranges a fun week to build the excitement, and this year was no exception.

Many students, myself included, enjoy the dress down days, which this year included favorites such as American Day, Beach Day, and College Day. Despite the temperature being in the low 50s, many students braved the weather on Beach Day and wore beach shorts and bathing suits.

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Senior Chris Frey liked the choice of dress down themes. “They were pretty easy to follow. I didn’t need to buy new clothes. I do wish that there was a bigger announcement for each day. I missed the first day, and was made lookin’ like a fool!”

Of course, there is much more to the week than just the clothes. Daily events such as a FIFA tournament, fastest man competition (won by senior Casey Breuer), and the Grizzly Adams Competition (won by senior Max McClatchy). Jon Dolfus was the lucky winner of this year’s scavenger hunt and was awarded a ticket to the Homecoming Dance. Each winner of these events received a gift card to either Chipotle or Wawa.

The week culminated in the Blue Gray games, which were an enormous success despite the rain and chilly conditions. Malvern favorites such as Mr. Talbot, Mr. Valyo, Mr. Roper, and Mr. Eric “Maddawg” Mundy were all dunked in the dunk tanks. All the while, Zach O’Neill ‘14 was laying down some beats with music in the gymnasium.

The tug of war was won by the senior class, who received a dress down for the last day of the first quarter.

Learning Commons builds momentum How Malvern’s newest addition is changing the face of education Pearse Hobson ‘14 REPORTER

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2012-2013 school year brought in many transformat ions to the Malvern community. The most notable of these changes was the election of Mr. Talbot to succeed Mr. Stewart at office of headmaster, to which he brought a tidal wave of new ideas such as Sullivan’s Hall new Learning Commons.

From sugar-free drinks to 21st century education, Mr. Talbot has been slated to give Malvern the educational injection it has awaited for quite some time. The physical manifestation of this enhancement can be seen in the former library of Sullivan Hall. No longer will students go into the library to check out (or not check out) books and to study them silently under the watchful gaze of Mrs. Driscoll.

With the introduction of the Malvern Learning Commons, we see, hear, and even touch learning. With the novel idea of Ideapaint, students can collectively work together on problems HE

that they are solving in class. The style and coordination of the facility with the desks and tables is consistent with that of college and seems to be even beneficial to the education of pupils.

Tom Ferrari ‘14 said, “The atmosphere in here is much more conducive to learning because we can openly talk about problems and we have so many avenues to pursue those answers.”

Brett Biscoll agreed that the Learning Commons was, “a step in the right direction.” He said, “I feel that this is the first step of a long journey for the revamping of Malvern’s campus.”

With some of the great things brought on by the LC, some things are unfortunately lost. Jackson Connor ’14 said, “I love the direction the school is heading in by accepting the challenge of adapting to 21st century education.

However, it is now difficult to find a quiet place to study since the LC does not keep the silent atmosphere of a library.”

A QUIET AFTERNOON MOMENT N THE LC

Connor noted, “As with anything new, there are always things to be worked out, but once those problems are sorted, the Learning Commons will reach its full potential as a learning center.”

The center was even generously donated a state of the art 3-D printer that is sure to be constructive to teachers and their classes. Mr. Kevin Whitney explained that this is an emerging technology and great

BILLY MCCULLOUGH ‘14

addition to Malvern’s future students with aspirations of engineering.

Malvern is going into untrekked territory and becoming a pioneer for new learning styles in the area. With the establishment of the Learning Commons, our community can expect bigger and bolder projects in the future to make Malvern an institution that educates as well as cultivates. 

Horticulture Club is growing and growing good things Campus garden produces home-grown vegetables for the cafeteria Michael Gormley ‘17 REPORTER

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AVE you

noticed the outdoor garden that appeared across from O’Neill last spring?

Mr. Tom Stewart, moderator of the Horticulture Club, recently answered a few of the Blackfriar Chronicle’s questions about the garden and its student tenders.

Who started this garden?

Mike Cheatle, former teacher at Malvern, had initially come up with the idea at some point last year. Soon after, he asked Tom Stewart to help him with it. They reached out to all teachers who were interested, and then

It turned out to be a successful week, and student council President John Monday agrees. “I was pleased with the results! It was a really great week! The entire Student Council put a lot of work in, and everyone had a really great time!”  GARDEN-GROWN PRODUCE MR. TOM STEWART

to students. The first organizational meeting was held sometime in this past spring, at that time only about 4 students were interested in joining.

Currently there are about 15 members, primarily Juniors and Seniors. A very prominent member in the club is Drew Freed, a 12th grader. Drew Freed had a very important role in the building of the garden. Drew helped to build the fence around the garden, bring the mulch into the garden and took care of many of the crops. Drew came down numerous times in the summer to take care of the garden.

What do you grow?

Since the beginning of summer they have grown zucchini, squash, cucumbers and about 5 different varieties of tomatoes. They are currently figuring out what crops will grow in the coming months, such as lettuce and broccoli.

Where does the food go?

Over the summer, when the garden was first starting to produce, we donated the food to charities, including Salvation Army and Safe Harbor.

Since school has started, all of the food goes to the cafeteria and served at lunch.

MEETING SITE FOR THE HORTICULTURE CLUB MR. TOM STEWART

Is the garden high maintenance?

Over the summer, due to how much it rained, they only needed to add water twice during the whole summer. They expect that they will need to water it on a more consistent base going forward, and that this summer they were very lucky. The garden is relatively cheap to maintain. The wood that we made the crop beds out of was cut from a tree on campus, the mulch is donated and we do not see weeds all that often.

What are your hopes going forward?

Next year we hope to do the crop

tomatoes going forward, they seemed to be popular in the cafeteria, the squash and zucchini seemed to be good, but we will try new crops going forward, such as asparagus and peppers. We hope to put in a few more crop beds in this garden.

How does one get involved in the Horticulture Club?

If you are interested in being apart of the garden, talk to Tom Stewart or any of the senior members of the club, especially Drew Freed and Jake Anderson. 

THE BLACKFRIAR CHRONICLE

October 2013

5

SPORTS Water Polo continues to dominate the pool

ATHLETE OF THE ISSUE

Athlete of the Issue: Jeff Hagen

Friars show “Polo” is not just for the horses.

Brendan O’Connor ‘15 REPORTER

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FTER a

solid run through the Inter-Ac, Malvern is 13-7 overall and 4-1 in Inter-Ac play. They have won four of their past seven games, including victories against rivals Haverford and Episcopal.

They traveled to Haverford for their first Inter-Ac game. “It is always a tough place to play,” said Coach Jay Schiller. However, the Haverford faithful were quickly silenced as Malvern scored the first four goals of the game.

Of the eleven goals scored by Malvern, captain Jeff Hagen had nine.

