The Roundup roundup.brophyprep.org
May 2014 Edition 6
Minton named ‘Man of the Year’ By Garrison Murphy ’15
THE ROUNDUP For Sam Minton ’14, Nelson Mandela’s words, “It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front,” represents how he tries to conduct himself every day. Whether Minton is on the football field, in the classroom or
participating in extracurricular activities such as Key Club or Big Brothers, Minton’s peers said he is a role model and caring leader. Minton is the recipient of The Roundup’s “Man of the Year” award, given each May to one graduating senior. “If I were to live up to, or have one role model on campus it would be
him,” said Cade Knox ’16, who played football with Minton and shares classes with him. “Every day he comes up to me and asks me how I’m doing, he really cares.” Minton has played football for all four years and was a starting wide receiver throughout the 2013/2014 season. Sean Roberton ’15 said he has known Minton since the fourth grade when they played youth
football together. Minton and Roberton played varsity football together this past season. “He’s an even better person than he is player, he’s just a great guy, I respect him 100 percent,” Roberton said. “He’s the nicest guy on campus; no one is nicer than him.” Many of the students and teachers Minton has affected during the last four years said he also See MINTON, Page 3
CAMPUS
Faith F
aith plays an integral role in many communities, especially a Catholic high school. This month’s edition explores various issues surrounding faith on campus. From a Sikh student’s decision to shave his beard to non-Catholic students’ choice to attend a religious school, students and faculty experience many aspects of faith, and in some cases a lack thereof.
Portrait by Alec Vick ’15
Inside » Campus Faith
• Students separate spirituality and religion, mixed on beliefs
• Non Catholic students comfortable in religious school environment, feel welcome in community
• Sikh students search for identity, fight prejudice
• Staff Editorial: Spiritual diversity worth celebrating on campus
See News, Page 2
See News, Page 5
See News, Page 4
See Opinions, Page 7
Dunnion retires from theater after 23 years, Page 5 Editors pass torch, look back at highlights Page 6
Benjamin balances academics, sports throughout the year Page 11
AD Chambers retires after 45 years, Page 12 Faculty face off in annual Battle Royale Page 14 News Online
Award-winning news, photos and opinions online at roundup.brophyprep.org
Page 2 | May 2014
The Roundup
Agliano models faith in class, on field By Jace Riley ’16
At a Glance
THE ROUNDUP Mr. Chris Agliano knows faith is not something all students blindly accept. He tries to model an openness to faith for all his students every day. He went to an all male, Jesuit high school in Tampa, Fla. He also went to Boston College, a Jesuit university, where he studied theology and minored in Jewish studies. He received his graduate degree in religion and Jewish studies from Vanderbilt University. Mr. Agliano said faith is very important to him. “It is the belief in something greater than yourself,” Mr. Agliano said. “When I say something...at least in my faith, to the teachings of Jesus.” He said that scripture is something that can be hard to understand, but faith can help us understand what it might mean. “It allows us to better contextualize the message and the intention of scripture,” Mr. Agliano said. “As opposed to taking it literally, or getting confused by Jesus’ aphorisms or parables.” Mr. Agliano teaches Scripture and Theodicy and the Holocaust. Sophomore Liam Gallagher ’16 had Mr. Agliano for freshman scripture. “If you have something to believe in you can really get to the core concepts of the scripture,” Gallagher said. “I
Mr. Chris Agliano » Attended a Jesuit high school in Tampa, Fla. » Teaches Scripture, Theodicy and the Holocaust » Coaches football, lacrosse » “I think it’s important to model what it means to have faith.”
Photo by Cory Wyman ’16 Mr. Chris Agliano flips through his notes just before school April 11.
think Mr. Agliano does a really nice job of making his students feel involved in that sense. It made his class a lot more enjoyable.”
When asked about how he incorporates faith into his classes, Mr. Agliano said he knows that not everyone has a strong faith life.
“I think it’s important to model what it means to have faith,” Mr. Agliano said. He called these moments where people don’t have faith a “crisis of faith.”
“I’ve been through that crisis, I’ve been through the ideas of what is it I truly believe?” Mr. Agliano said. “I try to bring that perspective to meet them where they are.” Mr. Agliano tries to bridge his experiences with the students’ to help identify the stories in scripture. “He knows that a lot of the students may or may not believe in any of the stuff they are reading,” Gallagher said. “A lot of the students can analyze the text they want to and everybody gets a better understanding of it.” Tucker Brown ’17 had Mr. Agliano as a coach for football and as a teacher, and saw the faith in the classroom and on the field. “He kinda dedicated himself to us and we prayed before games,” Brown said. “It was a little more of a boost because now we had God on our side.”
Students separate spirituality and religion, mixed on beliefs By Hayden Prescott Corwin ’15
THE ROUNDUP Spirituality and religion are two terms that are often used when talking about what faith a person believes and how they practice it. According to the Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary, spirituality is defined as belonging to the church or to a cleric as such under ecclesiastical law. Some students argue that religion and spirituality are separate subjects. “I think that everyone can have their own sort of belief about what they have spiritually,” said
Lane McShane Jr. ’16. “To be religious and to be spiritual are kind of two separate things. To be religious you kind of follow a larger group; to be spiritual you have your own idea… Religion kind of puts more of an organization on things.” Jack Tiffany ’15 said people can choose to believe that there is a spiritual force in the world, but they do not have to belong to a religious sect in order to do so. Other students agree. “I think that religion and spirituality are two different things,” said Michael Darby ’16. “I think that religion is more public. If someone asked you, you’d tell them your religion. But your spirituality is kind of private, and it’s what you think.”
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 Michael Scheinert ’16 Web Assistants Kyle Sourbeer ’15 Stan Sourbeer ’15 Roundup Adviser Mr. Mica Mulloy ’99
According to these students, spirituality is a personal experience that is something realized through one’s self rather than through a religious group. Alec Skebo ’15 differentiated between spirituality and religion. “Someone can still be spiritual but not religious,” Skebo said. “For me, if someone’s religious, they identify with a certain religion. Someone can still be spiritual, but not identify with a certain religion, and they still believe in a higher power.” An article in Desert News reported a study done at Boston University found that those who say that they are spiritual but not religious are hard to come upon.
“You have to ask people what are they trying to tell us when they talk about themselves that way,” said Nancy Ammerman in the Desert News article, author of a study which was published in the Journal for Scientific Study of Religion. Ms. Megan McDonald, who teaches religion classes, made the point of religion being the structure that guides spirituality. “I think that it’s difficult to sustain spirituality without a discipline,” Ms. McDonald said. “Religion provides a framework to foster spirituality. It provides community. It provides rhythm and habit. It provides insight that’s bigger than you. Spirituality exists because religion has been sustained throughout human history.”
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 and Online Pacemaker Finalist
The Roundup
May 2014 |
Page 3
‘Man of the Year’ runner up Herstam boasts spirituality, school spirit By Will Schubert ’15
THE ROUNDUP
Being open to growth is just one requirement in order to become a man for others and, according to Jack Herstam’s ’14 friends and family, he goes above and beyond on these requirements. The Roundup named Herstam a runner up for its annual “Man of the Year” award. Herstam is currently involved with Big Brothers, track and field, Student Council, youth and church ministry, as well as boy scouts. “During this period of our lives it is important to be involved in as many things as possible since these are the most formative years of our lives,” Herstam said. “What defines me is everything that I do and I do not identify
myself with one specific thing.” In the past year Herstam said he has acquired more than 100 service hours. Herstam said his favorite form of service is going on immersion trips. He has served in Kenya, Alabama, Guatemala and participated in the Kino Border Initiative in Mexico twice. “I want to get back to Kenya,” Herstam said. “I left my heart over there.” Mr. Chris Calderon, S.J. is one of Herstam’s biggest influences. “A lot of what I work to do has been a result of things he has taught me,” Herstam said. Herstam said his friends and family have also had a major influence on him during his Brophy career. “He perfectly embodies everything that Brophy stands for,” said Coby Palivathukal ’14. “The passion he
has for Brophy is an inspiration to everyone.” Herstam said one of the greatest gifts his parents have given him was the gift of freedom. “Jack is a man that will always put others before himself, he is a true man for others,” said Chris Ashton ’15. Before coming to Brophy, Herstam said he struggled to stand up for what he believed in. “Through my experiences I have had on campus I have come to understand how to stand up for what I believe in,” Herstam said. Herstam plans on attending Santa Clara next year. “I like Santa Clara because it shares all of the same beliefs as me, and it is basically just a bigger Brophy,” Herstam said.
Photo courtesy of Jack Herstam ’14 Jack Herstam ’14 cheers on the football team at a home game at Phoenix College.
‘Man of the Year’ runner up Vatsa leaves lasting impact on campus By Garrison Murphy ’15
THE ROUNDUP
Photo courtesy of Vatsa family Raj Vatsa ’14, runner-up for Man of the Year, poses for a portrait on the west side of campus.
Not every student starts a club dedicated to building schools for children in the developing world, or considers researching treatment for brain cancer their main extracurricular endeavor. The Roundup selected Raj Vatsa ’14 for qualities such as those that allowed him to create the build On club and work after school at the Barrow Neurological Institute. “He’s just a very happy and cheerful person … but he’s also one of the smartest people at Brophy,” said Dieter Mohty ’15, who competed on the Quiz Bowl team with Vatsa. “He just is doing so many things, he’s all over Brophy.” In his sophomore year Vatsa founded the Brophy
chapter of the buildOn club, whose members volunteer at shelters on a monthly basis and fundraise money to build schools in impoverished areas. During the summer of Vatsa’s sophomore year he and eight other members of his club traveled to Nicaragua with the intention of helping to build a school “We focus on breaking the cycle of poverty, illiteracy and low expectation in the community and around the world through service and education,” Vatsa said. Vatsa also said he finds inspiration in his faith and cited his religious background as one of the main reasons he founded the club. Off campus, Vatsa said he spends time working in the Neuro-Oncology lab in Barrow Neurological Institute when not playing on Varsity Tennis or participating in Quiz Bowl.
“For a long time now he has been working at BNI at St. Joseph’s Hospital … he definitely enjoys it” said Andrew Salmon ’14 who Vatsa cited as one of his closest friends. “He always said he wanted to work in a lab.” Vatsa said he has decided to attend Harvard College in the fall and hopes to pursue medical school thereafter. “I really want to focus on changes we can implement around the world especially in developing countries to make sure these under served communities get the medical attention and healthcare opportunities they need,” Vatsa said. “My dream has always been to go to the developing world on programs like “Doctors Without Borders” and give medical care to these communities … and that’s really something Brophy has really helped me understand.”
