The Roundup roundup.brophyprep.org
December 2013 Edition 3
TRADITION
Photo Illustration by Alec Vick ’15/Ben Liu ’15
T
raditions play a significant role in many communities and Brophy is not an exception. In this issue, The Roundup exposes many of the rich traditions that students experience in the classroom, on the field and at home. With its inception 85 years ago, our school has developed exponentially alongside our students ability to keep old traditions alive while creating new ones both on campus and in their own lives. Inside » Traditions
• Students, teachers find comfort in parking spots See News, Page 2
• Students form early morning traditions for activities, catching up See News, Page 4
• Athlete’s routines develop into more than just superstition See Sports, Page 9
Cookie club produces sweet confections for the needy Page 3
• Teams execute pre-practice and pre-game rituals across seasons See Sports, Page 10
• Students attend, perform at Phoenix based ‘First Friday’ event See Entertainment, Page 13
• Vinyl albums bring about different music experience
See Entertainment, Page 14
Tradition reigns through holiday customs By Jeffrey J. Kimball Erdely ’14
THE ROUNDUP
Diversity among students is present during the holidays. With so many different beliefs and traditions coming into play, students have a variety of customs, religious beliefs or practices they celebrate during the holiday season. Noe Medrano ’14 shared a custom his family is familiar with—the Spanish tradition of Las Posadas. “A couple is picked to represent Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus,” Medrano said. “They go around the neighborhood seeking refuge and people are told to say no to them until they come to a designated house that does let them in. I think it lasts nine days.” Las Posadas is a Spanish tradition but as Medrano points out, “It started in Spain but I think a lot of people in Mexico
Pro/Con: NSA has good reasoning or oversteps boundaries? Page 6
celebrate it too.” Sahil Kapur ’14 brings some unique traditions from India to celebrate during the holidays. One of these traditions is the Diwali Festival. “It is the celebration of Lord Rama and his wife Sita and his triumphant return is the festival of light. It’s an Indian tradition,” Kapur said. “It’s in November usually.” Kapur’s family celebrates several unique Indian holiday’s, including Teej, a fasting festival for women. “It’s like saying good luck for your husband,” Kapur said. “A wife fasts until the sun goes down and the moon comes up … so that your husband lives a long prosperous life. My mom does that.” Other traditions around campus are not so unfamiliar. “Me and my family go to Santa Monica in L.A every See TRADITION, Page 4
Vogel contributes to StuCo, produces videos Page 13
Award-winning news, photos and opinions online at roundup.brophyprep.org
News Online
Page 2 | December 2013
The Roundup
Students, teachers find comfort in parking spots By Charles Louis Dominguez ’14
THE ROUNDUP Starting at around 7 a.m. each morning, a wave of student drivers make their way on to campus. The truly observant will notice that, with minor exceptions, the parking lot looks largely the same on a day-to-day basis. Student drivers campus-wide said they have a sense of connectivity to the place they park each morning. Reasons for this phenomenon differ greatly.While many opt for spaces that save them the most steps, others find deeper meaning behind their possession of a spot. “I park in the same spot every day for some consistency in my life,” said Devon McCauley ’16. The shear summer heat of the Phoenix metropolitan area makes shade another key factor in deciding where to park. “There’s also a tree there, so I get a little bit of shade,” McCauley said. “I love the spot and the spot loves me.” Proximity to the campus and ease of access are also important to students when they lay claim to a space. “It’s right by my first class and it’s easy to leave from,” said Carter Santini ’15. “It’s a pull-through spot.” For others, the decision to park in a certain spot comes from experience. “I used to carpool with Jake Ward ’12 and he used to park in the spot I now park in,” said Van Cummerford ’14. The tradition of parking in a specific space is not limited to students. “I’m the first one here, so I get first choice,” said
Photo by Cory Wyman ’16 Many students and teachers park in the same spot each day for a variety of reasons.
Mrs. Julie Thibodeaux. “I park across from the Colonnade which is close to where I start and end my day.” Other students strategically plan out where they
park based on class schedules. “It’s the closest spot to where I start and end school,” said Ty Verdugo ’14. By nature, it’s a possessive phenomenon and
students often form a bond to their respective space. “I felt betrayed,” Verdugo said of having his spot taken by a friend one morning.
Unknown culprit hacks email, sends out ‘important document’ By Cameron M. Bray ’16
THE ROUNDUP Confusion ensued as Mr. Andy Mazzolini’s students received an email from his account at 9:49 a.m, Oct. 24, telling them to follow the link to Google Drive and sign in with their email usernames and passwords. “The way it was set up it looked really, really authentic,” said Mr. Jim Bopp,
assistant principal for technology and instruction. “They set it up to have his signature at the bottom ... so it really did look like his (email).” Many students entered their information, but found there was no document and that this was not actually Google Drive. Later that day, Mr. Bopp sent out an email urging students not to enter their information because the site was trying to steal their ID and password.
The Roundup Brophy College Preparatory 4701 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85012 (602) 264-5291 roundup@brophybroncos.org Editors in Chief P. Erik Meyer ’14 & Aakash Jain ’14 Managing Editor Christian Guerithault ’14 Online Editor Michael Norville ’15 News Editor Michael Ahearne ’14 Opinion Editor Charles Dominguez ’14 Sports Editor Chase Bayless ’15 Asst. Sports Editor JP Hajjar ’16 Entertainment Editor Tanner Nypen ’15 Photo Editor Alec Vick ’15
Asst. Photo Editor Cory Wyman ’16 Staff William Borders ’16 Cameron Bray ’16 Hayden Corwin ’15 Brendan Hinkle ’16 Jeffrey Kimball Erdely ’14 Reece Krantz ’16 Chase Manson ’16 Jack McAuslan ’16 Riley Morrison ’16 Garrison Murphy ’15 Jace Riley ’16 Will Schubert ’15 Contributors Kyle Scheuring ’15 George A. Liddy ’14
Ben Liu ’15 Bryan Smith ’14 Michael Abert ’15 Jared Balbona ’14 Herny Erlandson ’16 Amir Khawaja ’15 Ben Adelson ’15 Devin McManimom McNally ’17 AK Alilonu ’16 Nick Park ’15 Web Assistants Kyle Sourbeer ’15 Stan Sourbeer ’15 Roundup Adviser Mr. Mica Mulloy ’99
By entering their usernames and passwords, students inadvertently gave their personal information to an anonymous and possibly malicious source. The website is now blocked, but the sources are still unknown. “One of the guys— I’m not sure how this student did this. He was able to trace it back to somebody in Italy,” Mr. Bopp said. “But we really don’t know.” Mr. Mazzolini said he is not sure
how the compromise happened. “I don’t know,” Mr. Mazzolini said. “It wasn’t like I put in a password incorrectly or gave a password out.” Despite the confusion and mysteriousness of the hack, Mr. Bopp said the school network remains secure since the event. “Our network itself has never been hacked,” Mr. Bopp said. “So in terms of our own internal network, I feel pretty good about it.”
Many students have changed their passwords and moved on. “Mr. (Matt) Williams (’07) told me that I had to reset my password ... like very quickly so the people could not hack my email too,” said Rece Pacheco ’16. Pacheco added the whole event was “a big, big inconvenience.” “It is good for people to just ... be aware of even emails that look legitimate,” Mr. Bopp said.
Corrections The Roundup seeks to correct any printed mistakes in a timely and public manner. Please e-mail corrections to roundup@ brophybroncos.org.
Submissions
The Roundup welcomes news, opinions, sports, entertainment and photography submissions and ideas. E-mail roundup@ brophybroncos.org or see Mr. Mulloy in Eller Room 331.
Mission Statement The Brophy College Preparatory Roundup exists to inform and entertain the Brophy community by producing a quality product that contains pertinent information about the Brophy community. This newspaper will educate our Brophy community and by doing so provide an understanding of journalism theories and techniques for our staff. We will be ethical, honest, trustworthy and dedicated in our news coverage. We strive to be fair and balanced, yet not afraid to report the truth even when it is unpopular to do so. Our goal is not only to report information, but also to encourage and foster discussion amongst our community. Overall we attempt to do all things for the greater glory of God. The Roundup is a student publication of Brophy College Preparatory. Copyright 2009 Brophy College Preparatory’s The Roundup. No material may be used without permission from the editors and adviser. Some material courtesy of American Society of Newspaper Editors/MCT Campus High School Newspaper Service.
National Scholastic Press Association Member
Arizona Newspaper Association’s 2013, 2012 & 2011 “Best High School Newspaper” National Scholastic Press Association 2013 Pacemaker Finalist
The Roundup
December 2013 |
Page 3
Cookie club produces sweet confections for the needy By Will Schubert ’15
THE ROUNDUP The Cookie Club meets every Saturday morning at the farmers market on 40th Street and Camelback to sell cookies for a cause. Each year, the club chooses two families to give their support to and help financially. Around 10 students go to the Great Hall each week to help bake cookies that they will sell on the upcoming Saturday. They sell jars of cookies for $15 and that money goes to buy necessities such as bed frames, computers, clothing, food and furniture. Once they are able to purchase the items that the families need, they personally deliver the items to the families’ houses. “It’s fun, you get to meet a lot of new people and it’s a great way to give back to the community,” said Chris Ashton ’15. “I like it when we go to the families’ houses and give them their supplies and seeing how happy and thankful they are.” With the help of their moderator Mr. Matt Williams ’07 they are able to help make families’ lives easier and give back to the community. Last year they raised more than $4,000. “I joined the club to get involved in the community,” said head of sales Bradley Sheffield ’15. “It is also fun to hang out with the seniors and make new friends.” They sell five different types of cookies: a peanut butter a chocolate cookie called Bronco Bites, a heath
Photo by Cory Wyman ’16 The Brophy Cookie club sells cookie ingredients at Vincent’s Market Nov. 9.
cookie called Bring on the Heath, an oatmeal and raisin cookie called Raisin the Bar, a chocolaty cookie called the Chocolate Bomb, and a coconut cookie.
