The Wisterian Newspaper: April 2022 Edition

La Salle College High School

THE WISTERIAN Vol. LXXX VII No. 5| April 2022

DEIC CELEBRATES THE WOMEN PIONEERS AT LA SALLE Mrs. Julia Maher is one of fifteen women featured on La Salle’s Women in History exhibit, which celebrates Women’s History Month by detailing the achievements of La Salle’s female pioneers. The process began when Dr. Arellano, La Salle’s Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), posed the question to the DEI Council: Who were the first women to teach or work at La Salle in their respective fields? He felt a need to “highlight their identities and history. Their accomplishments, at times, are unnoticed. It is our duty, as a school community, to remember how they have founded, encouraged, and promoted many areas of school life.”

Mr. O’Toole, former La Salle Principal and current teacher, took this prompt and ran with it. “I said [to Dr. Arellano], ‘Well, I would probably be your first resource since I probably worked with quite a few of them who were first because I’ve been here a long time and was a student here.” Answering this question required in-depth research and some deep digging into old files and yearbooks. “We had to establish their names, what they taught or where they work in an academic program, how long ago they started, and then we took the

research from there."

Mr. O’Toole found a key partner to work with on this project. “Fortunately, I am married to an expert researcher. My wife, a former reference librarian at the university level, offered to help.” Mr. O’Toole and his wife, Mary Louise Castaldi, spent the next several weeks sending drafts to the Council and developing a list of fifteen women, with the list being limited to those from the Wyndmoor campus for historical unity.

“Then, after all that, it needed to be put together in the display.” Ms. Castaldi was already very familiar with designing displays from her time working at the University of the Arts.

The finished product is a celebration of the first women in their fields at La Salle. While Mrs. Maher’s impact is clear, every single one of these women left their own equally distinctive impact on La Salle. For instance, Mrs. Muriel Mehr, mother of four La Salle alums, was the first woman to both teach religion and be the chair of any department.

She even created her own religion elective, Death and Dying. Mr. O’Toole explained, “Death and Dying was some research, reflection, prayer, [and] thought about the processes people go through when they are at

an advanced stage of disease. That is from a theological, philosophical, biological, and maybe even historical process.”

The impact of women at La Salle is far from distant history, though. In fact, their impact has only grown as more and more women are incorporated into the faculty. “Over the past ten years, the number of women teaching at La Salle has increased. I think it’s now about 25%,” cited Mr. O’Toole.

One of the women driving innovation forward is Mrs. Stott, a member of the Science Department and Assistant Dean of Student Life. In addition to roles teaching all levels of Chemistry, Mrs. Stott created and teaches La Salle’s Forensic Science class. She notes that “it started as one section but has completely grown since then. There were 75 kids that took it this year!" The class examines blood, DNA, and the criminal justice system itself. “The kids in my class mentioned that think it’s one of the most applicable sciences…It’s all over Netflix documentaries, so they feel like they can use it life.”

As Assistant Dean of Student Life since 2019, Mrs. Stott organizes “the fun things we do here at La Salle.” Her role entails overseeing student council, managing

clubs and activities, and organizing events for the student body, like the Turkey Bowl or even Field Day, Mrs. Maher’s creation.

However, this responsibility became extraordinarily difficult by the school-wide isolation that the pandemic caused. “The first two years of this position were really difficult [and] sad. [In] 2020 they didn’t get a prom.” Despite this, Mrs. Stott persevered and took the necessary steps to preserve some semblance of an extracurricular presence, such as giving clubs their own pages on Open LMS to improve online communication. “And then last year and this year, we have just been adapting as we go. We have been so fortunate this year to be able to do everything.”

Whether looking at La Salle’s women from the past or present, it is undeniable that they are an indispensable part of our school community. Dr. Arellano puts it best: “The women have contributed to our school so profoundly that I cannot imagine what our school would look like without their presence.”

-Zach Whiting ’22

The women of La Salle College High School Photo courtesy of Mr. Rob Johnson

About thirty years ago, Mrs. Maher watched in awe as a group of students morphed La Salle’s auditorium into a replica of the seashore—under her supervision, that is. “Over by the doors [as] you came into the auditorium, they had a beach. They loaded in tons of sand. The head of maintenance was ready to kill me.” What prompted Mrs. Maher to OK such a wild idea from her student council? Laughing, she says, “I was always the kind that said, ‘OK, we’ll try that.’ I never said no. That was my problem.”

Since her arrival at La Salle in 1983, Mrs. Maher established herself as someone willing to push established rules and boundaries for the good of her school community. The first instance came when Mrs. Maher was tossed into teaching La Salle’s first computer literacy class after the Brother scheduled to teach it left the school. “They threw me into classes where there was no book. There was nothing. I had to create a curriculum.”

Despite the suddenness of this responsibility, Mrs. Maher used a master’s degree in programming and her natural teaching ability to not only make the best of it but excel, becoming the first woman at La Salle

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A CLASS OF HER OWN

to teach computer science. Still, she remains humble. “Sometimes I see some of those fellas from years ago and we all laugh about it because I didn’t know what I was doing. I had no clue.”

After about ten years of teaching chemistry and the physical sciences full-time, Mrs. Maher was offered a position in the school administration – another first for a woman at La Salle. She reduced her teaching load to one section of chemistry and assumed the title of Assistant Principal for Student Affairs, where she organized activities for the student body and oversaw the student council.

