The Roundup Edition 2 December 2016

The Roundup roundup.brophyprep.org

December 2016 Edition 2

W

WOMEN ON CAMPUS Male to female faculty ratio sits at 3:1

hen one thinks of Brophy, all male and brotherhood come to mind.

But like any family, Brophy is not exclusively made up of brothers.

The female figures on our campus leave indelible marks on their students and are key to the school’s success.

This edition, The Roundup takes a look at the women who make Brophy what it is.

By Anthony Cardellini ’17

THE ROUNDUP Brophy Principal Mr. Bob Ryan said that the male to female faculty ratio, which is about three male teachers for every female teacher, was something that weighed heavily on his heart.

“In a rich educational environment students should be exposed to a diversity of

Inside » Women on Campus • Xavier students provide unique classroom experience

backgrounds and perspectives,” he said. “Our boys need examples of and good relationships with adult women.”

Mr. Ryan also said that he thought students should develop relationships with female faculty members because it is important that our young men have role models that are women.

Mr. Ryan said that the history of the school, as well as the fact that it is an all-male

•Wage gap detrimental to all sexes, future generations

• Staff editorial

See Opinions, Page 9

See Entertainment, Page 7

See News, Page 3

• Cheer team works to promote Brophy school spirit

• Renke serves as first female president, perpetuates Ignatian mission

See Sports, Page 11

See News, Page 5

See News, Page 6

Page 6

See RYAN, Page 4

• Venberg brings 23 years experience into classroom

Water scarcity threatens future, sustainability, Page 8 Elinski envisions opening doors of innovation, inspiring students

school, are some of the possible reasons for the disparity between the number of male and female teachers.

He said that he is encouraged by recent events such as Ms. Adria Renke becoming the first female president in the school’s history.

“There’s distance for us to travel,” he said.

“I’m excited that this year our president is a woman.”

Wrestling team prepares for rigorous schedule, Prep Slam Page 15

Junior Roskosz expresses himself through art, Page 18 Warner focused on pursuing career in music Page 17

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

News Online

Page 2 | December 2016

The Roundup

Alumni Faillace, Lydon grateful for Brophy’s guidance

By Andrew Jordan ’18

THE ROUNDUP 2014 graduates Eddie Faillace and Nick Lydon were good friends in high school and were voted as the funniest people in the class.

They both are living together with three other Brophy graduates in a house at Arizona State University.

How has Brophy prepared you for what you’re doing in college?

Faillace: I’d say that Brophy has done a lot for me. One of them would have to be that for my first year of classes, I was pretty prepared mentally and was able to better understand my classes because I had already taken them at Brophy. Also the school content in general was a lot easier than most because of what I learned at Brophy.

Lydon: So for me personally, a lot of what I learned at Brophy was from what I didn’t do and seeing the actions of others and how well guys in

my grade did. Seeing so much potential and how people can grow so much in a short period of time and how I didn’t really gave me a lot of motivation to prevent me from doing that again. Also I learned to be a total goober and to stop caring about what other people think about me.

Now that you’re three years out of high school and into college, do you still have any connection to Brophy?

Faillace: I don’t really have any connection with Brophy as a school anymore, but more with my graduating class. I’m still in contact with most of my friends from high school and see them every break, usually.

So how did you manage to move into a house with three other guys from your graduating class?

Faillace: I’ve been living with one of them since the beginning of freshman year, and I feel like our

friendship has been in a slow decline ever since then. I mean he doesn’t even listen to me anymore, all he does is dab all the time. I’m kidding about that, but in all seriousness these are guys that I’ve been friends with for years and it only seemed right that we would live together.

Lydon: I just didn’t stop talking to them, I mean I’ve lived with one of them for three years at this point.

Actually it just worked out really well, all of these guys are in my fraternity. I also made an effort to not be one of those guys that just ditches his old friends when he meets a new friend group.

What is it like to live with 3-4 of your good friends from high school?

Faillace: It’s got it’s highs and lows, but the big low is that it’s always so messy living with five other college guys. We’ve kept it clean for 20 hours now,

AlumniToday

which I think is a new record. Other than that, it’s pretty much always a good time. There’s almost always someone home with you so there is always someone to hang out with and go out with on the weekends.

Lydon: It’s good and bad, one of my biggest issues this semester is going out more often, It’s so difficult to go out with people when I know how fun it would be to stay in with these guys.

If you could say one thing to the current senior class at Brophy, what would it be?

Faillace: Go out and have a lot of fun with your friends because when they go away to college, you won’t be able to see them as much, but you’re still going to have fun with them when they come back during the breaks.

Lydon:You should never care about what people think about you because odds are, you will never match exactly what they want. You should accept yourself before you expect others to.­­

»Faces of Brophy

Photo by Manuel Mata Flores ’19

Alex Hernandez ’19

Photo by Manuel Mata-Flores ’19

Patrick Jackson ’19

“My brother, David, motivates me because I “Something that motivates me is knowing that know that I need to be there for him and be a there is someone out there working harder role model in his life.” than I am.”

The Roundup Brophy College Preparatory 4701 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85012 (602) 264-5291 roundup@brophybroncos.org Editors in Chief Anthony Cardellini ’17 & Andrew Howard ’17 Managing Editors Joseph Valencia ’17 & Matthew Zacher ’18 Multimedia Editor Bryce Owen ’17 Online Editor Tyler Conrad ’17 Social Media Editor Alex Kirshner ’18 News Editor Chris Agnone ’18

Opinion Editor Jack Cahill ’17 Sports Editor Jack Davis ’19 Assistant Sports Editor Juan Ramirez ’18 Entertainment Editor Sam Romero ’17 Staff Graham Armknecht ’18 Andrew Brown ’18 Kaleb Lucero ’18 Andrew Jordan ’18 Camden Andl ’19 Christopher Stanek ’19

Collin McShane ’19 Edwin Perez-Morales ’18 Ethan Winkler ’17 Hayden Welty ’19 Hunter Franklin ’19 Ibukun Oluyi ’17 Joshua Spano ’18 Kaleb Lucero ’18 Manuel Mata Flores ’19 Matthew Ramella ’19 Michael Taszarek ’18 Spencer Inglett ’19 Contributors Noah Rodriguez ’17 Cesar Hernandez ’17 Michael Placenti ’19 Nate Kerber ’19 Roundup Adviser Mr. Mica Mulloy ’99

Photo by Bryce Owen ’17

Max Pernick ’18

“The kind of teacher who inspires me is the one who demonstrates a passion for what they teach.”

Photo by Bryce Owen ’17

Rohit Krishnamurthy ’17

“My parents came to America as immigrants from India, and hearing stories about their struggles and ultimately witnessing their success only gives me more motivation to know that I can do anything I work toward.”

Corrections

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

Submissions

The Roundup welcomes news, opinions, sports, entertainment and photography submissions and ideas. E-mail roundup@ brophyprep.org or see Mr. Mulloy in Eller Room 200.

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 2016 Brophy College Preparatory’s The Roundup.

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

National Scholastic Press Association Member

Some material courtesy of American Society of Newspaper Editors/Tribune News Service.

Arizona Newspaper Association’s 2015, 2013, 2012 & 2011 “Best High School Newspaper” National Scholastic Press Association 2015, 2014 & 2013 Pacemaker Finalist

The Roundup

December 2016 |

Page 3

»Women at Brophy

Xavier students provide unique classroom experience

By Andrew Howard ’17

THE ROUNDUP Xavier students can take many electives at Brophy, including languages that Xavier doesn’t offer such as Latin and AP Spanish IV. They can also take classes like AP Government and Economics, Advanced Video Production, Sculpture and more.

Ms. Kelly Guffey, who teaches some of the AP Government and Economics classes, said Xavier students add a different environment to the classroom.

“My classes are a large majority of male students, they usually have between one and five girls in the class,” she said. “It’s interesting because we talk about things like social policy and voting differences between men and women, and it’s interesting when that happens because everyone turns to the girls immediately.”

Susan Peters ’17 takes Mr. Will Rutt ’08’s AP Gov and Econ class, and said there are differences between that class and her Xavier classes. One of the main differences was how reliant on technology Brophy classes are.

“My computer has never been required for school before, which means that I had to majorly adjust in August to bringing it to school every day,” she said. “However, it is incredibly useful to have my computer with me at all times, and it makes for a more dynamic and independent learning environment.”

Ms. Guffey said that she thinks there is a distinct difference between when she teaches all male summer school classes and her co-ed classes during the year.

“I think the difference is good, I think diversity is always good, whether it be gender or religion or race ... sharing those things helps us understand each other better,” she said.

Conner Nagaki ’17 takes Mr. Rutt’s class, and said he thinks the difference at times can hurt the class because with females around, male students may not feel as comfortable expressing their views.

“I think it’s a worse dynamic because when students feel free to interact and say things they aren’t afraid to say then it pushes deeper into conversations,” he said.

Ms. Guffey said she believes that, while there are no plans for the school to become co-ed, Brophy

Photo by Bryce Owen ’17 Students exchange to and from Brophy and Xavier Nov. 7.

being co-ed would be beneficial, especially for her classes, since they are so reliant on discussion.

“The men in the room are always more likely to know there are women in the room, and may curb the way they were phrasing things prior to that,” she said. “The words and rhetoric that they use are different, and probably better.”

Peters agreed that discussion is an important aspect of her class.

“My Brophy class involves more discussion than my Xavier ones, but that may just be because of the nature of the class itself,” she said.

Peters said that at times she feels that she may be judged during her class, especially since there is only one other girl.

“In an environment with only one other girl, I think I worry about receiving the judgment of my

fellow classmates more than I ever do in a class of 30 girls,” she said. “For example, today, I expressed more opinions than I usually do in class and immediately felt embarrassed for being so bold, which does not usually happen at Xavier.”

Peters also said her first month of classes at Brophy reminded her of her freshman year since she hardly knows anyone in the class.

“Lots of my Brophy classmates are strangers, so naturally it’s a more stressful environment,” she said. “In fact, my first weeks in AP Government reminded me quite a bit of my first weeks as a freshman at Xavier, which was scary.”

Peters also said she found herself working harder in her Brophy class because she was trying to earn the respect of the boys, which she said she thought was a good thing.

Peters said there would be some things she would want to change if she could.

“I suppose I would want to know more people in my Brophy class and feel more comfortable around them, if I had to change anything,” she said.

“Some of them have this teasing rapport with each other, which sounds like a fun thing to be a part of, but I’d kind of have to work up to that. Maybe by second semester, I’ll be able to politely mock in a classroom setting.”

More than anything Ms. Guffey said that what changes the most when Xavier students take Brophy classes is that the girls are always looked at when women’s rights are brought up, and that the boys always seek their opinion.

College counseling seeks more growth in opportunites

By Juan Carlos Ramirez ’18

THE ROUNDUP The College Counseling Department has been striving to provide more college information as the department has evolved through the years.

Three years ago the counseling department added freshman advisors and assigned “college counselors” to every sophomore, junior and senior.

This changed the traditional “guidance counselor” approach.

College counselor and hair of the department Mrs. Katie Widbin said that the department does not have much

to change three years into the new system but still has areas to grow.

“I don’t think we have much in place to change specifically at this time,” Mrs. Widbin said. “Every year we reflect on the prior year, and we think about what is working really well, why it’s working really well and places for opportunity to grow … I think we still have opportunities to do more collectively with our Spanish speaking parents and families. Getting more of our information in Spanish.”

Mrs. Widbin said that she doesn’t want a language barrier to be an obstacle to feel informed and comfortable with the college process.

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

Seniors are usually the higher priority for college counselors since they’re almost out the door.

“The seniors are in the most urgent situation, where they are in the thick of the culmination … a lot of the one-onone meetings are reserved for seniors and juniors … it’s like a graduated scale,” Mrs. Widbin said.

National Merit Semifinalist Brandon Theodorou ’17 said that his counselor has been a great asset for his application process.

“My freshman year I didn’t really use my counselor as much as I should have,” Theodorou said. “But then it switched and [Mrs. Widbin] has been great

“Mrs. Widbin has been great guiding me through college material since junior year.”

— Brandon Theodorou ’17

guiding me through college material since junior year. Now this year, it’s more focused on essays and stuff.”

College fairs are available for students and gives them the minimum information about that respective university, as well as information about scholarships and financial aid.

“I think it’s like a first step,” Theodorou said. “You can’t learn everything about a college, but it’s great to see the masses of them and build a list from that.”

The College Counseling Department has also been trying to grow in the area of visiting colleges.

Mrs. Widbin said that they organized trips to the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University Oct. 18.

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 4 | December 2016

The Roundup

»Women at Brophy

Michael’s staff offers positivity for students

By Matthew Zacher ’18

THE ROUNDUP The employees of Michael’s Catering Service have a daily presence in the lives of students going through the lunch line.

