The Aquilian September 2014 Volume 77, Number 1
Gonzaga College High School Men For Others Since 1821
19 Eye St, NW Washington, DC 20001
Trivers Era Begins, Eagles Set Eyes on the Prize By: Derrell Bouknight ‘15 Editor-In-Chief Before the beginning of school in early August, the 2014 Gonzaga Eagles set their sights on their future opponents. Prominent powerhouse Neshaminy (PA) would be the first test, followed by a clash with the Crimson Tide of crosstown opponent Dunbar High School. But with one little adjustment, the anticipation level on Eye Street shot through the roof. Football fans went into a frenzy, area teams took note, and ESPN knew that a primetime trip to Clifton, Virginia to witness the Eagles take on the number one-rated Centreville Wildcats presented itself as must-see TV. The final result was a 3114 victory for Gonzaga. Many classified the game as an upset. “Shocker” was constantly used to describe its final outcome. Debate boards and discussions on-
line overloaded with debates over how good of a football team settled into the school set in the heart of downtown D.C. But, to the boys on Eye Street, nothing came as a surprise. Back in May, Gonzaga Athletic Director Joe Reyda announced the hiring of new head football coach Randy Trivers. Following a 6-5 season that included many injuries to several key players, Trivers found himself in a promising position at Gonzaga. Anchored with talent on both sides of the ball, Gonzaga will look to live up to the expectations set forth by their #25 pre-season ranking from USA Today. By the third game, the Eagles were able to prove why the hype meter has people throughout the country buzzing. Following their 3-0 start, Gonzaga improved to #10 in the country, and with both momentum and side on their side, they look to ride their swagger into November 22’s WCAC
Championship game. Through the first three games of the 2014 season, the Eagles outscored their opponents 111-20, the most being 14 against Centreville. With weapons on both sides of the ball, Gonzaga utilizes its multi-dimensional play style that throws their opponents off guard. Led by Virginia-commit and QB Nick Johns - who is coming off an abbreviated season following a broken collarbone - the offense solidifies itself with a well-balanced mixture of rushing and passing. Future Illinois Fighting Illini RB Reggie Corbin leads the backfield and follows the blocking of his offensive line, most notably Alabama-commit Richie Petitbon. Johns also has dangerous target on the outside as well. Receivers Cam Bohlander, 6-foot-7 Luke Prominski, and 6-foot4 Jabari Greenwood (Kentucky) supply their QB with reliable hands and easy targets down the field.
With the talk of the town circulating around the offense, their defensive prowess must be accounted for as well. LB Sean Fitzgerald stands as the heart and soul of the defense, while several other players have made a name for themselves over the course of their time. The defensive line, consisting of Jack Carroll, DeAndre Easterling, and NaSheed Bridgeman, has the ability to stop the run and apply pressure on opposing quarterbacks, while the defensive backs, led by Sammy Morrison (Arizona) and five-star recruit Marcus Lewis, solidify the “No Fly Zone” for Trivers. This year’s defense will look to build upon last season’s dominating effort, especially with many returning starters and solid contributions. As easy as the Eagles make everything look - blowing out Prep and Neshaminy, along with a dominating win against Centreville - nothing has come easy. Having to
Retreat Team, p. 2
Crisis in Africa, p.3
Summer Service, p.4
New Faculty & Staff, p.8
travel to Soldier’s Home for practice, which can take anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour based on traffic, only adds to what adversity the team faces. A new coach, a new system, and the pressure to win a WCAC title after a 12-year drought only grows more as the season progresses. But, with nationally-recognized talent across the board and a coach who has proven his ability to win, Gonzaga finds itself in position to win it all. The pieces are set in stone, the fans are ready, and the Eagles have released from their nest, soaring high above the competition. When November 22nd arrives, a championship trophy will look to rest itself here on Eye Street.
The Aquilian 2
Got Character?
By: Mr. Jamie McIntyre Dean of Students When I first thought about writing a piece for The Aquilian, I wanted to focus on student use of social media. However, I realized that what I wanted to say wasn’t just about Twitter, Facebook, or Snapchat. What I wanted to say covers all those things and more. It’s really about the importance of being a
man of character in all you do. When I say character, I’m not talking about making people laugh or being the center of attention. I’m talking about being someone who puts forth an effort to do the right thing and represent himself, his family, and his school accordingly. The University of San Diego Character Development Center highlights ten badges of character. Among
these badges are traits like respect, compassion, gratitude, and self-discipline. I highlight these badges because they are essential to being a true Gonzaga man. You should consider these traits when making a decision, and remind yourself that you represent us in everything you do whether you are acting online or in public. We have hundreds of guys who display these badges on
Quizlet By: Andrew Carluccio ‘16 Contributor Are you stressing over your next test? Struggling with terms? Just looking for a way to study that’s actually interesting? If so, then check out Quizlet, a free, online study tool where students can create, share, and interact with course material posted as flashcard sets. It’s a convenient, efficient, and collaborative way to review all sorts of information you learn here at Gonzaga. Quizlet offers five interactive study modes to supplement your studying. You can play games, generate tests, or study using virtual flashcards! Whether you are struggling with a class or just reviewing for a test, Quizlet can help you out! This is the third year this service has been available on campus, and we have had some fantastic feedback from our classmates! Currently, we have 343 members and support a massive database of over 1100 sets! Our sets contain Gonzaga course material contributed by your classmates. Quizlet contains information from a huge selection of Gonzaga courses, and it can potentially be expanded into any class you want sets for. Freshman, your class is up and running, too! If you are interested in joining, go to www.quizlet.
com and create a free account. Then, search for your class (Gonzaga Class of ________). Request to join, and we’ll bring you in! Lastly, we are looking for freshman and sophomores who would be interested in becoming admins for their class groups. If you are interested, send an email to carluccioa@ gonzaga.org. We hope you check us out, and from all of us at the Quizlet Club, happy studying!