In her new role, Mrs. Maher championed for innovations that are still staples in the La Salle community today. Case in point is Field Day. During a summer retreat with other Lasallian schools, Mrs. Maher noticed that Calvert Hall had a Field Day. This immediately sparked her interest. “We presented it to the faculty, and they weren’t very pleased to begin with because it meant losing class time. But Mr. Assaf was principal at that time, and he said to go for it. So we did.” The process was far from easy: “Oh, we worked our tails off.” But with some special

help from Mr. Coggins, the first La Salle Field Day was held on an “absolutely gorgeous” Monday morning. Despite some of their initially negative reactions, most teachers quickly changed course. “Mr. Colistra, who was chair of the Social Studies Department, called me that night at home and said to me it was one of the best days he ever had at La Salle because it was a different interaction with students.” Although Field Day can sometimes appear childish, “it bonds people together.” To Mrs. Maher, that is what matters.

Then, in 2013, Mrs. Maher was named La Salle’s first Director of Mission and Ministry. Prior to this title, however, she was far from inexperienced in the field. In the 1990s, after a recommendation from a student’s parent, Mrs. Maher decided to look into St. Joe’s Prep’s senior retreat: Kairos. “I just thought it was important to look into.” After her discussion with Prep faculty, La Salle decided to adopt the retreat; Mr. Jackson and Mr. Coggins attended the first retreat, Mrs. Maher the third. “In the beginning, Kairos wasn’t very well accepted because a lot of the young men thought it was a cult of some kind. Which was OK

because it was something different. But it grew.” And grow it did, becoming a pivotal event in the life of nearly every senior at La Salle. “It’s a wonderful, wonderful experience. I think over the years I did maybe 30 to 35 retreats, and I value every one of them.”

For Mrs. Maher, though, more important than any of her accomplishments was building relationships with her students and touching their hearts, just as Saint La Salle originally intended. “But they’ve touched my heart just as much as anybody else’s.” She was commonly known as the “school mother.” Every day, the boys stopped by her office, on one hand for a helping of candy, pretzels, and jolly ranchers, and on the other just to talk with her. “They came in just to talk. They I was listening. I listened to everything. I got all the gossip.” And it because of her role as a mother that Mrs. Maher has and will always refer to La Salle students as “her boys.” “It’s a special place to me and always will be.”

-Zach Whiting ’22

Page One

THE SITUATION IN UKRAINE As we all now know by now, the country of Ukraine has been subject to an awful invasion by the Russian Federation. This invasion has brought a bloody war to Ukraine. Ordinary neighborhoods are now destroyed into pieces. Hundreds of thousands of both soldiers and civilians are wounded. The entire landscape of Ukraine has been forever changed.

This prompts the question: Why did Russia invade Ukraine – a country that was doing no wrong to them at the time?

Well, Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that he believes Russia and Ukraine should be one again (similarly to when they were previously united in the Soviet Union). Despite Putin believing this, almost no Ukrainians believe it. Ukrainians want their freedom back – rightfully so as they did not do anything wrong. Additionally, the invasion has produced a mass refugee crisis of people fleeing the war ridden

WHAT IS A ROBOT? Some days after school, in a corner of the basement, the loud hum of drills and shop-vacs over Mr. Patel’s Star Wars music can be hard to miss. Over the weekends, around twenty students and a little over five teachers or alumni are working to build something together: a machine that completes tasks with instructions given to it by an operator or ones that are pre-programmed.

The first word that comes to mind is “robot”. But I think that word leaves a lot out of what is truly being created by the robotics team. That is because members of the team see a far different thing when they look at the robot than merely a machine that completes tasks, and every member sees the bot a little differently from each other. They see the mechanisms they designed, the success, what can be improved, and the failures.

They even see the fun they had building it with their friends. And each of those perceptions are true, and they are stitched into the bot, making it not just a machine that completes tasks, but something that reflects the people that built it.

Inevitably, over competitions and build sessions, every member puts a piece of themselves into the robot. So, what have we truly created at the end of the season?

I think the best way to describe it is that we have crafted something that reflects the team itself, the time and effort we have all put in, the new experiences gained, and the new friends made. I think the robot is nothing less than the soul of the robotics team.

- James Soley ’23

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country.

According to the United Nations, as of Tuesday, April 5th, 2022, there are now over 4 million refugees. To put that in perspective, that number is right around the population of Los Angeles, California. The United Nations has committed to helping these refugees.

One question many people are asking is why doesn’t the United States send troops into Ukraine to support them?

While this seems like a good solution, it would lead to us being dragged into this war, meaning we would be involved in a conflict with Russia. As many can imagine, this would not be a desirable outcome by any means for the US. Overall, as the war in Ukraine continues, we must support them while also making sure we avoid military conflict.

-Aidan Maloney ’23

ORGANIZED CHAOS The Robotics Shop is a world of its own. When in full force, it is a place permeated by constant noise, nonstop movement, and the smell of sawdust. In short, it is mayhem. However, there is a method to the madness. The efforts of the team, though they seem chaotic, are all organized towards a central goal. After all, at the end of the day, a robot must be built, tested, programmed, driven, tested again, and finalized; a task that requires the efforts and organization of the whole team.

These efforts come in many forms. A robot is a complex creation and has many different components. Different groups tackle the main build, programming, sensors, driving, and overall game strategy of the bot. These groups may even be further divided into different specialties. For one example, the main build team is typically made of three smaller groups which each deal with one aspect of the bot’s structure.

For another, the programming team may be divided between autonomous and driver-controlled code.

This segmentation requires a lot of coordination and effort, but it has key advantages. For one, it allows almost anyone, no matter what their talents are, to fit into a group and make meaningful contributions to the whole team. Anyone can excel in robotics, from engineers to tacticians to salesmen. For another, segmentation works. The team is always able to mesh their separate achievements and create a fully functioning and proficient robot for competition, no matter what obstacles are faced along the way.

