The Aquilian March 2019 Volume 81, Number 5
Gonzaga College High School Men For Others Since 1821
19 Eye St, NW Washington, DC 20001
Champs, Champs, Champs, Champs By: Mike Husk ‘22 Contributor
By: Jack Martino ‘20 Editor
By: James Owan ‘21 Contributor
By: Patrick Fogarty ‘21 Contributor
On February 11th, the Gonzaga Indoor Track and Field team won the DCSAA championship for the third time in the last four years in dominant fashion. Gonzaga won it with 107 points with the next team being Carroll with 81 points. Consistency was key in Gonzaga’s victory with them getting at least one guy in the top 5 in 10 of the 14 events, but it did not end there. The big stats came in the distance races. In the 500 meter and the 800 meter races, Marcus Stackhouse ‘19 finished 2nd and 1st respectively with times of 1:09.29 and 2:04.82. The 800 meter race was featured with Stackhouse winning by a very slight margin of .19 seconds to Devin Smith of Carroll. Next, the 1600 and 3200 me-
On Friday, February 22nd, the buzzer sounded at the Gardens Ice House in Laurel, Maryland. Gear went flying into the air and the Archbishop Spalding captain literally began to cry. The Gonzaga V1 hockey team had just won its third straight Mid-Atlantic Prep Hockey League title, defeating Spalding 5-1. This season was not supposed to go this way for the Eagles. “The feeling in the DC area [at the beginning of the season] was that Gonzaga would be good, as Gonzaga typically is, but that we might be vulnerable this year,” explains head coach Sammy Gerdano, “Losing several good players to graduation and early to prep school, new coach, freshmen goalies; I think some people thought we might take a step back.” During the season, the team
In a season that saw the Gonzaga Varsity Basketball team travel to the Slam Dunk to the Beach in Lewes, DE to pick up three wins, and to Wheeling, WV to knock off Bishop Gorman (NV), the Eagles saved their best run for the WCAC Championship right here in Washington, DC. This past February Gonzaga beat St. Johns for the WCAC championship 60-56 at American University. This was Gonzaga’s third title in five years. The Eagles had reached the championship after a convincing win over Paul VI the day before while St. Johns had defeated Dematha in the semi-finals. The Eagles took an early lead going up 18-9 at the end of the first quarter. St. Johns made a late push in the fourth quarter, cutting the lead. Eventually the game came down
The Gonzaga Swim Team won both the WMPSSDL’s and WCAC’s this year. This can be credited to a University of Maryland club swimmer and Gonzaga alum, Coach Patrick Maloney ‘12. His preseason preparation is extensive. According to the world renowned history teacher, collegiate water polo player, and Gonzaga swim coach, Mr. Pugliese, “Coach Maloney has a pretty interesting preparation strategy. He spends most of the off-season visiting the pools we’re going to swim in...at least 2-3 a week. He’ll spend hours there visualizing the meet, practicing the walk in from the parking lot, mathematically identifying the best place to stand to watch a swimmer in each lane...and, of course, spending lots of time just
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Rugby, p.3
Prayers & Rally, p. 4
Grease, p.5
New Courses, p.6
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OP/ED Kairos
By: Colin Lychak ‘20 Contributor Ask any alumni and they will tell you that Kairos was one of the favorite experiences from their time at Gonzaga. It is a retreat that completely embodies what our school represents: Ignatian Heritage, spirituality, faith, brotherhood. But, as many of you may know by now, Kairos CL was the first ever to be cancelled early due to the actions of retreatants. No one could have foretold how this one Kairos would shake a seemingly unbreakable two hundred years of our school’s legacy. I did not think much of attending Kairos CL; that is, I thought it would be just like all the rest. Kairos had that reputation of being a retreat that you needed to attend in order to obtain the full experience at Gonzaga. From the parts of Kairos I completed, the retreat fully lived up to its reputation, but it was the retreatants who failed to live up to theirs. After the acts were committed and Kairos was subsequently cancelled, the news inevitably spread throughout our entire school
and beyond; two Washington Post articles were published describing the events of Kairos CL and Gonzaga’s response. It quickly became apparent that this situation was tearing us apart - both inside and out. Confusion, shock, injustice, hostility, resentment, and disgust are just some of the feelings our community has experienced after learning what took place. Some believe the punishment for major perpetrators to be too lenient, some believe it was too harsh, and others call for major reforms to the Kairos retreat. While I believe anyone is justified and entitled to their own opinions and feelings, it is important to remember that we are a Catholic school, and forgiveness is a fundamental principle of our faith. Even though the acts of some students were reprehensible, as Christians we are called to love and forgive our brothers and sisters. Kairos CLI was the first to embark after CL, marking the first step on the road to healing and restoration. I completely trust that my classmates will immerse
I am Strong Like Dying Oak
themselves into the retreat and fully give Kairos the respect it deserves. Currently, we have already taken mas- By: Joseph Weté ‘19 sive steps to rebuild connec- Senior Contributor tion, communication, and In my forest trust within our community. there’s a deer Just recently in the Library, dipped in mud, students held conversaand blood. tions about their concerns, She wears thorns thoughts, and questions as a crown about the state of Gonzaga. and ivy Students have also held a for shoes. meeting with Father PlanHer soul’s warm ning regarding the following with colder times. concerns: communication/ transparency between the I see nomadic leaves administration and students, waiting to catch student punishment, the funext wind. ture of the Library, Kairos, Toiling and trapped Gonzaga’s reputation, the by stones in satin soil, faculty/student relationship, until they become school culture, and lack of the trapper. diversity within the Gonzaga They lived community. a good life. With these seemingly small strides, students have Today I feel lost, taken the initiative to rebuild a hear soft damaged Gonzaga reputation and see pine. and re-establish our sense of I dip my feet brotherhood. Though it has in mud, been surely been a struggle cut myself for these past few months, I with thorns, urge everyone to reflect and and lie stale realize that Gonzaga and its upon an old tree until legacy still remains, and it alI feel strong like dying ways will, AMDG. Oak.