Brophy’s branch of Michael’s is managed by Ms. Sharon Byers.

“I like doing fun things for the kids,” Ms. Byers said. “We try to do healthy things, we have fun things, and some unhealthy as you know, but we try to do things that the students would like.”

Ms. Byers has spent years working in public schools as well.

“You are all polite, compared to public schools,” she said. “There is a big difference between public schools and this school.”

Ms. Byers said she believes that her staff, which is largely female, has a positive impact on students’ lives.

“We always try to make it fun because it’s your time that you’re not in class,” she said. “We at least want to make it fun, or give you something to eat, or have more choices, to try to give you a break from thinking.”

James Eby ’20 said he believes that the lunch staff definitely has a positive influence.

“When you see someone smiling, that just makes you happy,” he said. “It’s contagious.”

Eby said that because Brophy is an all boys school, it is important to have a female presence.

“It’s important to get the other side of the story,” he said. “There is still some discrimination that goes on, and I think being an all boys school, we don’t always hear female’s experiences.”

Brenda Chavis is a Michael’s employee and said that her favorite part of her job is the students.

Photo by: Andrew Brown ’18 Students flow through cafeteria lines during lunch Monday, Oct. 24.The women in Michaels say they are commited to serving the Brophy community on a day to day basis.

“I love the guys,” she said. “I can be in a bad mood coming to work and after the first couple of minutes working with you guys, it makes me all happy.”

Ms. Chavis said she believes that an all boys school is a very special thing.

“Instead of the boys focusing on trying to impress the girls they’re more focused on their studies,” she

said.

Ms. Chavis said that she hopes her and her colleagues have a positive impact on our lives.

“You guys give us respect, we give you respect,” she said. “So it’s a give-and-take situation. The responsibility of you guys having your money ready, and having your decision made even before you get

up to the line is very important too.”

Ms. Chavis added that Brophy students have a spiritual impact on her life as well.

“The comradery, the ‘men for others’ aspect and the prayers in the morning and afternoon, we enjoy that.”

Ryan: Ratio of male to female teachers ‘weighs heavily on me’ From RYAN, Page 1

He said that there are elements of the school that would be enhanced if we had more female faculty members.

Mr. Ryan said that the hiring process does not see gender as a key issue in deciding a new faculty member, but that gender diversity is certainly important and something he is mindful of.

“When I say [the ratio] is not perfect, I don’t mean to say we have a crisis here,” he said. “I think we have increased the percentage of women on the faculty in the last 10 years.”

Mr. Ryan said that Mrs. Katie Widbin is the only female department chair at the school. She is chair of the counseling department.

Mrs. Widbin, who has been the chair of the department for five years and was the first female sports coach at Brophy, said that she is impressed with the progress Brophy has made over the past decade.

“I remember in my first years here feeling much more aware of being a woman on campus,” she said. “I remember when I would walk in heels on the campus and people would turn and look, not because they were being weird or creepy but because it was such an unusual sound.”

“We have our long term veteran female teachers here who are fantastic,” Mrs. Widbin said. “I think we’ve done a lot of good hiring in the last several years.”

Photo by Bryce Owen ’17 Mr. Bob Ryan addresses students and faculty before the mass opening the Summit on Feb. 29.

Mr. Ryan also said that his ultimate goal is not necessarily a 50/50 ratio, but instead that he thinks an all boys school “should have more male teachers on the faculty,” although he said the current disparity is too large.

Mrs.Widbin agreed that the need for strong male faculty members at an allmale school is great.

“I think that Mr. Ryan is on the right track with the awareness of the need for great men to be at Brophy,” she

said. “There is a desperate need for our young men to have male teachers who can be role models, who can engage in difficult conversations, who can speak the language.”

Mrs. Widbin said there is a unique draw for male faculty to Brophy because of its Jesuit heritage. She said this was evident through the number of alumni teachers Brophy employs.

Mr. Ryan expressed gratitude to the current female faculty members.

“I’m very grateful to the women on the faculty,” he said. “Being a female teacher in an all-male environment is not necessarily an easy job all the time.

But these teachers are really important to the school.”

Mrs. Widbin said she would not be surprised to see more female department chairs in the future.

Tucker Brown ’17, who is currently working on an original oratory about feminism for Speech and Debate, said

the school is far from perfect, but that Brophy has given him several female role models, such as Ms. Beth Clarke, Ms. Jessie Mason and Mrs. Kristen Venberg.

He also said that having Ms. Renke as the president of Brophy this year is extremely important.

“I think having Ms. Renke as president is huge, given that all of the past presidents at Brophy have been male,” he said. “A majority of principals and presidents for private schools are men. So having these female role models kind of shifts our structure.”

He also said that female influence is all the more important because Brophy is all male.

“When you walk around Brophy you’re only around guys,” he said. “There’s no way that all the club presidents wouldn’t be guys, so now you have a school of all guys where all the positions of power are held by guys.What’s that going to be like when you get out of Brophy?”

Brown said it is difficult to talk about women’s issues without women to present their perspectives.

“When you don’t have female role models, you don’t understand where women come from, if you try to have a conversation about things like gender equality and gender violence,” he said.

s

The Roundup

December 2016 |

Page 5

»Women on Campus

Renke serves as 1st female president, perpetuates mission

By Matthew Zacher ’18

THE ROUNDUP Ms. Adria Renke has taken over as interim president of the school, making her the first female president in Brophy’s 88 year history.

Ms. Renke, formerly the vice president, took over this summer when the Rev. Eddie Reese, S.J., became president of St. Ignatius College Prep in San Francisco.

Principal Mr. Bob Ryan said that Ms. Renke is great for the job, regardless of the fact she is a female.

“She has great knowledge of the school,” he said.

“Fr. Reese has been the president, but the two of them worked very closely for 20 years, so her thumbprint is already on this campus.”

Mr. Ryan also spoke to the significance of Ms. Renke being the school’s first female president: “I think it’s fantastic,” he said. “Since their founding 450 years ago, Jesuit schools have been run by Jesuit priests. As far as I know, of the established Jesuit schools across the country, she is the first female president of any school.”

Mr. Ryan added that Brophy’s forward-thinking and openness to change makes it fitting that Brophy is the first school to have a female president.

Ms. Renke said that she comes to the position as

Photo by Bryce Owen ’17 President Ms. Adria Renke recognizes students at the Spring Distinguished Students awards ceremony Apr. 13.

a president with her vocation as a mother, a writer and an educator with her own toolbox.

“If I was intimidated by my gender in an all male school, I wouldn’t have lasted 20 years,” she said. “I am a pretty gender blind person. I am all about can

you do the job.”

Ms. Renke said she feels incredibly fortunate to serve as president.

“For me, there is no better job than perpetuating the Jesuit legacy, the Jesuit mission,” she said. “It’s

who I am. So yeah, I bring a different set of tools as a female, as a mother, to any place, but I think there is great value in my toolbox.”

Ian Burke ’18 said that the fact that Ms. Renke is a woman should not be made into a big deal.

“I am glad that she has a larger role,” he said. “But I don’t think it will make that big of a difference in our everyday school life.”

However, Burke acknowledged the importance of having a female president.

“I think it is a cool step for Brophy,” he said. “But other than that, I don’t think that we should make too big of a deal out of it because it takes away from the significance of her accomplishments.”

Mrs. Susan Maynard has taught at the school for 15 years and said that Ms. Renke is a strong capable person and that she has proven herself during her tenure as vice president.

“She is a visionary,” she said. “She is willing to speak her mind, but she is also willing to listen.”

Mrs. Maynard added that she doesn’t believe that Ms. Renke being a woman is relevant to the position.

“I think that she has earned the trust that has been placed in her over the years from just her competence as a person, but on the other hand I guarantee you she has faced challenges as a woman that she wouldn’t have as a man,” she said.

»Campus News

­­Advocacy club seeks to involve, engage students in policy, lobbying

By Matthew Zacher ’18

THE ROUNDUP The Advocacy Club is focusing their lobbying efforts this year on the issues of immigration and public education policy.

The club, moderated by Ms. Elizabeth Clarke and Mr. Will Rutt ’08 also features a student executive board.

Tucker Brown ’17 is a member of the executive board with four other students.

“The goal is to get high school students able to have some sort of involvement in politics, in general, regardless of whether or not they can vote,” Brown said.

Brown said that there is a misconception among the electorate that voting is the only thing you can do

to get involved.

“In reality there is a lot more,” he said.

“You can get involved by writing to your state legislators, national legislators and lobby.”

Brown said that this year the club’s main focus is immigration policy.

“We do a lot of research,” he said.

“The different visas you can get, the different things you have to go through, it’s a super extensive process. So, we are going to try to understand that process before we go to the Ignatian Family Teach In for Justice in D.C. and start lobbying.”

Ms. Clarke said she believes students are especially effective when it comes to advocating for change.

“Kids don’t really have an agenda,” she said. “They’re not paid lobbyists, so if you go talk to a politician, there is an ethos there that doesn’t necessarily always exist with people who have been

Photo by Bryce Owen ’17 Students and faculty gather to look at the Advocacy club’s expo on political candidates.

The advocacy club created an expo showcasing political candidates and their alignment with church teachings Oct. 12.

paid to lobby on a particular issue.”

Ms. Clarke said that it is important to see how the political world works.

“It is great experience for you all to

have to see what this world looks like and how it functions,” she said. “There is so much room to do this kind of work, and it is such important work.”

The Advocacy Club is partnering with the Kino Border Initiative this year in lobbying for immigration policy.

Brown said that immigration is a complicated issue, and as such, you cannot tackle the whole thing.

“We can’t just ask for comprehensive immigration reform, that’s not going to get anything done,” he said. “When it comes to lobbying you have to figure out very specific asks, things that legislators can do, and then you also have to have plan A through Z figured out as far as what the other options will be.”

Brown said that the club plans to meet with U.S. Sen. John McCain while in D.C. for the IFTJ, but as he is in a re-election fight against Ann Kirkpatrick, they must be prepared for any circumstance.

The club meets Mondays at lunch in Ms. Clarke’s room and is open to all students.

Komlan takes advantage of academic, social opportunities at Brophy

By Josh Spano ’18

THE ROUNDUP Want to meet someone who shares all of the school’s Graduate at Graduation qualities?

Meet Axell-Giovanni Komlan ’18.

Whenever he walks down any of Brophy’s halls he will smile and say hello to anyone he sees.

Fellow Student Council member Justin Pasionek ’18 described Komlan as “The nicest and kindest person you’ll ever get to know and he is just a great guy.”

Some things Komlan takes part in is

the band program where he plays the saxophone, mentors freshmen in the Big Brothers program, and is a first year Student Council member.

“I am taking advantage of all the academic and social extracurricular resources that we have here” Komlan said. “But, I still have some room to grow for myself both spiritually and personally.”

One person Komlan takes inspiration from is his father, who is an immigrant from the country of Togo.

“Because of the struggle that my father had to go through in order to come to America and to face a whole new culture. Whatever struggle that he has

been through he has always been able to overcome it,”Komlan said.

“That inspires me because any problem I can go through I can always come out on top because of my dad,” Komlan said.

Komlan said he is looking forward to participating in retreats and “wants to overall do well this year.”

He described Brophy as both “generous and giving” and is extremely grateful for the opportunities given to him.

“I am not so sure about what I want to do,” Komlan said about his future career plans. “Maybe be a heart surgeon.”

Spanish teacher Mr. Richard Córdova described Komlan as, “a

“I am taking advantage of the academic and social extracurricular rescources that we have here .”

— Axell Komlan ’18

great human being, kind, polite, a hard worker, and is willing to help anybody.”

Even though Komlan may not know what he wants to do in the future he did say he wants to help others.

“I want to help people in a way that those who don’t have the same opportunities and resources that we all have,” he said.

For college Komlan is looking to go out of state because, “I have been here my entire life.”

If accepted into an Ivy League school, “That would be A-OK.” Komlan said.

One of Komlan’s hidden talents is that he knows karate.

“I made it to a purple belt, so if you guys ever cross my path and kinda mess with me, watch out,” Komlan said jokingly.

Page 6 | December 2016

The Roundup

»Women on Campus

Venberg brings 23 years experience into classroom

By Chris Stanek ’19

THE ROUNDUP Mrs. Kristin Venberg is the only female social studies teacher at Brophy and has been a teacher for 23 years.

It is a different dynamic for Mrs. Venberg being the only female U.S. History teacher at Brophy, she said it does not affect her.