“My favorite type is Bring on the Heath,” Ashton said. The clubs’ most popular type of cookies are the Bronco Bites.
The club sells between nine and 12 jars of cookies every Saturday, which is between $135 and $180 a week. The club was previously known as
the Calc Club but around three years ago it was changed to more adequately describe what they did.
New teachers on campus introduce new, fresh tactics into the learning environment By Hayden Prescott Corwin ’15
THE ROUNDUP The math and science departments acquired new members this year that show promise of advancing the classroom experience. The new members of the departments are Mr. Kevin Burke, Ms. Breanne Toshner and Mr. Chris Stevens ’85. Mr. Burke is a science teacher and is teaching Chemistry. “He is a veteran teacher … he has many years of high school chemistry experience already, teaching all levels from regular to AP, even some earth science,” said Assistant Principal for Technology and Instruction Mr. Jim Bopp. This year Mr. Burke and Mr. Andy Mazzolini have been working together to create educational videos explaining concepts that students can utilize inside and outside of Brophy. “They are creating some video lessons so that they can post them online and do some of the video instruction online so they have more time to do some of the more challenging problems in class,” Mr. Bopp said. Mr. Burke said that the videos would be a way for students to look at a lesson and be able to learn a subject in a more condensed manner. Ms. Toshner is another teacher who brings her own style and experience into the classroom.
Photo by Alec Vick ’15 Mr. Kevin Burke instructs a student about chemistry Dec. 2.
“She has already brought a lot to us because she comes to us as an electrical engineer and one of our big concerns here at Brophy is always making sure that the things that we are teaching are relevant and can be applied,” Mr. Bopp
said. “Mathematics is one of those things where it’s really important for students to have a sense of what we can do with this and how this can be used in the real world.” Students have seen her engineering
background transfer into her teaching. “Because of her background in engineering she seems to teach each subject with more energy and enthusiasm than most other teachers,” said Jackman Rice ’15.
Bringing real life experience as an engineer is not the only advantage of having Ms. Toshner as a teacher on campus. “She has also brought a lot of great energy,” Mr. Bopp said. “In fact, she is already doing more stuff in terms of technology and using technology in the way that she teaches or instructs in her classroom as I am or as most veteran teachers here are, so when she came in, she started using all of our best technology tricks.” Another teacher that has actually taught at Brophy before is Mr. Stevens. Mr. Stevens came from a school in Colorado that has utilized the iPad. “I think the iPads provide more visual reinforcement of what we teach,” Mr. Stevens said. “It also allows for very quick and easy reference, so instead of waiting to go home and look something up (students) can access it right now.” His experience with the iPad has given him time to figure out some technology tricks too. “He came in with a lot of new ideas and resources for how to use technology in the classroom as well,” Mr. Bopp said. Mr. Bopp said that Mr. Stevens is also finding ways to inspire and help students inside and outside of the classroom.
Page 4 | December 2013
The Roundup
Smith looks to ‘small moments’ as class highlights By Hayden Prescott Corwin ’15
THE ROUNDUP The room fills with the sound of David Bowie’s song “Five Years” as Mr. Steve Smith ’96 moves his hands away from his computer. “It was wonderful although I was not the most involved guy, and I really wish I could go back and be involved,” Mr. Smith said reflecting on his years as a Brophy student. “I was very quiet, and I was that very quiet kid in class who totally paid attention, never raised his hand ever in four years, but I was very engaged in class.” After graduating, Mr. Smith went to Arizona State University and graduated with an English degree. Immediately after obtaining his degree, he started taking classes to become a teacher. “Brophy actually was on my mind when I decided to become a teacher,” Mr. Smith said. “I don’t know if I was nervous or something, but I didn’t immediately apply to (teach at) Brophy. I thought I would go be a teacher somewhere else and see if I was good at it or decent at it and then I’d try for Brophy. So, I taught at a school named Washington for five years.”
Mr. Smith then ran into his first teacher from when he was a Brophy student at a party who said that Mr. Smith should apply to teach at his alma mater. He did and has been teaching freshmen classes for eight years now. In that time, Mr. Smith has left his mark on students. “He is the only reason that I have done so well in my English classes at Brophy,” said Jake Anderson ’15. A teacher with as much experience in the classroom as Mr. Smith usually has a few memorable moments to tell about his students. “I don’t feel like I have an answer of the memorable moment,” Mr. Smith said. “I would say every single year teaching freshmen and just the small moments in class, the random moments in class where we joke around and … every class would have their little inside jokes … I bet we could talk in 20 more years and I’ll still remember the small moments.” Mr. Smith paused. “It’s the individual classes, it’s the individual personalities in the room and just the small moments and the small conversations,” Mr. Smith said. “That’s the thing I will always remember.”
Photo by JP Hajjar ’16 Mr. Steve Smith ’96 types on his computer after teaching a freshman English class.
Kolb uses summer trip to China to help engage in class material By Chase L. Manson ’16
THE ROUNDUP Science teacher Mr. Patrick Kolb, is known for his dry wit. This year he celebrates his sixth year at Brophy. He has taught Honors Biology, Honors Chemistry, Geology and currently teaches four sections of Environmental Science. Environmental Science is a year long course for sophomores that focuses on the Earth and natural
disasters. “I really like teaching the course I teach right now,” Mr. Kolb said. “I like to make connections to things I have done.” Mr. Kolb’s “connections” would be his summer trip China, which he described as “eye-opening.” “You think people are different and they are,” Mr. Kolb said. “Culture is different and there is a lot of people (in China).” Mr. Kolb uses his trip to relate issues such as pollution, farming and over-population issues. “I think my entire trip relates to the class,” Mr.
Kolb said. “Everything is related.” Ian Bolton ’16, a student of Mr. Kolb said he, has found the stories of his trip insightful. “He uses it to talk about cultures and how they differ,” Bolton said. “It gives us a different perspective.” In addition to teaching Mr. Kolb moderates Quiz, Science and History Bowl and used to direct the Jesuit Eco-Spiritually immersion to Canada. He also used to moderate the math SAT prep class. Before coming to Brophy Mr. Kolb taught at Basis, teaching 5th grade science.
Mr. Kolb said he enjoys being at Brophy. “At Brophy we have good kids, good faculty and lots of things to do,” Mr. Kolb said. “You don’t have to teach the material, you have to make connections.” Mr. Kolb said he never actually wanted to become a teacher from the get-go. “I fell in love with teaching when I was a TA in grad school,” Mr. Kolb said. “It is more of a want to teach ... and I love science.”
Students form early morning traditions for activities, catching up By Austin Norville ’15
THE ROUNDUP Students enter campus early for myriad reasons, including club and class commitments. Brock Christy ’15 gets to school at 7 a.m. and sits in Piper outside of his first period classroom. He arrives early because of “parking on the street, because I don’t have a carpool so I get here at 7,” Christy said. Christy said he does homework when he gets here. “I save the easier homework for the morning,” Christy said Anthony Gutierrez ’15 said he gets to school at 6:45 a.m., having to wake
up around 5:30 for yearbook. “Besides complete the yearbook? Well we finish pages according to the chronological order of events that happen throughout the year and/or enjoy the morning the best possible way: jokes,” Gutierrez said. Gutierrez arrives at school by alternating between the bus and light rail. “After the bus driver waited for me to make the bus stop, he began to preach the Gospel while driving,” he said of his best memories of early morning travels. “When I transferred to the light rail, I met a Central freshman and we talked about music and classwork until our stop arrived.” Zach McCarthy ’17 said he usually
From TRADITION, Page 1
Thanksgiving,” said Matthew Levine ’16. Levine is Jewish and said there are numerous holidays that occur during this time of year. “People see Hanukkah as the biggest holiday but it’s actually one of the smaller ones,” Levine said. “You have Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Passover,
gets to Brophy about 7:15 a.m. “Just to do work or go see teachers,” McCarthy said of why he gets to campus early. Along with working on homework and yearbook, students also enter campus early for band practice. “Jazz Band starts at 7 a.m. and students are expected to arrive sometime before 7,” said Matt Borlongan ’15. “We practice in the band room in third floor Eller.” Borlongan plays trumpet in the band. “It goes until 7:45 but it’s really whenever it ends,” Borlongan said. “Usually if there is a little time left we’ll just clean up the stands, talk with fellow band members or just get to class early.”
Simchat Torah … there are actually a lot of them when you think about it.” Levine also has a Thanksgiving tradition too. “This sounds pretty ordinary, but my uncle has always been the one to carve the turkey on Thanksgiving. Literally every year,” Levine said. Jacob Peterson ’16 has fond memories of his
Photo by Cory Wyman ’16 Xavier Fernandez ’17 studies math early before school Dec. 4 around 7:30 a.m.
family decorating for Christmas. “Every Christmas we put up all our decorations … we have this basket of nutcrackers and Christmas stories that we’ve had since me and my brother were really young … it’s really nice being able to read these Christmas books that have gathered over the years,” Peterson said.
Max Sarver ’16 has a sports related Thanksgiving tradition. “When we go to Tucson and we get back that night, me and my brother play my other brother and my dad in basketball on Thanksgiving,” Sarver said. “We do that every year.”
The Roundup
December 2013 |
Page 5
Remembering Jesuit martyrs
Photos by Cory Wyman ’16 At left, students and faculty gather for the Jesuit Martyrs Prayer Service Nov. 14 in the Graham Plaza. Above, the Rev. Lou Bishop, SJ hands a photo of one of the Jesuit martyrs to Max Hall ’14 at the prayer service. The service commemorates the murder of Jesuits and their employees in El Salvador Nov. 16, 1989.
