The Aquilian
October 2021 Volume 83 Number 1
Gonzaga College High School Men For Others Since 1821
19 Eye St, NW Washington, DC 20001
A Return to Eye Street By: John Ferrara ‘22 Editor Gonzaga students, who are just mere weeks away from returning to Eye Street in a hybrid model after having been stuck learning over Zoom for the past few months, have endured an interesting and unique start to the school year. Traditionally, the first day of a school year entails finding a seat in a new classroom and talking with the friends you haven’t seen in three months before the bell rings. However, this year, students had to kick off the academic season stuck behind their computer screens, sitting at a desk in their quiet, boring bedroom or kitchen. To say the least, the past month-
and-a-half has been difficult for both students and teachers. Luckily, after an email announcing students would return to campus the week of October 12 was distributed to the Gonzaga community, we are beginning to return to a sense of normalcy. While this “normalcy” is far from what we would have called normal this time last year, it’s a step in the right direction towards a post-COVID world. The plan laid out by Gonzaga administration was a detailed one, and students will face many complexities when they return to campus. The most notable point in Gonzaga’s new hybrid plan revolves around the implementation of cohorts, another word for groups that has seemingly grown in use
exponentially over the last month or so. The cohortmodel will allow for onethird of the student body, or approximately 320 students, to be on campus each school day. These students will finally have the opportunity to learn in a physical classroom while the other two-thirds of the school will have to continue watching lessons over Zoom. The plan is far from ideal, but it achieves the primary goal of letting some portion of students see each other in-person while also giving them the chance to interact with their teachers and ask questions without dealing with the awkwardness of a Zoom call. Students’ cohorts were assigned using the first initial of their last names. Many are frustrated that they
won’t see their friends on campus due to a difference in their initials. Others have suggested that cohort assortments are determined using zip codes, so carpool groups aren’t broken up. Despite these disputes, the cohort plan has been relatively popular among students, many of whom have been isolated from seeing classmates since March. Outlined in Gonzaga’s “Return to Campus” initiative is a policy relating to after-school athletics. According to this plan, only students on campus may attend a sports practice, which must be held outside from 4-6 p.m. on weekdays. Once again, much remains desired for athletes and coaches, who are unsure if they will even
What to Do in the Q, 3
Virtual KINO Border In, 4
The Dingell Corner, 6
Hail to the...WFT, 7
have the chance to play in competition this year, but no one is too critical, considering there haven’t been any large group sports practices up to this point. Obviously, Gonzaga is one of the most dominant athletic schools in the WCAC and District of Columbia region, so it’s crucial that students can practice in some capacity so that they’re prepared for a potential spring season. The final point to make a note of is Gonzaga’s plan for first-semester exams. Teachers will be able to give standard cumulative exams at the end of the semester as per usual; however, they will also be allowed to assign projects, packets, or essays in place of Continued on p. 2
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Return to Eye St. Continued from p. 1 a sit-down test. Many teachers opted for the alternative testing route for finals at the end of last school year, and student feedback was very positive, as the project-based exams did not pressure people into cramming for a two-hour traditional test. Another new aspect of this year’s exams is that they will only count for 20% of a student’s semester grade rather than 33%, which has been the weight of exams in past years. This plan should take some stress off of students, as they won’t have
to worry as much about one test influencing such a large portion of their final grade. In all, the Gonzaga hybrid-learning plan is impressive given the circumstances. Those who want to attend school in-person can. Sports teams will be able to pick up the pace of training. First-semester exams won’t be as impactful and stressful as they usually are. We are far from a state of normalcy right now, but this new model should start to get us moving in the right direction.
A Letter to America By: Quinn Fish ‘21 Contributor
Dear America, When will it stop? When will our country be a symbol of love, not hate. When will our president be part of the solution, not the problem. When will our police protect everyone not just those with white privilege. Dear America, When will our voices be heard? When will our need to march end? When will justice be served? Dear America, When will I be proud to be an American?
With help from the Gonzaga Poets & Writers and its moderator Mr. Joe Ross, The Aquilian plans to feature a work of poetry written by a Gonzaga Student in each issue.
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
Sports Restarts & Bubbles By: Drew Norton ‘23 Contributor Sports are back and better than ever. The NBA is back in the form of the NBA bubble. There are only 22 teams in the bubble and each team is allowed, 35 players/staff. The MLB was the first to propose the idea of a bubble but never actually implemented it. In the NBA bubble, which is in Orlando, all players have to stay in a hotel close to the arenas. The finals are just around the corner and we are down to four teams. Currently, the Celtics and Heat are battling it out in the Eastern Conference finals. Over in the Western Conference, the Lakers and the Nuggets are also playing each other for a trip to the NBA finals. The Lakers are the favorite to win the series and they will be tough to be beat. They are the definition of clutch as they are 52-0 when they hold a lead in the fourth quarter. However, the Nuggets have already won one series after being down 3-1 in their playoff run. Either way, it should be a competitive finals series. In addition to basketball being back, the long awaited professional football season is finally upon us. The NFL has followed MLB’s lead and is not following the bubble approach. With week 2 behind us, the story is not COVID illnesses, it’s injury reports. In the first 2 weeks, practically the entire NFL sustained siginficant injuries. A list of major players who sustained major injuries that every fantasy owner is kicking themselves for drafting includes Christian McCaffrey (expected to miss 4-6 weeks), Saquon Barkley (out for the season), Le’Veon Bell (at least 3 more weeks), and Marlon Mack (out for the season). In addition to these players, there are also many players who are questionable or out for a few games. The 49ers were likely hit the hardEditor-in-Chief Gabe Brady ‘21 Features Editor Reid Norton ‘21
est with injuries, but they still managed to pull off the win against the Jets. One player to note over the first two weeks is Cam Newton. Newton has proved many doubters wrong with 552 passing yards, 122 rushing yards, 4 rushing touchdowns, 1 passing touchdown, and only one interception across his first two games. Other quarterbacks important to note are Russell Wilson, Dak Prescott, and Kyler Murray. Running backs to keep your eye on throughout this season include Antonio Gibson, Kareem Hunt, Cam Akers, Latavius Murray, and Chase Edmonds. Wide Receivers to keep your eye on include N’keal Harry, Diontae Johnson, Darius Slayton, and Allen Lazard. Lastly, some sleeper tight ends include Drew Sample, Noah Fant, Blake Jarwin, and Chris Herndon. The undefeated league leaders in the NFL as of week 2 are the
Chiefs, Ravens, Cardinals, Rams Seahawks, Packers, and Bears. However, this will most likely change as there is still a lot of football left to play. The MLB is also back and their 60 game regular season is coming to a close. For the first time in MLB history, 16 teams will make the playoffs instead of the usual 10 teams. If the season were to end right now, the playoffs would consist of the Rays, Blue Jays, Twins, Indians, Athletics, Astros, White Sox, Yankees, Dodgers, Giants, Braves, Reds, Cubs, Marlins, Padres, and Cardinals. The Nationals, who are the returning World Series champions, have lost any chance they had at making the playoffs. Its been a long and tough Spring and Summer, but there is hope that with the NBA and MLB playoffs heating up, along with the beginning of the NFL season, we all now have a little bit of something to cheer for.