Indoor Track Takes DCSAA Continued from p. 1 ter races were completely controlled by Gonzaga with Gonzaga fielding 3 of the top 4 places in the 1600 and 3 of the top 6 in the 3200. Gonzaga’s fast group was led by Gavin McElhennon ‘20, who finished 1st and 2nd respectively, Cullen Capuano ‘20, and Patrick Donnelly ‘21. When asked how Gonzaga did so well in these distance races, Capuano said that “our team works hard all year preparing for our championship races whether it is the work we do all season, or the 500+ miles of training we do over the summer.” Those distances really did create a spark for Gonzaga,
but that was not the highlight of the distance races for the Eagles. The highlight was the record-breaking performance in the 4x800 with a 8:27.04, beating the next team, which was Carroll, who also broke the original record, by almost 3 seconds while beating the original record by more than five seconds! In the 4x800 for Gonzaga was Gavin Farley ‘19, Capuano ‘20, McElhennon ‘20, and Seamus O’Connor ‘22. In the other races, Gonzaga, unfortunately, did not get anyone in the top 2, but they did get some good results. In the long jump finals, Justin Fronda ‘20 and Luke Giannini ‘21 finished 3rd and 4th respectively. The shot
The Aquilian Founded In 1940 Gonzaga College High School 19 Eye Street NW Washington, DC 20001 Men For Others in the Jesuit Tradition Since 1821
put finals also got a Gonzaga guy in the top 3 with Tre McGuire ‘20 finishing 3rd and in the 55 meter hurdles, Nicholas Fiorenza ‘19 and McGuire ‘20 finished 4th and 5th respectively. Overall, though, Gonzaga basically handled the whole meet with their highlights coming from the distance races and their sustainability of being able to hang on for the win in the sprinting, jumping, and hurdling races. From Capuano’s perspective, he says that “the work we had been doing all season and running well in previous races gave us momentum to perform well that day.”
Editor-in-Chief Joe Boland ‘19 Daniel Podratsky ‘19 Photo Editor Peter Rizzo ‘19
With help from the Gonzaga Poets & Writers, The Aquilian looks forward to featurng a work of poetry written by a Gonzaga Student in each issue.
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to free throws with Terrance Williams stepping up to close the game. He finished with 20 points along with Anwar Gill also contributing 19 points. Gonzaga finished this year with a record of 28-9. For the Eagles it was an opportunity for redemption in the WCAC finals. With a narrow loss to DeMatha to end the 2017-2018 campaign, the team would not be denied this year. Fan support was a critical element in the team’s run to the title. The future looks bright with the team losing only two returning starters.
dropped league games to Georgetown Prep, Bishop O’Connell, St. John’s, and Spalding. The Washington Post ranked Gonzaga 9th in the Top 10 at the end of the regular season, a dramatic fall from the number one seed in November. “Going into the ‘yoffs, I felt confident in the work we put in as a team,” remarked senior captain Tommy Krisztinicz (affectionately called TK), “We needed to play every game with composure and fire to leave nothing up for grabs.” Continued on p. 3
Editors Patrick Begala ‘19 Andy Borman ‘19 Tommy Fisher ‘20 Josh Knutsen ‘20 Jack Martino ‘20 Adam Wojciak ‘20 Moderator: Dr. Harry Rissetto
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Rugby - You Might as well TRY By: Rob Dimond ‘21 Contributor Gonzaga Rugby is the largest athletic program at Gonzaga, with a total of 209 students included. The four teams make a “good balance of providing an opportunity for everybody to connect by playing a sport at Gonzaga,” said Head Coach Peter Baggetta. On St. Patrick’s Day, the team headed up to New York City to face their biggest East Coast rivals, Xavier Jesuit High School, who was ranked #1. In an exciting finish the Purple scored a try on a JT Thompson run in the final minute. Gordie McMillen sealed the win with a conversion as time expired on the pitch at Randall’s Island.
Over Spring Break the team will make a trip to Portugal to play the Portuguese national team. Senior Jack Johnson said, “Our forward pack is looking very good, despite being slightly undersized. While we are dealing with injuries, our senior players are stepping up and doing the job that is asked of them. There is still a lot we need to prove not only to the country, but to ourselves. We are the best team in the country and it is a testament to our hard work and tight knit community.” Senior Neil Kelly said. “Rugby is a great experience, ya know? You learn about hard work, commitment, team work, brotherhood, and it also helps you mentally because you gotta learn how to defend against the other team
based on where they are on the field, and you gotta know your situation and where you need to be at what time during the game.” When asked about Coach Baggetta, Neil said, “He is a great leader, and he puts a big focus on doing the little things right, and that’s why we’ve been so successful, so that has an effect not only on the field but also in the classroom and everything else in life.” Gonzaga’s Varsity Black is starting their season as well. They have an upcoming game against the Bell Multicultural High School in D.C. “It’s a great experience, Rugby is really fun, and the team is managed very well. It is great for people who want to try a new sport, which is what I did Freshman year.