Econ classes aid Varsity Shop in product development By P. Erik Meyer ’14
THE ROUNDUP For the past two years, Mr. Tony Oldani’s economics class has collaborated with the Varsity Shop to come up with student designed products. This year students worked in groups of three to complete the project titled “The Varsity Shop Lessons.” “It’s overall to put them in the shoes of a business person instead of learning about it on a whiteboard,” Mr. Oldani said. The students receive a list of product ideas from the Varsity Shop and design, price and market their product from there. “The guys basically come up with what product, whether it be a t-shirt, we had pajama bottoms this year, women’s, they draft their category, do some initial research come up with an idea for a design, sit down with Mrs. Pierre and make their pitch on, we want to do this kind of shirt with this design,” Mr. Oldani said. “Then there is a bit of back and forth and this is what the price looks like and a couple of different options of this is who we get the product from.” Mrs. Andrea Pierre, who runs the Varsity Shop, finds the product design helpful as it pertains to market research on students. “There are certain items that because of my particular age or because of where I am, I might not understand, and I want to give those projects a chance as well,” she said. The students involved in the project learn the ins and outs of how to sell a product from start to finish. “They have to really do some market research with their peers on does it matter if it’s an Under Armor shirt or a Gildan shirt,” Mr. Oldani said. “Once they order, the kids have to do print ads and commercials.” The products are brought to the fashion show where the students are given the opportunity to show off their goods. “I think that it has become more and more successful every year, and this year in particular, the timing of everything with the fashion show and bringing out the items, that was terrific because the seniors were present at the fashion show to highlight and market their items,” Mrs. Pierre said.
Photo by Alec Vick ’15 School apparel designed by economics students hangs in the Varsity Shop.
The items sold at the fashion show help support the Brophy scholarship fund. “From a generating revenue side for the scholarships, it’s been great because that’s where the proceeds go,” Mr. Oldani said. “Initially the plan was that whatever stuff came back we would have a sale day here, but the last two years very little of the stuff ends up coming back because once
the moms and the guests at the fashion show hear that this product or this table of stuff was designed by the kids, that’s usually the first stuff they buy. “ For Mrs. Pierre, the student-designed products provide confidence for the buyer. “Mothers in particular are often buying for boys and so if I say that a senior boy designed this, they think OK, my son would like this and they are a
little more confident in making the purchase,” Mrs. Pierre said. There is a certain amount of risk involved for the Varsity Shop and the school. “When we started it was kind of how much money is the Varsity Shop willing to float as start up money for these groups,” Mr. Oldani said. “That dollar amount has continued to go up a little bit because by and large, with the exception of a couple misses, most products end up selling really well and therefore the Varsity Shop now realizes that there is not really any risk. According to Mr. Oldani and Mrs. Pierre, the Varsity Shop has only lost small amounts of money on certain projects, but overall each year has turned a profit. “Because of the way the project is designed, we are very cautions about items that we don’t want to endorse, and we’re very cognizant that we don’t want to put any of the schools funding at risk at any time,” Mrs. Pierre said. The Varsity Shop and Mr. Oldani plan on continuing the project with a few new twists. “One component we are going to add next year is, that up to this point every product has gotten made and put in the store. So next year we are going to add a sort of “Shark Tank” element where only a certain number of products will get made and therefore you have to make a pitch as to why you think your product should be in the store,” Mr. Oldani said. For Mr. Oldani, the project helps to convey key economic concepts. “To me one of the benefits of this is learning how to work with a group,” Mr. Oldani said. “They’re not going to be working independently and they have to play nice in the sandbox and sometimes they’re going to get their way and other times not. The idea of trade-offs, do you want to sell a few things that are expensive, and certainly there is a market for that, especially at the fashion show, where other groups do $5 sun glasses and one grandma this year bought 14 pairs of them.” The project has been mutually beneficial for both the class and the Varsity Shop. “Its something that I think to utilize the resources of the school and apply it to the concepts was both advantageous to him as a teacher and to myself in the shop,” Mrs. Pierre said.
Opinions The Roundup | December 2013
Spy vs. No Spy Good reasoning behind NSA spying Wire-tapping keeps us safe, ensures the safety of all U.S. citizens
information that can help us prepare for aggressive actions. Not only can this keep us safe, we could give other allies the information we obtained. Information is a global Another reason why the currency that can change NSA should be gathering this how countries act. information is that Germany Recently the National is an undeclared nuclear state. Security Agency has been This raises concerns as to reported for tapping phones why they won’t state that all over Europe, include that they are a nuclear power. of the German Chancellor The NSA has used some Angela Merkel. questionable ways of There have been By Jace Riley ’16 obtaining information reports of listening in for sure, but they have The Roundup on millions of French good reasons. citizens’ phone “The world is full of It is in good calls; however, the most notable and unexpected events and people judgement that they do these tappings, who wish to cause harm concerning tapping but if they continue, is on Chancellor to others so we need to be it needs to be done Merkel. prepared for any action that in a more controlled While this can be may occur.” manner. looked at as poor If the federal judgment since government were Germany is a close to restrict the NSA friend of the United in what they can do, States, and may cast suspicious eyes on the United States since phone tappings we would still get some information, and show that we don’t trust others, there are in a less severe way than this that does not infringe on the privacy of innocent reasons as to why we should. The biggest factor is that it is for the people. President Barack Obama has stated that public’s safety. The world is full of unexpected events he will now limit the expansive reach of and people who wish to cause harm to the NSA, which is better than completely others so we need to be prepared for any stopping the NSA. Even though there are reasons as to action that may occur. When we tap phones or commit other why they should continue, it needs to be forms of spying, we can obtain pertinent monitored and controlled more than it is now.
“
Opinions rock. Send us yours.
Spying oversteps boundaries, strains relations Americans learned the truth about U.S. espionage It admits that the NSA is monitoring the online and covert operations when The Guardian’s article on activities of U.S. citizens and that our attitude should be Edward Snowden’s leaks hit newsstands in May. to just deal with it, lest we be considered an anarchist, The revealed secrets about the NSA’s program a terrorist or worse. PRISM, NSA call database and Boundless Informant, A second statement almost always crops up as well. quickly drew the public’s eye. The other argument I’ve heard is that What a bad day for the rights of U.S. the NSA’s monitoring of U.S. citizens citizens. and other online users is used as a tool to Thousands read the articles before the counteract terrorism. U.S. government took action, declaring While it is true that surveillance Snowden a traitor and an enemy of the programs such as this aid the prevention country. of terrorism, one question comes to mind In the eyes of many U.S. politicians and when thinking about this: Why do we leaders, Snowden’s radical actions continue to monitor our allies? By Cameron M. Bray ’16 had dealt a catastrophic blow to the Snowden’s leaks have revealed The Roundup United States. that our allies’ leaders are being Around this time, Snowden was monitored. “NSA monitoring of its own consulting with more journalists Should we not instead just in his cramped room at Hong citizens and online users is just monitor those who actually pose Kong’s Mira Hotel, divulging a threat to us, like North Korea wrong.” more secrets. or Iran? “I don’t want to live in a society Snowden is a hero, not a hero that does these sort of things of the United States, but of the (surveillance on its citizens),” world at large. Snowden said to The Guardian. He has opened up a new venue The world was in turmoil. The for international discussion for leaks spread like wildfire. And nothing has been done. something that is constitutionally ambiguous. Fifty-four percent of Americans think federal courts However, we must keep in mind he has damaged the and the rules of Congress don’t provide enough United States immensely, so in that regard, he is not a oversight on the data the NSA is allowed collect on hero. Americans, according to a poll by The Huffington Post. NSA monitoring of its own citizens and online users Clearly, the majority of the population demands is just wrong. change. It trespasses constitutional rights and strains U.S. Politicians, however, try to justify the intrusive nature relations. of the NSA’s spying with flimsy arguments, claiming Action needs to be taken and discussion needs to take that, if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to place. fear. Otherwise, the United States will sink lower, losing These statements always bother me. more and more international credibility. It ends any discussion on whether the NSA has the constitutional right to monitor U.S. citizens.
“
roundup@brophybroncos.org
Opinions
The Roundup
Page 7 | December 2013
Concept, ethics come into play behind ‘the eye’
By Alec Vick ’15
The Roundup The cover photo for the September edition of The Roundup was an eye, and on the inside of the eye was the logo belonging to the social network site Facebook. The picture caused more discussion around campus than these cover photos typically seem to earn. So I, as the photo editor of The Roundup, would like to share some insight into how I produced this picture. We needed an image for the cover to accompany our package on how technology impacts students’ lives. When we started with this idea we had a classmate of mine sit in front of a large computer screen with the Facebook logo spread across it. Roundup adviser Mr. Mica Mulloy ’99 and I positioned a camera on a tripod behind the backside of the computer facing towards the eye of the student in hopes of getting a picture of the reflection. We tried many things, dimming the lights and adjusting the camera settings, but nothing would work well enough to perfect the picture. I decided to give it a try myself. I took the camera off the tripod and sat where the
Photo illustration by Alec Vick ’15 A set up portrait helped to illustrate The Roundup’s October package on technology.
student had been sitting, in front of the screen. The lights were dimmed and when I pointed the camera at my eye I could see the reflection. “Facebook.” I snapped a few shots of my own eye and one stood out among the rest, and it eventually became the cover photo for that particular edition of The Roundup. The reason we were obliged to call it a “Photo
Illustration” instead of just a “photo” is, in addition to me setting up all aspects of the image, we had to tinker with it in the editing process. When I took the picture, because my eye acted as a mirror, the word Facebook was backwards. Once I was inside Photoshop I flipped the picture horizontally and added my typically editing techniques that I use for every photo, i.e. crop,
saturation boost, image sizing. Flipping the image changed the reality that it captured, although created something that would better represent the collection of articles in the edition. I would like to thank everyone for the compliments I received regarding the photo and I hope this clears up any questions about it.