The Aquilian
Founded In 1940 Gonzaga College HIgh School 19 Eye Street NW Washington, DC 20001 aquilian@gonzaga.org Men For Others in the Jesuit Tradition Since 1821
a daily basis. They dedicate themselves to their studies, team, Christian service, and/ or club and represent the best that Gonzaga has to offer. Unfortunately, it only takes the actions of a few to erase a lot of the good that so many do in and around our community. I’ll leave you with this final question to consider when making a decision: How do you want others to know you and Gonzaga?
Retreat Team By: Konrad Woo ‘15 Associate Editor Retreat team, ever heard of it? Well, for all the new guys on Eye Street, or those oblivious to their surroundings, they shall find out. The Gonzaga retreat team are the fine folks who work behind the scenes to provide students with entertaining retreat opportunities. The team consists of Campus Ministry staff (Mr. Szolosi, Ms. Fitzsimmons, and Mrs. Mulieri) as well as a group of juniors and seniors. They bring the student body Sophomore Retreats, the famed Freshman Retreat, as well as Kairos. A retreat team leader, Patrick Shipley ‘15, explained that for this year the team will work quite hard to make the sophomore retreats better than ever and to make sure the freshmen are provided with the full experience of the Freshman Retreat, during the second semester. Shipley let me in on a Editor-in-Chief Derrell Bouknight ‘15 Managing Editors Kevon Turner ‘15 Gabe Castro ‘15 Production Editor Peter Brown ‘17
little secret; he divulged that being on the retreat team is a brilliant way to ‘relive’ the retreat experience. He also enjoys seeing all the preparation pay off on the (presumably) happy faces of those on the retreats, and enjoys
Freshman Retreat in 2012. Applications are released in the spring outside Campus Ministry and will need to be returned there as well, way before the deadline. For those who partook in and enjoyed the retreats, which all of you
building relationships between friends, God, and the underclassmen, which is valuable to him because it’s difficult to interact with the underclassmen otherwise. I knew I should have applied, for I was sold at the first retreat I attended - The
should have, I encourage you to join the Retreat Team. So now you know. Go ahead and check the retreat team out; they don’t bite. If any questions arise, Campus Ministry, Patrick Shipley, or the other leaders are where inquiries go.
Associate Editors Konrad Woo ‘15 Richard Finney ‘15 Nick Jenkins ‘16 Nelson Davies ‘16 Dennis O’Brien ‘17 Photo Editors Christian Muckerman ‘15 Nick Lazaroae ‘17
Moderator: Dr. Harry Rissetto
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Ebola: The Disease that is Changing the World By: Michael Jerakis ‘16 Contributor What is Ebola? Ebola, or Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), is a disease contracted only by humans and primates. Within as few as two days from infection, symptoms may become evident, but may not show up for as long as three weeks. It begins with flu-like symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, fever, and joint, muscle, and abdominal pain. However, after this first phase of symptoms, a bleeding phase occurs in which those infected experience internal and external bleeding. This stage is usually identified by red eyes and vomiting of blood. If one is unable to recover, organ systems begin to shut down and fail, which leads to death. Currently, there is a widespread Ebola outbreak in West Africa and because of the poor living conditions in that region, this highly contagious disease has an easier time of spreading to other hosts. Ebola is something to be seriously concerned about: death tolls in West Africa have reached nearly 2,500 and there are nearly double, 5,000, others infected, with both of those numbers continuing to rise. The countries most affected by Ebola at this time are Sierra Leone, Guinea, Nigeria,
and Liberia. How doe Ebola spread? While it is not necessarily easy to catch Ebola, it really isn’t terribly difficult under certain circumstances. Ebola is a highly contagious disease that spreads only by direct contact with infected bodily fluids (blood, saliva, urine, sweat). Experts are still not entirely sure about how the cycle of this disease begins, but evidence strongly suggests that fruit bats can act as catalysts to spread Ebola. Humans or other animals that come in direct contact with an infected bat can receive the virus. The virus then spreads by animal-to-human contact or human-human contact, thus sparking the epidemic of Ebola. How is Ebola being treated? Currently, there is no known treatment to successfully cure the disease; however there are treatments that can increase quality of life for the victim. These supporting treatments include intravenous fluids, oral rehydration therapy (bitter and salty water), and medication for nausea and headaches. The recent outbreak of Ebola has led to a higher awareness of the disease by the scientific community, leading to an increase of development of medication for the disease itself. What is the world doing
stop the Ebola Epidemic? Various agencies and organizations have been actively involved in the treatment of the Ebola epidemic. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has sent disease detectives and lab scientists to West Africa in an attempt to help impede the spread of the virus. Many health centers have been set up throughout West Africa as places where victims of Ebola can be treated. There has been an incredibly positive worldwide response to the crisis of Ebola, in the sense of sending aid to West Africa. On September 16, U.S. President, Barack Obama, released a statement saying that the U.S. will commit nearly 3,000 troops to fight Ebola in Africa. These troops will provide military and medical resources to help aid in the efforts to stop this deadly disease. Britain has also recently announced the sending of troops to Sierra Leone. Other countries sending aid include China, India, France, Germany, and Russia. Bill and Melinda Gates have recently announced that they will donate nearly $50 million dollars to help in the fight against the Ebola outbreak. Why should I care about Ebola? It’s not like I’m going to catch it. This is the largest recorded Ebola outbreak,
which should cause some major concern. Ebola has the potential to completely devastate the economies of the affected West African countries. People in West Africa live in fear that they might contract this deadly virus, causing businesses to close, national and international transportation is being disturbed, and exports are being halted due to the chance that
one of you each has the power to fight Ebola. You can help map out roads, schools and buildings in small towns affected by the virus on your computer by visiting http:// tasks.hotosm.org/. Relief workers in these town use these maps as reference tools and to get a comprehensive view of what’s going on around them, increasing response times and coordina-
the disease will spread out of West Africa. These countries are suffering. So yes, you should care, deeply for the people affected by the Ebola epidemic. However, it is highly unlikely that someone who doesn’t come in direct contact with people who are or who have been in these countries will become infected. You should only be truly worried about contracting the disease if you are traveling in or around West Africa. How can I help? Each
tion amongst the workers. There are multiple charities taking donations to help combat the effects of Ebola in affected areas. These charities include American Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, Samaritan’s Purse, GlobalGiving, MAP International, American Jewish World Service, and Direct Relief. If you are interested, you can visit each of these organizations’ websites and see how they are individually responding to the Ebola crisis.
