FATHER JUDGE CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL FOR BOYS Volume: 59 Number: 1
Fall Issue
Crusaders Represent on Philly Pheud
Philadelphia, PA 19136
Renovations Galore at Judge
By Staff Writer
By Stephen Dooner ’15
On September 14, 2013 Father Judge was represented on Fr. Judge on Philadelphia’s hottest new game show “Philly Pheud” with host Mike Missanelli. Senior Conner Sharp and teacher Mr. Mike Campellone held their own as teachers and students from Judge, La Salle, Holy Ghost, and Villa Joseph Marie versed each other in a family fued style matchup that pitted the students against the teachers.
What does the word newness indicate? Apparently, at Father Judge, it indicates change for the better! As our school embarks upon the quest of an upcoming year, we have the privilege of encountering a variety of advancements. During the summer, faculty and staff members devoted their time and effort into making our school a more welcoming environment. Several renovation projects went into effect, guaranteeing students that Father Judge will thrive greatly during the new year. The student lockers have been repaired and refurbished, new ceilings and lights have been installed in the cafeteria and faculty dining room, and
The students pulled out the win against the teachers. The event was televised on Saturday, September 17.
You can see the entire show on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=xxFpD4n87IE.
Meet our new Campus Minister, Mr. Dominick By Ryan Dooner ’15 Over the summer, students and faculty of Father Judge learned that Father Joe Wisniewski, our former campus minister, would be leaving the Father Judge community to return to ministry duties as a parish priest in Wilmington, Delaware. Therefore, our school has assigned a new campus minister, Mr. Dominick, who promises to continue to spread the inspiration and enthusiasm that Father Wiz brought to the ministry office. Mr. Dominick, who currently lives in Bucks
County, PA, is a LaSalle High School graduate who later went on to attend the University of Dayton, earning his Bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies and his Master’s degree in Education. Since then, he has taught freshman theology at a high school in Indianapolis, which has prepared him for his new position as Campus Minister in which he will assist in retreats, masses, services, spiritual direction and guidance. Mr. Dominick says that “the welcoming support of the students and faculty” has helped him acclimate to our
2013-2014 Executive Student Council Congratulations to the 2013-2014 School Year Student Council.
school and that, in the future; he “hopes to bring more service opportunities that will spark students’ interest in joining the ministry.” We wish Mr. Dominick the best of luck and have complete confidence that he will succeed in his new position.
Left to right: Secretary of Affairs: Michael Gibson ’14, Vice President: Vincent DeTorro ’14, President: Connor Sharp ’14 and Secretary of Assembly: Robert Elwell ’14
MS Bike Ride By Andrew Weicker ’14 On Saturday, September 28th, a bus filled with 43 Father Judge students left from school at 5:30AM to head to Egg Harbor, New Jersey for the day. Beginning that day was the City to Shore MS Bike Ride, which the students attended to help cheer on Mr. Cahill, as he rode for the entire first day, while also knocking off most of their community service hours. The students all helped prepare the quick meals and drinks for the riders at Mr.Cahill's family's rest stop: Weekend with
Bernie B and Sherri McG (ran by Friends of Bernie B and Sherri McG, which is the 11th largest team in the ride), along with cheering the riders on by yelling words of encouragement as the riders approached the rest stop and departed to continue their journey on to Ocean City. The Bike to the Shore is the 2nd largest MS race in the entire country, with over 8,000 bikers participating in this two day event. In order to ride in the event the bikers must have raised money for the foundation: $5,425 was raised by Mr. Cahill alone, $15,745
the Crusader Shop has been relocated to the school cafeteria which makes it more accessible to students. In addition, the former study hall has been transformed into a new technology and conference center and the entire school has been repainted. These renovations are only a few of the many advancements Father Judge has undergone over the summer. A new STEM Center has been established in our school, making Judge the first high school to offer STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). The faculty and staff are also being trained in iPad technology. Change inevitably contributes to a more vibrant, productive school year and instills within us a sense of Crusader pride!
was raised by Friends of Bernie B and Sherri McG, and over $5 million was
Published since 1954 in the Marian Year
raised by the entire foundation. October 31st is the last day of the fundraiser.
