THE
MIRROR
De Smet Jesuit High School
Paying It FORWARD page 10
Volume 47 Number 2 / December 2016 De Smet Jesuit High School/ 233 N. New Ballas Rd. / St. Louis, MO 63141
2 THE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
MIRROR
Contents Opinions
Sports
4 / True meaning of Christmas
16 / Too easy
Society has lost sight of what the giving season is all about.
The history and meaning behind one of the most iconic cheers in the St. Louis area.
7 / Microsoft is the new Apple
19 / The Power of Prayer
Apple has lost its edge while Microsoft is firing on all cylinders to take its place.
English teacher, Jesuit uses philosophy as his favorite workout plan.
News
Entertainment
8 / Generations of Spartans
23 / Glory Days
Senior art class lays out design to display the history of spartan heads.
4 / Opinions 8 / News 10 / In-Depth
16 “
12 / Feature 16 / Sports 20 / Entertainment
Try and put a name to the faces of these teachers back when they were students.
Not too long ago that was me, I had the opportunity to grow away from that situation and move onto something bigger.� - Eric Shannon, Paying it forward, Page 10
Are you on social media? 6 / Pros and cons of high school dating
12 / Senior does graffiti on campus
Staff members weigh in on the merits of teenage relationships.
J.J. Meyer uses his skills to create an AMDG mural in room 122.
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Table of Contents
With Christmas around the corner, the staff thought it would be appropriate to dedicate the December issue of The Mirror to service. The hands on the cover, designed by senior Ben La Rose, symbolize the service done in St. Louis. At a Jesuit high school, most of the students have messages of service preached to them on the daily. Our goal this issue was to give credit where it is due to all of those who have taken that message to heart and applied it to their lives. We can’t credit everyone that serves at our school by telling all of their stories in a single issue, but we can emphasize the importance of what they all do. Take it as our way of saying “thank you.” As we send this issue to print and begin wrapping up this year, we have our sights set on next semester. Readers can expect continuous and expanded web and, hopefully, multimedia coverage. We are unsure exactly what direction we will take as of now. Whichever we chose, we can guarantee that we will back and better than ever when we return in January. -Brendan Johnson, Editor-in-Chief
Our Mission
The goals of The Mirror, as De Smet Jesuit’s official student newspaper, are to provide accurate information in the spirit of responsible journalism, to entertain and to offer a forum for the ideas of students, parents, graduates, faculty and administrators. By-lined commentaries represent the opinions of their writers; they do not necessarily express the views of the administration, faculty, student body or The Mirror staff and its adviser. Editorials without bylines represent the opinions of the editors and the staff. At least a three-fourths majority of the staff is needed for an article to be considered an opinion of the paper. The Mirror welcomes letters to the editor. Letters should be limited to 500 words and should be submitted to the publications office in Room 212 or emailed to desmetpress@gmail.com. All letters must be signed, but names will be withheld upon request. PAGE DESIGN BY DREW BROWN
STAFF
THE
Letter from the Editor’s desk
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Kevin Berns / Adviser Brendan Johnson / Editor-in-Chief Drew Brown / Managing Editor Alex Kramer /Sports Editor Patrick McHugh / Entertainment Editor Jacob Young / Social Media Editor Mario Ghazal / Staff Writer Alex Cleveland / Staff Writer Nick Einig / Staff Writer Chris Bateman / Staff Writer Grant Stegman / Staff Writer Dalton Hahn / Staff Writer Darian Sandoz / Artist Matthew Hillmer / Artist
Friends of The Mirror Editor ($25) Andrew Rivituso ‘02 Editor-in-Chief ($50) Henry Pfeil ‘01 Joe Jennings ‘88 Mike McManus ‘90 Publisher ($100+) James Ortbals ‘94 Mark Jansen John Goessling ‘71 Kurt Jones ‘78 Bill Dulle ‘84 Gregory Pohlman ‘78
Jason Fank ‘01 Michael Mahoney ‘97 Michael Jett ‘00 Henry Autrey ‘71 Michael Wiseman
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What are you looking forward to this Christmas?
40%
family time
LOS T 30.8% EANING 25.2% MTO THE 4% HRISTMAS SE AS ON (163/408 students) said
going out to party
THE
(125/408 students) said
C T
he only thing worse than a card with no money inside is a world that doesn’t understand the true meaning of Christmas. Aside from it being a time for baking cookies, opening presents and Michael Buble televised specials, Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ. So, as families typically do on a family member’s special day, spend the day doing what the birthday boy would want to. It is safe to say that birthday boy Jesus would want each and every person to take a moment and give back to those in need. Working in a soup kitchen, for example, may not seem as merry and magical as a Christmas party, but a commitment to the giving season demands a commitment to a cause greater than oneself. Recently DESMETMIRROR.COM
(81/408 students) said
new presents (8/408 students) said
service
it seems that people have lost sight of what Christmas is really about, neglecting the value of spending time with family or helping their fellow man.
A Corporate Christmas
Christmas has gone corporate. Nowadays, the season is more about what a person is going to find under the tree rather than remembering those who might not find anything at all. The true meaning of Christmas has little to do with what a person buys, however. They should aim to give the perfect gift: one’s time. It’s inexpensive, but priceless. Society has become too materialistic, and that is especially evident during the Christmas season. For many, Christmas is far from merry. They spend their Christmas’ without
food, family or anything under the tree at all. Each year, society grows increasingly neglectful of those in need. In a recent poll, 7% of students recognized the value of service during the giving season. Serving others isn’t the only thing that the Christmas season is about, but many have come to put presents over people at a time when service should be more important.
Coming together
Christmas is also about people coming together in solidarity with each other. Most schools at least give their students a couple of weeks off for Christmas break each year, yet many people have trouble spending just an hour at mass or a day focusing on family. Too many have come to shift the focus of
There needs to be more of a focus on giving rather than receiving.