Obamacare takes wrong step in the right direction for health care Although well-intentioned, Obamacare has room for improvement
aid, and employers will have to provide workers with health benefits. According to Obama, this would not affect Obamacare continues to anger those already on health Republicans, and citizens are insurance; also they losing faith and trust in their would be able to stay government preventing any with their current steps forward in improving provider if it met the health care. requirements of Obamacare, officially By Austin Norville ’15 the ACA. known as the Affordable The Roundup That has not Care Act, is a bill passed been the case that allows those without health as many are receiving letters stating insurance to receive it and financial
Question
of the Month By Jeffrey J. Erderly ’14
THE ROUNDUP
What genre of music do you find most underrated and why?
that they are being dropped by their insurance provider forcing Obama to change his message. Obama said people dropped needed to look for a new insurance provider, however he has changed that, saying that those who were dropped must be put back on their insurance policy for up to a year. The main website for Obamacare has had many problems, causing low enrollment numbers for the new plan Washington was not prepared for something this large. Republicans are unwilling to budge
“Techno because most people don’t find just music itself interesting.” – Jian Situ ’17
when it comes to Obamacare and are fighting to remove the bill from law. This is also one of the reasons for the government shutdown that lasted 16 days and cost the country approximately $2 billion. This plan seems to be doing more harm than good as Washington, D.C. becomes more split between the Democrats and Republicans as they cannot come to a consensus. Although I believe health care reform is a correct step that needs to be taken to improve our country, it was poorly executed and there are so many
“Video game soundtracks. People just play the game and don’t realize how awesome the soundtracks are.” – Omar Moreno ’15
problems that have risen that Obamacare is becoming more of a disservice to the people it is trying to serve. A revised plan needs to be proposed where the House and Senate can come to an agreement on what a reform should look like so that it can benefit all citizens instead of negatively impacting anyone. I know that Obamacare was passed with the intention of helping the poor and sick, but more damage than rebuilding has been done and that needs to change.
“Instrumental pieces. A lot of people don’t listen to it ... they like to have words and don’t listen when there isn’t.” “Norwegian death metal. – Johnny Moran ’14
As far as death metal goes, Norwegians are really good at it.” – Joseph Weiss ’14
Opinions
Page 8 | December 2013
The Roundup
Staff Editorial
Responsible digestion of media proves essential The Issue: People are not digesting information they receive from media responsibly. Our Stance: Checking multiple sources to filter out false information is almost always necessary. In a generation characterized primarily by technology and digital media, informing one’s opinion with the right information requires a certain level of finesse. The sheer amount of information available today alone marks an
unprecedented societal feat. Never before have we been able to have such a vast amount of knowledge at our disposal. However, this ease of access to information does come at a cost. As a result of this availability, many look to the media to answer almost all of their questions, such as “How tall is Mt. Rushmore?” or “How do I solve this math problem?” While this is generally inconsequential, a big problem arises when many begin to inform themselves based off of incredibly skewed information. The big issue is the fact that a lot of people do not check their sources and therefore are given false information. This problem is prominent for anybody who looks up information for anything. People should not have to search multiple sources just to see if one source of media is correct or not. This is, however, the price we pay for the convenience we are allotted by technology. Fortunately there are ways of getting the right information and knowing when one receives the right information. The most important thing is that people need to
digest media responsibly. Students in our community have all faced this problem. It is extremely prominent for young people to feel like they should be able to trust the media and know what is right or wrong. An increase of usage of social media websites is leading to more false information that is being digested by the general public. A lot of people get their news strictly from various social media outlets and the information just cannot be trusted. Checking multiple sources to make sure that the right information is being obtained is necessary to avoid receiving false information. Staff editorial by Christian Guerithault ’14 & Charles Dominguez ’14 Staff editorials represent the view of The Roundup. Share your thoughts by e-mailing roundup@brophybroncos.org or leave comments online at roundup.brophyprep.org. Graphic created by Garrison Murphy ’15 using tagxedo.com
New York ‘stop-and-frisk’ policy destroys trust, purports destructive profiling Policy permits police to search ‘suspicious’ citizens with little cause It is everyone’s duty to combat discrimination, wherever it occurs. Benjamin Franklin once said, “(Those) who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” This echoes my feelings towards New York State Criminal Procedure Law section 140.50, also known as New York City’s “stop-and-frisk” program. The program grants New York City
By Charles Louis Dominguez ’14
The Roundup police officers the authority to stop, question and frisk any person they suspect is “committing, has committed or is about to commit either a felony or a misdemeanor.” It hopes to preclude crime or catch it in
its tracks by searching suspicious persons for weapons or other contraband. The law opens up endless possibilities for legalized racial discrimination. In 2012, 532,911 New Yorkers were stopped by police officers, according to data recorded the New York Civil Liberties Union. Eighty nine percent of those stopped were found to be totally innocent. Of the whole group, 55 percent of those stopped were black, while another 32 percent were Latino. It is condescending to imagine that people of color should be comfortable around a police force that, statistically
speaking, targets them. In this case, the discomfort and anger is reasonable. My own frustrations towards policies like “stop-and-frisk” have absolutely nothing to do with African Americans or Caucasians. Everyone has an obligation to fight for the rights of other citizens. It is not a matter of race, it is a matter of people— human beings. If the police are given the power to frisk citizens based off of seemingly arbitrary observations, we run the risk of breaking the already blurred line of trust between citizens and law
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.
December:
Charles Louis Dominguez ’14
enforcement officers. But is the risk worth the reward? One of the biggest issues with “stopand-frisk” is that it just isn’t effective. Punishing the 11 percent who actually violated the law isn’t worth the sense of distrust and violation raised within the other 89 percent. It’s just a bad policy; it raises racial tension, distrust and potentially violates constitutional rights. At the heart of things, people just deserve better.
The Roundup Staff Member of the Month
The Roundup Online
More stories, photos and updates Visit The Roundup’s award-winning website
roundup.brophyprep.org
Sports The Roundup | December 2013
Hoops looks to play more team-oriented game By Riley Morrison ’16
THE ROUNDUP
V
arsity basketball kicked off the season with tryouts Nov. 4 and a team retreat the following weekend. According to head coach Mr. Tony Fuller, who has been coaching at Brophy for eight years, “tryouts were very competitive.” The team has five returning players including sophomore Bo Brunkhorst ’16 “a very good player,” according to team captain Conor Triplett ’14. Other players to look out for are Mason Zwillinger ’15 and Matt Stark ’15, Triplett said. “They have been playing really well lately I think they’re going to be a huge help to us,” he said. “And we have guys like Freddy Erlandson’15 who bring a new level of physicality so look out for that.” Last year, Brophy lost in the playoffs to Sunnyside. “We have the state’s toughest schedule,” Mr. Fuller said when asked about the teams expected playoff future. “My goal is for us to be as good as we can be. To reach our potential.” The team lost a few key seniors such as Tim Kempton ’13. However, the players think this might give them a chance to play better basketball as a whole. “I think we’ve improved a lot,” Triplett said. “We’re a lot more fundamentally sound and we’re starting to play more team oriented basketball in comparison to last year when we had such a dominant player like (Tim).” Players said the community aspect of the team is important to them. “With Brophy,” Triplett said, “you’re
Photo by Cory Wyman ’16 From left to right Romano Bottini ’14, Steven Stanley ’14, Conor Triplett ’14, Michael Nabong ’14, the seniors on this year’s varsity basketball team, pose for a portrait during practice Nov. 20.
around these guys two or three hours every day for four months and you really
come to love the guys and be a family.” The team’s first game was set for Dec. 3 at Fairfax high school.
“We always have one goal and that’s to win our next game,” Triplett said. “We’re trying not to look too far ahead.
I think we’re going to have a very competitive team this year and we’re going to surprise a lot of people.”
Athletes’ routines develop into more than just superstitions Quirks, unique habits span all sports, types of athletes By Garrison Murphy ’15
THE ROUNDUP Andrew Ripple ’15 steps from the baseball team’s dugout and begins his walk to home plate. He slowly edges his way to the batter’s box, surreptitiously eyeing the infield at
Online
this month
roundup.brophyprep.org
the same time maintaining complete and utter focus. Determination and confidence radiate from Ripple as he tightens his batting gloves for the final time. He is in the zone. The pitcher checks the runner at first base before giving his full attention to the batter. Just before leaning into the plate, Ripple stands tall and touches his bat to the outside of home plate before taking two practice half-swings, all the while never taking his eyes off the pitcher.
With conviction and focus he finally puts the bat behind his head. In the baseball world, ritualistic quirks in a batter’s routine are commonplace from the Major Leagues all the way down to Little League. For Ripple, his habitual touch on the outside corner of home plate before swinging his bat twice has become an essential piece to his batting game. “Without the routine I don’t feel as prepared and as comfortable at the plate, a little off and not in the right mindset,” Ripple said.