The Friars hosted Germantown Academy and cruised to a 14-7 win despite a 2-0 deficit. However, things became more difficult against Penn Charter, as they lost 10-8 despite a 7-3 lead at the half in a heartbreaking loss.

They outplayed them in many aspects, having more steals and less turnovers.

Next, the team traveled to the Big Bear Tournament in Landon, where they played three games. They were short a few players due to SATs. After a loss to Naval Academy Aquatic Club (DC), they came back to shut out Gillman (MD) with three goals by Jeff Hagen and two each by Magnus Sims and Peter Calvaresi. Pat Coffey had his second shutout of his career, with the first coming last year against Friends Central. Unfortunately, they did not have much left in the tank for East Coast powerhouse Gonzaga (DC), who was playing their first game.

Malvern lost 7-1.

They defeated Episcopal at home in what Mr. Schiller called a ‘dominating performance’. Magnus Sims and Jeff Hagen both had four goals, and Peter Calvaresi, senior captain Dan McGlinn, and sophomore Billy Beard had 2 each.

Most recently, Malvern dominated Haverford School for the second time in a terrific Homecoming performance. Winning 10-4 with three minutes left, the fans clapped as the seniors felt great after the team effort.

Malvern won 10-7.

Hopefully the team can build on their success for the second round of Inter-Ac opponents. 

FOOTBALL SENIORS AT HOMECOMING

MALVERN COMMUNICATIONS

Friday Night Football is King!

An autumn classic makes its way to Malvern Joe DiSipio ‘14 EDITOR IN CHIEF

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Night Lights. No, I am not talking about the hit NBC television drama though the Malvern Prep Friars have resembled the Dillon Panthers more and more with packed stands, a team camera man, and cheerleaders at the last home game. (girl cheerleaders!) The one thing we don’t have is Lyla Garrity, but otherwise the football team could definitely have a shot at the Panthers.

All jokes aside, Friar football is in full gear now that Inter-Ac play has begun. Though a heartbreaking double-overtime Homecoming loss to Haverford on October 12 seemed to put the Friars out of championship contention, a strong showing on October 19 in a 46 to 21 win against GA solidified the team’s will to not give up. At this point, every game is a playoff game.

With so much riding on each game, the already heated Inter-Ac matchups escalate to a whole new level. Add in a night game under the lights of Quigley Field and you’ve got more drama than the producers at NBC could handle.

On Friday October 25 at 7:00 pm, the Penn Charter Quakers will come to Warren Ave to face off with our Friars. After graduating three key recruits last year, Charter plans to shake things up around the InterAc. The Friars have a different plan.

Senior linebacker Jake Anderson mentioned the energy the team exhibited in Saturday’s win at Germantown RIDAY

in a recent interview with PA Sports Media. When asked about what is needed this week Anderson said, “Last year’s EA game was the most passionate game I’ve ever played. The fans make the game exciting. They actually influence how we play. Win or loss the fans make the game. These night games are so few and so valuable.”

On and off the field, the night seems promising. Seniors Steven Dunn and Tyler Watkin have been busy planning the next MARC sponsored tailgate after the successful St. Mary’s and Glenn Mills games. MARC stands for Malvernians Acting as Role Models in Camden. All proceeds of the tailgate go toward programs in Camden, New Jersey, that Friars have come in contact through the Christian Service program.

This will be just the third home night game in the program’s history.

Last season’s EA game drew a record crowd along with a lot of planning.

Security, parking, and food all need to be planned well in advance. The staff did a great job last year and proved we can handle the night crowd during the St. Mary’s game on October 5th which began at 6:00. Again and again we have shown we are capable of keeping the lights on.

The lights will be shining, the hill will be filled with cars, and good football will be played on the field.

If gruesome hitting isn’t your thing, supporting the MARC tailgate is another great way of spending your Friday night. No matter what, just do something to support your brothers.

Go Friars! 

> 1, CROSS COUNTRY at Belmont Plateau at The Briarwood Invitational. This particular race attracts elite running teams from all around the East Coast. Malvern placed 3rd overall with Jaxson Hoey pacing the team, finishing in 9th place overall and Billy Mc Devitt not far behind in 11th place.

Hoey and McDevitt represented Malvern at another elite meet in Carlisle, PA on September 28th. Hoey ran a blistering 15:53, which set a record for Malvern Cross Country in a 5K meet. McDevitt also had an impressive race, crossing the line just 37 seconds later.

At the Fr. Beattie Salesianum Invitational at Brandywine Creek State Park on October 5th, Malvern had to overcome

Water Polo’s star team captain is October’s featured athlete MALVERN COMMUNICATIONS

Brendan Hallinan ‘14 SPORTS EDITOR

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senior Jeff Hagen, being recognized for athletic accomplishments via newspaper is commonplace; he was Main Line Media News’ male athlete of the week recently.

Hagen has been a prominent player on the varsity water polo team for the last four years, and was a first team All Inter-Ac selection last year as a junior. The senior captain was recently named by United States Water Polo as an Academic All-American, due in part to his stellar performance in the classroom and on the club level .

I had the opportunity to sit down with Hagen and ask him some questions about his water polo career.

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1. You were selected for first team All-Inter Ac for your position, two meter specialist. Can you explain what your responsibilities are at that position?

Two meters is basically a center in basketball. The other five guys form an umbrella shape around the two meter.

When I get the ball I look to either score, kick the ball back out, or draw an ejection. An ejection is similar to man up in lacrosse, you have 25 seconds to play man up, 6 on 5.

2. Water polo isn’t a widely popular sport in the United States for high school students. What attracted you to the sport? When did you start playing?

I started playing in 6th grade mostly because I knew Mr. Schiller from Chester Valley [Country Club] and he convinced me that I’d like the sport.

Throughout middle school I played water polo and football but I decided to just stick with water polo in high school.

temperatures in the high 80’s, 95% humidity and a 100 yard hill near the finish to capture the title.

Cross Country is a unique sport with no time-outs, substitutions, or halftime; every team member participates in every race. In addition to vying for team titles, the athletes aim for personal records, runners train to cut seconds off their time in every race.

The next meet after the Interac Championship is the Independent School State Championship on October 26.

Both championships run at the Belmont Plateau and its famed Parachute Hill, which has a 45 degree gradient. All those training miles should have Malvern in great shape to bring home another title. 

3. Do you look to continue your water polo career in college? If so, where would you like to play?

I’m very interested in playing water polo in college. My number one is Princeton, but I am also looking at Brown and Bucknell.

4. What has been your most memorable experience on the Malvern water polo team?

My most memorable experience was our final game last year when we beat Gonzaga 8-6 to get third place at Easterns, the highest finish our team has ever gotten. It was an awesome game, it was close the entire time. I also scored my 100th goal of the season that game which was special for me.

5. What are your goals for the season?

My primary goal is for our team to capture our first Inter-Ac championship in our team’s history. We have been close the last couple years and I think we have a great shot of winning this year. Individually, I would also like to break the single season and all time scoring records.