Christmas from others onto themselves. 34% of students said they were looking forward to family time this holiday season. The others primarily favored Christmas parties and presents. The world’s grandmas won’t be around forever, so everyone should appreciate the family time while they still can. The holiday season doesn’t have to be all about family bonding, just like it doesn’t have to be all about service, but there’s alike during this holiday season. Go out and dedicate a few hours to the 1.5 an issue when the dedication to those million Americans who are homeless, things is lacking. the 48.9 million who are disabled or The difference anyone who could use a helping hand. With the giving season around the With that many people in need, finding corner, people have the opportunity to a place to make a difference this break that trend and get into the true Christmas will be easy. Giving back is Christmas spirit. as well as a greater the most meaningful and fulfilling way commitment to neighbors and family
to spend Christmas. Overall, it can be easy to get caught up in the Christmas season with the presents and catchy jingles, but do not lose sight of what is important. Do not forget what the giving season is really about: Don not forget to give help to those who need it and don’t disappoint baby Jesus. PAGE DESIGN BY BRENDAN JOHNSON
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Opinions
Pros and cons of high school dating For
Do you have a girlfriend?
H
by Patrick McHugh, Entertainment Editor
igh School can be a very stressful time and many students already have enough on their plates. With sports, grades and Yes college applications, many wonder why would they ever want to add onto that workload. It’s But, a girlfriend can open a guy’s eyes to new Co things, as well as give some experience in a mp No lic relationship that will be helpful in the future. ate Having a girlfriend can offer a different d perspective on the high school experience. Many guys in relationships are thankful that their girlfriends have gotten them to try new things. Getting pushed outside of one’s comfort zone can lead to creating memories that will last for a lifetime. Being in a relationship leads to meeting new people that a person can share those memories with. So, don’t risk missing out on what 67.7% of students are could potentially be some of the best high school indifferent about high memories. school girlfriends At an all-boys school, students don’t interact with girls as much as they would at a co-ed school. 15.5% 16.8% There is little opportunity to actually talk to girls, say they are must prefer to and a good number of people need the practice. haves stay away No matter where anyone goes to college, they are going to have to. Even if they are not in it for the long run, the experience is bound be helpful in the future. With a girlfriend in high school, a person can learn the dos and don’ts of being in a relationship. While some may argue that having a girlfriend costs money, so does everything else. Having friends in general costs money, but that doesn’t mean they aren not worth it. Having a girlfriend can cost money and can be stressful but, it can also provide a great opportunity to get to know the opposite sex and offer new opportunities for a more complete high school experience. 299 students surveyed
19.4%
23
.7%
Art
DESMETMIRROR.COM
ian
b
ar yD
56.9%
Against
Y
by Jacob Young, Social Media Editor
ou love them, you love them not. Many high school boys want a girlfriend and think it would be fun, but in reality it is just not worth it. Having a relationship demands attention. No one wants their relationship to fail, so being attentive to one’s girlfriend eventually takes priority. Once that happens, guys lose focus of their school work and free time. Relationships take a toll on high school boys. On average, students in relationships have .4 lower GPA’s, which can drastically affect the college admissions decision. If high school girlfriends could potentially ruin future plans or dreams, it’s best to avoid them. According to a stage of life student poll, 23.3% of males said having a girlfriend negatively impacted their relationships with other guys. High school is about building relationships. When high school males consume their time with a girl, they are missing out on those special memories and could even be putting their relationships with other people on the line because, again, the girlfriend is priority. People who think high school guys should have girlfriends will say having one will help social skills and set a person up for healthier relationships in the future. That’s not true. 70% of boys text their girlfriend instead of talking on the phone or in person. On top of that, 12% of others spend more time chatting on social media then in person; all of this according to stageoflife.com student poll. High School boys should not have relationships because that kind of relationship with a girl during the most important time of their life just isn’t worth it.
doz
San
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Opinions
by Michael Tran, Contributing Writer I think I can speak for all seniors when I say that we are beyond thankful for the CommonApp, the tool that is used to easily apply to colleges and universities across the nation. Recently, while filling out my application, I started to wonder whether the fact that so many high schoolers use the CommonApp makes my application common as well. What sets them apart from another application? Many top colleges and universities pride themselves on having a “holistic” review of an application, meaning they promise to review all aspects of an application in order to gain a better understanding of the applicant. But a question that many seniors have is regarding how many of them actually take the time to read all through the entirety of one’s application. Many wonder what the point of reviewing an application in its entirety is if colleges purely base their application decision off test scores and GPA. Time and time again, I have seen highlyinvolved students and leaders in their school community being turned away from prestigious institutions because their ACT score or GPA was not up to standard of the university’s demands. Contrastingly, I have seen many high-performing students who aren’t necessarily engaged in a school environment getting accepted into distinguished schools. One would think that any top-tier institutions would want a balance both doers and thinkers. I would argue that the doers have a better chance at doing just that. In our modern society, we are fueled by more technical knowledge than textbook knowledge. It has been proven that people learn more from experiences rather than reading a passage and answering a few multiple choice questions. Jobs are more likely to hire an employee who has proven himself in his distinguished field rather than someone who graduated with a fancy degree. Getting a degree is one thing, but showing what you can do with that degree is another. The only thing that typical high school students can control is their academic performance and school involvement. I can’t promise you that you will get into the college of your choice, but if you get good grades and are actively involved in your school community, you’re likely to be a top applicant. PAGE DESIGN BY BRENDAN JOHNSON
For years, people have recognized Apple as an innovative tech company that has revolutionized and redefined the products that surround us every day. However, in recent years, their risky ventures have slowed down significantly, as they continue to make small refinements to their iPhone, Mac PC’s, laptops and tablets every year. Microsoft is filling the innovative vacuum that Apple has left behind, delivering new, advanced technology with their Microsoft Surface Studio Desktops and Surface Pro laptops.
Microsoft at its best
Microsoft recently unveiled the Surface Studio at their 2016 October event, with a spectacular video unveiling. The video says it all, demonstrating how their new product can transform from a desktop into a massive 28” professional studio digital canvas by pushing it over with a goosebumping rendition of “Pure Imagination.” Microsoft has even beaten Apple at their own game with the Microsoft Surface Pro 4. This laptop is able to split from a laptop mode into tablet mode simply by pulling off the top half. This innovative product blurs the line between laptops and tablets, and challenges the idea of what the perfect portable productivity machine really is.