Editors Will Buffaloe ‘21 Jesse Dolojan ‘21 Luke Elliott ‘21 Patrick Fogarty‘21 Charlie Neill ‘21 John Ferrara ‘22 Andrew Schaefer ‘22 Moderator: Dr. Harry Rissetto
So, What Have You been Up to in the Q? By: Reid Norton ‘21 Features Editor Eager to know what people did during quarantine, I decided to ask three of the brightest people at Gonzaga some questions about their experiences. I first got the privilege to talk to Brock Schaffner, a fellow senior. Reid: “So Brock, I’m sure you have been keeping busy these past six months. What have you been up to?” Brock: “Well, I taught math to some kids in the Dominican Republic over Zoom and played a lot of summer lacrosse. I also put a lot of time into college work. Overall, pretty successful summer”
Reid: “Wow, I-, wow. So are there any new Netflix shows you would like people to have on their radar?” Brock: “I actually don’t have Netflix, but I watched Family Ties, the Last Dance, and Billions. All great, binge-able shows I’d recommend to all audiences.” Reid: “What are your least favorite parts of online class?” Brock: “Well, for starters, I miss being able to laugh with my friends. Zoom classes take away the aspect of class where you can talk to your friends, whether that be in the hallway, at lunch, or even after school. I also struggle with headaches from the constant screen time, which make it hard to concentrate. I’d like to start a petition to make every day a G day” Reid: “That is an interesting thought, Brock. Thank you. It’s been a pleasure”
Reid: “Any new hobbies you’ve picked up?” Brock: “To be honest with you, Reid, succeeding has always been a hobby of mine. I maintain a mamba mentality for everything I do, and refuse to give less than 110%” I then went to Gabe Brady, a fellow editor, to hear what he Reid: “That is great to hear. had to say. So I know quarantine has impacted people differently. Reid: “So, Gabe, you’re an Would you like to elaborate interesting guy. *Gabe conon how it has affected you?” curs.* What hobbies did you Brock: “It did not have an pick up during Quarantine?” effect on me, as I am simply Gabe: “I’m glad you asked. just built different.” When Quarantine first started, my first thought was ‘finally, a chance to buy a Greek bouzouki from a guy in Athens!’”
Reid: “So….” Gabe: “Good question. A Bouzouki is basically a round, Greek, guitar. It’s used in the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding”
tine?” Gabe: “Arrested Development and Community were two of my favorites. I want to also get Hulu to start watching Brooklyn Nine Nine.”
Reid: “How about your most annoying experiences with online classes” Dr. Rissetto: “The red Zoom “End Meeting” button. I lost count of how many times I have almost pressed it by Reid: “I am actually a big accident in the middle of a fan of Community myself. class. Not sure how much Speaking of Community, longer I can hold out.”
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mend?” Dr. Rissetto: “Does the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception’s virtual mass count?” Reid: “It counts in my book. As long as it’s binge-able. Being a teacher, What has been your most embarrassing experience with Zoom?” Dr. Rissetto: “That mute button is an unforgiving taskmaster.” Reid: “That one hits very close to home for me. How about pets? Have you gotten any new pets over Quarantine?” Dr. Rissetto: “Nope, but I am working on teaching Mandarin to the dog.”
how would you describe your Quarantine experience in 3 words?” Gabe: “2020 COVID Coronavirus.”
Reid: “If you could go back in time to yourself the day school closed, what would you tell yourself?” Dr. Rissetto: “There is Grace Reid: “I mean... I guess in all things, at all times, in you’re right. Anyways, last every place.” question. Hypothetically, if the Coronavirus could hear Reid: “What is your favorite you right now, what would mask brand? In what color?” you say to it?” Gabe: “No.”
Reid: “That’s an immaculate talent show idea. So, I know you are the teacher moderator for ACE club. Have you used Quarantine to improve your card skills?” Dr. Rissetto: “Still don’t know when to hold ‘em, or when to fold ‘em. Pace Kenny.”
Reid: “Well, that’s all the time I have. Enjoy the rest of your day.” Gabe: “Thanks Reid! You’re the best!” Last but not least, I decided to get a perspective from a teacher, so naturally, I turned to our fearless leader, Dr. Rissetto.