You can join in any year, and you will be accepted. All of the players have a special bond with each other,” Varsity Black player Adam Bilbo (‘21) says when being asked about the Rugby program. The Junior Varsity team recently defeated the Raleigh Redhawks, which will hopefully get the ball rolling. The freshman team is 3-0, beathing St. Ignatius from Cleveland and Xavier from NYC. These freshmen gained valuable experience attending the New York trip alongside the Varsity Purple team. The Varsity Purple Eagles have won 4 out of the last 5 High School National Championships. They are the first team to win four, the first team to win 3 in a row, and the first team to make 10 straight semifinal appear-
in a row, many swim enthusiasts speculate that Gonzaga’s swimmers might achieve a decade of dominance in 2020 over the competition in the WMPSSDL’s. Gonzaga’s success in swimming stems from the spirit and brotherhood of Gonzaga. Coach Maloney is most proud of how even the JV swimmers show up to the championships and “clog the end of the lanes with purple and drown out all other cheers”. Sophomore Ryan Bond says that “even not swimming is fun because it is fun to cheer on the rest of the team”. Gonzaga’s success does not go to the swimmers head, though. Winning the WMPSSDL annually “makes the meet one that we go all out for… the team goes in confident, not cocky, and swims as hard as possible,” according to Coach Maloney the championship is “not one that we want to win, but one
which we need to win”. When asked about the multiple championships Mr. Pugliese said, “We had four championship meets this year - WMPSSDL’s, National Catholics, Easterns, and WCAC’s. Each meet is unique - different structures, different teams invited - Easterns, for example, is an incredibly fast meet with teams from as far away as Bermuda coming to compete, so what works at WMPSSL’s might not necessarily work at another championship. Characteristically though, Gonzaga swim & dive is set apart by our depth. Most teams have at least a few fast swimmers, but Gonzaga consistently has a deep bench. For example, another team might have the fastest swimmer in a particular event, but we might get 4 or 5 in the top 8. I believe we’re also set apart by our spirit and support for one
another (Gonzaga swimmers make a point to be behind the lane cheering whenever a teammate is swimming), but depth wins meets. The culture of the Gonzaga Swim Team is also worth mentioning. Mr. Pugliese said, “A tradition of winning requires a culture of hard work - we can’t get complacent. Coach Maloney never takes a meet for granted, no matter how many times we’ve won it in the past. The pressure to continue the tradition can be positive because it pushes us to keep working hard and to hold a high standard. We went to Easterns this year which is a much faster meet than we’re used to - we knew that we weren’t going to win, but the opportunity to be part of such a top-notch meet made a big impression on our guys. It’s good not to always be the biggest fish in the pond.”
Mr. Pugliese, Coach Maloney, and Ryan Bond all agree that the best part of swim team is jumping into the pool after winning a championship. The ever-insightful Ryan Bond enlightened me to the fact that “winning is awesome, it’s great jumping into the pool after winning”. When asked about the origin of jumping into the pool, Coach Maloney said that it can be traced back to Frederick Barbarossa of the Holy Roman Empire. Apparently Frederick Barbarossa’s horse was so excited to see water after a long trek through the desert, it tossed Frederick Barbarossa into the pond. Weighted down by his armor, Frederick Barbarossa drowned. Gonzaga Eagles can swim though, a skill ancient emperors lacked.
markably, the Eagles found themselves in a comfortable situation as all lower seeds won in the playoffs quarterfinals. The reseeding gave Gonzaga the number one seed and the opportunity to beat Landon,2-1. Gonzaga would face Spalding in the championship, and the boys felt more confident than ever. “We never stopped focusing on ways we could get better. A lot of
that focus was on-ice related, but some of it was off the ice. On the bench and in the locker room, the team really came together,” observed Coach Gerdano. In the championship game, the Eagles struck first with a first period power play goal from the point by Farrell Dinn. In the second, on another power play, Dinn scored again, this time from the right circle. Also in the second, sophomore defenseman Sean Kilcullen netted one from the goal line off a
hard shot from TK, giving the Eagles the three goal lead. Spalding only got one shot through during the second period, and freshman netminder Peter Pirone stayed solid the rest of the game. The Eagles put the icing on the cake in the third period with a tap in goal from TK and a third from Dinn. When the buzzer sounded, the Eagles had completed the steamrolling of Spalding 5-1 en route to their third straight championship, a feat never accomplished in the MAPHL
era. The rising senior class looks to cement their legacy by looking ahead to another title next season. “It was an incredible experience being a part of the threepeat,” reminisces Krisztinicz, “Such a great group of guys coming together and sacrificing for one another. I will miss Fort Dupont, battle days, and the relationships I’ve made along the way. G Hockey forever.”
ances. “Our goal always is to compete for a national championship,” says Coach Baggetta. Let’s hope Gonzaga Rugby keeps the streak going!
Swimming Wins the WMPSSDL9 Continued from p. 1 soaking in the pool. He calls it ‘building a relationship with the water.’ He actually carries around a bottle of pool water from every pool we’re going to swim in - so, like, 10 water bottles on him at any given time. By the time we get to the actual season, he’ll actually start drinking pool water about a week before the meet. The theory is that if 80% of your body is water, but all the water you drink comes from, say, the Fairlands Aquatic Center, Pat himself will be 80% Fairlands Aquatic Center when he’s coaching a meet there. This obviously gives him a pretty serious leg up on the competition - no one knows the pool better than Pat. You can’t argue with results.” Gonzaga’s most important championship was the WMPSSDL’s. As their ninth
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The team went into the MAPHL playoffs as the number 5 seed, set to face O’Connell in the quarterfinal round as the away team and the underdog. The Knights scored first, but the four unanswered goals from junior Jack Martino, junior Farrell Dinn, captain TK, and junior Luca Docking, propelled the Eagles into the semis. Re-
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Gonzaga Students Rally against Gun Violence By: Aquilian Staff
Photo By: Ryan Vigilante ‘19
Photo By: Tomas Williamson ‘19
On March 14, 2019, a group of Gonzaga students joined Montgomery County public school students and others who marched to the U.S. Capitol building in support of gun control legislation. The event commemorated both the loss of seventeen students at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on March 14, 2018. Students on Eye Street walked out of classes at 10:15 a.m. and met on Buchanan Field for a prayer service. Gonzaga students then marched to the Capitol, joining hundreds of students from across the metro area.