THE CRUSADER Editor-in-Chief Greg Van Buskirk ’15 Senior Writers Andrew Weicker ’14 Matt Kelly ’14 Mike McLaughlin ’14 Joe Sema ’14 Staff Sean Burns ’15 Tom Keashon ’15 Ryan Dooner ’15 Stephen Dooner ’15 Vince Pagano ’17 Noel Guerra ’16 Moderator Mr. Timothy Dailey
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FEATURES Jimmy Lynch: New Athletic Director By Greg Van Buskirk ’15 Father Judge is a world of new faces this school year. Among the additions to the Father Judge staff is new Athletic Director, Mr. James Lynch. Mr. Lynch plans to improve Judge sporting programs and student life as a whole, and has already installed many new procedures to get his mission off to a good start. I caught up with the new guy on campus to learn more about him and his plans for this year. Q: So tell me a little about your background, such as high school, college, etc. A: I grew up in Mayfair as a kid before I moved to Bucks County where I attended Council Rock South High School. After high school I went on to St. Joe’s University where I earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and education. Then I went on to graduate school at Neumann University where I earned a master’s degree in sports management and served as assistant lacrosse coach there. That’s how I became interested in athletics in communities. From there I did an internship with Northeast University’s Center for the Study of Sports Society up in Boston. I wrote my master’s thesis on improving athletics in urban communities and conditions that affect participation and competitiveness in urban athletics. I spent 4 years at Cathedral High School as sports manager and also worked with the Boston public school system on programs to improve sports in low-income areas. I started here in July and have loved it since. Q: What do you like about being the Father Judge athletic director? A: I really enjoy the high school level because you get the kids that are still studentathletes. It’s not high-paid athletes. You get the kids that want to play because they want to be part of a team. I really enjoy seeing kids come in as freshmen and watching them grow in character as student-athletes and then whether they play sports after they graduate or not, you know they enjoyed their time playing in high school. I like that Judge emphasizes not just sports but just student involvement in general through the many clubs and 40+ teams we
have. I love seeing how many kids come out to use the weight room and get involved in intramurals. It’s also about getting kids to care about nutrition and their bodies and not just scoring points or gaining yards. Even if you don’t play a sport, you still need to take care of yourself. There are major issues like drugs, alcohol, steroid abuse, obesity and violence and I hope kids can get educated on all that. Judge also is bigger than other places I’ve been at and the community and alumni networks are really involved. Judge has a sense of pride already in place whereas I had to try and build that fresh at other schools. The facilities are great and the coaches and parents are very involved. Q: What dreams did you have as a kid and how have they changed? A: Haha, well of course as a kid everyone wants to a star athlete. I’m the youngest of 5 so I was always getting beat up and playing sports with my older brothers. Senior year of college, I did an internship in Kensington running an after school program a few hours a week. I grew up having 3 brothers so we could play 2on-2 anything, ya know? But some of these kids don’t have fathers, brothers, mothers, sisters, for a variety of reasons. But that internship opened my eyes and made me want to get into sports management and then in graduate school I really started to focus on urban environments and education which is a hot topic in our society. I think it’s really interesting how sports can build a foundation for success for kids that struggle with all sorts of problems, especially poverty, and showing kids that they can still get involved even though they don’t have a ton of money. Judge already has a “tradition of success” in place so I want to keep that up with new changes in this generation and teaching kids how to get involved on management levels and athletic training. I’d love to start senior leadership programs where kids have opportunities to have high school internship experiences along with kids we have from colleges coming. Q: What sports did you play growing up? A: Basketball and volleyball were my main sports. I always loved lacrosse too but I didn’t have any opportunities to play it but I was excited to coach it at Neumann while I was there.
