The Devon Dialogue
volume v, issue i | october 2013
proudly publishing for five decades
Devon Preparatory School
Cutting-Edge Technology The Devon Prep Computer Lab is fitted with brand new computers. See Below
Solar Car The Devon Prep Solar Car Team travels to Dallas, Texas to compete in the Solar Car Challenge. See Page 2
The Crisis in Syria
The recent events in Syria have plunged the international community into a divisive debate. See Page 7
Helping the Less Fortunate Devon Prep’s summer mission trip to Oil City helped those in need. See page 2.
High Fives for i5s
Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, and High Spirits
Marco DiLeonardo ’14
James Lucas ’15
T h is su m mer, Devon Prep’s computer lab took a massive leap i nto t he new age of tech nolog y. T he Pa rents’ A ssociat ion g raciously f u l f i l led a request to replace t he old computers w it h some of t he newest, fastest mach i nes on t he ma rket. Each one is i nsta l led w it h i5 processi ng u n its a nd ot her sof t wa re prog ra ms prev iously u nava i lable to Devon Prep st udents. Not on ly does t h is benef it t he speci f ic computer classes at Devon, but a lso ser ves a g reater pu r pose to severa l d i f ferent cou rses a nd clubs. T he Chem ist r y Club is be able to use Vi r t ua l Chem ist r y Lab, a prog ra m t hat ca n si mu late d i f ferent chem ica l react ions a nd t he physics classes ca n ut i l i ze Ver n ier sof t wa re for va r ious labs. T he new touch screens f u nct ion much l i ke t hose of tablets, w it h t hei r mu lt itouch feat u res. T he new computers have been ent husiast ica l ly received by Devon ites a nd w i l l a l low t he computer lab to rema i n up-to-date wel l i nto t he foreseeable f ut u re.
New touch screen computers arrive at Devon.
T he t i me-honored t rad it ion of t he Devon P rep Fa m i ly Back-to-School P ic n ic has a lw ay s ser ved as a fa m i ly or iented i nt roduc t ion i nto a not her yea r of Devon l i fe. Here, ex per ienced Devon ites a nd t hei r fa m i l ies c a n i nt roduce newcomers to Devon. On Wed nesday, Aug u st 28, t h is yea r ’s Fa m i ly P ic n ic w as received w it h g reat ent hu siasm. St udent s a nd fa m i l ies showed t hei r school spi r it i n at tend i ng t h is a n nua l end-of-su m mer ac t iv it y. T h is yea r ’s pic n ic, orga n i z ed by M rs. Mega n C lement i a nd r u n by ma ny volu nteers, welcomed ma ny ret u r n i ng st udent s as wel l as some new ones, i nclud i ng t he C lass of 2020. T he newcomers were welcomed w it h open a r m s i nto t he Devon fa m i ly. T he Fa m i ly P ic n ic is a cha nce for
st udent s of a l l g rades to get to k now t hei r cla ssmates. T he Fa m i ly P ic n ic for m s con nec t ions bet ween st udent s a nd fa m i l ies, rei n forc i ng t he cohesive com mu n it y of Devon. T he Fa m i ly P ic n ic was ent hu sia st ic a l ly received by a l l t he st udent s at tend i ng. “L a st yea r, 3 40 people R S V P ’d to at tend. T h is yea r, 50 7 people R S V P ’d. T here were so ma ny more,” sa id M rs. C lement i. T here w a s lot s of food a nd ga mes of vol le y ba l l a nd footba l l. T he sk y w a s clea r a nd t he temperat u re w a s per fec t . T he sl ig ht hu m id it y d id not h i ng to da mpen t he spi r it s of t he st udent s a nd t hei r fa m i l ies. T he n ig ht c u l m i nated i n ra f f le d raw i ngs, ma rk i ng t he close of t he su m mer a nd t he st a r t of t he new school yea r.
Homecoming Marco DiLeonardo ’14 & Landon Farnsworth ’15
A new school yea r br i ngs a l l t he yea r’s was no d i f ferent! g reat t rad it ions Devon Prep has to of fer. One of t he most prom i nent is t he a n nua l Homecom i ng event. T h is yea r’s Homecom i ng bega n w it h a ta i lgate before a soccer ga me on October 4t h. Devon ites watched t he va rsit y tea m ta ke on Academy of t he New Chu rch i n a compet it ive non-leag ue matchup wh i le enjoy i ng bu rgers a nd hot dogs, prepa red by Devon st udents. Ma ny st udents, pa rents, a nd a lu m n i ca me out to ta ke pa r t i n t he Homecom i ng fest iv it ies. T he nex t even i ng, upper school students and t heir dates attended a sem i-for ma l da nce i n Ca lasa nct ius Ha l l, led by D.J. A nt hony TuTone. T he a n nua l Homecom i ng soccer ga mes a nd da nces have g iven Devon Prep Devon students enjoy a tailgate before the game. st udents cou nt less memor ies, a nd t h is
Dialogue News
2
Getting Down and Dirty in Oil City Rieve Bule ’15
T h is past su m mer, Devon Prepa rator y School broug ht eig hteen st udent volu nteers f rom v a r ious g rades to t he Cat hol ic Hea r t Work Ca mp i n Oi l Cit y, i n wester n Pen ns ylv a n ia. T here, t he y spent a week at Vena ngo Cat hol ic H ig h School a nd pa r t ic ipated i n a v a r iet y of ac t iv it ies centered on ser v ice work w h ich helps t he su r rou nd i ng com mu n it y.