- Sebastian Barnes ’23

ROBOTICS TEAM EARNS CHAIRMAN'S AWARD For the second consecutive year, Explorer Robotics (Team 5181), the upperclassmen robotics team (5181) at La Salle College High School, received the District Chairman’s Award for their unparalleled commitment to STEM education, community service, and the FIRST® core values. FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is an internationally recognized nonprofit organization that facilitates robotics events for young adults from elementary through high school.

The Chairman’s Award is the most prestigious award at FIRST®, it honors the team that best represents a model for other robotics teams to emulate and best embodies the mission of the FIRST® program. Winning the Chairman’s Award demonstrates a profound dedication to inspiring greater levels of respect and honor for science and technology, as well as encouraging more of today’s youth to become science and technology leaders.

To win the Chairman’s Award, students from Team 5181 curated 2 written essay submissions, a comprehensive video, and a live presentation in front of a judging panel.

Led by Chris White ‘23, Kevin White ‘23, and Evan Comiciotto ‘24, the team succeeded in displaying their continued efforts to provide quality, comprehensive STEM education to young adults. Since 2013, Team 5181 has started 14 robotics teams in local schools, helped to design the curriculum for 4 STEM-related classes at La Salle, and hosted numerous camps and competitions for young innovators.

Winning the District Chairman's Award advanced Team 5181 to the Regional FRC Championship at Lehigh University. After being asked about the season, team members responded with satisfaction of the year’s achievements.

Paul DiPrinzio, a junior on the scouting sub-team stated, “the part that I enjoyed

most about this season has been meeting new people on the robotics team who share in my interests. We enjoyed seeing how our robot performed in competition after the hard work we each put in throughout the last couple of months.”

The 2022 season marked a return to inperson competition for the first time in 2 years, resulting in most team members never having attended a robotics event before.

“Since it was my first season as a part of the FRC robotics team, the competitions this year have given me a sense of the larger community associated with FIRST®. In the beginning, I was a bit nervous about building an industrial grade robot, however, we did even better than I ever could have imagined, even making it to the District Championship because of the Chairman’s Award” said Fred Mueller, a sophomore on the mechanical sub-team.

Only days after the FIRST® Mid Atlantic regional championship at Lehigh University, the team already accumulated ideas to prepare for the next season. Among them include building a swerve drive—a complex robot drivetrain that allows for more agility and speed—recruiting new corporate sponsors, helping a school in Nicaragua gain access to the internet, and starting 2 new robotics teams at elementary schools in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. In the words of Chris White, a junior and the program’s President, “Winning the Chairman’s Award culminated 9 years of outstanding effort on behalf of the entire team to promote STEM activities to young adults in our community. The award symbolizes the mission of Saint John Baptist de La Salle in our robotics program, and I look forward to the continued efforts of the team going forward to help younger students experience technology and robotics.”

-Christopher White '23

Photos courtesy of Harrison Karsch '23

Page Two

FEATURES

The David Center: Everything You Need to Know The David Program, the brainchild of Brother Rene Sterner, is an integral part of La Salle.

Students of the David Program understand its importance, but many students and even some teachers lose the true meaning of the David Program. Modelled after a similar program in Calvert Hall (alma mater of La Salle greats such as Mr. Leahy) and named in honor of Mr. David Diehl ’55 and long-time guidance counselor Brother David Albert, FSC, the David Program is built to maximize the academic potential of college bound students with a diagnosed learning difference. The two men the program memorializes met students where they were and focused on helping students grow and find their strengths.

Outside of just helping students to succeed in the classroom, the program was designed to build confidence in students and their abilities, destroying stigmas that surround many learning differences.

The goal and mission have only been strengthened in its years since it was first founded. The program continues to have students use their strengths through metacognition, study strategies, learning skills, hard work, self-advocacy, and so much more.

The schedule design sees two students assigned to every Learning Specialist in a given period; however, a Learning Specialist may work one-on-one with their student to perfect these skills with small adjustments or to help the student understand how he learns and finds his strengths. Collaboration between the student and Learning Specialists is the biggest part of the program. They reflect on what has happened in classes in term of homework, tests, and keeping up with the workload. Often, they will work on a schedule, organizing the students time

and work on their time management skills. Any adjustments that need to be made are made to best maximize the abilities of the student. The David Program does so much more than help with day-today work with students. There is a visible difference between the freshmen who enter the program, and the gentlemen who leave their senior year. Not only do they leave with new-found confidence, but they are given the tools that will help them succeed in college and in any future endeavors.

Mr. Keenan, director of the David Program, regularly relates the David Program to a pair of glasses in the sense that some people need glasses to see better just like how some students need a network of support like the David Program to unlock their full academic capability. He is also adamant that the David Program in not a crutch, but rather a toolbelt. Unlike crutches, the David Program does not carry the incapable, but rather it gives the students the skills and tools they need to tackle how they process information.

When the David Program was first put in place, it was unsure how would work in the complex dynamics with La Salle; now, however, the program is a beacon at La Salle. The David Program has grown in number of students and faculty since it was first established. The program has never lost that one-on-one feeling that makes each student’s experience unique to them. This ethos allows students to discover their strengths as learners and create confidence in their ability; ultimately eliminating stigmas surrounding learning differences and continuing the original mission of the program’s founders.

Some have pointed out that the David Program

and its two-on-one style of teaching betrays the vision of de La Salle when he spoke of and practiced simultaneous instruction in large groups, but that could not be further from the truth.