From MINTON, Page 1
proud of. “I’ve had a great experience here at Brophy, I think this maintains a quality of quietness while still being a leader. is a great place and I really want to share my experience,” Mr. Chris Calderon, SJ, who said he came to know Minton Minton said. through retreats, said Minton possesses characteristics that are Outside of school, Minton said he unique in a student leader. worked as a youth group leader for “He’s one of those kids … that will make Each year, The Roundup names his church’s middle school ministry. a point, without drawing attention to one student “Man of the Year” Tony Pagnillo ’15 attends St. himself, to stand out,” Mr. Calderon said. because of his commitment to Patrick’s Church with Minton and “Sam is the kind of leader that encourages Brophy’s Jesuit teachings. This said they both are involved in the the leadership of others, … as he affirms Life Teen program. year’s “Man of the Year” selection people’s strengths and goodness people “He’s a really active member of process consisted of faculty notice he cares.” the church, all the kids look up to Mr. Calderon also said Minton nominations, senior voting and him,” Pagnillo said. “He’s almost embodies the sense of communal leadership a final decision by The Roundup too nice.” that Brophy cultivates in that everything staff. Next year Minton said he hopes to he does is for the community instead of pursue a business degree at Barrett, himself. the honors college at Arizona State Minton said quietness is an attribute that University, but hasn’t completely helps him be an effective leader and role settled on career path or major. model. “I’m not going to be the loudest guy, but … guys will gravitate towards that,” Minton said. “No one wants a guy that’s going to be Photo courtesy of Sam Minton ’14 out in front yelling at people, you have to walk the walk.” Sam Minton ’14 gets back to the line of scrimmage and prepares Minton is also involved with service clubs such as the Red and for the next play during the 2013/14 football season. White club, Big Brothers and work study, which he said he is most
Online This month
roundup.brophyprep.org
Students, teachers see value in all genres of education
Teachers share in Catholic education experience
Biology classes teach evolution-based curriculum
Page 4 | May 2014
The Roundup
Sikh students search for identity, fight prejudice
Photos by Grant Borcher ’14 Chandan Saini ‘14, a practicing Sikh, poses for a portrait September 2013 and again in April several months after deciding to cut his hair and shaving for the first time. “The hair is supposed to be a gift from God ... but I feel like its more important what you do in your life,” Saini said. By Garrison Murphy ’15
THE ROUNDUP Chandan Saini ’14 and Maanik Chotalla ’16 have many things in common. They are both basketball fans, both come from traditional Indian families and they are both practicing Sikhs. One thing Saini and Chotalla don’t have in common is the experience of getting a haircut. Last November Saini cut his hair and shaved his beard for the first time, which are both customary articles of faith in Sikh tradition. The religion forbids men and women from cutting their hair or shaving. Saini said he is still faithful to every aspect of Sikhism except for having uncut hair. “The hair is supposed to be a gift from God … but I feel like what you do in your life matters more,” Saini said. Chotalla, a sophomore, said he has considered cutting his hair but has not
done so because of family, community pressure and tradition. “My brother cut his hair, and it was hard on the community,” Chotalla said. “On a personal standpoint, I think (cutting hair) isn’t a huge deal for me… but as of right now I think I will be keeping it.” According to an article in the Washington Post, an estimated 25 percent of all male Sikhs continue to wear turbans while the rest cut their hair. Part of the “Five Articles of Faith” in Sikhism, uncut hair isn’t the only thing Saini and other Sikhs have discarded over the years. Followers were once mandated to carry a dagger, comb and bracelet as a testament to their faith along with a turban and purity underwear. Saini and Chotalla both agree that most modern Sikhs have neglected to carry all five Articles of Faith. “That ship has sailed long ago … not very many people follow all five of the physical Articles of Faith,” Chotalla
said. In recent years some Sikhs have faced controversy with state, local and federal legislature regarding the Five Articles of Faith, especially since one of the items is a dagger, according to Saini. School dress code requires students to be cleanly shaven and have their hair cut. Admissions Director Mr. Mike Ward said there are no campus rules and admissions policies specifically regarding Sikhs, or people of any faith tradition. “If it’s part of his culture, it’s allowed,” Ward said. “Overall, with the Sikh religion … if they’re strict followers we’re not going to step in the way and say you can’t do that.” Saini said Brophy, a Catholic Jesuit school, is an extremely accepting community for Sikhs. “In recent years Sikh’s have been persecuted against greatly especially with 9/11, a lot of people mistake us as Muslim,” Saini said.
According to the Sikh Coalition, more than 300 hate crimes have been perpetrated against Sikhs since 9/11. In Arizona, one of the most infamous crimes against a Sikh occurred on Sept. 15, 2001 when a Sikh man was shot and killed after being mistaken for a terrorist, according to a 2012 article in the Huffington Post. Since then three other Sikhs in Arizona have been victims of violent hate crimes. “It’s hard to visually distinguish between Sikhs and Muslims,” said Bobby Enright ’15. “But I think that the reason a lot of Sikhs are killed is because of fear.” Saini said he thinks ignorance is the main cause of prejudice against Sikhs, and many people unfoundedly fear Sikhs.
“I wasn’t accepting towards myself” When Saini first walked on campus almost four years ago he looked much different than he does today.
He spent most of his life wearing a turban and growing a beard. Up until the day he cut his hair and shaved his beard he said he not only looked like a different person but felt like another person as well. “Everyone was accepting towards me, but I wasn’t accepting towards myself,” Saini said. “I now feel much more comfortable in my own skin.” He said this was an extremely difficult decision, but received support from his family, friends and school faculty. “In my conversations with him I think we were just worried about him and the decision he made,” said Mr. Scott Heideman, who taught Saini’s health class. “Whether or not he has the hair he does now, or decided to keep it the way it was I think it will just reflect who he is as a young man.” Saini said his relationship with his mother has improved since he cut his hair and shaved his beard and most people in the community haven’t expressed disapproval.
buildOn raises funds to serve local, global communities By Riley Morrison ’16
THE ROUNDUP BuildOn, the service program created by senior Raj Vatsa ’14, aims to “break the cycle of poverty, illiteracy and low expectations in the community and around the world through education,” Vatsa said. The club, which meets every other Thursday in Mr. Paul Fisko’s room, was established in 2012. Since then they have started and participated in many service settings. “Every month we do local service projects to tackle the local illiteracy and poverty issues,” Vatsa said, “whether that’s working at St. Mary’s food bank or St. Vincent de Paul.”
The group also participates in a global push for children’s literacy and education. “Over the past two years, we’ve also raised over $35,000,” Vatsa said, “to travel to countries like Nicaragua and Milawi where we’ve actually lived with the community and built schools.” Some ways the club raises money and gathers materials are extremely creative. “For example, there are textbook recycling companies, they’ll take books and send them to schools that can use them,” Mr. Fisko said. “Raj helped organize a fair trade coffee out of Nicaragua to be purchased here. So, money was being raised in that way by providing a service by providing good, fair trade farmers coffee and that was highly successful.” In addition, the club has contacted many local
business and individuals to figure out ways of raising extra funds. “He’s contacted dentists, to collect old fillings that are discarded,” Mr. Fisko said. “If you collect a small jar of these fillings ... a filling is not that big, but it is gold, so you can raise a couple thousand dollars with just a small thing of fillings from people’s teeth.” The club is looking to expand next year, possibly incorporating other teachers and scheduling an OFJ sanctioned immersion trip. “Raj has set it up with the OFJ so that the trek that we offer that year becomes an endorsed OFJ immersion,” Mr. Fisko said. However, the trip would likely be more focused on service aspects than the ones Brophy offers now. “Too many times, I think, immersion trips can
become simply let’s go see the poor and hope that has an impact on us,” Mr. Fisko said. Though Raj is leaving next year, the club plans on staying relevant and continuing to provide support. “We definitely have a junior, Martin Rodrigues ’15, who is going to be taking the reigns of the club next year,” Vatsa said. “He is extremely devoted to the organization, so I’m really excited for him.” For the past two years buildOn has been providing many types of service to both the local and global community. “These local service events are spreading awareness about what we can do to really make a difference,” Vatsa said. “By traveling to countries around the world, it helps us form these relationships with people, which is the key to helping breaking the cycle of poverty.”
The Roundup
May 2014 |
Page 5
Shear values immersion, retreats Non-Catholic
students comfortable in religious environments, feel welcome in community
By Michael Scheinert ’16
THE ROUNDUP As Ryan Shear ’14 prepares for a new beginning at Santa Clara, he leaves behind a diverse set of contributions to the community. This season marks his second year as a member of the varsity baseball team. Shear has been on the diamond his entire life, and he said he has worked hard to help his final group of teammates in any way possible. After mounting the courage to run for Student Council, he was elected by his classmates to take one of two spots for his class, an honor that Shear said has helped him develop his leadership abilities. He said he also has expanded his leadership skills as a member of the Executive Board of the Big Brothers, a program led by Mr. Scott Heideman. “Ryan is a typical student if you don’t know him personally,” Mr. Heideman said. “If you look for God in him, you can see the extraordinary. He is a role model and a leader. He leads by his actions, by inspiring those around him, and he is everything a Brophy Bronco is meant to be. He expresses that in the way he carries himself, which is a true testament to him.” Shear is also on the Executive Board of the Family to Family Club and a member of the National Honors Society. Above all, he said that trips and retreats are what he will remember most from the last four years. “The Kenya, Africa trip, LA Urban Plunge and the Guatemala summer immersion trip are things that have changed my life and allowed me to see the world differently,” Shear said. “I have enjoyed and am grateful for everything I have done and encountered in my time at Brophy.” Classmate Kevin Burg ’14 said he has watched Shear grow over the years.
Students of different religions cite multiple reasons for attending Catholic school By Reece M. Krantz ’16 & Brendan Hinkle ’16
THE ROUNDUP
Photo courtesy of Ryan Shear ’14 Ryan Shear ’14 at Varsity Baseball practice getting ready for warm-ups.
“Early this year, Mr. (Ian) Aston gave Ryan a very appropriate nickname: Ryan ‘Kill ’Em with Kindness’ Shear,” Burg said. “His kindness makes him one of the best friends a
guy could ask for, and one of the most beloved students on campus. Ryan’s spirit rubs off on everyone in the Brophy community, making him an invaluable leader in the class of 2014.”