“It really does not feel any different being a female teacher.” Mrs. Venberg said, “I do not really think about it that much because my gender is not a issue in the department. Growing up with five brothers, I feel comfortable around boys. There is not much they can say or do to offend me. I appreciate their energy and enthusiasm.”

Mr. Ryan Hubbell, history teacher, said he believes that it is important to have female teachers in classrooms.

“I think they have a great influence,” Mr. Hubbell said. “There tends to be an under representation of women at Brophy. But women at Brophy are amazing teachers.”

Mr. Hubbell said history points to women having a large influence in education despite having fewer opportunities than men.

“They had to work much harder than the men, and ended up being much more intelligent and educated, which made the public educational system very effective and productive,” Mr. Hubbell said.

Drew Burns ’18, a student of Mrs. Venberg’s, realizes how her teaching styles differ from other teachers in the same department.

“I have had many teachers in the history department,” Burns said. “Mrs. Venberg brings a

Photo by Bryce Owen ’17

Mrs. Kristin Venberg speaks with students at lunch to dicuss global affairs Wednesday, Oct. 12.

sense of energy to the classroom, and brings a fun connection between what we are learning in case and to the real world.”

“Mrs. Venberg brings a stronger connection to the students ...,” Burns said. “She helps open doors to their learning experiences.”

Maggie Venberg ’18, her daughter and Xavier junior, said she appreciates what a big role her mother plays in her life as well as Brophy’s.

“My mom plays as a huge role model for me,” Venberg said. “As her being a teacher, she is not only helpful, she is inspiring. I think her being a

teacher helps out with family time. She shares the same hours with me, and is basically my ride home. Also as a plus, she can really help me out with school.”

»Teacher Profile

Elinski envisions opening doors of innovation, inspiring students

By Juan Carlos Ramirez ’18

THE ROUnDUP When it comes to Arizona climate, new Director of Innovative Technologies Mr. Kevin Elinski said he has been used to it since the 60s when he would travel and visit his grandmother in Mesa.

Mr. Elinski grew up in Chicago and lived in Wisconsin for 20 years before he moved to Wickenburg, Ariz. in 2007.

He taught at Wickenburg High School and founded an engineering program, but being a high school teacher was never in his plans.

“My wife passed away in 2004,” Mr. Elinski said. “I had an eight-year-old daughter, and my job required a lot of travel. So I asked myself, “What could I do?.” I helped her in school and made sure that her transition was smooth.

In a field trip, I remember a teacher saying that ‘these kids are awful’. At that moment, it clicked in my mind that I could deal with these kids. It was a point in my life that I realized that I really enjoy being around kids. The educational part of the school is something I have never done before.”

Mr. Elinski said he actually built his straw bale house in Wickenburg with some high school students from Wickenburg High School.

Mr. Elinski said he still lives in Wickenburg, but he is trying to sell his house so can move closer to the city.

Photo by Andrew Brown ’18 Mr. Kevin Elinski, the new director of innovative technologies, helps out students in the Innovation Commons Thursday, Oct. 20.

Mr. Elinski’s family and history is very unique and peculiar in its respect.

He said his mother came over after World War II as a Polish refugee.

“The Soviet Army came in and took my grandpa and uncle,” Mr. Elinski said. “They said they would take my mom and grandmother to Siberia. My grandma followed the train tracks, found them, and they took my mother and grandmother to Siberia to cut trees

for three years … The British Army then said if the Soviets wanted their help, they needed to free the Polish. So the Soviets did, but they couldn’t go back home because Poland was under the Germans.

So somehow they went from Siberia to Baghdad, Iraq and then Baghdad to Mexico. They stayed in Mexico for three years in refugee camps until they could find a sponsor to get into the United States.”

As the new director of innovative technologies, Mr Elinski said he wants to show kids that they can do it.

He said that his job is to show students they can build anything if they really apply themselves.

Assistant Principal of Technology Mr. Mica Mulloy ’99 said that position of director of innovative technologies was created to manage and oversee what happens in the Innovative Commons.

“He knows how to do everything that is in the Innovative Technologies,” Mr. Mulloy said. “But it’s not just knowledge of the tools that makes him perfect. What also helps is that he has a vision to help students learn how to use those things ... so they can take all those things and use them to creatively solve problems like they never have before.”

Mr. Mulloy also said that the overall hope is that the students can take advantage of the incredible resources provided to them, and they can determine where they want to go and do with this.

Wyatt Ashton ’20 is a student in Mr. Elinski’s Introduction to Innovative Technologies class and he said he feels more encouraged as the class progresses.

“As I progress in the class, I feel that I can be more involved because I have more ideas,” Ashton said. “He’s flexible with your projects. If you do something out of the project, it is very well accepted.”

Ashton also said that he never imagined the possibility of doing these type of projects as a freshman at Brophy.

These projects vary from working with a 3D printer to working with programming software.

Mr. Elinski said he is very pleased being in this community and feels very accepted.

Opinions The Roundup | DECEMBER 2016 »Staff Editorial

Photo by Bryce Owen ’17 From left to right; Mrs. Kristin Venberg, Mrs. Katie Widbin, Ms. Susan Maynard, Ms. Adria Renke and Mrs. Deb Kauffman are some of the influencial women on campus.

Students need more female influence in classroom

The Issue: Female influence at Brophy is significantly less than male influence.

Our Stance: Students should have access to a more equal amount of male and female faculty.

B

rophy has over three times as many male teachers as female teachers.

How can the student body be prepared to enter a world with 51 percent women when we do not have a closer to equal population of male and female faculty on our campus?

Many students at Brophy graduate having only been taught by a few women. When students enter the real world, they will have to cooperate, interact with and be led by women on a regular basis, which could prove to be a challenge without more influence during formative high school years.

High school students are at a time in

their lives where they are still discovering their view of the world. Without having enough strong female role models and the understanding that women play a huge factor in male lives, students could struggle entering into colleges with coeducational classrooms, or jobs with female coworkers and bosses.

A 50-50 male to female ratio would be ideal, although we understand that may not be attainable or practical given the all-male context of our student body.

But moving as close as we can get to that point would allow students to understand how females can play important roles in their life.

The school has made progress and come a long way in the last several decades. But there is work to be done.

Right now, there are 77 male faculty members who students regularly interact with, and 33 female faculty members. That means nearly 80 percent of the faculty members are men.

We believe this percentage is a problem. There is a deep need for stronger female influence on the Brophy

faculty.

Principal Mr. Bob Ryan said that he agrees the school should have more female influence.

“In a rich educational environment, students should be exposed to a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives,” he said in an interview with The Roundup.

"Our boys need examples of and good relationships with adult women.”

He said he thinks the faculty ratio needs to improve, but an all-male school should have more male teachers as part of its faculty.

He also said gender diversity among faculty is important, but added that gender is not the only factor in the hiring process.

Despite the current discrepancy, female teachers still have a huge impact on the students, which is why we think that the amounts should be equal.

Teachers like Mrs. Dorothy Dunnion, Ms. Beth Clarke, Mrs. Deb Kauffman, Ms. Breanne Toshner and a host of others each have made major impacts on their students.

Obviously, having male role models is extremely important for teenage boys.

Brophy’s male teachers add tremendous value to the school on all fronts.

However, Brophy should work to make the diversity of its teachers more closely mirror to the diversity students will see in the real world. If our classrooms are not a microcosm of the real world, or at least our country, they cannot fully prepare us for life after college.

Some of the biggest issues our society faces today involve the relationships between men and women.These include topics such as the right to life, domestic violence, the gender pay gap and sex trafficking.

The best way that students can have meaningful conversations about these topics is if those conversations include female voices.

While we believe Brophy needs a better ratio of female to male teachers, it is also important to recognize the progress we have made.

At one point in history the school was staffed almost exclusively by male

priests.

Many recently hired teachers have been females and the male to female ratio has improved.

Most notably, Interim President Ms. Adria Renke is the first-ever female president of a Jesuit high school in the United States.

We recognize that a perfect change cannot happen overnight; it is a process that is multi-layered and complex. But it is a process that needs to continue moving in the right direction.

Brophy has always been a school that holds diversity as a central tenet to a complete education. We hope this belief encourages the administration to continue to increase female influence in classrooms.

By Andrew Howard '17 & 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

Visit The Roundup’s award-winning website

roundup.brophyprep.org

Opinions

Page 8 | December 2016

The Roundup

Water scarcity threatens future, sustainability

By Kaleb Lucero '18

The Roundup While our state has the potential to go down in history for its achievements in engineering and human adaptation of and to the environment, it might also become one of the biggest blunders in colonization history.

This is due to the fact that we aren't acknowledging the problem of regional water scarcity.

The usage of our water supplies affects everyone in Arizona, and the lack of those resources will surely change the lives of everyone.

Less water immediately affects farmers, then the urban poor, but then it spreads to every facet of public life.

To put it short, water is the bloodline of Arizona. Without it, the state where most of us grew up in, and where all of us are being educated in, will wither away, leaving, literally, ghost towns that once had the potential to be something so much greater.

Whether you hate or love our state, this idea should be a stab in the heart.

According to The Arizona Experience, an online reference, we use about 7.257.75 million acre-feet (how much water it takes to cover an acre in water with a depth of one foot). That, combined with our advanced network of dams, canals and replenishment ponds make sure that we have water when we need it and where we need it.

However, the sources are running dry.

Water is an extremely finite resource here.

According to a 2013 article from High Country News, the aquifers, which are the biggest source of water for Arizona (providing a whopping 43 percent), are being used faster than they can be replenished.

Photo Illustration by Bryce Owen '17 Arizona simply has become too wasteful with water usage. Without change our supply will dry up.

On the other hand, the Colorado River, providing about another 40 percent of our water, is being used far beyond its capability to provide, causing what The Arizona Experience calls a "water debt," which they said "will continue to grow as population increases, causing changes to ecosystems and the land itself."

The Environmental Protection Agency also reported that "Future water scarcity will be compounded by the region's rapid population growth, which is the highest in the nation."

However, I have to disagree that population is somehow going to bring about the doom of our water sources.

Population, for the most part, will only be affected by water, but I don't think that in our situation the number of people will matter.

While we are the fifth fastest growing

state in the country with a projected eight million inhabitants by 2025, we still only use 25 percent of our water for municipal purposes.

We use 6.96 million acre-feet a year, about 2,267,922,960,000 gallons of water. While we use 1.74 million acrefeet for municipal purposes annually, where do the other 5.22 million acrefeet go?

Turns out, 69 percent of it goes to agriculture, with only nine percent going to industry. This means an outstanding 4.8 million acre-feet of water go to growing crops.

Even if we reduce municipal consumption through water saving shower heads, faucets, toilets, etc., by 50 percent, it would still only give us back 0.87 million acre feet of water.

I don't mean to belittle that, because every single drop counts, but I do think

that it is virtually nothing compared to the amount potentially wasted in the fields.

Here is the problem: We're a desert region, and we, as I perceive it, are almost completely complacent with the reality that we lose, misuse and abuse our water to such an extent that it will actually run out.

There is also a problem with the deal we have for using the Colorado River.

According to a 1968 deal between Arizona and California, it was decided that California would get to continue their water usage even when Colorado River supplies are running low.

Furthermore, 60 percent of Southern California's water comes from the Colorado River. Legally, they can continue using whatever water they want from the river, regardless of the struggles that their neighbor states are

facing.

What's the solution?

California will have to be responsible for its water consumption. All of the Southwest states are in this together, and some shouldering the brunt of the consequences only calls out for misuse.

Secondly, we must seriously consider the logic of maintaining Arizona and California as "agricultural states." I have no doubt in my mind that Arizona is the perfect place for urban development, but to think that a desert should still be used for agriculture is overly optimistic, and we will be paying for that false optimism soon.

It is necessary for us to either limit agriculture in these drought-ridden areas (which would hurt the economy but save urban development), or we must make a serious push for the implementation of new types of irrigation and land management.

The blunt, brute force approach to this would be limiting agricultural industry outright. While I believe this has to happen either way, it would mean cutting out a huge portion of Arizona's economy, as well as forcing many farmers and ranchers out of their jobs.

Agriculture contributes $10.3 billion to the state economy, so it is absolutely vital to Arizona. However, the majority of farms are family owned, meaning those particular farms (unlike the "big farms") may not able to pay for the implementation of the water-conserving technology.

It is important for people, everyday residents, to contribute in any way, shape and form.

It's important for us to keep in mind that one acre-foot can cover a family of five's water needs for a whole year, and that it is completely immoral of us to expect farmers and ranchers to take all the hits.

In a region that is fighting for its very survival, sacrifices to convenience and ways of life will have to be made, but it is certain that we dwellers of this "uninhabitable" place will not simply abandon our homes, our progress here, without doing everything humanly possible.