Just as de La Salle did, the David Program maximizes the academic ability of its students to find their full potential. De La Salle famously said that teachers should, “Touch the minds and hearts of the students they work with,” and there is no better example of that practice than the David Program. Not only is a teacher-student relationship formed, but also a relationship among students is nurtured. Many times, students of the program mentor each other either in life or in academic work. This bond between brothers is what truly embodies the mission of de La Salle.

La Salle College High School recognizes the significance of the program and what it means to the students involved.

Because of this recognition, the David Program will be moving out of current quarters in the apartment over the garages of the 1927 Belcroft to a new extension of the school, probably in the 2023-24 school year, designed for the particular style of flexible leaning that happens in the David Program. The new location will give the program more space to function in updated facilities without losing the feeling of community that makes the David Program so special. The new building features individual faculty offices/tutoring rooms to best accommodate individual learners while also maintaining collaborative learning options within a community space.

- Daniel Van Thuyne '23 Renderings of New David Center Building

It's Competition Season Again

Every year at the start of the second semester, La Salle’s competition and lab bands begin competing in a series of jazz competitions held at various high schools and universities in the area. The competition band can be thought of as the “varsity band,” and the lab band can be thought of as the “junior varsity band.” At these competitions, high school big bands compete against one another and are judged based on their soloists, song difficulties, musical feel, and technical abilities. Normally, these competitions culminate with the “Cavalcade of Bands,” which is essentially a playoff tournament that ends with a champion. However, due to Covid-19 concerns, this has not happened in several years.

At the competitions, the bands are divided into two classes: A-Class and open Class. A Class typically consists of younger, lower-tier bands, and Open Class is reserved for more experienced bands.

Each band plays three songs before the audience and a panel of judges, who present awards and overall ratings at the end of each competition.

Awards are given out for best sections and best soloists, and the ratings represent how each band performed as a whole. The ratings given are very good, excellent, outstanding, superior, and superior with honors.

This season, La Salle’s competition band received either a superior or superior with honors rating at every competition that they attended. With all this being said, though, it is not all about winning. Mr. Chris Mele, La Salle’s musical coordinator and

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director of the lab band (in addition to several other bands) provided a unique perspective on the feeling of going to a competition and all that goes into it, as he is an alumnus of La Salle and played the trombone in the competition band for four years. When asked how his perspective on competitions has changed following his transition from a student to a teacher, he said “As a student, I was focused on being in the moment of the performance and winning, but through the eyes of a teacher, I am less concerned with how we do on any given day and more concerned with playing up to the best level that they can.” This line of thinking held a special significance this season, as La Salle’s music program suffered greatly on account of the pandemic, and it has been everybody’s goal to bring all the bands back to the higher level at which they once played, and to uphold La Salle’s long-standing reputation as a musical powerhouse.

The pandemic had two detrimental effects on the music program: a pause in the frequent events that separate La Salle musicians from other schools, and a lacking number of new students entering the program. Allowing students to play at frequent events and concerts is so important to the success of the program because the sheer amount of time that everybody spends playing their respective instruments is what gives them abilities that are generally incomparable to those that students acquire at other schools. Luckily, many of these events have been brought back in the 2021-2022

school year, bringing an influx of new music students with them. The current freshmen class contains an astounding number of musicians, and even higher numbers are expected for next year’s incoming class. This is extremely significant as it provides promise for the hope that these underclassmen will be able to make up future competition and lab bands and help the music program return to its former position.

- Chris Dolich ’23

Students performing during the Jazz Assembly Photos courtesy of the Ferrante Family

Page Three

FEATURES

A Student's Perspective on World Affairs Part I. The United Nations When it comes to politics, the supreme governing body is the United Nations.

This organization stands as a watchdog over the unjustness of major world leaders and as a guardian for undeveloped countries - capable of solving any political crisis which crosses its path and of curtailing any autocrat who seeks to impeach upon the world freedom which it maintains.

What you just read is something I might have said weren’t I lying.

Unfortunately, when it comes to settling heated world affairs, the UN’s power is effectively limited to symbolic - or rather - ineffective action, and when it comes to steadfastness, the UN is incredibly malleable - able to be completely halted on the whim of a single major country.

However, this is not the worst situation. The United Nations exists, and that is a start. Despite being weak in many aspects, it still serves an integral role in the world; it is a meeting place for all countries to get together and mend issues - and further, its international nature allows for it to be a critical player in the field of world health and humanitarian issues.

With this being said, there is naturally left an opportunity to improve this institution; a universal job which any government official, international worker/lawyer, or historian should understand. Thus, for people interested in these fields, or on a contrary (and wholly unrelated) note, people interested in getting out and socializing, there is Model UN.

The mood in D.C. was intense.

Among the roughly 1,000 attendees were a gaggle of college students, delegates who had seemingly been preparing for months, public speakers to rival actual ambassadors, and all sorts of people in between. This led to an interesting debate. Held within it were too many solutions, and too many ideas; at one point was the topic of neocolonialism as it relates to the public health of under-developed countries, and at another point was the efficacy of cryptocurrency when it comes to backing the World Bank. Clearly, this had to be redressed, thus flipping to the B-side of Model UN. See, many people incorrectly assume that the world’s politics are carried out in hallowed chambers and in a parliamentary fashion, however, political matters are most often solved in a manner contrary to this, often in laid-back social situations - likewise is the case with Model UN. The first event, succeeding several informal get-togethers and dinners/lunches with people who I had been working with, was called “Hilltop Madness.” This was a ball hosted by Georgetown University and their various performing clubs who had been providing entertainment for the event.

