The Roundup Edition 2 December 2015

The RoUndup roundup.brophyprep.org

December 2015 Edition 2

HOW DO YOU LEARN?

Learning in a social, technological, distracted, fast-paced world

L

earning is not what it used to be.

Students today have access to more information than they could ever hope to process, and just as many distractions.

As students navigate the ever-changing world of learning with technology, The Roundup takes a look at the many forms of learning at Brophy.

Questions surrounding learning such as time management, learning with disabilites, homework and more reveal the big picture of learning in a modern world.

Inside » How Do You Learn?

• Mason: Number Theory stresses creative thinking, problem solving See News, Page 4

Students struggle with learning disabilities There is no teenager on Earth that wants to be seen as different.

—Mrs. Karen Parise

By Andrew Howard ’17

THE ROUNDUP There are students across campus who suffer from different learning disabilities; whether ADHD, ADD, dyslexia or any other issues, it can take a toll on how they manage their time at school.

Brophy does two specific things to help students with mental disabilities: they get extended time to take finals, and preferred

seating in classrooms, according to counselor Mrs. Karen Parise.

Trey Davis ’17, who was recently diagnosed with ADHD, said he has had to make changes to the way he learns.

Mrs. Parise said that students with learning differences are her heroes because

• The pros and cons of mandatory daily homework

See News, Page 6

See Opinions, Page 8

• Staff Editorial: Most successful learning includes conversation, 1-on-1 discussion

• Athletes juggle school and sports with busy schedule

Opinion: Carson’s comments about Muslims unfair, Page 9 Kino Border experience brings student closer to heritage Page 9

See DISABILITIES, Page 6

• Different years deal with homework in unique ways

See Opinions, Page 7

Max Fees ’17 creates “Brophy Lasso” podcast to build community on campus Page 5

we don’t do much to help them.

“We have a great school because we embrace the kids with differences, but the problem is that we can’t help a ton because of the school structure,” Mrs. Parise said.

See Sports, Page 12

Swim team wins championship, undefeated, Page 14 Student YouTubers balance academics and online careers Page 17

Award-winning news, photos and opinions online at roundup.brophyprep.org

News Online

Page 2 | December 2015

The Roundup

Multimedia Online » roundup.brophyprep.org Audio Story: Flex periods increase student productivity

By AK Alilonu ’16 THE ROUNDUP The flex period became a part of the average student’s schedule this year, like it has at other high schools.

Both members of the student body and the administration say that the move creates an opportunity for students to be productive while not at home.

Audio Story: Student recounts a story of procrastination, humiliation

By Graham Armknecht ’18 THE ROUNDUP Sometimes we all wish class assignments were optional.

Once in first grade, I made that dream a reality, at least for a little while.

Basketball began in 1954, polo club formed in ’32

By Chris Agnone ’18

THE ROUNDUP As many know, Brophy had to close down in 1935 because of the Great Depression and reopened again in 1952 with very little students and a struggling sports program.

Finally, after two years, the Rev. James Devlin, S.J. started a basketball team with hopes of restarting Brophy athletics.

In the same year as the team was founded Fr. Devlin decided to bring the team to California for the All Catholics Tournament in Los Angeles.

This experience is highlighted by former team member and now NAU coach Bob Sloncen ’57: “We had four juniors, three sophomores and three freshmen ... I was one of the sophs on the team and can remember quite a bit of the trip and how bad we got beat,” Sloncen wrote in an email to The Roundup.

After the tournament games where the team got “whipped,” they went

to the University of San Francisco against Loyola University basketball game. After the game Fr. Devlin had a surprise for them. He knew some of the coaches and brought the team down to the USF locker room to talk to all the players.

Polo club founded in 1932

CampusHistory

A Brophy club many might not know about is the polo club, formed in 1932 as seen in an Arizona Republic article in a December 1932 issue.

Polo is a sport played on horses where the rider has a long stick, much like hockey, strikes a ball on the ground trying to score it into a goal while evading the opposing team.

This club had much interest in the small 1932 Brophy class. Twentythree candidates tried out for the Varsity team in the first year.

This club was finalized with the election of the president, Richard Howell ’32.

»How do you learn?

Different middle schools offer unique high school preparations

By Alex Kirshner ’18

THE ROUNDUP Brophy is a melting pot of students from all over the Valley, and this has led to a wide variety of middle schools being represented on campus.

These schools all have different teaching styles, as well as different curriculums and varying levels of homework.

Each school tries to prepare its students for the more rigorous curriculum that they will face in high school.

Certain schools, such as the BASIS schools that are located throughout the Valley, challenge their students by

teaching high school math and science classes while students are in the seventh and eighth grade.

Freshman Daniel Kelly ’19, who came to Brophy from BASIS Ahwatukee, said that taking AP classes in middle school set him up for success at the high school level.

“They set me up with the AP classes.

I already took all the sciences, so I felt like I was prepared for Honors Biology,” he said. “And math-wise, I had taken Algebra II before, so I already had experience in the class.”

The academics are not the only part of Brophy that students must adapt to.

Freshman Jack Eden ’19, who attended Scottsdale Preparatory Acad-

The Roundup Brophy College Preparatory 4701 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85012 (602) 264-5291 roundup@brophybroncos.org Editors in Chief Cameron Bray ’16 & Anthony Cardellini ’17 Managing Editor Chase Manson ’16 Online Editor Reece Krantz ’16 Social Media Editor Andrew Howard ’17 News Editor AK Alilonu ’16 Opinion Editor Joseph Valencia ’17 Sports Editor Henry Erlandson ’17

Entertainment Editor Jack McAuslan ’16 Multimedia Editor Cory Wyman ’16 Photo Editor Bryce Owen ’17 Staff Jack Cahill ’17 Sam Romero ’17 Chris Agnone ’18 Graham Armknecht ’18 Andrew Brown ’18 Jose Cardenas ’16 William Conrad ’17 Alex Kirshner ’18 Kaleb Lucero ’18

Isaac Myers ’18 Henry Nallen ’18 Juan Ramirez ’18 Luis Torres ’16 Anthony Totri ’16 Matthew Zacher ’18 Contributors Devin McManimon McNally ’17 Gray Olson ’17 Michael Scheinert ’16 Noah Rodriguez ’17 Jack Davis ’19 Michael Placenti ’19 Carter Van Winkle ’16 Lou DiMuro ’16 Gavin Garcia ’16 Roundup Adviser Mr. Mica Mulloy ’99

emy, said he believed that the all-boys aspect of the school was the hardest part to adjust to, but that wasn’t a bad thing.

“It being all boys is a different atmosphere, and it just feels really comfortable,” he said.

Also, the sports at Brophy are much more competitive than most middle schools, and new students are faced with the reality that they might get cut.

This is something that is not prominent at all middle schools, mostly due to the relative size of the student body and overall competitiveness of the sports teams.

Mr. Doug Cox, who is the freshman basketball coach, said that there are usually 50 people trying out for the

freshman team alone and, in some years, the team is tougher to make due to the depth of talent.

“For most of the boys who don’t make the freshman basketball team it’s the first time they’ve ever experienced being cut ... and some years are more challenging to make the freshman basketball team,” Cox said via email.

Both Eden and Kelly said that the one thing their school did not prepare them for was the sports teams.

BASIS did not have any extracurricular activities, and Scottsdale Prep was more focused on academics than extracurriculars.

At a Glance Middle school » Students who have attended BASIS schools tend to be stronger in STEM fields than their counterparts. » Most freshmen are not used to competitive sports tryouts and being cut from teams.

Corrections

The Roundup seeks to correct any printed mistakes in a timely and public manner. Please e-mail corrections to roundup@ brophybroncos.org.

Submissions

The Roundup welcomes news, opinions, sports, entertainment and photography submissions and ideas. E-mail roundup@ brophybroncos.org or see Mr. Mulloy in Eller Room 331.

Mission Statement The Brophy College Preparatory Roundup exists to inform and entertain the Brophy community by producing a quality product that contains pertinent information about the Brophy community. This newspaper will educate our Brophy community and by doing so provide an understanding of journalism theories and techniques for our staff. We will be ethical, honest, trustworthy and dedicated in our news coverage. We strive to be fair and balanced, yet not afraid to report the truth even when it is unpopular to do so. Our goal is not only to report information, but also to encourage and foster discussion amongst our community. Overall we attempt to do all things for the greater glory of God. The Roundup is a student publication of Brophy College Preparatory. Copyright 2009 Brophy College Preparatory’s The Roundup.

No material may be used without permission from the editors and adviser.

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The Roundup

December 2015 |

Page 3

»How do you learn?

‘Flipped classroom’ continues to evolve, grow on campus

By Kaleb Lucero ’18

The pros I think are enormous. More time for class discussion, I think the comprehension is better ... If you miss a day of class, it’s fairly easy to make it up.

—Ms. Elizabeth Clarke

THE ROUNDUP The flipped classroom has been around for a while, and throughout that time both teachers and students have developed their own methods and opinions on dealing with this educational concept.

Although the main purpose is to switch the roles of time spent in class and time spent at home (or “flipping the classroom”), many teachers have developed their own methods when using this model.

“Their homework is to look at my videos and look at some of the resources I provide to them ... And during class time they have a lot of time freed up to look at problems and ask questions,” said Mr. Doug Cox, who teaches Honors Algebra II, Honors Calculus and Intro to Coding.

Mr. Cox said that he’s been teaching with the flipped classroom for about seven years, and has slowly modified his videos and lessons throughout that time.

Watching the video lectures at home “frees up a lot of time to work on problems and get help,” he said.

Because the lesson is learned at home, it leaves more time in class to work out the harder concepts with a condensed lesson, while also being able to solidify that with practice problems, Mr. Cox said.

He also said there are a variety of online programs available to teachers, and they offered immediate feedback and unlimited practice to those willing to use them.

However, he does note that students have to actually take advantages of these options.

“Students have to be self starters, have to make sure they’re spending time at home looking at the resources I provide for them,” Mr. Cox said. “Staying on top of what is expected of you is crucial

Photo Illustration by Cameron M. Bray ’16 Teachers adopted the flipped classroom model several years ago. It allows students to ask teachers for additional homework help while they cover the course material on their own time.

to success.”

Nicholas Chang ’18 said that he likes the concept, but sometimes it can be a lot of work.

“It’s good if it’s done well,” Chang said.

Jack Dimond ’18 said that he liked the flipped classroom.

“I feel like I learn more, it’s unique and

different,” he said.

Ms. Elizabeth Clarke, who has been at Brophy for 14 years, just started using the flipped classroom model last year.

Originally, she was planning to incorporate the idea just a little, but she decided that it would be all or nothing.

She then started using Blendspaces, an online program that incorporates video

lectures and documents into lessons, as the main source of lectures for her class.

As time goes on, Ms. Clarke said she plans to redo the videos to increase their quality and production value.

She said that she used the flipped classroom idea quite a lot last year, and that there are many advantages to doing this.

“The pros I think are enormous,” Ms. Clarke said. “More time for class discussion, I think the comprehension is better ... If you miss a day of class, it’s fairly easy to make it up.”

The key to this style of teaching is access to the Internet, and since both laptops and iPads can do this, Ms. Clarke said she believes that the difference between these two devices is miniscule.

She also says that online resources are constantly improving, and that production tools will only get easier for teachers to use.

However, Ms. Clarke did point out some drawbacks, such as the reliance on technology, which is what the whole idea hinges on.

Brophy is “an ideal situation for doing the flipped classroom,” though, since all of the students are required to have an iPad. Another problem is the creation of more homework for students.

“I do think we need to be careful in this era of the flipped classroom. If absolutely every teacher on campus has a flipped classroom, that’s going to create a lot more outside work for students,” Ms. Clarke said.

But she said that despite the drawbacks, the overall student reaction last year was positive.

“I don’t think I would ever go back,” she said.

Hip Hop Appreciation Club focuses on education, not just music

By Anthony Cardellini ’17

THE ROUNDUP In Ms. Susan Maynard’s room on the second floor of Brophy Hall meets a club that is more related to education and learning than anyone might think.

The Hip Hop Appreciation Club, started this year by Luis Torres ’16, meets every other Tuesday to talk about rap songs making headlines in today’s pop culture.

“It’s an urban education,” said Nico Nicholson ’17, one of the club members. “It lets people know that hip hop is more than [most people] think it is.”

The club goes over songs that they consider to be particularly meaningful.

So far they have covered Kendrick Lamar’s “good kid, m.A.A.d. city” and Flatbush Zombies’ song “Blacktivist.”

They plan to cover Lamar’s “To Pimp a Butterfly” next meeting.

“People think [hip hop] is trash — people talking about how much money

Photo by AK Alilonu ’16 Hip Hop Club members look at song lyrics during a meeting. The club meets every other Thursday to discuss music in Ms. Susan Maynard’s room.

they have,” Nicholson said.