Apple falling behind
At the same time that Microsoft unveiled their revolutionary product, Apple made their “courageous” attempt to innovate by
removing many everyday functions in their 2016 Macbook Pro, including the function bar and replacing it with a “Touch Bar.” This bar changes its contents when certain apps are pulled up, similar to how a phone’s keyboard will change when the emoticons keyboard is called up. This feels more like a gimmick than a new, revolutionary way to integrate technology into our lives and workflow. Instead, this $4,300 product only brings up ugly problems that no consumer, and certainly no professional should ever deal with, such as a lack of a SD slot, and not being able to press the ‘Escape’ key due to it not physically being there. Those loyal to Apple will claim that the company’s products are as refined as ever and that their new products are simply a continuation of their innovation. However, Apple’s recent moves such as removing SD card slots and headphone jacks are not moves of “courage” or “innovation.” In order for a product to be innovative, the product must change the way people live their lives and interact with technology, and this is only done when the product is “better” than the technology that came before it, not just “different.” Apple has long been seen as the leader of innovation in day to day life. However, in recent years, their edge has dulled significantly, opening the window for Microsoft.
FACT OR MYTH? Apple has twice as much money as the U.S treasury
Microsoft invented “Windows”
The average Microsoft employee is called a “Softie” FACT
]
by Mario Ghazal, News Editor
FACT
Reducing hopeful students to numbers
Microsoft is the new Apple
MYTH
[
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English department now offering peer tutoring writing help by Grant Stegman, Staff Writer To give students a way to get one-on-one help, English teacher Robert Bergman created the writing lab. The goal of the writing lab is to build students’ writing skills, thus making the students better writers for the future. “We’re trying to move towards the idea of community,” Bergman said, “and having the community help the individuals.” To achieve the goal, the lab is looking for more students who might need help. The tutors are there to help give the students guidance on their work. Bergman plans to bring juniors hoping to join NHS to start working as tutors. Tutors can use their knowledge and past experiences, to give advice to students about certain teachers. “The tutors having experienced teachers before, can bring an interesting perspective that seeking help doesn’t have,” Bergman said. “To take away that assumption of a grade, that’s the reason we removed the teachers from the tutoring process.” Bergman’s desire is that this can create a tutor-student bond. “Trying to foster this community of learners and instead of ‘everyman-for himself’ type attitude,” DESMETMIRROR.COM
Bergman said. “We’re all in this together to try to get each of us to build on a certain skill-set.” Bergman believes the skills in the writing lab has a huge impact on the futures of students and their future careers. “One of the best skills anyone can learn is how to write. It is almost fundamental in today’s world to be able to communicate effectively and clearly,” Bergman said. “We need students to come in and trust the tutors to help them out.” Bergman believes that teachers have an impact on the writing lab as well. “As teachers encourage students to go to the lab, it’ll grow naturally,” Bergman said. “A sense of being comfortable with peers, instead of a competitive culture, and trying to out-do one another, it is about helping one another. Bergman has wanted this lab to come full circle for a while, and now that is getting going, he hopes to find the lab to grow in the future. “Once there are more volunteers, then that’s when this will just happen organically. Then it’ll be more of a community of help more than competition,” Bergman said. “I hope that kids see this as an opportunity to get some help.”
Generations of Spartans
Artist rendition of the third floor stairwell
by Nick Einig, Staff Writer To give students a glimpse into the past, senior Harrison Sevier is planning an art project to display the generations of spartans throughout the years. Sevier wants his creation to emphasize school spirit through his art. He was walking up to the third floor of Busch Stadium and saw all of the different logos from all the different teams. This inspired Generation of Spartans. “I was here for two different heads,“ Sevier said. “I thought it was interesting to find out all the different heads.” The project is still in the planning stages. The senior art class, made up of Harrison Sevier, Kenneth Reller and Max Friesen, have the design laid out. The art department is paying for total cost of the project, which will be about two hundred and sixty dollars. “It’s gonna be a collaborative project,” Sevier said. “It’s the whole senior art class working on it, not just myself.” They have already started planning out where they are going to put the spartan heads, and have a design ready to base their painting off of. The heads should be in the first staircase by the Emerson Lobby. The whole project should be done in the next two months. “I just want them to see the different Spartan heads,” Sevier said. “And see the transition throughout the time of De Smet”. Sevier is hoping to leave a legacy before he leaves. The art class does not even want future students knowing that they were the ones who put the work in for the project. They are doing it for themselves, so that when they come back to visit, they will be the only ones that know that they painted it. “We want people to look back and see the history of De Smet,” said Sevier. “I don’t think there is even going to be a plaque that says we painted it, but we just want to leave a mark on the school.” PAGE DESIGN BY JACOB YOUNG
News
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THE LITTLE THINGS
Environmental club counting on a small change making a big difference by Brendan Johnson, Editor-in-Chief Senior Max Martinez is willing to dig through the garbage to prevent you from poisoning yourself. He sees it in the trash and recycling bins and knows that either you don’t know or don’t care. There are piles upon piles of water bottles, aluminum cans and greasy plates where they shouldn’t be. It is that same kind of trash found in the oceans and the landfills; trash that piles so high it could cover De Smet through the clouds. “There’s this ‘it’s not my problem’ mentality that has built up when it comes to recycling,” Martinez said. “Well that way of thinking has started to come back to bite us all in the butt.” Martinez and the environmental club have set out to make the campus more green. They are hoping to eliminate the school’s recycling problem by starting at it’s source: the cafeteria. In a trash audit, Martinez found that the school’s biggest problem is that greasy paper plates are being recycled. When the contaminated paper plates are mixed with recyclable materials at recycling plants, the entire batch is contaminated. “It takes so much more energy and resources to fix our mistakes,” Martinez said. “It could make the process of recycling so much easier for the recycling plants if we could just do the little things.”