Here, two things were learned. First, why the event was called “Hilltop Madness” as I witnessed 500 people descend upon a free ice cream vendor like a pack of ravenous dogs, and second, that a lot could be accomplished in this setting (as I proceeded to form a voting bloc with 3 G7 countries minutes before going back to my hotel room).

Designed by Liam Mote '23

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CARTOON CORNER

Part II. Model United Nations In late March La Salle held its ninth annual in-house Model UN conference.

As a manager for this event, I recall our team deciding over a variety of crisis notes. From one committee, a detailed page-long multinational plan and from another committee, a barrage of different ideas, conflicting resolutions,

and a number of miscellaneous requests which truly embodied the idea of “ranging the spectrum.” I am reminded of a similar situation that I encountered in D.C. a month prior for a different conference.

The second, last, and only other event (considering that many others had been organized on an ad-hoc basis following the previous one) came after a rather eventful day, as I spent most of it running around with people finalizing resolutions and had used up the night hanging around with other La Salle MUN members prior. What happened here was a combination of many things that ultimately resulted in quite an interesting scenario, one which was both

relaxed and chaotic at the same time.

This gave way for a situation wherein I was able to interact with a variety of people and which ultimately revealed to me that my initial assessment of this event’s attendees was far from complete.

Overall it was pretty fun. I would recommend it.

- Nick Wilson '24

Photos courtesy of Mr. Christian Arellano The 2021-2022 MUN Team in Washington DC at the Portuguese Embassy (top) and at La Salle's Annual Competition (bottom) Photos courtesy of Mr. Jim Sawyer

Teacher Feature: Mr. Rosa

One of the new teachers that joined the La Salle family this year is Mr. Kyle Rosa. Mr. Rosa is a science teacher here at La Salle. He is currently teaching Integrated Science and Biology. Mr. Rosa is from New Jersey but currently lives in Manayunk.

Mr. Rosa wanted to be a teacher because he wanted to build relationships with his students and help them discover their potential.

Mr. Rosa said he wanted to be a science teacher because “Science was always a challenging subject for me, and as a student, I liked the feeling of accomplishment when I figured out a difficult problem in physics or understood a complex process in biology.”

Mr. Rosa earned his undergraduate degree at Rowan University in Biological Science and Education and his Master's Degree from Clemson University in Biological Science.

Mr. Rosa’s favorite things to do outside of school is reading, running, and cheering on his favorite Philly sport teams.

-Brendan Olimpo ’23

Photo From Mr. Rosa's Science Class

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FEATURES

A Love of Education Although it cannot be proven scientifically, it seems to be a fact that all roads connect, and man’s experience is a series of circles. Fortunately for La Salle College High School, this truth applies to one of La Salle’s newest and finest faculty additions, Mrs. Kathryn Devine-Konzelman, who teaches in the Science Department. Originally from Northeast Philadelphia, Mrs. Devine-Konzelman spent nine years teaching in Wilmington Delaware, but circled back to her roots, entering her first-year teaching at La Salle.

A graduate of St. Hubert High School, Mrs. Devine-Konzelman earned her Bachelor of Science and Master in Education degrees from Villanova University. Although she comes from a family of educators, she chose teaching not so much due to family roots, but because it was something she realized that she was not only good at, but something she enjoyed. Deciding to become an educator during her senior year in college, she explained it was something that happened unexpectedly.

“During my senior year, I was doing research in an Ecosystem’s Ecology lab and realized that my favorite part of doing research was sharing it with other people, so I decided to pursue education.” Her love of science came earlier, however.

I have had a passion for science since I was young,” she explained. “Everything about science was always fascinating to me – finding out how or why things worked was so exciting – and I fell in love with Biology during my sophomore year of high school when I had Biology for the first time.” If she were to teach in a field other than that of science, she would teach psychology, due to its science-like nature, as well as her having taken and enjoyed it in high school and college.

For Mrs. Devine-Konzelman, science is not only a means of solving problems and bettering people’s lives, but it explains life itself. “Understanding how life works and our place as humans in the larger systems of life was so interesting and made me want to pursue Biology in college.” For her, science borders on the divine.

So far, teaching at La Salle has been an enjoyable endeavor for Mrs. Kathryn Devine-Konzelman, “I have enjoyed getting to know my colleagues and it has been a great year so far learning from my students.” She has embraced the core Lasallian virtue of service as well, having been part of the cooking club and gone on Kairos 37-147.

As for her future at La Salle, Mrs. Kathryn DevineKonzelman looks forward to “becoming more involved in the La Salle Community,” and excitedly anticipates “what La Salle has in store in the years to come.”

- Jacob Crowell-Alvarez ’23

A Festival of Diversity

Service Opportunity: Rising Stars

Over one hundred students gathered on the Grotto lawn area to participate in and contribute to the Diversity Festival which was coordinated by the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion council. It was a time in which everyone came together for a sense of community and unity.

Diversity is a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts, which include race, ethnic origin and color, religion and creed, sexual orientation, age, and ability, to name a few. The Diversity Festival is a chance to celebrate all these backgrounds. As an 18-year-old African American who goes to a predominantly white school, there are not a ton of chances or events to highlight our culture excluding Black History Month.

So, being part of this year's Diversity Festival was a fantastic opportunity not only for our Black students, but for all students to see more of the cultures and ethnicities represented at La Salle.

Ethnic food and various activities from each culture provided a space for good dialogue, communication, camaraderie, and togetherness that makes La Salle the school that it is—a place for everyone!