Life After Gonzaga By: Richard Finney ‘15 Associate Editor Gonzaga prepares each student for college, and this comes as no surprise, given that it is a college prep school. During the early stage of senior year, seniors are already expected to begin thinking about college. What will this be like? We’ll never know until we leave for college, and until then we have no idea what to expect. So to gain some advanced insight I discussed the college life with two seniors of last year’s graduating class of 2014. Some of you may remember Alejandro “Wolfman” Espinosa or Cory “Yahtzee” Hannon from last year. I took the chance to speak with the two individuals this weekend and discuss their life after Gonzaga. After speaking to both of
them, I was not surprised with what they said. They both had the same take on their college lives, with slight differences. They both seemed prepared for their lives after Gonzaga, but if there’s one point that stuck out to me the most, perhaps the most obvious one, girls in the classroom took them by surprise, Alejandro in particular. It’s no surprise girls in the classroom might take a graduating Gonzaga senior by surprise. Perhaps classroom etiquette is different, perhaps not, but putting yourself in situations where you are working with the opposite sex may be a good idea before transitioning to college or just in general. Speaking academically however, they mentioned that Gonzaga had more than prepared them for college. The only aspect of college that they were not prepared
for was their “legs becoming insanely ripped from walking around campus” according to Cory Hannon. When it came to classes, Cory admitted to his schedule “being easier than it ever was at Gonzaga.” Outside the academics, the social aspect of college provides many different opportunities for students to get involved in the college community. For those of you who know Alejandro, he already involved himself in “three different music groups,” most notably, the VGO (Video Game Orchestra), a huge national group considered “one of the best of its kind in the US and Europe.” For him, his college experience “has been different from Gonzaga in every way. Keeping in mind he attends a college for musical study, “sports are nonexistent,” which is a plus for him. Other than that, as
already discussed, girls in the classroom, he was not prepared for. The consensus from Cory and Alejandro seemed to be that life after Gonzaga would depending on the college of one’s choice and events attended while there. If there’s any advice they can pass on, jump right into the college and do not wait. As Gon-
zaga promotes, step outside your comfort zone and get involved with your new community. Lastly, get to know girls. Unless you know you will attend an all-male college, getting to know girls can only benefit you, as most colleges will have plenty of them to interact with on a daily basis.
The Aquilian 4
Dominican Republic Service Trip
By: Seth MacKinney ‘15 Senior Contributor The 2014 Dominican Republic Service Trip took our group from our normal privileged lives in the DC suburbs to a poor village in the mountains of the Dominican Republic. We first stayed two nights at the Institute for Latin American Concern and toured a Haitian refugee camp, where we observed families going about their daily routines and playful children darting in and out of
the crudely constructed wood and tin structures serving as homes. Our next visit was to Cienfuegos, a city composed of people living next to a large continuously burning garbage dump. The following day, our fifteen person group squeezed into three pickup trucks and made the ninetyminute trek to the mountain campo in which we stayed for seven days. The twelve students and three adults were divided up among the families willing to host us.
Emmitsburg By: Reno Carlitti ‘15 Senior Contributor With Gonzaga’s central position in the District, we see the underprivileged around us, even in our commute to school. But, what we fail to recognize are the hurting rural communities outside of our urban bubble. The Emmitsburg summer trip is special because it forces us to see a new side of poverty that we would not normally witness while volunteering at service events in the District. With just an hour and a half drive into Maryland, we find a community containing elderly that are struggling to get by. The nearby Seton Center is the hub for service in the area and houses a donation based thrift shop that benefits the needy in the area. On the service trip, we received our work detail from the center and helped at two sites each day. Our work consisted mostly of yard work, house work, and other stray tasks that our hosts had for us. However, physical labor
was not the only focus of the service trip. Another large component was socializing with those we helped and trying to cure seclusion that some of our hosts face from day to day. When we arrive at a specific house, the host is always ecstatic for us to be there. We might be the only person they see that week other than an occasional visit from a nurse or a neighborhood friend dropping off groceries. A large factor of rural poverty is not having human interaction for long periods of time and then spiraling into depression. By partaking in this trip, we help the community of Emmitsburg with its physical and emotional needs, but we also gain lasting friendships with our Gonzaga brothers. The Emmitsburg trip is a mind opening experience that will guarantee a new outlook on the areas around you. I highly recommend attending this trip and learning more about this group of disadvantaged people.