Dr. Rissetto: “Definitely the Reid: “So what has been your non-surgical grade medical I hope you had as much fun favorite activity during Quar- mask. Breathable with subtle reading this (mostly true) diantine?” notes of urgency. 10/10.” alogue as I did interviewing Dr. Rissetto: “Grading pathese fine gentlemen. Stay pers. Definitely Okay, not Reid: “I couldn’t have said it safe, and hope to see everyReid: “Speaking of movies, really. But that’s the story better. Have you binged any one back on Eye Street. what Netflix movies/shows I’m sticking with.” Netflix shows? If so, which did you binge over Quaranones would you recom-
The Stock Market & COVID-19 By: Noah Potholm ‘22 Contributor During the rise of COVID-19 in February and March of 2020, the stock market took a serious hit. The Dow went down roughly thirty-six percent, Nasdaq thirty percent, and the S&P 500 thirtythree percent. Along with the stock market falling significantly, over twenty-two million Americans lost their job as a result of the pandemic. De-
spite this, the market has seen steady growth over the past few months. In fact, the Dow was close to reaching an alltime high in early September. Why is this the case, given that there are still serious concerns about coronavirus? One Wall Street analyst believes the reason for this is because the “stock market always looks ahead six to twelve months, and it believes the pandemic and economy will be much better
then.” While it is impossible to predict how the stock market will perform, the analyst thinks “we are still in a secular bull market that began in 2009” and expects returns in 2021 to reflect this. Some of the big winners of the pandemic include Amazon, Netflix, and Apple. With more people staying home due to Covid-19, online retail and video streaming stocks have been very
successful. However, one not as popular stock, Draftkings, could yield success in 2021 and beyond. After going public in April of 2020, Draftkings partnered with the Chicago Cubs for one hundred million dollars. Now that sports have returned and there are still safety concerns about going to casinos, Dratkings’ profits are only going to continue rising. Returning to the mar-
ket as a whole, a vaccine for COVID would result in major success for travel, airline, cruise ship, casino, and restaurant stocks. As for the upcoming election, its impact on the market may not be as big as many people think. While Republicans generally have better business policies, the market has performed about the same with a Republican president versus a Democratic one according to the analyst.
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A Virtual KINO Border Initiative
By: Thomas Dubois ‘21 Contributor The Kino Border Initiative virtual immersion organization is a week long experience during the end of June until the beginning of July. It informs people about the issues that migrants face when crossing the border to come to the U.S. This KINO Border Initiative organization is located in Nogales, Arizona, and Nogales, Sonora, in Mexico. The KBI’s mission is to help make humane, just, workable migration between the U.S. and Mexico a reality. They promote US/Mexico border and immigration policies and take care of these migrants while helping them get into the U.S. During the virtual immersion, I was fortunate
enough to speak with Jim and Sue, who have been living on a ranch located on the border. They taught us about the dangers of living on the ranch because of drug transportation, gang violence, and the mass amount of immigrants who die on their journey because of an insufficient amount of food or water. It opened my eyes to the danger these people are living in and I developed a huge amount of respect for Jim and Sue for continuing to live there despite all of these dangerous interactions. Every day, we spoke to a different migrant who told us their stories, the circumstances they were in, and the impact that this journey had on them and their families. It was sad to hear about these stories because some people
talked about how they had kids that were already in the U.S and could not see them, or how they have been waiting for so long in this organization waiting to get a chance to go to the U.S. We also learned about how these immigrants are treated during their court cases. Their rights are violated because they are given minimal time to talk, they can only have an attorney if they can afford one, and they are treated terribly by the judge and in general. Learning about this dehumanizing process was very heartbreaking and it made me realize how fortunate I am to not have to undergo this. At first, I did not realize the struggle that these migrants went through just to get into Photo courtesy of the 2019 Gona country that we are so eas- zaga KBI Service Trip
ily born in. I understand how privileged I am to be living in this country and not having to risk my life to get into it. These immigrants are dehumanized in many different ways and KBI is doing all they can to prevent this and instead help the migrants to live a better life. Immigration is something that will never end; however, if news about these injustices spreads around and more people become informed, then we can work on decreasing the number of immigrants and treating these people in a more humane and just way, so they can feel respected as the people they are.
Student Opinion: Polarization in the Election By: Mike Husk ‘22 Contributor
This year has brought lots of chaos to our world. Much of the chaos has come from polarization on Capitol Hill, the White House, the media, and the fact the election is coming up on November 3rd. Of course this year, we have the two oldest candidates combined in age, President Donald Trump, 74 and former Vice President Joe Biden, 77, running. On one hand you have a candidate that seems just fine with his cognitive health. On the other side, though, you have a candidate who presents himself infrequently and takes limited questions from the press while clearly showing a cognitive decline that seems to repeatedly get ignored by the Democrats and media. This polarization that has crippled the election process goes back to as early as the beginning of this year. When the year started, all of what went on revolved around the impeachment of Trump, but then Covid-19 came into the news. On January 31, Trump temporarily banned all travel from China in order to curb the spread of the virus. Biden called it “xenophobic and hysteria”, and the media went along with Biden too, calling it “racist”.