Photo By: Tomas Williamson ‘19
Photo By: Ryan Vigilante ‘19
Photo By: Tomas Williamson ‘19
OP/ED - North Korean Denuclearization By: Matthew Dowd ‘22 Contributor In 1992, North Korea promised, for the first time, to denuclearize the Korean peninsula. Now, almost thirty years later, the world is dealing with the same problem. 1994, President Jimmy Carter visited North Korea and spoke with the leader of the time: Kim Il-sung. In 2019, President Donald Trump became the first president to accept an invite to a meeting from Kim Jong-un. Clearly, there are many similarities to past negotiations. The only question is, will we see any results? Nuclear war is an ominous threat that is almost too vast to think of. To give some perspective, an online simulator was created called the nuclearsecrecy.com simulator. If the largest nuclear bomb in the US arsenal was detonated above Washington, DC, devastating effects would follow suit. DC and McLean would be completely destroyed, and even Fairfax would be feeling the effects of a nuclear bomb immediately. If the same bomb was dropped on Manhattan, the entire city would be gone. If done again on the
island of Guam, the entire island would be in the danger zone of the blast. The scary part is, all of the locations that I listed were on North Korea’s ‘hit list’ of possible attacks in the United States. Whether or not North Korea is capable of this is debatable, but the fear there. After a propaganda video emerged from inside the regime depicting the destruction of the Capital, the military took extreme measures to improve anti-ICBM defenses. This became even more important after it was discovered that only half of missiles can be shot down by land-based defense systems. Clearly, North Korea was a large threat that the president himself had to deal with. The forty-fifth president has had several ground shaking summits with foreign leaders, including a few with our enemies. The president has had varying degrees of success across the board, with a few relatively minor mistakes made with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump’s foreign policy is clearly not the best, but it has made America the spectacle of international criticism. In general, I believe that Trump’s new tactics have
given America a newfound individual voice. North Korea is no different from these examples. Generally known as Trump’s greatest achievement out of many, the denuclearization of North Korea went over better than anyone had expected. In the weeks prior to the historic summit, many names were called. Trump calling the dictator ‘Rocket Man’ prompted Kim to label Trump as a ‘Dotard’, whatever that means. Kim also launched a weapon-class ICBM over the main island of Japan, which obviously drew attention on the world stage. However, once a date had been mutually agreed upon, Trump surprisingly backed out of the summit. This is my prime example when I try to prove Trump’s amazing strategy. Throughout his campaign, he used rhetoric and unpredictability to his advantage, whether it be used to eliminate a competitor or to expose a rival. This is just another example of that skill. It is my belief that the president used this back-out to test the North Korean dictator’s loyalty to the summit. Many people may say that Trump’s unpredictabil-
ity can prompt real-world reactions. For instance, when Trump said that North Korea’s nuclear policy would be greeted with ‘fire and fury,’ many Democrats were quick to attack Trump for his instability. Rep. Maxine Waters even accused Trump of bluffing. These people think that Trump does not have a strategy with North Korea and that Trump is simply throwing around words aimlessly. When Trump backed out of the agreement, the Democrats had an identical response. My response to that is: How? Trump won the most unwinnable election. Buzzfeed once said that the current president has a 1.6% chance of winning, yet he did. This is similar, because, after Trump backed out, Kim refused to back out; this proof of loyalty brought the US back into the arrangement. Long story short, the Singapore summit went perfectly. There were mutual agreement and compromise, which is always necessary. The recent Hanoi summit, though, was not as similar. President Trump left the summit early when Chairman Kim asked for complete ease
of sanctions toward North Korea. Similar to during the government shutdown with the Democrat leaders, Trump simply walked out of the meeting. Recent investigations of North Korea have revealed that a key nuclear testing site is being rapidly rebuilt, which is not good. Over the course of one month, Kim has been able to undo all the destruction to the site from over a year ago. Although we could be facing a new threat from the regime, The New York Times does not think there is anything to be worried about yet. During the Cold War, we overcame the communists and forced them to dismantle their arsenal. If North Korea is lenient in the next summit, we will hopefully not face any more threats from North Korea. If the regime restarts its nuclear program with its crosshairs on any US city, North Korea will be met with the ‘fire and fury’ that the president initially promised. However, with this current trend of denuclearization, I think we will open up this secretive nation and turn it into a major economic power in the future world.
Grease - It’s the Word By: John Ferrera ‘22 Contributor Lights, camera (not really), action! On Friday, March 8th the Gonzaga Drama Association took to the stage to show the world what they’ve been laboring on for months. It all started back in December when the GDA held auditions for Grease, a musical based off of the 1978 hit movie. According to Coleman Bunn ’20, who played Coach Calhoun and a Burger Palace Boy, over 100 people auditioned for this show; however, after auditions, the cast was narrowed down to a select 57 members, including girls who came from a number of schools in the DMV. Practices leading up to the production ran for 2 1/2 hours per day five times a week early on and
then ramped up to six to seven times per week once the end of February hit. From my point of view, the practices really paid off as I thought every scene, song, and dance was executed to perfection. I particularly enjoyed the song, “Born to Hand Jive” which was sung by the entire cast. The Sheehy Theatre was filled to the brim, with what appeared to be a sold-out show on opening night. Sarah Slimp, of Stone Ridge, and Emily Orem, of Holy Cross, alternated playing Sandy Dumbrowski, the main female character while Danny Zuko, the male lead was played by Ben Campion ’20. The play was not only fun for the crowd to watch, but also for the actors to partake in. Freshman, Abe Dibba, said his favorite part of the play was meeting “so
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many new people that [he] wouldn’t have ever met before joining GDA.” There were six evening performances through the middle of March with the final curtain call happening on th March 17 . The show was not only a success on opening night, but continued to entertain a packed house throughout its run. Stand by and get ready to throw your hat in the ring to be part of GDA’s next hit production in the fall of 2019! Photo By: Mrs. Kerrie Dent
An Interview with the New College Counselor By: Reid Norton ‘21 Contributor
A: How has the transition been from your previous school? Mrs. D: It has been great! It is not easy starting at this point in the school year, but everyone has been so welcoming and helpful, that it has made it a wonderful transition.