T he Devon chaperones, M r. Joseph L ew is, M r. G eorge Beot hy ’68, a nd M r. Sa m You ng , each led sma l l g roups of st udent s to loc a l homes w here t he y worked toget her i n a nd a rou nd t he hou ses. Some of t he work i nvolved pa i nt i ng , sc rapi ng , clea n i ng , spack l i ng , c au l k i ng , c ut t i ng wood, lay i ng dow n a l i noleu m f loor, replac i ng a k itchen cou nter-top, a nd more.
W h i le per for m i ng t hese ser v ices, ma ny of t he st udent s i nterac ted w it h t he fa m i l ies t he y were helpi ng a nd sha red ref resh i ng ex per iences a s t he y got to k now t hem persona l ly. W hen not doi ng ser v ice work , t he st udent s pa r t ic ipated i n da i ly c a mp ac t iv it ies, l i ke goi ng to mor n i ng Ma ss, at tend i ng t he ever-exc it i ng even i ng prog ra m s, a nd si ng i ng a long to mu sic played by t he mu sic ia n C h r is Bray. T he st udent s were a lso g iven t he cha nce to m i ng le w it h people f rom t he ot her schools t hat were at tend i ng t he c a mp. T here were st udent s t here f rom Ca nada, A r i z ona, M ich iga n, F lor ida, Oh io, New York , a nd ot her places a rou nd t he cou nt r y, each represent i ng t hei r school proud ly. T he ser v ice t r ip w a s broug ht to a close w it h a t h r i l l i ng t r ip to t he nea rby t heme pa rk , K noebels. W it h a f resh perspec t ive ga i ned a nd t he sat isfac t ion of helpi ng so ma ny people, t he st udent s ret u r ned home a f ter a long week of ha rd work .
Devon students paint a house for a needy family.
Sun Shines on the Solar Car Team Soham Bharne ‘15, Associate Editor for News
Coming off of a g reat 2011 – 2012 year in which t he team had come in 2nd place in t he Solar Car Challenge in Dallas, Texas, t he Devon Prep Solar Car Club worked assiduously to improve t heir car t hroughout t he 2012 – 2013 school year. The team’s main object ive was to lighten t he car, so t hat it could go faster.
as it f lew off, it tore t he brake line. Unfortunately, it took t he team almost t he whole day to f i x it. A f ter it was f i xed, t he team drove 22.3 miles to f inish off t he day, f inishing 9t h in t heir 10 team div ision and 12t h overall (out of 14). A f ter t he bad start, t he team k new t hey had to recover lost g round, and t heir t rue potent ial began to show. A lmost ever y day af ter, t he team f inished in t he top f ive of t heir div ision. The team had a different schedule each day, somet imes wak ing up as early as 5:30 to get ready. This year’s road race was ver y different from last year’s t rack race. To ensure safet y, t hree ot her cars were necessar y to compete in t he race. There needed to be a lead car and t wo chase cars. One chase car’s role was to stay as close to t he solar car as possible and to prevent anot her car in bet ween it and t he lead car. Each person on t he The Devon Solar Car team placed 5th overall. team had a different responsibilit y. The team arrived in Dallas on There was a safet y off icer who f lagged Saturday, July 20, 2013. The follow ing t raff ic (when t he solar car needed to t wo days were spent scrut ineering, pull over or be t railered), t hree drivers, a process in which t he judges of t he a telemet r y person (who gat hered t he compet it ion check t he different par ts of car’s data), a weat her person (who t he car such as t he elect ronics, brak ing, made sure t he weat her was clear), and and steering. The team passed t hrough a nav igat ion person (who made sure t his w it hout much t rouble. t hat t hey were going on t he right t rack). Tuesday was t he f irst driv ing day for Each day, a different judge sat in t he t he team. The team had a lack luster f irst chase car and made sure t hat t hey star t. Less t han f ive miles into t he were doing ever y t hing right and abiding race, one of t he sprockets broke, and by t he rules. There were penalt ies if
t he rules weren’t followed (t he most infamous one being: losing a mile for ever y t ime you go outside w it hout a hat). We also had a media stop on most of t he days. They also made many media stops, talk ing to crowds about t he solar car. On Wednesday t he team earned second place (76.1 miles); on Thursday, t he team earned four t h (90.3 miles); on Saturday, t he team earned four t h (86.7 miles); on Sunday, t he team t ied for f irst w it h eight ot her teams (66.1 miles); on t he last day, Sunday, t he team earned 6t h (42.7 miles). The team ended w it h 516.6 miles out of an 888.3 available miles earning 4t h in t heir div ision and 5t h overall. A ll in all, it was a successf ul race. Hopef ully, t he team can improve on t he car and get a better place t his school year.
John Burke ’14 prepares to race.
Twelve Angry Men
3
CJ Nave ’15
One of the most influential movies of all time is coming to Devon Prep. That’s right, Devon Prep’s fall drama is the seminal Twelve Angry Men, written by Reginald Rose and turned into a very famous film of the same name in 1957. The show provides an insight into a New York City courtroom in which a jury is deliberating on a murder case. The cast consists of twelve jurors, a judge, and a guard, with CJ Nave ’15 as the protagonist Juror 8 and Patrick Shields in the antagonistic role of Juror 3. The remaining roles are filled
by other talented Devon actors. The show features an intense deliberation where tensions often run high. The diverse cast of characters includes a bigot, an advertising agent, and even an eastern European immigrant. Mr. Paul Recupero, the show’s director and director of previous Devon productions The Phantom of the Opera, Our Town, and The Scarlet Pimpernel, told the cast, “This is a very different show from any others you’ve ever done.” All twelve jurors are on stage throughout the play. As
the play progresses, each character reveals his own specific traits and back stories. As story evolves and the traits and background stories of all the characters are revealed, Juror 8 attempts to convince his fellow jurors that there is a reasonable doubt about the guilt of the accused. With all the work that is required to put on a production like this one, support your fellow classmates and friends and come see Twelve Angry Men on November 1, 2, and 3. You will not regret it.