He said that what people don’t know is

the story and meaning behind the lyrics.

“There’s a lesson in most songs. It’s a

story ... what people go through, and what they deal with, and how they think about things,” Nicholson said.

Nicholson and fellow member Eduardo Blanco ’17 said they want to stress how the club doesn’t just listen to hip hop for the sake of hearing music it enjoys.

“It’s not just listening to hip hop and doing nothing about it ... this is really meant to be educational,” Nicholson said.

Blanco and Nicholson said they want to expand the club’s horizons to events like the Fine Arts Extravaganza, where they hope club members could read some of their own lyrics.

Club moderator Ms. Maynard said she agrees with Nicholson’s approach to treating hip hop like a form of modern literature.

“Anything that has language in it is worth examining,” Ms. Maynard said.

“In many ways music is today’s poetry.”

She explained that a typical meeting involves listening to the song onYouTube

and then eliciting comments from club members on what the meaning of the song may be. “[The leaders] generate a good conversation about not just how the music impacts people, but what impacted the writers. It’s amazing, because I get to be a student,” Ms. Maynard said.

Ms. Maynard said she is impressed with leader Torres’ ability to come up with good material for the club to discuss. She also said that one of her favorite parts of the club is that “it goes deep instead of broad.”

“It’s part of our greater American and world culture. Hip hop has had such an effect on modern society,” she said.

As for the club’s members, they said they truly believe that the lessons they learn in the club are pertinent.

“You can use this in your everyday life to understand people, and why they say or do things,” Nicholson said.

Editor’s Note: Luis Torres ’16 is a Roundup staff member but did not take part in the production of this article.

Page 4 | December 2015

The Roundup

»How do you learn?

Students struggle, some succeed managing time

By Matthew Zacher ’18

THE ROUNDUP Students juggle sports, clubs, long car rides and homework in order to succeed at Brophy, like at many other schools.

Some students feel that they work more effectively under pressure from the clock, while others admit to doing better work at home, the more conventional way.

Walking down the hallways before classes, one can find more than a handful of students rushing to complete their homework assignments.

Sammy Vogel ’19 is a Boy Scout working to become an Eagle Scout.

When asked if he manages his time well Vogel chuckled, saying, “No, that’s definitely not me.”

When it comes to being a Boy Scout, Vogel said he is dedicated, but he admitted that he is “not as dedicated” when it comes to his school work.

“If I forget to do a lot of homework, I do whatever homework I know is worth the most points. I always complete the bigger assignments, like essays, on time, but the smaller assignments are the ones I push off,” he said.

Enrique Ortega ’18 is a member of the Quidditch Team and a participant in the Fall Loyola Project, and he admitted he is not always able to finish

Photo by Cory Wyman ’16 A student reads before school in Piper Hall. Successful time management is an elusive goal for many. Students can often be found studying in the halls before 8 a.m.

his homework.

“I came to school today with half of my homework done and I am going to finish the rest at lunch,” Ortega said.

“I do not think the quality of my work is affected because I feel like I do better work under the pressure of completing

the assignment, and I usually do well,” Ortega said.

James Clelland ’17 spends about three hours after school playing golf and working out every night.

“When I work out I have more energy and it makes it easier for me to stay

focused, and golf serves as a way to relax so that I have a break between school and doing my homework,” Clelland said.

He said that he believes he manages his time okay, but he said that Netflix is a distraction, as he admitted to having finished watching the entire television

series “The League” in one week.

Clelland has a flex period, or free period that students use to complete homework, and says that flex is a good opportunity to get ahead with his homework and to complete any homework he was unable to finish the night before.

Justin Pasionek ’18 participates on the speech and debate team and Student Council and goes to physical therapy twice a week.

He said he does not believe that his extracurricular activities interfere with his studies.

“Yes, I manage my time well. I start my homework at 4 p.m. and do not stop until I finish,” he said. “I work better at home because it’s quieter and I am more focused.”

Christian Cardenas ’18, who plays lacrosse and lives in Gilbert, said he sometimes stays elsewhere because he does not have enough time to drive home.

“My family has an apartment across the street at the Landmark Apartments.

I stay there sometimes when I have a lot to do and don’t have the time to drive all the way to home,” Cardenas said.

“I get most of my homework done at home. I don’t manage my time perfectly, but I don’t do my work at school,” Cardenas said.

»How do you learn?

Mason: Number Theory stresses creative thinking, problem solving Students say they are gaining new perspectives on math

seeing,” Ms. Mason said. “It’s the relationships between those numbers that are more complicated and difficult to see.”

She says that the course requires both creative

By Cameron M. Bray ’16 thinking and problem-solving skills for a student to THE ROUNDUP be successful.

One thing that makes This year, the Math the course even more department created Number unusual and unlike typical Theory as a brand-new math classes is the way course available to students in which it is taught: studying the highest levels of There are no lectures and Number Theory mathematics. most homework is done Taught by Ms. Jessie collaboratively in class. » Number Theory is a Mason, the course lasts “Ms. Mason doesn’t brand-new class taught by one semester and is available Ms. Jessie Mason. really lecture at all,” to all students who have Solliday said. “She gives »The class is available to completed Advanced Placestudents who have comout packets for each of the ment Calculus BC. pleted AP Calculus BC. chapters with different A relatively small class, as problems and different » Most homework is done senior Brad Solliday ’16 collaboratively and there are exercises, and we just do put it, the course boasts 17 no lectures that in class.” students—mostly Brophy Solliday added that » The course is a “pure” and Xavier seniors—and it math class rather than an the course is very much meets Period 4. “applied” math class student-driven.

The course is a “pure” “It’s very student-driven in math class, as opposed to that she’s only there in case an “applied” math class we have questions and to like calculus or algebra, and it focuses primarily give out and grade homework,” he said. on mathematical proofs and the fundamentals of “It’s student-driven but still guided by the teacher.” number theory, Ms. Mason said.

Despite the difficulty and unusualness of the The course is unlike a traditional math class, course, students say they are enjoying it so far.

Ms. Mason said, and it is challenging, though in Senior Josh Benjamin ’16 said his favorite thing a different way. about the class was doing mathematical proofs, and The numbers being studied, she claims, are not he said he enjoyed getting a new perspective. difficult, but the concepts and methods are.

“I really like Number Theory because it gives “The numbers are integers, the numbers that you a new perspective on math,” Benjamin said. fourth graders [and] third graders are used to “Number Theory is a back-to-the-basics class, only

At a Glance

Photo by Krishna Murugan ’16 Students in Number Theory work together on their in class assignment on Nov. 17. Number Theory is a class for students on an accelerated math curriculum.

it puts it in a new way that you never would have thought of before.”

Solliday said he also found the course interesting, though he said he preferred some topics over others.

“I remember not liking palindromes (numbers written the same way forward and backward) that much,” he said.

Not only are students enjoying learning the

material, but Ms. Mason said she has enjoyed designing and teaching the course so far.

One of her favorite things about the course, she said, has been the students.

“I love the students,” Ms. Mason said. “I think the students are fantastic because they all are intrinsically interested in math. It’s wonderful to work with students like that who are just excited to be working on this material.”

The Roundup

December 2015 |

Page 5

Podcast ‘The Brophy Lasso’ ropes community together

By Jose Cardenas ’16

THE ROUNDUP Max Fees ’17 created The Brophy Lasso, a new five to seven minute podcast that is released in the daily bulletin every other week, featuring interviews and weekly highlights.

Inspired by other podcasts and radio shows like Serial, Fees created the podcast with the Student Council.

“Part of the Student Council’s mission statement is to be the brotherhood builder of the campus and this was another way to bring in all different aspects of the community,” Fees said.

Fees has interviewed students and faculty, and those guests have included Cade Knox ’16, athlete and the podcast’s first guest; Mrs. Sue Hornbeck, a staff member of the Office of Faith and Justice, and Maanik Chotalla ’16, the speech and debate team captain.

“We sit down with someone from our Brophy community and hear what’s going on with them. Then we have three questions that we ask everybody, and that catalogue of answers unites the campus,” Fees said.

The podcast seeks to be both informative and entertaining, something its creator continuously strives for in each installment. The fact that this is the first year where all students have iPads made the Lasso even more accessible through email and podcast apps.

“It’s a great way to find out what’s going on around campus, which is really what we tried to set out for,” Fees said.

Since its first episode, the podcast’s crew has expanded from just Fees working on his own to include Justin Pasionek ’18, who gathers information

It is definitely a great new creative outlet ... It involves the common Brophy student with a greater depth of information than what just touches the surface.

—Justin Pasionek ‘18

»Listen Online

for every episode’s guest or weekly recap.

“It is definitely a great new creative outlet, similar to The Wrangler. It involves the common Brophy student with a greater depth of information than what just touches the surface,” Pasionek said.

The podcast has also received the support of the Student Council’s moderator Mr. Pete Burr ’07 as a way to spread the word about more student activities.

“We were trying to find different ways to shine a light, for lack of a better term, on students on campus who maybe don’t get the attention they deserve

Photo by Bryce Owen ’17 Max Fees ’17 listens to his recent episode of The Brophy Lasso. The podcast interviews members of the Brophy community and incorporates all aspects of student activities.

sometimes or do cool things that their peers don’t know about,” Mr. Burr said.

Mr. Burr said he believes that as long as technology moves forward and the passion for the podcast burns bright, its popularity and impact on the campus will only become larger.

“Anytime something cool happens in the Student Council it has been because a student takes the initiative for something they’re passionate about ... So when something new sees a little

success, I get excited about it. So I am excited that people are interested in The Lasso and I hope it continues to grow,” Mr. Burr said.

Even the podcast’s guests said they find the podcast experience to be exciting and more communal than those of other publications and formats.

“The experience of recording was awesome. Things were very casual and very professional, and a lot of my friends are talking about it. So I think the Lasso is definitely taking off as a podcast ...

a fantastic idea for Brophy,” Chotalla said.

While the next episode is being prepared and new guests are being featured in the podcast, Fees, the Student Council, and everyone else involved in The Brophy Lasso hope that its audience will only grow going forward, bringing students and the Brophy brotherhood closer together.

“This is a podcast by and for Brophy, so everyone is a part of it,” Fees said.

»How do you learn?

Teachers mixed on class size debate, discuss benefits, drawbacks

By Chris Agnone ’18 & Cameron M. Bray ’16

THE ROUNDUP For juniors and seniors looking at colleges, statistics such as average class size and student-tofaculty ratios appear commonly in promotional materials from universities.

Class size is often at the forefront of educational debate in high school and elementary school.

Schools often pride themselves in their low ratios and class sizes, believing smaller classes to be more conducive to learning than larger ones.

But is that always the case? Are smaller classes always preferable?

At Brophy the average class size is between 17 and 30 students, according to Mr. Seamus Walsh, assistant principal for curriculum and instruction.

In terms of whether large or small classes are better, teachers and administrators say they are undecided on the issue. With both types of classes, they say there are certain perks as well as certain disadvantages.

At a Glance Small Classes » Ms. Rosalinda Freeman teaches AP Spanish Lit, one of Brophy’s smallest classes » Ms. Freeman: Easier to get to know students » Class too small for group work

Mr. Walsh said that he thinks smaller classes are in general more preferable.

“There is that much more time for students to have a voice and a direct effect on the class,” he said. “Many more projects and work can be offered because the teacher has time to review and grade them.”

Mr. Paul Olson teaches some of the largest classes at Brophy: among them, freshman choir, honor choir and orchestra.

He said that while most days it’s great fun to teach 60 freshman choir students, there certainly are

News, Opinions, Sports & Entertainment each month and online roundup.brophyprep.org

Large Classes » Mr. Paul Olson teaches choir classes, some of Brophy’s largest classes » Mr. Olson: Decreased one-on-one time » Difficult to manage class

some disadvantages.

Decreased one-on-one time between the teacher and the student is one of them, and classroom manageability the other, he said.

“There’s a tendency for things to get unruly,” he said.

Mr. Olson said he has adopted his own method of keeping the class on track. To combat unruliness, he created a system of daily participation points.

“Most students would rather serve JUG than see their grades go down,” Mr. Olson said.

Mr. Olson said he thinks that a class of 18 to 20

students is ideal for most subject matters, though not for a choral ensemble or a similar activity that relies on a larger number of students.

Ms. Rosalinda Freeman teaches one of the smallest classes at Brophy: AP Spanish Literature, which meets Period 6 and has seven students.

She said that while increased student-teacher interaction is a positive for smaller classes, there are still certain negatives.

“There is a positive and negative to teaching a smaller class,” Ms. Freeman said. “The positive is that I really get to know my students well. The negative is that there are some activities that you just cannot do because there is not enough variable in the group.”

One example of an activity that is not possible in a seven-person class is group projects.