» Best of The Roundup’s sports photos » Cross Country finishes 9th
While baseball is the sport most wellknown for superstitions and its players practicing less than ordinary rituals, many other athletes are found to have similar peculiar habits. In the heat of the moment many basketball players look to pre-freethrow routines for added comfort and focus. “Every free-throw, every kid has their specific ritual … I like to spin the ball off the ground, bounce it three times and shoot,” said Zach San Roman ’15. “It’s huge; if you don’t do your ritual you » Basketball game recaps » Soccer game recaps
Photo by Eric Meyer ’14 The Brophy varsity soccer team celebrates after winning the state soccer game last season against Desert Vista 2-0 Feb. 9.
are not doing your same shot.” While it is common place and accepted for entire sports teams to have ceremonies before tournaments or functions, the personal “quirks” or superstitions that athletes abide by may be on a much deeper and more psychological level. “It’s almost like placebo medication … what happens when you believe that a placebo is going to work is that there is actual change that happens in not only in your brain, but your body,” said athletic See ROUTINES Page 12
The Roundup
Page 10 | December 2013
Velez has sights set on college football Sophomore athlete strives for greatness on and off the field By Brendan C. Hinkle ’16
THE ROUNDUP Ryan Velez ’16 plays running back for Brophy’s football team, along with other sports, and he hopes to continue playing football in the future. Velez said he has been playing football for seven or eight years now and it’s his Photo by Amir Khawaja ’15 Ryan Velez runs the ball against Westview on Nov. 8. The Broncos won 28-14 in the first round of the playoffs.
favorite sport. team was Mr. Brad Shear, who is a counselor at “Football is my favorite because it’s the one Brophy. sport my parents didn’t want me to play when I “He was a crucial part to the success to the was younger,” Velez said. “I freshman team last year,” “Football is my had to convince them, I had to Mr. Shear said. “The one nag a little bit, and ever since I favorite because it’s thing about Ryan is he’s very started playing I’ve loved it so coachable, he has great vision the one sport my much and I don’t really want to because he is patient enough stop.” parents didn’t want to wait for his blocks, but what Before Velez came to Brophy, him dominant is his will me to play when I was makes he attended Basis Scottsdale. to succeed. He doesn’t allow younger... I had to himself to go down.” “I wanted to come to Brophy because of the connections that Velez had a total of convince them.” I can make in life, the brotherly 1,155 yards rushing and 12 -Ryan Velez ’16 love that you get here, the touchdowns this year. friendships that you make, and He doesn’t just live his the Catholic teaching that they teach you,” Brophy life in football pads though. Velez said. “Off the field, he is a very bright, Velez doesn’t just play football for Brophy, respectful, hardworking kid,” Mr. Shear he also plays baseball and wrestles. He plays said. “In my spare time, I like to hang out with friends,” a diversity of sports, but said he hopes to go the Velez said. “I’m a Boy Scout, and I like to play just farthest in football. His football coach last year on the freshman other sports generally.”
Teams execute pre-practice and pre-game rituals across seasons Teams bond through Manresa retreats and pregame warm ups By J.P. Hajjar ’16
THE ROUNDUP Sports teams and athletes tend to be creatures of habit and superstition. Many have certain traditions before every practice or game. “We listen to music to pump us up in the locker room and then do a prayer,” said Patrick Rottman ’16 when asked about what he does before a varsity hockey game. For the hockey and soccer teams, they like to play music to get excited. “In the locker room there is music playing. I don’t know, it kind of just
pumps us up. That’s really it,” said Garret Anson ’16 referring to what he does before a soccer game. Some players have individual traditions they do on their own. “One kid tapes his stick for like 30 minutes,” Rottman said. “Usually it takes like five minutes, but he takes 30 minutes and then he has to hurry and get dressed because he’ll be late.” Football players like to keep to themselves and lock in focus. “Some kids like to just walk around the school campus and kind of just stay away from everybody,” said Walker Adams ’16. “Me personally, I just like to keep quiet and remain to myself.” Most teams have retreats before the season begins to get to know their teammates and enjoy each other’s company.
“We are a lot more of a team,” Rottman said. “I think we bonded a lot at Manresa and we went to California and not a lot of other schools do that.” For football, they have film meetings where they talk about what they need to do better at in games or practices. “Mostly in practice it is lots of film watching, applying what we see in film to running through those in practice and seeing how it works out,” Adams said. The defensive squad likes to huddle up and talk about their hopes before the game. “For defense, I wouldn’t really call it an odd ritual but we have one of the trees, out behind the gym, we go out to the tree before we head off to put our pads on and such to get ready for the game and we all stand by the tree and talk about goals for the game,” Adams said.
Adams has a favorite ritual of his own that the team goes through before hitting the field. “My favorite ritual is probably right before the captains come back from the coin toss we do the good old ‘Broncos, what is your profession?’ Everybody yells and chants and it’s really good to get hyped for the game,” Adams said. Varsity basketball player Michael Kempton ’15 said he likes to get loose before games with his teammates. “Everyone does it, but I like warmups. It’s just fun to run around and get warmed up so that’s always been fun for me,” Kempton said. The soccer team has a pre-practice and pre-game ritual that they complete as well. “We have about a 10 minute warm up that we do. It consists of running and
“I think we bonded a lot at Manresa and we went to California and not a lot of other schools do that.”
—Patrick Rottman ’16
stretches and stuff like that,” Anson said. “Before games we always pray in front of the statue out in the mall.”
Wrestling launches into new season, hopes for state placers “The wrestling program at Brophy isn’t as wellknown as football is or basketball is. We want to get as many people out there or get more wins, just get Brophy wrestling out there.”
—Manuel Trejo ’15
With new head coach Leyba, team hopes to get name ‘out there’ By Tanner Nypen ’15
THE ROUNDUP The Brophy wrestling team begins their new season Nov. 26 in a match against three other schools. “We will wrestle three matches, we will wrestle three different teams; Mountain Ridge, Pinnacle and Desert Mountain,” said head coach Mr. Jose Leyba ’94.
According to Mr. Leyba, in his first year as head coach, the wrestling team has been practicing since last April via camps, summer school and practices earlier this year. “We hope to have some state placers, medals, but every year the wrestling in Arizona gets more competitive,” Mr. Leyba said. Manuel Trejo ’15 said the team has been constantly preparing for the new the season. “We really don’t stop after the season is over, we have a small break, then post season, summer wrestling in June and we do tournaments and team camp,”
Even Archie reads The Roundup News, Opinions, Sports & Entertainment each month And online roundup.brophyprep.org
Trejo said. The length of these matches will all depend on who is wrestling. The winner of the match is determined by a point system. “Wrestlers can get up to six points for pinning their opponent, or they can play out the whole match and scoring more points,” Trejo said. Schools will win the match by scoring the most points or winning the most matches. According to Trejo, this year to wrestling team wants to fortify the team’s name on campus. “The wrestling program at Brophy
isn’t as well-known as football is or basketball is,” Trejo said. “We want to get as many people out there or get more wins, just get Brophy wrestling out there.” According to Mr. Leyba, some other team goals are keeping everyone healthy, having some state placers and winning some medals. “One of our rivals, Horizon, where our former head coach Frank went… and I think our team is looking forward to wrestling against their old coach,” Mr. Leyba said. “That will be our second match of the season, and it should be an electric one.”
SPORTs Reporters Wanted Attention Sports Fans and Writers: The Roundup is looking for you. If you are a writer or photographer and interested in covering winter and spring sports, The Roundup needs your help. No journalism experience neccessary, but your knowledge of basketball, soccer, baseball and volleyball is a must. Email roundup@ brophybroncos.org to apply.
The Roundup
December 2013 |
Page 11
Football team overcomes obstacles for quarterfinal bid By William Joseph Borders IV ’16
THE ROUNDUP This season the Brophy football team faced one of the state’s toughest schedules and many injuries. Despite a 5-12 record, Brophy clinched a playoff spot, thanks in part to a three game win streak to close out the regular season and the power points they racked up facing the top ranked opponents. The Broncos knocked off undefeated Westview of the opening round of the playoffs, but fell to Desert Ridge in the second round in the playoffs Nov. 15. This year players stepped forward and took a hold of the leadership spots left by graduating three-year starters like Tyler Bruggman ’13 and Devon Allen ’13. Walker Adams ’16 was one of the youngest players on the team and led the team in tackles with 122. “I thought my individual effort was good, but more importantly I think it was our defense as a whole,” Adams said. “We all played very hard, and it was the excellent work by the defense and everyone doing their job that allowed me to do what I did.” As Bruggman left, Brian Woodward ’14 stepped into the quarterback role up and threw for
Photo by Ben Liu ’15 Isaiah Oliver ’15 catches a pass for a touchdown against Desert Ridge Nov. 15 in the quarter finals of the the 2013 state playoffs.
1,010 yards with a completion rating of 54 percent and throwing for almost 15 yards every throw. “This group of seniors did a great job of leading and a great job of getting the juniors and sophomores involved and feeling like a whole team. I don’t know,
it’s just being with each other each day, you just grow into great friends,” Woodward said On the rushing and receiving end of the ball Ryan Velez ’16 ran for 1,155 yards averaging six yards per carry. He led the team in all purpose yards as he
totaled 1,768 yards as a sophomore. “I feel like we came together as a team and a group. We certainly went forward, and progressed more than I thought we would,” Velez said. When asked if he thought he stepped up as a leader, he responded with, “I
think everyone on the team is a leader, we are all called to be leaders and we are all called to speak our mind to better help the team,” Velez said Team captain Will Edwards ’14 was the receiving leader with 337 yards. He was also one of the four captains on the team. “We overcame a lot of injuries and had one of the toughest schedules in the state. It really prepared us for the playoffs, and I think we surprised a lot of people with our win over Westview. “I think there’s only up from now, and I have complete faith in them that they are going to reload and make a good run next year,” Edwards said when asked how the team will do in the future. The team’s coach said key wins were important this season. “We were going into the season a young inexperienced football team, we overcame a lot this year including injury and lack of experience. But we played well and we won some very important games and we got into the playoffs,” said head coach Mr. Scooter Molander. When asked how the sophomores played this year, Molander said, “they all played very well, the future looks good. We had a lot of guys that were younger that needed to come up and help us and they did.”