Dunnion takes final bow after 23 years of theater By Austin Norville ’15
THE ROUNDUP Mrs. Dorothy Dunnion began working with theater on campus in 1991 as an assistant and in 1996 she took over Brophy Theater. This semester’s “Peter Pan” marked her last curtain call as she retires from Brophy Theater. “I love it, it’s fun. I love theater, I love directing,” Mrs. Dunnion said. “When I was hired by Brophy they asked me what co-curricular and so forth I could do. And I told them I had experience in theatre and was a director of high school theater, and they wanted me to start doing it right away.” Mrs. Dunnion, however, had two children still in school. “I told them I would be happy to assist but for four years I really was not willing to be a director because I knew how much time it took. I didn’t want to sacrifice my daughter’s last four years at home or my son’s final year at home,” Mrs. Dunnion said. According to Mrs. Dunnion, theater is an important part of a high school community.
“It’s a creative outlet and it’s very social, and some of the people who are attracted to theater are very shy—they’re willing to be on stage but personally they’re very shy. So it’s a very social activity,” Mrs. Dunnion said. “I always say the goal of our fall show is to get everybody a date to the Christmas dance, and for the musical in the spring everybody goes to prom. (My favorite part is) watching the kids and seeing how much enjoyment and satisfaction and confidence they get from it.” Mrs. Dunnion said she has directed six actors who are working as professionals today. “Mr. (Tony) Oldani put something up on Facebook, knowing I would never know, asking kids who were in town to come to my last show on Saturday night and there were about 12 to 13 kids,” Mrs. Dunnion said. “I’ve got emails from kids who weren’t there; two of whom were in Boston, and both of them said almost the same thing that the confidence they feel in their careers now came from being on stage; which is crazy because I wouldn’t have known that they
weren’t confident.” Mrs. Dunnion said she just loves being with students. “It’s a wonderful way to have a different kind of relationship with students that is kind of friendlier, its certainly more casual than it is in a classroom setting,” Mrs. Dunnion said. “I only teach juniors and sometimes I get reruns of seniors in my senior Humanities class, but in theater I get to be with them eight times. Van (Cummerford ’14) for instance has been in six shows since his freshman year so I know him pretty well and it’s great to have that kind of relationship.” Cummerford said he got into theater freshman year when Mrs. Dunnion gave him a part in “The Upside Down Staircase.” “That kind of kicked everything off, I just developed this awesome relationship with her and I was able to see how much she wanted us to succeed,” Cummerford said. “I wouldn’t really call her just a director, she’s more of a coach I’d say, she not only cares putting on a great show … Its almost this sense of caring about who we are as a person and I think that’s
what sets her apart from so many different teachers; she genuinely really cares for us … she always wants to give students a chance to have this experience.” Cummerford said Mrs. Dunnion is the reason he chose to continue acting in college. “She is really interesting because not only does she care so much about theater, but she’s at every single one of the band concerts, she’s at every single of the various arts performances,” Cummerford said. “After every single one of the band concerts she writes a little blurb in the daily bulletin.” When asked why she is retiring, Mrs. Dunnion responded, “I’m tired.” “Theater is fun, it’s not ‘oh my teachers giving extra credit’ … It makes me crazy that theater is going to die because everybody will be at home watching things on two inch screens,” Mrs. Dunnion said of the legacy she wants to leave behind. “I think communally attending theatre rather than individually watching something on a screen is such a better experience.”
Brophy is a Catholic, Jesuit private school, which could leave many people believing its student body is all Catholic. While a majority of students being Catholic, there are still large amounts of non-Catholics from a large variety of backgrounds. Every student is required to take mandatory religious classes, and about once a month go to Mass or a prayer service. Eric Hovagim ’16 is an open atheist. He said his beliefs and ideals of Brophy are more academic than religious. “I believe that this is a Catholic school and I made the conscious decision to attend here and that they shouldn’t conform to my beliefs,” Hovagim said. “I came here for the academic prowess posed by Brophy.” Hovagim said he has experienced some prejudice. “Frequently people would judge you based on your beliefs or lack there of, and it’s not very religious of them to do so,” he said. Some say the world would be better without religion, others say it is a vital social experience that can not be replaced. “I think the world would be better without religion, because religion has caused a lot of conflict in the world including the crusades, holocaust and countless other events that have a caused a lot of bloodshed,” Hovagim said. “It has caused a plethora of violent acts.” Other non-Catholic students are Jewish, Protestant, Sikh and other beliefs. One Jewish student, Jared Kleiner ’16, said he does not mind mandatory “Mass dress,” Mass and religious classes. “Personally, I have nothing against celebrating Jesuit Mass and wearing Mass dress,” Kleiner said. “As a matter of fact, I find Mass and learning about the Jesuits rather interesting. Just as if someone was learning about Judaism, I respect what other people believe and I would hope others do the same for me. I find it interesting to hear others beliefs and how the religions are similar and different.” “With Brophy being a very accepting and exciting place to be, I wasn’t worried about coming to a primarily Catholic school,” Kleiner said. “I have now adjusted well and feel like Brophy is my second home. I respect what others believe in and take it as a learning experience to go to a primarily Catholic school. I couldn’t be happier to be at Brophy.” Sophomore Brendan Jaap ’16 is another atheist student. “I really don’t care about the Mass dress, after all, any reason to look classy is fine by me,” Jaap said “However, having the Mass be absolutely mandatory could be offensive to certain people that actually cared. I also think that the Catholic teachings could be optional, if you wanted to take something that pertains more to you.” Religious schools is something Jaap is familiar with. “I have gone to Jesuit/Catholic/Lutheran schools all of my life, so it doesn’t feel much different,” Jaap said. “I am comfortable with other people being different in beliefs from my own.”
Opinions The Roundup | May 2014
Editors pass torch, look back at highlights Journalism, media possess awesome power By P. Erik Meyer ’14
co editor in chief The media is more powerful than the government. The news industry possesses some of the most powerful people in society and you might not even realize it. Think about it for a minute: The media tells you what you need to know and they can do so in their own tone and at their own time. This column is not intended to be some conspiracy-stirring piece; rather it is to make you aware. Aware that we live in a world today that has more information available at a speed that is faster than ever. We as a generation must demand transparency and ethical reporting. Having been involved in varied capacities on The Roundup staff over the past three years, I have come to learn the value of ethical reporting and the impact reporters have on society. Why do you think taking over the media is one of the first thing dictators do when overthrowing a government? It is because the media has to power to control the people and shift their viewpoints. Far too often, people listen to their local news at night and simply agree and believe everything that was just said to them was a fact. It is time that people discern the news and become able to tell for themselves what is true, honest journalism and what is biased. There are far too many CNN and FOX News outlets in our world today that tell you what to think instead of presenting you with the facts and allowing you to think for yourself. Let’s face it, objective news is much more boring. It does not often stir up emotions, it does not create intense arguments and worst of all it makes you actually do work to formulate your own opinion. Now you are probably asking well, how in the world am I supposed to find objective news if all these news sources contain bias? The answer is relatively easy, but highly unpopular. I’m asking, rather calling you out, to work to recognize biased news when you hear it. Dig through and block out the bias that permeates today’s media. Listen to more than one news source before you
Photo by Brendan Hinkle ’16 Co Editors in Chief Erik Meyer ’14, left, and Aakash Jain ’14 pose for a final portrait.
take a position on a topic. Honestly, why do some of you listen and watch CNN while others watch FOX? It is because you agree with what they say and that makes life easier on you, it’s more comfortable. By listening and watching other news sources, you become a more knowledgeable consumer of news. It will be a challenge, but it is time that we as a society reject what is easy and force ourselves to find the truth in our media.
Question
of the Month By Garrison Murphy ’15 & Hayden Prescott Corwin ’15
THE ROUNDUP
What role does religion play in your life?
“I am not the religious type, I consider myself more spiritual.” – Brendan Bohannon ’14
Jain: Thank you to entire community for enriching my life By Aakash Jain ’14
Co editor in chief I am so grateful to have been a part of The Roundup for the last three years. I have especially valued the amazing friendships
“Pretty big role in my life, I was raised Catholic.”
– Braden Younglove ’17
and strong sense of community that have developed over those years. Moreover, working as a student journalist has undoubtedly improved my writing skills and ability to conduct interviews and edit articles. However, what I have valued most is the opportunity to share meaningful stories—often your stories—with our community. Though I have enjoyed all of my assignments for The Roundup, from covering the school basketball team to writing movie reviews, I have especially loved writing human interest stories, articles that attempt to communicate the subtleties of the human experience through the written word: the in-depth piece about the tough childhood of a senior preparing for college, the light-hearted feature story about a faculty member’s love of cinnamon gum, the article about the impact of a former English teacher. This last story was an article I wrote last semester about the death of the Rev. Anton J. Renna, S.J., a longtime English teacher. For the article, I interviewed Mr. Tom Danforth ’78, Mr. Lane McShane ’82 and Mr. John Damaso ’97, three current English teachers who were inspired by Fr. Renna’s teaching as students during three different decades. My conversations with them revealed that Fr. Renna incalculably influenced Brophy by inspiring multiple generations of students and teachers. When my article about Fr. Renna was published in The Roundup, I felt a tremendous sense of pride, not because of the quality of the writing or because my name was printed below the headline, but because I felt that what I had done was important. I was honored to be able to share his story with the community. Some experiences are so poignant that they literally take your breath away, as my conversations with Mr. Danforth, Mr. Damaso and Mr. McShane did to me. I cherish these moments and ultimately, that is why I have loved journalism as a high school student and hope to continue in college. So thank you to each member of the Brophy community who has ever allowed me to share their story or even picked up a copy of The Roundup and glanced through the pages. Going even beyond my experiences with The Roundup, it is because of all of you that my time at Brophy has been so meaningful. You have immeasurably enriched the last the four years of my life, and I will miss Brophy more than I can imagine because of it.
“None whatsoever.” – Harry Schmidt ’15
“Religion plays a pretty big role in my life even though I am not Catholic … I believe in God and a relationship with God.” – Brady Wheeler ’16
Opinions
The Roundup
Page 7 | May 2014
Staff Editorial
Spiritual diversity worth celebrating on campus The Issue: Some people see Brophy strictly as a Catholic school. Our Stance: There’s religious diversity on campus, and that’s part of what informs our community as a whole. With traditions and practices like morning prayer, monthly Masses and the daily Examen, Brophy has never shied away from its Catholic identity. As a school, we wear our label as a Jesuit institution with great pride—and rightfully so. Still, we have a good deal of religious
diversity on campus that we mustn’t ignore. One of the main talking points of this year’s Summit on Human Dignity was that diversity within our society is something worth not just identifying but celebrating. It’s important that we don’t forget about diversity of religions in that discussion. We shouldn’t feel obligated to ignore different religions out of politeness or avoid them out of fear and misunderstanding. Instead, we should explore the possibilities of these faiths
and celebrate the differences between cultures. After all, Catholic means universal. There are plenty of religions worldwide and, for the most part, each of them has some form of representation on campus. If we, as a school, collectively fail to celebrate Brophy’s non-Catholic population, we fail to properly represent ourselves. Our religious diversity is part of what informs our school’s and our students’ collective conscience. Spiritual upbringing has a great
influence on one’s life. It determines a great number of our experiences and beliefs. When a variety of backgrounds and beliefs come together, ideas start to change and mature. With representation from all spectrums of religion, the Brophy environment encourages the kind of thoughtful discourse that leads to better informed ideas. Our community stresses being religious and open to growth. Putting those two traits together leads to the religious community that Brophy is all
about. Ultimately, diversity allows for innovation that wouldn’t otherwise be possible. And that alone is something worth celebrating. Staff editorial by Charles Louis Dominguez ’14 & Christian Guerithault ’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.