Later on, we went into the whole Covid-19 pandemic that still goes on presently. The media and the Democrats have said for months that Trump has “downplayed the virus”. Trump and the Republicans, however, said they have done a great job considering what they were put through. In April, as you all know, Biden won the Democractic nomination by the withdrawal of Senator Bernie Sanders. There have been some questionable comments made around Joe Biden’s nomination and how he should campaign. Hilary Clinton, the 2016 Democractic nominee, said to Biden himself in a virtual event that he should not concede the election in any circumstance. Nancy Pelosi, the House Speaker, has said multiple times that Joe Biden should not debate, noting that Trump does not have the appropriate manner to debate at all. Now we will get into the state of the election. Biden and Trump have plans that differ greatly from each other. If you go onto their main campaign websites, the Trump campaign’s website is like a normal campaign website, but when you go onto
the Biden website, it says on the top left, “BATTLE for the SOUL of the NATION”. It shows you how polarized the election has come when a campaign site says that the nation’s future is at stake. To go on with Biden’s platform, he promises that he will reward work for the tax policies, bring jobs and economic recovery for working families, have racial equity across the American economy, sustainable infrastructure and a clean energy future, and much more. On the other hand, Trump has focused on his accomplishments. Some of these include his record economic growth before the pandemic, new trade and peace deals, cuts on regulations, and again, much more. Overall, this election should be interesting with a forecasted tight Electoral College count. With the Supreme Court nomination and the debates coming into the picture, there should be plenty of topics of discussion for the media and the candidates to talk about. Now whether the news spreads falsely or truthfully remains the question as we approach Election Day and the days after.
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Meet the SGA President - Mak Krivka ‘21 By: Patrick Fogarty ‘21 Editor The renowned name, Michael Anthony Krivka, strikes fear into the hearts of sinners. I was lucky enough to have a socially distant interview with Gonzaga’s noble president and learn about what the SGA has been working on during these unique times. Krivka’s political career began from a very young age. His uncle was a police officer present at President Reagan’s assassination attempt in 1981. Repeatedly hearing this story as a child inspired Krivka to learn more about the presidency and politics in general. When he finally got
to tour the White House at six years old, Krivka knew he wanted to live there someday. The long road to becoming President of the United States has to start somewhere. For Krivka, it started last year when he was elected President of Gonzaga. During our meeting, President Krivka enthusiastically confirmed that Gonzaga plans on following a hybrid model for the second quarter. Three cohorts will be organized alphabetically and one of those groups will be invited on campus at a time. The groups will likely rotate on a daily basis. In regards to annual events such as homecoming and prom, Gonzaga
is not prepared to make any promises. Given the unpredictable nature of a pandemic, it will be difficult to host Gonzaga’s dances. Nevertheless, Krivka “fully [intends] on making prom and hoco happen,” although it may be in an unusual fashion. Aside from adjusting to Coronavirus regulations, the SGA has been working on two new ideas that Gonzaga students are bound to love. The first is the Gonzaga Classic. This will be a viciously competitive mini golf tournament. The winner will wield unlimited bragging rights for the next year-- coveted prizes may also be awarded. The second is movie nights. Un-
Marble Racing League! By: Gabe Brady ‘21 Editor-in-Chief It’s easier than ever to procrastinate during quarantine. Yes, you could finish that paper, study for that test, write that college essay, but you could also bingewatch every episode of the Simpsons from the past thirty years. For me, with everything clamoring for my attention all the time, and a firm knowledge of the formidable power of procrastination, I’ve made it my goal to find good forms of time-wasting: things to do where I’m still avoiding what I should be doing, but I feel better about myself while doing it. Everyone should be happy to know that I have found the perfect avenue for this type of purposeful procrastination, and it happens to be available on YouTube. It is none other than marble racing. In the early months of the pandemic, John Oliver, host of Last Week Tonight, reported on a growing quarantine fad– people were watching strangers roll marbles through homemade obstacle courses. He noted how, in the absence of televised matches, a channel called Jelle’s Marble Runs was gaining popularity. I skeptically checked out this marble racing channel for myself, and I can assuredly say that it is quite possibly the most delightfully wonderful sport I have ever seen. Jelle’s Marble Runs consists of marble tournaments like Marbula One, the
Marble-lympics, and Marble League, and it includes individual events ranging from marble marathons to marble swimming races. Different marble types have different teams, and they include passionate online fanbases; for instance, the orange-colored Savage Speedsters are universally maligned across the globe. Each marble team has its own arena, and the stadium seats are always filled to full capacity with marbles, who hold little signs and do the wave via stop-motion.
Not only do fans follow the teams, but they also follow the individual marbles– I’m a Midnight Wisps fan, and if any of their players (Wispy, Waspy, Wuspy, Wespy, and Wospy) have an off day, I’m going to let them have it. All in all, this channel is an absolute instant moodbooster, and a must-watch for any fans of being happy. If you’re going to procrastinate, you might as well watch the most satisfyingly enjoyable thing in existence: marble racing.
like the lame movie nights your parents drag you to, the one with your whiny baby cousin, Jack, whose presence restricts your movie options to exclusively G rated films, Gonzaga’s movie night will be fun. It will include GIRLS. The event will take place on Buchanan Field and Gonzaga will extend an open invitation to one other allgirls school at a time. When asked what else he wanted to tell Gonzaga’s students, Mak opted to keep it simple. He emphasized how important it is that Gonzaga students are socially distant outside of school and let out a hearty “Hail Gonzaga!” before hanging up the call.