Football ends season with quarterfinal loss following a three game win-streak Football wins big over Dobson, keeps playoff hopes alive
Brophy 52 Dobson 3
By Chase Bayless ’15
THE ROUNDUP The Broncos’ put up a season-high 52 points and held their opponent to a season-low three points Friday, Oct. 26, leading to a blowout victory over Dobson. This was an important win for the team as “it keeps the playoffs totally possible,” according to head coach Mr. Scooter Molander. Senior quarterback Brian Woodward ’14 had his best game of the season, tossing four touchdowns and going 14-19 passing for 219 yards. He also ran for 44 yards. “I’m really proud of our offense,” Mr. Molander said. “You know it’s a good night when you only punt the ball one time.” They were just as successful on defense as they held Dobson to under 200 yards of total offense and forced four turnovers. Football clinches playoff spot with win over Desert Vista
Brophy 34 Desert Vista 7
By Chase Bayless ’15
THE ROUNDUP The Broncos were able to come away with a much needed victory Friday, Nov. 1 against Desert Vista as they scored the third most points all season and allowed only one scoring drive. Brophy finished their season with back-to-back
wins over Dobson and Desert Vista to secure a spot in the playoffs as the No. 12 seed with a first round matchup against Westview. Sophomore running back Ryan Velez ’16 saw a heavy workload with 25 carries for 129 yards and two touchdowns. Brophy upsets Westview’s perfect season with 1st round playoff win
Brophy 28 Westview 14
By George Liddy ’14
The Roundup
When asked about his performance in Brophy’s Nov. 8 first round playoff win over previously undefeated Westview, running back Velez said, “It was a team effort, and that’s all I have to say about that.” With just more than 11 minutes left in the game Westview cut the lead to only seven. On the next play of the game Velez was able to increase the lead back to 14 immediately. He took a kickoff return 93 yards on a reverse handoff from Isaiah Oliver ’15 for a touchdown. The Broncos then led the game 21-7 with about 11 minutes left in the game. The two teams traded touchdowns once again leading to the 28-14 win. “The difficult schedule in the regular season helped to prepare us for the playoffs,” Mr. Molander said. Desert Ridge tops Brophy in state quarter finals
Brophy 24 Desert Ridge 44
Photo by Ben Liu ’15 Cade Knox ’16 catches a pass against Desert Ridge Nov. 15 in the quarter finals of the 2013 state playoffs.
By Chase Bayless ’15
THE ROUNDUP Brophy’s season ended after losing to Desert Ridge in the playoffs Friday, Nov 22. They were riding a three game win-streak, including a playoff victory the week before.
The Broncos fell behind early with a score of 17-3 and were unable to mount a second half comeback against the Jaguars. Brophy struggled to run the ball, which was key to much of their success in previous games, totaling just 61 yards. The defense also allowed 44 points, tied for their season-high.
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 12 | December 2013
Hoops coach Burns teaches on, off court Golf places in state finals By Christian Guerithault ’14
THE ROUNDUP
The head coach of a sports team is usually viewed as the most important member of the team; however an assistant coach can be just as important to the team’s success. Assistant varsity basketball coach Mr. John Burns has been at Brophy for six years and he has been an assistant varsity basketball coach for all six years. “I’m there to assist Coach (Tony) Fuller in anything that he needs,” Mr. Burns said. “His direction points me as far as my duties and responsibilities go.” Mr. Burns said he has been coaching high school basketball for 23 years. “I started playing basketball in the fifth grade,” Mr. Burns said. “I knew in high school that I wanted to be a teacher and a basketball coach.” Mr. Burns said there is not a big difference between coaching and teaching. “Teachers are actually coaches in the classroom and coaches are actually teachers on the court,” he said. “There are a lot of common principles there and I always try to emphasize focusing on the process… if (as an athlete) we focus on the process the scoreboard takes care of itself. We try to get the students to focus on the process and then the grades take care of themselves.” While Mr. Burns’ primary job is to assist Mr. Fuller, he also plays a big role in player development. Senior Conor Triplett ’14 has played under Mr. Burns for four years. “I’ve learned a lot from Coach Burns both on and off the floor,” Triplett said. “A lot of people don’t realize that he has a great basketball mind and a lot of the stuff we do at the varsity level that we have success with comes from what Coach Burns used to do in his past coaching experience.” Triplett said the team gets a lot done when Mr. Burns conducts drills. “He’s one of the best people to have at practice
By Michael Ahearne ’14
THE ROUNDUP
Photo by J.P. Hajjar ’16 Mr. Burns poses for a picture on the second story of Robson Gymnasium.
because he keeps things light but we also get a lot of stuff done whenever he’s running drills,” Triplett said. “He’s always a good person to have in the gym.” When he’s not at Brophy Mr. Burns said he likes to spend time with his family. “I’m not only a faculty member, I’m not only a coach,” Mr. Burns said. “I’m also a father
From ROUTINES Page 9
trainer Mr. Chris White. For some the source of many questionable habitual behaviors in sports may also be linked to an underlying psychological issue such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. “If someone has a compulsive or obsessive tendency their brain is used to patters and rituals … it can be pathological where as in order to create a certain feeling there is a sense that they have to do something,” Mr. White said. “It’s fulfilling some physiological need that they can’t get normally.” While Ripple habitually taps his bat on the back corner of home plate and San Roman spins the ball and bounces it three times, many other
players including big leaguers have much more bizarre habits. More famously, Caron Butler of the Milwaukee Bucks was known to chew dozens of soft drink straws while sitting on the bench until the NBA denied him of his obsession in 2010. According to Mr. White, no matter how eccentric the superstition, it is done with similar intentions. “I absolutely believe 100 percent that it is a control thing … it absolutely boils down to control,” Mr. White said. “It’s comforting.” Whether a ritual is absolutely bizarre or subtle, a lot of athletes rely on them and many believe that it makes a difference. “I believe that there is a higher chance of getting on base for me if I do what I usually do when I go up to the plate,” Ripple said. “For me it’s comfortable, and if I don’t do it I feel off.”
Out of Left Field Favorite Basketball Most Underrated Sport? Team? Nicholas Carballo ‘14
Football Leonard Gutierrez ‘14
Football Chad McClanahan ‘16
Football Omar Herrera ‘15
Soccer
and I’m also a husband.” Triplett said Mr. Burns is not only a good coach, but also a good person. “He’s unmatched as a person,” Triplett said. “Both on and off the floor he really cares about us as players and as people.”
By Michael Ahearne ’14
THE ROUNDUP Favorite Winter Sport?
Super Bowl Matchup?
Lakers
Soccer
Snowboarding
No Idea
Suns
Cross Country
Soccer
Saints vs. Broncos
New Orleans Pelicans
Curling
Figure Skating
Cardinals vs. Chiefs
Heat
Cricket
Soccer
Broncos vs. Seahawks
The Brophy Golf team finished their season placing fourth in the state finals with the help of team captain Sam Triplett ’14 and golfers Chip Getz ’16 and Michael Feagles ’16. “We finished fourth at the state tournament, which, out of the 20 or so teams, it wasn’t bad,” Triplett said. “But we were hoping to finish a little higher, so it was a little disappointing to finish fourth.” When asked about how the team did this season, golf head coach Mr. John Shores said that the team did OK. “I think our expectation last year was to win state.” Mr. Shores said. “We had a pretty solid team. I think our expectation this year was to be right there again, to vie for state or be in the top four teams.” Mr. Shores said that this year’s team was different than previous teams. “One thing that this team had that was better than last year’s team was just the team unity and team aspect,” Mr. Shores said. “This year’s team really understood what it meant to be a team and play together and encourage each other. That is something that last year’s team and the year before that may not have quiet understood as well as these guys did.” Some of that team unity can be attributed to team captain Sam Triplett. “I think Sam Triplett really stood out as a leader,” Mr. Shores said. “Both in the way that he played, he worked really hard to improve his game, but also in the way he went about his business.” Triplett said he was just doing his best to lead the team. “At the beginning of the season, coach appointed me captain, so I just did my best to lead by example and help out the younger kids on the team.” Triplett said. Mr. Shores highlighted some of the actions that Triplett did to help out the team. “Sam, as a senior, was always quick to help out doing whatever,” Mr. Shores said. “He was one of the first on the bus and one of the last off the bus. Helping guys get clubs off the bus and cleaning up trash.” Other than the state finals, the team recently came in second place at the 2013 Ridge Invite, finishing just behind Desert Vista. The team also tied for third with Thunderbird in the 2013 Dobson Ranch Invitational at Dobson Ranch Golf Course in Mesa, finishing just behind Notre Dame and Hamilton. Getz also recently competed in his first tournament for the Broncos during the Dobson tournament and finished one under par. The team also recently made their way to Flagstaff to play in the 2013 Ridge Invite. They played at Continental Country Club, finishing the first day in second place behind Desert Vista. The team then spent the second day at Aspen Valley, also ending the day in second place, behind first place Desert Vista. When asked how next year’s team looks, Triplett replied that the team looks strong.