In her larger Spanish 3 class, Ms. Freeman incorporates group collaboration that would just not be possible in her AP Spanish Literature class.

Ms. Freeman said that one class size is not better from the other; for her they are just different.

Reporters Wanted Attention Writers: The Roundup is looking for you. If you are a writer, photographer or graphic designer and are interested in making an impact in the information the Brophy community reads, email us at roundup@ brophybroncos.org to learn about becoming a contributor.

Page 6 | December 2015

The Roundup

»Teacher Profile

Walsh exposes students to new authors, pushes writing

By Sam Romero ’17

THE ROUNDUP Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Instruction Mr. Seamus Walsh said he teaches Modern Fiction class for seniors because he enjoys helping students experience lesser known and diverse authors.

The Modern Fiction class teaches entirely fictional writings from the 19th and 20th century.

“The menu of fiction comes out of the modern period of American and European history which is loosely the end of the 19th and first half of the 20th century. So our focus is reading literature from more or less late 1800s through about 1950,” Mr. Walsh said.

Sterling Leverett ’16 said the atmosphere and class discussions makes the class stand out from others he has taken at Brophy.

Mr. Walsh said that even though Modern Fiction is not a writing class, he is serious about getting students to write well and improve at critical reading.

“On a skill level, I like them to be better writers than they were when they entered class,” Mr. Walsh said about what he wants his students to take away from the class.

Leverett said that Mr. Walsh is a really good teacher in not “shortcutting” his students, and Mr. Walsh takes each step one at a time.

“He can be a friend when you need it, but he can also be a teacher,” Leverett said.

According to Noah Cloud ’16, Mr. Walsh always tries to make them think differently.

“Where other teachers will just accept an answer,

Photo by Reece Krantz ’16 Mr. Seamus Walsh lectures his class about a short story. Mr. Walsh teaches a Modern Fiction class for seniors.

he takes you to the extremes and makes you ponder what you said and why you said it,” Cloud said.

Mr. Walsh said he likes teaching seniors because he can narrow his focus on what he wants the class to learn instead of having to cover a breadth of information.

Although as a school administrator Mr. Walsh

only teaches one class a semester, during his time at Brophy he has taught a range of all levels of English classes, Latin and religion classes.

Outside of class, Mr. Walsh said he enjoys reading a good fictional book, but he does not have a favorite genre of book.

“The genre I like best is any story that in someway

I think authentically demonstrates and speaks to the human experience,” Mr. Walsh said.

His favorite book is “Cold Mountain” by Charles Frazier, a book about the Civil War. “If I had to take one book with me on a desert island, that would probably be the book,” he said.

»How do you learn?

Different years deal with homework in unique ways, have varying loads

By Jack Cahill ’17

THE ROUNDUP It is no secret that Brophy students deal with large amounts of homework, and that each student deals with homework differently.

Many students have said that the amount of work increases as their time at Brophy continues, both inside and outside of the classroom.

“I would say yes, the classwork does increase as your years go on at Brophy,” said Geoffrey Salmon ’17, who takes three AP courses and two honors courses. “For instance, the sophomores now take APUSH, so there is an increased workload for them, compared to when they were freshmen.”

Salmon said that while the work is at times “excessive”, he can “understand the need for it.”

Seniors, like Jeremy Lacsa ’16,

Photo Illustration by Cory Wyman ’16 From left, Reece Krantz ’16, Zephan Enciso ’17, Chris Agnone ’18, Charlie Wyman ’19. Many students have said their work increases with each year at Brophy.

also noticed how the amount of work increases as your time at Brophy

From DISABILITIES, Page 1 Brophy has about 25 students who are identified on campus with a learning difference. In order to be identified as such they must go through a fourhour test.

The test shows that their IQ is certainly as high as anyone else’s, but they just need more time to get to the same solution, Mrs. Parise said.

There are likely more than 25 students with learning challenges on campus, but many are not diagnosed by the school.

“There is no teenager on Earth that wants to be seen as different … Especially not labeled as stupid or lazy, which is what ADD used to seem like,”

increases, and that he has his own way of dealing with school stress.

Mrs. Parise said.

Davis said that he originally did not want to tell people when he was diagnosed because he feared being labeled.

However he has since realized that he has no reason to hide his disability since many other students are going through the same thing.

Many students declined to be interviewed for this article, in part because they did not want to be labeled or seen as different.

Mrs. Parise said there are many strategies to try and help students with ADD or ADHD like color coding folders, listening to music while studying and doing school work in short intervals.

have to think about than just the work itself,” Lacsa said. “First, I make a list of all the work I have for the week, with their due dates to the side. Then, I look at the assignments chronologically, while also taking into account which homework has greatest urgency or difficulty. Those are the assignments which I will usually complete first.”

Teachers also noticed the differences in work, and how certain students deal with work.

Mr. Chris Ramsey has noticed that many students deal with homework at school.

“A lot of kids do hall work. So, it’s pretty stressful at break and at lunch for some students,” Mr. Ramsey said. “If someone has legitimately put in a lot of their work at home, then I understand why they might do some of it at school.”

“When faced with large amounts of homework, there is also more that you

Davis said he has had to adopt new ways of studying since being diagnosed.

“For one I always try and stay on top of my medicine, but I’ve found that taking breaks every 20 or 30 minutes helps me get more done in the long run,” he said.

Although the medicine helps, he says it can have side effects, and that he knows other kids who have worse side effects.

“Sometimes I don’t have an appetite, but I know people who get headaches and even have trouble sleeping sometimes,” he said.

Although Brophy only technically does two things to help the students, Mrs. Parise said that if

teachers know what is going on, more often than not they are willing to help.

Davis said he has approached teachers for help at times.

“I sometimes go in after to class to ask for extra notes, or compare notes with a classmate. Just trying to get as much information as possible helps me,” he said.

Coming to Brophy is a hard decision all students with disabilities have to make because often times public schools can do more to help them than Brophy can, Mrs. Parise said.

“They are called to work harder and they want to work harder being at Brophy,” she said.

Opinions The Roundup | DECEMBER 2015 »Staff Editorial

WHAT RESOURCES ARE ON YOUR LEARNING BOOKSHELF?

Ink and coffee drawing by Miguel Montanez-Aragon '16

Most successful learning includes conversation, 1-on-1 discussion The Issue: Each student learns differently, and the best ways of learning are often over-generalized as unique students are marginalized.

Our Stance: Learning is at its best when it's a two way street between student and teacher.

R

egardless of the way you look at it, students at Brophy are diverse.

This diversity mandates itself not only geographically and ethnically, but also in the way students learn.

Each student needs a different combination of teaching styles. Some prefer lectures, others activities, still others group projects.

Historically, these differences have been categorized in three ways: audio learning, visual learning and kinesthetic learning.

But the education system needs to realize that these over-generalizations don't help teachers, especially when they deal with a combination of learners in one room. These categories are overly ambiguous and broad.

For example, visual learning can take on many forms. A student can prefer teacher

demonstrations, slideshows or diagrams and still be considered a visual learner.

Regardless of a teacher's style, catering to each type of learning effectively is very difficult.Teachers should have the responsibility to incorporate all these learning umbrellas into their instruction. But past this, it's a student's duty to get extra help for his specific learning needs.

Because only the student himself understands how he learns best, it is his job to seek this assistance from a teacher.

Many teachers are more than willing to cater to a student's specific learning needs if the student comes in for help. But students need to proactively seek teachers during office hours to get this oneon-one assistance.

Brophy has an amazing faculty, but this faculty means less and less to each student unless he takes full advantage of the teacher's knowledge.

Many students only talk to teachers inside class hours. These students are missing out on the wealth of information and the improved learning experience that results from going in for help outside of class.

For their part, teachers need to make sure that they are willing to work one-on-one with students in their office hour time. Teachers need to

“

Many students only talk to teachers inside class hours.

These students are missing out on the wealth of information and the improved learning experience that results from going in for help outside of class.

»How do you Learn?

What is your prefferred learning style?

Let us know @BrophyRoundup

individualize and differentiate instruction when it happens in an individual setting.

This two-way street is integral to true learning.

When going in for outside help, students gain a personalized teaching method and teachers gain skills of delivering information in new ways.

Having these relationships are the best way for students to learn. Although Brophy equips students with other methods of learning, such as tablets, online resources and computers, humans learn best from other humans.

Especially with the diversity of experience at Brophy, our classmates might be the best resource we have.

It is unreasonable to think that all necessary information can be found from one source, even

when that source may be a computer. Rather, when students come together to learn, each can often contribute his ways of understanding and greatly improve the knowledge of the others.

Learning is something we all hope to experience.

But learning must involve interacting with others.

This can be interaction with teachers outside of class through personalized learning methods, or interaction with students where each student's contribution adds to the whole picture.

By Anthony Cardellini '17 Staff editorials represent the view of The Roundup.

Share your thoughts by e-mailing roundup@brophyprep. org or leave comments online at roundup.brophyprep.org

Opinions

Page 8 | December 2015

The Roundup

»Pro/Con Debate

Assessing the benefits, issues of mandatory homework

Homework helps in the long run

Homework a source of needless stress

Homework remains one of the most provides, many students probably wouldn't dreaded aspects of school, but most people take the time to review the material. realize to some degree that it has a role to Homework also acts as an effective way play in learning. to teach students time management, which According to a study by is a skill needed for life beyond Duke University, homework school. significantly helps students Schools that have a homeworklearn the material they are free curriculum are depriving studying, especially students their students of the chance to in high school. build effective study habits. This "With only rare exceptions, absence of study habits will only the relationship between lead to students faltering later the amount of homework on, possibly in college and the students do and workforce.

By Joseph Valencia ’17 their achievement Another often overlooked The Roundup outcomes was found benefit of homework is the to be positive and possibility of gaining points Personally, I feel that statistically significant," and boosting your class homework provides the researchers report grade. Homework has made students with an in a paper that appears in the difference between an the spring 2012 edition opportunity to practice A and a B grade for me in and further learn the of Review of Educational numerous classes. material discussed in Research.

Homework has many class.

However, the Duke benefits, but it must be used study also discussed how by teachers in moderation, overloading students as previously mentioned in with homework can Cooper's analysis. There is be detrimental to their too much of a good thing. learning abilities.

Assigning too much homework to In a separate study in 2008, Harris Cooper, students can lead to them forgetting crucial an educational psychologist, performed a information in their struggle to cram and meta-analysis, which is the summation of finish their work. various sources of data.

At the same time, too little homework, Cooper's results showed that 70 percent or no homework, can lead to students not of the comparisons associated homework getting enough practice and review. with higher achievement.

Though many students dread their Personally, I feel that homework provides nightly homework, its benefits outweigh its students with an opportunity to practice negative effects. and further learn the material discussed in class.Without the obligation that homework

The homework debate has been raging for decades percent of the students went on to college). Along with with no end in sight. the survey data, Pope and her colleagues interviewed On one hand there are the proponents of homework the students about their views on homework. who swear by its benefits and efficacy.

Students in these schools complete an On the other hand we have the average about 3.1 hours of homework detractors who would like schools to end each night. Students who did more the practice of giving homework. hours of homework experienced greater Among the proponents there is also behavioral engagement in school, but the burning question of just how much they also experienced more academic homework should be given. Parents, stress, physical health problems and lack educators, students and indeed the of balance in their lives. general public have all been deeply While having less homework can divided over the homework issue for a benefit a student, homework does have long time. some objective benefits.

By Reece M. Krantz ’16 It seems as though the numbers Homework helps to consolidate The Roundup of detractors are slowly growing. and clarify what was learned during Some schools in the United States the school day. and elsewhere have a no homework policy.

It gives practice with content, concepts and skills.

I think that homework should be limited in length It can teach self-discipline, time management and and scope because of there many studies that show zero research skills. correlation to test scores and the amount of homework These benefits provided by homework have assigned. diminishing returns as the amount increases. The Students should learn the same amount from six hours difference between an average of one hours to three of homework as from at least one hour of homework. hour is monumental in stress and well-being.

But just how much is too much homework?

Speaking from personal experience, the nights I have According to at least one study, more than two hours more than three or even four hours of homework are of homework a night may be counterproductive. extremely difficult and I feel drained the next day.

Denise Pope, a senior lecturer at the Stanford On the opposite side of the spectrum, whenever I University School of Education and a co-author of a have an hour or less of homework, I am more sociable study published in the Journal of Experimental Education, and can get to extracurriculars on time and completed. has found that too much homework has negative effects Less homework means less stress and more on well-being and behavior. What's more, the negative community involvement for me. The amount of time effects can extend to students' lives outside of school, and energy saved can be used for so many differing including family, friends and other activities. things, such as music or debate.

"Our findings on the effects of homework challenge Now this is not to say that zero homework is the way the traditional assumption that homework is inherently of the future. good," Pope said in an interview with Healthline.