Fall Guys Falls By: Jesse Dolojan ‘21 Editor At the beginning of August, a game called Fall Guys was released to the public. This game took the world by storm and became a sensation where tons of major Twitch streamers played it and had outrageous reactions to the game and its wonky controls. One reason that Fall Guys was streamed so heavily was because of its platform exclusivity to Playstation. It was the #1 streamed game for a long time until mid September when another game came out called Among Us. Fall Guys is a game that took off because of how silly the premise is- a bunch of clumsy boys tumbling over each other to get to a goal. You don’t need a skill to play it, just pick up a controller and move in a general direction. The game randomly chooses stages where you have to do things like get across bouncy platforms, dodge fruits, and steal people’s keys. Many have commented how it also caters to the worst of humanity in how you can easily troll other people and push them off the edge, get in their way, force them to move into a situation they don’t want to and more. The platform exclusivity was great for people who played Playstation because if you had a PS Plus subscription you could download or stream the game for free. People on Xbox or PC could not get to play it because of this fact and were left out. They could however, watch
it on Twitch and see people scream about how their thing got knocked off a platform or troll people by throwing them off a platform. This allowed Fall Guys to be appreciated by anyone who had an interest in it, even if they could not play the copy themselves. Fall Guys began to lose steam at the beginning of September because of another game, Among Us. This game can be downloaded for free on the App Store and can be bought for cheap on a computer. This game is just as easy to pick up and play. The fact that anyone could play it on their phones and computer made it a much more accessible option than Fall Guys. Among was being streamed by a lot of popular Twitch streamers who dropped Fall Guys in favor of it. Streamers helped spread the popularity of Fall Guys as well, so when they dropped it it signaled a change in what’s popular almost immediately.
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The Dingell Corner: Early NFL Power Rankings
By: Bobby Dingell ‘22 Contributor Hello and welcome to the first ever edition of “The Dingell Corner”. These are just picks and predictions I made from taking in a whole 14 hours filled with Pizza rolls, Wings and Commercial Free Football on The Red Zone from 1-7pm on Sunday Afternoons when I probably should have been studying, but hey.. America’s, America and Football’s, Football. I hope you enjoy it! Tier I- “Blue Bloods” Kansas City Chiefs They haven’t come out the gate with a great start, but Patrick Mahomes still hasn’t lost in September in his career. If they continue to stay healthy they are definitely a heavy favorite returning to the Super Bowl. Baltimore Ravens Lamar has continued to put up great numbers and the defense has been a huge force, but with the amount of devised QB runs that have been called so far this season there has to be a concern for Lamar’s health. Even if he goes down, they still have a chance to be a solid playoff team, but I don’t think RG3 has a solid shot at leading them to the promised land. Seattle Seahawks Let’s just start out with Russel Wilson and his tenacity. He has been an absolute stud so far and is making his case heard throughout the league for the 2021 MVP race. Of course he couldn’t do this without DK and Lockett playing their tails off at the WR spot to get him those numbers. That and along with their coach Pistol Pete Carroll deciding this year to air it out more than they have in years past. All that together adds up for a great offense that could push them past other teams for a late run and to be a team that I really like to win it all. B. Tier II- “Playoff Teams” New Orleans Saints Drew Brees hasn’t had a hot start to the season, but in retrospect.. has he really ever? Lets face it. Drew Brees is old. As father time rolls by, I see his production decreasing where he will have bad losses like the MNF one he suffered in week 2 vs. the Rams. But I still definitely see them being dominant in the long run and winning many games on
both sides of the ball despite their defense will continue Brees’s abilities. to get to the other team’s QB. They can definitely push Green Bay Packers for a playoff spot if they can Those Wisconsin fans love slow the game down on some their cheese like they love of these fast-paced teams. their Aarons because Aaron Jones and Aaron Rodgers Arizona Cardinals have been balling out. I just Kyler and DHop have been don’t think their defense has one of the best connections in the stuff to set them off on a the league so far and I don’t Super Bowl run. see that slowing down. The run game isn’t great, but their Pittsburgh Steelers defense is solid. Their Defense has played outstanding so far and in my Las Vegas Raiders opinion has been the best in Josh Jacobs and Darren the league. The Steelers al- Waller are huge threats and ways amaze me when they need to be accounted for at bring in young wide receiv- all times by opposing deers and they play amazing. fenses which leaves a lot of This year’s guy for me is room to open it up for young Chase Claypool. If this team receivers in Hunter Renfrow gets their run game to start up and Henry Ruggs. This team and help Big Ben out a little has upside for sure if they can bit more, I see them winning just get their defense better. a lot of games this year. Atlanta Falcons Buffalo Bills This team straight-up has This is the team I see the most the best receiving corp in the potential for growth this year. league and it just isn’t up for Josh Allen just got a great question. Matty Ice has been new threat in Stefon Diggs absolutely lacing it up and and his defense is stepping has made them a fun team to it up behind him. The Patri- watch. ots aren’t fully out of their way in the AFC East, but Tennessee Titans Bills Mafia can already smell The Titans are definitely not the fold up tables collapsing your average team. Starting with that extra 7th spot being off with them having a monadded into the playoff picture ster in Derrick Henry toting this year. the rock week in and week out. They also had a breakout Los Angeles Rams performance for young TE This is a big scoring team un- Jonnu Smith who got to shine der the astounding offensive in the absence of AJ Brown. mind of Sean McVay. They This team hopes to bounce continue to steamroll on of- back this year with the same fense with young threats all gusto that they put on display around, but their run game for the whole NFL to see in has been a bit of a concern as the playoffs last year. they dont have true RB1 yet early in the season. Dallas Cowboys This is where the list starts to New England Patriots get shaky and I’m not mostly Bill Belicheck has never positive about these teams needed Tom, Gronk, Randy, performances so far. And Wes, Teddy, or any other big who else to start that off then names to win for him. He is the Dallas Cowboys. Sorry the greatest coach of all time to be so negative to all you and while I don’t see this Dallas Cowboy fans reading team with Cam making a late this, but I just don’t see it in run, they still have a shot at you. Of course I think you’ll competing and beating ev- make the playoffs by edging ery single team in the league out the Football Team in a especially if they get back to scarce division, but I don’t Foxborough and get those see you going far. You guys fans jumping to Crazy Train always get everyone’s hopes by Ozzy Osbourne. Man, up mid season by everyone that song gives me chills.Just saying that the 90’s Cowboys listen to it and imagine your are back and all, but just end there. <Trust me up blowing it. Sorry, but the truth hurts. C. Tier III- “On the Edge” San Francisco 49ers Los Angeles Chargers So many players went down Anthony Lynn has built a in their week 2 victory in great offense no matter who Metlife vs the Jets that I have is running it whether that be trouble seeing them bounce Tyrod or Herbert. Their sec- back to their normal form esondary is playing well and pecially with that Super Bowl
loss from last year hanging tween Dwayne Haskins and over their heads. Terry McLaurin could be a scary one in years to come, Tampa Bay Buccaneers but they aren’t there yet esTom is still the Goat, but pecially with troubles in their every great quarterback secondary. has those few years late in their career where they head Cleveland Browns somewhere else to make a The RB duo in Hunt and little extra cash and sell out Chubb is strong, but they altickets and that’s what we’re low too many points on dewatching now. They just look fense. a little washed up and too conservative with their pass Cincinnati Bengals game and that’s why I put Joe Burrow is a winner and them down here. plays like it, but he can’t win unless the front staff out in D. Tier IV- “Slightly Com- Cincinnati gives him more petitive” protection. Indianapolis Colts Phillip Rivers is running the offense well, but if they want any chance at the playoffs the defense needs to step it up and Jonathon Taylor needs to put up a rookie campaign along the likes of how Leonard Fournette and Kareem Hunt have in recent years.