Pope Francis’ beliefs, lifestyle serve as welcome relief for Catholics
By William Joseph Borders IV ’16
The Roundup Pope Francis is different, very different. He lives the most simple life that one of the most powerful and influential people in the world could. “He’s a simple man, he carries his own bags, pays his own bills and tells his old friends to hop in the Pope Mobile,” said Spanish teacher Mr. Richard Cordova. Mr. Cordova said there are three Spanish words that describe the Pope best: humilde, sincero and justicia social, which translate to humble, sincere and social justice. Pope Francis, formally the Rev. Jorge Bergoglio, S.J., became the head of the Catholic church a little more than a year ago. Since then he has brought energy to the church and frequently made headlines for bucking tradition. Not only does Pope Francis pay his own bills and carry his own bags, he also gave up a spot in the Apostolic Palace to live in a small, spartan apartment like everyone else. “The Jesuits are committed to taking a life of poverty, and I think that Francis has done that in many ways,” said Max Beall ’16. Pope Francis is the first Jesuit Pope to ever hold this position, as well as the first Pope from Latin America. “It’s good for all the people in Latin America and
Pope Francis waves to a crowd gathered outside the Vatican (Maurizio Brambatti/Ansa/Zuma Press/MCT).
the world that somebody that has a different way of thinking was chosen to do this beautiful job,” Mr. Cordova said. Pope Francis’ approach is viewed by many as more accepting than some of his predecessors. An example of that is when he stated, “if someone is gay and he searches for The Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?”
Although this hasn’t translated to any policy or doctrine changes yet, it has a lot of people excited. “I think that it was a bold move for him to not necessarily go against Catholic teaching, but open up another branch of Catholic teaching. Jesus said, ‘love everyone’ and that didn’t exclude the homosexuals and he is definitely exemplifying that,” said Theodore Donley ’16.
Overall I think the new Pope has brought a bright new energy to the church, I think that he has opened many doors and is making change for the better. “It’s outstanding because he has said many times that he is a sinner, and all of us are sinners. I like his approach, everybody has to be treated with love, dignity and respect, Mr. Cordova said.
Religion classes could offer more diversity, electives Religion classes don’t often have a big universities against students from public place in traditional, secular schools who don’t take four academic settings. years of religion. The academically-intense That changes in a religious school and becomes a norm classes are an added challenge most high school students unique to religious schools. will not experience. I acknowledge that by Information wise, the choosing to attend Brophy classes are great because I I also choose to take these am Christian and I love to classes. That said, there learn about the finer By Tanner Nypen ’15 details of my faith. might be a better The Roundup However on the option for students other hand, when you look at the grade to give them the religious education point average, they can put us at a without potentially breaking their GPA. disadvantage. Coming from public school, religion We are all competing for seats at classes are new to me and these classes
were not something I have had to deal perspective will be at the forefront of with before. our courses. Overall I’ve done ”There might be a better But I believe we alright in my religion should get some option for students to classes, but there are additional choice give them the religious in the content of some students who education without struggle. these classes. I like the idea of potentially breaking their The Brophy religion classes; I religious studies GPA.” think it is a great way is -Tanner Nypen ’15 curriculum to learn more about somewhat limited the history or even in flexibility due the basic content of to standards passed my religion. down from the U.S. Conference It also helps expand my of Catholic Bishops and other worldview. Catholic oversight groups. I understand as a Catholic school that I understand this means we must take
certain foundational classes. But if there is any wiggle room, we should take it. There is a wide variety of faith perspectives on campus, so perhaps we can learn about something that interests you personally or is about your personal beliefs. Let’s expand the religion electives to include a wider variety of faith perspectives. While this might be difficult to accomplish, I think it is a way to get more students feeling involved in the classes, which will hopefully help improve grades and learning.
Opinions
Page 8 | May 2014
The Roundup
Students debate merits of religion, impact on society Religion strives to teach morality Religion is important to our society give time for the needy. because it consists as a basis for When we look at these services, morality and serves as a way to work they feed families and homeless who toward the betterment of are hungry, they put others. clothes on their backs if When students look they have none and they at the histories of many provide hospitality and religions, it is true that we more. see evidence of violence These organizations and unrest and pain. and others from around However, religion is the world stem from necessary to help regulate religious teachings and manage a sense or religious By Tanner Nypen ’15 of morality within figures from past The Roundup the followers of societies. faith. W i t h o u t For all the bad there is much more religion these organizations could good. cease to aid those in need due to the Ethics have a root in religion lack of people willing to help. whether or not you are religious. Again, you could argue that new Without this sense of morality that foundations would arise or that many religions provide, our world nonreligious people would go and would be in a sense of chaos. help those in need, but in our society Religions are necessary for these organizations are usually fostering and maintaining this sense founded on religious beliefs. of morality amongst its believers. But the ideals behind these In a world without morality the organizations are what would change, past ideals would eventually be and this idea that helping those in forgotten and leave a chaotic world need because of the background behind. faith would no longer be present, or Religions are also the basis for at least become secondary when it most of the charity and philanthropy needs to be the primary goal. services in our world. Without religious teachings, what Places like St. Vincent De Paul or purpose is there to help make our Andre House, as an example from world a better place if everyone could our backyard, would not exist just live thinking about themselves? without a religion present in our Ultimately, religions give purpose lives. to our actions, our needs and even These services are what keep those our ideals. in need of help functioning and provide others with the means to
Religion-less world socially, economically sustainable Eighty-six percent of the world’s population is affiliated Since these conflicts began all those years ago, the number with a religion. of deaths has climbed to approximately 14,500, according That’s about 5,985,387,000 people, each with their own to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. set of sometimes widely different beliefs and Between 1987 and 2010 alone, 1,762 of those viewpoints. These distinct differences have been killed have been under the age of 18. All of this fuel for many adversities. is because of religious differences and historical War, crime and discrimination are just a few territory claims. The claims are being justified of the plausible outcomes of religious turmoil. using the Old Testament. These types of conflicts are not rare. Current Simply put, religion is the cause of many examples of this would include Egypt and Syria. global issues from the Palestine/Israel conflict The ongoing marathon of calamities in Egypt to discrimination at home. A world without can be attributed to many factors, but a major these distractions would be more productive and catalyst in the mix is the discrimination friendlier. By Reese M. Krantz ’16 and violence of majority Muslim groups The Dalai Lama asserted that morality The Roundup against minority Christian groups. can exist completely independently of Suzie Abdou, a Christian living in Egypt religion, and that there are many secular stated in her article in Levantine Culture Center, “During people who are virtuous human beings, but that religion the revolution last February, there seemed to be a sense of is an effective medium for promoting universally-positive, unity among the different groups that were protesting— humanistic beliefs for those who are particularly receptive Christians, Muslims, young secular Egyptians—but in the to faith. last year there’s been a surge in attacks on Christians and It is impossible to change the world to be irreligious.What Christian Churches.” From personal stories like this it seems I am trying to provoke is the sense of questioning. I want like people were once united by a common interest, but now people to ask why and how. I want people to stop justifying that this is gone, they resort to senseless violence. the quantitative information with the qualitative and instead Without religion, we would never have this sustained war. look at the empirical and make their own judgements and Differences would be between individuals and be based on beliefs, instead of being indoctrinated to something that may character, rather than one’s seemingly arbitrary association or may not be true. with a particular group. Many of these differences cause I can almost guarantee that the younger generations in the conflict and unnecessary warfare over beliefs. These fights Israeli/Palestinian conflict don’t want to fight. Much like are as old as religion itself and also still occur today with the those in the First World War, they lost their faith in their ongoing Israeli/Palestinian conflict. own government and country. They were either dragged in Everyone is familiar with the Crusades, the incredibly by the romanticism of old or their parents enforced duty and violent and unjust holy wars that supposedly brought people honor. Never the less, it has cost them dearly. closer to their God. You might claim these were in the past, Should you abandon your faith? Not necessarily. Those but the ideology remains and is stronger than ever. who survive the gambit of doubt shouldn’t blindly throw The Israeli/Palestinian conflict officially started in 1929 out what they have if it comforts them. The time to question when religious tensions over the Wailing Wall led to the 1929 your faith is when it affects your judgement on character and Palestinian riots, including the Hebron and Safed massacres. how you judge and view the world. Then, it is an objective In 1947, the United Nations decided on partitioning the negative. Mandate of Palestine, which led to the creation of the state of No matter what the differences are, we all live on the same Israel. Since then the region has been plagued with conflict. Earth and have to coexist if we are ever to progress.
Eastern Europe conflicts need be resolved peacefully, through justice Even though it seems so far away on With social injustice and war the other side of the world, happening all over the world, the repercussions of events and much media coverage of that are happening can events either being semi-bias affect us, such as potential or inaccurate, people must oil prices rising and certain try to see what’s actually happening in our world and products not being created create a more peaceful place. anymore. After a violent revolution Recently, controversial in Ukraine and actions have been taking By Michael Ahearne ’14 anti-gover nment place in Ukraine, more protests, Ukraine specifically Crimea The Roundup is trying to rebuild that has gathered the itself, but in the midst of this, Crimea attention of people around the world.
announced its allegiance to Russia. In 1783, the Russian Empire took over Crimea and later a part of the Soviet Union in 1921. It wasn’t until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 that it became a part of Ukraine. Now we are at this stage in time where Crimea has rejoined with Russia after a vote by the Crimean government. Although many nations including the United States and Ukraine themselves have deemed this action illegal, Russia has nonetheless accepted the results and claimed that Crimea is now part of the
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.
Russian Federation. Russia has always had ties with Crimea as shown by its past history, but also had interest in the region. Russia has had an agreement with Ukraine to use some of its ports because it allows for access to the Black Sea, something highly sought out by many countries. Russia has also had troops stationed in Crimea for quite some time now, so at first, Russian troops and ships were no surprise. It wasn’t until Russian forces placed a large number of troops at the
May: Riley Morrison ’16 & Chase Manson ’16
border, as well as occupying key strategic locations that many took notice. Russia captured key locations and sending numerous troops to intimidate Crimea forces, as well as Ukraine soldiers. No real fights have broken out from the conflict, which is great to hear, but I believe we must be wary and continue to keep an eye out on the situation. We must seek out a peaceful resolution before things such as embargoes and trade restriction hurt not only Russia, but also other parts of the world.