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To solve that problem, the environmental club set up two additional recycling bins and plan to display signs to educate students about what can and can’t be recycled. Among them are water bottles, which, according to Martinez, are the bane of the environment. “Plastic doesn’t disintegrate. I don’t know where people think that goes,” Martinez said. “The fact is, it’s not going anywhere to disappear, it goes into the landfills and our oceans and just builds up.” Throwing away plastic has backfired. At the pacific trash island in the middle of the ocean, trash spreads as far as the eye can see; more accurately about as far as the size of Texas. When fish eat that trash, they absorb harmful chemicals. With people at the end of the food chain, they do the same when they eat those fish at dinner. “When you don’t recycle, you are contributing to putting that poison into the environment,” Martines said. “Then, it’s ultimately coming back to hurt you.” And that is why Martinez and the environmental club are encouraging everyone to make a little extra effort now. “Do your part, even if you don’t think it’s a big deal,” Martinez said. “If one person starts trying, then it can make all the difference.”
DESMETMIRROR.COM
10 Senior Erik Shannon
Theology teacher John Hawkey
Sophomore Joshua Abel
PAYING IT FORWARD
Photos by Brendan Johnson
Students live up to their school’s motto by giving back to their communties
by Brendan Johnson, Editor-in-Chief It all started coming back to him when he saw the smiles on the kids’ faces. Senior Erik Shannon remembers the presents under the tree, the holiday activities and same smile on his own face when he saw it all many years before. He remembers feeling safe and realizing that there was someplace better than the life he knew. “It used to be kind of a blur to me,” Shannon said. “This year, though, seeing everything I did here as a kid, it all became more clear.” Growing up, Shannon didn’t have
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a yearly Christmas party to go to. Christmas on Campus, the annual event hosted by the school for families from St. Matthews parish, gave him and many others like him the merry Christmas they had always hoped for. Now, he volunteers for the same cause, and many others like it, to give back to the communities that once gave to him. “Not too long ago that was me,” Shannon said. “But now I have grown from that and I had the opportunity to grow away from that situation in my past and move onto something bigger.”
He hopes the same for the kids. Like Shannon they come from neighborhoods of crime and poverty. It is not often that they get to play outside, walk the streets or just be kids. Violence and crime are all that some of them know. “The students here are giving the kids an opportunity to come away from that life,” Shannon said. “They are giving them the chance to have fun and take a break from the places they are used to.” Shannon sits on the planning board as the president of his youth ministry,
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leading 22 others in a commitment to others. The organization is a non-profit that does service around the greater St. Louis area, focusing on those in need. “It helps us in opening up to different people in different situations,” Shannon said. “Being able to open up and accept them has helped me grow from the start.” Like Shannon, junior Nick Riordan is dedicated to a cause greater than himself. Each year in July, Riordan and his friends take a mission trip to Silex, a small town northwest of St. Louis. There, they spend a week doing maintenance on houses for those unable to help themselves. “They want us there to lend a helping hand, especially to those that need the help,” Riordan said. “It’s a good feeling when we are able to satisfy that need.” From landscaping and pulling weeds to laying down concrete and insulating the walls, Riordan and his friends see every chore as a part of their mission. “We take it as a reflection to think about how lucky and fortunate we are,” Riordan said. “Our work is the best way to spread love through our actions.” Riordan’s group has done service in Silex for the last several years. Over time, they built relationships with those there. Last summer, a girl from the Selix high school reached out to them, hoping to join them in giving back to
her town during their next visit. “It was cool seeing that she wanted to give back to us for doing what we have done for her community,” Riordan said. “It seems like there’s always this constant push for helping others, no matter who it comes from.” Riordan wants to continue that push: the one that he had been taught all his life. “It’s not just about our high school’s motto,” Riordan said. “It’s been a motto that’s been put on me since the beginning of my life: the idea of helping others and doing things for God.” Theology teacher Alex Hall believes that, though service is not a selfish action, everyone stands something to gain from giving back. “There’s this remarkable phenomenon when you do service that you get something back,” Hall said. “It’s the feeling of making someone’s life better.” Hall was the service coordinator at Notre Dame de Sion high school in Kansas City. During his time there, he came to realize that being for and with others is “a living service, not just a doing service.” No matter how busy any student will be this Christmas, it is possible to continue the commitment to service. “It’s a unique thing that you can serve anyone around you,” Hall said. “It just takes stopping, being open and being aware of what’s going on around you.”
Where to
SERVE
this holiday season
1
Campus Kitchen at SLU 2
St. Patrick’s Center 3
Farragut School 4
Energy Care St. Louis 5
Solomon Project DESMETMIRROR.COM
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FEATURE
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Senior uses graffiti to to spread the word of God
S
by Drew Brown, Managing Editor
Senior J.J. Meyer created the AMDG mural in Theology teacher Howard Place’s room this year. (Below) Meyer painted a section of the Kosciusko graffiti wall in downtown St. Louis. Photos by Drew Brown
praying graffiti all over the back wall of a religion classroom will usually get someone suspended or kicked out high school, but not in senior J.J. Meyer’s case. Meyer was first introduced to graffiti by his street artist friend Daniel Silva. They started to mess around, turning concrete walls into creative inspiration. Eventually graffiti became a way for Meyer to get away from reality. Recently, he added a religious twist to his street art, painting a mural in theology teacher Howard Place’s room. Before ever picking up a spray paint can, Silva showed Meyer a YouTube video called Limitless by Sofles, in which he covers every wall of a warehouse with graffiti murals. “After seeing how good they were and how they came to be,” Meyer said. “It helped me realize how much I can improve in not just art but in anything in life.” When Place first heard about Meyer’s talent, he jumped at the opportunity asking him if he would decorate his classroom wall with a faith related mural. “It is a total AMDG piece,” Place said. “It was like hey you have got this talent and I want to create an opportunity for you to showcase it for the greater glory of God.” Meyer attributes his artistic and
creative abilities to his grandmother who paints in her free time for commission.
“I think having a good artistic ability is something that is very important,” Meyer said, “and something that you can use in day to day life.”
The Kosciusko graffiti wall is a mile long canvas along the Mississippi. It is a popular spot for graffiti artists because it is legal. It is filled with elaborate and stunning art work, some of which belongs to Meyer. “We went down to the wall and just kind of messed around,” Meyer said. “Until [we] got really into it and started having some real fun with it.” Even knowing that he can not make a living off graffiti, Meyer utilizes his craft in other ways. “Graffiti was never a huge thing in my life,” Meyer said. “It was more of an event for creativity. It was just kind of a away to escape.”