A new college counselor was hired and has just started working at Gonzaga. Her name is Mrs. Angela Davies and she moved here from Ohio. I asked her a few questions to get to know more about her and her life before A: What is your favorite part Gonzaga. about Gonzaga? Mrs. D: It has only been a Aquilian: How does the week, but so far my favorite school you previously part is the people - from the worked at compare with Gonzaga? Mrs. Davies: I worked at a Catholic all-girls high school in Cincinnati, Ohio - Mount Notre Dame. So, the clientele is a bit different! MND was in suburban Cincinnati, so commuting to a school in an urban setting is an adjustment, but I’m enjoying it so far.
students to faculty and staff, come to realize that my faeveryone has been incredibly vorite part of my job was the nice and helpful. college piece. I love helping students realize their potenA: What brought you to DC? tial and guide them through Mrs. D: We relocated from the college process. Cincinnati due to my husband’s job. We just moved to A: What are your top 3 fathe area last weekend! vorite movies? Mrs. D: Lion King, Mean A: What made you want to Girls, Remember the Titans. be a college counselor? I’m a huge Harry Potter fan, Mrs. D: I have been work- but I like the books better ing as a school counselor for than the movies. the past nine years, and I’ve A: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would you go? Mrs. D: A warm and sunny beach in the Caribbean. A: Do you have a favorite animal/pet? Mrs. D: I have a dog named Buckeye, but we call him Buck. He is the cuddliest and nicest dog in the world, but
he is scared of everything. I mean everything - any floor that is not carpet, trash cans, sewer grates, his shadow, etc. A: What is your favorite item on the menu at SAGE? Mrs. D: I have only had the coffee, I haven’t had the chance to eat here! A: What do you like to do in your free time? Mrs. D: I love to read, cook and travel. I also love sports - Ohio State Football is my favorite, but I am also a Reds fan, Browns fan, and a Xavier Basketball fan. Since Mrs. Davies has only been with us for a week, she is probably not familiar with many students, so make sure to say hello if you see her in the hallway!
WZAG Burns By: Brendan Burns ‘20 Contributor The Mr. Maddox Interview, the Prep feature, The Office; each of these iconic WZAG features has one thing in common - they were all the talk of the school when they were aired. While there have been a few entertaining features this year, there hasn’t been that one that captivates the entire student body.
Everyone must be wondering the same thing as me: what has changed? It could be a problem with the severity of the guidelines of content, or maybe it’s just a lack of solid material. After talking to a few students about the issue, I concluded that the main reason for this WZAG drought isn’t stricter rules, but it’s the quality of features to live up to. When we compare this year’s features to the WZAG
legends, we fail to realize that creating features as engaging and funny as the greats is not as easy as it looks. One member of WZAG explained, “Every year there are features that are successes and features that flop.” As the audience, we tend to overlook the diverting features and focus on the “flops” that have been aired. A fellow WZAG viewer chimed in, “[WZAG] is definitely better than last year’s,
but not even close to the ‘Matt Gannon golden age.’” The legendary features now serve as our standards of comedy, so we often disregard anything that doesn’t match their humor. As a school, we should try to be more understanding of WZAG. However, this doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t expect entertaining features. There was a time when I would eagerly wait for a fea-
ture during homeroom, and I hope that Gonzaga can return to this state of anticipation in the mornings when the daily broadcast is projected onto each homeroom’s screen. Until then, WZAG, you’ve got some work to do. *Editor’s Note: Yeah, we get it. Just put a huge target on our own backs as The Aprilian is about to come out next month. Threw down the gauntlet...upon ourselves.
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New Courses
By: Jack Dougherty ‘20 Contributor Next year, Gonzaga will be offering several new/modified history courses for seniors. These classes include AP Comparative Government, War & Politics: Film Study, as well as Lakota History and Culture. AP Comparative Government will be taught by Mrs. Metcalf. This course will examine international relations and politics, and will focus on the five countries of Great Britain, Russia, North Korea, Nigeria, and Brazil. In studying these countries throughout the semester, students will learn the ways nations cooperate and how their foreign policies work. The Constitution will be looked at for some time as well. A large amount of class time will also be given to discuss current events, and take advantage of research opportunities. War & Politics: Film Study will be a social studies class taught by Mr. Cardozo and Mr. Lipari. The course’s goal will be to understand the impacts of the political, economic, and social environments on films in the twentieth century, and how these movies contributed to the shaping of American culture. Students will both watch and analyze films, and learn how they impacted the peoples of the United States in the past. The class will make its way through each decade of the nineteen hundreds, focusing on historic events, and gaining new perspectives into the societies of past times. Students will also have the opportunity to study film history itself, and view a large number of great movies. Lakota History and Cul-
ture examines an area of study which is often overlooked, Native American History. According to Mr. Pugliese, the intent of the class is to “provide a way for Gonzaga to strengthen its relationship with and commitment to the Lakota community of the Red Cloud Indian School.” Throughout the semester the study of the history, relations and conflicts, as well as religious beliefs and customs of the Lakota people will be emphasized. Not only will the history class look at the peoples’ origins, but also their and other Native Americans’ current fight for justice and survival in their modern history of activism. The course will revolve around readings, and will include the viewing of films and documentaries during long periods. Class time and work will challenge students to “reconsider their conceptions of what it means to be an Indian and what it means to be responsible to Indian communities.” Days in the Lakota History class may even be devoted to receiving face to face interaction with members of the Lakota tribe, as Mr. Pugliese plans to reach out to the Red Cloud community in hopes to skype with a number of individuals. Here are the three new/ modified history courses being offered for the 2018-2019 school year. As a student, it is important to expand your knowledge, and try new things. Choosing to learn about a subject you would never have considered before is important, as it could end up being an area of study you genuinely love and use for the rest of your life.