The Roundup Staff Member of the Month
Sports The Roundup | May 2014
Athletics rounds out another year By Chase Bayless ’15 & J.P. Hajjar ’16
B
THE ROUNDUP
rophy’s student athletes saw much success this school year and brought home multiple state championships, while others fell short of expectations. Football Football kicked off as the first team of the season starting in late August. They started with an upset win over Desert Mountain Friday, Aug. 30 in a 13-6 victory. “To get a victory of this type early in the season, I think it’s something we can build upon and reflect back to later on as we make a playoff run,” said head coach Mr. Scooter Molander in a previous Roundup article. They went on to lose four straight games and ended the regular season with a 5-7 overall record, yet they were still able to clinch a playoff spot after securing the No. 12 seed with a 34-7 win over Desert Vista Friday, Nov. 1. In the postseason they won one game against No. 5 seed Westview with a score of 28-14 Friday, Nov. 8, but lost in the next round to No. 4 seed Desert Ridge. The final score of that game was 44-24. The team relied on sophomore running back Ryan Velez ’16 throughout the season, as he ran for 1,189 yards and accounted for 14 total touchdowns, including one on a kick return. Other key players included offensive lineman AT Hall ’14 and quarterbacks Brian Woodward ’14 and Cade Knox ’14. On defense, Walker Adams ’16 led the team in total tackles with 134. Swimming Swimming won their 26th straight state title with 294 points in the championship meet Nov. 8 and 9. Chaparral came in 2nd place with 259 points. During the season swimmer Calvin Higgins ’15 talked about Chaparral being their main competition for the title. “I think we’re going to win state, we have four guys in every single event and Chap has about two, and a total of four good guys overall. They might win a couple of relays but I think we are going to win in the end,” Higgins said. At state the Brophy 220-freestyle relay, made up of Jack Blake ’17, Alex Becker ’14, DJ Brown ’15 and Brad Dorsey ’14, just missed the state record by less than three-tenths. Golf Golf finished 4th in state and were led by captains: Sam Triplett ’14, Chip Getz ’16 and Michael Feagles ’16.The head coach was Mr. Jon Shores. According to a previous Roundup article, Mr. Shores said Triplett stepped up as a leader for the team. Crew The crew team placed 2nd in the state championship on the water. “We won the Arizona Indoor Rowing
Online
this month
roundup.brophyprep.org
Photos by Roundup Staff Swimming and soccer ended their seasons with a state championship and some teams fell short of their goals. Other teams are still in season.
Championships,” said John Kelly ’16. They had a regatta the weekend of April 11-13 in Long Beach, Calif, which would determine whether or not they qualify for regionals. The Southwest Regionals were slated from May 2-4, after The Roundup’s print deadline. Cross country The cross country team finished in 9th place in the state meet in November. Led by mostly underclassman, the team was considered an underdog entering the season. Top runners included Connor Andreen ’15,
Stephen Casillas ’15, Luis Torres ’16 and Luke Mason ’17. Hockey Varsity hockey finished the regular season in 2nd place in the Division 1 standings behind Pinnacle. Forward Kyle Perez ’15 led the team in points with 23. After getting to the state championship against Pinnacle Feb. 10, the Broncos lost 3-0. They went on to play in the national tournament March 26-30 in Omaha, Neb. They finished with a 1-2 record.
JV also played in the finals for their division, but lost to Desert Vista Feb. 10, 4-2 Wrestling Wrestling entered the state tournament with six Broncos participating: Keenan Woodburn ’15, Valentin Hernandez ’16, Anthony Brady ’16, Kipp Charlton ’14, Michael Morris ’14 and Jack Garcia ’15. Woodburn was the only wrestler to place, with a 4th place medal in the 106 pound weight class. Volleyball As of April 24, volleyball has a current record of See SPORTS RECAP, Page 10
» Baseball season wraps up » Volleyball vies for playoff run Photo by Chris Hubbard ’15
Brophy’s Varsity Distance team runs in the 400 meter event.
» Track team looks to repeat as state champs
The Roundup
Page 10 | May 2014
Ignatian tradition of team prayer inspires athletes By P. Erik Meyer ’14
a long tradition to have a prayer before. To pinpoint exactly where it all began, I think just talking to other chaplins at other schools, I would say it was always accepted.” This particular tradition has been consistent with the football teams, but in recent years other teams have created their own rituals. “It was evoked then and especially for the football team, with the basketball team sometimes the chaplin would say (the prayer) or the coach would say it, same thing with other teams,” Fr. Olivier said. “Often the soccer team has their prayer out in front of the St. Ignatius statue, other teams might do it on the field or in the locker room.” Senior Austin Hall ’14, who is a member of the varsity football and track teams, said that track has their own
THE ROUNDUP Before most sporting events at Brophy, coaches and teammates can be seen participating in a group prayer. “It has been a long Ignatian tradition,” said the Rev. Harry Olivier, S.J. “Do we always pray for victory? No, we don’t, we pray that we use the talents that we have.” Fr. Olivier has served as the chaplin for Brophy since the 1980s and has witnessed the tradition across sports and generations. “With the football team there was always Mass and then the prayer before the games,” Fr. Olivier said. “Going way back even to the year 1960 when I was in San Francisco, I was the JV chaplin for football and we said it then. So it’s
prayer as well. well into the 70s,” Fr. Olivier said. Hall said he and his teammates take Masses and prayers before and after pre-game prayers and Mass seriously. games are carried out even if not “It’s a super serious convenient. moment,” Hall said. “To have the Mass is “The prayer after, “You’ve got to give to really get your mind the football team it its respect because comes into the if anyone is messing focused on who you’re Chapel after each around during playing for and why game no matter that time then we you’re playing and to what time it is,” are definitely not Fr. Olivier said. focused for the have the ability to play “Sometimes we game.” for something greater get back from The prayers with Tucson Salpointe than yourself.” the football team and it might be -Austin Hall ’14 have generally been two in the morning the same for decades. and we still go to “With the football Chapel and I’m always impressed, team we would say there are always an Our Father and petitions, ‘let us pray for…’” Our Lady of Victory. It goes back
Hall said pre-game Mass is more than just a spiritual moment. “To have the Mass is to really get your mind focused on who you’re playing for and why you’re playing and to have the ability to play for something greater than yourself,” Hall said. “Then right before we run out of the locker room we say a Lord’s Prayer.” For Fr. Olivier, one particular pregame prayer stands out. “Before we went out to the state championship and that was the locker room,” Fr. Oliver said as he pointed to a photo hanging on his wall. “You have that feeling of we have something to accomplish and we’re going to do it. No one says it, but its just that sixth sense that you know, we’re underdogs but we’re going to do it.”
Baseball enters home stretch of regular season with 12-5 record Team overcomes tough losses with crucial wins over Corona del Sol, Sandra Day O’Connor and Harvard-Westlake By Aakash Jain ’14
THE ROUNDUP After 17 games, the baseball team has a 12-5 record as of April 1, and is making preparations for a playoff run. The team is eyeing a top-eight playoff berth to gain a bye in the first round. “If we win a majority of our next nine games, we should get a bye,” said varsity player Nolan Weinstein ’14. Head coach Mr. Tom Succow said that he expects the team to be successful in the playoffs because of its determination, which he said has led to some of their biggest wins, such as against Corona del Sol and Sandra Day O’Connor. From SPORTS RECAP, Page 9
30-12-1. Cooper Munhall ’14 led the team in kills and digs with 270 and 132, respectively. Cole Hermann ’15 and Andrew Lincoln ’15 are the team’s
“I really like the way that our team competes,” Mr. Succow said. “We’ve won some games because we kept on competing through seven innings.” He added that their biggest win of the season so far came against Harvard-Westlake March 27. “We beat Harvard Westlake last Thursday morning in the Horizon tournament,” Mr. Succow said. “They were ranked No. 1 in the country and they were the national champs from last year.” Mr. Succow identified Ryan Castellani ’14, AJ Zubia ’14, Garrett Rupp ’14 and Jackson Sipes ’14 as seniors who have stepped up for the team and contributed the most to its success. He added that the pitching staff has exceeded expectations. “Jackson Sipes and Christian Glosser combined on a no-hitter last week against Corona del Sol,” Mr. Succow said. “That was a huge lift for our pitching staff.” Mr. Succow said that the team’s defense “has been a little shaky at times” but that they have made adjustments accordingly. Photo by Luis Gamez ’15 Weinstein said that despite some tough losses, the team is confident that it will be successful Ryan Castellani ’14 bumps helmets with his teammates after his second homerun of the game against the Mountain View Toros. going forward, echoing Mr. Succow’s statements regarding their wins against Corona del Sol and “We’ve lost a couple games that we should’ve he said. Harvard-Westlake. won, but we’ve also beaten a lot of quality teams,”
primary servers. The team is positioning itself for a playoff run with a third overall standing. “We’ve got a lot of room to improve and we don’t have to improve a lot to be in that status of the teams who are in that conversation,” said Mr. Tony Oldani in another Roundup article in this issue.
Out of Left Field How did your bracket do? Hunter Koss ’16
Lacrosse
Adam Randolph ’16
Volleyball Ben Ribble ’16
Baseball
Connor Nagaki ’17
Volleyball
Will you play in college?
Oldani said the team’s main competition is Hamilton, Mesa and Boulder Creek. Baseball As of April 24 baseball was 17-7 on the season and 6-3 in their section. Five games remain on the regular season schedule and the Broncos are
currently ranked 15th in the Division 1 standings. Track Track is currently performing around Arizona and headed to California for the Arcadia Invitational April 11-12. “Our 4 x 4 team is doing really well, we are number one in the state. Every
By William Joseph Borders IV ’16
THE ROUNDUP What car do you drive?
Favorite type of food?
Terrible
No
2010 Jeep Wrangler
Italian
Rough
Yes
2004 Jeep Liberty
Italian
Terrible
Yes
BMW 128I
American
Awful
Yes
Chrysler
Japanese
time we have ran this year, it was the fastest time in the state,” said Joshua Benjamin ’16 in another article in this issue when asked how the team is doing this season in relay events.