I do think we need some standard to measure and The researchers studied 4,317 students from 10 make sure students are learning. high-performing high schools in upper-middle-class But studies clearly show that too much of anything is California communities (median household income bad for mental and physical abilities. exceeded $90,000 in these communities, and 93

“

What teacher personality provides the best enviornment?

What makes the best teacher? knowledgeable and understanding.

More specifically, what type of person To me, this makes perfect sense. will make the best teacher?

You can have the most informative The answer will vary from person to presentation known to man, but without person, as some students will prefer a personality to keep the students from a neat, organized and wandering off, all that hard straightforward instructor, work will vanish, just like while others will want the students' attention and someone who is friendly, focus. caring and a bit more However, it can go the flexible. opposite way. Maybe the I believe there is not students love being in the simply a black and white teacher's class. Maybe they answer to this question. think it's the best thing ever.

Instead of having a It might be all

By Kaleb Lucero ’18 teacher who is one jokes and laughs, and The Roundup way or the other, my lectures spiral off into own experiences, and the experiences discussions about things no one could of other students, point out that there have predicted. Then, come finals or AP are specific qualities of both sides that tests, everyone's ripping out their hair to are important to have. try and figure out what they should have In short, there is a type of balance, one learned during this time. that combines both the strict and loose Both extremes have their personalities to help make students want consequences, and it's important to try to be in that classroom and want to do to get the best of both worlds. well with their work.

When asked who exemplifies what "Teachers should be outgoing, funny he thinks a teacher should be like, and willing to try new things," said Brandon Ortiz ’16 immediately Rafael Vera ’17. However, he also thought of Dr. Thomas Donlan. said that they need to be intellectual, After a lecture, he would "read a

poem or scream" to get the attention of be able to understand the answer with students, Ortiz said. relative ease, or at least be given some This type of funny, light-hearted resources to look at. classroom is what Ortiz thrives in, but Secondly, the teacher should have he also points out that Dr. Donlan is something to capture the students well organized, informative and knows attention. how to answer students questions.

Let's admit it, we all have iPads or To me, knowing how computers in our to answer a student's hands 24/7, and Both extremes question is imperative concentrating on an have their own to developing person's hour long PowerPoint understanding of consequences, and presentation can be the subject. I think it's important to try tedious. A teacher everyone's had those to get the best of that can keep frustrating moments of you engaged— both worlds. just not getting a topic, whether that be by and when you ask the being friendly and teacher they might interesting or by give a complicated and terrifying you with confusing answer, or might just reword barrages of questions—is a teacher who your question and respond to something is able to get their point across. completely unrelated.

As we can see, these first two essentials I'm sure I'm not the only one who's had work in tandem. You need to have to spend hours on the Internet trying to information, but you need to make sure understand a concept because of this. the student is actually listening.

Really, in the end, it all comes down to However, we can't forget student’s a couple things. obligation to learn.

First, the teacher needs to present Our obligation is to learn, and if we information in a clear, precise way. If have an obstacle, your objective should students ask questions, they should be to overcome that obstacle. So, it's

“

great to dream of teachers that will match your learning style, but don't rely on that, or else the sour lemons of life will be squeezed into your eyes.

Now, when talking about things outside of the classroom, organization is crucial. We, as students, rely almost completely on Canvas and the schedules posted there.When directions on Canvas and directions said in person conflict, there's almost undoubtedly going to be a problem.

In this way, it's important for teachers not only to be consistent, but to also be able to see what they're asking from the students' perspective. If they find out the next day that no one understood what their instructions were, it is important to be flexible.

There's no worse thing than having homework, not understanding it, and then coming the next day only to find out that it's still due and that you're basically failing that assignment.

As we look back at the teachers we've had, the best ones will be those who can see their classrooms from the students' eyes, and are able to provide a perfect blend between presenting knowledge and gaining the intrigue of the students.

Opinions

The Roundup

Page 9 | December 2015

KBI brought me to my heritage, harsh reality

By Luis Torres ’16

THE ROUNDUP Brophy’s immersion trips aim to show students the reality of the world around them by varying in locations from the Appalachian Mountains to the “campos” of El Salvador.

I was fortunate enough to have gone on a weekend trip with my Brophy brethren to the Kino Border Initiative in Nogales, a city divided by the United States-Mexican border.

KBI pushes for the students on this trip to have three takeaways: humanize, accompany and complicate.

We arrived to the Jesuit house on the U.S. side around 4:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2. I dropped my sleeping bag off and headed to Mexico for my first time.

The KBI facility was five minutes south of Mexican customs. The nuns introduced us and we prayed for the food.

After serving dinner, I sat down and had conversations with men, women and kids who were either recently deported or were caught crossing the border illegally.

It was uncomfortable to say the least.

The stories as to how and why they crossed resembled those of my family’s,

At a Glance Takeaways from KBI

» Humanize: We have to see the human dignity in people. » Accompany: Solidarity is crucial to solving the issue. » Complicate: Not all issues have clear right or wrong answers.

friends’ and parents’.

The ability to speak Spanish fluently and comprehend it fully enhanced my experience.

I met Alex, a 17-year-old from San Salvador, El Salvador.

Earlier this summer, I went on the El Salvador immersion trip with Brophy, so I knew what he meant when he said gang violence was too much.

Alex and I talked about El Salvador for a while and he reminded me about the commitment to justice I made during that trip.

The most memorable part of that weekend was walking the migrant trail.

Empty water jugs, backpacks, articles of clothing scattered the trail and bewildered me.

Out of courtesy, I never asked my

Photo by Luis Torres ’16 Students visited the Kino Border Initiative shelter in Nogales, Mexico on Oct. 4.

parents how they originally crossed.

That weekend, however, I felt that I understood what my parents and, many others, have gone through to be where they are at now.

This trip did not give me an answer to

the immigration question.

If anything, it further complicated my understanding of the border and its possible solution.

KBI gave me stories, interactions and, most importantly, people.

Immigration isn’t about numbers or statistics; it’s about human dignity.

It’s about living, breathing people fleeing violence in the pursuit of a better life.

Carson’s perspective on Muslims strays from justice, decency Carson's stance goes against Jesuit values, constitutional law Presidential candidate and neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson recently said, “I would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation.”

Dr. Carson’s statements should be considered intolerant, and we as Americans, generally, and as part of the Brophy community, specifically, should show stern disapproval towards these ideas.

Brophy holds the value of being “Committed to Justice” in high esteem.

Being staunchly anti-Muslim, as a rule, is simply wrong, and that sentiment should not be tolerated by a community who holds justice so dear.

Admittedly, Dr. Carson has clarified his initial comment, suggesting that he would not be opposed to a Muslim running for president so long as that candidate renounced portions of his faith, specifically Sharia law.

Despite this, his comments are still highly troubling, especially given his supposed dedication to religious freedom and American values.

After all, no one, it seems, is asking Dr. Carson to abandon his faith or the particularly brutal sections of the Bible that advocate stoning and slaughter.

Additionally, it must be stated that the Constitution of the United States in Article VI says, “no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office” in this country.

Dr. Carson’s clarification suggests he does not believe that any Muslims could be president, which is where his views may depart from those of others.

To state that people are unfit to be our president

Riley Morrison ’16 & Gabe Morrison ’17

The Roundup simply because of their religious beliefs is bigotry.

In addition, such a statement is irrevocably rejected by our Constitution.

We find Dr. Carson’s statements on Muslims in an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper more concerning.

Tapper, seeking a comment from Dr. Carson, said, “You seem to be singling out Muslims as individuals who automatically, as a knee-jerk, would put their religion ahead of the country, offended a lot of people, a lot of Muslims.”

At this point in the interview, Dr. Carson had the opportunity to clarify that he did not believe that Muslims would automatically put their religion before the Constitution.

Dr. Carson also could have pointed out other religions whose doctrines, in his eyes, were contrasting to that of the U.S. Constitution.

Instead, Dr. Carson said, “The statement stands,” rebuffing both this and a previous offer made by Tapper for him to clarify, qualify or modify his statement. Later, he suggested that the media was overblowing his comments.

At this response, we take offense. We take offense as students who respect intellectuality, as

Opinions rock. Send us yours.

Photo courtesy of Tribune News Service Ben Carson speaks at the GOP debate. The Morrisons do not support Carson's recent comments about Muslims.

U.S. citizens who respect our code of laws, and as human beings who respect standards of decency.

In addition to the comment’s questionable constitutionality, Dr. Carson took on a bigoted stance on this issue.

Second, his suggestion that such a perspective is trivial is perturbing because we believe that any comments about how a potential president thinks are important and should be shared.

While we contend that every American should be concerned with Dr. Carson’s comments and their reflection of our society as a whole, the Brophy

community should be especially dismayed.

For those who disagree with these viewpoints, we would ask that you research our nation’s Constitution and the practices of Islam, then reconsider your perspective.

Most importantly, show your support in the polls in the upcoming election and have conversations with people you know who can vote.

Let’s make sure our future president upholds the Constitution and treats all people equally.

@Brophy Roundup

Opinions

Page 10 | December 2015

The Roundup

»How do you learn?

Classtime is best spent amongst a variety of learning styles

High-school students live a life they feel engaged and active in their of routine, sleep, school, extralearning, and classes that feel a bit curriculars, homework, repeat. more sluggish.

Often times during the school week, The most immediate and rather and even on a smaller scale during simple explanation to this pattern is the school day, it all seems to blend a variation of tasks or activities taking together. place in the classroom.

The hard part about high school “Studies have shown that the average classes is that some of them plain high school student has a little less and simply don’t pique the than 20 minutes of solid interests of students. concentration at a time,” said

By Tyler Conrad ’17 This is life; not every mathSocial Studies teacher Mrs. The Roundup whiz is going to love English, Kristen Venberg. and not every science fair As a student, these studies are winner will be a star Spanish student. pretty easy to believe.

This factor being noted, students can still rather A class that begins with small group discussion easily differentiate between classes in which or activity, breaks into lecture or note-taking, and

140Characters

—Henry Erlandson '16: Very expensive audio books.

During the holiday season, what are you thankful for?

—Jose Cardenas '16: I am very thankful for my family and the fact that we are happy together.

—Anthony Cardellini ’17: My family’s presents. Presence. I meant presence.

Question

of the Month

“It definitely helps me stay awake in class, always having something new going on,” Sra added.

Teenagers are used to having multiple things on their mind, so by creating multiple classroom elements, they are able to constantly satisfy their attention span.

In Mrs. Venberg’s own AP U.S. History class, one of the most content-rich courses on campus, time is spent not just reviewing through lecture, but also by watching videos and through group activities.

“Personally, I don't like to hear myself talk all hour, so how can I expect my students to stay tuned in?” Mrs. Venberg said on her class dynamic.

Whatever the case, differentiated instruction seems not only to be the best way to keep students engaged, but also to benefit their learning as well.

Musings on matters of the day

How do you learn?

—Graham Armknecht ’18: I learn with a cup of coffee in one hand, and a pen in the other.

—Andrew Brown '18: Music at a tempo that keeps me moving.

—Henry Nallen ’18: My bed, when I don't have to get out of it.

concludes with a reflection activity is much easier for students to remain active in as opposed to a 50 minute lecture.

Take note, this is not to say that lectures are boring or unimportant, as anyone knows they are a key part to most classroom experiences. Rather, it is the concept of remaining with one type of pedagogical approach over a period of 50 minutes that becomes redundant, whether it be a lecture, group activity, or even class discussion.

This concept is known as differentiated instruction, and many believe it is the best way to keep students engaged and learning.

“In Mr. Damaso’s class, we are constantly switching between activities and discussions” said Jastej Sra ’17, who is currently enrolled in Mr. John Damaso ’97’s AP English 3 class.

Favorite Christmas carol and why?

—Chase Manson ’16: "All I Want for Christmas is You." It's Mariah Carey. Obvious choice.

—Jack Cahill ’17: "Walking in a Winter Wonderland," for nostalgia’s sake.

—Isaac Meyers ’18: I'm Jewish.

Thoughts on final exams?

—Jose Cardenas '16: I just want to see the new "Star Wars," dude. The Force is, like, awakening.

—Sam Romero ’17: Does watching Netflix and playing "Battlefront" count as studying for finals?

—Henry Nallen '18: Let's not.

The geotag is one of the I think that it looks good.

It is super swell! best I've ever seen of its -Ryan Ruoff '18 kind for any school, period.

-Wills Rice '17

I like the new geotag for Brophy, but I think that a Bronco could have been added for style.

-Tristan Alberts '16

I think it is great. I love the indy cursive writing.

-Trevor Kauffman '18

By Chris Agnone '18

THE ROUNDUP

How do you like the new Brophy Geotag on Snapchat?