A Pythagorean Team

The Mathletes team wrapped up a successful season finishing 5th place in the Archdiocesan Championship.

Individual awards include Evan Cohen '23 placing 3rd and Brendan Nguyen '22 placing 1st in the division.

Brendan also tied for 1st place in the entire archdiocese.

A Mathletes season consists of six monthly regularseason competitions on different math topics ranging from factoring quadratics to trigonometry. To prepare, the team conducts practices after school or during community time to review the math topic for the upcoming competition. Typically, these competitions are hosted by various teams in the archdiocese; however, the pandemic has recently caused these competitions to be held virtually.

For every competition, there are two individual rounds and one team round. Each individual round includes four problems that range in difficulty, and the team round includes five especially difficult problems that typically require team collaboration to solve. The number of points each team gained throughout all the competitions are then added, and the top nine teams in the archdiocese advance to the championship.

A new addition to the Mathletes season was the first annual Data Analytics and Visualization competition at St. Joe’s University. In this competition, the team was given two data sets, one about NFT sales and another about cryptocurrencies. With the help of the software program Tableau, the team created presentations showing the data driven insights found for each data set. Out of the 24 teams judged, La Salle placed 7th overall, adding to the overall accomplishments of the Mathletes team this year.

- Brendan Nguyen ’22

Rising Stars Homework Club is a new service opportunity that La Salle became involved with during this school year. It is located in Ambler and serves students in the Wissahickon School District. At the Homework Club we help tutor and entertain the young children who are in grades K - 5. When we arrive, each La Salle student is paired up with a Rising Star student.

Students who attend regularly have built some strong relationships with the volunteers and are paired together each time. We sit with them as they do any work they have assigned for the night. Once the homework is complete, there is a 15–20 minute reading time. The kids may bring their own books or choose from the large library that they have at the location.

After reading time is over, it is free time for the kids, this by far their favorite part of the day. The kids have many options in what games they can play; there are board games, Barbies, toys, computer games and basketball. When it is time to pack up, the kids never want the volunteers to leave. Rising Stars is an excellent service activity for anyone looking to spend some time with kids and leave knowing you have impacted the life of a young student.

The 2021-2022 Mathletes Team Photo courtesy of Brendan Nguyen '22

- Aaron Armstrong ’22 -Brett Bean ’23 Diversity Festival Photo courtesy of Mr. Lyons

ADVISORS Mrs. Keri Hoffman Mr. Rob Johnson Mr. John Young

The Wisterian

WHO IS THE WISTERIAN? The purpose of The Wisterian is to inform the student body of news and opinions of relevance to the school community. The views expressed are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect official school policy.

CONTRIBUTORS Christopher DelPlato ’22 Eric Fryer '22 Raymond Gomez '22 Ryan McPaul '22 Brendan Nguyen '22 Alex Sorgini '22 Zachary Whiting '22 Thomas Ballay '23

Sebastian Barnes '23 Liam Mote '23 Brett Bean '23 James Soley '23 Matthew Braccia '23 Joseph Young '23 Ronan DeStefano '23 Daniel Van Thuyne '23 Chris Dolich '23 Christopher While '23 Delano Jackson '23 Jacob Crowell-Alvarez '24 Brendan Olimpo '23 Nick Wilson '24 Aidan Maloney '23 Jack Trymbiski ’25

Page Five

FEATURES

The Pursuit of Excellence The La Salle Speech and Debate team is wrapping up another great season. The team, led by head coach Mr. McCabe, competed in over fifteen tournaments throughout the year. Although most of the tournaments were still held virtually, La Salle led the way in returning to in-person competition. The La Salle Forum Invitational, hosted back in December, was the first in-person tournament in the area in nearly two years. Teams from twenty-six schools in the region gathered on campus for a wonderful day of competition.

Competitors enjoyed catching up with old friends and making new ones between rounds.

This season, seniors Luke Murray and Zach Whiting have met the qualifications to become NSDA Academic All Americans, an award granted to less than two percent of all National Speech and Debate Association members! Luke and Zach join fellow seniors Sam Perry, Alex Sorgini, and Michael Quigley as Academic All Americans.

The team had several notable achievements this year. Sam Perry was the champion of the New York City Invitational in Prose and Poetry. Alex Sorgini championed the Princeton Invitational in Extemporaneous Speaking. At the Pine Richland Invitational, Sam Perry placed first in Prose and Sebastian Barnes placed third in Extemporaneous Speaking. Alex Sorgini was also one of only sixteen competitors in the nation to be invited to the Montgomery Bell Academy Round Robin.

After the regular season concluded, the team competed in several district tournaments. La Salle won the District 11 Championship and qualified

18 people for the State Championship. A week later, Sam Perry, Dan Boyd, Sebastian Barnes, Andy Kim, Theo Peebles, and Gannon Wanders qualified to the NCFL Grand National Tournament. At the Valley Forge District Tournament, Sam Perry placed 2nd in both Dramatic Interpretation and Program Oral Interpretation while Alex Sorgini championed United States Extemporaneous Speaking and placed third in International Extemporaneous Speaking. Both will represent the team in Louisville, Kentucky this summer at the National Speech and Debate Tournament.

At the Pennsylvania State Tournament, both Sam Perry and Alex Sorgini reached the final round of their events. After an amazing tournament, Sam Perry ended the weekend as the state champion in Prose Reading. Alex Sorgini placed fourth in Extemporaneous Speaking. Zach Whiting reached the octo-final round of Lincoln-Douglas Debate.