Tidal Wave of Music
Student Council Update
Michael Nicolas ’16
CJ Nave ’15
It’s the beginning of another year at Devon, as well as the beginning of another year of singing for the members of Devon Prep’s Choral Tide and Rip Tide. Open to any and all Devon Prep students, Choral Tide and Rip Tide offer the chance to express oneself in a fun and creative way. During a Choral or Rip Tide practice, there is never a lack of enthusiasm. Directed by Dr. Valentin Radu, Choral Tide hosts a multitude of students from all grades. Some have been singing throughout all of high school while others have only just been introduced to the world of music. Whether a person is a newcomer or a music veteran, the atmosphere in Devon’s Choral Tide is one of excitement and fun. To sing in Choral Tide is not difficult, and for those who are just learning the fundamentals of the music, more often than not, one can find an experienced member more than willing to assist. In addition to Choral Tide is the prestigious Rip Tide, directed by Mrs. Donna Radu. Much smaller than Choral Tide, the members of Rip Tide are those Devon Prep students who were invited to join due to their particular enthusiasm for
singing. During the winter, Rip Tide will be singing Christmas carols at several nursing homes. Amongst the many songs performed in years past were classics such as “The Twelve Days of Christmas” and “Dry Bones.” Even sooner than that is the highly anticipated fall concert. From the very first practice up to the concert, both Choral and Rip Tide devote all of their time preparing for this event. For weeks on end, the members of the two groups rehearse and practice, so that they can do their very best during the performance itself. The subject matter of the songs sung during the event varies, but what can be assured is that all songs performed by both Rip and Choral Tide are fun, classic, and memorable. The fall concert will surely be a spectacle, and for those members of the Choral and Rip Tide, a chance to show off their skills. Things are looking optimistic this year for Choral and Rip Tide. To be a part of it is to be a part of a musical community. Both groups are always willing to accept new members. The whole Devon community is wishing the best of luck and another productive and successful year for both Choral and Rip Tide.
One of the best parts of Devon Prep is that you can always get involved. What better way is there to get involved than to join Student Council? Student Council deals with everything from restocking the vending machines in the cafeteria to planning events such as Battle of the Bands. Student Council is the bridge from the students to the administration, usually dealing directly with Headmaster Fr. James Shea ’66, Assistant Headmaster Mr. Larry Iezzi, and our wonderful Student Council moderator Ms. Barbara Medina. Ms. Medina works very hard in making sure Student Council’s endeavors run smoothly. Student Council’s main responsibility is to run a great majority of the events Devon has to offer, including Homecoming weekend in October, Battle of the Bands in February, and Prom in May. Some upcoming events include a Middle School Mixer on Friday, December 6, the Christmas Semiformal on Friday, December 20, and an Open Mic Night in December. These events are hugely popular and the proceeds go toward improving Devon Prep and future Devon events. Student Council is one of the best things to get involved in at Devon Prep, and it is an absolute blast. If you are interested in helping out at a Student Council-sponsored event, feel free to ask Ms. Medina or any Student Council member.
Charity in CAPable Hands
Adventure Education
Shyamal Patel ’16
Luke Farnsworth ’17
A new school year has beg un and members of t he Christ ian Act ion Program, or CA P, are ready to help people t hroughout t he area w it h bot h t heir t ime and generosit y. CA P gives students a chance to give back to t he communit y, while prov iding t hem w it h Christ ian Ser v ice hours. Last year, CA P ran several prog rams, including Up For A Cause, St. Edmund’s Christ mas Part y, t he canned food drive, and more. During Up For A Cause, bot h middle and high school students stayed up all night long and raised over t hir t y t housand dollars for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. This money went towards helping sick children in need of serious medical care. At St. Edmund’s Christ mas part y, Devon Prep students gave t heir t ime to help t he mentally challenged adults in t he St. Edmund’s Home.
They did all k inds of Christ mas Act iv it ies from mak ing g ingerbread cook ies to watching Christ mas classics like “Frost y t he Snow man.” In t he end, t he students’ t ime paid off when t hey saw t he smiling faces of t he adults t hey celebrated Christ mas w it h. In addit ion, CA P is in charge of t he Har vest Tide Food Drive, which brings t housands of cans to t he soup k itchens during Thanksg iv ing. This past year Devon was proud to have donated over f ive t housand cans and over f if t y turkeys. Ever y year, t he Christ ian Act ion Prog ram gives students t he opportunit y to help t he communit y. W het her it is t hrough g iv ing t ime or food to t he needy, t he Christ ian Act ion Prog ram prov ides t he opportunit y to help t he less fortunate.