»Letter to the Editor

America must eliminate the electoral college for democracy Electoral college fundamentally unfair

In the aftermath of the 2016 election, one thing is clear: the Electoral College is a barrier to American Democracy.

The Electoral College was created to appease small states who wanted oversized influence and as a compromise between differing views on how to elect the president.

Even if these concessions were necessary for the adoption of the Constitution, they are unjust

and have negative consequences.

It is unfair for voters in swing and small states to have more powerful votes than those of voters in larger, more partisan states.

This influence

By Gabe Morrison '17 can be enough to tip the scale The Roundup of the Electoral College against the popular vote, causing a potential

outcome of an election to be a candidate who earns the most votes not being elected.

In recent years, in an era with close-to-even support for both major parties, this unsurprisingly has happened twice, with George Bush Jr.’s and Donald Trump’s “victories” over Al Gore in 2000 and Hillary Clinton in 2016, respectively.

The results of these elections have had or look to have grave consequences.

Bush’s first term was characterized by his response to the tragic terrorist attacks on 9/11, and they were disastrous.

Bush established the morally despicable Guantanamo Bay, passed the USA PATRIOT Act

which, among other issues, allows the government to overstep its Constitutional bounds, and led the US into the pointless, expensive and casualty-heavy Iraq War. Now, thanks to the Electoral College, America will have at least four years with a president who espouses racist and sexist comments, insults reporters, disabled people, Muslims and veterans, and, in the case of climate change, rejects irrefutable facts.

In 2012, Trump himself tweeted it best: “The electoral college is a disaster for a democracy.”

Opinions

The Roundup

December 2016

| Page 9

»Women on Campus

Round[up] Table: Female teachers leave lasting impressions

By Jack Davis ’19 THE ROUNDUP

to one who now also enjoys math. She is a fantastic teacher and I’m glad I had her for two years.

This edition, The Roundup has added a new feature where the editors reflect on a question that concerns the campus.

This edition's question is: Who's been the most influential female teacher throughout your high school career?

Joseph Valencia ’17: Mrs. Dunnion helped me to realize my skills in creative writing, and introduced me to new ways to read and appreciate literature. She was always supportive of everything her students did, constantly pushing us to improve.

Anthony Cardellini ’17: Ms. Toshner. She turned me from a student only interested in English

Tyler Conrad ’17: Mrs. Venberg can effectively help her students earn passing grades on AP tests, while also always being an open ear when

you need someone to talk to. She is not only of the best teachers I’ve ever had, but also someone who I think knows her students very well as people.

the most influential female teacher for me. She often initiated interesting discussions, and a female perspective on things was appreciated by everyone.

Matthew Zacher ’18: While I have only had her for a few months, Ms. Guffey has been the best teacher I have had when it comes to instructing in a politically unbiased way. She is always happy to answer my, at times, exorbitant amount of questions.

Alex Kirshner ’18: Ms. Lenox. I always liked her class, and she was extremely knowledgeable and passionate about biology. I think it's important for a teacher to demonstrate a passion for learning, and her's was evident every day. She also taught me a lot, and her class challenged me every day.

Jack Cahill ’17: Ms. Maynard was definitely

Wage gap detrimental to all sexes, future generation of American workers People of all political persuasions account. can likely agree that the wage gap, the Eight percent, however, is still a gap, difference in median pay between men and not an inconsequential one. and women, is ultimately a negative For instance, a man who makes thing. $100,000 will see his female colleague The American Association of making $92,000 for the same exact job.

University Women released a detailed So while partisan alarmism on the issue study on the facts of the wage gap. is unfounded, concern is reasonable.

In 2015, women working full time A Harvard study conducted by were paid just 80 percent economists found that of what men were paid. evaluators and employers are At this rate, the gap more likely to hire men over won't be closed until equally qualified women.

2152, because the gap has Similar studies, such as one hardly made any signs of conducted by David Neumark improvement in the last of the University of California several decades. found that a qualified woman is There are myriad 35 percent less likely to receive explanations as a promotion or pay raise

By Jack Cahill ’17 to why this is the than an equally qualified The Roundup case, and while male counterpart. some are purely Similar studies find circumstantial, other explanations direct evidence of discrimination, reflect problems within businesses and finding that more jobs went to women wider society. when the applicant's sex was unknown First, we need to be fair. during the hiring process.

According to the US Department We can all agree that direct evidence of of Labor, the pay gap on paper is 20 discrimination is a bad thing, but people percent, the real number is around 8 tend to disagree on what to do about it. percent when variables such as children A kneejerk reaction might be to and hours worked are taken into advocate for the government to make

it illegal for companies to discriminate based on sex.That's a sound idea, but the government did just that with the Equal Pay Act of 1963.

In reality, two things need to happen.

For one, the companies or the government itself should implement flexible and reasonable policies such

as paid family leave and supported childcare that enable mothers to be both moms and workers.

Women without children make 94 percent of what men do, whereas women with children make 78 percent of what men do. With balanced policies aimed toward helping mothers work,

we can begin to close the gap.

Secondly, we need a large scale change in attitude as a culture. While claims of widespread discrimination are often exaggerated and made political, it is true that many businesses often prefer men over equally qualified women.

Frankly, it is unfeasible to make that illegal, because we have already tried and cracking down on this would ultimately infringe on the rights of a private business.

This is why we need to promote and cultivate a culture that promotes respect toward women in the workplace, and a culture that promotes a view that women and mothers are just as capable as men.

As the next generation of male workers, it is our responsibility to make this our problem, rather than something we can take advantage of.

We need to start a dialogue on promoting a culture that values women and mothers in the workplace just as much as single men.

The wage gap is often politicized and perhaps even over or under exaggerated by different groups, but it exists. We can take practical steps to reduce the gap, even if we may never fully close it.

News media intrinsically important to democracy, freedom, information Hatred of media cause of concern

Wikileaks, an organization that frequently releases sensitive information from many sources, recently released emails tied to the Clinton campaign.

These emails are relatively uncontroversial, as everything discussed in them was widely believed The news media has been or known before Wikileaks released the "Podesta under attack from every angle Emails." this year, with both parties John Podesta, the Chairman of the Clinton criticizing media coverage of campaign whose email server was attacked, the election. has been critical of Wikileaks and the Russian "If the disgusting and government, who Podesta accuses of leaking the corrupt media covered me information to Wikileaks. honestly and didn't put false Perhaps the most negative thing that has come meaning into the words I from the harsh critique of the media is the say, I would be beating American public's rising distrust in it.

Hillary by 20 percent," Strong opinions of the media can be

By Michael Taszarek 18 Donald Trump, the heard all over Brophy's campus.

The Roundup Republican nominee "Don't take everything at face value," for president, and now presidident elect said. said Reese Galvin '18. "There is always going to Trump has made harsh statements throughout his be bias. If something makes you uncomfortable, campaign for president, and the media coverage has chances are it's worth investigating on your own." been rather critical.

With all of the criticism, I think that it is important Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee for to take a step back and realize how important the president, has also been critical of the media, but in media is to our freedom and democracy. a different way from Trump.

The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees the press freedom, something that the founding fathers knew was critical to democracy's success.

Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States and strong believer in the First Amendment, once stated, "Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost."

Bias exists in the media; there is no question about that. However, I think that it is important that we avoid generalizing the media as a whole.

Parts of the media are biased conservatively, and many parts are liberally biased. As a result, people look at the sources and label the media one way or the other.

What these people do not do is look at a broad range of sources. I get my news mainly from two sources, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.

It is widely accepted that the Journal has a conservative tilt versus the Times, which is widely regarded to have a liberal tilt.

I open up both of these pages, and attempt to read

them side by side. By doing this, I get both the news and differing opinions and coverage of the news.

This way, I can develop my own opinions based after reading both the news from different leaning media outlets.

One might ask why I get my news from newspaper outlets and not the television. I read the papers because of their longstanding reputations of being credible, and they for a large part avoid sensationalizing the news.

If you only watch television news outlets, such as CNN and Fox News, you hear a sensationalized version of a limited amount of news.

This sensationalized news is much more biased than the news of other platforms, and is not a good way of digesting events going on in our country and the world.

There are biased news outlets in this country; nobody is denying it. However, it is extremely important that we recognize how intrinsic the media is to our freedom and democracy in the United States.

Opinions

Page 10 | December 2016

140Characters

Musings on matters of the day

Have you heard classmates say demeaning things about women?

—Ethan Winkler '17: Yes, it happens every now and then. It’s hard to avoid on a campus of all male students.

—Sam Romero '17: Yes, it is a constant topic every day especially at an all boys school.

—Anthony Cardellini '17: Every single day.

Have you called out people for making demeaning comments toward women?

—Jack Cahill '17: Admittedly, only sometimes. Sometimes I’ll just laugh it off, whereas other times I and just say “bud, you can’t say that, okay?”

—Cameron Andl '19: I definitely have before. Unfortunately I don't stand up to these people as much as I should, and I feel that other guys do the same as me.

—Joe Valencia '17: I definitely have, but only if I feel safe making that assertion.

How would you describe the 2016 election cycle.

—Sam Romero '17: Have you ever seen the Spongebob movie when Plankton takes over Bikini Bottom? #Plankton2016 —Matthew Ramela '19: Like choosing between Creed and Nickelback.

Question

of the Month

The Roundup

—Jack Cahill '17: Divisive and exhausting, but I love every second of it.

Superbowl?

—Chris Stanek '19: The Packers are going to bring it home for Lambeau. They may have had a rough start but Aaron Rodgers will be the MVP. —Graham Armknecht '18: The Vikings are going to get close to winning —Sam Romero '17: I went to the Sugar Bowl and let me tell you it was pretty Super.

—Anthony Cardellini '17: Champions League Final.

What new movie releases are you looking forward to?

—Ibukun Oluyi '17: "Boo! A Madea Halloween" will be the greatest film in all of human history.

—Ethan Winkler '17: Not really. There really aren’t any movies coming out that look particularly interesting to me.

—Joe Valencia '17: I'm really pumped for that sequel to “Inception,” wait, I mean "Dr. Strange."

—Edwin Perez '18: I'm waiting for the movie "Boo" in 2019!

"Ms. Toshner pushed me into "For me it's Mrs. Castañeda. She the Brophy culture. I came in from really helped me get Lady to be able to come to school with me." a school that didn't really expect anything from me but she whipped Editor's Note: Orr was recently me into shape. I think what surprised training a service dog named Lady. me most is that even after class Ryan Orr '19 she pushed me into extracurricular activities."

Shikahar Srivastava '18

"Ms. Clarke's class taught me the importance of studying and hard work."

Micheal Manganiello '19

"Ms. Clarke's class gave me a new perspective at an all guys school. I guess it brought up new points at Brophy that I might have overlooked."

Justin Guidera '19

By Collin McShane '19

THE ROUNDUP

How has a female teacher affected your time at Brophy?

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

December: Matthew Zachar '18

The Roundup Staff Member of the Month

“ ... 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.” — From The Roundup Mission Statement

Sound appealing?

If so, 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, talk to Mr. Mulloy ‘99 in E331 about joining The Roundup.

Sports The Roundup | DECEMBER 2016 »Women

on Campus

LEADING THE CHEER

Photo by Hunter Franklin ’19

The Xavier spirit line performs during halftime Friday Sept. 23 at Phoenix College. The Xavier cheer co-captains said that they provide a foundation behind the football team.

Cheer team works to promote school spirit

By Tyler Conrad '17

THE ROUNDUP

D

espite being from a different school, Xavier’s cheer team said that they enjoy boosting Brophy school spirit and providing support for the football players on Friday nights.

“I think that us going to the games and being there and sitting in front of the crowds and leading them and cheering on the football team means a lot to them,” said Co-Captain Tatum Webb ’18.

Webb and fellow captain Peri Burnett ’17 have been cheering on the Broncos for the past three years, and said that they have formed relationships with the team over time.

“It’s good that they know they have a foundation behind them,” Burnett said.

Burnett said that being friends with the football players has benefited both

Online

This month

roundup.brophyprep.org

the football and cheer programs.

“This year we’ve made an effort to make a stronger bond with them and I think it has influenced their team and our team,” she said.

Webb agreed that the friendships make it easier to cheer for the team.

“I think it’s good to have a good friendship foundation with someone that you’re cheering on,” she said.

Nate Moorman '17 said that the cheer team's affect on the crowd is a morale boost for football players.

"They get the crowd pumped up which gets us hyped to play," he said.

Both cheerleaders said that the football players are very appreciative of their loyalty.

“Even if they lose, we’re always there cheering them on,” Webb said.

Moorman said that the team tries to express their appreciation after the games.

"We go up to them after the game and thank them for bringing the energy,"

Football game recaps and photos

“This year we’ve made an effort to make a stronger bond with them and I think it has influenced their team and our team.”