The team is now preparing for its final few tournaments of the year. Both Alex Sorgini and Sam Perry have earned enough “bids” to qualify for the Tournament of Champions. Qualifying for this prestigious tournament is extremely difficult, requiring high finishes in two or more national circuit tournaments. The team will travel out-ofstate for the first time since the pandemic began for both the NCFL Grand National Tournament during Memorial Day weekend and the NSDA National Tournament in June. After a full year of competition, the team hopes to finish strong at these tournaments.

- Alex Sorgini ’22

Pippin Review La Salle’s theater program decided to present Pippin as this year’s play. It took hours of hard work and many rehearsals to deliver one of the best performances La Salle has ever produced. The pit band did an excellent job at setting the scene and giving emotion to the play. Every actor was nothing less than magnificent. The voices projected throughout the entire auditorium even as one of the mics broke. Every number performed had its own unique quality that could not be copied.

Thomas Eble ’23 gave a wonderful performance as Pippin in his first ever La Salle musical. Joining him on stage was Abigail Bernesky as the leading player who guided both Pippin and the audience though the show as she introduced Pippin to all kinds of callings that could be “fulfilling” until the finale when Pippin decided to stay with Catherine.

Who is Catherine? Well, Catherine is Pippin’s love interest in the play. A lovely young widow, Catherine is played by Jill Baldassari. Jill is a senior from Gwynedd who has performed in four musicals at La Salle.

Pippin has been a performance to remember. I thought that the pit certainly showed the audience the work they put into the play. Pippin made great use of the fourth wall and was simply a sight to behold. I cannot wait to see what production La Salle will present next year.

Photo courtesy of Jonathan Wilson

Alumni Feature: Mr. McLaughlin

While La Salle College High School has always been renowned for its emphasis on brotherhood, it is also its paralleled dedication to community which allows the school to thrive and make such a large impact. This week I had the opportunity to sit down with Mr. James McLaughlin class of ’57, someone for whom I have a lot of respect for and someone who believes deeply in the importance of brotherhood and community—not just at La Salle but in our world today.

While attending La Salle, Mr. McLaughlin knew from the start how special the school and community was. He remembers the dedication which the Christian Brothers put into their work, along with the notion that they truly cared about all their students on a personal level; something he still has yet to forget. Mr. McLaughlin would love to spend time at La Salle whether it be managing the baseball team, editing for the yearbook, or just building relationships with his classmates. He valued this sense of community and believed in its positive effects so much so that he decided to send his three sons here: Michael ’99, Ian ’03, and Dennis ’07. It was during his sons’ times at La Salle where Mr. McLaughlin saw the impacts of service in their lives and the difference which La Salle was making in its community.

From then on, Mr. McLaughlin would have the opportunity to not only serve an important role on the Alumni Board at the now La Salle University, but to also be an early member and serve as president of the Alumni Association at La Salle High School from 19861988. From there, he went on to serve with the Men of La Salle, completing two six-year terms on the board of trustees, and eventually beginning his work with mission and ministry through homeless outreach. In addition, Mr. McLaughlin’s service and dedication was recognized so much so that, although not a teacher, he was asked to serve as a Kairos adult leader in 2014 and has been doing so since then.

Being both my own Kairos adult leader and getting to serve alongside Mr. McLaughlin in Philadelphia through Homeless Outreach, I can say that I have personally seen the level of dedication which he has to his alma mater and his community as a whole. Through Kairos, Mr. McLaughlin displayed a level of compassion and genuine interest in the lives of a group of young men which he had just met, which I have never experienced before in my life. It is his strong generosity, humility, and enthusiasm which Mr. McLaughlin puts into his service which has not only inspired me but many around him. It is years of service like his own which makes La Salle proud to call him one of their own, and always have a place for his eager spirit.

- Ryan McPaul ’22

- Ronan DeStefano ’23 Photo courtesy of Jonathan Wilson

The Wisterian

Navajo Service Trip, 2016 Mr. Johnson, Mr. Tate, Mr. McLaughlin, Mr. Young Photo courtesy of Mr. Rob Johnson

Page Six

The Wisterian SPORTS REPORT

The Forgotten Football Team

Syracuse University is known primarily for their basketball program. Not to say that their football program has been bad, but it certainly has struggled since they transitioned conferences from the Big East to the ACC. This change brought with it new challenges for the football program. When Syracuse was in the Big East they had a 727-548-49 record. Since Syracuse’s move to the ACC their record has been 47-74, which is certainly an underwhelming record for a historically good football program. Through Syracuse’s time in the ACC they have only had two winning seasons! Furthermore, only one of these seasons was double digits. This lone 2018 season had a team that I would argue is one of the most underrated college football teams in the last 5 years. While looking at the team let’s start with the most important position on the field, quarterback of the team Eric Dungey.

Eric is from Tualatin, Oregon and attended Lakeridge High School. He was an under the radar recruit only being a 3-star prospect and being the 44th ranked Quarterback in the 2015 recruiting class. He came to Syracuse with not much hype around him but quickly changed that narrative. During his freshman year at Syracuse, he played in 8 games and passed for 1,298 yards and 11 touchdowns with 5 interceptions. He did this with a 59.7% completion percentage. He also had 351 rushing yards and 5 rushing touchdowns. These freshman year stats where extremely promising and throughout his next two seasons he continued to grow these stats with it all culminating in his senior season. During his senior season in 13 games he had 2,868 passing yards with 18 passing touchdowns to 9 interceptions. He also had 754 rushing yards with a average of 4.1 yards a carry and 15 rushing touchdowns. These combined 33 touchdowns by Dungey helped lead Syracuse to their 10-3 record. Though it wasn’t just Dungey that helped lead this offense to be the 23rd ranked offense in the nation.