The daily routine consisted of breakfast at the “Cooperadora’s” house, either planting coffee on the hillside, constructing the latrines, or digging the hole for the latrines and then convening again for lunch. After a brief siesta, we would work for a couple more hours and then meet again for dinner. On Sunday, we hiked through the steep hills of the countryside and were amazed at the beauty of the rural Dominican Republic. “It was a perfect place to wear my Timbs every day,” adds senior Will Clarke. Monday through Thursday were made up of our normal routine. Those humid and long seven days without showers, toilets, or fulltime electricity really gave us the full experience of the culture. The trip ended with an outing to an incredible Caribbean beach on Saturday. The crystal clear water was a perfect way to wrap up our adventure. Throughout our visit to the La Guamita community, we felt the immense grati-
tude the people had for us. Everyone truly appreciated the care and treatment of the host families, who treated us “as if we were their own children,” explained Cam Marapese. Most host families consisted of a mother and father and about three children. They happily welcomed us into their small and simple homes. The trip left the whole group with a new found appreciation for what we have and a new respect for those living in poverty. “It was an eye opening experience that shed light on a part of the world and a way people
lived that I had never seen before,” senior JP Fischer says. After a lengthy stay in a poverty-stricken country, everyone came back realizing how grateful we should be for what we have here in America. “It was a great experience with great people who gave us a different perspective on a whole new culture that we had no idea about,” recalls Will Clarke. Through all the mosquito nets, the hard labor, and a couple health concerns, the trip immensely benefitted everyone who went.
McKenna Immersion
By: Kevon Turner ‘15 Managing Editor
Bowl, an Orioles game, and much more. Our experience with En media res, means “in Washington was very inthe midst of things,” is a say- timate. We walked to get ing that you’ll hear thrown around often. But how many of us can actually say that we really know D.C. and have experienced the big picture? It’s an early Monday morning in late June, and we’ve all gathered in the chapel to celebrate mass. Fr. Gap LoBiondo S.J. with his usual upbeat, cheery demeanor, surveying the flock of Gonzaga Eagles perched amongst various pews. Fr. Gap asked us what we had around, hopping on the ochoped to accomplish dur- casional MetroBus. We ing the week. For me, it was went up to serve breakfast simple: I wanted to become and lunch shifts at SOME in closer to my school, and to small groups throughout the my hometown, Washington, week. With the field in the D.C., through doing some middle of a grand makeover, good work and witnessing we took to a basketball court the city from a different per- up the street and played a spective. I suspected that the pickup game with a few loothers shared my sentiments. cal guys. At Ben’s, we were We spent the week mak- regaled with wonderful stoing and serving breakfast ries of the restaurants history and lunch to the guests of the as well as its claim to fame. McKenna Center, keeping Later that day, at Meridian the facilities spic and span, Hill Park, we happened to and tending to its general encounter Mr. Kanai, whom maintenance and upkeep. In once taught at our beloved between, there were grocery Gonzaga (once an Eagle, alruns to the local Giant, walk- ways an Eagle) and played ing tours of the city spear- an intense game of ultimate headed by our fearless adult frisbee. During the week, leaders Mr. Szolosi and Mr. we became acquainted with Sullivan, a trip to Ben’s Chili
the men whom frequent the McKenna Center. Some had fallen on hard luck, others had made mistakes and were trying to get back on track,
and in all of them we saw a bit of ourselves. It was both crushing and beautiful, as well as a reminder that we can never truly judge another without first hearing their story. In the evening, we would sit together and reflect; we’d reflect on the things we had seen and done, the people we had met, and what we had learned. We’d reflect on the Bible and how God would want us to regard those less fortunate than us. In that same spirit, I once again reflect back to that groggy Monday morning and Fr. Gap’s smiling face. Jesus is homeless, he said. The true meaning of this statement resonated throughout the week.
The Aquilian 5
Committed to Doing Justice? By: Ms. Katie Murphy Religion Department
talks from academics and campesinos about the present reality of the poverty, immigration and violence in El Salvador. As my reflections on justice reveal, I found the trip disturbing, challenging and inspiring.