Philadelphia Eagles A lot of issues are going on and Carson Wentz is struggling, but I think he’ll get over it. It’s always a rough season when you can’t win the NFC East. Miami Dolphins Please just start Tua. Brian Flores is just trying too hard to do what Andy Reid and the chiefs did with Mahomes by giving their rookie a year to get adjusted and it annoys me. No one likes seeing Fitzpatrick start. His talents are way more fun when he comes off the bench in a game, fires the crowd up, and just starts shooting off 40-yard bombs for touchdowns left and right.
Houston Texans They have started with a difficult schedule, but their deficits in those games have proven that they are not the same team that was one half away from going to the SuperBowl last year. That’s partially to blame for DHop getting traded away and partially due to Bill O’brien not wanting to air it out until they are down 24 pts. E. Tier V- “The Race for Trevor Lawrence” Chicago Bears Their defense has the ability Detroit Lions to hold them in close games, Their defense has been really but their offense doesn’t bad and hasn’t given their ofcome off with enough effi- fense with limited weapons a ciency to win most of them. chance to fight in a game. Jacksonville Jaguars They have looked way better than I would have assumed them to be before the season started especially after dropping Fournette, but it actually has worked out in their favor as the offense has done well under Minshew and Robinson. Denver Broncos They have a very young offense with upside in Lock, Fant and Jeudy, but I just don’t think they are there yet to where they can compete for the division.
Carolina Panthers I know they say one person doesn’t make a team, but the loss of Christian McCaffrey really hurt their chances of winning games until he returns. Unless you know... they play the two teams below them on this list. New York Giants They lost Saquon who was a big part of their team like CMC was for the Panthers, but they do show some fight, so I guess they could still win some games.
New York Jets They couldn’t put any points up against the 49ers B-team. They couldn’t beat a team even after they injured all their players from having sticky turf. It’s a rough season if you are a Jets fan. SorWashington Football Team ry Don. At least you can hope The D-Line looks really for Trevor. good and the connection beMinnesota Vikings The loss of Stefon Diggs has hurt them and the offense hasn’t rolled. Don’t see much upside unless the defense gets a few more weapons.
By: John Ferrara ‘22 Editor Disclaimer: This piece was written prior to the start of the NFL season. However, since most teams still have not yet permitted fans to attend games, the same argument that was made in early September can still be made now. Sports is the ultimate unifier. In a year where our country is divided over how to deal with a global pandemic, how to combat racial strife, and who to elect as our president, the only thing people can seem to unite behind is sports. Everyone wants to have sports again. The National Football League finds itself stuck in the middle of an intense debate as experts and fans alike argue over whether or not people should be allowed to attend games in 2020. We could look at the NBA’s approach, which involves playing a shortened season in one location with no fans in attendance, as an example of how to make due in a coronavirussports landscape. The only
NFL Fans Op/ED issue is that the NFL loses much more of their revenue without a live audience than the NBA does. On average, NFL stadiums hold threeand-a-half times more people than NBA arenas do, making a zero-fan scenario much less desirable for the football league. According to MarketWatch.com, the NFL is also the number one sports league in the world when it comes to total revenue, raking in about $13 billion in revenue annually. Estimates from Yahoo. com project that playing in empty venues would cost the NFL $5.5 billion, or 42% of their yearly income. From a fan’s perspective, having nobody in attendance for games would be a major turn-off. While only 15% of NFL fans in the United States go to a game in-person each year (per Statista.com), the far majority of fans find that watching a low-attendance game is far less exciting or enjoyable than watching a competition that is full of loud and rowdy spectators. It seems necessary for the NFL, in some capacity, to allow people to attend games.
For the sake of their revenue and fans’ enjoyment, stadiums need to have some sort of in-person audience. It’s understood that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell can’t just allow franchises to pack their venues with 70,000 people as they’ve done in the past while in the midst of a highly contagious pandemic. Goodell and the rest of the league’s administrators must carefully plan out how they can safely allow as many fans as possible into venues come September, when the season kicks off. There are a few guidelines that need to be enforced if fans can attend games in the fall. Masks. Seeing as coronavirus is easily transmitted via shouting, a common activity at NFL games, masks are absolutely necessary. While they aren’t perfect at stopping all particles from escaping into the air, masks are an easy way for people to prevent the spread of their own, possibly contagious breath. Another essential precaution is social distancing.