START LOCAL. The Blackfriar Chronicle needs sports reporter to cover Malvern Prep sports and intramurals.

A lot of our teams have not yet been represented.

We need you!

Reporters’ Meetings Day 2 - 7:45 AM Duffy 118

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October 2013

THE BLACKFRIAR CHRONICLE

SPORTS

American League National League playoffs post-season recap recap The October heat escalates in the American and

Fall promises a ramp-up in excitement.

Mark D’Agostino ‘14 REPORTER

Jack St. Amour ‘14 REPORTER

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marathon that is the 162 game regular season is over and it has been another wild year in baseball.

This season has had it all: home runs, diving catches, star rookies, veteran greats, and unfortunately, suspensions.

The regular season had it highs and lows, but the postseason is upon us, and as they say there is nothing like October baseball. October baseball is known for drama and excitement and this year’s playoffs have not fallen short of expectations.

The Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays were knotted at 90 wins apiece after 162 games. So what’s a better way to start the playoffs than with a one game elimination game just to get into the playoffs?

The Rangers hosted the Rays, and the home crowd was electric.

Rays pitcher David Price, however, stole the show and silenced the crowd leading the Rays to a 5-2 win.

Price pitched a complete game and his run support was highlighted by Evan Longoria’s three hits, including a homerun in the third.

T he R ay s t he n he a ded to Cleveland to face the Indians in another elimination game. This one was for the Wild Card and chance to face the Boston Red Sox in the ALDS.

National League Division a nd w i ld ca rd races of September were not what baseball fans have been used to the last couple years. They lacked excitement.

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The stor yl ine was set for a Cleveland victory. The Indians were coming off a surprising season, and manager Terry Francona was set to manage against his former team. All they needed was a home win, but the Rays had other plans.

Tampa got a stellar performance from its pitching staff again, as Alex Cobb threw 6.2 innings of scoreless

baseball en route to a 4-0 win to set up a date with Boston.

The Red Sox hosted the first two games of the series. Boston’s offense combined for 19 runs over the first two games, thus destroying the Rays pitching staff.

The Red Sox were led by veterans Jacoby Ellisbury, Dustin Pedrioa, and David “Big Papi” Ortiz. Shane Victorino, Mike Napoli, and Stephen Drew added to the potent Boston line-up.

The Rays bounced back in Game 3 in front of their home crowd, winning on a walk off homerun by Jose Lobaton.

The magic ran out for Tampa, as Red Sox pitcher Jake Peavy dominated in Game 4, thus sending the Rays home.

The other American League division series featured the Oakland A’s and the Detroit Tigers. The first four games of the series were split between the teams, forcing a decisive Game 5 in Oakland. The series has gone back and forth. The series has seen a walk off, a benches clearing moment, and big hits from a man who was suspended for the last 50 games of this season. We saw great pitching performances from established veterans and young stars.

USA Claims 8th President’s Cup Victory Star-studded American roster dominates international golf team Brendan Hallinan ‘14 REPORTER

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marathon that is the 162 game regular season is over and it has been another wild year in baseball.

The United States team, led by captain Fred Couples, won the tenth President’s Cup over the International team by a score of 18.5 to 15.5. The competition was held at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio, a course designed by 18-time major winner, Jack Nicklaus.

The event ran four days from HE

October 3rd through the 6th. The first three days featured team competition, where two Americans would take on on two international players in either alternate shot or better ball.

The International team was made up of golfers from all over the world, excluding Europe. The United States and Europe compete in a separate event, the Ryder Cup. The Americans battled through harsh weather conditions to take a commanding 14-8 lead after Saturday, needing only four points on Sunday to claim the cup. > PAGE 10

The Dodgers dominated the second half of the season to take the NL West, the Braves conquered a weak NL East and clinched early.

The NL Central was the most exciting race of the year. It was a threeteam race, which the Cardinals won by squeezing by the Reds and Pirates over the last three days of the season.

The Reds and Pirates secured the two Wild Card spots.

The playoffs have been nothing short of amazing.

Pittsburgh started the postseason by dominating the Reds 6-2 in the Wild Card playoff game. Francisco Liriano took the mound for the Bucco’s, surrendering just four hits and one earned run, while striking out five. Marlon Byrd hit a homerun to get the Pirates on the board and Russell Martin owned the night crushing a

solo shot in the second and another one in the seventh. Jason Grilli came in to finish off the game in the ninth inning and successfully booked a trip to Saint Louis for the NDLS. However, the Pirates celebration was short lived, as they traveled to St. Louis the next day to take on the Cardinals. The Cardinals dominated 9-1. Adam Wainwright shut down the usually active Pirates lineup.

Pittsburgh bounced back the next game in St. Louis, tying the series at 1.

The Pirates won the next game to take a 2-1 lead in the series before facing Michael Wacha in game four. Wacha quieted the Pirates, surrendering just one hit in seven and one third innings, striking out nine. The series will be decided Wednesday October 9th, in St. Louis.

The Dodgers were the third seed coming into the playoffs. They were matched up against a Braves team that had coasted in their division all year, facing very little competition, leading the division from April to October.

However,the Dodgers stayed hot and were too much for the Braves to handle. Los Angeles took the first game 6-1 behind a strong performance

from ace pitcher, Clayton Kershaw.

Braves’ pitcher M ike M inor was able to cool the hot bats of the Dodgers, giving the Braves a 4-3 win.

The Dodgers bats continued to erupt to beat the Braves in the last two games scoring a total of seventeen runs and yielding just nine, by scores of 13-6 and 4-3 respectively. Hanley Ramirez and Yasiel Puig continued killing the ball, each racking up eight hits in the series.

Ramirez had a homerun and six runs batted in.

Six hits from Juan Uribe and Carl Crawford contributed to an already red hot lineup. The Dodgers have the most homeruns, doubles, hits, and runs scored out of any National League team this postseason.

The Pirates and Cardinals game five winner will face a Dodgers team that looks like it cannot be stopped.

Whatever the outcome, October will be a great time for baseball fans. 

Eagles season in review A recap of the Birds’ first six games of the year Patrick Ferraiolo ‘17 REPORTER Week 1: Eagles 33, Redskins 27 To begin the new Eagles era, head coach Chip Kelly exploded onto the scene in the opening week. Running the most first half plays in ten years, the fast paced offense got off to a great start, posting 33 points. Although the defense was lax in the second half, their first half performance was flawless. They pressured opposing quarterback Robert Griffin III and intercepted two of his passes.

The Eagles defense finished with three turnovers but the real story was with the offense. The Eagles had the Redskins on their toes each play, averaging twenty seconds between plays.

Lesean McCoy contributed to the offensive success, with 184 yards rushing in thirty one carries. Quarterback Mike Vick had a good day as well, completing fifteen of his twenty five passes for a total of 203 yards.