On September 12, the freshman class took its first trip of the year to Delco Christian for the tradition known as Adventure Day. This trip was a fun-filled day consisting of different team building activities. One such activity, the obstacle course, required a great amount of cooperation and teamwork. The members of the freshman class had to work together and put themselves in reallife situations which required trust in the people they would be spending the next four years with. The most challenging part of the course was getting each person over a 15 foot wall. One by one, they lifted and supported each person over the wall until they all had made it. In addition to conquering the obstacles, they all got to know a little more about themselves and meet new friends. As the day drew to a close, the freshman class realized that the purpose of the day was far beyond having a good time on ropes and logs; it taught them how to work as a team, stay together, and trust in each other as brothers in the Devon Prep family.
Dialogue Sports
4
Fall Sports Review
As a fresh new school year begins, Devon Prep’s athletic program fields its fall sports: soccer, golf, and cross-country. As was the case last year, there are three soccer teams. Mr. Jeff Jewitt has returned to Devon Prep for his fourth year to lead the Devon varsity soccer team as Head Coach. Along with his Assistant Coach Neal Regino, who coached the Devon junior varsity soccer team in 2009, Coach Jewitt is building a formidable team. The Devon varsity soccer team opened its season with a 1-0 win vs. Haverford High School on August 30th followed by victories against Valley Forge Military Academy, Calvary Christian Academy, and Church
The Devon Prep XC Team has had a great start.
Will Moreno ‘15
Farm School. Notable players were Andrew Shannon ’15, Jimmy Loftus ’17, Tanner Daggett ’16, and Drew Brekus ’14. The junior varsity soccer team started off the year with a new coach, Mr. Tim McNally. Rebounding from a defeat to Haverford High School, the junior varsity team crushed Archbishop Carroll on September 7th in a 6-2 victory. Notable performances were given by Devon Laut ’17 who has racked up six goals in three games. Following in the footsteps of the other two teams, the Devon third soccer team, led by Coach Mark Leach and Coach Ed McNichol ’09 won their opener against Church Farm School on September 10th. The team continued to improve, winning their following game against Westtown. The Cross Country team has had a very fast start to the season. Head Coach Paul Sanborn ’64 and Assistant Coach Dave Evans ’08 led the Wolf Pack to a 3-0 record defeating Bristol, Christopher Dock, and Jenkintown, currently ranked fifth in the state for the Single A Division, on September 10th. Jack Roth ’14, James O’Shea ’14, Lucas Watson ’15 and James Enderle ’15 all placed in the top six. The final success story of the Fall 2013 sports season belongs to the golf team. Led
by Mr. Frank Casey, a longtime Devon Prep coach, the team has continued the success of last year. Eric DiPietro ’15 tied the Devon Prep golf record of 33 strokes in a single round while playing against Lower Moreland. The team’s current record is 4-7 after beating both Lower Moreland and Delaware County Christian twice.
Andrew Brekus ’14 fires at the goal.
As golf comes to a close, both soccer and cross-country are in full swing. The Tide has carried on Devon Prep’s tradition of success through the first half of the Fall season and the prospects for continuing this success throughout the second half are high.
Varsity Soccer Tackles the Opposition Sean Bevan ’14, Associate Editor for Sports
The varsity soccer team has made a dramatic turn around since Mr. Jeffrey Jewitt took over the team. Last year, for the first time in many years, the varsity soccer team won their division in the Bicentennial Athletic League (BAL) and made it to the district playoffs. Since then, the team graduated nine senior players and also lost its Assistant Coach David Walz, father of D.J. Walz ’12. With this in mind, the million dollar question entering into the 2013 season is: can the Tide win their league again? Over the summer, Mr. Neil Regino was brought on to be Assistant Coach of the team. Coach Regino attended The Shipley School and played under Mr. Jewitt there. He had also coached Devon’s Freshman Soccer Team during the 2007 season. With his past experience, Coach Neil jumped right into his new role and began to help Mr. Jewitt construct the new varsity team. By the time August 5th, the beginning of the fall season, had come around, the team was beginning to take form. However, after one week of minicamp, two weeks of tryouts, and two scrimmages against The Shipley School and Lower Moreland High School, the team was still unsure of what the season would bring. On August 30th, the team played Haverford High School in their first match of the season. For the first time in nearly a decade, the Tide defeated them by a score of 1-0, giving the team a 1-0 record
for the first time in years. Energized by their victory, the team proceeded to defeat Valley Forge Military Academy, also by a score of 1-0, the following Wednesday. On August 7th, the team suffered an overtime loss to Archbishop Carroll High School in a hard fought, thrilling game, with the tying goal being scored just as time expired. League play began the following week, with games against Calvary Christian, the Church Farm School, and Faith Christian. By week’s end, the team was
2-1 in the B.A.L. with a 4-2 overall record because of their 5-1 victory over Calvary and their 3-0 victory over Church Farm. The following week, the team also defeated Mast Charter 5-2 moving to 3-1 in the B.A.L. and 5-2 overall. With the season not even half way over, the team is still practicing hard in the hopes of making it back to the district playoff. With time still remaining, the question still has yet to be answered: can they win their league again?
Jonathan Liu ’14 fends off another player.