Hail to the...WFT
While the NFL can’t control tailgating and other pregame activities, they can ensure that people stay about six feet apart in stadiums. At an average NFL arena, three seats make up six feet, meaning that there would need to be a three-seat gap between attendees. The mean capacity of an NFL stadium is about 67,000 people. Based on the three-seat rule, only a fourth of the stadium could be filled per game, bringing the average number of spectators to just under 17,000. While that figure is still on par with a sold-out NBA arena, it is definitely not as impressive as the size of an NFL crowd in past years. Assuming that all 256 NFL games sell-out, which seems likely based on previous years’ demand for tickets, about 4.35 million people will attend a game next year, which is about 12 million less than usual. Generally, fans attend games with one or two friends or family members. I think that the NFL should allow these groups to sit together (meaning not enforcing the threeseat gap) so long as the total
By: Will Scherer‘21 Contributor
The Washington Redskins have been a staple in the D.C. area ever since they moved to Washington in 1937. Generations of football fans have driven to RFK Stadium and FedEx Field on Sunday afternoons to cheer on the Burgundy and Gold and sing “Hail to the Redskins.” However, fans will have to let some of these beloved traditions go as the team announced this year that they will be retiring the name “Redskins” for good. Ever since Daniel Synder bought the Redskins in 1999, the team has faced controversy for their name, which Native Americans condsider a slur. For decades, Synder resisted calls for the team to change its name despite protests and pressure from legislators. He was quoted in 2013 saying, “We’ll never change the name. It’s that simple. NEVER — you can use caps.” However, since then, the fans’ support for the name has fallen from 89% to 79%, and the general support dipped significantly as well. Through all of it, Snyder insisted that the name would
Are you a casual sports fan, looking to understand the game from a more in depth perspective? Look no further than the Sports Statistics Club. We meet weekly, as well as on community days, and discuss the NFL, NHL, MLB, NBA, and NCAA basketball and football. During a typical meeting, a number of members will give a short powerpoint presentation on a topic of their choice. After these presenta-
permanent name. The team has indicated that it hopes to include fans as much as possible in this process, and they have been accepting fan submissions for new team names on their website. One of the most common submissions is the Redtails, which would honor the Tuskegee Airmen, a WWII combat unit that broke the color barrier. Another common submission is the Redwolves, which is a species of wolf that was common in the D.C. area. Although change is hard, especially for a team with a legacy as great as the Redskins, Snyder and the team hope to find a name that will excite the fanbase and give Washington football fans a team to be proud of on and off the field.
number of fans remains at one-fourth of the stadium’s full capacity. My final suggestion, which the NFL has already thought of and sent out a memo to every team about, is to make fans sign waivers before entering the stadium. At the end of the day, fans are the ones choosing to put themselves at risk, so I think spectators must acknowledge that fact and take liability off of the NFL. These waivers will make the NFL much less wary of allowing fans into games and ensure that fans know the risk they’re taking if they decide to attend games. With proper safety measures in place, including a liability waiver that protects the league, the NFL has little reason to not allow fans into games. People need something to rally behind and get excited for, especially now, during a time full of controversy and hate. The NFL has an opportunity to be that “thing,” and fans in attendance at games will help promote a sense of strength and unity.
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By: Jackson Baldrate ‘23 Contributor
stay. Then, in July of 2020, there was a major development that left Snyder with few options. FedEx, the second largest owner of the Redskins and the sponsor of their field, called for Snyder to change the name and threatened to sell their stake in the team if he refused. Synder, with his hands tied, finally conceded, and announced on July 13th that the team name would change. Since the name has officially been retired, the focus has shifted to finding a new name for the team. In August, Synder hired Jason Wright as the new team president and put him in charge of finding a new name. Wright announced that for the 2020 season, the team would be called the “Washington Football Team” while they searched for a
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tions, a discussion is opened up to the floor. Anyone who wants to can give their own opinion on, for example, who the greatest basketball player of all time is (definitely Michael Jordan, but feel free to stop by if you’d like to make a case for anyone else), or who the NFL MVP front runner is. Have more questions about the club? Contact Cole Peverall ‘21(peverallc@gonzaga.org) or Quinn Fish ‘21 (fishq@gonzaga.org). Hope to see you there!