What do you think? Let us know Letters to the Editor and Online Commenting Policies The Roundup provides an open forum for public comments, criticism and debate. Submit letters to the editor to roundup@brophyprep.org or to Mr. Mulloy in room E331. Letters must not exceed 300 words and must include your full name and a phone number or E-mail address. All letters will be verified with the author before printed.

The Roundup reserves the right to edit letters for grammar, style, context and inappropriate content. Letters will be printed as space allows.

The Roundup values your opinion, and in keeping with our mission “to encourage and foster discussion amongst our community,” we welcome you to comment on current issues and our content online.

Comments containing obscene, suggestive, vulgar, profane (including implied profanity), threatening, disrespectful, or defamatory language will not be published. Attacks on groups or individuals based on race, gender, sexual orientation, or creed will be rejected.

All comments are reviewed by The Roundup editors and/or adviser prior to approval. The Roundup reserves the right to track IP addresses of persons posting comments. The Roundup reserves the right to edit comments based on inappropriate content, style, grammar and context. The views expressed in comments are solely the authors’ and do not reflect the views of The Roundup or Brophy College Preparatory.

The Roundup Online

December: Henry Erlandson '16

The Roundup Staff Member of the Month

Visit The Roundup’s award-winning website

roundup.brophyprep.org

Sports The Roundup | December 2015

Photo by Cory Wyman ’16 The varsity basketball team looks to make it far in the playoffs this year with young talent and a new head coach.

Basketball looks to succeed with new coach, young players Equipped with a new head coach, basketball expects to make an impact this year in playoffs

By Henry Erlandson ’16

T

THE ROUNDUP

he varsity basketball team, led by a new head coach and a young team, expects to make it farther into the playoffs this season after losing in the first round of the playoffs last year.

Head coach Mr. Matt Hooten is adjusting to varsity level basketball after being promoted from junior varsity head coach and said that his biggest transition has been the change in competition and the preparation.

“It is a different level of competition, being able to get a good look over the summer through

Online

this month

roundup.brophyprep.org

At a Glance Brophy Basketball »Finished with a 17-9 record last season but were eliminated in the playoffs

by Westwood »First tournament was the Thanksgiving Tournament at Sunnyslope High School Nov. 23 »First regular season game was against Desert Ridge Dec. 1

tournaments and summer league games,” Mr. Hooten said. “There is a transition into a change in competition and different levels of players and strength.”

After coaching the JV team for the last five years, Mr. Hooten said he wants to see his team that lost eight seniors from last season compete.

“We are having good competition in our seventh period class right now building skills and building chemistry,” he said.

Tryouts took place on Monday, Nov. 2 to

Wednesday, Nov. 4.

Returning seniors Carter Beaulieu ’16, Mike Feeney ’16 and Bo Brunkhorst ’16 will be leading the backcourt for Brophy along with Matthew Kempton ’17 and Drew Shear ’17.

“We have been working since the summer by practicing, playing in games and tournaments, and lifting,” Feeney said. “We have done a lot to stay in shape and grow as a unit before the season kicks off.”

Feeney said that as a senior, his role has changed this year because he has new responsibilities, along with the other seniors, to lead the underclassmen and other players.

Mr. Hooten said he wants his team to focus on their improvement so that they can peak by February and qualify for playoffs.

This year playoffs for Division I will not be based on sectionals but a state tournament that allows all Division I teams a chance to play each other.

“We can go as far as we can take ourselves,” Feeney said. “We have the tools to be successful;

» Best of The Roundup’s sports photos » Cross Country wrap up » Wrestling preview

» » » »

Soccer preview Coach profiles Swim wrap up Hockey preview

Photo by Isaac Myers ’18 Wrestlers prepare for the upcoming season during practice.

“We can go as far as we can take ourselves. We have the tools to be successful; it’s up to us as a team to reach our full potential.”

— Mike Feeney ’16

it’s up to us as a team to reach our full potential.”

Brophy’s first basketball game of the regular season was Dec. 1 against Desert Ridge at home.

The Roundup

Page 12 | December 2015

»How do you Learn?

Athletes juggle school and sports with busy schedules Athletes try to budget time effectively to excel in the classroom and on the field

“You get done with practice and there are decisions you have to make, like if you want to hang out with friends or get something to eat you have to get your work done first.”

— Cade Knox ’16

By Andrew Howard ’17

THE ROUNDUP There are hundreds of student athletes on campus and with busy practice schedules, they must budget their time differently than most other students.

Athletes spend a majority of their free time at practice, giving them less time to focus on homework and family.

Head football coach Mr. Scooter Molander said that if you budget your time appropriately, school can become easy, even with a busy schedule.

The football team does routine grade checks to make sure students are doing well in their classes.

“They just don’t have time to waste, they have to focus more in class, they need to communicate better … we pair our athletes up so they can support each other,” Mr. Molander said.

Cole Yandell ’17, who played three sports as a freshman and sophomore and will play two sports this year, also said time management is key to keeping control of his busy schedule.

“It can be hectic, getting home at 6 and then trying to eat, shower, do my homework and get enough sleep can be a challenge,” Yandell said.

Cade Knox ’16, quarterback for the varsity football team and outfielder for the baseball team, said he works on prioritizing homework so he can

Photo by AK Alilonu ’16 Ben Posorske ’16 looks over a graded assignment in Ms. Maynard’s class, Nov. 6. Athlete’s rigorous practice schedules often make it difficult to find enough time for their studies.

do other things outside of school too.

“You get done with practice and there are decisions you have to make, like if you want to hang out with friends or get something to eat you have to get your work done first,” Knox said.

Mr. Molander said that in high school he did

not manage his time, and he didn’t take advantage of the Corona Del Sol education, which he said was one of the best in the state.

“I figured it out my last semester at Colorado State with time management, sitting in the front of the class, asking a question, making a comment every

period, and getting notes from not only one person but two,” Mr. Molander said. “School is not that difficult if you have a plan and are consistent with it.”

Mr. Molander, along with many other coaches on campus, said he is flexible when it comes to missing team events for school purposes, as long as there is communication.

Yandell said that because he is a year round athlete and he has no breaks, it is even harder for him and other multi-sport athletes to manage their time. Knox had another view of being a multisport athlete because you can take what you learned from one sport and apply to the next.

“It’s pretty difficult, but at the same time it’s great because you already have the time management skills from one sport and you can just continue to use those for the other,” he said.

Mr. Molander and Yandell both said it is important to find time to spend with friends and family and still enjoy being in high school.

Cross country improves to 2nd place in state meet after 9th last year Brophy featured 3 strong performances at the state meet to take home the runner up title

The Roundup

Wanted:

By Henry Erlandson ’16

Writers Photographers Reviewers

THE ROUNDUP Three runners placed in the top 10 for Brophy at the cross country state meet Nov. 7 as the team finished second in the state for Division I behind Desert Vista.

Located at the Cave Creek Golf Course, the meet contained over 100 teams, and Brophy brought home the runner-up title for the first time. The race featured top 10 finishes from Luke Mason ’17, who placed third, Drew Burns ’18, who placed fourth, and Hociel Landa ’17, who grabbed the ninth spot.

“This finish validates all the hard work that the guys have been doing and it validates the greatness of coach Keahon,” said coach Mr. Steve Smith ’96. “They have been putting the guys through really tough workouts and these guys have responded so it shows that the coaches are doing great and the runners are doing great too.”

Mr. Smith said that he was excited to see his runners compete so strongly and expects to have the three runners who placed in the top 10 this year finish in the top five next year.

“Having a team with no seniors really sets us up for a great year,” said Grant Smith ’18. “We have all experienced the state course and have bonded as a team this season making me hopeful that we will be vying for the state championship.”

Mason has a strong chance at winning state next year because he is the fastest junior runner and the two

Photo by Bryce Owen ’17 The cross country team practices in the rain Oct. 29 to prepare for the upcoming state meet, where they finished second.

runners who placed higher than him this season were seniors, Mr. Smith said.

“I think that the hard work we put in during the season, things like speed work and hills, really helped us to have one of the best Brophy team results ever,” Grant Smith said.

This season also marks Mr. Andy Schmidbauer ’88’s last season as a cross country coach after 20 years

in the program.

“It allows me to get to know the kids on a different level,” Mr. Schmidbauer said. “It was neat for me to be able to see kids who came to practice everyday, worked really hard, improved, and can look back when they graduate and know that they did all this themselves.”

See Mr. Mica Mulloy or e-mail roundup@ brophybroncos.org for more information.

The Roundup

December 2015 |

Page 13

Catan hopes to help wrestlers pin down their goals New coach brings experience and leadership to wrestling program in hope of developing young wrestlers

By Graham Armknecht ’18

THE ROUNDUP As the weather cools, the wrestling team is warming up for a new season.

After former coach Mr. Jose Leyba ’94 moved to Washington with his family at the end of last year, Mr. Wayne Catan came to Brophy to fill the position.

A veteran in the field of wrestling, Mr. Catan takes over the wrestling program.

Highlights in his past before Brophy include winning titles with Syracuse University and coaching multiple NCAA champs, including Steve Marco, the Olympic Heavyweight champion at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Mr. Catan said he decided to make the move from coaching wrestling for a school in New Jersey to coaching for Brophy to give the team new Photo by Isaac Myers ’18 leadership, and to help student athletes achieve Coach Mr. Wayne Catan watches on as the wrestling team warms up at practice Nov. 11.

Mr. Catan brings a new mindset to the wrestling program as a new coach. their dreams. “[One new thing I do regarding coaching] is job. but with Mr. Catan helping to coach, that should with what he’s showing us because he knows that it bringing a philosophy where everybody is capable “I like to see student athletes develop,” Mr. change very soon. works. His ethic is different and he’s a great person. of something,” Mr. Catan said. “Once a student Catan said. “I also like helping students understand “[Catan] has been around the block. He started I think he’ll bring a lot of state champs out. “ athlete can come to terms with it that, the sky’s that it’s OK to dream. Dream big. Somebody has to as a kid, took it with him through high school and Brophy’s wrestling record last season was 11 and the limit.” win a state title, why not have it be you?” college, and became an alternate in the Olympics,” 4.

However, that can be difficult at times. Luckily, Brophy wasn’t able to get the state title last year, said Gabriel de la Rocha ’18. “I feel comfortable The wrestling season started Nov. 2. that’s one of Mr. Catan’s favorite things about the

Wrestling team looks to tackle season with new mindset, new coach, new atmosphere

By Anthony Totri ’16

THE ROUNDUP

Coming off last season’s end without a state championship, the wrestling team is looking to bounce back with a new coach and a new atmosphere.

Senior captain Valentin Hernandez ’16, who was a sectional champion last year, said he believes the team is looking to come back strong.

“We came up short, and for me it’s not the wins you remember, it’s the losses,” Hernandez said.

The team has committed to learning the ways of new coach Mr. Wayne Catan, who has 25 years of coaching experience.

Former head coach Mr. Jose Leyba ’94 moved to Washington with his family at the end of the last school year.

Out of all the schools Mr. Catan had the opportunity to choose, he went with Brophy.

“To me Brophy is the best school in Arizona, and it was a great coaching opportunity,” he said.

Mr. Catan said he was pleasantly surprised at how the offseason went and he said he believes he has found a couple

of rising stars in Jacob Robles ’19 and Luke Jacobs ’18.

Hernandez agrees with Mr. Catan on the two young prospects, but he also said he believes in the new coach.

“He has brought a new atmosphere and a new pace,” he said.

Specifically, Mr. Catan is incorporating an east-coast type of wrestling that he used while wrestling collegiately at Syracuse.

“East is stronger, more stern and technical,” Hernandez said.

The team has taken on the mindset of having a chip on their shoulder.

“We have something to prove to Brophy and we are going to show people that Brophy Wrestling isn’t something that should be pushed aside,” Hernandez said.

The rising star, Robles, said he is not only focused on the upcoming season, but also has confidence in the new head coach. Mr. Catan has said that the wrestlers need to focus on school as well.

“Doing well in school takes the pressure off,” he said.

Mr. Catan said he believes that by never putting too much importance on

Photo by Andrew Brown ’18 Mr. Wayne Catan speaks to the wrestling team before practice in November as they prepare for the start of the upcoming season.

one specific task a student will be less stressed.

Mr. Catan has brought the mindset of not only his coaching experience, but of

his wrestling experience as well.

“To be the best, you have to outwork the rest,” he said.

The team has welcomed the change

and Mr. Catan said that he has the key to helping the wrestlers achieve their goals of sectional and state champions.

Sports Online: Read complete game articles and analysis, and see more photos at roundup.brophyprep.org Twitter: Follow The Roundup’s sports reporters for in-game score updates @BrophySports

The Roundup

Page 14 | December 2015

Sanchez brings personality, enthusiasm to Sports Med in 2nd year

By Chase L. Manson ’16

THE ROUNDUP After the departure of Assistant Athletic Trainer Ms. Arika Cozzi, Ms. Mica Sanchez continues work with the Athletic Training department in her second year.