5
More Than Just a Vegetable Russell Emery ‘15
L i ke t he veget able w it h t he sa me na me, t he ga me of squa sh is ver y hea lt hy for t hose w ho pa r t a ke of it . T he fast-paced a nd f u n ga me of squash is played i ndoors i n a fou rw a l led cou r t w it h a long-ha nd led racquet a nd a sma l l r ubber ba l l. Usua l ly played by t wo people, it c a n a lso be played by fou r (doubles). Squash w as der ived f rom a n ea rl ier ga me t hat or ig i nated i n E ng la nd c a l led R acquet s. T he na me Squa sh w a s bor n w hen a sof ter r ubber ba l l t hat squashes— of ten leav i ng a ma rk w hen it h it s t he cou r t ’s side w a l l— replaced t he ha rd ba l l used i n t he ea rl ier ga me. Accord i ng to a 2003 a r t icle i n Forbes Maga z i ne ra n k i ng t he ten hea lt h iest spor t s, “[Squa sh] ha s conven ience on it s side, a s 30 m i nutes on t he squa sh cou r t prov ides a n i mpressive c a rd io respi rator y workout .” Bec au se t he ga me i nvolves nea rly const a nt
movement, it bu i lds st reng t h a nd endu ra nce i n t he lower body. Forbes ra n ked squa sh a s t he #1 hea lt h iest spor t on t he ba sis of c r iter ia i nclud i ng c a rd io respi rator y benef it s, c a lor ie bu r n a nd moderate i nju r y r isk . I n add it ion to bei ng lot s of f u n, squa sh is ver y ef f ic ient . It prov ides a good workout i n a relat ively shor t t i me, w h ich let s you keep up w it h you r homework a nd ot her i nterest s w h i le st ay i ng hea lt hy. It is a n idea l spor t for st udent s at Devon P rep. On September 10, a sma l l, but ent hu sia st ic Devon P rep Squa sh C lub st a r ted t ra i n i ng at nea rby Ber w y n Squa sh a nd Fit ness C lub. Devon h ig h school a nd m idd le school st udent s t ra i n a nd pa r t ic ipate i n rou nd robi n tou r na ment s t wo to t h ree t i mes per week a long w it h boy s a nd g i rls f rom ot her a rea schools. Accord i ng to Ber w y n Squa sh Ma nager Dom i n ic
Hug hes, “Squash is a ga me t hat is eas y to lea r n but c a n t a ke a l i fet i me to f u l ly master.” L ong t i me squash players cont i nue to enjoy t he ga me for dec ades. I n add it ion to keepi ng players f rom becom i ng veget ables, squash of fers a not her va luable benef it . I n a n a r t icle ent it led, “A nd for Spor t s, K id, P ut Dow n ‘Squash’” T he New York T i mes sa id “. . . a h ig h percent age of t he nat ion’s most prest ig ious col leges f ield tea m s. Squash pros a nd coaches say t hat i n t he last few yea rs t he spor t has seen a sha r p i nc rease i n pa r t ic ipat ion by ch i ld ren a nd teenagers, some of w hose pa rent s seem to have one e ye on t he ba l l a nd t he ot her on col lege appl ic at ions.” For f u n, f it ness a nd a possible edge i n col lege ad m issions, Devon P rep st udent s m ig ht w a nt to g ive squash a t r y.
New Records Broken
Cross Fit Training
Andrew Hayden ‘15
Jefferson Toro ‘14, Associate Editor for Entertainment
L ately, Devon P rep ha s had a n abu nda nce of t a lent w it h i n it s at h let ic prog ra m s. Not on ly have t he tea m s been doi ng ver y wel l, but i nd iv idua ls have a lso proven to be except iona l at t hei r respec t ive spor t s. Du r i ng t he ten n is sea son, bot h Drew Brek us ’1 4 a nd Ben Conser ’14 broke t he prev iou s record of eig ht w i ns i n one sea son w it h ten w i ns each i n si ng les. Bot h tea m mates d isplayed rema rk able ded ic at ion to t he ga me a s wel l as t hei r rema rk able t a lent . T hei r records w i l l hopef u l ly boost school i nterest i n ten n is w h ich is slow ly becom i ng a prom i nent Devon
spor t . T he ot her record brea ker of t he 201 2-1 3 spor t s sea son w a s Zach Schel lenger ’1 4, w ho broke t he record for most st r i keout s i n one sea son by a Devon P rep ba seba l l player. Z ach is a n i nc red ible a sset for t he Devon tea m, a nd it w i l l be exc it i ng to see w hat he c a n do i n t h is upcom i ng sea son. T hese t h ree players have made t he Devon com mu n it y proud w it h t hei r out st a nd i ng at h let ic ach ievement s. Ever y body is look i ng for w a rd to seei ng not on ly t hese players, but a l l Devon P rep at h letes i n t he 201 3-1 4 spor t s yea r.
Zach Schellenger ’14 breaks the record for most strikouts in a single season.
W hat is Cross Fit ness? It is on ly t he most dema nd i ng a nd sat isf y i ng prog ra m at Devon P rep. L ed by Da r i n Ba ker a nd h is assist a nt, Cross Fit ness is a combi nat ion of f lex ibi l it y a nd a naerobic exerc ises a l l compac ted i nto one hou r. From squat s a nd bu r pees to su ic ides, Cross Fit ness pu shes t he phy sic a l l i m it of t he hu ma n body. Before st a r t i ng Cross Fit ness si x yea rs ago, Da r i n Ba ker spent seventeen yea rs of h is l i fe on Wa l l St reet, u nt i l dec id i ng t hat he w a nted to help cha nge l ives. Si nce t hen, Ba ker has helped hu nd reds of people a nd st udent s of a l l shapes a nd si z es become f it . He cont i nua l ly helps k ids i n Great Va l le y, Dow n i ng tow n West, Dow n i ng tow n East, a nd Conestoga, a nd t ra i ns players i n lac rosse, soccer, a nd f ield hocke y, shapi ng f labby st udent s i nto g reat at h letes. A side f rom t he phy sic a l benef it s of Cross Fit, it a lso a l lev iates st ress. Du r i ng a session, t here isn’t t i me to t h i n k about t he nex t qu i z , test, or homework ; w hat l it t le t i me you have to you rsel f is t he t i me you have to get a d r i n k of w ater. A lt houg h you may feel sore a f ter w a rds, com i ng one step closer to get t i ng i n shape is wel l wor t h it . T here’s a lw ay s room for a nyone w ho w a nt s to joi n, so get f it now !