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 2013
Vogel contributes to StuCo, produces videos By Michael Ahearne ’14
Life behind the lens
THE ROUNDUP
G
reg Vogel ’15 is making a name for himself both in front of and behind the lens. Vogel is a member of the Student Council as well as a photographer and filmmaker across campus. “I’ve done a lot of different stuff,” Vogel said. “I am in Student Council and I have been making a lot of videos for that. I’ve also done things like a lot of promotional stuff for Brophy.” Mr. Pete Burr ’07 said that Vogel has really been great in what he has created for Student Council and the campus this year. “The expectation for Student Council is that everybody has a specialty, but they have a little of everything,” Mr. Burr said. “He’s been great with everything, but I think he has been incredible in what he has created for the campus this year.” For Vogel, photography has always been a key part of his life. “It’s something that I love and something that can maybe make the world a better place,” Vogel said. “I think the most important part is just doing something that you love and finding that and implementing that into your life.” Vogel’s interest in photography and film making was sparked early by a family friend. “He was really into it,” Vogel said. “I was like 8 years old. I would go to their house and he would be talking about which photo looked sharper and I was like ‘I have no idea’ because they would look exactly the same.” As time started to go by, Vogel started to get more into photography. “It really didn’t appeal to me then but now looking back at it, it is something that really inspires me,” Vogel said. “Last year he passed away and I think just remembering him saying all that and instilling that in my mind, I think has driven me to continue it.” Vogel began getting more into photography and film a bit in eighth grade, but really didn’t take off until
Photo by William Schubert ’15 Greg Vogel ’15 poses in a photo studio behind the lens of a camera.
second semester freshman year. “Second semester freshman year I took photography with Mr. (Mica) Mulloy and I think that is what rekindled the interest and got me really into it and taking pictures,” Vogel said. During his sophomore year, Vogel joined Brophy’s Digital Storytelling class taught by Mr. Burr. Mr. Burr said that Vogel was recommended to him to be part of the Digital Storytelling class and was amazed at how good Vogel was at video making. “I feel like I can confidently say that I have taught him nothing, that he was either always at the same speed as me or faster,” Mr. Burr said. “I could not think higher about him in terms of his creative ability and he is light years beyond most high school kids in terms of his ability
to create, take photos and create videos and short content.” Mr. Burr said that Vogel is a hard worker and he has nothing bad to say about him. “His turnaround, his ability to create things quickly, it’s incredible,” Mr. Burr said. “We will shoot a video Monday afternoon and he’s got it fully edited and ready to be put online Tuesday morning. It’s mind boggling how efficient he is as an artist and a creator.” Vogel has also helped out creatively in both Student Council and just for Mr. Burr’s own use. “I’ve used Greg a lot as a bounce board for ideas and asked him what he thinks about these things because I really value his artist judgment in just how quality of a creative person he is,” Mr. Burr said. Compared to last year when Mr. Burr
created every Student Council video, he has only had to create one video this year and he admits that Vogel’s work is better than his. “I have no problem admitting that the stuff he has made this year is so much better than I can make,” Mr. Burr said. “He knows his peers better, he’s able to do thing that I wouldn’t be able to do and he understands what they think is really funny and engaging.” When asked why he thinks Vogel is a good artist, Mr. Burr said it’s his personality “I think part of the reason why he is such a good artist is because he is really thoughtful and reflective and sometimes even a little quiet, but the wheels are always turning and he’s always thinking,” Mr. Burr said. “He’s coming up with new ideas and new takes on things and
he’s really in perspective.” Vogel said he tries not to just focus on one thing in particular when doing photography or film making. “For photography I think anything can really be a subject,” Vogel said. “I don’t really do anything in particular. I try to stay away from just sports photography or just focusing on one facet of the art. There are so many things you can do with a camera that people don’t realize.” In the future, Vogel would like to pursue photography and film making as a career. “I’d really like to get into more documentary stuff just because I can see that as something I can do in the future as a career,” Vogel said. “Like traveling and doing documentaries around the world and stuff.”
Students attend, perform at Phoenix based ‘First Friday’ event Garrison Murphy ’15
THE ROUNDUP The first Friday of every month Roosevelt Avenue from 7th Street to 7th Avenue lights up in a vibrant display of art, music and culture. People from all over the Valley swarm the streets throughout downtown in order to support small art galleries, listen to local bands and enjoy food produced by some of the many unique food trucks and restaurants that lace the busy street side. This monthly downtown function hosted by the Phoenix based non-profit “Artlink,” dubbed “First
Friday,” has been occurring since 1994 in an effort to create culture in the budding city. “First Friday has been around for a long time... to help promote downtown businesses and arts and culture,” said Adrian Fontes, the owner of Bodega 420, a locally based grocery shop on Roosevelt that partakes in the First Friday festivities. With “the nation’s largest self-guided art walk,” according to Artlink’s website, drawing more people every month, Brophy students are slowly becoming a part of the trend. “Brophy is becoming more artistically minded … and a lot of students have embraced their artistic
side,” said Will Harris ’15. “First Friday has changed and become more open and accepting … If not now, in the future Brophy will really see (First Friday) as an opportunity to showcase their art and have their culture changed by it.” Harris and his band “We Wanted to be Explorers” performed on the back-side stage of Bodega 420 during the November First Friday event. Many small businesses and restaurants like Bodega 420 support the First Friday cause by transforming into music venues and art galleries. “Business cooperation around 5th Street and Roosevelt is so important ... part of that is putting
the venue out, putting the stage together...we actually have a really good time with having local bands and high school bands,” Fontes said. Although several students have performed at First Friday most come to simply enjoy the festivities. “Brophy students come to First Friday for a unique experience that they wouldn’t get at a strictly Jesuit high school,” said Jim Welty ’14 who attended First Friday for the first time this November in support of a friends band. “I think that I will definitely be going again.”
The Roundup
Page 14 | December 2013
Vintage Sound
Vinyl albums bring different music experience Records create more authentic tones, feel By Hayden Prescott Corwin ’15
THE ROUNDUP Vinyl albums were brought to the general public in the late 1800s and have remained a traditional standard of listening to music. Music listeners do not have to buy these big plastic discs to listen to their favorite artists anymore. After 8-tracks, cassette tapes and CDs, the new standard of music listening has become digital. Listeners of today often choose to go on a music provider such as iTunes or Spotify to get their fix of sound artistry. This does not mean that vinyl music has died out though. Music consumers seem to have retained an affinity towards the vinyl album, and if anything there has been a resurgence. An article in The NewYork Times stated that the new Daft Punk album “Random Access Memories” sold 339,000 copies and out of those 19,000 were on vinyl pressings. Vinyl records are a different experience from digital recordings. “I would say that (vinyl records) provide a more authentic sound,” said Ryan Beggs ’15.“It’s also like reading an e-book versus an actual book. There is a lot more satisfaction with the feel of a vinyl than spending $1.29 on iTunes; you appreciate the vinyl more.” The experience of a vinyl album is different from any other recorded medium in that it has deeper and richer tones with more headroom. When the needle touches down on the album, distinctive crackles, pops and hisses begin sounding through the speakers. These pops and hisses are the intros and outros to each and every track. A vinyl album usually comes in a cardboard jacket with the album artwork displayed on the front and back of it. The inside of the album jacket also contains a
Photo by Hayden Corwin ’15 Many music enthusiasts believe records create better sound and a more authentic listening experience.
paper sleeve, which holds the vinyl inside of it for protection. A lyric sheet may even be inside of the jacket. This is not to say that musician’s compact discs are not packaged in this same manner. Recently, CD cases have turned into paper jackets and sleeves, almost like mini versions of vinyl albums. Lyrics pamphlets are also usually found inside of CD cases.
The CDs are, in a way, attempting to replicate the feel of a vinyl album. The digital song has its purposes beyond merely CDs as well. A digital song is usually a convenient way to listen to music on the go. “Listening to a vinyl is a more intimate experience with the artist,” said Ian Hart ’15. A jogger cannot bring their phonograph with
them on the Central Avenue Bridle Path. The jogger would use something such as an iPod or some other form of portable listening device. The music industry has constantly made strides to take the music listening experience to a more portable level. However, many listeners still continue to appreciate the vinyl album for the distinctive musical experience it provides.
Perry entices listeners with new bubblegum pop album ‘Prism’ by Katy Perry 8 out of 10 By Chase L. Manson ’16
THE ROUNDUP There is no denying that Katy Perry has carved her way into a modern day pop music icon. As she consistently tops the charts, Perry’s new album is chock-full of potential hits. “Prism” is the follow up to record breaking album “Teenage Dream” and is supposed to show a darker side of the singer. I like “Teenage Dream,” but I really like “Prism.” “Prism” is a fun disco era pop album channeling 80s singers and contains an experimental taste for Perry while still
retaining the joyful sound she is known for. The album is fun to listen to, every song has a high point, but some also have low points. The album starts off with first single, “Roar.” Even after listening to this song over and over again on my iPod and on the radio, I still enjoy it. The next two are “Legendary Lovers” and “Birthday,” which both included sassy remarks, listenable beats and enjoyable lyrics. These two are among my favorites. “Walking On Air” contains the trend started by the two predecessors; it remains fun but still enjoyable. Nothing is really spectacular but just a nice filler. The next song is “Unconditionally,” the album’s second single.
This song changes up the the entire album. Fun and enjoyable, it is a great listening lightheartedness tone in favor of a more experience and captures the innocent serious one. The production side of Perry. value in this is very “International The album is fun to Smile” and “Ghost” are high, and everything about it is superb. listen to, every song good but somewhat This is the love song has a high point, but forgettable. for 2014. “International some also have low Smile” This song is the is trying to be points. bridge into the more “This is How We Do” experimental side of and while it captures the fun of the song it the album. “Dark Horse,” is a just doesn’t succeed. The vocals seem a hip-hop, pop-infused little weak and it feels song and features rapper Juicy J. a little cartoonish. This song is a definite standout, as the “Ghost” as well seems weak, just not beat drops and rapping are superb. capturing the fun theme of the album. After “Dark Horse” comes “This is It is the transition into the more How We Do,” which is the best song off “emotional” side.
It just doesn’t work. It is like a party pooper bringing down the fun I am having listening to this album. The tracks following continue to disappoint as they fail to bring the emotional level Perry was striving for. “Double Rainbow” is a cluster of dispassionateness. I really do not like it and what really annoys me is I do not know why. After this skippable track comes “By the Grace of God,” which is the emotional track I have yearned for. It is heartbreaking and gives insight to Perry as an artist. Using her divorce with Russell Brand she channels the pain and emotion to make a very heart-filled track. In the deluxe version none of the extra songs added are really rememberable; they seem to be fillers.