Editor’s Note: Thanks to Ms. Murphy for sharing her experiences in El Salvador with the entire community. We are publishing her piece in two installments. Please find the first below, and look forward GUNS AND MONEY The UCA Chapel conto the second when you open the October issue of The Aq- fronted injustice and made me feel uncomfortable about uilian, my commitment to justice. I settled into my seat on In the back of the chapel, a plane to El Salvador and there were 14 drawings of opened a blank page in my torture, connecting the awful journal and for some reason, history of oppression of the I thought of our grad at grad Salvadoran people to the Staprofile. What does it mean tions of the Cross. Facing the to be “committed to doing altar to the left, there was the justice?” What does it look burial vault which contains like? What does it demand? I the remains of the six marwrote the words “COMMIT- tyred Jesuits gunned down TED TO DOING JUSTICE” by the El Salvador military across the top of a blank sheet on November 16, 1989 beof paper and scanned my cause they raised their voices trip itinerary. What would a against oppression. Behind home stay in a rural mountain the altar, there was a triptych community, talks at the UCA with a large cross, comple(the Jesuit university), and mented by two giant paintpilgrimages to the assassina- ings on either side. The right tion sites of Romero and six side of the triptych grabbed martyred Jesuit priests illu- my eye. On either side of minate about commitment to the painting there was an im-
justice? I dedicated my trip to El Salvador to investigating this question and in this article I would like to share a few scattered reflections. But before I proceed, I need to explain something about my trip to El Salvador. I was not going on a vacation or to visit a resort; it was more of a justice immersion/ pilgrimage. My trip was organized by the Ignatian Solidarity Network and Crispax to investigate the lives of the 6 Jesuit martyrs killed 25 years ago as well as current justice issues. The trip was designed to be conscience raising. Though we met beautiful people, we learned about hard issues. We heard first hand testimonies of persons who survived massacres during the civil war. We stood at the site where men of justice were killed and looked at photos of their blood soaked bodies. We heard numerous
age of a rifle and the number 1,000,000 and above the rifles there was a dove with two rifles making an X over it. What did that mean? I learned that the rifle and one million stand for the military aid that the U.S. Government gave to El Salvador. We gave $1 million a day to a military government that massacred more than 34,000 civilians. That same aid, trained and armed the assassins who killed Romero, the six Jesuits and thousands of campesinos. The black section in the middle represents the reign of death and the massacres of the civilian while the X over the dove meant the guns negated peace. I felt directly connected to the images of torture and the martyrdom of the Jesuits through US policy. The oppressors were not just them, the military government of El Salvador; the oppressors
were us, the United States of America. I felt indicted. So what does it mean to be committed to doing justice? It means not to be indifferent, but to know about US policy and current events. In the 1980s, I simply did not know and never made an effort to know. Clearly, there is a horrible cost when Americans – you and I – do not stand for justice and the cost is real suffering for people, often in distant and poor places, like El Salvador. At the bare minimum, I saw that commitment to doing justice means taking time to research what is really going on in the world, with a special concern for the suffering of the poor and vulnerable. It means questioning US military aid and what is done with our money. It means taking the time to research the reasons why Central American youth are leaving their homes for the USA. Being committed to doing justice begins with the willingness to keep our eyes open, to look at the bleeding and hurting situations of our world, to research and to participate in the political process to defend human life. ANA ZELAYA of COFAMIDE I met a woman named Ana Zelaya whose son left for America, but Rafael never made it and his body was never found. Rafael is one of the many “disappeared” who are killed or die on the harsh migrant journey north. Ana said that when she lost contact with her son that the sorrow was too great. She fell into a depression and stayed in a bed. Another son came to her after some time and told her that she had three other children to live for. Ana said that she got up and that her “tears turned into words and her words turned into demands.” She left without papers on the route that her son traveled. She crossed rivers, hid in shrubs, and faced the same dangers as her son. She went to Guatemala and found the homes of the coyotes (human traffickers paid to guide migrants to the US), searching for answers. She traveled into Mexico and visited prisons looking for her son. I asked her – “Weren’t you scared?” And Ana said, “No. When you have lost a son there is no fear; only courage.” Ana started a group called Cofamide that searches for the disappeared and returns bodies for burial
to grieving families. She has nothing – no money, no education – but she does have commitment. So what does it look like to be committed to justice? It looks like commitment. To me, it looks like Ana Zelaya. Commitment is an oath backed by unstoppable love. It is more than a plea (just one letter advocating for change)
there were 26 bombings. Donors refused to give, the university was libeled in the press and there were flyers scattered all over the counter that read: “Be a Patriot. Kill a Priest.” And then there was the assassination of the 6 Jesuits, the housekeeper Elba Ramos, and her daughter, Celine Ramos on Nov 16, 1989.
or an offering (volunteering occasionally or a donation); it is a personal commitment backed by the force of your life.
Sobrino stressed that working for justice demands confrontation and sacrifice. “The poor do not drop down from heaven, but are created by our own hands, by unjust structures and oppression. To take care of the poor is to confront those structures that make the poverty.” He then connected this to the life of Jesus. Jesus confronted unjust structures, such as the temple authority, and Jesus was slandered, threatened, persecuted and even killed. Sobrino stressed that for Christians the way of justice is the cross. But this is not all bad news since for us the cross is the symbol of victory. We believe that the cross is the way to the resurrection. Just as lifeless body of Christ could not be held down by death, so too the truth for which the six Jesuit priests stood could not be buried in El Salvador. The assassination of the Jesuits resulted in an advocacy furor in the United States and El Salvador that ultimately pushed the peace process. So what does committed to doing justice look like? It looks like doing; it is confronting injustice and it feels uncomfortable. It looks like picking up the cross and not letting go...