Want more #Sports?
roundup.brophyprep.org Twitter: @BrophySports
The Roundup
May 2014 |
Page 11
Benjamin balances academics, sports throughout the year Friends of Benjamin say he has potential to be great if he continues to push himself
At a Glance Joshua Benjamin ’16 » Varsity track sprinter » JV football wide receiver » Active in Student Council » “If I get a college offer for football I will do it. But I am hoping to run track in college.”
By J.P. Hajjar ’16
THE ROUNDUP Joshua Benjamin ’16 is a multisport athlete who maintains his grades while also competing in football and track and field. “This is my third year (doing track) and for football, this will be my second,” Benjamin said. Benjamin said he competes in the 100-meter, the 200-meter, the 400-meter, the 4 x 100-meter and the 1600-meter relay. Not just a track athlete, Benjamin also plays football. “I play cornerback, wide receiver and last year I played some running back,” Benjamin said. He has set his main focus on track as he has hopes to pursue it in college. “Probably track in college, not really football. If I get a college offer for football I will do it. But I am hoping to run track in college,” Benjamin said. Ben Posorske ’16, a close friend and teammate of Benjamin’s, said he has the potential to be great. “He does have the potential to run college track if he just continues to push himself as he is pushing himself right now,” Posorske said. Benjamin said that the coaches for track and football design workouts that help him get stronger and also provide drills that help him better understand what is happening during the game or meet. Benjamin said he also focuses on
Photo by Brendan Hinkle ’16 Joshua Benjamin ’16 (right) practices track at the Brophy Sports Complex Thursday, April 24. Benjamin plays both football and track, and would like to go on to run track in college.
being well-rounded in his academics and is a member of Student Council. Even though at times it may be hard, Benjamin said he just keeps going. “It’s a lot harder during football season, track is a little more laid back because the nature of the sport and coaches,” Benjamin said when asked about how he is able to focus on school work and sports at the same time. Posorske said Benjamin works to his full potential in anything and everything he strives to achieve. “He studies hard, he gets good grades and he tries his hardest at everything he does,” Posorske said. “In track, he is pushing himself harder than he was freshman year and he has just been taking it so much more seriously when he noticed that he really has great
“He is a studentathlete. I see him as a really intelligent athlete so he knows how to work, how to train smart and how to compete well in events.” -Mr. Bill Kalkman
potential for it.” Benjamin said his track teammates
really push him to get better everyday. “For track it is probably Bobby (Grant ’14), because I see how track can really help you get into a good school you want to go to,” Benjamin said. “It just makes me motivated to do it more, because seeing him he is really fun and he trains really hard so I think he is a good example.” But not only is it his track teammates that help him as football players push him and also set a great example for Benjamin. “For football I would say Isaiah (Oliver ’15), even though we don’t talk much about football, because we play the same positions and we both do track,” Benjamin said. “We do almost all the same things, so he is kind of how I would want to be as far as football goes.”
This year’s 1600-meter relay is first in the state and features some of the school’s top runners. “Our 4 x 4 team is doing really well, we are No. 1 in the state. Every time we have run this year, it was the fastest time in the state. It’s me, Bobby, Isaiah, and Robert Brooks (’17),” Benjamin said. At a meet that took place April 4 and 5, Benjamin ran in four events and medaled in three. “I got first in the 4 x 1, first in the 4 x 4, third in the 200, fourth in the 400 and Brophy won overall,” he said. When asked about what makes Benjamin special as a person in general, Posorske said he never stops working hard. “Just his perseverance. He isn’t going to stop doing something until he gets what he wants,” Posorske said. Head coach for track Mr. Bill Kalkman recognizes his hard work and knowledge not just in the classroom but on the track as well. “He is a student-athlete. I see him as a really intelligent athlete so he knows how to work, how to train smart and how to compete well in events,” Mr. Kalkman said. “He performs well when it comes time to compete and he is also very smart about his training regiment. He takes good care of himself and he works hard.”
Track sprints for state, juniors make the jump to leadership Upperclassmen athletes step up as leaders in crowded sport, prepare for dual meets and state By Brendan Hinkle ’16
THE ROUNDUP Track is the sport that holds the most athletes, 231 to be exact. With all of those athletes, Mr. Doug Cox, an assistant coach, said the team has been doing well. “Track is going well this year,” Mr. Cox said. “Our athletes are working extremely hard. This is one of the largest teams we’ve ever had, athlete wise, so we got a lot of kids out there getting stronger and working harder. We have a couple good leaders, Bobby Grant ’14, and Isaiah Oliver ’15, and we expect great things from them this year at state.” The team will look at each event and figure out what they can do, according to one of the team captains, Grant. “To prepare for state, it’s a little bit away from now, but your probably have to think about what
events me and Oliver will run to score points in the sprints, to see what events the freshmen can do if they make it to state, and some relays we can put together,” Grant said. “Then two weeks before we go to state, we sit down as a team and realistically look at how many points we can score in what areas and events, and plan at that.” The team has looked toward their juniors to lead the team this and next season. “We have a really good set of juniors for next year,” Grant said. “We’ve got a lot of guys out there that will do big things next year. They just have to focus on getting stronger, working hard and getting faster.” Mr. Cox also said expectations are high for the juniors for next year. “We’ve had some of our upperclassmen definitely step up, and show the young guys the right way to work, habits to develop to become the best they can be,” Mr. Cox said. “We’ve had a lot of leadership from our upperclass men and it’s been great seeing that.” Even though the team is preparing for state, they also looked forward to meets against challenging top schools, such as Chandler, Mountain Point and Corona Del Sol, Mr. Cox said.
Photo by Chris Hubbard ’15 Freshman long jump, triple jump, and hurdle participant Samir Rahman is mid-flight on a long jump attempt.
Grant added that they also looked forward to the Arcadia invitational in California, which is the biggest meet besides state.
As of April 15, the team’s record in dual meets was 6-1.
The Roundup
Page 12 | May 2014
Chambers to retire after 45-year career Senior Meyer wins campus March Madness bracket
By P. Erik Meyer ’14 & Aakash Jain ’14
THE ROUNDUP Nearly a half century ago Mr. John Chambers first stepped foot on Brophy’s campus. He will retire this May after 45 years. Over his career, he has served in a number of different roles. “I came here as a teacher and coach. I’ve coached football, basketball, coached one year of baseball and one year of track but most of the time it has been as athletic director,” Mr. Chambers said. Mr. Chambers even served as dean of students for a time. “When I was the dean of students it was fun being in a different role,” Mr. Chambers said. “That was interesting.” As a veteran faculty member on campus, Mr. Chambers has witnessed the community grow and evolve. “His greatest achievement or his greatest legacy is that he has seen Brophy go through all kinds of phases and stages of evolution and throughout all of it he maintained a really positive and energetic posture towards the students and the work,” said Principal Mr. Bob Ryan. Despite the growth of the student population and the expansion of campus, Mr. Chambers said that the Jesuit presence has remained a constant. “When I first came here there were a little under 600 students,” Mr. Chambers said. “Even though the student body has gotten bigger, it’s always been the same type of environment. We are going in the right direction, I think we’ve maintained the ‘Jesuitness’ of the school which I think is important. When I first came here there were 35 Jesuits, now we are down to a few, but we still maintain what Jesuit education is about.” Though the athletic program has expanded over the years, Mr. Ryan said that Mr. Chambers has always remained focused on students. “He for over 40 years has remained a guy that is student-centered,” Mr. Ryan said. “What’s most important to him is the students here and not necessarily wins and
Meyer predicts UConn win to nab 1st, junior Ducey takes 2nd, senior Hanss wins 3rd By Will Schubert ’15
THE ROUNDUP
Athletic Director Mr. John Chambers as featured on the April 1983 Roundup cover.
losses, though he cares a lot about having a strong athletic program.” As athletic director, Mr. Chambers has been able to keep student interests a priority while also continuing athletic success. “Under his term as athletic director, Brophy’s athletic program has become one of the powerhouses in the state where consistently all of our teams finish among the top teams in the state, and that has not always been the case in our history,” Mr. Ryan said. “Mr. Chambers has provided steady consistent leadership of Brophy’s athletic
program for a long period of time and Mr. Chambers in many ways embodies what servant leadership is.” Although the school work is challenging and the student body is smaller than many of Brophy’s public school competitors, Mr. Chambers has continued success at Arizona’s highest level of high school athletics. “I think our athletics are heading in the right direction,” Mr. Chambers said. “It’s always going to be a struggle going up against the best teams in the state with our population.”
Brophy’s eighth annual March Madness bracket competition was filled with many upsets and a lot of excitement. Only one student was able to correctly predict the victor of the NCAA Tournament on April 7. Phil Meyer ’14, who scored a total of 85 points with his bracket, was that lucky student. Out of the 68 games Meyer was able to correctly predict the outcome of 39 of them. “My favorite game of the season was when U of A lost,” Meyer said. Meyer predicted the final game to be between the University of Connecticut Huskies and the Wichita State Shockers. “I picked UConn because they were ranked 7th and seven is my lucky number,” Meyer said. Even though the Shockers were not present in the final game Meyer still predicted University of Connecticut to be victorious and that was enough to put him in the lead. Coming in a close second place was Jack Ducey ’15 with a total score of 78 points. Ducey had predicted that Michigan State and Kentucky would be present in the championship game, but fortunately for him his prediction of Kentucky being in the championship had given him enough points to claim 2nd place. Because of Meyer’s March Madness skill he was the lucky winner of an Xbox One, which was handed out by Mr. Pete Burr ’07 and student council. This year’s grand prizes included an Xbox One bundle, Bose Soundlink Mini Wireless speakers and Bose AE2 headphones. The top three finalists were able to choose from the three grand prizes and aside from the grand prize winners the top finalists from each grade were winners of $25 Amazon gift cards. Brendan Hanss ’14 finished in 3rd place with a total score of 72 points. Hanss led the bracket on the final days leading up to the championship but because he had chosen Michigan State and Louisville to be in the NCAA final he couldn’t secure the position.
Volleyball relies on ‘persistence,’ ‘camaraderie’ to carry team By Chase Bayless ’15
THE ROUNDUP With just five more matches on the schedule as of April 10, the volleyball team is focused on improving the little things to make themselves a contender for the state championship. The team holds a current record of 21-10-1 under head coach Mr. Tony Oldani. Mr. Oldani cited the camaraderie and closeness of the group as a reason for their success. “Typically you get an antagonist along the way…. We just haven’t had that,” Mr. Oldani said. “They really buy into the idea of playing for each other. They don’t want to let each other down so they give everything they’ve got.” The young team is led by senior Cooper Munhall ’14, who leads the team in kills with 174. Juniors Cole Herrmann ’15 and Andrew Lincoln ’15 are the primary servers. Carson Flood ’15 has the most digs with 89. Brophy has had numerous wins this season where
Photo by Cory Wyman ’16 Varsity volleyball plays Centennial in their last home game of the season. Brophy beat Centennial 3-1 Tuesday, April 29.
they were down by a significant number at one point in the game, but were able to fight back.