— Peri Burnett ’17 he said.

In addition to the football team, the cheer team also maintains communication with Brophy Student Council.

“We have to work with them so we know that the cheers we’re going to do, they’re going to say back with us,” Webb said.

Student Council member Bryson Leander '17 said the two groups work together to pump up the crowd.

"It's all about finding a balance so that both the students and cheerleaders can get as excited and invested as possible in the game through the music," he said.

Leander also said the captains talk to Student Council about the music

at the games so they can coordinate their dances accordingly, including the halftime show.

"They just have the song queued up and we just press play," he said.

The captains said this relationship between cheer and Student Council is symbolic of the relationship between Brophy and Xavier.

“We rep the Xavier side of it, and they rep the Brophy side of it, so it’s nice to come together,” Webb said.

Once football season is over, the team begins to focus on their own intense competitions.

“Competition season is jam packed, going going going, every weekend,” Burnett said.

» Best of The Roundup’s sports photos » ‘Supportsmanship needs to

evolve at Brophy’ » Athlete profiles » Basketball, soccer, wrestling previews

The girls said that football season can be seen as an opportunity to practice performing in front of a large crowd before competitions.

“Football season is such great practice to get in front of a crowd before competition season,” Burnett said.

As captains, both Burnett and Webb said that they try to use constructive criticism to better the team before competitions.

“If you’re yelling at someone constantly and that’s not how they work, that’s not going to be good for them,” Burnett said.

Webb said the captain holds responsibilities both during and outside of practice.

“Being a captain is being a role model and setting a good foundation for the team, and leading them in positive ways,” she said. “If someone has a problem, they come to us. We are the mediator between the team and the coach.”

The Roundup

Page 12 | December 2016

Saucedo hopes to end BCP career with championship

By Jack Davis ’19

THE ROUNDUP There's three seconds left in the game.

Westview holds a 49-48 lead over Brophy at Talking Stick Resort Arena Dec. 22, 2015.

Brophy inbounds the ball. The shot is up and it doesn't fall. The game seems all but over.

Suddenly, Carlos Saucedo ’17 darts in for the offensive rebound and rattles in a jump shot to win the game for the Broncos.

Saucedo, who plays point guard, said he hopes to carry the strides he has made in his game, like more game-winning jump shots, from his junior season into his final season donning Brophy red.

"I think as seniors, we recognize that this could possibly be our last shot at a title and potentially ending our basketball career," Saucedo said. "We feel pressure and we want to go out with a bang. We want to produce with our school and we want to put out for the name across our chest."

Saucedo said he realizes that his game is far from perfect.

"I definitely have a lot to learn and I know what I need to work on," he said.

"I think communication and being vocal as a leader is something that I'll do my best at this year and hopefully I can contribute some knowledge and all I know about the game to my teammates."

Assistant coach Mr. Austin Pidgeon ’08 praised Saucedo's leadership ability and offensive skill set.

"Carlos brings senior leadership," Mr. Pidgeon said. "He's been in the program for four years now. We look to him to handle a lot of the ball handling responsibilities and as a point guard to push the ball and get us into our offensive sets ... and also provide some excitement on offense as he's a great scorer and a great shooter."

Saucedo's teammate Andrew Shear ’17 agreed with Mr. Pidgeon on Saucedo's leadership.

Photo by Bryce Owen ’17 Carlos Saucedo ’17 dribbles the ball on the sideline Nov. 9. The team looks forward to entering the season with strong senior leadership.

"Carlos is a great leader and a great friend," Shear said. "If you make a mistake he's always right there just to back you up and keep you going. When you get down he's always like 'Alright, pick it up, you've got the next play.'"

Mr. Pidgeon and Shear said that Saucedo is always able to build his teammates up and have fun while playing the game.

"He's always there for a good laugh," Shear said. "Whenever you're down, making a bad play, after practice he'll come up to you and make a joke and he'll always make you smile. He's just a good leader and good to be around."

"He loves the game," he added. "He always works his hardest. He always

gives it his all no matter whether we're down 50 points or up 50 points."

Mr. Pidgeon echoed the sentiment on Saucedo's love for basketball.

"Carlos has a great attitude and he really enjoys playing the game," Mr. Pidgeon said. "He has a lot of fun with his teammates and coaches."

"I think he takes it very seriously between the whistles but after practice, in the off-court experiences when he gets to have with his teammates he's always a positive presence," he added.

"He likes to have a lot of fun. He jokes around with his teammates, he jokes around with his coaches and recognizes that this is a greater part of his overall Brophy experience, which is always

great to see."

Saucedo discovered his basketball skill at a young age.

"I started playing basketball in fourth grade, my Pop Warner football coach wanted to make a basketball team out of our football players," Saucedo said.

"I was one of those [players] and I was decently good at it. Ever since then I stuck with it."

Saucedo has been working to make his senior season one to remember.

"I've been in the weight room five times a week with teammates trying to develop my body and be the strongest, quickest and fastest I can be in preparation for the season," he said. "I'm in the gym every

day five to six times a week working on my craft as a point guard with my vision and everything I can do to support and contribute to the team this year and hopefully put a banner up."

Ultimately, Saucedo hopes to play collegiate basketball.

"A personal goal of mine would be to further my basketball career into college at whatever level that might be," Saucedo said. "But that's not something I'm focusing on. As I play, that's not a motive of mine. My goal this year is to do my best and play for my teammates. Hopefully that will be noticed and a [scholarship] offer will come along with the season."

"I do know where I want to go," he added. "I'll soon be applying to Colorado Boulder, Utah, Utah State, Santa Clara, University of San Diego and ASU." Despite his 5'9, 145 lbs. frame, Saucedo can operate in the post like a forward.

"He's got a very strong post game," Mr. Pidgeon said.

Shear commended his southpaw teammate's jump shot with his nondominant hand.

"He has a really good right-handed jump shot," he said.

While he isn't playing basketball or spending time with friends, Saucedo likes to listen to music. There is a wide variety of music he said he enjoys listening to, including Calvin Harris, Lil Uzi Vert and Rage Against the Machine.

Saucedo said that he is grateful to be ingrained in the basketball community.

"I'm most grateful just for the opportunity just to be apart of the Brophy basketball community," Saucedo said.

"That might be something that people say all the time or that might be cliché for me to say but looking back on it as a senior, I've been so blessed to be apart of this community and learn so much that I have. I wouldn't have the success that I have now if I was at any other school besides Brophy."

Walk On The Wild Side: Out of Africa Ziplining excites

By Hunter Franklin ’19

THE ROUNDUP People often regret their actions after the fact.

I quickly regretted my decision before the fact as I climbed the 119 steps up the 80-foot wooden tower to the first zip line platform.

The farther I climbed with our two guides and 10 other participants, the more nervous I got.

My family and I were about to brave the Predator Zip Line Adventure at the Out of Africa Zoo, about a 1.5 hour drive up the I-17 to Camp Verde.

While the Predator Zip Line is located on the Out of Africa Zoo premises, they each require separate tickets to enter.

Gear wise, we had zip line harnesses and safety helmets. There were straps around our shoulders, legs and waist.

Ropes and straps with carabiners were hanging all around my body.

My irrational thought process had me asking the question, ”Is all this stuff really gonna work and keep me falling into the mouth of a tiger or lion below?”

You see, the One by one, Predator Zip our group Line gives you a members got Out of Africa Ziplining bird’s eye view of hooked up to » $89 for a two hour experience. the Out of Africa the zipline, » Lifetime 20 percent off discount for every return.

Zoo. Even the then jumped » First time users should check Groupon for discounts. adverising claims: off, whizzing » For more information, visit: http://outofafricapark.

“Soar over Lions, com/encounters/zip-line/. towards the Tigers, Wolves, next platform Hyenas, Bears, where another Jaguars and other natural predators!” guide was waiting to catch them. As it got closer to My imagination was running wild and the guides be my turn, the farther away I crept away from the didn’t help by joking that our helmets weren’t there edge of the platform. to break our fall.

Unfortunately, with everyone gone, I was a bit They gave us an orientation and mentioned that conspicuous, so I was hooked onto the line and the should our cell phones or cameras fall and an animal guide gave me the "now or never" heaving push eats them, we would be sent the vet bill, which I and I went flying off the platform. Screaming. Eyes imagine would be something like a year’s tuition at closed.

Brophy (or more). We made sure my Go-Pro was There are seven platforms in all, each with strapped onto my head super tight. varying heights in elevation and different lengths in On the first platform, most of our 10-person physical ziplines. group looked nervous.

With each zip line I made it through, I gained I was trying to find my happy place and psych confidence and had my eyes open for longer myself up to zipline down from this 80-foot tower durations. to the next.

By the time I made it to the third platform, my

At a Glance

fear had vanished and had been replaced with adrenaline and excitement.

I was finally able to notice the awe inspiring views of the wildlife parks; a rhino by the pond, tigers pacing around the perimeter of their huge enclosure, lion's den, giraffes and zebras in the Savannah and bear cubs being fed by zookeepers.

The last two ziplines, I got very close to the ground. I flew over a rhinoceros in one and nearly brushed a tree with my feet in another while my friend’s foot nearly missed a giraffe’s head, or so it seemed.

The last platform had multiple ziplines, allowing groups of three to race one another to the finish.

My parents and I raced one another as we zipped over the giraffes and zebras in the Savannah.

My father, weighing a little more than the rest of us, won.

There are other ziplines in Arizona, but this one is unique for sure. Dare devils, zoo fans and animal lovers will enjoy Out Of Africa. From the heights of the zipline course , far above the terrain below, it is the best place to see all the zoo animals.

The Roundup

December 2016 |

Page 13

Basketball working to earn 1st state championship Basketball hopes to perform up to pre-season ranking en route to a state championship title

By Jack Davis ’19

THE ROUNDUP

Expectations for Brophy basketball soared when Gregg Rosenberg of Rivals forecasted the Broncos as the No. 1 ranked team in the state over the summer.

"It was a huge compliment obviously to our program and the work that our players have put in," said head coach Mr. Matt Hooten. "We realized that it's going to take a lot more than somebody putting us on a list to make that happen. We need to make sure that we go out and put the pieces together once the season starts."

Despite high expectations, forward Matthew Kempton ’17 remains confident in the team's abilities.

"We're all pretty confident in what we can do," Kempton said. "We're expecting to have a great season and ultimately the goal is the state championship. Everyone on the team and the coaching staff truly believes that's a possibility."

"There's no outside pressure from outside sources but just the goal that we put on ourselves and what we expect of ourselves as a team," Kempton added.

Shooting guard Ryan Meza ’17 said he is eager to live up to the team's hype.

"With all of the attention and hype built around us in the preseason, our toughest test will be to hold to those standards people had for us," Meza said. "We were ranked No. 1 over the summer. We have to perform to that ability."

One difficult challenge that faces the team is overcoming physical shortcomings.

"We needed to change physically, the way that we were able to play the game," Mr. Hooten said. "I asked the players this at one point, but I think we were probably stronger than our opponent in two, maybe three games out of the 28 that we played. We needed to make sure that we were putting ourselves in a position to compete physically, not just from a skill and a mental standpoint."

The Broncos have been working earnestly to gain muscle.

"The team started working out basically as soon as the season was over last year ... We spent all spring lifting four times a week in June. We continue to lift four times a week," Mr. Hooten

Photo by Bryce Owen ’17 Coach Mr. Matt Hooten explains rebounding techniques to the team during a drill at practice Nov. 9. Rivals forecasted Brophy as the No. 1 team in Arizona heading into the season.

said.

With the strength of the roster, minutes may be harder to come by for the players.

"We have a deep team, we have a lot of guys who could potentially earn playing time," Mr. Hooten added. "I think the challenge will be putting the right group of players on the floor and the guys who aren't playing as much as they maybe have previously have to be invested in something bigger than themselves and helping themselves improve, helping their teammates improve.

Kempton agreed on the importance of playing as a team.

"We've been working a lot on just working better as a team," he said. "We were a pretty young team last year, so just getting our chemistry down better and working on the team collectively to become better has been our main focus."

"If we just play hard and we all buy in to what we're trying to do here I think we definitely have the capability, skill and talent to [win a state championship]," Kempton added. "If everyone just does what they can to help improve the team no matter what that may be as their role I think we can definitely come home with it."

The upperclassmen understand the need to be leaders and set an example for the younger players.

"One of our main focus as seniors is to

“This is the year that everyone has been waiting for. Everyone knew that these two classes together would be really good.

Coach [Mr. Austin] Pidgeon ’08 told us that we’re probably a top-three or at least top-five best team to come through Brophy and that really excites me.”