NFL Draft - The Top #15 By: Gabriel Brady ‘21 Contributor
Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Devin White, LB, LSU! The Buccaneers need defensive help, and getting a high potential player like White would help that. He’s very fast, as he ran a 4.42 40 time, but he needs to do a better job on his reads in-game.
With the NFL Draft coming up on April 25, I put together a prediction of the top fifteen picks. I only went up to the fifteenth pick because the Redskins pick is there, and as a Redskins fan, that is the only pick I’m worried about. New York Giants select Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio Arizona Cardinals select State! I was tempted to give Nick Bosa, EDGE, Ohio the Giants offensive line State! Many people suspect help, but I find it unlikely that Kyler Murray will head to they would pass on Haskins, the Cardinals at #1; however, a polished pocket passer. I find that unlikely because They get Eli Manning’s rethe Cardinals would have to placement and a potential admit they whiffed on their star to pair with Saquon Barlast first round pick, Josh kley, who will lead the league Rosen. I find it more likely in rushing yards if the Giants that they take the best player invest in an offensive line. in the draft, Nick Bosa. Jacksonville Jaguars select San Francisco 49ers select Jawaan Taylor, OT, FloriQuinnen Williams, DL, da! After signing Nick Foles Alabama! The 49ers would and moving on from Blake probably like Bosa the most, Bortles, which makes Jason but Quinnen Williams is a Mendoza from “The Good close second. Along with Place” very sad, the Jaguars their signing of Dee Ford give the former Super Bowl from the Chiefs, Williams MVP more protection by would improve their defence signing a lineman. and give them a potentially elite defensive unit. Detroit Lions select Montez Sweat, EDGE, Mississippi New York Jets select Josh State! The Lions improve Allen, EDGE, Kentucky! their defense with Sweat, an The Jets need pass rush help explosive athlete who imon the edge. With Bosa gone, pressed at the NFL Combine. they take Allen, who is a At 6’6, Montez is huge, and great fit in their 3-4 scheme. his 4.41 40 time is incredibly He had a spectacular senior impressive. season with 88 tackles and 17 sacks. Buffalo Bills select D.K. Metcalf, WR, Mississippi! Oakland Raiders select Metcalf is athletically elite; Kyler Murray, QB, Okla- he ran a 4.33 40 yard dash, homa! The Raiders have he has a 40 inch vertical, and signed Antonio Brown and he only has 1.9 percent body Tyrell Williams, both deep fat. He did not perform well threats, but they are stuck in the shuttle drills, and he with Derek Carr, who rarely sometimes has hands like throws the deep ball. Hav- feet, but there is no denying ing Kyler Murray would give his immense potential. them an explosive offense.
Denver Broncos select Drew Lock, QB, Missouri! The Broncos need a good, young quarterback; Joe Flacco is not the long-term answer. Drew Lock might be. He has a big arm, and he is somewhat reminiscent of Patrick Mahomes. Cincinnati Bengals select Rashan Gary, DL, Michigan! Rashan Gary was the #1 player in his high school class, but his production at Michigan never matched his athletic ability; nevertheless, he still has the potential to be a defensive force. Green Bay Packers select Josh Jacobs, RB, Alabama! The Packers need an upgrade at running back. I have them taking Jacobs, who showed good vision at Alabama. Miami Dolphins select Jonah Williams, OT, Alabama! The Dolphins need a quarterback, but with no one providing good value at pick #13, they shore up their Oline with Jonah Williams. Atlanta Falcons select Brian Burns, EDGE, Florida State! Burns is a talented and athletic edge rusher. He has good pass rush moves, size, and speed. Washington Redskins select Ed Oliver, DL, Houston! The Redskins need a wide receiver, a linebacker, and a left guard. Ed Oliver is none of those, so this pick may not make a ton of sense off the bat. Oliver is the best player available at this point, despite being undersized. The Redskins already have a great defensive line, but by adding Ed Oliver it would become elite.
Super Bowl LIII: A Remarkable Game
By: Michael Kennedy ‘20 Contributor Over one month ago, on February 3, 2019, Super Bowl LIII was played between the young-gun Los Angeles Rams, and the veteran New England Patriots. The game was the most interesting in recent history, and the commercials were far from memorable. To many, the only highlight of the game was Spongebob’s guest appearance in the halftime show. Although the Super Bowl 53 may have seemed like a waste of time, it was far from it. In fact, if you dig a little deeper into the game,
you will find that the game was groundbreaking. It was truly remarkable. Johnny Hekker, the 29 year old punter for the Rams, broke records during the game. Hekker showed his strength when he blasted a Super Bowl long 65 yard punt. However, his prowess did not end there. Hekker was called to punt a record 8 consecutive times, which is a true ode to his mastery of punting. For me, it seemed as if the Rams wanted Hekker to punt, just so everyone could enjoy the beauty of his craft. In a game full of mediocrity, Hekker shined.