“One of the hallmarks of this team, more so than any other team, is the ability to come back
when they’re not playing well,” Mr. Oldani said. “They’ve shown this persistence and resilience they haven’t really shown in the past.” While their record puts them near the top of standings, they have losses to the top teams in the state such as Hamilton, Mesa and Boulder Creek. The Broncos are currently in 2nd place in the DII standings. “Our expectation for the season is that we should be a team that challenges for the state championship. Right now we’re kind of in that second tier,” Mr. Oldani said. Flood said the physical side is there for them, they just need to become more mentally strong. They have also dealt with injuries and want to get healthier. Flood said they have done a good job adjusting to the injuries. “We’ve got a lot of room to improve and we don’t have to improve a lot to be in that status of the teams who are in that conversation,” Mr. Oldani said.
Entertainment The Roundup | May 2014
Keating on writing: It’s kind of a
e r l l C o oa R By Cameron M. Bray ’16
s t er
THE ROUNDUP
N
ow writing “two to three pages a day,” Alex Keating ’14 said he began creative writing when he took Honors English II with Mr. John Damaso ’97. “It wasn’t really until Damaso’s class sophomore year that I gave writing a serious thought,” Keating said. “I’d always read a lot, but never really considered it until that class.” More specifically, Keating said it was the short story unit in Mr. Damaso’s class that brought about his interest in writing. Ultimately, it was the combination of creativity and expression that piqued Keating’s interest. “There were just a lot of very creative ways that the writers expressed a certain point of view, and I think that’s a really cool thing you can do as a writer,” Keating said. Keating said he took Mr. Chad Unrein’s class, Introduction to Creative Writing, earlier this year. “I think that’s another thing about Unrein’s class that I liked a lot, is just how available he was to give you feedback about your work,” he said. Similarly, Mr. Unrein also underscored the importance of peer review and feedback. “Unless they have an opportunity to get feedback from other people, their work kind of exists in a
Photo by Alec Vick ’15 Alex Keating ’14 types on his computer in Ms. Deb Cronin’s room. Keating says he uses his creative writing to express himself.
vacuum,” Mr. Unrein said. Mr. Unrein praised Keating for his diligence and maturity. “He’s a very mature writer. I would say, beyond high school. A lot of that comes from his discipline of habit, which makes him extraordinary,” Mr. Unrein said. “I don’t think (Alex) wrote anything for that class that he didn’t put through four or five revisions.” Now, Keating has submitted several works to BLAM. Matthew Frankel ’14, the
managing editor of BLAM, said he has noticed Keating’s work. “This year, he sent in a lot of prose pieces. They’re very, very introspective—not the typical teenage writing,” Frankel said. “He takes his time with the story and really crafts something special.” Additionally, Frankel said that Keating is a staff member and assists in the production of BLAM. “He’s revised a couple pieces this year for other authors,” Frankel said. “Now, in our final publication
process, he’s been doing some copy editing.” Frankel also praised Keating for his prowess and his humility. “One of the things that makes Alex Keating a really, really great writer is that he has the humility to take revisions from everyone,” Frankel said. “I think that’s a good part of learning how to grow as a writer.” Frankel credited Keating for just being a good friend. “He’s a really good friend from Speech and Debate and BLAM,”
Frankel said. “He has a good sense of humor and ... he’s just a very honest person.” Keating admitted that writing can be a struggle. “It’s kind of a roller coaster,” Keating said. “As you’re working through the idea for a story, it sounds really good. And then you’ll wake up the next day and realize that it was a really dumb idea to begin with. You just kind of go back and forth between that until the whole thing’s done,” Other than writing, Keating said he participates in Youth and Government and Speech and Debate, where he does Public Forum Debate and Original Oratory. “I do Public Forum Debate and I also do Original Oratory, which is a 10-minute persuasive speech. And the topic that I actually talk about ... is the importance of story telling— how it’s generally undervalued as just anything more than just a form of entertainment,” Keating said. Writing, as Keating argues, is more than a form of entertainment; it has some “emotional value” to it. However, Keating said the goal of writing is to attract readers and get feedback. “It’s really great to get people’s opinion on your writing ... as long as you keep writing you’ll get bigger audiences that’ll give you more feedback on your work,” Keating said. “And I guess that’s kind of the end goal of writing stories.”
‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ succeeds with riveting plot “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” – Starring Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson and Samuel L. Jackson 9 out of 10 By Christian Guerithault ’14
THE ROUNDUP Usually movie sequels fail to be as good as the original; this was not the case for “Captain America.”
“Captain America: The Winter Soldier” was much better than the first “Captain America” film, which happens to be one of my favorite Marvel movies. The new movie focuses on Captain America, played by Chris Evans, and Black Widow, played by Scarlett Johansson, as they join forces to find and stop a secret or “ghostlike” enemy. When it comes to action and fighting, you could not ask for a better plot. Captain America’s fighting was in full force there was not much time where the movie did not focus on action.
The plot, however, could be somewhat confusing to many. It was not the most complicated plot ever by any means, but some parts made me think a little before fully understanding the significance of them. Evans’ acting was, once again, phenomenal. I could not see a lot of actors doing as good of a job with Captain America as Evans. Overall most of the actors and actresses did a great job with their respective characters. The scenery was absolutely incredible. Sometimes you have to take your mind away from the plot
just to appreciate the scenery that was used when making the film. I don’t want to spoil anything about the story, but this has one of the most jaw dropping plots that I have ever seen in a movie. As with most Marvel movies, the ending left us with the knowledge that there will be another “Captain America” movie. If you have not seen the first “Captain America” film, go watch it. Once you watched that one, go watch “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” you will not be disappointed.
The Roundup
Page 14 |May 2014
Burns
Kelly Realizing that they stand a much better chance of winning as a unit than they would individually, Mr. Kelly and Ms. Guffey put aside their differences, team up and form the “Kelly-Guffey Alliance.” Both advance.
Guffey Smith Deacon Stickney demands he only be referred to as “The Deaconator.” The Deaconator challenges Mr. Smith to a race, which he, a track star, readily accepts. The Deaconator establishes an early large lead but sees midway through the race that Mr. Smith, in an act of sabotage, has stopped and trampled his garden. Deacon Stickney tends to his garden, Mr. Smith advances.
Kelly/Guffey This round sees the Kelly-Guffey Alliance in top shape. In preparation for the battle, Mr. Kelly fashions a Transformersesque suit for the two teachers. When the time for battle comes, Mr. Kelly and Ms. Guffey channel the power of friendship. Unfortunately, the power of friendship isn’t terribly strong on this day and loses to Mr. Smith, who channels the power of the English language, which is strong on everyday. Mr. Smith advances.
Smith
Stickney Kauffman Mr. Petrich challenges Mrs. Kauffman to a Shakespeare-themed battle of wits. Having set a trap, Mr. Petrich, moderator of the Ukulele Club, orders the club members to surround Mrs. Kauffman, captivating her ears with a passionate, heartfelt ukulele arrangement of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” A touched Mrs. Kauffman concedes. Mr. Petrich advances.
Petrich
Ramsey
Victor: Smith Smith
This battle takes place on the second floor of Brophy Hall. As next door neighbors, the two foes are quite familiar with each other. Mr. Smith busts through the wall into Mr. Petrich’s room ready to do battle. Mr. Smith finds Mr. Petrich prepping Loyola Academy Scholars for their upcoming basketball game. Mr. Smith is greatly outnumbered; however, he finds a can of spinach and eats it as the basketball team closes in. Almost instantly his forearms bulge to three times their regular size. Mr. Petrich and his team surrender out of pure admiration.
Petrich
In one of Battle Royale’s most unlikely match-ups, Mr. Grindey and Mr. Petrich face off. Mr. Grindey is clearly favored, no one expects Mr. Petrich to win. But he does. How does he do it? No one knows. But he won. Mr. Petrich advances.
Grindey Coaches Ramsey and Grindey gather their athletes at the Brophy Sports Complex. As many would guess, the track and field athletes, though quick, are no match against Grindey’s devastating football linemen. Grindey advances.
Hooten
Grindey
Petrich
Hooten
Smith
Hooten
The final showdown takes place in Mr. Hooten’s domain, the Robson Gym. For the championship there are three challenges. Mr. Hooten challenges Mr. Smith to a free throw contest. Hooten easily defeats Smith. Next Mr. Smith takes off down Central Avenue, challenging Mr. Hooten to a race. Hooten’s basketball conditioning keeps the race close, but Smith just edges out Hooten to win stage two. The final showdown takes place in a familiar locale, Brophy Hall. Lined up at opposite ends of the hall, the two teachers prepare for an epic showdown. Just before the battle begins and the two charge at each other, Fr. Olivier stands between the competitors and disqualifies Hooten for the use of Mr. Agliano’s services in his previous matchup. Fr. Olivier reminds Hooten he entered the competition through sneakery and that cheaters never prosper. Mr. Smith raises his forearms in triumph as he takes home the 2014 Battle Royale Championship belt.
Mr. Hooten takes on Mr. Kolb in the Graham Plaza. Mr. Kolb enters the Plaza from the Great Hall carrying a large quantity of chicken nuggets as Mr. Hooten enters from the gym, sweaty after playing an intramural game. Mr. Hooten summons his “Theodicy and the Holocaust” partner Mr. Agliano to lay some creationist theory on Mr. Kolb. Agliano flashes his Boston College and Vanderbilt degrees, which causes Kolb to retreat back into Piper. Hooten thanks Agliano for his services and advances.
After winning the first round because her opponent failed to show up, Ms. Toshner is anxious to battle Mr. Hooten in her first full Battle Royale match ever. Ms. Toshner let’s her excitement get the best of her though and makes too many rookie mistakes. She is unable to beat the seasoned veteran. Mr. Hooten advances.
Toshner
Mr. Burns and coach Fuller begin an intense game of HORSE. The two play with skill and smoothness that would rival Michael Jordan and Larry Bird. During the heated competition, Mr. Hooten sneaks in to Fuller’s Office and takes the head coach’s clipboard. Hooten advances.
Fuller Mason The outcome of this match-up will ultimately determine which teacher has dominion over the first floor of Piper. Ms. Mason, taking the weight of this situation in to consideration, studies for months in the deepest regions of Asia. With the knowledge of the world’s karate masters under her black belt, Ms. Mason’s victory is assured. Unfortunately, karate is no match against flight delays and Ms. Mason gets stuck in Asia, missing the scheduled battle. Ms. Toshner advances.