FR. JON SOBRINO, SJ Fr. Jon Sobrino was one of the priests targeted by the assassins on November 16, 1989, but he was in Thailand when soldiers dragged his friends from sleep and riddled their bodies with bullets. Today, Sobrino is a famous theologian who does not waver from denouncing injustice. In one of our talks, he told how the UCA’s commitment to doing justice demands confrontation of the injustice. So what did it look like for a university such as the UCA to be committed to justice in El Salvador in the 1980s? It meant studying the reality of El Salvador the poverty, the oppression – and working concretely for justice. It meant publishing papers that denounced unjust structures that caged people into poverty; it meant denouncing a sham election. It also meant persecution and lies. Jesuits, even high school teachers leading service trips, were accused of being communists. Long before the martyrdom, bombs began exploding at the UCA;
End of Part I
The Aquilian 6
By: Charlie Workmaster ‘17 Contributor Have you ever wanted to do service? Do you want to start living as Man For Others? If you’re a freshman or sophomore and want to pursue either of these opportunities, all you have to do is go to Dooley Hall, which is right by the Upper Commons and next to the Administration Office. There you can sign up to go to the McKenna Center, which is in the basement
The McKenna Center of St. Al’s Chruch. There we serve lunch, distribute groceries, and get to interact with the poor and homeless during our lunch periods. The people that we serve down in the McKenna Center are so grateful for what we do to help them and are always happy to see Gonzaga guys around. Not only do we serve lunch, but you can also sign up to make and/or serve dinner in the winter to the men in the hypothermia
program. How cool is it that we have a homeless shelter in the basement of our school? If you want in on the action, sign up in Campus Ministry today. Don’t be shy, the people in Campus Ministry are super nice and will be more than happy to see that you have volunteered. This is an amazing experience that you wouldn’t find at many other schools. You’ll be glad you signed up.
NOLA Summer Service Trip Katrina. I remember the city being so alive. That was when the Saints were a subpar football team, but there were still fleur-de-lis everywhere. I never went back to NOLA until this most recent summer, and when the group made that first car ride through St. Bernard’s Parish, I was stunned. I thought my whole life that Katrina was bad, and I thought my cousins had just gotten unlucky. I didn’t realize that a whole city was drowned. Now the phrase that my cousin, Leo, constantly told me made sense. “You just don’t get
By: Paul Dubois ‘15 Senior Contributor When Katrina hit New Orleans, the whole nation felt the storm surge. In Alexandria, Virginia, the storm surge was found in the Dubois household with the housing of my Grandma and my cousins for 7 years. We took them in, knowing the severity of New Orleans’ state. I had been to the Crescent City twice before. I went once to visit my Grandma’s house and once to visit the Chase Family’s house, my cousin’s. Both were before
it,” he told me from his basement bedroom. This summer service trip was more than just working with my peers for the St. Bernard Project, although I had a great time sanding, demoing, building, and painting. It was more than just helping the people of New Orleans get back on their feet a staggering 10 years after Katrina hit. It was a sudden and very real understanding of an event that had so immensely shaped the lives of so many people, including my own.
Ecuador Service Trip By: Zach Veroneau ‘15 Senior Contributor In a city crippled by poverty and a faltering education system, there remain beacons of hope for the impoverished citizens of Quito, Ecuador. One of these beacons is the Working Boys Center, at which ten of us rising seniors were fortunate enough to work this summer. Founded
by an American Jesuit, Fr. Miguel, the Working Boys Center provides essential services to the impoverished population of Quito. The center was established to serve the working boys and young men in the city, but it has since grown to assist all aspects of family life. The Center now offers elementary and technical education to the children and even provides
adult education courses. The only aspect of the Center more impressive than its services is the group of families taking advantage of them. Both the children and parents alike are incredibly dedicated and focused, but most impressively, everyone in the center is remarkably happy. From kicking the soccer ball around on the field to sitting in an English class, children always had wide smiles painted on their faces. As volunteers we had the fun but meaningful task of spending time with these kids; we would play soccer with them, push them on the swings, and were even able to make
basketball one of the most popular activities. In fact, our special project for the center was restoring the hoops and repainting the sidelines on the court. The work we did for the center was a lot of fun, but there were also times on the trip where our perspective on global poverty was challenged. When you take the public bus an hour and a half,
which is a common commute for some children at the center, to reach a tin roofed, cinder block walled house, you begin to abandon words like “lazy” and “unmotivated” in any conversation regarding third world poverty. We were all fortunate to play a small role in helping break these incredible families from the cycle of poverty.
The Aquilian 7
Meet the Freshmen Elias Christian ‘18 Contributor They gather in shy clusters, drawing awkwardly to old faces from middle school. They move with their heads down, glancing nervously at crumpled schedules. They lose themselves somewhere between the Sheehy Theatre and the art rooms. They are the freshmen of the school – strangers to both faculty and upperclassmen. To many, we imagine, they are faceless – just bodies to walk around or point wearily in the right directions. Upon further investigation, however, we begin to realize that they are students with minds and thoughts. So perhaps it then becomes necessary to acquaint ourselves with these new, uncultured savage freshmen things. A freshman myself, I have taken responsibility to bring the acquaintance to you. I have interviewed seven different freshmen through a variety of questions concern-
ing Gonzaga and – I think most importantly – their preference between centaurs and dragons. Chris Walls says that his favorite Gonzaga moment so far has been the Centreville win. “That was epic,” he said. What are his goals for freshman year? He plans to “lacrosse it up and get A’s.” These are wonderful goals, and I must say that I wholeheartedly support them. As for his most trying experience so far, Chris says that “waking up early to get to school” is always trying. Again, I certainly don’t disagree. Chris participates in lacrosse and cross-country. On his preference between centaurs and dragons, Chris chooses dragons. Our next “Meet the Freshman” contestant is Brendan Griffith, who has found that his favorite Gonzaga moment so far has been learning our school’s proud and powerful Alma Mater during orientation. A goal of his is to gain status in one of the
Fall Play Preview Peter Brown ‘17 Production Editor The Gonzaga Dramatic Association, commonly known as the GDA, is getting set on stage for the first of its two shows for the 2014-2015 season. The fall production, written by the well-known William Shakespeare around 1590, The Taming of the Shrew tells the story about two rather antisocial people,
Pertruchio (Clay Tondreau ’16) and Katherina (Amelia Eggerton ’15). These two
gradually become more social as the play progresses. The GDA, however, tells a more modern version of the story. The setting is a university in 2014. “The students do very normal things,” said Allan L’Etoile, an English teacher at Gonzaga and director of The Taming of the Shrew. “They participate in activities at school such singing a cappella, they go to the coffee shop, and they go to the beach. All along the way, there are hilarious hijinks.” When asked as to what “hijinks” means, Mr. L’Etoile smiled and simply responded: “Google it.” Obviously, having a play written five hundred years ago being modernized, there are ought to be some challenges along the way. “The show is a stretch,” Mr. L’Etoile admitted. “It gives them something new to do, though.” When asked if he was siced, Mr. L’Etoile said: “Yes, I am siced. Do I look like I am siced?” The Taming of the Shrew opens on November 7 and 8 at 7:30 pm in Gonzaga’s Sheehy Threater, then again on November 14 and 15 at 7:30 pm.