200 Years of Gonzaga Pranks The Myths, the Facts, and the Cap By: Will Buffaloe ‘21 Editor As I’m sure you all know, Gonzaga College High School, the wonderful place we call home, was founded nearly 200 years ago in 1821. You know what that means? Gonzaga’s Bicentennial is only a few months away… Or is it? Technically, if Gonzaga was founded in 1821, it wouldn’t have finished its first full year of school until 1822, so it’s Bicentennial might actually be next fall. Then again, there’s some dispute about when Gonzaga was truly founded, so the Bicentennial could’ve been 4 years ago for all we know. The point is, we need an excuse to celebrate and look back on Gonzaga’s epic history; thus: the Bicentennial. When I think of Gonzaga’s storied History, several hyper specific anecdotes come to mind. Among them are whisperings of the boy who inspired the Exorcist being a student here, secret bunkers under the school, and the guy who played the dad in Home Alone attending Gonzaga in the 60s. Spoiler alert: all of those things are true. However, there is a side of Gonzaga’s history that truly sets us apart from any other school in the nation. It’s a side of our history that’s harder to scrounge up info on, since many of our teachers and faculty wish it didn’t exist. The truth is… Gonzaga students are prank masters. Our pranks have made national headlines. But, behind every showstopping prank, is a rumor of an even greater prank, one so mythical that there’s no documentation for it. So, I present to you: three of Gonzaga’s greatest pranks,
only one of which is con- papers, but given what Gonfirmed to be true. zaga did in 1969, this prank doesn’t seem too improbThe Capitol Heist able… I admire the students behind the Capitol Heist not for Turning “The Pencil” Purple what they did, but for their Widely considered by sheer genius in doing it. The Gonzaga students to be the premise is something out of greatest high school prank of an 80s movie. In 1967, be- all time, the “purplization” fore the annual Gonzaga v. of one of our nation’s most St. John’s game, a Gonzaga treasured monuments seems student got in touch with his too crazy to be true. Don’t older brother, who was work- worry, I’ve included a picture ing in the Capitol building in case you don’t believe me. at the time. After ensuring On November 11th, 1969, they had an insider connec- on the eve of the annual Gontion, five Gonzaga students zaga v. St. John’s football left school that day dressed game, a group of Gonzaga as businessmen and headed students arrived at the Nastraight towards the Capitol. tional Mall with a less than Naturally, being “business- legitimate letter from the man”, they brought along Headmaster. They presented their briefcases. it to the park police and exWhen they arrived at the plained they were doing a Capitol, their inside man got science experiment with the them up to the middle part lights illuminating the Washof the capitol, where the stu- ington Monument. Somedents found a large window how, the park rangers agreed, that would work perfectly and the kids proceeded to for their master plan. Then, unroll hundreds of yards of these “businessman” opened purple celluloid which they their briefcases to reveal bed- placed over the floodlights, sheets tucked inside. When turning the symbol of the free tied together, the bedsheets world a bright purple. formed a huge banner that The Monument was purread: “Go Gonzaga Beat St. ple for about half an hour John’s.” They then draped it (7pm-7:35pm) before the by the window of the capitol park police came to shut for all of America’s most im- it down. Before the stuportant politicians to see. dents could be caught, they However, the banner sprinted across the mall and wasn’t exclusive to bureau- draped a banner on the Lincrats—the five Gonzaga stu- coln Memorial that read: “Go dents had made sure to call Gonzaga Beat St. John’s.” The Washington Post before Of course, the next day, the their elaborate prank and told Washington Post had a picthem to be in the Capitol at ture of an uncharacteristicala certain time. Thus, the next ly purple Washington Monuday, the front page of every ment. paper in the country was a Spiro Agnew, the Vice big picture of “Go Gonzaga President at the time, was unBeat St. John’s” for the whole derstandably furious, but he country to see. resigned in 1973 after being To this day, I haven’t charged with tax evasion, so been able to find one of those what does he know? Perhaps
the most surprising part of the story is that the St. John’s cadets conquered the Eagles 13-0 in the football game the next day. But, that’s not the part people remember, is it? Gonzaga Beats St. John’s (in the Space Race) It’s been a prevalent conspiracy theory for years now that the Moon Landing was actually faked by NASA. Is there any truth to this? I don’t know, but Mr. Pugliese seems to think there is. Some say the fake moon landing was filmed on a Hollywood backlot as a ploy to make it seem like we had beat the Soviets. The truth is the moon landing was faked out of sheer embarrassment by our nation’s government. Embarrassment over the fact that a group of 17-year-olds made it to the moon faster than they did. On September 18th, 1968, four Gonzaga students did the impossible: they successfully found a way to the moon. What started as an experiment in their AP Physics class quickly spiraled into a multi-million dollar investment on the part of Gonzaga to send four students to our lunar neighbor. These four students were hand-picked by Gonzaga’s administration and spent the next two months rigorously training for Gonzaga’s mission to the moon. The rocket ships they were using were made from pieces of the old belltower as well as stolen car parts from K-Lot, which used to be an auto-dealership. After months of preparation, these four brave students took their makeshift rocket ship to the stars and landed successfully on the moon. This accomplishment would seem impressive in-
and-of-itself, but it is even more inspiring when you consider the lunar competition from other schools in the area, most notably St. John’s and Georgetown Visitation. At the end of the day, being the first four guys to walk on the moon is not what these students remember. Other people would walk on the moon after them, even if it took the US another 10 years. What these students will no doubt remember for the rest of their lives is drilling 50 tons of dynamite into the moon’s surface and blowing the phrase “Go Gonzaga Beat St. John’s” into the side of the moon. Some say, on a really clear night, you can still look up to the stars and see that massive G glimmering in the night sky.
Charlie’s Chuckles: “Demonstrated Intrest” By: Charlie Neill ‘21 Editor This letter accidentally became mixed up with the mail-in ballots for the upcoming presidential election and was dumped into a creek. Luckily, The Aquilian’s staff managed to save it before it became ruined. The Aquilian has decided to publish the letter for the benefit of Gonzaga seniors wishing to make a good impression on college admissions faculty.
Dear Prospective Student We are incredibly grateful for your demonstrated interest in our school. I speak for the entire admissions office when I say I thoroughly enjoyed your visit to campus last weekend, even if it did take a while to clean up afterwards. We are still looking for homes for the rest of the goats you brought. Please come take them back. They’re currently wandering campus eating all the grass
(where are our students supposed to sit with no grass?). What do you want us to do, buy chairs? Funny. It is nice to see young people stepping up and taking control of their futures. All the other letters I get talk about changing the world or solving big problems. I liked this quote of yours in particular: “dream big, but not too big. Wait, nevermind, don’t dream at all.” I must say you are totally right: just accept we will all live a normal
life in a boring apartment. If you’re lucky you’ll invest in a fish tank with some plastic rocks and fake seaweed in it. I do wonder about your past though. You really should not just say “it’s complicated” for the disciplinary action tab on the Common App. You also mentioned your “parole officers” in your personal essay. Officers? More than one? Let’s be real here, one parole officer can be a caring mentor, but no one
can have two, three, or four caring mentors! That’s a little much! Please reach out to me with any questions, and please respond to the admissions office’s emails. They spend a lot of time making them hip for you youngsters. *hip emoji Most Sincerely, Mr. Michael Morgan Morris