— Ryan Meza ’17

bring leadership and set an example for the younger kids," Meza said. "We have a good class of underclassmen coming up. Having a loss in the first round of the playoffs last year really hit us hard.We're ready, we're going to bounce back, and we're ready for the season."

Meza said he wants to capitalize on his last season of playing high school basketball.

"I want to make the most of it," Meza said. "Most of my pressure comes from myself ... I just want to be that one class to be able to compete for a state championship."

"I think we have a great team this year," Meza added. "This is the year that everyone has been waiting for.

Everyone knew that these two classes together would be really good. Coach [Mr. Austin] Pidgeon ’08 told us that we're probably a top-three or at least top-five best team to come through Brophy and that really excites me. The pressure is just performing to the best of our abilities and trying to make the most of our senior year, making it a year to remember."

In order to achieve the goal of winning a state championship, smaller goals need to be accomplished along the way.

"We'd like to win the tournaments we're in (The Fr. Barry Classic at Jesuit Sacramento and McClintock)," Mr. Hooten said. "We'd like to win our home games, we'd like to finish with a top-four seed, we'd like to win our region. If we can do those things along the way, I think a state championship becomes more of a possibility for us."

One team that will present an obstacle for Brophy is Corona del Sol. With Alex Barcello committing to Arizona and Saben Lee committing to Vanderbilt, the Aztecs are primed for a strong season behind their Division 1 backcourt.

"Arizona is really competitive now

with basketball in the state," Kempton said. "If you go out there every day you're going to have a hard game to play and you're going to compete no matter who you're playing against."

Mr. Hooten agreed about the difficult competition.

"I think it's going to be really competitive, I think it's going to be wide open," he said. "There are certainly some favorites but I think there is going to be a lot of really challenging games throughout the schedule and we just have to make sure that we're ready to compete."

Meza said he looks forward to the late season game against St. Mary's.

"St. Mary's is always a fun game," Meza said. "We play them the last game of the season this year ... it's at St. Mary's. There's going to be a lot of trash talking and the crowd will get into it."

Kempton has a state championship or bust attitude.

Brophy played in the state title game in 1986, 2001 and 2011 but has never won.

"Brophy basketball has never won one so we're trying to be the first team to do that," Kempton said.

Meza echoed the sentiment on the state championship.

"Our coaches are always talking about getting a banner on the north wall," Meza said. "That's our goal."

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 2016

Students lament NCAA video games pulled from production

By Bryce Owen ’17

“It was a shame, they were a real immersive college sports experience” — Michael Rowe ’18

THE ROUNDUP Sports and videogames go hand in hand with successful titles like Madden, FIFA and the NBA 2K series dominating the market for the past 20 years.

The games allow the player to play as their favorite professional teams, athletes and in some cases, coaches. But what about the fans of the collegiate level?

Collegiate athletics governed by the NCAA had a revenue of over $14.668 billion in 2014, according to the US Department of Education.

This would make collegiate sports the largest market, in terms of revenue, in the entire world, surpassing the NFL ($13 billion), MLB ($9.5 billion) and English Premier League ($5.3 billion), according to Market Watch.

The most lucrative collegiate sports, football and men’s basketball, produced $4.506 billion and $1.713 billion respectively.

Yet these sports do not have respective video games for fans to enjoy.

EA once released NCAA football and NCAA basketball video games just like their professional counterparts, but they were abruptly pulled them in 2014.

“It was a shame, they were a real immersive college sports experience,” said Michael Rowe ’18.

This is mostly due to the class action lawsuit Ed O’Bannon vs. NCAA, which argued that NCAA athletes should be compensated for the use of their image

Photo Courtesy of Tribune News Service The NCAA videogame series allows players to play as their favorite college football teams similar to the Madden football games. The series was cancelled after a lawsuit was filed against the NCAA and EA sports.

and likeness in the games.

“I used to like playing NCAA football and basketball more than Madden and NBA 2K,” said Zach McCarthy ’17. “I think the classic college stadiums are fun to play in.”

O’Bannon, who was a basketball player at UCLA in the mid 1990s, sued on the basis that the players image, height, weight, likeness and other similarities

were used without players’ consent or compensation.

EA had used players’ likeness and image particularly in the cover images of the game featuring players like Tim Tebow, Mark Ingram, Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant.

“I always thought it was fun to play as collegiate athletes,” McCarthy said.

This, combined with the in-game

player having the same number, height, weight, dominant hand, hairstyle and body type, leads players to think they are playing as their favorite athlete.

“It was fun to play as your favorite team and actually be able to be apart of the experience,” Rowe said.

In 2014, the presiding judge ruled that withholding payments to athletes violated antitrust laws and that schools

should be allowed to offer full attendance cost scholarships and cover other living expenses for athletes.

According to the NCAA, college athletes are considered amateurs, meaning that they cannot receive payment or endorsement while participating.

This led to a whole topic of debate surrounding the legality of how the NCAA defines “amateurs.”

The NCAA appealed the results to the Supreme Court in hopes that the case might be overturned.

The supreme court recently said it would not be taking up the case, upsetting many advocates for the video game series.

McCarthy said he was disappointed that the game is no longer being manufactured, but was optimistic that it might make a comeback.

“I hope that they are able to bring the franchise back in the future,” McCarthy said.

Soccer aims for personal growth after 1st-round exit, looks to build on previous season Soccer prepares for difficult schedule and functions under new head coach Allen.

“We have a preseason game and one or two games before we travel to San Clemente, where there’s eight top-20 teams in the nation playing against each other.”

— Mr. Paul Allen ’03

By Jack Davis ’19

THE ROUNDUP Brophy walked off the field for the last time Feb. 3 after No. 16-seed Desert Vista beat the top-seeded Broncos 4-2 in the first round of the playoffs.

Since the upset, Brophy has been working to put themselves in the position to contend again.

This is Mr. Paul Allen ’03’s first season as the head coach for the team, taking over for Mr. Noah Lewkowitz ’98, who moved to Boston.

“I’ve been with Brophy soccer for nine years so being able to learn from soccer minds such as [Mr.] Noah [Lewkowitz ’98] and [Mr.] Marc Kelly ’87 has enabled me to learn in the process,” Mr. Allen said. “I’m hoping that I can bring something new to the table with some new assistants and we can have a great season.”

“The team’s been working hard, we’re in the weight room two days a week, we’re on the field two days a week,” Mr. Allen said before the season. “Nothing has been solidified as far as who’s on the team, but we’re putting in a lot of time in the offseason so that we can be ready to go when preseason comes.”

Brophy starts the year off with a difficult schedule, highlighted by the prestigious San Clemente tournament.

“The beginning of the year is always tough for us,” Mr. Allen said. “We have a preseason game and one or two games before we travel to San Clemente, where there’s eight top-20 teams in the

Photo by Bryce Owen ’17 The Brophy soccer team practices during 7th period at Brophy Sports Complex on Nov. 14.

“We’ve got nine returners, possibly more. It will be exciting to see how they grow as individuals and how we bring it together as a team.”

— Mr. Paul Allen ’03 nation playing against each other.”

Brophy’s returning a significant portion of last year’s top-seeded team, and Mr. Allen said he expects personal growth from them.

“I’m excited to see how the kids gel,” Mr. Allen said. “We’ve got nine returners, possibly more. It will be exciting to see how they grow as individuals and how we bring it together as a team.”

Among those returners is striker and

California-Santa Barbara verbal commit Carter Clemmensen ’18.

Mr. Allen said that he anticipates a strong season from his junior forward.

“I expect Carter to continue doing what he’s doing,” Mr. Allen said. “Clemmensen was allstate first team and one of the states leading goal scorers. I think he scored 25 plus goals last year and he’s coming back as a bigger, stronger junior with a

Division 1 commitment.”

However, Clemmensen is only one part of a balanced scoring attack.

“I think we’ll be a very well-rounded team where everyone is scoring at will,” he added.

Hamilton and Corona del Sol present significant challenges to Brophy on the road to a state title.

“Hamilton and Corona del Sol [are our biggest competition],” Mr. Allen said. “Both teams have academy players on their team that are returning that were all-state players. They should be very deep.”

Mr. Allen has his sights set on a higher goal than a state championship, but wants growth from his players first.

“I would love to win a national title, something that hasn’t been done here in the state of Arizona,” he said. “We had a runner-up in 2010. The ultimate goal is just to have a good season for the kids to develop and get better. If we can win along the way, that’s great, but I would like to see them grow as players and individuals.”

The Roundup

December 2016 |

Page 15

Pittenger open for college football, USD offered Noah Pittenger ’17

By Manuel Mata-Flores ’19

THE ROUNDUP What is your name and year?

My name is Noah Pittenger ’17 and I am a senior.

How long have you been playing football?

I’ve been playing football since I was in third grade.

What team did you play for back when you were in third grade?

The Scottsdale Hawkeyes.Yeah, a long time ago.

What other sports do you play besides football?

I do track as well.

How long have you been doing track?

I started as a freshman in high school.

Where do you wish to go after high school?

Right now it’s pretty much open. I have been thinking a lot about in-state schools. I have colleges talking to me about football.

Has any college offered you any scholarships?

USD had offered me to play football with them, but they don’t offer any academic money. Other than that no they have not offered me one.

How hard did you train to become where you are

now?

Every off season I am working out. I have a trainer up in north Scottsdale, named Spencer Tatum, he works for the group called Advantage Training. This past season they have been training me pretty hard to get me ready for the season and to get me in the shape that I need to be.

What do you like to do when you are not training?

I like hanging out with my friends. I have three best friends on the team now.

Noah Williams ’17, Rexx Tessler ’17 and Sammy Rahman ’17.

What is something people don’t really know about you?

I am good at dancing.

What type of dancing are you best at?

I am really good at freestyle.

Do you know any other types of dancing?

No I do not.

Pitch

Catch

&

Photo by Bryce Owen ’17 Noah Pittenger ’17 finishes football season seeking Division 1 offers.

Wrestling team prepares for rigorous schedule, Prep Slam Team said they have 6 returning leaders and are preparing for two of the toughest teams in Arizona

“I asked to schedule the two toughest teams in Arizona, which are Ironwood Ridge out of Tucson and Sunnyside High School, who is No. 1 this year” — Mr. Wayne Catan

By Chris Agnone ’18

THE ROUNDUP Since August, the wrestling team has been training and preparing for a rigorous schedule and out of state tournaments with new captains and new wrestlers.

The seasons started Nov. 1 and will run into March with the state tournament.

The varsity squad has six returning leaders for this year.

Many wrestlers have been training all year long, but there are quite a few new wrestlers looking to fill spots.

Head wrestling coach Mr. Wayne Catan said he scheduled a tough season to help team grow and to challenge the varsity team to prepare for state.

“I asked to schedule the two toughest teams in Arizona, which are Ironwood Ridge out of Tucson and Sunnyside High School, who is No. 1 this year,”

Photo by Bryce Owen ’17 Mr. Wayne Catan practices stances with the wrestling team Nov 7.

Mr. Catan said.

The team is scheduled for the Prep Slam in Atlanta, which is a tournament for all of the top college preparatory wrestling teams.

“I want the guys to get some exposure before we

Out of Left Field Favorite TV show? Favorite athlete?

Patrick Schramm ’18

Swimming

Kyle Tessmer ’18

Hockey Anthony Quintana ’17

track/football Luke Mason ’17

Cross Country

get to the state championships at the end of the year,” Mr. Catan said.

The four captains this year are Brian Olmedo ’17, Luke Jacobs ’18, Brogan Smith ’18 and Gabe de la Roca ’18.

Some other leaders are Jacob Robles ’19 and Max Treacy ’18, who are also expected to do quite well this year.

“I expect our team to be one of the most prepared teams this year,” Jacobs said. “We have been working really hard off and on season.”

Many of the wrestlers said they compete in freestyle tournaments over the summer to keep up their stamina and skills.

“We will be ready for whatever competition we face this year,” Jacobs said.

The first match is Nov. 22.

By Edwin Perez-Morales ’18

THE ROUNDUP XBox or PS?

Favorite place to eat?

“The West Wing”

Bo Jackson

Xbox

The Stand

“Game of Thrones”

Max Domi

Xbox

Buffalo Wild Wings

“Sherlock”

Russell Westbook

Xbox

Red Devil

“The Office”

Evan Jager

Xbox

Raising Canes

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 2016

The Right

Notes Photo by Edwin Perez-Morales ’18 Jack Warner practices piano inside Eller Hall at Brophy on Nov. 1. Warner said he tries to write at least one new song every day.

Warner focused on pursuing career in music

By Anthony Cardellini ’17

THE ROUNDUP

A

musical teacher can be an idol in any young, aspiring musician’s life, but Jack Warner ’17 had the opposite experience as a child.