On a lighter note, legends such as Tom Brady and Bill Belichick stood the test of time. Brady became the oldest Super Bowl winning quarterback at age 41, and Bill Belichick became the oldest winning head coach at a whopping 66. Most Americans at age 66 were watching the Superbowl in their retirement homes, but not Bill. Belichick was out doing what he loved, proving to everyone that younger is not always better. Audiences, however, were able to witness something more remarkable than Coach Belichick conquering
Mother Time. Were were witness to Bill Belichick’s gleaming smile. It was life changing sight. You may ask, what could be more impressive than Johnny Hecker’s punting ability, or the smile of a 66 year old man? To be honest, there isn’t much. The building of the pyramids is a slightly greater feat, as well as winning the Revolutionary War. However, one feat beats out any feat of mankind ever. It is more impressive than the moon landing, and more incredible than the founding of the light bulb. That feat,
is the outstanding mediocrity of offensive play in the Super Bowl. The Rams scored a whopping ZERO touchdowns, and the two teams combined for a record-low 16 points. There have been NHL games with more goals scored than 16.Their play in Super Bowl LIII will live forever, and will be remembered with awe. After having a month to digest Suprbowl LIII, I stand by the fact that it was a remarkable game. It really was. Super Bowl LIII was a remarkably boring game.
Ode to the Gonzaga Library By: Tommy Fisher ‘20 Editor Where do we go when we need the resources to write a report? Today’s students might say the library, but according to a comScore, Inc. 2014 research report, there were 12.050 billion Google searches per month. While the internet makes doing research easier, unless one has the proper tools, it does not necessarily make it easier to do research well. Our library helps students learn to research well, but it accomplishes much more. There’s been a lot of hoopla about the fate of the Gonzaga library recently. While we hear it isn’t going to be around much longer in its current form, that is for future discussion. For now, I thought it would be best to reflect on its history and on the things about it that bring joy to the Gonzaga community. Our library’s motto is, “more than just books”, and
indeed, it is that. The library is run by Ms. Patty Tobin, and Mrs. Pam Valeiras. Ms. Tobin, an 18year veteran of the Gonzaga library, previously worked at the library at Georgetown Law for 9 years. She then helped to create a library at G.W. Law School that specialized in Government Contract Law. Since she came to Gonzaga, she has enjoyed the challenge and fun of being around the younger high school population. Mrs. Valeiras, who has been a Gonzaga librarian for 8 years, was a Journalism/Communication major with a minor in Biology. She started her career writing for a newspaper, and then transitioned into the position of manager of publications for a science journal. She took a break to raise her four children, and during that time, did volunteer work at elementary schools. She then went back to graduate school to get her master in Library and Information Science
while working at Gonzaga. While Gonzaga has always boasted a library, the library as we know it started with the arrival of Ms. Tobin. During her tenure, she updated the book collection, added more databases, and added all of the tournaments and the idea of speakers in the library. The library curriculum now involves teaching the freshmen classes valuable research skills, as well as assisting juniors and sophomores with their research papers. The library is a place to find a book, but also a place to learn how to search databases and evaluate web sites, both valuable skills for written communication. According to Ms. Tobin, “knowing where to go to find unbiased information is vital”, and this is a skill we can get from our library. But the Gonzaga library is much more than a book nook. In addition to being a quiet place to study or to get help with school assign-
ments, it also, as many forgetful students know, houses the clothing rentals, a popular service on Formal Dress days. In addition, the library hosts chess, mini-golf, and ping pong tournaments, poetry slams and a guest speaker series. The library also serves the intangible function of being a community space where students and faculty can feel welcomed and encouraged. According to Ms. Tobin, one of the most important functions of the library is to serve as a cheerleader to help the boys find their strengths and passions. Her favorite aspect of the library is that “it is a “YES” space, a place where anything is possible”. The librarians’ vision is that the library can be a place that benefits numerous parts of student life at Gonzaga, and I think we all enjoy the benefits of that. When asked how the proposed new technology space will better serve the Gonzaga
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Community, Ms. Tobin responded: “Hopefully, someone else will pick up where we left off. In a time when everyone seems to be glued to a screen and when anxiety and depression have reached record highs among teens, I hope Gonzaga will always offer a space that will encourage students to communicate, to share and be human. Computers and technology can do wonderful things, but they don’t always help us be our best selves. Jesuit education has always emphasized the importance of ‘finding God in all things’ and I’m hopeful that there will always be a space that will encourage ‘quiet’ and ‘humanity’ -- a place for reflection and a space where students can forego their tech and interact with real humans.” Amen to that.
An Interview with Mr. Sumner By: Francis Donnelly ‘21 Contributor When Gonzaga had an opening for a math teacher after the first quarter, Mr. Chris Sumner didn’t hesitate to pursue the position. “It was a no-brainer for me,” he said in an interview. “Gonzaga taught me so much and is where I grew up in a lot of ways.” Heavily affected by his years on Eye Street, Mr. Sumner wants to have the same impact on today’s students as his teachers had on him.