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Dialogue Editorials Deciphering DNA Andrew Loper ‘15
For t he past t wo su m mers, I have worked u nder Dr. Wa lter Koch, Professor of Pha r macolog y at Temple. I melted when I set f i rst g la nce upon t he new g rad school bu i ld i ng on t he Temple Un iversit y Hospita l ca mpus t he su m mer a f ter my f resh ma n yea r a nd I st i l l look at it w it h t he sa me a ma zement a f ter work i ng t here for t wo su m mers. It’s my k i nd of bu i ld i ng. It has g ia nt g low i ng bacter ia ha ng i ng f rom t he cei l i ng of t he t h ree stor y lobby a nd has va r ious d isplays bor rowed f rom t he Mut ter Museu m concer n i ng med ica l h istor y. Goi ng t here ever y mor n i ng was a t reat t hat I was pr iv i leged enoug h to enjoy. I worked i n a resea rch lab w it h fa nc y mach i nes a nd i ntel l igent people. My resea rch dea lt w it h bet ter i ng tech n iques t hat cou ld t heoret ica l ly cu re genet ic hy per t rophy of t he hea r t, a major cont r ibutor to hea r tfa i lu re. A s a n ex a mple, I ra n a n ex per i ment t hat probed for a gene wh ich is k now n to slow dow n a nd even stop ca rd io-hy per t rophy f rom happen i ng by reg u lat i ng t he protei n
HDAC5.
An experiment for the gene regulating the HDAC5 protein.
Work i ng a nd get t i ng pa id was a fa ntast ic ex per ience. From not work i ng much ever to work i ng for t y hou rs a week, I qu ick ly adjusted f rom t he Devon Prep school day. T he people I got to work w it h cou ld have pa rag raphs devoted to each of t hem— perhaps even pages— but I
have neit her t he t i me nor t he space to prov ide a n adequate descr ipt ion of t hese cha racters. You wou ld t h i n k t hat i n a sta rk wh ite lab t hat you wou ld be work i ng w it h people w it h sta rk wh ite persona l it ies but t hat was not t he case for t h is crew. T hese people come f rom a l l over t he world. T here were people f rom Bra zi l, Ch i na, Korea, Ita ly, Ger ma ny, Ba ng ladesh a nd ma ny ot her places, each w it h lessons to teach a nd stor ies to tel l. Each person was able to teach me a l it t le about t he world a nd about t he f ield of scient i f ic resea rch, d raw i ng me i n to t h is speci f ic l i ne of work even more. T he fact t hat science br i ngs t he whole world toget her is somet h i ng t hat I t h i n k is ma r velous. T h is ex per ience rea l ly helped me f ig u re out t hat science is for me. I st rong ly encou rage ot her st udents to go out a nd pu rsue i nter nsh ips because t hey cou ld rea l ly help w it h t he i mpossible quest ion i mposed on us h ig h-school st udents: “W hat do you wa nt to do for t he rest of you r l i fe?”
Shadowing Alumni Landon Farnsworth ’15
As a junior, I always have the future on my mind: there are so many paths to go down and experiences to have from this point in life. I have always had a great interest in law and wanted to know what it is like and if I would like it. Last year, the Alumni Office had a new idea for a “mentor program” in which Father Richard Wyzykiewicz ’61 and Mr. Dave Evans ’08 would bring inf luential alumni to Devon to speak to a small group in the conference room. W hen I heard Father Rich announcing to the school that two law yers would be coming to the next mentor program meeting, I jumped on the idea and attended. This was a great opportunity that not many other schools give you. The two law yers were very informative and I learned a lot. Afterward, I was able to obtain Assistant District Attorney of Delaware County Michael Hill ’03’s contact information in hopes to get more information and maybe visit the courthouse. He was very enthusiastic and willing to help me and gave the idea of shadowing him to be able to see first-hand what it is like to be a law yer. In late August, I contacted him and the date was set. I woke up extremely early and left for the long drive to
the Media courthouse. I arrived and right away we re-introduced ourselves before it was off to the courthouse. I was able to see him in action up close with many cases. I learned a lot because he told me what he was doing as it was going on and what he was trying to convince the judge of as he prosecuted defendants. He also introduced me to other assistant district attorneys that were with him and the public defense attorneys. I was also able to meet the judge who was extremely nice. After a few hours in the courthouse, we went to the judge’s office where the judge discusses the following weeks’ cases with all the assistant district attorneys and public defense attorneys he worked with. It went very quickly and made me appreciate how many cases Mr. Hill takes on every day. After a lunch break we went to his cubicle where he showed me what he does to prepare for upcoming cases. He then brought me to meet the District Attorney and many other high up executives. It was awesome being able to meet these people, have real conversations, and have them know my name. Next, Mr. Hill gave me a tour of the entire courthouse. I saw interesting departments such as
the forensics office, among others. He also introduced me to the intense sport that is “blind tennis,” a very popular game in the office where two people throw a ball back and forth in two separate cubicles but are unable to see the other person. It was very amusing seeing that no matter where you were in the workplace, there was always a little room for fun. To end the day, we went and watched a trial concerning a robbery. During this, Mr. Hill explained to me what each side was attempting to do and critiqued their examinations of witnesses and style. We heard their closing arguments and he told me to make sure not to drag it on in any way, such as describing what it is like to buy a first house which we witnessed in that particular closing argument. After all the excitement of the day, I left and thanked him again. I had a great day in which I not only learned a lot but had a great time. I would like to thank Mr. Hill again for having me and Fr. Rich and Mr. Evans for organizing the Devon mentor program and allowing me to have the opportunity to do this. This hopefully is my first step in eventually going to law school and becoming a successful law yer like Mr. Hill!