By the numbers
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$81
What it took to create the AMDG mural
1.5 hours
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Features
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Flushed out
Senior escapes flash flood during trip to Philmont Scout Ranch by Mario Ghazal, Staff Writer
photo by Jacob Deighton PAGE DESIGN BY BRENDAN JOHNSON
Senior Zach Yahl wakes up in the middle of the night to water pooling on the ground with the sound of rain pounding his tent and lightning flashing around him. He hears the shout, “Flash flood! Flash flood!” “It was one of the scariest moments in my entire life,” Yahl said. Philmont Scout Ranch, located in New Mexico, only has a flood of this intensity every 100 years. Yahl and his crew were nearly swept away by a sudden torrent of water in the normally arid prairie. “We had no idea what was going on,” Yahl said, “We were just shocked and surprised.” Without any time to think, Yahl’s crew had to make sure none of their unit could be washed away. He turned back to find two of his friends stumbling out of their tent being washed away by the rushing water. “A lot of it was just action,” Yahl said. “I was wondering whether we would be able to find safety.” Their next step was to get out of the canyon and reach higher ground. They climbed a hill so steep, Yahl could reach out in front of him and touch the muddy ground rising up to his height. “We’re climbing up this hill, half of us barefoot without any traction to get up the hill.” Yahl said, “We don’t want to climb up this hill, but we have to, for our own safety.” Zach’s crew eventually managed to find some higher ground, and after throwing a rain tarp above their heads, the group assessed the damage that they accumulated. “Half of us had no shoes or socks on or jackets,” Yahl said. “None of us had our rain gear on. A friend of mine had so much adrenaline that he didn’t notice he was cold and ended up getting hypothermia.” Despite the damage, Zach’s crew was still in high spirits in the morning after the flood, until some bad news arrived. “We were joking about how we survived the flood,” Yahl said, “that is until we heard that one kid died.” 13-year-old Alden Brock of Sacramento, California was swept away and killed by the flood elsewhere on the ranch. “Realizing that someone died in the flood helps me to recognize how important life is,” Yahl said, “and how important our relationships with other people are because we might not have them tomorrow.” Yahl expects to receive the Eagle Scout rank before the end of the year. He considers his experience at the ranch as a stepping stone that has led up to this award. “I’ll be proud of myself,” Yahl said, “as it was a lot of work and effort to get the award.” DESMETMIRROR.COM
Features
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Spartan Ninja Warrior
Photo by Nick Plassmeyer
Freshman parkourist pursues dream of becoming the next American ninja warrior by Jacob Young, Social Media Editor Freshman Vince Reckamp can do things that most people can only dream of doing. Reckamp was never a big team sports kind of guy, so he took up something he thought was fun: Parkour. He trained at two parkour gyms for some time to step things up. Reckamp is now aiming to get in the spotlight on the TV show American Ninja Warrior. “I don’t go to gyms any more, I train by myself now a days,” Reckamp said. “I go to parks now and jump over things or flip over things to train.” To get onto American Ninja Warrior, people have to go wait in a line for a shot on the amateur course. The line is so long some people don’t ever make it to the front to compete. If contestants do eventually make it to the front and are good enough, that contestant gets an invitation to be on the television show people see today. “Being on American Ninja Warrior and possibly winning would be an incredible accomplishment for me,” Reckamp said. PAGE DESIGN BY JACOB YOUNG
“If I won, it would allow me to open my own parkour gym for kids like me.” Training for parkour can be very dangerous, and Reckamp had to learn that the hard way. “Once I was trying to jump from one wall to another and missed and fell,” Reckamp said. “My brother told me that I was knocked out cold right as I hit my head.” For Reckamp, the sport is a self expression of who he is. Reckamp is not the biggest man on campus, but he has big aspirations. “It makes me happy to be a parkourist,” Reckamp said. “I am doing something I love to do.” Being a parkourist throws new challenges at people. There’s always a new stunt to attempt everywhere they look. It’s how they handle these stunts that determines how talented they really are, “I always fear something new when I try it,” Reckamp said. “But if I have done the stunt before it’s just an adrenaline rush.”
TOP 5
St. Louis Parkour Locations
1
Chesterfield Amphitheater
2
Washington U.
3
Queeny Park
4
Fountain Park
5
Carondelet Park
DESMETMIRROR.COM
16
Too
Sports
Photo by Kevin Berns
easy
[
Hockey players describe the experience of hitting the button by Alex Kramer, Sports Editor
N
o matter how hard it gets hit, the easy button always brings energy to a hockey game. It has been a staple for the student section at varsity hockey games ever since the state championship season in 2010, but has yet to lose it’s power. “It’s a great feeling to hit the easy button in a big game,” senior defenseman Mike Joyce said. “It’s awesome to see all of your friends and classmates go crazy when you score.” Whenever the team scores a goal, the player credited with the goal has the honor of hitting the button. The scorer skates over to the student section to hit it as it’s pressed up against the glass, DESMETMIRROR.COM
delivering a sense of empowerment like no other. “It gives you all the energy in the world,” senior Max Rogers said. “It’s like drinking five Red Bulls all in one moment.” Not only does the easy button give the team an energy boost, but it also pumps up the crowd. Junior forward Nick Thorpe makes sure to have a big celebration before hitting the button. He is always looking to feed off of the student section’s energy. “We get most of our energy off of the crowd so when we hit it, everyone just gets that much more into the game,” Thorpe said. “That’s why the button is so important to us.”