Week 2: Chargers 33, Eagles 30 The home opener for the Eagles was a heartbreaker. The offense continued to do well, excelling in the passing and running games, taking care of the ball, and scoring. The main problem was the defense. The Eagles allowed Chargers quarterback, Philip Rivers, to throw for over 400 passing yards., and the blitzing pressure was not as

nearly effective as it was against the Redskins. Another issue was their inability to get off the field. The Chargers offense had a third down percentage of over 70 percent. This allowed the visitors to take time off the clock and set up a game winning field goal with only seconds remaining. Besides the late field goal, the Chargers took advantage over the Eagles’ atrocious defense, who allowed easy scores throughout the game. This could very well be the story of the Eagles season this year: Offense excels, but defense struggles.

Week 3: Kansas City 26, Eagles 16 The Chief’s visit to Philadelphia was highly anticipated, as Andy Reid was returning to Philadelphia for the first time since last year’s firing. The Philadelphia fans welcomed Reid, thanking him for his many years of service as Eagles head coach. After the pre-game applause, Reid’s Chiefs set the tone quickly with a long kick return to start the game, which led to

a field goal. The first Eagles possession ended abruptly with an interception returned for a touchdown. Although the Eagles played poorly for the first two quarters, they managed to tie the game going into halftime. However, the Eagles could not keep up with the Chiefs in fourth quarter, as the visitors used long drives to melt the clock and nurse their lead. The Eagles offense struggled and unlike the first couple weeks, committed multiple penalties and turnovers. The defense, played well, but not well enough. All in all, the Eagles were not ready to play this week and the Chiefs were heavily motivated, wanting to win for their new coach against his old team.

Week 4: Broncos 52, Eagles 20 If Eagles fans thought that the Chiefs game was sickening, then they could barely keep their lunches down after witnessing the most humiliating loss in Eagles’ history. Nothing went right during the Bronco’s game. The defense played terrible and the offense was even worse. Peyton Manning had his way with the defense, putting up the most points in Broncos’ history.

Mike Vick and the offense have now had two sub-par weeks. The fast paced offense, which was praised three weeks ago, is now being tormented. Teams are adjusting to the new offense and have seemed to figure out how to stop > PAGE 10

THE BLACKFRIAR CHRONICLE

October 2013

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MEDIA And TECHNOLOGY What if Malvern wrote the Breaking Bad ending?

WARNING. SPOILERS. Jack Marchesani ‘15 REPORTER

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day has come. Walter White is dead. Jesse is free.

Things in Alberquque have been set to justice (Vince Gilligan justice). If you watch and follow AMC’s hit drama Breaking Bad, you know all of this already. What I can also tell you is that since the show ended you’ve been experiencing sweaty palms, headaches, and stomach pains. Am I psychic? Am I a doctor? Am I a psychic doctor? Maybe. What I also know is that I have been experiencing the same feelings as well. It’s simple. We NEED more Breaking Bad. You have two choices. You can either start an underground meth business yourself, or you could just read this article. The Breaking Bad nerd in me and in all of us wants more. I have taken this opportunity to seek out some of the best minds/biggest meth-lovers on campus to hear how the tale of “The One Who Knock” could have/should have ended. This should satisfy you all at least until “Better Call Saul” comes out.

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1. The Show gets as Dark as it Can Jack Marchesani ‘15 Jesse is taken to cook for the Nazis and Walt makes his escape, but only after fighting his family (Walter Jr does not call the police).

Fast forward to Walt’s return. He has been living in New Hampsire, a state whose motto is “Live Free or Die Hard.” Walter, inspired by his anger of Jesse’s gun shot, and the shocking phone call with Walter Jr hijacks a Volvo, without turning himself into the police, and returns to Albuerqueque.

Meanwhile at the DEA office the search for Hank continues to no avail. Suspicion has turned to the

ever-purple Marie who has been taken into custody. Skylar, WJ, and Holly remain in at Negra Arroyo, in constant fear of the return of the disguised black masked men (Arian Brotherhood). They know nothing of Walt or where he has gone to. They only know his meth business has taken him away, and they hope to move on.

Walt comes into town with the intent of seeking revenge on the Arian brotherhood and Jesse. Walt also has the intent of reuniting his family. His mental state has deteriorated and he lives in the delusion in which he could accomplish such tasks. Walt returns to the house, and, ends up killing Skyler over the long fought battle of allowing Walt to live in the house. The murder is partially inspired by Walt’s newfound insanity, and by his true hatred over his family’s lack of appreciation.

The camera cuts to his eyes after the murder clearly displaying his madness.

Walter Jr calls 911 this time in a final act of disrespect.

Walt then leaves the house with the police on his tail and a revolver in his pocket. He goes to the location of the Arian Brotherhood. He manages to set Jesse free from his sewer-prison.

Following an effortless struggle, Jesse pins down Walt, and, realizing he has a gun, agrees to let Walt up and if they can team up for revenge. The two go to kill Jack, Todd, and the Nazis.

Walt fashions a chemical weapon using supplies from the lab Jesse has unlocked. They use this to kill the man. Walt and Jesse, in a buddy cop style, kill Jack and Todd with a single gunshot, respectively. Jesse comes to the final conclusion that simply things have gone too far. He wasn’t able to avenge Jane, he wasn’t able to avenge Andrea, and he wasn’t able to make right with Walt over Brock’s poisoning. Jesse realizes that Skyler is the last straw.

For the good of everyone Jesse pulls a gun on Walter. Quickly, without the audience expecting, he kills Walt. Walt falls to the floor and dies like a dog.

Again shocking the audience, Jesse finds it all too much. He turns the gun on himself. In the background we hear the wail of police sirens called by an onlooker. He is shaking horribly.

Cut to black in a Sopranos-style ending.

2. Just like old times Kieran Sweeney ‘15 The final episode of Breaking Bad, in many ways, gave audiences across America closure. Though not perfectly, the finale neatly ended the life of Walter White, and the story of Jesse Pinkman. There aren’t many things I would change, for I was extremely satisfied by “Felina.”

However, there is an alternative way that the last scene could have played out.

Walt returns to New Mexico and sneaks into Jack and Todd’s hideout.

Once there, he finds Jesse in the lab and the two devise a plan using their knowledge of cooking to kill Jack and his men. They simulate an explosion to draw the adversaries in, only to trap them inside and fill the lab with phosphine gas, similarly to the earlier episodes of the series with Krazy 8.

Walt and Jesse successfully defeat the others, and Jesse leaves in the El Camino. Walt seemed to have inhaled too much of the phosphine gas and collapses to the ground. We then go back to Jesse pulling out, glancing back at Walt, almost symbolizing how that part of his life was finally over and he was free. Jesse pulls out a map from the glove compartment, and the camera zooms in on Alaska, where he

SNL Signs 2 of Comedy’s Best Free Agents Recently, SNL has added Kyle Mooney and Beck Bennett to the all-star cast for the upcoming year.