“When I did have [music] teachers I would never listen to them,” Warner said. “They would tell me to learn a song by reading sheet music, but I would already know it by listening to it.”

Warner said that learning by ear has been his preferred method for his entire life.

“I got my first keyboard when I was in third grade, so I’ve been teaching myself by ear for 10 years,” he said. “Guitar I started freshman year, and I learned by ear mostly.”

Warner plays both guitar and piano,

and he sings as well. He also writes and produces his own music.

“I write a song every day,” he said. “I feel like music is such an everyday thing, without music I don’t know where I would be in the world.”

Daniel Weinberger ’17, who has performed and written songs with Warner in the past, said Warner has always been interested in music.

He said that Warner’s ability to write songs is one of his most impressive talents.

“Every single day he’ll go home, pull out the guitar, get out the piano, and just start making melodies,” Weinberger said. “He’s so talented and he has such a bright, creative mind that doesn’t stop.”

Warner said that his goal is to write 100 songs and then choose 10 to record and put on an album.

Warner acknowledged that he writes

Performing with Jack is like performing with this amazing artist that everyone knows and everyone loves. Jack wants to share his talent.

-Daniel Weinberger ’17

every day because “if you put 10 hours into it you’ll get better.”

He said his creative process involves watching his favorite movies, writing songs based on the titles he gives them and playing pop artists Jon Bellion or Ed Sheeran on his speakers.

Warner said his favorite songs that he has written are “Lifeless,” “Fall” and “Immunity.” He has these and more song titles written on his white Converse shoes.

Warner said he wants to study music in college and then pursue a career in the music industry.

Even Chewy reads The Roundup News, Opinions, Sports & Entertainment each month And online roundup.brophyprep.org

He said his top choice is Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass. “[Berklee is] kind of like a mini-music industry, and hopefully they can help me get into the bigger side of it,” he said.

Weinberger also went as far as to say Warner “has the most natural talent of anybody I’ve ever met in my life.”

Weinberger said this talent manifests itself especially in Warner’s ability to play any song he hears, and his ability to sing pitches correctly consistently.

“Jack has never once pitch corrected, and if you listened to his songs you would think every single one is pitch

corrected,” he said.

He also said Warner produces all his own music, and that “every instrument you hear in his songs is him.”

Weinberger also said that another one of Warner’s talents is performing.

“Performing with Jack is like performing with this amazing artist that everyone knows and everyone loves,” he said. “Jack wants to share his talent.”

Weinberger said he is excited to see what Warner does in the future.

“Jack Warner is going to be famous in one way or another, and I say this with certainty,” he said.

Sports Reporters Wanted Attention Sports Fans and Writers: The Roundup is looking for you.

If you are a writer or photographer, The Roundup needs your help. No journalism experience necessary, but your knowledge of basketball, soccer, baseball and volleyball is a must. Email roundup@brophybroncos.org.

The Roundup

December 2016

| Page 17

‘The Laramie Project’ covered sensitive topic

By Tyler Conrad ’17

THE ROUNDUP Actors say the fall play “The Laramie Project” saught to address sensitive subjects with respect, yet head on to correctly portray the message and embody Brophy’s commitment to justice. “‘The Laramie Project’ is the collection of interviews after the brutal murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay University of Wyoming student,” said actor Jack Toolan ’17.

The show is different from standard theatre, as it is based upon a true story and is made up of several interviews conducted by theatre majors instead of the standard dialogue-based narrative.

Toolan said that despite the uniqueness of the structure, there are few special effects in the production.

“The show is set up in different moments with video spliced in between,” he said. “No special lights or choreography, just the real and impactful words of the citizens of Laramie.”

Because of the interview-based format of the play, actors are cast in more than one role.

Both Toolan and Daniel Weinberger ’17 said this proved to be a fun challenge as performers.

“My first character is named Jedidiah Schultz ... He was raised to think homosexuality is wrong, but throughout the play realizes how wrong he was,” Weinberger said.

Weinberger’s other characters include an apathetic student and a homosexual-bashing Baptist minister.

“This role is hard for me to play because he says terrible things to not only the people who interview him, but to the friends and family of Matthew Shepard,” Weinberger said of the second.

Because the play is based off a true event, the cast was instructed to research the event as a whole as well as the individual characters they portray.

“Moe Dias, the director, wanted us to understand the events better since

Photo Courtesy of Miguel Cervantes ’18 “The Laramie Project” cast performs the show based on real life interviews.

we weren’t alive to experience it at the time,” Toolan said.

Weinberger said seeing the real characters he portrays allowed him to bring a greater sense of empathy to his performance.

“It’s a pertinent part of this show, to put yourself in the shoes of those there,” he said.

The actors said a show of such mature subject matter has to be treated with extreme care, especially in the Brophy community.

“As Brophy students we are called to justice in the face of hate,” Toolan said.

“The message has to be conveyed with the utmost care and responsibility. With

The message has to be conveyed with the utmost care and responsibility. With the subject being what it is it adds more pressure than normal.

-Jack Toolan ’17 the subject being what it is it adds more pressure than normal.”

Weinberger said even the more controversial details have to be included to present the show as it is meant.

“We have to do this show right or the message won’t get across,” Weinberger said.

Director of Scheduling and Student

Activities Mr. Tony Oldani said the important message is why the play was chosen.

“Every couple of years we wanted to do a piece that not only was just edgy, but really brought out a social justice element that really left the kids with something to think about,” he said.

Mr. Oldani said the social justice

aspect of the story is especially important at a Jesuit institution.

“It becomes something that meshes with the Grad at Grad and the Jesuit tradition of the school,” he said.

Mr. Oldani also said he wanted to put on the play to be inclusive to often ignored voices on campus, specifically those of gay students.

“We’ve done a good job as a school these past few years to identify what it is like to be X group on campus, and ensure everyone has a place in this brotherhood,” he said.

The Laramie Project ran Nov. 2, 3 and 5, and also Nov. 9, 10 and 12 in the Blackbox Theatre.

» Teacher’s Pet

Guffey not clowning around with Electoral College, Trump Ms. Kelly Guffey

By Graham Armknecht ’18

THE ROUNDUP Mr. McShane’s question from last edition was “Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?”

Wouldn’t the G-Force slam their head against the window? My answer is physics. Or protocol.

Why do you think the Cold War never ended?

I don’t think that our relationship with Russia is very warm and friendly today. In fact, I think that it’s getting colder.

What do you think about Trump’s admiration for Putin?

If Trump would get on a horseback and did the things that Putin did, it would be hilarious. Maybe show strength.

What’s your favorite food?

Steak. A good steak. Never had a Trump Steak

though.

What do you think of the Electoral College?

I think that the electoral college is very stupid.

First of all, I think you should be required to vote, if you’re a person who’s eligible to vote you should vote. The only way our democracy works is if the citizens are participating. When we aren’t participating then the government can misuse our tax dollars and create corruption.

What’s one thing that most students don’t know about you?

There was a time in my life when I was a professional clown. I don’t know how many students know that. I also follow the Suns very

intently.

Do you follow Brophy sports?

No. Is Speech and Debate a sport? I stopped going to football games five or six years ago. Football is my least favorite sport.

Why is football your least favorite sport?

I think it’s stupid.

They run a bit, they talk about it, they measure, oops now we got to get a whole other set of kids out there. And the whole injury thing I don’t like. Nobody gets injured in speech in debate.

Sometimes you get your ego bruised but that’s it.

What clubs do you moderate?

Jewish Student Union. Sometimes I’ll help Ms. Clarke with Speech and Debate, I’ve helped

There was a time in my life when I was a professional clown. I don’t know how many students know that.

-Ms. Kelly Guffey

Teenage Republicans, I’ve helped Mock Trial.

Have you seen any movies recently?

“Hunt for the Wilder People,” I thought that was great. The kid ends up running away and living in the woods with an old man.

What events do you like going to at Brophy?

I love the Fine Arts Extravaganza. I grew up doing Theater and Speech and Debate. I think we have a great arts program.

Why do you think there was a student/ faculty football game instead of a student/faculty quidditch game for this homecoming?

I’ve been asking that. Mr. [Pete] Burr ’07 deflected it saying the faculty wouldn’t be able to learn quidditch quick enough, but I don’t think he’s giving the faculty enough credit.

What is your question for the next Teacher’s Pet? Does this election cycle make you more or less proud to be American?

The Roundup

Page 18 | December 2016

‘BLAM Jam’ provides new live venue for musicians

By Collin McShane ’19

THE ROUNDUP This year The Brophy Literary Arts Magazine (BLAM) has partnered with the Musicians Exchange club to produce a bi-weekly concert in the Fr. Renna Reading Room.

With four concerts under their belt already, “BLAM Jam” looks to create an evolving musical experience.

“BLAM Jam was not my brain child,” said Mr. John Damaso ’97. “I was approached by Max Fees ’17 and Anthony Cardellini ’17 who had the idea of music for the magazine.”

The original plan for BLAM Jam was for it to take place in the Fr. Renna Reading Room so that the room could get some foot traffic, but the unexpected popularity might change that.

For the second concert of BLAM Jam, the crew streamed Michael Grindey ’18 playing in the Fr. Renna Reading Room, to the Great Hall.

“Streaming will only make it grow,” Grindey said. “In such a small room like the Fr. Renna Reading Room you’re very vulnerable and you’re just saying here’s what I got, and I think that streaming is just the added bonus of everyone seeing that moment.”

Grindey said that the event would

I love the Fr. Renna Reading Room and I hope we stay, the whole vibe and atmosphere there is amazing.

-Michael Grindey ’18

only continue to grow on the path that it is on.

“I had low expectations initially but I was surprised by the turnout,” Mr. Damaso said. “You might not realize that a concert for maybe 20 people takes around seven people to make.”

Fees is the frontman of BLAM Jam, so when he leaves next year, BLAM Jam will need a new organizer.

“BLAM Jam lives and dies by student interest,” Mr. Damaso said. “Someone with Max’s popularity only serves to inspire underclassmen to do more.”

Mr. Damaso seemed confident that someone would replace Fees as frontman of BLAM Jam. Grindey said that the Fr. Renna Reading Room was the perfect place for BLAM Jam and hopes the event stays there.

“I think it makes you play more emotional and intimate songs,” Grindey said. “I love the Fr. Renna Reading Room and I hope we stay, the whole vibe and atmosphere there is amazing.”

BLAM Jam is a bi-weekly series that tries to play every other Thursday in the Fr. Renna Reading Room next to Mr. Damaso’s classroom, on the second floor of Brophy hall.

Apple phoning in innovation, probably doesn’t matter Commentary by Andrew Jordan ’18

THE ROUNDUP Since the death of Steve Jobs, Apple Inc. has been the most profitable company in the world, yet they are seemingly putting in minimal effort.

Many people argue about which is better, Android or iPhone. But the only real difference between the phones these days is preference.

For example, Samsung released the Galaxy S5 April 11, 2014. That phone was one of the first of its kind; it was water resistant.

Two years later, Apple finally caught up made the iPhone 7 water resistant.

“There’s no real world shocking innovation happening anymore from Apple. It was nine years ago that the iPhone came out ... since then it’s been giving us bigger screens and smaller screens ... and we go along,” said Stanford professor Vivek Wadhwa per CNBC news.

Wadhwa is saying that Apple is no longer putting out new ideas, they are simply trying to sell old ideas.

Many people are starting to notice, as IndustryLeaders.com reports that consumers are switching from Apple to Android at the highest rate in the last

Google, Samsung and Microsoft are all testing and producing brave new ideas and innovations.

decade.

Although this may seem small and insignificant, Industry Leaders also reported that this trend is devastating to the producers and consumers in China, as sales are down 11 percent.

Something that Apple has claimed the throne as being the best at, is the concept of “money grabbing.”

Want a DVD/CD reader on your Macbook? That will cost $79 extra.In 2012, Apple released the iPhone 5 and with it came a new power cord.

With iPhone chargers already being priced at over $20, they forced all of their users to buy new chargers.Now, in 2016, they removed the headphone jack and started charging $160 for the new wireless headphones.

Google, Samsung and Microsoft are all

Photo by Bryce Owen ’17 A new iPhone 7 on display. The phone features some positive changes but left some longing for more.

testing and producing brave new ideas and innovations, just to keep up with Apple. Meanwhile, Apple waits for those companies to perfect the technology before they do it themselves.

Apple’s innovation has been minimal

over the last five years, but as they remain in control of one of the largest and most lucrative markets in the world, they have no incentive to do so.

That leads me to believe that Apple is doing one of two things.

Either they are simply money grabbing because they have no incentive to do anything new, or the more likely scenario is that they have been innovating this entire time, they’re just waiting to use it until they need it.