top five seats for ping pong. While he did not say he had any trying Gonzaga experiences, he did say that he ran cross-country and plans to try out for squash. Between centaurs and dragons, Brendan goes for the popular choice: dragons. Nathan Jackson’s favorite Gonzaga moment was walking on campus for the first time – a strange and beautiful moment. He participates with crew and finds that his most trying experience was trying to find the art classroom. His biggest goal is to meet new people – “meet as many new peoples as I can” – and he also becomes the first interviewee to choose centaurs over dragons. Stage crew has been Kyle Brown’s ongoing favorite Gonzaga experience, which leads also to his goal which is “not to get killed in the scene shop.” While you might think that this must be the most trying experience he’s undergone he says that math class, in fact, has been
the most difficult of his Gonzaga endeavors. Kyle doesn’t play any sports, though he does choose dragons. After tons of groaning in indecision and lots of “Ah! Gosh!,” Michael L’Etoile says that his favorite Gonzaga experience has been Brother Jon’s class, though the waking up at 6 am has really been a bummer. Michael likes “ping-pong and I’m good at water skiing.” One of his goals is to get straight A’s and he does prefer dragons over centaurs. Malachy McLaughlin says that his favorite experience at Gonzaga so far has actually taken place before school officially began: “… Miss. Fine in summer school. She’s really funny.” In the way of sports, Malachy does crew – one of his freshman goals is to get buff in crew. The most trying experience he’s dealt with thus far is something I’m sure we can all relate to: he finds it rather difficult to ask out a girl here at Gonzaga. I feel you, bro.
Malachy likes dragons. Do you like any sports, Henry Middlebrook? “Yes. Hockey and tennis. My mom wants me to do tennis, so I’ll do tennis.” Dragons or centaurs? “Definitely dragons.” His favorite moment caused him a little trouble. Henry screws up his face, turns around in his seat, thinks hard, and in a few minutes gets back to me. “Eating lunch. Eating lunch is nice.” The amount of homework has been very trying for him, but despite this, one of his goals is to get all A’s this year. There you go. You have now met, at least, a portion of the freshman class. They are not, I hope you now realize, faceless figures of naivety. Remember to say hi to them, make them feel as at home with the spirit of Gonzaga as you (as an upperclassman) have become. A smile is always nice.
CANVAS Unveiled Derrell Bouknight ‘15 Editor-In-Chief & Kevon Turner ‘15 Managing Editor With every student waistdeep in the first quarter, The Aquilian thought it would be helpful to assess the viability of our community’s newest tool: CANVAS. So far, the reponse to CANVAS has been positive. Although it has taken time for students and teachers to adjust to, the newly-implemented Learning Management System (LMS) has provided the Gonzaga community with easy access
to important dates, news about classes, and instant feedback from teachers. It didn’t take long either; CANVAS inserted itself into Gonzaga’s culture seamlessly, becoming the natural go-to for checking calendars and determining due dates. Mr. Brian Larkin, the Education-Technologist at Gonzaga, introduced CANVAS during orientation. The excitement and anticipation filled the gym in late August as Mr. Larkin showed-off how much the new platform offers. To students, this is an exciting period, but for teachers, it may be even more exciting. The implementation of CANVAS affords the teachers of Gonzaga
the ability to manage assignments, projects and grades with a transparency that would make the National Football League blush. Spanish teacher Mr. Ariel Laguilles recently noted the simplicity of CANVAS. Following a quiz taken by his students on the platform, Mr. Laguilles, with a smile on his face, said that CANVAS “does the grading for [him]” The stress of the traditional paper-and-pen method may soon fade away, and as Mr. Laguilles hinted, this could very well be the future of life at Gonzaga.