Ricky Walsh ‘14 REPORTER

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Night Live has housed several famous stars, including singers, actors, athletes, and of course comedians. However, SNL recently signed 5 new comedians who, according to SNL, will be among those in the SNL Hall of Fame.

Kyle Mooney, who made a name for himself through his YouTube channel “Kyle”, was among the 5 new comedians added to the show. At first, Mooney was apprehensive about being on the show. This is because Mooney didn’t know who was among the other 4 comedians being signed.

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Meet Beck Bennett. You may know him from the recent series of AT&T commercial with the little kids. These two comedians have been friends and colleagues before this recent contract signing.

Mooney and Bennett attended the University of Southern California where they studied film together. From

there, they collaborated on a YouTube series titled “GoodNeighborStuff” and received loads of publicity and notoriety. Now that they are partners on SNL. Who knows what levels of humor they could reach.

The other 3 comedians that will be accompanying Mooney and Bennett are John Milhiser from the Facialique ad, Noel Wells from the Homeland parody, and Mike O’Brien who also does a YouTube series.

As the new year of Saturday Night Live continues, we can only expect big things out of not only the crew, but from the 5 new stars.

wanted to start his life. The show ends there. (Note that the previous scenes in earlier episodes involving Walt’s purchase of the gun would have to be cut out to fit this ending.)

3. A Work of Art Ms. Plows Teaser begins with a flashback to Mr. White wrapping up one of his chemistry classes, back in his teaching days.

He shakes his head at a student’s illustration of the periodic table that is full of fantastic, artistic cartoons and illustrations - but also full of red ‘x’ marks next to misplaced elements. We notice that the work is signed ‘Jesse.’ When he hands back the assignment, Jesse slams his fist on the desk, and rants that now that there is no more art class at the school, no one appreciates his real talents. He folds the periodic table into an elaborate paper airplane, and sends it flying into the credits.

Walter reflects back on this incident while he is holed up in the cabin. He doodles. He imagines a different Jesse, a young man who never would have gotten into dealing drugs, but instead invites his science teacher to his latest city art openings. He realized that if he had never encountered his former student as a deviant, he probably never would have assembled his meth-cooking operation. He forms a plan.

W hen Wa lter v isits El l iot and Gretchen, we notice that he carefully > 1, ACADEMIC COMPETITION three different schools compete against each other on stage in a “quiz-bowl” setting. Subjects such as literature, world history, science, mathematics, and current events are tested in rigorous and thought-provoking questions.

The entire competition is split up into two rounds: the toss-up round and the fanfare round. Consisting of 12 questions, the toss-up round requires teams have to “buzz in” to answer a series of questions in the above subjects, and 5 points are given for any correct responses. The other half of the competition is the fanfare round, where each team is given six questions to answer in the span of 1 minute. All the points that a team obtains in each competition is then added up, and the nine teams with the most amount of points move on to a semi-final match, where teams compete for a spot in the

observes all of the art decorating their home. This scene plays out much the same as the real finale - except that instead of swearing the couple to give the money to his children (because, seriously, we know that Walter, Jr. would never touch it anyhow), he pledges them to donate the money to re-establish the art department at his former school.

Maybe he suggests a couple of new science labs, too. We all know that lab space and time is in short supply at many schools - even expensive prep schools.

When Walter and Skyler reunite - same scene. “I did it for me. I liked it. I was good at it. And I was really… I was alive.” He continues, after a pause, “Everyone deserves a chance to realize his passion.”

Same endgame scene - with a couple of differences. Instead of closing the series with Jesse driving away like a madman, we meet him again after his drive, sitting on an overlook in the desert, painting a watercolor sunset a symbol of a new start for him, and for others like him.

And when Walter dies - his vision fades into the sunset of Jesse’s painting. Visit mpfriarslantern.com for more alternate endings than we could fit in print.

championship round.

Mr. Bohannon and Mrs. Gordon, moderators for Malvern’s Academic Competition team, were very pleased with the team’s performance on their first meet.

“I am very proud of our team,” said Mrs. Gordon. “Every student played and contributed to the win. We promote the idea that we need to work together to support each other and are a great team because of the brotherhood that we have. That sets us apart from the pack.”

Mr. Bohannon added, “I am very proud of all our boys. In the spirit of Malvernian Unitas, they prepared together, they competed together and they won together. Each and every one contributed. And that is exciting.” 

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October 2013

THE BLACKFRIAR CHRONICLE

ARTS A Little Play Update on the Side Senior actor in the new fall production gives an inside scoop on the play.

Joe Canuso ‘14 REPORTER

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October moves along, we continue to anticipate the opening of the fall production, A Little Hotel on the Side. This play, a French farce written by Georges Feydeau, opens Friday, November 1.

This farce is filled with physical and verbal comedy, and is bound to have the audience laughing all the way through.

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Benoit Pinglet ( Joe Canuso ’14) doesn’t have the most loving feelings towards his wife, Angelique (Villa Maria’s Shannon Maguire ’14).

Pinglet’s best friend, Paillardin ( Jack Marchesani ’15) and his wife, Marcelle (Villa’s Kat Napoli ’14) also do not have the greatest marriage. We find hilarious arguments between these couples and side-splitting insults that the audience will love.

Pinglet believes that it would be a good idea to take his best friend’s wife on a little rendezvous behind Paillardin’s back. They go to the Free Trade Hotel for this little get-together, but they aren’t alone, as many different coincidences bring not only Paillardin, but Pinglet’s good friend Matthieu (Matt Anthony ’14) who only stutters when it rains, Paillardin’s nephew, Maxime ( John Kuyat ’15), and Pinglet’s maid, Victoire (Shannon Cattie ’14) to the hotel as well. This turns Pinglet’s romantic evening into a man’s worst nightmare.

“Art in general, whether it’s

theater or not, is a way of communication,” said Dr. James Fry, Director of the Malvern Theatre Society. “I also think it’s a way for people to escape reality for a while and go into the world of imagination and creativity. I think this play is one of those productions that will allow people to just sit back and laugh.”

Fry acknowledged that this show has been challenging as well as fun for the actors. “I think the hardest part with any farce is the timing and not interrupting the timing. With farces, if the timing gets interrupted in a bad way, it could be very difficult to come back from that.”

Mr. Robert Muntz, who supervises the stage crew, described the set. “It’s a two-scene set with a hotel and an apartment. The show bounces back and forth between those two scenes.”

“The main challenge about this set is having an upstairs and being able to keep the actors hidden on the upstairs platforms when they aren’t supposed to be seen, and to keep them quiet while going down the stairs into the offstage wings,” said Muntz. “The student crew is great. Our veterans are called upon to teach our newer members how to use the tools and how to think through the building processes.