»Artist Profile

Junior Roskosz expresses himself through art

By Camden Andl ’19

THE ROUNDUP AP Studio Art student Dylan Roskosz ’18 has been drawing for around three years, inspired to start by one of his friends.

“I was somewhat jealous of my friend who was a really good artist,” Roskosz said. “I thought his art, and art in general, was really interesting.”

Roskosz started his art career by taking summer courses while in middle school. He continued to take Humanities, 2D Art Drawing and Advanced Drawing at Brophy.

Roskosz’s AP Studio Art teacher Mrs. Debbie Cronin said she finds Dylan’s art very unique.

“He’s a very strong draftsman and he really knows how to replicate things on paper. Not everybody

has that,” Mrs. Cronin said. “Some people are more creative with their ideas and some people are strong draftsmen. I think first, before anything, you have to be a strong draftsman, and that’s what Dylan is.”

Roskosz has had Mrs. Cronin going on three years and he credits much of his success to her.

“Being able to have Mrs. Cronin has definitely improved my work and style,” Roskosz said. “I’ve been lucky to be able to have her as a teacher.”

Roskosz said he often shifts his drawing style but prefers realism.

“I like drawing people more than anything else. I just don’t find scenery as interesting as the human face,” Roskosz said. “I really like to use a ballpoint pen. When I make a mistake, it’s permanent, and I just have to work with it. It’s a learning experience.”

He’s a very strong draftsman and he really knows how to replicate things on paper. Not everybody has that.

-Mrs. Debbie Cronin Roskosz said that he often draws inspiration from his AP Studio Art classmates around him, and that like them, he tries to incorporate many pop culture references in his art.

“A lot of people in my class do drawings of Donald Trump,” Roskosz said. “And I’ve noticed that people like art that incorporates modern news and media so I try and do that as much as I can.”

Roskosz said he would love to pursue art in the future, and Mrs. Cronin said that she sees it as a

possible future for Dylan.

“I think that Dylan’s art is very detailed,” Mrs. Cronin said. “He works a lot with value and uses a lot of lights and darks. It’s always amazing and he’s got a really good sense of proportion.”

Roskosz’s AP Studio Art classmate Jack Brown ’17 said that he finds Roskosz’s art amazing.

“I sketch portraits all the time, and I hope that my portraits will eventually be as good as Dylan’s,” Brown said. “He’s definitely very talented.”

The Roundup

December 2016

| Page 19

‘22, A Million’ takes vocal distortion to new levels “22, A Million” by Bon Iver 7 out of 10

By Anthony Cardellini ’17

THE ROUNDUP It has been five years since the release of Bon Iver’s Grammy-winning second album “Bon Iver,” and nearly a decade since the intimate, Wisconsin-cabin recorded “For Emma, Forever Ago.” In that time, frontman Justin Vernon has worked on side projects ranging from songs with James Blake to Kanye West’s “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.”

Also during that time Vernon considered ditching Bon Iver, but finally started recording again after he found himself on a Greek island repeating the words “It might be over soon.”

These words open Bon Iver’s third full length album, “22, A Million,” which debuted Sept. 30, according to Pitchfork.

Gone now are the intimate acoustics of “For Emma,” and with them the fingerpicking brilliance of songs on “Bon Iver.”

Instead, Vernon uses new elements on “22, A Million,” including saxophones and the distorting vocal effects of the Messina, a vocoder invented for the album by Chris Messina, Vernon’s producer.

Gone also are the smooth transitions and similarity between songs found on the first two albums. On the first two tracks of “Bon Iver,” there’s no telling where “Perth” ends and “Minnesota, WI” begins. But between “22 (OVER S∞∞N)” and “10 d E A T h b R E a s T ⊠ ⊠” which open “22, A Million,” the difference couldn’t be clearer.

Still, it is undeniable that “22, A Million” was anticipated by Bon Iver’s two earlier works. Just as the scratchy sound of “For Emma’s” “Blindsided”

Photo Courtesy of Tribune News Service Bon Iver performing his new album “22, A Million.”

While Vernon’s use of vocal effects certainly changes, the style of his songs largely remains the same. anticipated the distorting effects of “Bon Iver’s” “Hinnom, TX,” the autotuneladen “Woods” is a clear precursor to the heavily edited “715 - CR∑∑KS” on “22, A Million.”

While Vernon’s use of vocal effects certainly changes, the style of his songs largely remains the same apart from the drum-heavy “10 d E A T h b R E a s T ⊠ ⊠.” This style is characterized by unclear and unorthodox structure, soft but potent instrumentation and Vernon’s signature falsetto voice.

In some songs, this continuation in style comes off very strongly: “29 #Strafford

APTS,” “666 ʇ” and “8 (circle)” sound like they could have come off “Bon Iver” if not for a few slight differences in instrumentation, mostly involving the choice of saxophones over guitars.

All these songs work in the same way the songs on “Bon Iver” work: Vernon’s voice and the ambient music surrounding it make for a beautiful listening experience.

Where “22, A Million” is different is on the songs Vernon takes risks on, risks involving previously unused instruments and heavy vocal effects. Each of these songs is very different from the others,

and each deserves special consideration.

“22 (OVER S∞∞N)” opens the album magnificently, as Vernon’s voice drifts lightly following what sounds like a young girl’s auto-tuned voice saying “It might be over soon.” The song’s strange lyrics and discontinuous structure culminate in Vernon singing, “within a rise there lies a scission.”

“10 d E A T h b R E a s T ⊠ ⊠” is a roller coaster of a song, starting with heavy drumming and later transitioning into Vernon repeating “love, don’t fight it.” The song lacks a beauty that his other songs have, and fails to use the

drums to create the emotional listening experience Vernon is so famous for.

“715 - CR∑∑KS” is perhaps Vernon’s most heavily edited song in terms of vocals. It uses no instruments apart from Vernon’s voice and the effects placed on it, and the result is perhaps even better than Vernon’s most exposed songs.

“33 “GOD”” opens with piano and more auto tuned female voices. The song builds slowly to Vernon finding “God and religion” and achieves a similar beauty to songs on “Bon Iver,” although in a new way.

“21 M◊◊N WATER” begins with 30 seconds of near silence and a sound evocative of 2008’s “Blindsided.”

Vernon’s voice sings slowly without overbearing edit, transitioning into 30 seconds of strange, metallic noises contrasted with trumpet blares that eventually transition smoothly to “8 (circle).” “____45_____” explodes with trumpets halfway through, and acts as a sort of interlude, with Vernon repeating the same lyrics several times.

“00000 Million” ends the album as perhaps one of the best songs Vernon has made. Vernon starts it saying “Must’ve been forces/that took me on these wild courses” and finishes with “Well it harms me, it harms me, it harms me I’ll let it in.”

In addition to stylistic similarity, “22, A Million” is lyrically similar to the songs that preceded it: Vernon invents new words such as “paramind” and strings words together that don’t seem to belong: “So I can dispose this/partial to the bleeding vines.”

Vernon has always been a talented songwriter and that doesn’t change on this album. What makes this unique is the risks he takes.

Most of these risks worked brilliantly, but the work is not without its flaws.

‘Luke Cage’ delivers great plot and character development ‘Luke Cage’ — starring Mike Colter, Simone Cook, Mahershala Ali, Alfre Woodard, Theo Rossi 8 out of 10

By Sam Romero ’17 & Juan Ramirez ’18

THE ROUNDUP Netflix released a new television show connecting to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, “Luke Cage,” expanding the Marvel franchise.

Director Cheo Hodari Coker does an amazing job incorporating the Luke Cage in the comics to the big screen.

Mike Colter plays Cage in the series and has an almost perfect character development from a barbershop worker to fighting crime on the streets of Harlem.

The direct references to the old comics, like calling Cage “Power Man” randomly throughout the series, gives comic book fans a laugh at his old name.

Mahershala Ali’s performance as Cottonmouth, a notorious crime boss, is terrifyingly good and perfectly shows the audience how crazy the character is while also being smart and professional.

The untimely deaths of many core cast members is something not many directors want to approach, but Coker keeps the audience on the edge of their seats by doing so.

One interesting aspect of the series is the plot focus.

The plot emphasizes character development rather than huge fight scenes because Cage is such a well known character in the super-hero universe.

Thanks to an influential old barber nicknamed “Pop,” Cage is able to start over with better values and morals.

The setting of “Luke Cage,” Harlem, has great effect on the character because he foresees himself as the protector of his community.

The only complaint with the series is the fight scenes.

Marvel is famous for their action scenes, but Cage’s fight scenes were missing the well rehearsed and exciting aspects.

“Luke Cage” is in the same universe as the “Iron Man” movies and “The Avengers” movies so everything that happens in the series effects and is tied into the Marvel movies.

“Luke Cage” is the third installment of the Netflix television shows after “Daredevil” and “Jessica Jones” but before the release of “Iron Fist.”

All of these shows are leading up to “The Defenders,” which will be “The Avengers” but in a

Photo Courtesy of Tribune News Service Luke Cage in a drive by scene.

television series and will join “The Avengers” in the upcoming movies.

Page 20 | December 2016

The Roundup

Xavier Renee Pierson ’19

Gator

By Chris Stanek ’19

THE ROUNDUP May I get your name and year please?

Renee Pierson. I am a sophomore.

What sports or extracurricular activities are you participating in this year?

I am on Varsity Cheer. I actually started cheer or dance when I was very little. A lot of my friends that I have been dancing with forever are on the team with me as well.

How is the season going?

The season is going well. We have a new coach and it is going great! She is really nice and has us work to the best of our ability. I have a good feeling about this season and about how great the Broncos are doing. If they keep doing well we will get more opportunities to perform for our schools.

Do you see yourself as a captain next year or senior year?

Senior year maybe. I would like to be a role model for my teammates. I really just want to have fun and compete with my fellow teammates so we can strive to win.

By Spencer Inglett ’19

THE ROUNDUP

www.youtube.com/user/vsauce Vsauce is a Youtube channel that can help pass time for hours with interesting and educational videos.

Starting in 2007, Michael Stevens, known under pseudonym “Vsauce,” provides many different videos diving deep into interesting topics, ranging from how alzheimer’s disease works to human extinction.The channel currently has over 1 billion views, and Stevens has expanded his project into two other channels. He has found new hosts to do the same thing that has made him successful. These videos may help you learn some new things with entertaining commentary, graphics and topics.

whathappenedinmybirthyear. com Have you ever wanted to see what things happened or were popular in the year you were born?

Thanks to this site now you can.

The process is simple: you enter

Would you rather have free Dutch Brothers or free Starbucks?

Definitely Dutch Bros!

What is your favorite class at Xavier?

English II Great Books. I love learning the new literature and reading new material. Literature has always been my favorite and will continue to be until I graduate.

What is your favorite romantic movie?

“Stuck in Love” by far. Literally the best romantic comedy. The plot drives me crazy and it is honestly the most perfect movie. I would watch it multiple times a day if I had time.

What features do you look for in a guy?

He would have to be mannered, nice, considerate ... and really good at picking out movies and music. Also he would have to definitely get me Dutch Bros a lot.

Interesting. What is one thing that most people would not know about you?

I love country music. Most people hate it and I’ll say the same, but when it’s just me in my car I’ll jam out.

Fun. Thank you for the interview and good luck with cheer.

your year of birth, and it proceeds to flash back time to your year of birth, showing scrolling text of facts from that year, ranging from the Oscar award winners to the top grossing movie. whathappenedinmybirthyear.com is a great website to learn more about recent history and the key events that occurred in your birth year.

lifehack.org Lifehack is a great website that can help you with useful “lifehacks” to improve all aspects of your life.

Lifehacks are tips and tricks designed to improve your life, productivity, and overall self-being. Some examples of this are ideas to fix your posture and how to stay motivated.

Created in 2005, this unique website has a variety of entertaining articles and gives you helpful advice.

Also, it can set up a goal planner, where they will push out certain articles to you, depending on what goals you are attempting to achieve.

From staying focused to being stress free, Lifehack is a productive website that can benefit you in multiple ways.

Words from the Wise ...

“I am a prodigy, kid.”

-Jack Davis ’19

“They call me ranch ’cause I’d be dressing.”

-Juan Carlos Ramirez ’18

“Words, words, words, words.

Punchline!”

-Michael Placenti ’19

“My swimmers are lucky that I don’t wear the same uniform as them, like the baseball coach.”

-Mr. Pat O’Neill, Varsity swimming coach

“I’m managing you right now.”

-Matt Zacher ’18, managing editor, talking to Anthony Cardellini ’17, the editor in chief of The Roundup

“Some people think I’m a problemsolving genius, and they’re right.”

Michael Welty ’83

“

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