[ [ [ [ [
Cheering through the
years
“When you say De Smet, you’ve said it all” Big in the ‘70s and ‘80s
“We are.. De Smet” Big in the ‘80s and ‘90s
“Fire Up, Big D, Fire Up”
]
] ] ] ] ]
Big from the ‘80s to now
“D-E-S” - ”M-E-T”
Big in the ‘00s and now “Wishy-Washy Danglefest”
Big in the ‘10s
PAGE DESIGN BY ALEX KRAMER
17
Sports
Commitment
Sophomore talks challenges, rewards of participating on wrestling team by Alex Cleveland, Staff Writer Head Wrestling Coach Colby Robinson made it a goal of his, from day one of his high school coaching career, to make wrestling both appealing and challenging at the same time. Walking in the wrestling room there was a palpable sense of brotherhood between the teammates. The type of bond that is so vibrant it could carry a group of men across the world on foot. That connection is what keeps many of them going. “I think that this part of wrestling is overlooked,” sophomore Eric Lovelace said. “We feed off of each other. Everything we do is together. So we suffer together, we cut together, we get off the extra pound together, we eat together, be happy together, be sad together. I just think it’s a lot more of a team sport than it’s made out to be.” While the team started to warm up by taking shots on their partners, Robinson said to a wrestler “If I see you drop to your hip again, you’re doing pushups.” This type of coaching may come off as harsh, but for those who yearn for their own success in the sport, it’s both a mental and physical sacrifice that must be kept throughout the season. Therefore, those who are in it for the long haul look past the challenges and strive for the moment where they reach the top of the medal stand. “Knowing that I want to be a state
Photo by Alex Cleveland
Sophomore Eric Lovelace (top) wrestles junior Matthew David in practice. The wrestling team practices five days a week.
champion, I wanna see my picture up there on the wall, and just knowing that I want to go to college and wrestle and be a champion there; I love it, so, you know you suffer sometimes for things that you love,” Lovelace said. “In the end, I just want to be the last one standing.” The outcome of a wrestling match is determined by the wrestlers in that match, but their performance can be drastically altered through the actions and motivations of the rest of the team.
“You know, when you get your hand raised, there’s nothing else like it,” Lovelace said. “It’s the greatest feeling in the world, and it’s just nice to see all the hard work and sweat and tears pay off.” It is this kind of motivation that coaches hope to have instilled in their team. “We want to bring a state title to the school,” Robinson said. “That’s one of the huge things for us. It’s going to start just with the baby steps. We need to win an MCC title.”
Activity Period Pastime Senior gives his take on why he plays intramural sports in school by Brendan Johnson, Editor-in-Chief The last few minutes had been a game of back and forth, but all they need is one lucky break. A rebound gives senior Devon Darden and his team possession and, sitting one point behind the other team with less than 30 seconds on the board, one last chance at a win. Darden evades the other players, cocks his head toward the opposing hoop and races up the court with the pounding of footsteps following closely behind him. He shoots. Nothing but net. The ‘swish’ of the net PAGE DESIGN BY ALEX KRAMER
and echoing celebrations from Darden and his intramural team are followed by the chime of the bell, signaling the end of activity period. “I play intramural basketball,” Darden said, “it’s an opportunity to relax my shoulders during a busy day, but also gives that feeling of belonging on a team.” Darden plays on one of the many intramural basketball teams that compete during activity period. Intramural sports are not official high school sports, but the competition is as
high as any other. “We like to joke around,” Darden said, “but when the time comes to play a tough group of guys, we play with a strictly business attitude.” While other students talk with their friends in the library or joke around in the lobby, Darden finds a social outlet in the game he loves. “It makes you open up to people in a different way,” Darden said. “Having a bond and being able to communicate is essential when working as a team and trying to accomplish the same goal.” DESMETMIRROR.COM
18
Sports
Fútbol
in Place of
Football What an MLS team would mean for St. Louis
by Alex Kramer, Sports Editor With 29 players in the National Soccer Hall of Fame and over 10 players currently playing in the MLS, St. Louis deserves a top tier professional soccer team. St. Louis has not had a high level professional franchise since the St. Louis Stars in 1977. Another big time professional soccer team has come to St. Louis for us to root for, possibly filling in the gap that the NFL’s Rams left behind. For soccer players, this gives more motivation to one day maybe make it into the big leagues. It could give young players new role models to look up to and try to play like them some day. A new franchise and stadium in the city opens more opportunities for new jobs and new ways to beautify downtown St. Louis. It would be another thing families can go to on the weekends to have family time. The stadium proposed by ownership group, SC STL, would accomplish that. SC STL plans to absorb the city’s thirdtier professional team, St. Louis FC. They also want to own the next MLS expansion team if the league decides to expand to St. Louis. MLS commissioner Don Garber said that
St. Louis could acquire a soccer franchise as early as 2020. “St. Louis has always been an attractive market for MLS on a variety of levels,” Garber said. “Soccer has deep and historic roots in a city that many consider to be the birthplace of the sport in the US.” St. Louis certainly has a rich history in the sport of soccer. In fact, one of the most shocking upsets in the World Cup history came in 1950 when a U.S. team with five out of its eleven players from St. Louis defeated the English national team nicknamed
Photo rendering courtesy of HOK
the “Kings of Football” by a score of 1-0. Additionally, the city also produced its own professional soccer league. It was founded in 1907 and existed until 1938, the St. Louis Soccer League was the first fully professional soccer league in the U.S. This soccer team in St. Louis will bring excitement and fun to the city. St. Louis has a rich history in the sport of soccer and will be recreating history with the new soccer team. It will be good for the city to have a new team to cheer for after the Ram’s football team left.
Racquetball Team Commentary Senior Dan Amuedo and Junior Lance Hussey discuss their favorite sport
Q1: Q2:
What do you look forward to most in the matches? What do you like most about playing Racquetball?
Amuedo:
Hussey:
A1:
Don’t tell my teachers, but the day I have a match it is all I can think about. I know I sound way too excited to be hitting a ball around on 6 walls, but the anticipation of playing is exhilarating.
A1:
I look forward to matches because it gives me a chance to see how well I am doing as compared to other schools. I look forward to my chances to score, getting my opponent to mess up.
A2:
The best part to me is that we may be a sport which mainly runs on individual games, but we still act as a team and support each other through each game.
A2:
The best part of Racquetball is probably having fun with friends at practice while still bettering my talent.
DESMETMIRROR.COM
PAGE DESIGN BY ALEX KRAMER
Sports
19
The Power of Prayer
Photo by Jacob Deighton
English teacher Christopher Farrell, S.J. pauses for a quiet moment before deadlifting 425 pounds. Farrell started a powerlifting club which meets every day after school.