Sanchez currently attends AT Still University and attended North Central College in Chicago, where she is originally from.

“Yes, I’m from Chicago,” Sanchez said. “I’m more from the city, not the suburbs.”

Sanchez works with the football team but will assist with other teams in the future.

“Football currently takes up most of the time,” she said. “However, in the winter I will be working with soccer and in the spring I will be returning working with the volleyball team.”

Manny Cano ’16, a football player, has dealt with Sanchez on many occasions, especially when he hurt his hamstring and later his shoulder.

“She’s really personal,” Cano said. “She really makes the whole room brighter and happier.”

Sanchez originally found Brophy through her

masters program at AT Still University.

“I was a little nervous coming to Brophy,” Sanchez said. “People at school told me like how preppy it was and the ‘rich kid stigma.’”

Though she came in with that preconception, she now notes that they were wrong.

“All the kids are awesome,” she said. “What I love is that you have athletes who are super geniuses and also exceed in extracurriculars.”

Mr. Chris White, head athletic trainer, said he has loved having Sanchez as an assistant.

“She is of course clinically competent,” he said. “But what really sets her apart is her personality. She’s very witty, you need that in this environment.”

Sanchez, has noted a difference in her second and final year at Brophy.

“There is definetly more recognition from everyone,” she said. “I definitely feel more competent but I have also established a better relationship with players.”

Sanchez said she is also looking forward to her time after Brophy.

“When I was an undergraduate I wanted to work at the high school or college level,” she said. “But now I Photo by Chase Manson ’16 dream of working with U.S Olympic athletes. I think Ms. Mica Sanchez, the assistant athetic trainer, applies tape to an injured wrist Oct. 13 it would be a new experience and really fun.”

Swim caps off undefeated season with 28th consecutive state title After graduating 8 state swimmers from last season, the young swim team captured a 28th straight state championship

By Jack Davis ’19

THE ROUNDUP Brophy swim placed first in state on Nov. 6 with a score of 302 points.

Mountain View placed second, scoring 207 points.

Brophy took their 28th straight state title.

“Winning state was expected, but still really great,” said swimmer Parker Hughes ’19.

Jack Blake ’17 was a standout, placing 1st in the 100-meter freestyle and 2nd in the 50-meter freestyle.

Head coach Mr. Patrick O’Neill credited the win to the swimmers’ strong work ethic.

“All these guys swim five, six, seven days year round with only a two week

break in the winter and a two week break in the summer. The reason Brophy has won 28 in a row is that we have more guys that work harder than all the other schools combined.”

Hughes’ training schedule lines up with his coach’s statement.

“Twelve times a week, swimming nine and lifting three, this style of training is routine for the team,” he said.

Brophy lost eight of 19 state qualifiers from the previous season, and there were eight swimmers competing in their first state meet. However, this did not hold the team back evidenced by the 95 point win.

“We’ll continue to get pushed hard by coach, stay humble, and work through everything,” Hughes said.

“Our best quality is our chemistry and brotherhood. We bonded and spent a lot of time together.”

The swimmers said that they are looking forward to next season as they try to capture their 29th straight state crown.

Photo by Michael Placenti ’19 Jack Blake ’17 dives into the pool during a swim meet. Blake was a leader on the state team as they won their 28th straight championship.

Soccer working to build on tradition with young team, new talent Coach expects to see young team make run for state

By Luis Torres ’16

THE ROUNDUP After soccer earned a 15-3-4 record last year and a loss to Chandler in the semifinals, head coach Mr. Noah Lewkowitz ’98 has his eyes on the state championship this year.

“We want to win every single game we play; every regular season game, our two tournaments in California and the state championship,” Mr. Lewkowitz said.

This year’s team will be without a

plethora of players who graduated last year, most of which started for the team.

“Our game plan this year is getting a younger group of guys together and familiar with one another,” Mr. Lewkowitz said. “Younger teams are exciting teams. You never know what you’re going to get.”

Mr. Lewkowitz added that they have a good sophomore and junior class to supplement the seniors.

“There is a lot of new talent that shows up every year,” said Ryan Garlick ’18 in an email to The Roundup.

Garlick, a left midfielder, is a sophomore looking to make the varsity team for a second year in a row.

“I have faith in [Mr. Lewkowitz] and the rest of the coaching staff to turn this new team into state champions,”

Garlick said.

New teams aren’t uncommon for senior Matthew Sutherland ’16.

“It’s an entirely new team just like any year,” Sutherland said.

Sutherland, one of the six returning seniors, will be playing his fourth season with Brophy soccer coming off a broken collarbone during the second half of last season.

“The young guys are going to have to step up a lot this year. They did a lot of great work last year so it shouldn’t be much of a problem,” Sutherland said.

To help with the adjustments of a more underclassmen-centric team, Mr. Lewkowitz will have four assistant coaches, three of which are Brophy soccer alumni.

Photo by Bryce Owen ’17 The soccer team takes shots on goal at practice Nov. 11. The team looks to make a big impact with many young players this year.

The Roundup

December 2015 |

Robles looks to make mark this wrestling season

Pitch

By Jack Davis ’19

THE ROUNDUP

Catch

What is your name and year?

I am Jacob Robles and I am a freshman.

How did you get into wrestling?

I got a concussion in football and needed to put my aggression into something.

Do you have a pre-match routine?

Yes. I usually stretch, do some gymnastics, bounce, get warm, listen to music and pace.

What’s your go-to move?

A “shuck to a go-behind.”

What’s your win-loss record?

I’m unsure but I know that I’ve won three times as much as I’ve lost.

Who’s your wrestling idol?

Mark Schultz, or Cary Kolat.

Who’s your role model?

Probably my dad.

What do you like to do besides wrestling?

Chill.

How often do you work out?

Every day. No days off.

Where were you born?

Nogales, Mexico.

What’s your middle name?

Javier.

Do you have any pets?

Yes. A boxer named Rose and a mutt named Lucky.

Who’s your best friend?

Nathan Mazur (’19).

What’s your favorite food?

Whatever food there is.

What’s your favorite movie?

“The Hunger Games.”

What college do you want to go to?

Cornell University. They have a good wrestling program.

Why did you choose to go to Brophy?

The academics.

&

Page 15

Sophomore runner Burns competes in state, looks ahead to next year

By Andrew Brown ’18

THE ROUNDUP

Photo by Henry Nallen ’18 Jacob Robles ’19 is a freshman on the wrestling team. After a concussion in football, he has dedicated his athletic abilities to wrestling.

Drew Burns ’18, a sophomore, ran for the varsity cross country team and landed fourth place at the state tournament.

“I discovered cross country in 7th grade at my school and ran for the school team. From there I ran club and now high school,” Burns said.

When he made varsity freshman year, everyone knew that Burns was a great runner. He competes in the normal cross country and runs track in the spring.

“The track is faster but I enjoy running in the normal cross country season more because the different terrains and the peaceful outdoors,” Burns said.

He also got a chance at state during the cross country season. The team finished as the state runner up.

“I love cross country because of the different locations and courses,” Burns said.

He said that he has ran all over the Valley and enjoyed every single race no matter his place.

“Burns is always pushing me and the other runners to run faster and be team motivators,” said Burns’ teammate Hociel Landa ’17. “He is my competition that drives me to be a better and faster runner. He deserves to be on varsity and is one of our top runners.”

“Drew is a dedicated runner who leads by example. He has an outstanding work ethic and competitive drive,” said coach Mike Keahnon.

Burns shows true dedication to the sport.

“Even when there is no practice Burns will run on his own, and he will show up to practice earlier than everyone else,” Landa said.

Hockey looks to turn rough start around, find success in the playoffs

By Reece M. Krantz ’16

THE ROUNDUP The hockey team looks to correct a listing ship as the start to the season was grim after going 0-13-0, as of Nov. 17.

Sean Scola ’16 is a left winger and alternate captain of the team.

“It’s starting off slow,” Scola said.

“We have had some pretty good games and we are generating good offense. We need to focus on defense and help our goalie out more.”

With a record of 0-6 and 5.86 GAA (Goals allowed average) and a .750 save percentage, defense is certainly a weakpoint. Scola said he understands the

need for more team play.

“I need to block more shots from the point, definitely help break it out more,” he said.

Statistics don’t always tell the whole story, however. Players must be involved all the time and be all in.

“Our record is not good,” Scola said.

“If we can focus on our defense and start putting the puck in more, once we do that and give 100 percent we can win games, but right now some guys act like it’s a joke now.”

The team will still play in the playoffs later this year in a seeded round robin.

The two top teams get a bye to the semifinals.

Out of Left Field What is your favorite Olympic event?

Josh Benjamin ’16

Football/Track

Miles Bimrose ’16

Cross Country Carter Beaulieu ’16

Basketball

Ben Posorske ’16

Football

Despite the poor start and struggling defense, Scola said he still has confidence in his team and the Brophy student body for support.

“We will still try to win in playoffs, that much is certain,” said Scola.

The team encourages students to attend all games, said Scola.

“We need more fans, that’s for sure.”

Playoffs start in February next year and Brophy will play with the hope to win it all.

Current leading scorers this year are Nick Thomson ’19 for goals (6) and points (11), Tim Kennedy ’16 and Jared Kleiner ’16 tied for assists (6).

Photo by Isaac Myers ’18 Gavin Peterson ’18 practices shooting the puck Oct. 29. The team looks to practice their defense, hoping to turn the rough start of this season around.

By Henry Erlandson ’16

THE ROUNDUP

Do you play fantasy Favorite breakfast sports? food?

Movies with or without 3D?

400m dash

No

Cinnamon rolls

With 3D

Volleyball

Yes

Eggs benedict

With 3D

Table tennis

Yes

A.M. crunch wrap

Without 3D

No

French toast and bacon

Neither, IMAX

400m dash or high jump

Want more #Sports?

Need more scores, stats and analysis? Looking for more photos and team previews?

We’ve got just the place.

roundup.brophyprep.org Twitter: @BrophySports

Entertainment The Roundup | December 2015

THE SOUND OF MUSIC

Photo by Cameron M. Bray ’16 The band “In the Works” preforms in the Graham Plaza during lunch, Sept. 10.

Band In the Works making an imprint on campus

Student band works to jam out, have fun, picking up more gigs

By Graham Armknecht ’18 THE ROUNDUP

O

ver the last year, a band has become more relevant in Brophy culture; the alternative rock band In the Works.

Their members include Noah Self ’18 on the drums, Gabe Morrison ’17 on the keyboard, Riley Morrison ’16 on bass, and Lou DiMuro ’16 playing the guitar, and Xavier students Hannah

Welch ’18 and Alex Murray ’17 as the two singers for the band.

“We’re a group of friends that get together and play on Fridays,” said Riley Morrison. “It’s pretty casual, but at the same time we like to make great music. There’s a level of seriousness, but we’re not a crazy hardcore band.”

In their performances, they favor covering more alternative songs, like “Time is Running Out”

by Muse, “Fluorescent Adolescent” by the Arctic Monkeys, and other artists like Maroon 5.

“Alternative rock is one of those things where the cords, the singing and all isn’t that difficult to play, but it’s a bunch of fun to listen to,” Riley Morrison said about their alternative rock sound.

In the Works has been around for about a year

and a half. With this experience under their belts, naturally they’ve had some close calls.

“We all have weird inside jokes and look at each other during parts of songs and just remember funny stuff that’s happened about gigs and portions of practices,” Riley Morrison said. “We’ve had a number of crazy, by-the-skin-of-our-teeth performances where we forget something or something breaks, and we make it work just before start time. We’ve never had anything of a total disaster happen, and we hope is stays that way.”

Their newest member Self, the drummer, was added into the works in September, through an interesting series of events.

“I was in Mr. Pidgeon’s room taking a test I was absent for at lunch, and that’s when the guitar club

We’re a group of friends that get together and play on Fridays.

— Riley Morrison ‘16, bass guitar for In the Works

meets, and that’s where I met Riley,” Self said. “He was talking about how he needed a new drummer.

After I finished my test, we talked back and forward and I got his number, and he texted me asking me a few questions. I agreed to go practice with them the next Friday. I met everyone and the rest is history.”

Twitter tops Facebook, Instagram as students’ favorite social media Students spend most social media time on Twitter, Facebook outdated

By Anthony Totri ’16 THE ROUNDUP Twenty-first century high school students live in a world dominated by social media.

It’s not hard to look around and find someone on their phone engaged in the online world known as social media.

Some of the common networks are

Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook.

Brophy has several accounts on those sites that promote the school’s activities and events, but what is the most popular among the student body for personal use?

Wesley Ashton ’16 said he has an account on all the most common social media sites, but he uses Twitter the most.

His 13,300 Tweets back that up.

“I like it because it’s a combination of thoughts and pictures,” he said.