Toshner Kolb
Kolb Kolb Mr. Cordova kidnaps and locks Mr. Kolb in third floor of Eller. However, Cordova is taken down by seniors Jack Hutt and Chris Jordan, who are still wandering around the floor following the first semester Fine Arts Assembly video, ending his reign as Battle Royale champion. The seniors rescue Kolb and he advances.
Cordova Editor’s Note: The annual Battle Royale staged each May is intended to be a satirical and humorous look at what may happen if the faculty did indeed compete in a tournament of wit and strength. The Roundup thanks all participants for their permission.
Mr. Broyles has the home field advantage in this match-up as the second floor of Eller is the battleground. Mr. Broyles realizes he has a meeting for the El Salvador immersion trip scheduled at the same time as the battle. The people of El Salvador take priority and Mr. Broyles opts out of the fight. Mr. Kolb advances.
Broyles Mulloy Mr. Mulloy hides in the photo lab darkroom as returning Battle Royale champion Cordova searches for him. Cordova becomes distracted by a large group of students and greets each of them with an intricate, timeconsuming fist bump. The round’s clock runs out and Mulloy wins. However, due to a conflict of interest The Roundup cannot allow Mr. Mulloy, the newspaper’s adviser, to advance any farther. Cordova advances by ethical technicality.
Cordova
The Roundup
May 2014|
Page 15
Olson enjoys Space Mountain, not golf attempts Teacher’s Pet: Mr. Paul Olson
By Chase L. Manson ’16
THE ROUNDUP Mr. Choquette’s question from last month: “Would you rather fight 100 duck sized horses or one horse size duck?” I would fight the one horse size duck. I would be able to outrun it or fit into a place where a horse size duck could not fit. What got you into music? Because I am incredibly good looking and not smart enough for anything else. Just kidding. I was originally going to be a math major. I was pretty good at math. I got As in math and it was very easy for me. My sister helped me like music. She is four years old than me and when I went to visit her at the University of Milwaukee we went to go see a concert. I will never forget that moment. The conductor steps on the podium and starts conducting. In that moment my brain said that’s what I want to do. On the first day of college I went to the music secretary and asked to change my major. Do you have any musical inspirations? My college choral director really shaped who I am. He would definitely be an inspiration. I also had some good fortune as a soloist. Some performances have really impacted me for example, the Dallas Symphony. We did Verde Requiem. The performance left me in awe. What is your favorite song at the moment? “Drop Kick Me Jesus through the Goal Post.” Just kidding that’s not a song, I wish it was though. Some of my favorite pieces are Beethoven’s “9th Symphony” and his “4th Movement.” One of my favorite operas is Barber but my all time favorite opera is La Boema. A song that is on the radio that is my favorite is from a band called Otherwise and they sing a
Photo by Cory Wyman ’16 Mr. Paul Olson talks to a student before school Wednesday, April 9.
song called “Solider.” It is a lot like Fun’s “Some Nights” with the huge percussion and stomping feel. So Honor Chorale just took a trip to Anaheim. How did it go? The trip was fantastic. All the logistics went well. Everything was safe and sound. The boys were responsible and got to places on time. No incidents of bad behavior. I didn’t have to send some kid on their own bus. Musically, we performed at the gold level, which is in the top 90-97 range. We were also first place for men’s choir. I was very proud of them. You guys also went to Disneyland. What is your favorite ride? Well I didn’t get to head over to Splash
Mountain but I did ride Space Mountain. I love Space Mountain. I must have gone on it like four or five times. The first time I went on was interesting. It was the first time I went on it in years. Disney has made adjustments and I was completely off guard. I started to panic and when the picture spot came my glasses were about to come off so I had to hold them. Well afterwards the photos looked liked I was vomiting so the kids all took a picture of it and they all shared it with their friends. The next time I was prepared and I acted cool and collected. I sure got them. Any rides you don’t like, for example It’s a Small World? I can’t do those teacups, I can do fast
and loops but I can’t do side to side and spinning. They make me queazy. Whats your favorite Disney movie? Thats difficult. I would say “Lion King.” “Lion King” is an all time great. “Frozen” is suppose to be fantastic though. Did you see “Frozen”? No, I have not. They did show it on the bus on the way back. The screen in front of me was broken so I wasn’t able to watch it. Do you have hobbies? I am a pretty boring person. Many years ago I tried to get myself a hobby so I tried golf. I was so bad that I am sure I cussed like a solider. I was really bad. I thought for the betterment of humanity
I would quit. I have certain rituals. I get up at 5 and relax, drink a cup of coffee. During the winter I put on a coat and sit out by the pool. It is very relaxing. Music is my purpose in life. I eat, live and breath music. I enjoy doing other things like wood working and painting. Home work can be fun, except for working with electricity. I almost blew myself across the room doing that type of work. Would you like to propose a question for next’s month edition of Teacher’s Pet? Would you rather sing a love song to someone you hate or a hate song to some you love?
‘Noah’ provides adapted Bible story, epic entertainment
“Noah” –Starring Russell Crowe, Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, Jennifer Connelly, Douglas Booth, Anthony Hopkins 9 out of 10 By Jack McAuslan ’16
THE ROUNDUP Noah was tasked with building an ark to save creation and everything that was good. Everything wicked would be washed off of this Earth, cleansed by a great flood. We already know this much about the Biblical story of Noah and the Ark. There have not been many adaptations of the story, but “Noah” adds a fresh new story into the mix to keep people interested.
It certainly does a good job of that. This movie begins by telling stories that most of us already know: Adam, Eve and the Serpent and the story of Cain and Abel. It soon comes to Noah, played by Russell Crowe, and his family. Noah, at this point, has had three children with his wife Naameh (Jennifer Connelly). On their adventures they discover a young girl named Ila (Emma Watson) who has been badly wounded by raiders. She grows up to be a part of Noah’s family and assists in saving creation. One night Noah is given a vision, and from it he gathers that there will be a great flood and he must build an ark to save creation. That’s the familiar part. However, this movie isn’t that simple. There are many twists and turns that keep it very interesting and entertaining throughout.
Even Archie reads The Roundup
This really is an entirely separate story from Noah and the Ark from the Bible. It is easy to tell that this movie’s goal was to be entertaining and not necessarily rehash what was written in The Old Testament. In terms of acting, Crowe certainly does not disappoint. He makes the movie a very dramatic one and I can not imagine someone else playing Noah. Hopkins especially interested me because he did not have much time in the film compared to Crowe and Watson. With the little time he had he made such a huge impact on my viewing experience. It was difficult to keep track of who descended from whom and the names of every character because there were a lot of them. Because this is based on a Biblical story I did not expect it to be very action packed. I was sorely wrong.
This movie, honestly, has some of the most entertaining action scenes I have seen. Swords that spit fire, rock golems that explode into angels and flood water spewing out of the Earth combine to make truly epic battle scenes. This is a movie for everyone, no matter what faith, because despite the fact that this is a story from the Bible there were certain things from The Old Testament not mentioned. Interestingly the terms “God” or “the Lord” are never actually used. They only way anyone referred to their divine creator was actually “The Creator.” When Noah tells the story of Genesis it shows the cosmos and Earth being created, and it also shows evolution. “Noah” can be described as simply as this: A movie based on a Biblical story, adapted for anyone’s enjoyment. It is truly epic.
News, Opinions, Sports & Entertainment each month On newsstands and online roundup.brophyprep.org
Page 16 | May 2014
The Roundup
Xavier Sophie Leon ’14
Gator
By Jeffrey Erdely ’14
THE ROUNDUP What’s your name and graduation year? Sophie Leon. I’m a senior. Are you a partaker in the American past-time of sports? I mean, I played basketball. When? Freshman year. And no I wasn’t the manager or the water-girl. I actually played. What position did you play? Center-forward. You couldn’t just pick one, you have to do both? It was given to me. I didn’t have a
By Jack McAuslan ’16
THE ROUNDUP
2048, iOS app This is one of the most simple games that I have played. All you have to do is combine equal number tiles to get to a 2048 tile. Though the premise is simple, it does take a good amount of practice to get past a couple thousand points. Be warned: this game is very addicting and minutes will just flow by as you try to reach the 2048 tile. Game responsibly.
chefgoldblum.com This website is also simple. All you do is search for a picture of actor Jeff Goldblum with a chef’s hat. Once you find Goldblum, click the picture. A large picture of him will then pop up and it will say, “You’re a Winner!” Along with, “Chef Goldblum Says: ‘Winner number (any number), you found me! I’m so proud of you!’” It may not keep your attention for long.
Duet, iOS app This is one of the most addicting apps I have ever played. All you do is spin a red and blue orb, which are connected to each other, around obstacles. There are many levels and as you progress the music, which is also very
choice! Do people consider you a control freak? Yes. Do you consider yourself a control freak? Only when I want things done the right way. Well that’s a resounding yes. What’s your worst subject in class? English. Why’s that? It’s not math or science. Can’t argue with that logic. Got a date for prom? No. Why’s that? I don’t know. Could it be because you’re a control freak? Only if they ask me incorrectly.
addicting to listen to, changes and the levels get harder and harder. Crashing into an obstacle splatters paint on it. If the red orb hits an obstacle red paint comes out. If the blue one crashes blue paint comes out. It is a good way of tracking what you did wrong and where. One great thing about this game is that it can be played horizontally or vertically. No matter how you hold your iPad or phone the orbs will always be moving up, or the obstacles down. Be warned though: the game gets very frustrating.
virtualnes.com Does this even need explaining? Play any old-school Nintendo games whenever you want on your computer. It really is just an NES for your PC. The controls are a little hard to learn but once you do you’re set.
Monument Valley, iOS app Monument Valley is a puzzle game. It is calm and relaxing but it isn’t easy. The game features impossible structures, mazes that confuse the naked eye and shapes that do not make sense. It also includes a beautiful environment and very colorful scenery. Spend time with this game, it’s a puzzler.
Words from the Wise ... “I’ve decided that no matter what I am not coming in the next two Monday’s.” - Mr. John Burns to his class in the week prior to spring break
“First person to finish the quiz gets the second half of my chorizo burrito. It’s still warm.” - Mr. Patrick O’Neill to his Honors Pre Calc class.
“How do you decide citizenship if someone is born on the border between two countries?” - Sahil Kapur ’14 in U.S. Government class.
“I literally rode a tandem bicycle with
Erik (Meyer) for the Tour de Brophy.” - Christian Guerithault ’14
“Global warming is Al Gore’s brain child.” - Mr. Patrick Kolb
“I am not mental. I am sacramental.” - Mr. Paul Fisko Have you heard any wise words lately? Send them to The Roundup at roundup@brophybroncos.org
“