Q: There’s a stigmatism around Judge that the only sports or activities that matter are the big 4: football, basketball, baseball, and soccer. These big teams are huge parts of Judge recruitment and promotion. However, the smaller sports that don’t receive as much recognition are constantly doing extremely well like track, bowling, golf, and swimming, all of which have found recent success on PCL and state levels. How do you view this situation and what affect do you hope to have on it? A: I’m really happy with how all our teams are performing. Golf is sending 8 guys to PCL playoffs individually as well as going as a team and that’s huge. Crew is getting better and better and receiving more invitations to meets too. The big sports are important and a lot of people and newspapers follow them, but I want people to understand that we have 17 sports here, all of which do really well and deserve recognition. I mean it’s hard to overlook that Judge soccer is 11-0, ranked 1 in the city and 4 in the state. Football is 3-1 so far and have shutout their last 3 opponents 122-0. Basketball starts in the winter but
wrestling is also in the winter and that is doing extremely well with Coach Savage and Joe Galasso’s state win. Swimming, hockey, and bowling are coming up and all 3 look really promising. Hopefully we can have volleyball next year too. With almost every sport we have, if you come and dedicate yourself and want to play, you’ll play. Most sports don’t cut anyone who tries out. Q: Judge has a lot of rivalries, namely Judge-Ryan and Judge-Roman, and then there are always the prep schools that are very competitive. What kind of a taste of the rivalries have you gotten so far? A: I’ve gotten a lot. The prep schools compete with each other heatedly because they’re that kind of schools. We’re not that kind of school nor do we want to be. We like to see ourselves as a private school at an archdiocesan price because we have so many opportunities. Ryan and Roman are too biggest rivals though. Roman is the other all-boys school and they’re competing for enrollment from the same neighborhoods we are. Same with Ryan. Games against them are always huge games with packed attendance and that
show people how great these schools are. We show that we have great enrollment and put a lot into making our school great with our facilities. Roman has been around since 1890, my grandfather went there. But they don’t have the same facilities we do right on campus. We have everything right on campus where kids can go right from one building to another and then to another field all right on campus, sort of like a private school might. Q: Super Bowl predictions? A: Broncos look nice. It’s still early but Peyton’s looking great. I’d love to say the Eagles but that would be tough. Q: Wit or Witout? A: Oh, wit. Gotta go with wit. Q: Who do you idolize? A: : Muhammad Ali is a big one. I’m all for using sports to bring about positive change and he was a strong believer in that. He’s a great example and a great character. Derek Jeter is another one. I hate the Yankees of course, but he’s a great guy who gives back to his community and he’s always in the spotlight for doing great things. The people I idolize are those who are successful but don’t forget where they come from and give back to the community.
Theatre Arts Department Fall Production: Comedy and Tragedy By Greg Van Buskirk ’15 Imagine sitting down to meet what you expect to be the attractive girl you relied to on a dating website. Instead, you're roped into having "your future told" by a kleptomaniac who actually just stole your wallet after reading your future based on the creases on the bottom of your foot. This insane situation among others add up to form a hilarious short play about the downside of the dating scene. If you thought you had some crazy ex's, wait until you see this bunch! Laugh, smile, and maybe
even draw a few connections to your own life by seeing Check Please: Take Two! The second half of the Fall production is at the opposite end of the emotional spectrum. The story is told by Kyle, a depressed teen who is bullied and misunderstood. I Don't Wanna Talk About It addresses teen issues such as bullying, teen pregnancy, sexuality, and difficult situations at home and school. The multiple stories told by the many characters of the show hit the emotions of the audience like a freight train. A truly moving experience, attending this show will give
you an insight into what other people may be struggling with, even if they don't tell anyone. This night of both laughter and tears will have audiences dying for more from the Father Judge Theater Department. But don't take my word for it; come out and see Check Please: Take Two and I Don't Wanna Talk About It this November! Show Dates: November 22-23, 7pm and November 24, 2pm in the Father Judge auditorium!
Fall Open House November 3, 2013 Tell your younger brothers, cousins, neighbors, and friends to visit Father Judge during our 2013 Fall Open House where they will see a detailed presentation of all that Father Judge and the community have to offer. The program starts with lunch at 11:30am.
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FEATURES SPIRIT WEEK 2013 Politics
By Andrew Weicker ’14
Government Shut Down
Spirit Week at Father Judge High School is back and in full stride. Monday 10/7/13 will be Relaxed Shoe Day and Faculty Appreciation Day. Every student in the school is allowed to wear any footwear that makes them feel more comfortable in school. This includes: moccasins, slides, sneakers, or sandals. Students, be sure to say thank you to all the faculty that make your day at Judge easier. Tuesday 10/8/13: Staff Appreciation Day and Miracle Minute. In homeroom, each class has one mintue to raise as much money as possible for a good cause. Also, stop by the main office and give a big thanks to the ladies who help keep our school running smoothly.