The kids take ownership of it and it all starts to flow by itself.” The stage crew is led by Joe Martin (’15) and Colleen Kosachek (Villa ’14).

Jack Marchesani (‘15) who plays the role of Paillardin, described what it is like to be part of this show and

Saxophone star has advice for aspiring musicians.

Mike Stangis ‘14 REPORTER What music class are you in and what instrument do you play?

I’m in the Modern Jazz Ensemble and I play the alto saxophone.

the Malvern Theatre Society. “In all honesty, playing Paillardin has not been all that special, and I can’t tell you it’s incredible. The way I see it, it’s just another role,” he said.

“The element of family in MTS is the single most important factor in every show. There’s not a day that goes by that we aren’t having fun and bonding, and we happen to put on a play in the process.”

On Opening Night, be prepared

to laugh and have a great time. You will be glued to the plot up until the final curtain, and it will truly be a show to remember.

Visit mpfriarslantern.com for full interviews with Dr. Fry and Mr. Muntz.

A Little Hotel on the Side runs November 1-2, 8-9 at the Duffy Art Center. Tickets are available at www.malvernprep.org 

Looking for a local hot band?

You don’t need to “Go Around” to find one James Canuso ‘17 REPORTER

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are a lot of different things that teenagers will think to do these days on the weekend. However, many think about attending a gig for a good time - or maybe not enough. In my opinion, going to one with your friends is one of the best things you can do on a Friday, Saturday, or even Sunday night.

Also, it makes it all the better if its a great band like the GoAround.

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The GoAround is an alternative rock band from West Chester, PA. The two main members of the band are brothers Alexander and Anthony Saddic, who write all of the music.

The people who make up the “back up band” for when they play shows aren’t always the same.

I was first introduced to the GoAround on August 17th, when my own band, June Chimera, appeared at a multiple band show at Chaplain’s Cafe in Spring City. We were the first act, and they were the second. I got a small preview of them in soundcheck, and one little soundcheck was all it took to tell me that they were going to be good, so I wanted to stay for their performance.

As they came on stage with their setup of an acoustic guitar, keyboard, backup electric guitar, and drums and went through their set made up of all original songs, I was mesmerized by their musical quality, songwriting skill, and talent. It didn’t even matter that they were missing a key instrument.

“We are missing our bass player tonight, so we’re kind of doing an acoustic thing.” When Alex Saddic

Artist of the Issue: Jake Reber ‘14

said this in the middle of the set, I was amazed. These weren’t even the original versions of the songs, and they still found a way to make them sound great.

The GoAround has recorded t wo albums, one of which was on display for sale at Chaplain’s. It is called Restating the Question. To give you a sense of how good of musicians these two brothers are, all of the instruments on the album were recorded by them. The complexity mixed with the musical flow of the songs is absolutely outstanding and well put together.

What has drawn you to play this instrument(s) for so long?

In all sincerity I started playing the saxophone in fourth grade because I thought I would look cool. But what kept me to saxophone specifically was its unique sound. More generally, I’ve kept playing music all this time because of the creativity it allows you to have. You have the freedom to create any kind of sound you want that can evoke so many different emotions in every listener.

Is there a specific kind of music you either enjoy playing or listening to?

As clichéd as it sounds, I really will listen to any kind of music, but most of the time I listen to groups like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Blink 182, etc. When it comes to playing music, I really like songs that are fun to play.

There really isn’t a specific type or anything, but I can usually tell from the first time we listen to a song we are going to play in the band whether or not I’m going to like it.

Do you have any advice for aspiring musicians at Malvern?

Don’t be overwhelmed, even though it’s very easy to be. A lot of the time you may find yourself lost in a song or having difficulty with a particular line, but these difficulties will not last long. If you aren’t playing an instrument and think you may want to, I highly encourage you to do so. It’s an incredibly fun and rewarding experience to be able to listen to a song that you helped create.

The GoAround has no booked shows right now, but you can find them on Facebook and ReverbNation to check up on them and see if they have any new booked gigs.

Is there anything else you would like to share with the readers?

I really do think it’s incredible that a piece of music that is something so concrete can cause such abstract emotions. Music gives you the freedom to create any kind of sound you want and is really such a pleasant part of life.

Thanks for allowing me to talk about something I’m so passionate about!

THE BLACKFRIAR CHRONICLE

ARTS

Radio 104.5 Concerts: Free, Fun, Fantastic Local concert series provides high quality concerts for free Billy Bevevino ‘14 ARTS EDITOR

F

most teenagers in our area, going to a Radio 104.5 Block Party is one of the best deals around. During the summer months and usually once in the winter, Radio 104.5 offers free day concerts.

OR

The concert itself is consistently a great time. People are crowd surfing, tenants from the surrounding apartments are throwing water balloons from their windows and everyone is into the music. The feel is laid back and similiar to a festival. Even though thousands of people are going crazy in one of the worst parts of the city, everyone, well almost everyone, is just happy to be at a fun show.

Radio 104.5 has been able to consistently bring some of the best alternative acts to Philadelphia. Recent acts have included Imagine Dragons, Of Monsters and Men, and Grouplove.

These acts don’t take the day off just because they are at a free concerts. The artists always play to the the audience and give it their all. You know when 10,000 people are singing Sail word for word with Awolnation’s frontman, Aaron Bruno or Safe and Sound with Ryan Merchant and Sebu Simonian of Capitol Cities that these acts are doing something right.

Next time you’re looking for something to do on Saturday, I would recommend checking out Radio 104.5’s website (radio1045.com) and seeing if there’s a Block Party happening. You definitely won’t regret going down to the Piazza at Schmidt’s and experiencing one of, if not the best, deals in town.

> 3, STEC “No, I mean I spend the majority of my free time playing, editing, and producing music. I think my passion for this is really hard to define. A lot of musicians will say that they had this one moment in which they had this one fantastic revelation that made them say ‘I want to do that.’ I never really had that. It was somewhat of something that came to me slowly. I played and took lessons for piano for a while… until I quit. A while later I began teaching myself to make music on the computer like a ‘robot,’ and it grew from that. To me, music is just taking my interest from the focus of actually making music, and the perfection of the details. It takes away stress, because when I’m doing it, I’m just doing that.”

When prompted to explain his work to someone who had no idea,

October 2013

NATIONAL NEWS IN BRIEF

Five national stories that Friars should know.

Jake Sorensen ‘15 NEWS EDITOR America at a Standstill Congressional squabble over the ratification of Obamacare caused the whole Government to be shutdown. Anyone working for the government was without pay from October 1-17. National Parks and memorials were shut down do to this lack of funding. Families of fallen military did not receiving death benefits, and many other government functions ceased.