Jesuit uses love for sport to lift spirits of others by Grant Stegman, Staff Writer
H
e starts off with some silent reflection, as sweat drips from his body. Looking at the heavy weight on the bar, he tells himself, ‘You’ve got this’ over and over again. He plants his feet on the ground, and takes three short breaths. As he plunges closer to the ground, he takes another breath. With all his might he explodes the weight up in the air. He finishes the last rep, with one final exhale of relief and the crashing sound of metal hitting the rack. That is the sound of success. And that is why English teacher Christopher Farrell S.J. created the Powerlifting Club. The Jesuit wants others to feel this same way. “I believe in the idea of healthy mind, healthy body, and healthy spirit. If one of those components is missing, then you are not living life to the fullest,” Farrell said. “The best way to serve God, is by using the talents and gifts he has given to you.” Farrell began weight lifting four years ago as a graduate student at Regis College at the University of Toronto. DESMETMIRROR.COM
“Studying philosophy at the graduate level is very challenging, primarily due to the fact that you’re always in your head,” Farrell said. “There is too much time to think.” As Farrell continued his studies, he kept returning to the weight room. He found that both weight training and Jesuit principles guided his purpose. “The Jesuits are all about the idea of ‘Magis’ meaning greater or more,” Farrell said. “For me, you could also translate it as ‘stronger’. It’s about asking oneself, how can I be constantly striving to grow stronger? Whether it is in the weight room, or intellectually, or spiritually. I think this gives glory to God.” The club’s motto, imprinted on their club t-shirt, comes from Psalm 48: “the Lord is my strength and my shield.” Club Members meet every day of the week after school to lift, and the group is always looking to expand. “Our body is a temple, and we’ve been intrusted with life by God,” Farrell said. “It is our responsibility to take care of our bodies so that we can serve others in the community for many years to come.” PAGE DESIGN BY ALEX KRAMER
20 LET’S TALK ABOUT
Entertainment
MEET THE CHARACTERS
STAR WARS
ROUGE ONE
Imwe is a blind human male, born on the moon Jedha. He is a spirtual monk who is the only main character that is force sensitive.
Bringing light to the dark side
STAR WARS Characters It took
3
the expanded worlds of the Star Wars universe. While there have been various books and television series that have previously touched on this universe, fans are excited to finally learn more about the world that they have come to love. Looking at the trailers, they are also able to see that director Gareth Edwards is looking to capture a darker tone than the one found in the Star Wars films, drawing from his past films like Godzilla,
DID YOU KNOW?
different actors to portray Darth Vader Frank Oz, the voice actor for Yoda, also voiced Miss Piggy from The Muppets
Emperor Palpatine was played by an elderly woman with superimpossed eyes in The Empire Strikes Back
DESMETMIRROR.COM
K-2SO was once an imperial droid that Cassian Andor was able to reprogram to serve the Alliance.
Jyn Erso
Bodhi Rook Bodhi Rook is a expert fighter pilot born on Jedha and is one of the best fighters in the Alliance. Although, he is expierencied, he tends to be tense and hot headed.
Jyn Erso is a young and rebellious fighter who is recruited by the Rebel Alliance to lead a group of rebels to steal the death star plans.
by Colin Donovan, Contributing Writer Luke was an ordinary guy thrown into a series of events that led him to becoming hero. Rei was an ordinary girl who found herself in the same situation. Jyn Erso, however, is a criminal known around the galaxy for her rebellions against the empire. Immediately, fans can see this is not the average Star Wars story. Rogue One is the first spin-off planned for the upcoming onslaught of Star Wars movies. Many family will rejoice at its change of pace. Rouge One will be the first film to [finally] dive into
K-2SO
Chirrut Imwe
Baze Malbus
Cassian Andor
Malbus is a freelance assasin and good friend of Chirrut Imwe. He doesn’t believe in the force and is a crackshot with a blaster.
Captain Andor is the most expierenced and trusted fighter in the Alliance. He is a born leader and knows what it takes to get the job done.
while still paying homage to the classic films many have come to love. “I was really pleased with the vibe of the film in that it changes gears between those classical—what
feels like the language of Star Wars—into something a bit more contemporary and back again,” Gareth said, “and as a fan, I wanted to go to these places.”
On Set
Potatoes were actually used to resemble asteroids in A New Hope
The director added the Wampa attack scene into The Empire Strikes Back to compensate for Mark Hamil’s car accident injuries Lore
The Ewok language is a combination of Tibetan and Nepalese PAGE DESIGN BY BRENDAN JOHNSON
Entertainment
FAVORITE CHRISTMAS TREATS
21
Peanut Butter Balls
INGREDIENTS 3 cups crisped rice cereal (measure out, then crush) 2 cups smooth peanut butter 3/4 cups butter (softened)
3 3/4 cups powdered sugar 1 pound of melting chocolate, like almond bark, or the like
DIRECTIONS
1. Mix together peanut butter and butter 2. Add powdered sugar and crisped rice cereal 3. Use cookie scoop to make uniform balls (roll with your hands
if needed) 4. Melt chocolate 5. Dip balls into chocolate 6. Remove with a toothpick 7. Place on foil or wax paper until cool
Cinnamon and Sugar Pecans INGREDIENTS
-1 egg -1 tablespoon water -1 cup sugar -1 teaspoon salt -1 heaping
teaspoon cinnamon -1 pound pecan halves -½ stick of butter
5-minute Candy Cane Fudge INGREDIENTS
-3 cups crisped rice cereal (measure out, then crush) -2 cups smooth peanut butter -3/4 cups butter (softened)
-3 3/4 cups powdered sugar -1 pound of melting chocolate, like almond bark, or the like
DIRECTIONS
1. Combine milk, chocolate, and butter in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 90 second 2. Stir to combine (continue to heat in 15 second increments until fully melted) 3. Add extract and stir until smooth
DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 275° F 2. Beat egg and water until frothy 3. Stir in sugar, salt, and cinnamon 4. Add pecans and toss to coat 5. Spread the
pecans on a greased cookie sheet 6. Dot with butter all over the sheet 7. Bake for 1 hour, stirring pecans every 15 minutes
4. Scoop onto a parchment lined tray 5. Spread with a spatula to about the height of a quarter 6. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes 7. Slice into cubes and chill until ready to serve
The Mint Oreo Cups INGREDIENTS
16-18 regular Oreo Cookies 4 ounces cream cheese (softened) ½-1 cup chocolate mint baking chips Optional: Christmas sprinkles
PAGE DESIGN BY BRENDAN JOHNSON
DIRECTIONS
1. Line a muffin tin with muffin cups and set aside 2. Grind Oreo Cookies into a fine crumb consistency 3. Pour Oreo crumb mixture into a bowl 4. Add softened cream cheese and mix until a paste-like dough is evenly formed 5. Tear small pieces of dough off and roll into small circles 6. Flatten the circles to the
width of the muffin cups 7. In a microwave, melt ½ cup of baking chips for 30 seconds 8. Remove from microwave and stir for 30 seconds 9. Pour enough chocolate into the muffin cups to cover the bottom and sides, and then press the dough into the cup 10. Pour more chocolate to completely cover the dough 11. Let harden before serving DESMETMIRROR.COM
Entertainment
22
Top Albums of 2016
We Got It From Here.. Thank You 4 your Service ATCQ
Coloring Book Chance The Rapper
After 17 long years the hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest emerged with its final album and they went out with a bang. We Got it From Here was one of the best rap albums of the year with its infectious beats and social commentary, it is one of the must listen albums for any rap fan.