By Tom Keashon ’15
Wednesday, October 9th the Crusaders Conquer Cancer Color Day (donate $1 dollar at Home Room). Seniors wore Pink or Red (for breast cancer research), Juniors will wear Green (for leukemia research), Sophomores will wear Gold or Yellow (for testicular cancer research), and Freshmen will wear Blue (for prostate cancer research). Thursday 10/10/13:
Tag Day - $1 to dress down in any appropriate attire. Proceeds go to Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation Friday 10/11/13: Schedule 3 for Pep Rally. Students may still wear red or blue or pre-printed Father Judge attire for the annual Pep Rally to get the school and team ready for the big game against our rivals, Archbishop Ryan.
High Hopes for Champion Model UN Team of the aforementioned delegations were top in their respective committees. This year, our team, led by moderator Mr. Jeff Hylan and long-time coach Rev. John Hurley, hopes to achieve the same type of success. Such success, however, will not come easy due to the fact that the club, for the most part, lacks a senior class to carry the load. Therefore the juniors of the team, headed by President Dan Fritz, will have to rise to the occasion. When asked about what his expectations for the club are, Dan responded by saying, “For the first half of the year, I expect
By Sean Burns ’15 Last year, the Father Judge Model United Nations team could have been described as the “epitome of success.” The team remained undefeated in regional debates and placed in the top rankings at the Global Classrooms International Model UN Conference, held at the United Nations Headquarters and the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City. The team did receive some recognition for their efforts because five of Father Judge’s delegations won individual awards for their performances, while two
that the younger and less-experienced members of the club will learn the ins and outs of Model UN so that when they team up with the older members, we will be able to do the best that we possibly can and try to bring back another trophy to Father Judge when we head down to the National Championship at the U.S. Department of State.” Anyone interested in joining the Model UN team is more than welcome to attend any one of the club’s meetings that are usually held on Tuesdays in room 110, or see Mr. Hylan if you have any questions.
Band Happenings parades, and several holiday concerts in December. Groups performing at these events include the symphonic band, pep band, jazz band, drum line, and the guitar ensemble. These are all ensembles that cater to all interests of the band members. On Friday October 18, TriM Music Honor Society put on a fall coffee house which enabled musical acts of all kinds to take the stage. From solo acts to ensemble groups, the coffee house had it all. Anyone
By Matt Kelly ’14 As another school year begins at Father Judge, so does another eventful year for the Father Judge music program. Although it's only the beginning of October, students of the music department have been hard at work since late August to prepare for the many performances, events and activities that are soon approaching. Among these performances and events are football games,
at all who would like to perform is always welcome at an event such as this. There will also be a winter coffee house that is expected to run in February. Again, this will feature many different groups and musical genres of all kinds. This year’s Christmas concert will be on Thursday December 19 at 7:00. Come out and enjoy listening to your favorite holiday songs.
Winter Uniforms Old man winter is coming our way so make sure you know that the WINTER UNIFORM which consists of the school sweater, white shirt and school tie must be
worn beginning Tuesday, November 5. Please make sure your sweater and tie are in good condition and ready to wear. You can begin wearing the winter
uniform at anytime. The school sweater may also be worn over the golf shirt until November. No other sweaters or hoodies can be worn.
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The Government, according to our President and congress, was shut down on October 1st. But what does that really mean? Unemployment compensation for the millions of workers unemployed has been frozen, some government workers are working without pay, and the national parks are closed. Veteran’s monuments have fences around them to stop visitors. However, I was shocked to find that a two billion dollar National Security Agency Spy Center was allowed to open on the day of the shutdown. The press were not allowed to cover this event. Also, the last time I checked, no troops have returned from Afghanistan and the government still spends $300 million a day on the war. Homeland Security, which has an annual spending budget of $45 billion, has not been impacted whatsoever by the government shutdown. Is the government
shutdown an illusion created by the Obama Administration to pressure the republicans to sign off on Obamacare? Objectively looking at the performance of congress and the Obama Administration, they should receive penalties for poor work performance. The job the American people need to be done has not been accomplished by the democrats or the republicans. I would support a government shutdown if we could shut down government bodies that are unproductive and costly, like the congress of the United States. As of press the Government reopened under a temporary spending bill that will raise our debt ceiling and fund our government until February 2014.