Twitter is similar to Facebook in the sense that everyone with an account has a profile and has the ability to post their

thoughts and photos. themselves as well.

Even with that in mind, Ashton said I like [Twitter] because it’s a Instagram reportedly has 400 million Facebook is his least favorite of the combination of thoughts and active users, according to CNBC. sites.

Snapchat is not far behind with 200 pictures.

He cites parent activity and clustered million active users, according to — Wesley Ashton ‘16 Business Insider. design of the website as the main reasons why he dislikes it.

Students don’t seem to view those Jostin Trinidad ’19 also is active on networks as favorites though, and that Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, more may have something to do with not active on Twitter than the others, he being able to use 140 characters to say Trinidad isn’t one of the active said. whatever they want.

Facebook users that enjoys having an “I spend probably around three hours account.

On Snapchat and Instagram users on Twitter,” he said. are restricted to pictures and short “It’s stuck in the 1990s,” he said.

Twitter has about 271 million active Both Facebook and Twitter have been comments. monthly users compared to Facebook’s going back and forth with each other In an informal survey of 20 students, 1.3 billion active users, according to since they were created. Other social 60 percent chose Twitter as their Forbes. media sites have been making a name for preferred social media network.

The Roundup

December 2015

| Page 17

Student YouTubers aim for more self-promotion, self-exposure Students Mayfield, Stackpole inspired to entertain through YouTube

By Henry Nallen ’18 THE ROUNDUP YouTube, the world famous video sharing site, is a tool many people, including many Brophy students, use to promote themselves and their interests and hobbies.

Though it has only been around for 10 years, YouTube has become a massive platform for entertainment, knowledge and technology. One of its most appealing qualities is it is available to everybody for free.

Unlike any established industry such as sports, news or entertainment, YouTube doesn’t require a certain professional standing for fame. Anybody can post videos and become “Internet famous” overnight.

Many popular Youtubers, for example Grace Helbig and Troye Sivan, have become prominent figures in the entertainment industry. They have since spawned a variety of things such as books, music, movies and even TV shows.

People of all different cultures, countries, and age groups all over the world use YouTube.

Anything any Youtuber is going to have to deal with is getting a lot of hate from people. There are always going to be comments and people just hating on you.

— Houghton Mayfield ‘18

Anyone walking through Brophy’s campus is sure to see YouTube being used to watch videos, either for class or entertainment purposes.

Houghton Mayfield ’18 runs a successful YouTube channel named “Mr. Terraria.”

He uploads a variety of videos related to the popular videogame “Terraria.”

When asked why he uses YouTube, he responded, “Just for fun; as a hobby.”

It is not always fun though.

“Anything any Youtuber is going to have to deal with is getting a lot of hate from people. There are always going to be comments and people just hating on you,” Mayfield said.

Another Youtuber, Chaz Stackpole ’18, used to post a variety of videos, including vlog-type videos, skits and short action films. He was also

Photo by AK Alilonu ’16 Houghton Mayfield ’18 (left) and Chaz Stackpole ’18 (right) each have run their own YouTube channels, posting content ranging from gameplay to skits.

very successful and had about 2,500 subscribers.

However, about a year ago he changed his videos from public to private.

“A lot of my friends would find my videos and repeat them back to me in a making-fun of kind of way,” Stackpole said.

Many kids who post videos of themselves online at such a young age do face consequences.

Though Mayfield said he does not find there to be much scrutiny on his channel, Stackpole did.

One reason for this could be that Mayfield does not show himself or his voice in his videos, and is, therefore, less subject to ridicule whereas Stackpole was usually in front of the camera.

Negativity can be much harder for younger Youtubers to handle, if they are not ready.

“I think, in general, it is not the best idea because you don’t exactly know what you’re getting yourself into,” Stackpole said when asked about younger teens posting videos of themselves.

»From roundup.brophyprep.org

‘A Christmas Carol’ heralds new approach to classic story This article originally appeared on roundup.brophyprep.org in November

‘A Christmas Carol’ debuts in Blackbox for holiday season, features acting, singing

By Jose Cardenas ’16 THE ROUNDUP “A Christmas Carol,” the classic story about a miser and his change of heart through a life journey during Christmas, is set to take the Brophy stage Nov. 19.

While the tale has been told and retold throughout the years, play director Mrs. Maureen Dias said that now is the perfect time to give “A Christmas Carol” a unique Brophy spin. “[‘A Christmas Carol’] has never been done before at Brophy and we thought that it would be kind of neat to move the show to a later date where it was seasonal. ‘A Christmas Carol’ is a wonderful story and I know we have the talent to pull it off,” Mrs. Dias said.

In addition to talent, the playmakers have become creative in the way the play is set with different uses of sets and special effects. Student director Daniel Weinberger ’17 made the extra effort to make this play specific to Brophy.

“It is definitely not your traditional set or a traditional stage at all,” Weinberger said. “The set is broken into four parts and each part is shaped different in height and size, definitely a Brophy creative touch.”

The production is even unique in its approach to certain aspects of the story with more focus being placed on the ghosts and spirits. The team is

Photo by Cory Wyman ’16 Jack Rose ’16 (left) and Erick Deyden ’17 (right) rehearse the first act of “A Christmas Carol” Nov. 10.

using technical aspects such as sound effects, eerie lighting and fog machines to augment the haunting atmosphere this adaptation is aiming for.

“It’s a ghost story at its heart. That’s really what ‘A Christmas Carol’ is so you need all these types of effects to be spooky,” Mrs. Dias said.

Even music and singing will be incorporated into the play.

“We are singing acapella, which is always really nice and kind of moving with certain carols or songs being haunting with very talented vocalists in the cast,” Mrs. Dias said.

The cast assembled for this production includes students of different years from Brophy and Xavier.

“To make [‘A Christmas Carol’] your own is basically dependent upon your actors and the talents they bring to the table,” Mrs. Dias said.

First, there is the main character Ebenezer Scrooge, the greedy miser who became caring for his fellow man by confronting the mistakes of his past, present and future.

Jack Rose ’16 will play the role of Scrooge.

“When we were looking for Scrooge we were looking for a strong male presence on stage, an older male presence, someone that can take the look of an old man,” Weinberger said.

Then there are the Christmas spirits, an aspect of the play that is considered by the directors just as

important as Scrooge.

“We were just looking for really strong stage presences, really intimidating people, because they are the people in the end that transform Scrooge and take him on his journey,” Weinberger said.

Bailey Smith ’16, Patrick McGovern ’16 and Delaney Tobin ’16 will play the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future respectively.

Besides making a great play, the production team is also concerned with having an emotional impact on the campus and students, especially as the school moves into the Christmas holiday.

“The issue with Christmas at Brophy is that people have this assumption that everyone who goes to Brophy is Christian or Catholic when in reality that’s not true,” Weinberger said.

“So I think this is a really hard hitting play for Brophy students because you don’t have to be Catholic to celebrate Christmas.”

Weinberger said everyone involved in “A Christmas Carol” wants to inspire students to become more involved in the Brophy community beyond academics.

“There are students who come to school at 7:45 a.m. and leave at 2:45 p.m. and have a bad day overall, wanting to get home. So I think that this play definitely applies because this story is about getting out of your comfort zone and making yourself happy in a way that doesn’t mean just punching the clock everyday,” Weinberger said.

Weinberger also hopes that the play will attract new students wanting to be involved in Brophy’s music and acting program.

“I hope people watch this show and think, ‘You know it would be super cool if I was up there,’” Weinberger said.

“A Christmas Carol” will premier Nov. 19 in the Blackbox Theater.

News, Opinions, Sports & Entertainment each month On newsstands and online | roundup.brophyprep.org

The Roundup

Page 18 | December 2015

‘The Martian’ excites with strong plot, acting “The Martian”—starring Matt Damon 8.5 out of 10

By Cameron M. Bray ’16 THE ROUNDUP Based off the 2011 novel of the same name, “The Martian” is both an astonishing science-fiction film and an uplifting tale of survival and endurance.

In fact, this is probably the second best film I’ve seen all year, surpassed only by the surprise hit of “Mad Max: Fury Road.”

But enough praise. Let’s get to the plot.

It’s the near future.

Man has successfully set foot on Mars.

The crew of the Ares III mission to Mars has just begun surveying the planet and collecting samples, when suddenly they are hit by an intense storm.

The storm is so powerful that the crew members are forced to return to ship so they can evacuate the planet and, unfortunately, suspend the mission.

During the crew’s arduous trek back to the ship, one of the crew members—Mark Watney, played

by Matt Damon—is hit by debris and is lost in the darkness of the storm.

With the lives of the crew at stake, the mission commander, played by Jessica Chastain, is forced to leave the planet, leaving Watney behind, who is presumed dead.

Watney, however, is not dead.

Waking up the next day in a pile of sand, he is now forced to survive with only the supplies the Ares team left behind and to figure out a way to contact NASA for rescue.

Overall, plot is quite unique and engaging from the start. That was definitely one of the movie’s major fortes.

I was constantly at the edge of my seat as Watney

Photo Courtesy of Tribune News Service Matt Damon in “The Martian.”

was struggling against misfortune and against the barren, lifeless planet that is Mars.

Another thing I found really enjoyable and laudable about the movie was Damon’s acting.

He plays a much more convincing scientist than, in my opinion, Matthew McConaughey did in “Interstellar,” and he does an amazing job at displaying the raw emotional weight placed upon Watney in his struggle for survival.

Damon really makes the human drama come alive

throughout this story, and that’s one of the things that’s so great and inspiring about the film.

Despite all this positivity for the film, I still have one major gripe with it.

Toward the end of the second act, the focus shifts too much away from the drama with Watney and Mars.

To its detriment, the film chooses to waste its valuable screen time refocusing on the boring drama involving the secondary characters on Earth,

and about this time I really started to lose interest in the whole enterprise.

However, despite this one misstep, “The Martian” is still a triumph in terms of writing, acting, directing and visualization.

It’s a beautiful film—one that will certainly go down as one of the best movies of the year—and you should definitely see it.

For its strong plot and for the strong acting on Damon’s part, it gets an 8.5 out of 10.

‘Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials’ offers unengaging plot, overly dramatic characters ‘Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials’ - Starring Dylan O’Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Ki Hong-Lee 4 out of 10

By Henry Nallen ’18 THE ROUNDUP

In 2014, the blockbuster movie adaptation of the popular adventure novel “The Maze Runner” hit the big screen.

Now, a full year later, 20th Century Fox released the sequel to the hit franchise.

“The Scorch Trials” picks up immediately where “The Maze Runner” left off. A group of intelligent teenagers have escaped a maze and are on a hunt to find the people behind the challenging task.

However, the sequel took a very different path than the first film.

While the first stated the clear goal and intent of the characters, the second was very unclear and constantly changing.

The team did not feel at all as united as they previously were.

Although the cast was strong, some appeared to be stronger than others.

The protagonist of the series, Thomas, played by Dylan O’Brien, seemed too fond of being the leader. I personally tend to find main characters who play

more unassuming roles much more relatable.

This was not the case with Thomas. He was well aware of his role as the hero, and he did not shy away from stressing that.

Because of this, other key characters, such as Teresa, played by Kaya Scodelario, and Newt, played by Thomas Brodie-Sangster, did not receive as much focus or screen time.

Another frustrating element of the story was the questionable motives of

the characters.

They were very fond of victimizing themselves and running away from a villain that didn’t seem that evil.

They believed the people that were trying to save them and their race were evil, but there was not nearly enough evidence to prove that to the audience.

Overall, I think that the movie could have been a lot better and I give it a 4 out of 10.

‘Forza: Motorsport 6’ improves on mechanics, graphics, similar to previous games ‘Forza: Motorsport 6’ - from Turn 10 Studios Xbox One 7 out of 10

By Jack McAuslan ’16 THE ROUNDUP For people who love cars and video games, “Forza Motorsport” and “Forza Horizon” seem to be some of the best games to play.

While they may not be the most realistic games in their genre, they are for sure the most popular.

I have played every “Forza” game since “Forza 2.”

“Forza Motorsport 6,” although very similar to

the old “Forza Motorsport” games, is much easier to spend time in and is a lot more entertaining overall.

“Forza 6” has plenty of cars and a lot of tracks to play around with, which is one of the areas “Forza Motorsport 5” definitely needed improvement.

“Forza 6” also has drastically improved graphics, something that the previous game did not really need improvement on, but is a welcome change nonetheless.

“Forza 6” has also finally addressed some small issues such as traction control while driving.

Realistically, traction control will almost always completely eliminate wheel spin while driving in a straight line. This was not the case for any “Forza,” until now.

Traction control is very realistic and is actually kind of fun to see in action.

My favorite thing about “Forza 6,” as it is with every “Forza,” is the new cars.

2014 and 2015 was a great year for cars, and “Forza 6” includes new models such as the Mustang GT350R, the Mercedes-AMG GTS and the Dodge Challenger Hellcat.