Chance the Rapper proved he was the real deal with the release of Coloring Book, his follow up to his 2013 mixtape, Acid Rap. With its gospel inspired music and upbeat tone, Coloring Book was one of the most enjoyable albums in 2016.
A Moon Shaped Pool
Radiohead
Blackstar
David Bowie Blackstar was Bowie’s last album before he tragically passed away two days after its release. Blackstar is a reminder of the legend we lost this year with its touching, strange and inspirational songs. This was the perfect way for David Bowie to say goodbye to his fans and the world.
Blonde
Frank Ocean What seemed like an eternity without hearing a word, Frank Ocean returned with his newest album Blonde. Blonde was sure to disappoint due to the hype but it, in fact exceeded expectations. With its smooth and relaxing sound, ambiguous lyrics and dreamlike songs, Blonde proved to be Frank Ocean’s best work yet.
Despite being around for over 30 years, Radiohead is still one of the most talented rock bands around. With its release of A Moon Shaped Pool, It harkens back to the bands old days and sound which gives the album a great sense of nostalgia.
Netflix builds a powerhouse by Colin Donovan, Contributing Writer
Lilyhammer is the story of a mobster who flees to Norway after being placed in the Witness Protection Program. It was the first production of the Netflix Original entertainment branch, but it wasn’t the most popular or profitable of their series’. Since then, Netflix has stepped up their game and cannot seem to get enough success out of their productions. From well-known titles like House of Cards and Marco Polo to documentaries like Making a Murderer and Captive, productions by Netflix have led to both financial success and critical acclaim. Netflix seems to be unstoppable. They have a workhorse production staff dedicated to making as much quality content as possible, and with a budget of 5 billion dollars, there’s nothing they can’t make. This year, the company took on a global expansion, gaining over one hundred new markets to cater to. Investors have taken notice, too. They posted the best return of all S&P 500 Stock last year (Bloomberg). More investors means more money, leading to even PAGE DESIGN BY PATRICK MCHUGH
more entertainment productions. Not only can they post serious financial numbers, but can also roll that money over into quality entertainment. From dramas, to superheroes to anime, there are movies and shows in every genre and demographic imaginable. Netflix can cover any story and create any universe that they can dream of, as long as there is a fan base to receive it. Following their unstoppable takeover of the entertainment industry, they have gathered almost 47 million subscribers, and these subscribers are ready to binge. Netflix streaming accounts for 32.3% of web traffic in North America. The company is turning people’s desire to binge into hard cash. Binge watching and streaming isn’t going anywhere. Because of these subscribers and Netflix’s onslaught of TV shows, movies, and specials are leading the company and the production studios with no other direction to go but up. 2016 has already been a good year for Netflix, and with the exponential growth that they’ve been experiencing to date, it will only get better. DESMETMIRROR.COM
Entertainment
23
Glory Days
Upcoming Games
Can you guess the names of these faculty alums back when they were students? (Answers can be found on desmetmirror.com)
of
2017
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of Wild Developer: Nintendo Release Date: 2017
1
3
2
Red Dead Redemption 2 Developer: Rockstar Release Date: Fall 2017 Mass Effect: Andromeda Developer: Bioware Release Date: March
4
7
6
5
9
8
Horizon Zero Dawn Developer: Guerilla Release Date: Feb. 28
Ghost Recon: Wildlands Developer: Ubisoft Release Date: March 7
Money-making movie industry Movemakers sacrificing qualitity over quanity for profits by Patrick McHugh, Entertainment Editor
Another year and another round of bad sequels, prequels and reboots. Why does Hollywood keep churning out sequels one after another instead of original ideas? Well, the easy and most obvious answer is money. In 2011, nine of the top ten grossing films were sequels of some sort. In 2014, eight of the top ten grossing films were sequels of some kind. 38 movie sequels had come out in 2016 alone. With so many sequels coming out, primarily coming from superhero films, audiences have become fatigued and are wanting PAGE DESIGN BY PATRICK MCHUGH
something new and original. Hollywood producers would benefit from getting today’s television writers from shows like Black Mirror, Game of Thrones and Mr. Robot. These masterpieces display original stories and ideas that have captured audience’s imaginations. Many are calling this the new golden age of television. If Hollywood producers could give these writers chances to create new and original movies, then perhaps it would give the film industry the kick it needs in order to stay fresh and original. Studios
also need to be willing to take more chances. Earlier this year, Deadpool was released and was considered a huge risk due to it being an R-rated, self aware superhero movie. Many were worried that it would be a flop but it turned into one of the highest grossing films of the year. Audiences loved how unique it was to all the other superhero films that have come out recently. Studios need to realize that big risk can turn into big reward. If they don’t start taking more risks, the movie industry will struggle to stay relevant. DESMETMIRROR.COM
FOR &
WITH Photo by Andrew Bourbon
“There’s this remarkable phenomenon when you do service that you get something back. It’s the feeling of making someone’s life better.” -Theology teacher Alex Hall More on page 10