Chemical Weapons in Syria By Tom Keashon ’15 The more than two and a half year ongoing conflict in Syria has resulted in the deaths of more than 100,000 Syrians. The conflict escalated this past August when innocent, non-combatant Syrians were ruthlessly gassed. President Obama described the use of saran gas as a “game-changer”, and threatened to launch missiles into Syria to take out the Syrian government for the use of chemical weapons against their own citizens. Recent evidence indicates that the use of chemical weapons was not done by the Syrian government, but by Islamic extremists who are backed and funded by the United States government. I can’t understand the rational of President Obama, Senator McCain or Secretary of the State John Kerry who present as Christians and fully endorse this brutal war which targets Christians. Saudi Arabian Intelligence Chief Prince Bandar has emptied death row in Saudi Arabia, flying over 1200 murderers, rapists, and others
guilty of capitol crimes, supplying them with automatic weapons, and giving their families subsidies for them to overthrow the Syrian government. Recent reports coming out of Syria have revealed that these U.S.-funded Islamic extremists have specifically targeted members of the Christian faith. Syrian Catholic priest François Murad was murdered along with many other Christians for the crime of not denying their faith. Reportedly, they offer Christians the choice to recant their faith or die a martyr. Videos posted online by these terrorists show one eating the heart of a Syrian soldier he just killed, another barbecuing the head of a helicopter pilot, and the most recent video is of two twelve year old boys being shot to death by firing squad for the crime of supporting their president. The media in the United States has failed to inform us that every Christian in Syria supports President Assad, because those who are intent on overthrowing him have clearly stated these Christians will become martyrs after the rebel victory.
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FEATURES Halloween Haunting History By Joe Sema ’14 Halloween in America is rather simple. You dress up in wacky costumes with friends and either go out trick or treat-
ing, or party out at your friends house, but when it comes to celebrating it anywhere besides in the United States it can vary dramatically. It is one of the world’s oldest holidays, dating back to pagan times, for reasons being that it’s good and harmless fun.
In China, Halloween is referred to as “Teng Chieh,” and on this day the Chinese place food and water in front of pictures of relatives that have past away. In order to guide the traveling spirits throughout the night, they light candles and create bonfires as a signal to come get their offering. This in turn has two purposes, one being that it reminds them of their family but also to free spirits of “pretas.” Pretas are spirits that have died without a proper burial such as by drowning or accidents, and the presence of Pretas is frightening to the Chinese people. Some countries don’t acknowledge the Halloween tradition and only think of it as
an American tradition. Halloween in France was virtually unknown until around the 1996, where crass commercialism and the love for parties blew it up into the holiday it is. In current times, the French dress up in traditional “scary” costumes like ghosts, goblins, witches, and vampires. This is very much different from the superheroes and cartoon characters we dress in, but the most changed tradition from the United States is that they go to store to store instead of knocking on random house each Halloween. Stores even advertise for people to visit their stores, which is much different from the way we do it.
SAT Prep By Andrew Weicker ’14 The SAT is an important part of your high school experience if you plan on attending a college or university. Good scores on this exam could determine whether or not you get accepted to a particular school, or even given a scholarship to attend a one. Here’s a to-do list to follow if you want to receive a college worthy score. Before the test, get organized. Know what to bring: admission ticket, 2 no.2 pencils and a soft eraser, photo identification, an acceptable calculator. It is also nice to
have: a watch (with no audible alarm), extra calculator batteries, a bag or backpack, and a drink or snacks. You also need to know what not to bring: cell phones or smart phones,iPods or other MP3 players, iPads or other tablet devices, laptops, notebooks, PDAs or any other personal computing devices, pagers or any other texting devices, separate timers of any type, cameras or other photographic equipment, any device capable of recording audio, photographic or video content, or capable of viewing or playing back such content.