Papal misinterpretation A long, 200 page interview with the recently elected Pope Francis seemed to have one gem in it for the press. The New York Times published the article “Pope Bluntly Faults Church’s Focus on Gays and Abortion” on September 19th (later altering the headline to “Pope Says Church is ‘Obsessed’ With Gays, Abortion, Birth Control). They were, however, just one of the news agencies to highlight this particular segment of the interview, disregarding Francis’s other suggestions.

Zimmerman’s reluctant rescue Though it had been a year and a half since the crime had been perpetrated, George Zimmerman, first charged as a murderer of Trayvon Martin in April 2012, was finally deemed “not guilty” on July 13th. Unfortunately for Zimmerman, he’d not be free from the public eye. A week later, Zimmerman had managed to save a family from a backed up SUV, but their only response was to avoid him, as he’d only seem to bring them unwanted attention. Though he may be innocent in the eyes of the law, his image won’t falter anytime soon Concerns for privacy Ever since Edward Snowden had leaked the facts about this political organization, privacy concerns have arisen nearly everywhere on the internet. Emails and texts had

Stec went on to say, “In one of the bedrooms in my house I have a small ‘studio,’ where I work. I have a keyboard, a microphone, and my mac (loaded with tons of software). That’s all I need.

Sometimes I’ll take old music, and turn it around, or sometimes I’ll create something from scratch. I put them on my website, and people buy those.

It’s definitely not about the money, it’s really because I just enjoy it.”

As he went on t he passion and drive in his eyes for it was evident. Clearly, this was something that Brendan was “called” to do.

When asked what his passion was Stec responded with something unexpected.

“Well, I don’t even think that it’s music. I don’t have one defined passion, as an interest. I drive toward constantly improving, and always getting better at what I do. It doesn’t always have to involve myself, sometimes it’s

been monitored by them for quite a while, with some workers admitting to using this spy power for personal reasons. And they aren’t the only one’s either: Google, for instance, scans your emails for the purpose of “better targeted advertising”. That applies to every school email sent this year.

No war in Syria - For now Bashar al-Assad’s chemical attacks on Syrian minorities attracted the attention of the United States. There had been plans to stop this genocide by force, but support for war was wavering. With countries like Britain and Canada refusing to aid, President Obama decided to pull the plug on the 13th of September.

Interested in covering national news for the Blackfriar Chronicle?

Contact Jake Sorensen at jsorensen50@malvernprep.org

WELCOME TO OUR NEW CONTRIBUTORS Patrick Ferraiolo ‘17

> 1, NEW SCHEDULE purposes. ISM’s proposal recommended no more than three “traditional” classes in a row without a break for students or teachers.

Although a great deal of what was discussed was conceptual, ISM did present three possible schedules for Malvern - grids, numbers, colors, and all. Proposed models included a nineday rotation, an eight-day rotation, and a block schedule.

All example schedules presented had no homeroom period - instead homeroom t i me was absorbed throughout the day. A proposed shorter lunch period and fewer periods during the day allowed for some longer class periods and different models of rotation.

In all proposed schedules, Higgins presented that 9th period could be transformed into an extended break period during the day. Of course, it would no longer be called “9th period” - instead this would become more of an open creative period where students can get homework done and see teachers mid-school day. Activities, specialty homerooms, and students involved in projects could use this time for in-depth work. Higgins demonstrated that it makes more sense to have this flexible time during the school day, noting that it can seem like a punishment to go to a teacher after school, and that this time is not used efficiently in our current scheduling model.

9

Higgins noted that Malvern is “not yet ready” for the proposed block schedule, due to insufficient classroom space. She said that if the space is available in the future, the block model would be an excellent fit for Malvern.

With all of this to consider, it is certainly a lot to process. Dan Hoban ‘15 ref lected a common student assumption that any new schedule will be block. “We do not want block scheduling because of the overbearing work we will get at school instead of at home,” he said. “Sometimes when you have a class you don’t like as much, a block schedule would just drag out your day, which would ruin the Malvern experience.”

Alex Yablonski ‘15, however, is open to some changes. “If there is less homework as a result of the change, do what you want to the schedule.”

Both Mr. Talbot and ISM made it quite clear that this is only the beginning of a conversation on changing the schedule. “ISM is here to give us a starting point...set terms of the conversation. We will all be collaborating over the next several months,” said an enthusiastic Mr. Talbot.

Nothing is definite on a revised schedule for 2014-2015. But as an introductory slide in ISM’s presentation indicated, “The only non-starter is doing nothing.” 

Jim Canuso ‘17 Joe Canuso ‘14 Mark D’Agostino ‘14 Mike Gormley ‘16 Matt Heisler ‘17 Pearse Hobson ‘14 Jack St. Amour ‘14 John McClatchy ‘17 We look forward to more great reporting. getting involved and helping others. It sounds cliche, but I don’t like to stay steady with anything, I am always challenging myself to improve.”

And with that, Brendan had answered the question posed early on, and asked by so many: What makes him a representative for the Malvern man? It wasn’t that he was successful, it wasn’t that he was over-involved at school. It was that no matter what, Stec always drives himself to do better, all the while, giving of himself to others. 

> 2, SHUTDOWN the anti-government party is the root cause of a government shutdown?

The government shutdown is not the main goal, but Republicans seem to have given up on caring about the well-being of the people. The idea of governing has become secondary to being contrarian to Obama and the democrats. We used to be the can-do nation, but now we are the nation of partisan politics and ineffective government. We once went to the moon, but now NASA is being furloughed and funding is being cut.

The Republicans need to accept that government and its programs are here to stay and so is Obamacare.

Government is not a bad thing; in fact, it can be a source of great progress and stability. There is something wrong when the entire government shuts down, and the main concern for Republicans is getting senior veterans in to visit a monument. There needs to be some change in this political spectrum. There is a difference between limited government and insanity. For republicans to be taken seriously they need to start living in reality, that the

US government is a large power that can do amazing good if given the opportunity to succeed, but while Republicans hold it hostage, all the people can do is sit back and suffer.

John Boehner said recently that this shutdown was not some “damn game”, but the Republicans have done everything in their power to make it a political game, in which the public will always be the loser.

We have a brotherhood here at Malvern. It is our calling card. It is something that should be applied to the United States. When one group puts another group in harms way based on some petty political will, it affects the disenfranchised and the poor and the meek. The world would be a much better place if this brotherhood of man was extended beyond Warren Ave and the well being of every person was taken into account. Whether Republicans like it or not, we are all in this together, and no amount of political posturing will take that away.

So lets reinstate a government. shall we? 

SHARE YOUR OPINION ON STORIES AND SEE WHAT WE COULDN’T FIT IN PRINT AT

www.mpfriarslantern.com

10

October 2013

> 2, TO CENSOR that sells and stows violence against its own people through violent video games…”

Now, with the recent Washington Naval Yard shooting just over a month ago, the NRA has again blamed violent video games, in particular, targeting Grand Theft Auto V (GTA5), which released the day after. Grand Theft Auto is notorious for being excessively violent and inappropriate, garnering criticism from Mothers Against Drunk Driving, FOX News, and of course, the NRA. This raises the question: do violent video games play a large role in these shootings, and if it does, should the federal government censor these games, like what occurs in Australia and Germany?