Another Rwanda?
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Joshua Lieberman ’15
Civil war and internal strife have ravaged the middle chemical weapons ban is nothing more than a transfer of eastern nation of Syria. Historically, as the trade these weapons to a UN weapons council; no immediate crossroads bet ween Asia and Europe, it once ser ved as the punishment would be administered. center of the Islamic world and endured the colonization of France and England. A nation whose histor y has been as tumultuous as its location, Syria is now facing one of its most tr ying circumstances at the end of the Arab Spring. Syria’s independence was followed by many years of shak y regimes and foreign-inf luenced politics. Relative order was not established until the election of Hafez Al-Assad w ith the rise of the Ba’ath Socialist Part y and the start of a long and still continuing anti-western government period. Bashar Al-Assad, the son of Hafez, inherited the political position of president of Syria after his father’s death and has continued his father’s political agenda. At the turn of the centur y, discontent w ith this traditionally autocratic government system grew to break ing points. Formal disputes bet ween the incumbent leader and his government and the opposition factions Civil war has wreaked havoc upon civilian infrastructure. began in November of 2011 and have festered into the catastrophe of a civil war. With hundreds of thousands dead and approx imately six million Syrians displaced in So at the end of the day, what is to be done about the neighboring nations, it is the worst domestic tragedy to Syrian civil war? Some would argue that it is not in the best affect the ancient nation. interests of foreign nations to aid the Syrians. However, as the United States has often displayed throughout histor y, The question of international inter vention or it believes it is the world’s keeper of peace. It seems as if it resolution of this dispute is a serious topic of debate on is the U.S.A.’s dut y almost to protect the world’s innocents the international stage. Foreign nations’ stances on the from the perils of t yranny and cruelt y. The United States conf lict have heated and cooled in the argument due to involvement in Iraq was based on the idea that the Saddam the complex it y of the dilemma. It is difficult to verif y Hussein regime had weapons of mass destruction that which side in the conf lict is less inf luenced by Islamic would threaten peaceful nations nearby. This concept terrorist groups: the Ba’ath Part y supports Hezbollah of American Exceptionalism, demonstrated through our while simultaneously there are reports of Al Qaeda international involvements (for the supposed greater members in the ranks of the resistance. The whole war is good of the world), is an underlying concept in the talks nothing more than a political dispute bet ween factions of this current debacle in Syria. Former President Clinton and parties. The only losers in the civil war are the spoke on the incident and alluded to its similarities innocent citizens of the countr y. to the Rwandan civil war in which Rwanda suffered a mass genocide of approx imately five hundred thousand However, on the international stage, there is inadequate to one million people. This conf lict was left relatively focus on civilian losses. The Russian Federation and the ignored by foreign nations and was consideredto be one People’s Republic of China have both expressed heav y of the greatest genocidal catastrophes of the Twentieth opposition to foreign inter vention in Syria, for reasons Centur y. Mr. Clinton also alluded to the even more tragic unclear other than violations of sovereignt y. By doing so, Republican Congolese Genocide which resulted in the they hope to avoid any formal actions against the regime deaths of six million. This genocide and civil war went of Bashar Al-Assad. Even w ith the advent of the use of virtually ignored by foreign inter vention and to a degree chemical weapons in the war by the Assad government, was rumored to have been almost entirely funded by Russia and China’s solutions to this violation of the UN’s US corporations and economic interests. Both of these conf licts were left as longstanding examples of Western indifference to international catastrophe and remain a bitter counterpoint to the effectiveness and good-nature of western foreign policy. Mr. Clinton, like many others, is draw ing attention to the fact that the worsening of the conf lict would result in irreversibly catastrophic events. With already more than one hundred and ten thousand deaths in the war alone w ith more than six million displaced, this civil war is proving to be one of the more severe of the Twent y-First Centur y. Neglecting this war could mean the loss of thousands more lives. W hile the decision of action in regards to Syria still remains nothing more than table-talk, there are thousands suffering in and outside of Syria due to the divisive civil war. Inter vention would have serious drawbacks both internally and internationally for foreign nations, but a refusal to inter vene or mediate could be equally disastrous, not only for Syria but also for nations that have traditionally been the famed “peace-keepers” of the international world. Can world leaders allow such a catastrophe to worsen? Will this be another Rwanda? Al Qaeda members have infiltrated the ranks of the Syrian rebels.