Prepare for this test like an athlete prepares for a big game: get plenty of sleep the night before and have a good breakfast that morning. Studies show that doing both of these things will increase your scores. While taking the test, keep focused: use breaks to eat a snack or have a drink that you brought with you. Pace yourself. Each question counts the same. Don’t spend too much time on any one question. If you’re wondering when scores will be released, look for them on sat.collegeboard.org; Good luck on test day!
Blood Drive By Joe Sema ’14 As a first time donor to the blood drive, I do think that everyone could donate if they wanted to. We hear about it everywhere Assemblies, Posters, even some of friends and family donate to American Red Cross. But most of you out there still haven’t given a thought whether to just test the waters and see if its for you. I was the same way. I didn't really care about the blood drive and that's not saying I didn’t care about the lives it saved, but it was like another Judge event that I didn't think it’d be worth taking my time to do. Now that I’ve taken a stab at it, I can clearly see that it’s not that bad to do. My friend, a Red Cross donor himself who has done it every year since we were freshmen, constantly bickers to me about it every year asking me to donate, and finally
after senior year I gave in. Besides the slight pressure from the needles, the benefits outweigh the cons. Yes, you can skip that AP class that no matter what you do, you have the urge to lay your head down and let your teachers words sooth you to sleep. Yes, you get free pretzels and can chill with your friends for the rest of the period, but that’s only a side perk to the main focus of why you’re there. Helping the people out in third world countries and pumping the life back into the hearts of patients of America is what really brings back the average person to donate blood in the first place; knowing that somewhere in the world you are saving lives with a tiny bit of the time it takes to give blood, really can mean more to someone than just another excuse out of class. The Fall Blood Drive had 133 people sign up with 116 processed, resulting in 110 productive units for the Red Cross. Each pint of blood can save up to 3 lives. Thanks to all who donated.
Events The Annual Haunted House “A Nightmare on Solly Avenue” was held on Saturday Night October 26 and was a huge success.
Thanks for all who volunteered their time to makes this annual haunting tradition a success.
sports Sports Highlights Varsity Football • Varsity Football record as of October 22 is 5-3. • Judge versus Roman Saturday October 26th 1:30 pm at Northeast High school. • Judge versus Lincoln at the annual Turkey Bowl Thursday November 28 at Lincoln High. Soccer • Varsity Soccer finished the regular season 16-1-0 • Varsity Soccer heads to the PCL semi finals after beating
Bonner 3-0 on Monday October 21, 2013 at Ramp Field • Congratulations to the JV Soccer team who finished the season with a record of 11-0-2 Cross Country • District XII Championship at Belmont Plateau 4:30 Golf The Golf Team finished with a record of 6-7 and were ranked 8th in the regular season and in 7th place at Champs. All Catholics 2013 were Connor Sharp, and Dan Fritz. Dan Fritz finished 18th at Champs which was 18 spots higher than his regular season ranking which earned him an All Catholic at Champs.
The Fall of Pete Laviolette By Andrew Weicker ’14 After three miserable loses to start off the new 82 game season, the Flyers have fired Head Coach Peter Laviolette (along with assistant coach Kevin McCarthy). This comes as a shock to some fans, but doesn't come soon enough for others. To take over the helm, the team has decided to promote assistant coach Craig Berube to head of the bench (with no interim tag). Berube becomes the 18th Head Coach in the team's 46 year history This was, at the start, his seventh season as a Flyers assistant coach. John Paddock (a for-
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mer Flyers coach) and former Flyer tough-guy Ian Laperriere are the new assistant coaches. With Laperriere (director of player development) moving to the Flyers bench in assistant coach role, Kjell Samuelsson assumes that position; his assistant is former Flyer Captain Derian Hatcher. In the last 25 years, the Flyers have had 12 coaches. Laviolette leaves the Flyers
after coaching in 269 games, winning 145 of them, he also lead the team to multiple playoff appearances, including a magical 2010 playoff run that had the team appearing in the Stanley Cup Finals, and falling just 2 games short of winning that coveted trophy. This firing means that all four of Philadelphia's major sports teams (Eagles, 76ers, Phillies and now Flyers) all have fired their head coaches in less than a full calendar year. Chip Kelly, the new Eagles coach, is now the longest tenured coach within the four major sports, only having the position since January 16th.