When asked for his opinion, Mr. Burke, a history teacher for the Upper School, said that while these games can desensitize one to violence and can add to the factors, it is not the sole cause.

And when asked if the federal government should censor these games, he said that this would go against the Constitution, as it would impede on a company’s right to free speech.

Burke went on to say that it is the duty of the citizen, and a child’s parents, to decide what they are exposed to, and that the ESRB rating system is > 6, PRESIDENT’S CUP The pairing Tiger Woods and Matt Kuchar was crucial to America’s success early in the competition, capturing 3 crucial points.

Ironically, it was Tiger on Sunday who sealed the deal for the home team.

Sunday consisted of individual, one-on-one match play. Tiger defeated International counterpart Richard Sterne on the 18th hole to nab the clinching point.

The win was the United States’ 8th in 10 tries; they tied the Internationals in 2003 and lost in 1998.

The President’s Cup, though not as competitive as years prior, was a much

THE BLACKFRIAR CHRONICLE

sufficient enough to tell parents and citizens what is in the game.

M rs. Lappas, t he A merican Government teacher, voices a similar opinion, in that these games play a role in these shootings, but it also involves lax gun laws and a lapse in the mental health system, as most if not all of these perpetrators were mentally ill, but could still get their hands on these guns. Mrs. Lappas also stressed that with these games, parents and teachers need to teach children empathy, and to separate these games from reality.

Where are all of my intramural players?

Even though Wayne LaPierre has called for the exceedingly violent media should cut back on the violence, nothing has been done. Rockstar Games, the developer of Grand Theft Auto V, has made their most recent game as violent, if not more violent, than its predecessors. Hollywood still pumps out violent movies, such as World War Z and Iron Man 3, and artists such as Lil Wayne, Marilyn Manson and Eminem still release violent and sexually explicit music.

Only time will tell if Wayne LaPierre is wrong or right. With the way things are going though, unless there is a direct link between violence in the media and mass shootings, the video game, music and movie industry will not stop putting out violent and sexually explicit material.

needed morale boost for the United States. Last fall, the team squandered a 10-6 lead on Sunday to lose the Ryder Cup to Europe. It was the largest come from behind victory in the Ryder Cup since “The Miracle at Brookline” in 1999, when the Americans went 8-3-1 on Sunday to overcome a 10-6 deficit.

The Americans look to bounce back next fall in Gleneagles, Scotland, seeking a Ryder Cup win for the first time since 2008 at Valhalla.

The Europeans will provide stiff competition, but the confidence gained by the Americans at this past

Ricky Walsh ‘14 CARTOONIST

INTRAMURAL INFIRMARY

MR. MILLS

> 6, EAGLES it. Wes Welker and Peyton Manning led the attack for the Broncos; Welker caught two touchdowns and Manning threw for four. After this demoralizing loss, the Eagles look to regroup and get ready to play the New York Giants and try to avoid losing their fourth straight game and falling to a 1-4 record.

Week 5: Eagles 36, Giants 21 For the first time in a month, Eagles fans finally could celebrate a victory, but, it came with a price. With a minute left in the first half, Mike Vick scrambled out of bounds and pulled a hamstring, causing him to miss the rest of the game. Second-year quarterback Nick Foles took over and performed well. He allowed the Eagles to get quick scores and manage the clock. The defense did their job well this week, having four turnovers and allowing 43 rushing yards. Kicker Alex Henry also performed well, going five

for five in field goal opportunities.

Vick’s pulled hamstring caused him to miss week six. All in all, the Eagles played a good game and deserved this victory to improve to 2-3, handing the winless Giants their fifth consecutive loss.

Week 6: Eagles 31, Buccaneers 20 With MRSA infecting some of Tampa Bay’s players, there was thought of canceling the game. But, all went according to plan as the Eagles were ready to go on Sunday. After the first play, it was obvious that the Eagles were ready to stick it to the Bucs, opening out with a fifty yard screen play to running back Lesean McCoy. With starting quarterback Mike Vick sidelined, backup Nick Foles continued to do well this week by totaling four touchdowns. He three for three and ran for one. Foles’ strong performance helped the Eagles to earn their second straight victory. (Calm down, this has happened before) The defense was

not to bad this week either, putting up multiple sacks and takeaways. Despite the Bucs leading heading into halftime, the Eagles had control over the entire game, plowing their way to a 31-20 victory. With this win, the Eagles are now tied for first in the NFC East with the Dallas Cowboys, who they host for their next game.

PARTING PERSPECTIVES

It’s not easy being red.

ad Gingus redheRed We Kahn nd

PJ Murphy ‘14 CONTRIBUTOR

I

other and that we are not alone. This connection is truly a powerful force, and I’m not sure if it is solely rooted in our joint understanding of the “ginger” lifestyle, or maybe there truly does exist a higher connection, either biological or supernatural.

Being a ginger is huge part of my identity at this point in my life, and although you might not think so, I love it. My redhead brothers and sisters and I are subjected to countless ginger jokes daily, we can’t get a tan for our lives, but we still go on loving life. In the end all we are is unique, and in life, what more can you ask for.

gingey op tT Carro

e d ir a F e H

remember that fateful day when I read the Atlantic Wire article titled “No One Wants A Ginger Baby”. Ouch. As a proud redhead, I highly resent such an assumption, but it is nothing new to me. Situations like that basically define the ginger lifestyle. I’ve come to recognize most of the negatives of the redhead life, but more importantly, I’ve been able to find the positives, which quite often are parallel to a negatives.

One such example of a negative/positive of red hair is the constant attention directed towards our fiery locks. I can’t remember the last day that someone didn’t make a joke about my hair. Most of the times they simply say ,”Hey, you have red hair”, and then they laugh. What am I even supposed to come

back with for that?

Then of course there are the no soul jokes. Those ones are actually pretty funny, not gonna lie, but still, they get annoying. It’s tough to be subjected to this daily, but eventually a smart ging, such as myself, will learn to utilize the attention for their own comical gain. Instead of fighting it, I’ve just started to join in, and I’ve learned one of life’s most important lessons; never take yourself too seriously.

Everytime I see a horribly sunburned redhead, I immediately can relate to them. It’s painful to give up any hopes of ever getting a tan, but I know that there are so many others who share my sorrow.

Sometimes when I find myself making eye contact with a red-haired brother or sister. We both subtly nod our heads towards one another. We do not do this to simply acknowledge each others presence, but instead to show that we truly empathize with each

Fire Man

y

pelirrojo

G N ing in a ja

Being a ginger has its ups and downs.