Engineering for a Brighter Future
A Century of Sentiment
Russell Emery ’15
Andrew Bright ‘14, Editor-in-Chief
A large percentage of Devon Prep alumni are eng ineers. This may be in par t a result of t he rigorous A P physics course t hat Devon Prep’s Headmaster, Fr. James Shea ’66, teaches to many juniors, as well as A P Calculus A B and BC. As a rising junior who hopes to study eng ineering, I decided to sharpen my sk ills t his summer by enrolling in a college eng ineering course. Offered by Johns Hopk ins Universit y’s W hit ing School of Eng ineering, t he “Engineering Innovat ions” prog ram took place in July on t he campus of Montgomer y Count y Communit y College in Blue Bell, PA, and was attended by students from a variet y of area schools. A lt hough four weeks of f ull-day classes might sound like a negat ive to some, I woke up ever y day excited to go to t he Eng ineering Innovat ions program. Ever y week we were int roduced to one or t wo new engineering disciplines. We learned t he basics of civ il, st ructural, material, and chemical eng ineering, as well as some computer science and physics. The course spanned topics such as calculat ing t he forces on complex t russes to conver t ing bet ween hexadecimal, octal, binar y and decimal number systems by hand. In addit ion to helping me learn more about t he subject I hope to study in college, t his material has been helpf ul going into A P Physics w it h Fr. Shea. There were many hands-on labs which int roduced us to ex perimental techniques and t he problems eng ineers face as well as a lot of Excel spreadsheets. Students were put into g roups to work on designing and building elevated bridges. The bridges were to be const ructed of spaghett i of var y ing t hick nesses and 2-par t epox y. I was pleased t hat my group’s bridge had t he second best rat io of bridge mass to mass supported. Because I par t icipated in a similar contest for t he Science Oly mpiad in middle school, I had a good understanding of bridge building concepts t hat I could leverage in t his project. We not only learned basic eng ineering concepts, but also why eng ineering is such an important f ield and why A merica needs more eng ineers. Our inst ructors, Dr. Vidya Nandikolla and Mr. Frederick Schlick, told us what steps students usually go t hrough as t hey prog ress towards an engineering deg ree. We also heard a presentat ion from Montgomer y Count y Communit y College on t he need for more eng ineering majors in t he United States. Ever y tool used for ever y job in t he world had to be eng ineered. In shor t, eng ineers are t he f uture of our societ y. China has four t imes more eng ineers g raduat ing per year t han t he U.S. Since t he Space Race, t he number of eng ineers in t he U.S. has declined, and now A merican companies are forced to look for eng ineering g raduates in China and India. In addit ion to prov iding me w it h informat ion about various eng ineering disciplines, t he course I took t his summer conf irmed my desire to study eng ineering in college.
A cool, autumn breeze sifts through the open windows of Calasanctius Hall. The verdure brought in by spring slowly recedes, and in its place, leaves of crimson and brown settle. The trees lining the driveway burst into color, forming a collage of reds, greens, yellows, and browns. The voices of students and athletes can be heard in the distance blending with the sounds of birds frantically preparing for winter. Autumn is a time of change, and it is well reflected in the Devon campus. As I sit here and write this, I think back five autumns ago to the beginning of my eighth grade year, the year when I first entered Devon. I was in middle school and much of my time was spent in Calasanctius Hall. At that time in my Devon life, Calasanctius contained all the essence of the Devon experience. I attended classes in it, I laughed with friends in it, and I graduated from middle school in it. As I moved up to the Upper School, I still visited Calasanctius for French class and after-school functions. Yet, the power of Calasanctius Hall to captivate me was still well alive. Even now, Calasanctius has a sentimental appeal to it. This year marks the one hundredth autumn Calasanctius has witnessed. Built in 1913 by Dr. Charles Matthew Lea, the mansion that was later to be called Calasanctius Hall was first situated upon the twenty acre area known as Westthorpe Farm. Seven years later, Dr. Lea enlarged the size of Westthorpe Farm to one hundred and three acres. The original mansion and property were much different in comparison to its present day counterpart. The original entrance to the mansion was located at the present-day intersection of Connestoga Road, Valley Forge Road and Hunters Lane, and the current entrance to Devon was the servants’ entrance. After the death of Dr. Lea in 1927, the mansion and farm remained in Charlotte Lea’s name until her death in 1945, at which time the mansion and farm were sold to a housing developer. In 1955, the Piarist Fathers purchased the land and mansion, and on September 8, 1956, Devon Preparatory School opened its doors to fourty-nine students. Calasanctius contains within it a unique history; some of it recorded, most not. Every student, every educator, every parent who has ever set foot in Calasanctius has left some mark and most of these are forgotten. And I feel that this history is much more interesting than the one which is recorded. In Calasanctius Hall, one hundred years-worth of memories was created and countless lives were influenced. Even when these words have faded from this paper, and I am all but a memory, the spirit of Calasanctius shall shine on, lighting the way for a new generation. So, Calasanctius Hall, here is to a hundred more years.
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Editorial Board
© 2013 Devon Prep
Editor-in-Chief: Andrew Bright ’14 Deputy Editors-in-Chief: Patrick Shields ’14 & James Stanish ’14 Photography Editor: Michael Lawrence ’14 Digital Editor: Kevin Sheng ’14 Faculty Moderator: Mr. Lawrence Theuer Associate Editor for Entertainment: Jefferson Toro ’14 Associate Editors for News: Michael Horbowy ’14 & Soham Bharne ’15 Associate Editor for Editorials: Jackson Misko ’14 Associate Editor for Sports: Sean Bevan ’14 All photos, unless otherwise noted, taken by newspaper staff or Ms. Rose Lombardo, for Devon Preparatory School. Special thanks to Fr. Shea for his tireless assistance and guidance.
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