Mr. Sumner graduated in 2002. He spent his time here playing varsity basketball for Coach Steve Turner. The basketball coaches had a large impact on his life, on and off the court. “Not only Coach Turner but many of my former coaches and teammates are what I consider to be lifelong friends and family.” This impact inspired Mr. Sumner to become a teacher himself. After playing collegiate basketball at Mount St. Mary’s and professional basketball overseas, he
started working for the National Basketball Association in Hong Kong. There, he worked closely with NBA players and coaches who came to Southeast Asia for preseason games. He also helped develop the NBA’s basketball programs for kids. After spending 4 years working in Hong Kong, Mr. Sumner had the opportunity to come home and teach at Gonzaga. Since coming back, he says the culture hasn’t changed much, but is surprised by the widespread
use of technology. “I love to see and be part of the personal development of young people. There’s nothing more gratifying to me than reuniting with a student years down the road and finding out that I played a positive role in shaping their academic, professional or personal life in some way.” Now a math teacher, Mr. Sumner reflects on his time as a Purple Eagle. “Gonzaga was the first place to teach me time management and how to prioritize tasks. I was
forced to balance a rigorous academic schedule while playing varsity basketball, serving as a retreat leader and partaking in numerous service opportunities.” Time management ended up being a strength for him, as he won the Student-Athlete of the Year Award and the President’s Award. After ten years of basketball related jobs, Mr. Sumner is back where his journey started- doing what he loves most.
FCPS: The Friend who Always Bails on Plans
By: Adam Wojciak ‘20 Editor Visible to anyone on Twitter whenever winter weather hits the DMV is one of life’s basic truths, just as certain as death and taxes: the closing of Fairfax County Public Schools. The county’s beloved squire and school board member, Mr. Ryan McElveen, will send out a tweet declaring salvation from harmful weather conditions for all Fairfax County students. There is one problem with the announcement that so many DMV students look upon with either great joy or pure envy: They come far too
frequently and often appear to have no significant, legitimate rationale. On January 29th, 2019, a few minutes before 5 pm and after barely 2 inches of snow had fallen on Fairfax County, it was announced that FCPS would be closed the following day. When the premier source of information on local school cancellations, MoCoSnow (@MCPSsnow on Twitter), was asked about Fairfax’s seemingly premature decision to cancel, the account responded with “Fairfax closes when there’s traffic.” One FCPS student who asked to remain nameless spoke with The Aquilian and
suggested that “FCPS cancels because Ryan [McElveen] loves us in a special way. He has a closer relationship with his county than any other board member from any school in the DMV does. We trust him to keep us safe, and that’s more than any Arlington or Montgomery kid can say.” When Gonzaga junior Ben Szalankiewicz was interviewed in regards to FCPS winter weather policies, he told The Aquilian that “FCPS is scared of the snow. They think a light dusting of snow is a winter storm.” Another possibility is found in the consequences of a winter storm from 2015
when our current seniors were in 8th grade. FCPS refused to close when forecasts called for 2-3 inches of snow because of how quickly they had been burning through snow days early in the winter and because they had recently closed for a snowstorm that turned out to be a complete bust. However, the snow came much earlier and in much greater volume than was expected. Students were forced to wait at bus stops for hours with no idea if buses would arrive. They didn’t. Attendance at school that day was incredibly low. Sending students home proved to be just as difficult
as getting them to school had been. After that day, FCPS decided that canceling whenever there was any chance of a dangerous situation for students was the most reasonable course of action. Is FCPS right to cancel with such frequency? There is no definitive answer, and there may never be one, but for right now, expect almost every single student in the DMV to have a strong opinion about them.
Faces in the Crowd By: Patrick McAuliffe ‘19 Senior Contributor
Meet Tomas Williamson ‘19 Meet Josh Bowman’19
Meet Callaghan Donnelly ‘19
Tomas likes PlayStation more than Xbox since it has better games. He wants Madden 19 but for right now his favorite game is Madden 18. He hates Starbuck’s and McDonald’s coffee. He likes Fortnite more than Blackout. His favorite Marvel movie is Thor: Ragnarok.
Cal’s favorite movie is the Dark Knight, starring Christian Bale and Heath Ledger. His favorite holiday is Christmas. He prefers the Black Ops 4 battle royale game mode, known as blackout, over fortnite. His favorite videogame is Counter Strike: Global Offensive. He likes Xbox more than PlayStation.
Josh’s favorite Marvel movie is The Punisher from 2004. His favorite DC movie is Man of Steel. He likes to eat his burgers with only lettuce and salt. He likes Wendy’s chicken nuggets more than Burger King chicken nuggets. He likes Dairy Queen ice cream more than McDonald’s ice cream.
Mr. Scott’s Puzzle Corner
Meet Razjae’ Burton ‘19
Meet Peter Rizzo ‘19
Razjae’s favorite season in Fortnite was season four because it was easier. His favorite skin in Fortnite is the, “Moisty Merman.” He likes Baskin Robin’s ice cream more than Dairy Queen ice cream. He will never put anything on a burger other than horse radish.
Peter’s favorite video game is Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. He thinks the chicken crossed the road because the sign said cross. He likes Baskin Robbins ice cream more than Dairy Queen’s ice cream. He says Burger King’s nuggets or Wendy’s nuggets is a trick question because Chick-fila’s nuggets are the best. He likes onions, pickles, lettuce, mayo, mustard, ketchup, cheese, and occasionally bacon on his burger.
By: Mr. Conor Scott Faculty Contributor
Meet Harrison Sousa ‘19 Harrison likes Xbox more than Playstation. He thinks Starbucks coffee is better than McDonald’s coffee. His favorite Marvel movie is Logan. His favorite pizza topping is pepperoni. He likes Meet Nick Barnes’19 burgers with bacon, tomatoes, onions, and with a little Nick’s favorite video game is Grand Theft Auto V. He likes kick to them. Fortnite more than Blackout. He like cheddar cheese, bacon, lettuce, and ketchup on his burgers. His favorite Fortnite skin is the default skin. He likes Starbucks coffee more than McDonald’s coffee.
Photo By: Mrs. Kerrie Dent
Photo By: Mrs. Kerrie Dent