The Roundup
December 2013
| Page 15
Casteneda loves Eastern European culture, travel By Chase Manson ’16
THE ROUNDUP Mr. Mazzolini’s question from last edition: Would you rather have a prehensile tale or insect wings? I would want the insect wings, I have never heard of the tale thing. I do love butterflies. How long have you been at Brophy? Since 2005, that’s eight years I do believe. I hear you used to teach English. Since you no longer teach it what do you have against literature? I don’t have anything against literature. I love reading. I am actually working on my Masters in
English just for fun. I just love reading good books. Well what’s your favorite book? “Great Expectations.” I really like it for some reason. I think it is really good. What do you love most about teaching math? In math there is a right or wrong answer, which makes it easier to grade. Math is more objective than English, which makes it fun and a little easier. I also really like problem solving. Where are you originally from? I am from Michigan. So does this make you a University of Michigan fan? Well, I am a University of Michigan fan. However, I didn’t go there. I went to University of Leftbrige,
which no one has heard of. What are you doing for the holidays? I am going to my sister’s house. I will chat with her and her husband. We will probably play games and watch goofy movies. What is your favorite goofy movie? No comment. Are you a Christmas or a Thanksgiving person? I am more a of Christmas person. I really like to buy people the gifts they should have. As horrible as it sounds it’s quite true. What is the best gift you have ever given? Well, I wouldn’t say it is the best but it is a pretty good one. My niece races cars so I gave her a race
car clock. It had red light, green light and yellow lights. It was pretty cool. Do you travel a lot? Well I have traveled a lot in the past few years. I think that makes me a world traveler. What’s your favorite place you have been so far? I loved Russia. I really love the Eastern European culture. It’s so eclectic. Would you like to propose a question for the next teacher edition of Teacher’s Pets? Yes. When I went to Poland I looked at a lot of apartments. So my question is why do they call apartments, “apartments” when they are connected buildings?
‘Battlefield 4’ cultivates its dominance over FPS genre 7 out of 10 By Reece M. Krantz ’16
THE ROUNDUP “Battlefield 4” is the next installment in the highly iterative series of modern First Person Shooters that focus on large, combined arms warfare with dynamic maps and destruction. The Battlefield franchise has always been about the mix of infantry and vehicular combat, striking a delicate niche within the industry that no one else has managed to compete. The fourth in the series manages to strike, maintain and improve the balance with a certain amount of confidence that you would expect to find. The improvements are more minor than major however. It’s been two years since the release of “Battlefield 3” and that was an incredible shift from the prior “Battlefield 2.” It would be very difficult to radically change anything from 3 to 4. It certainly follows the “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” policy. This includes a good portion of the gunplay and movement system that was such a step up in “Battlefield 3” from the predecessors. While not explicitly rehabbed, it is refined, as animations are smoother when transitioning and have a greater sense of momentum. From storming a beach with your choice of armament over your head to keep from getting wet, to swimming in a raging storm, the animations help sell the immersion. The gunplay has also been tweaked. The rifles feel controllable, yet powerful. Pistols are now a viable secondary and submachine-guns are simple and useful in close-quarters. Second, the mechanics are new customizations available to the player. You add a variety of sights, grips, stocks and barrels to your weapon of choice. This also applies to the vehicles available. You can add a nice snow camouflage to your obvious tank or change the ammo types to be more effective against air, land or sea. The vehicular options are more or less the same as “Battlefield 3,” you get your basic ground attack and air superiority jets, tanks, infantry-fighting-vehicles and variants of attack and transportation
Screenshot from MCT Campus “Battlefield 4,” the latest in the “Battlefield” first-person shooter series, came out on PC Oct. 29.
helicopters. The newest edition to the line up is the new boats. “Battlefield 4” has a profound emphasis on naval combat this time around, with most maps allowing flooding or large bodies of water to engage in epic boat and air battles. Technically it shows its vibrant colors of innovation. Leading this title is Frostbite 3 engine, a powerful and robust engine that allows this game to be the best looking graphically this year. It creates dynamic waves and wind, allows full destruction of most anything and is optimized to run on most computers. The major critique of the previous “Battlefield 3” was its atrocious single player, the first in the series, and this follows suit. Even if an improvement from the previous, “Battlefield 4’s” single player is an absolute waste of time. The story is forgettable as it follows the cliche of the American super squad
against the entire Chinese PLA (Peoples Liberation Army). The whole thing feels like a cobbled together enigma of an addition that has no right to exist in a series that dominates the online scene. The multiplayer facet of the “Battlefield” series is the main attraction of the title, and with it is a load of innovations that lead the genre. Well designed maps are key to a multiplayer focused game. Bad maps can mean poor flow of combat and unbalanced sides. This can hurt the longevity of a title. Fortunately, “Battlefield 4” seems to have some of the best maps since “Battlefield 2” with huge variety and interesting design. The most important part is the new maps in multiplayer, which include the 10 maps shipped with the game. With variety, these are some of the best maps available to this genre. The flagship of this specific title is the “Levolution” aspect, which hurts my tongue to even pronounce the awful
marketing ploy. Even if it is an awful name, it’s a great idea that puts it in a unique stance. It allows players to change the look or feel of the battlefield by trigger events that effect the map in many different ways. An example of “Levolution” would be on the map Flooded District, a fantastic map that takes place near a damaged levee of water. Destroying the levee causes the water to rush into the map filling it with water, changing a vertical infantry map to a sailor’s paradise with new avenues to explore and take advantage of. Game-modes have been revamped with new ones with some intriguing, if unoriginal types. One of them is Obliteration, a bomb focused mode where your team is attempting to get a bomb to the enemy base and, well, obliterate it. Another is Defuse, with a similar style it focused on smaller maps with a no respawn rule, making it more intense and slow paced than the other modes.
“Battlefield 4” uses the same basic formula from the behind titles and only improves in areas that greatly needed it, such as the user-interface, which as been of overhauled and made simpler and cleaner so it does not get in the way of the action. Other UI changes are relatively minor and only affect things cosmetically, which is a bit disappointing when expecting top of the line innovation. More often than not the story of minor changes is what defines the multiplayer, simple tweaks where needed and few major when desired. With a forgettable single-player and fantastic multiplayer it is big, beautiful and bold and it leads from the front in mechanical and technical innovation. “Battlefield 4” manages to differentiate enough from its predecessors to be a competent and beautiful game with a unique and dominate monopoly on the large scale combined arms gameplay it provides.
Page 16 | December 2013
The Roundup
Xavier Hayden Riley ’14
Gator
By William Joseph Borders IV ’16
THE ROUNDUP Could I get your name and year? Hayden Riley, I’m a senior. Any siblings? Younger brother and older sister. Does he go to Brophy? Yeah. How’s Xavier? I like it, it’s difficult but it’s fun. Worst class, be honest? Probably geology, I don’t like sitting in lectures. Same... Any sports teams that you are on?
Reece M. Krantz ’16
THE ROUNDUP
candybox2.net Oh God, Why? What horrible genius came up with this simple yet addicting Role Playing Game in the vain of "Cookie Clicker." "Candy Box" is a persistent game that starts off simple and intriguing, but evolves to be a fully fledged American Standard Code for Information Interchange, better known as ASCII, based RPG with in-depth mechanics of currency. Your currency is actually candy accumulated over time. Each second you spend on the site you gain one candy, and this accumulates to purchase more gear, or you could eat all of them to get a permanent health upgrade. Play at the risk of your own sanity and morales, because you won't be doing much of anything once you become invested.
I play badminton, we just finished our season. How good was your team? Really good, we were state champions. Sweet! How did you contribute to the team? I was the only senior on the team and I was captain. Are you surprised that Brophy football made it to the playoffs? Yes! So, are you ready for the upcoming dance? Yeah. Have you gone every year? Yep. Favorite Pixar movie? “Toy story.” By far the best... By far.
Words from the Wise ... “Those stairs are killer.” Michael Ahearne ’14 referencing third floor Eller
“I bet you didn’t know sweet potatoes are white not orange.” Mr. Christopher Ramsey
“Can we have a wreath on the ‘O’ of the cover page?” Alec Vick ’15 during a Roundup front page meeting
“No.” Mr. Mica Mulloy ’99
“Where did all my green Skittles go?” Alec Vick ’15 to Erik Meyer ’14
“In my belly.” Erik Meyer ’14
“Fun fact: The first Thanksgiving had lobster, venison and small pox.” @ConanOBrien
Have you heard any wise words lately? Send them to The Roundup at roundup@brophybroncos.org
“
The Artist’s Corner
thcnet.net/zork/index.php One of the first revolutionary games of its time, "Zork" was considered one of the most in-depth and unique games and now there is an open-sourced free version. "Zork" was originally written, and I say written literally as it is a text adventure, in 1977 and became one of the first ever PC games. In "Zork,” you are a nameless adventurer looking to explore the dungeon you are placed in for wealth and loot. All of your actions are inputted through what you type. For example, "Hit Troll with Elvish sword." By doing this you can add adjectives and verbs to your actions, like "quickly take." "Zork" is a timeless classic of a game and now that its free I strongly suggest you take a look. I won't spoil anything more, you need to experience it for yourselves. If you thought Candy Box was addictive just wait and see this.
www.forestation.com
www.7billionworld.com
The growing risk of deforestation is forever looming in the not-so-far off future, and while there may be no hope for the forests physically, they live on in the virtual space. The main point of the game is merely mediative: You click to create trees then you can add certain modifiers to them, like leaves. Creating a forest from a barren landscape is satisfying in a strange way. Once you complete your forest of design you can cruise through it, admiring your handiwork. Simple and enjoyable, it makes for a great study break or for just wasting time as you conjure boundless forests.
Perspective is often the most missed aspect of life; one thing to me may be another to you. Depending on life situations and background people react differently and it’s important to rationalize this. For a healthy dose of perspective check out this site. It represents the entire world population using colored figures associated with its respective country. It’s awe inspiring when you see the proportion of those in Asia to those in the Americas, adding a new perspective to your views of population. Not really useful, but interesting in a very special way so take a look and see how insignificant you might be in the perspective of the entire Earth.
Above, “Set Sale” Photograph by David Ritter ’15 Bottom left, “Calm Before the Storm” HDR Photography by Chandan Saini ’14 Bottom right, Digital insect model by Brian Olmedo ’17
To submit your work, email BLAM@brophyprep.org