All three of these cars are seen as some of the best in automotive engineering nowadays and it is great to finally see them all together in the most popular racing franchise in gaming.

One problem that “Forza 6” has and will probably have trouble getting around is one car brand: Porsche.

Electronic Arts owns the rights to video game renditions of Porsches, so unless Microsoft pays to have Porsche in “Forza,” there won’t be any Porsche.

Obviously this means that, if there is a Porsche add-on in the future, we will most definitely be

charged a decent amount of money for it.

This has been the case for both “Forza Motorsport 4” and “Forza Horizon 2.”

As far as pricing, it costs $60, which does not include any of the monthly downloadable content coming in the future.

This is a good amount of money and, depending on your interest in cars and racing, it may not be worth spending on this game.

If you love cars and racing then it is a good buy, but if you just like casual driving, wait until the price drops.

“Forza Motorsport 6” has improved on many things that needed improvement and some things that didn’t even need fixing, making it a very good racing game for car fans but not worth the money for casual racing fans.

The Roundup

December 2015

| Page 19

Mr. Burr talks Brophy roots, clubs, Student Council Teacher’s Pet: Mr. Pete Burr ’07

By Alex Kirshner ’18 THE ROUNDUP Mr. Andy Schmidbauer ’88’s question from the last edition’s “Teacher’s Pet”: Besides discovering the New World in 1492, why was that year a pivotal year in the history of the Iberian Peninsula?

I would like to turn that question back on Mr. Schmidbauer and give him 24 hours to answer without the use of technology.

You graduated Brophy in 2007. Can you describe the impact this school has had on you?

The impact this school has had on me? For 12-13 years this place has always been a place that’s like home base for me because, even during college, I worked here during the summers, and I’ve been back since I’ve graduated. This has always been a place that I felt like was a welcoming, energizing community, so any chance I get to be a part of it I’ve taken that opportunity since 2003.

Were you a part of the Alumni Service Corps?

I was not, actually... When I graduated from college in 2011, I came back and taught here during the summer. I had some conversations with some people about how to get some content off the ground and start making stuff for the school, and that just evolved into getting hired.

Photo by Isaac Myers ’18 Mr. Pete Burr ’07 works with Matthew Vaske ’18, discussing his upcoming video assignments. Burr is a freshman baseball coach, works with Student Council, and teaches video production classes.

Besides teaching, what clubs or sports teams are you involved with?

I coach freshman baseball, Mr. Mulloy ’99 and I run Photo Video Club. When the cycling club is up and running, I will be involved with that. I help with Student Council, and I am a freshman advisor.

How did you become involved with Student Council?

I was involved with Student Council when I was at Brophy, and it was one of the biggest formative experiences for me as a Brophy student. When I came back I was given the opportunity to get involved with Student Council and eventually take over that class. My answer was obviously yes because it was something that had a huge impact on me as a student.

What are some things that Student Council is doing to improve the dances and raise school spirit?

I think our whole thing this year is sticking with this idea of building community. The outer community might see us as this group that’s trying to get 45,000 kids at a dance; obviously that’s an exaggeration. Our goal is to make sure that every kid has an opportunity to connect with his peers on this campus, whether that’s a Mario Kart tournament after school or a homecoming dance with 1,000-plus of his friends.We’re not concerned about sheer numbers or size or even really success, monetarily or size wise of events. We want kids just to come and have a sincere opportunity to meet people and really engage in what I think is the best part of this place.

You played baseball at Brophy and were a part of the 2006 state championship team, and now you are a freshman coach. How does it feel to be able to coach the next generation of Brophy baseball?

It’s fun. Brophy is wonderful because you can be a coach and it’s part of your job. It’s an awesome excuse to go out and hang with like-minded human beings, people who enjoy baseball, get outside and be involved with the sport that I loved growing up.

What is a question that you would like to propose for the next teacher’s pet article?

In the 1995 film “Heavyweights” directed by Steven Brill and written by Judd Apatow, who is your favorite character and why?

‘Everest’ entrances with suspenseful, poignant storytelling “Everest”—starring Jason Clarke, Michael Kelly, Josh Brolin, John Hawkes 9 out of 10

By Cameron M. Bray ’16

THE ROUNDUP “Everest” is a chilling film.

I mean to say that the film is often so suspenseful that it’s discomforting to watch, which strangely, is what I enjoyed about it.

It has that same kind of wonderful edge to it that “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol” had when Tom Cruise climbed the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, in Dubai.

Throughout the film, you feel the nagging, inescapable sense of danger that surrounds the characters.

You know some disaster is coming, you just don’t know when, putting you in that indescribable discomfort that keeps you watching a film such as this.

The disaster, in this case, is the 1996 Everest avalanche, a tragedy in which eight people died trying to reach the summit—spoiler alert.

The film is based off the book “Into Thin Air” by Jon Krakauer, one of the survivors of this tragedy, and it even stars him as a character, though he’s played by the actor Michael Kelly.

The story basically goes like this: In March 1996 several commercial expeditions prepare for a climb to the summit of Mt. Everest.

They attempt the dangerous trek in

May, but a late blizzard hits, resulting in disaster as they reach the highest points of the mountain.

The film stars about 20 to 30 characters, but the main people the film focuses on are as follows: Rob Hall, played Jason Clarke, the leader of the Everest-climbing business “Adventure Consultants”; Beck Weathers, played by Josh Brolin, a Texan and an experienced mountaineer; Doug Hansen, played

by John Hawkes, a former mailman pursuing his dream of climbing the mountain; Yasuko Namba, played by Naoko Mori, another veteran climber who dreams of completing the last of the Seven Summits; Scott Fisher, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, another Everest guide; and Jon Krakauer.

Though the film initially struggles with introducing the characters and

It’s a joy to watch throughout, though I’m not sure joy is the right word to describe the feeling of suspense and emotion I felt.

connecting them with the audience, it eventually gets you so attached that you don’t want to see some of them go.

Like the recent sci-fi blockbuster “The Martian,” “Everest” is a master at using the classic man-versus-nature trope, and the human drama really comes when we see the characters interacting with

one another and struggling against the mountain’s many dangers: among them, powerful winds, precarious heights, unimaginable chills and perilously low air pressures.

Not only do these factors help foster a vibrant human drama by evoking empathy for the characters’ unfortunate suffering, but they also help raise the suspense to marvelously high levels.

In other words, while this film is both entrancing and bewitching to watch. It makes you think and feel as well, which is what a good piece of art should do.

It’s a joy to watch throughout, though I’m not sure joy is the right word to describe the feeling of suspense and emotion I felt.

For its suspenseful plot and poignant storytelling, “Everest” gets a 9 out of 10.

‘Destiny: The Taken King’ adds reasons to play, makes vanilla game feel like beta ‘Destiny: The Taken King’ - from Bungie Xbox One, Playstation 4 9 out of 10

By Jack McAuslan ’16 THE ROUNDUP “The Taken King” add on for “Destiny” is out and, despite it being just an add on, it is essentially “Destiny 2.”

The original “Destiny” was for sure a

fun game to play with friends and it was pretty easy to get into.

It was essentially a first person shooter mixed with a massive multiplayer game taking place all around our solar system, but it did have problems.

It’s main issue though was, despite the amazing gameplay and countless things to do every week, the story was just not there.

I hardly knew anything about the backstory and you really had to dig deep into “grimoir cards,” in-game information that can be found by completing certain tasks, just to understand a little bit of backstory.

This is where “The Taken King” shines—story.

The first cutscene to activate the massive add on contains more story than the entirety of year one “Destiny,” and this is hardly an exaggeration.

Another problem that year one “Destiny” had was the strike playlist.

Something that should be fun to play with two of your friends hardly gave any rewards and the bosses at the end of the fights were just bullet sponges.

Every “Taken King” strike, the Shield Brothers, S.A.B.E.R, and the Darkblade, is interesting in some way and the bosses are not boring and grey.

The Shield Brothers attack in different ways and in waves.

S.A.B.E.R is well thought out and requires the players to have a good strategy.

The Darkblade is simply terrifying the first time you play it and is entertaining every time after.

Besides this, the new subclasses, Sunbreaker for titan, Stormcaller for warlock, and Nightstalker for hunter, are extremely powerful, useful in different situations, and are so much more entertaining.

I have used all three of them and they are more fun than any other super ability

in “Destiny.”

The new raid, King’s Fall, does not disappoint either.

It is extremely challenging and extremely difficult to complete without a full group of six people.

It takes hours to complete and it will be frustrating, but completing it is one of the most rewarding things in a video game I have experienced.

“Destiny: The Taken King” improves “Destiny” in every way and provides a story and raid that do not disappoint.

Page 20 | December 2015

The Roundup

Xavier

Gator

Amber Bigelow ’17

By Sam Romero ’17

THE ROUNDUP To start, can I get your name and year?

Amber Bigelow and I am a junior.

What do you do for fun?

I enjoy forcing my friends to watch movies with me.

What do you never do for fun?

I don’t think that question makes sense.

What Disney princess would you be?

Rapunzel because I’d get to hit people with a frying pan.

Would a taco or grilled cheese

Juan Carlos Ramirez ’18 & Bryce Owen ’17 THE ROUNDUP

Bandsintown App Bandsintown is a very convenient app that tracks your favorite artists’ concerts.

It has an easy function that asks for your favorite artist, provides you their concert locations and also lists upcoming concerts in your area.

This app also promotes the tours on your Facebook,YouTube, Twitter, Google and other web platforms.

One neat feature about this app is that it gives statistics of a concert.

It provides the number of people who have already reserved, bought and are planning to buy a ticket to a specific concert.

You can also receive notifications of pending concerts being approved so you would be able to buy your tickets the earliest.

This app is free on the App Store and it is an easy method to plan and obtain tickets for concerts with the least hassle.

GasBuddy App GasBuddy is an app that locates where you are and provides the cheapest gas around your location.

This app seems useful for students who drive frequently around town or have long commutes to school.

You can also report gas prices of a gas station to other people.

The student can also use a locater to find cheap gas in a particular area by putting in the zip code.

This is also a free app.

Star Chart App This app is a very neat in the sense that it has a unique way of interacting with the camera of your mobile device with astronomy.

This app allows you to look through your camera and gaze at the universe.

It can note where certain plants, stars or constellations are in the sky by using a 3D simulator.

It also provides descriptions of the constellations, planets, and stars in the universe.

This app can also be used to discover other

win in a fight?

Taco because it has a harder shell.

What is the most regular class you take at Xavier?

My math class.

Do you play any sports?

I’m on the pom team.

Why do you like pom?

To be part of a team and to dance.

What is your favorite TV show?

“Quantico.”

Favorite place you have been?

When I visited Jamaica.

What is your favorite emoji?

The one with the girl going like this.

What is your least favorite font style?

Helvetica, that makes me mad.

Comic Sans is the true villain.

planets in broad daylight.

This is another free app on the App Store.

Coolmath.com Coolmath.com is a fun website where students can go and learn math concepts of algebra, precalculus and much more.

This website provides easy to grasp explanation of math that some might find helpful.

Coolmath.com is also partnered with Coolmathgames.com.

Coolmathgames.com is another website that is still part of Coolmath.com but is a branch that contains mathematical games.

This website might provide a more enjoyable environment for a student to learn a math concept they do not understand.

Cartoonizedgifts.com Looking for a last minute holiday gift?

This website allows you to send in a photo of you or your friends, and the company’s artists will recreate the image in “The Simpsons” drawing style.

You have the option of getting an upper body portrait or full body portrait, and you can add up to 10 people.

The artists can add in pets, silly costumes or other fun ideas that you might have.

Once ordered, you will receive a digital copy of the image to print or the image can be printed onto a coffee mug.

It serves as a great present for family or friends with the upcoming holiday season.

Isitchristmas.com The countdown until Christmas has plenty of us on the edge of our seat.

Time seems to move twice as fast during this time of the year, but with isitchristmas.com, you will know whether or not Christmas is actually here yet.

The website is simple: type in the URL, and it will say yes or no. It’s that easy.

So next time, if you’re wondering, “Is it Christmas yet?” this website will have all the answers.

Words from the Wise ...

“Debate practice? That’s stupid. Let’s get lunch.”

“Active voice is preferred over passive voice.”

-Mr. Tom Danforth ‘78

-Ms. Elizabeth Clarke

“People would think that, because I’m in Calculus, I could count to eight without screwing up, but they’d be wrong.

-Tyler Lee ‘16

“I don’t always get things in on deadline.

But when I do, it definitely needs a second draft.”

-Graham Armknecht ’18 after missing a Roundup deadline

“Can someone please explain to me what a dank meme is?”

-Ms. Susan Maynard

“

Have you heard any wise words lately? Send them to us at roundup@brophybroncos.org or @BrophyRoundup