new faculty & Staff on eye Interviews and Photos by: Nick Jenkins ‘16
Mr. Randy Trivers, Football Coach Hometown: Silver Spring, MD College Attended: Holy Cross Job prior to Gonzaga: Coached and taught in Leesburg, FL Hobbies: Exercise, listening to music, travel, spending time with my family Favorite Fast Food: Chick-fil-A Coke or Pepsi? Pepsi Air sip or waterfall? Air sip Favorite sports team: Gonzaga Eagles Students would be surprised to learn that I... Sang the national anthem at a football game and then coached Favorite part of Gonzaga: The stadium that we are building
Mr. David Smith, Music Hometown: Kensington, MD College Attended: University of Maryland and California State at Los Angeles Job prior to Gonzaga: Taught music at Clarksville Middle school Hobbies: Fishing and more fishing Favorite Fast Food: Five Guys Coke or Pepsi? Mountain Dew Air sip or waterfall? Either Favorite sports team: Nats & Redskins Students would be surprised to learn that I...Played with beach boys and played on the movie Apocalypse Now Favorite part of Gonzaga: The courtyard
Ms. Laura Gengler, Religion Hometown: Glen Rock, NJ College Attended: University of San Francisco Job prior to Gonzaga: Taught at St. Matthew’s Catholic School in San Mateo Hobbies: Softball, running, biking, trivia, road trips and traveling Favorite Fast Food: In & Out Burger Coke or Pepsi? Ginger Ale Air sip or waterfall? Waterfall Favorite sports team: SF Giants Students would be surprised to learn that I... Am the youngest of 5 kids Favorite part of Gonzaga: Jesuit Identity
Mr. Matthew Camus, Math Hometown: Fairfield, CT College Attended: Notre Dame Job prior to Gonzaga: Taught at Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School in MD Hobbies: Badminton and other sports Favorite Fast Food: Checkers Coke or Pepsi? Coke Air sip or waterfall? Neither Favorite sports team: NY Yankees an Notre Dame Football Students would be surprised to learn that I...Tried to learn to play bass guitar Favorite part of Gonzaga: Positive environment
Ms. Meghan Cassidy, Math Hometown: Silver Spring, MD College Attended: UMD Job prior to Gonzaga: Statistical Analyst Hobbies: Baking, hiking and watercolor painting Favorite Fast Food: Chipotle Coke or Pepsi? Pepsi Air sip or waterfall? Air sip Favorite sports team: Washington Nationals Students would be surprised to learn that I...Made a ginger bread house of Hogwarts Favorite part of Gonzaga: The school spirit and the sense of humor of my students
Mr. Adrian Oryshkevych, Social Studies Hometown: Silver Spring, MD College Attended: Fordham University Job prior to Gonzaga: Taught at St. Petersburg in Jersey City, NJ Hobbies: Traveling, watching good television Favorite Fast Food: Tim Horton’s Coke or Pepsi? Water Air sip or waterfall? Get your own bottle! Favorite sports team: Baltimore Orioles Students would be surprised to learn that I... Have never seen the Lion King Favorite part of Gonzaga: Teaching students who are eager to learn
Mr. Michael Hanagan, Student Services Hometown: Alexandria, VA College Attended: St. Josephs University Job prior to Gonzaga: ASC Hobbies: Watching Redskins and Nationals games, golf and basketball Favorite Fast Food: Chipotle Coke or Pepsi? Coke Air sip or waterfall? I don’t like to share my drinks Favorite sports team: Washington Nationals Students would be surprised to learn that I... have been to 18 National games this season Favorite part of Gonzaga: Serving the students
Mr. Peter Baggetta Hometown: Guam College Attended: University of Guam & UMD Job prior to Gonzaga: Taught at the University of Maryland Hobbies: Reading, travel Favorite Fast Food: Don’t eat it, but if I had to choose, Noodles and Company Coke or Pepsi? Don’t drink soda, but Coke Air sip or waterfall? Neither. I just drink it. I don’t care. Favorite sports team: San Antonio Spurs Students would be surprised to learn that I...Like Disney movies and musicals Favorite part of Gonzaga: The students
Mrs. Margaret Metcalf, Social Studies Hometown: Dallas, TX College Attended: Trinity College Job prior to Gonzaga: Taught at the University of Texas at Dallas Hobbies: Reading, knitting and attending my kids sporting events Favorite Fast Food: Chipotle Coke or Pepsi? Coke Air sip or waterfall? Waterfall Favorite sports team: New York Yankees Students would be surprised to learn that I... Studied at Oxford University Favorite part of Gonzaga: The students
Mr. Aaron Sheppard, ASC Hometown: Washington, DC College Attended: University of Virginia Job prior to Gonzaga: Student Hobbies: Listening to music Favorite Fast Food: Checkers Coke or Pepsi? Coke Air sip or waterfall? Waterfall Favorite sports team: Washington Wizards Students would be surprised to learn that I...Live in Shepard Park Favorite part of Gonzaga: SJC & Dematha games and Kairos
Mr. Ian Combs, ASC Hometown: Silver Spring, MD College Attended: University of Delaware Job prior to Gonzaga: Student Hobbies: Rugby Favorite Fast Food: Chick fil a Coke or Pepsi? Pepsi Air sip or waterfall? Waterfall Favorite sports team: Washington Redskins Students would be surprised to learn that I...Went on a research cruise Favorite part of Gonzaga: International Food Fair Day
Mr. George Gillespie, ASC Hometown: Chevy Chase, MD College Attended: Villanova University Job prior to Gonzaga: Student Hobbies: Play sports, basketball, watch TV and movies Favorite Fast Food: Five Guys Coke or Pepsi? Coke Air sip or waterfall? Waterfall Favorite sports team: Notre Dame Football Students would be surprised to learn that I...Am a great high diver Favorite part of Gonzaga: The brotherhood