Running Back Moe Neal was the other point of this two spear rushing attack for Syracuse’s offense. Neal too was a 3-star player only being the 33rd athlete in the 2016 recruiting class. Neal was another hidden gem for this Syracuse team with his Junior 2018 seasons being one of, if not his best, season at Syracuse. He rushed for 869 rushing yards with 5.6 yards a carry and 5 rushing touchdowns. He also contributed to the passing game with 13 catches and 128 receiving yards.

When talking about receivers on this 2018 team some notable players are Sean Riley, Jamal Curtis, and Nykeim Johnson. Sean Riley was also a 3-star recruit from Harbor City, California. Jamal Curtis was an unranked player from Colorado. Finally, Nykeim Johnson was a 3-star recruit from Washington DC. These three players combined for 2,227 receiving yards and 13 receiving touchdowns.

These recruits are evidence of Syracuse’s strength in finding gems and developed them into great players.

This ability to find gems also applies to the defense with the three notable players being Ryan Guthrie, Alton Robinson, and Kendall Coleman. During the 2018 season, Ryan Guthrie lead Syracuse in tackles with 107 tackles and 16.5 tackles for loss. Guthrie is another 3-star from Cumming, Georgia. Alton Robinson was tied with Coleman for the most sacks on the team with 10 sacks for each player. Alton Robinson and Kendall Coleman where both 3-star players. Though this team was primarily lead by the offense these defensive players where certainly ones that the opposing teams would have to prepare themselves.

Speaking of that some notable games that this team had during the 2018 season their 307 win over the number 19th ranked team in the country Florida State, the 23-27 loss to their rival the 3rd overall team in the nation Clemson, their 51-41 win over the number 22nd ranked team in the country NC State, and finally their 42-21 victory over the number 22nd team in the nation Boston College. These impressive wins all lead to the Syracuse Orange playing in the Camping World Bowl against number 15th team in the nation West Virginia with Syracuse coming out on top with a score of 34-18. The 2018 Syracuse team finished the season as the number 17th ranked team in the nation which it has not reached since. The most important take away from this team is that it was built on, “under the radar” recruits who were developed and improved with it all collimating in the 10-3 record and a bowl game win. This team is a special team which only comes around once in a blue moon. This is the improbable 2018 season of the Syracuse Orange football team.

Syracuse Football Team leaving the tunnel at the Carrier Dome Stadium.

Photo courtesy of Google

Syracuse QB Eric Dungey in the Camping World Bowl Game.

Photo courtesy of Google

The Wisterian

MLB Lockout Follow-up Finally, the MLB Season is upon us! Baseball fans have waited all winter for it to start, and after over 150 days, baseball is officially back! The winter felt long to many – not because of the length of it – but because MLB and the MLB Players Association’s difficulty to come to an agreement on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Following months of negotiations, on Thursday, March 10th, 2022, the two sides finally reached a deal. While the new CBA mainly affected the players and the owners, there are also some noticeable differences the fans will see in the upcoming MLB Season.

All 30 clubs will now have a Designated Hitter (DH) in their lineup.

Previously in the National League, the pitcher hit in the lineup – not the DH. Another change is with the postseason format. Instead of 5 postseason teams in each league, there will now be 6 teams in the postseason per league.

After the new CBA was ratified by the owners and Players Association, Spring Training began the next day. Spring Training was extended by a week to allow for more time for the players to get ready. The decision to extend Spring Training by one week resulted in the first weeks’ worth of games being cancelled for all clubs. Those games will now be made up on off days throughout the year. All these changes lead up to the rescheduled Opening Day of Thursday, April 7th (Friday, April 8th for some ballclubs). The hometown Phillies season kicks off with 13 straight games – 3 vs the A’s, 3 vs the Mets, 4 at the Marlins, and 3 at the Rockies. Here’s to the Phillies finally breaking their 10 year-long playoff drought in 2022!

- Aidan Maloney ’23

-Raymond Gomez ’22

Designs and Photos by Christian Daikeler '22 and Kyle Adriaansen '22

Page Seven

The Wisterian SPORTS REPORT

Athletic Director Spotlight: Mr. Zanneo During the beginning of this school year Mr. Zanneo became La Salle’s new Athletic Director.

Mr. Zanneo, who has been a math teacher at La Salle for the last ten years, was a perfect hire for the job. Mr. Zanneo followed Mr. Parisi as La Salle’s Athletic Director and had big shoes to fill.

Needless to say, he has filled those shoes and more.

“Being a sports guy I kind of knew what I was getting into a little bit. But I think that just the amount of hats you have to wear as a athletic director is huge--dealing with facilities, dealing with scheduling, dealing with officials. Not to mention the number of constituents you have to consider when you are dealing with bad weather or game cancelations. When I was coaching I would only see my sport and what I had to do to help that sport for that day. Now I have to look at every sport as a whole. The logistical side, I knew what I was getting into but certain days it can be more challenging than others.”

These are the challenges that Mr. Zanneo has faced during his eight months as La Salle’s Athletic Director. He has certainly met these challenges head on and overcome them. A huge part that has helped Mr. Zanneo with these logistical challenges has been his background in math.

“La Salle is a place that I was very fortunate enough to get hired right out of college. Being able to teach for the first nine years and to jump into this position in year ten. As everybody knows, La Salle is a great place. They accepted me with open arms even though I was a graduate of another boys school, Father Judge. Everybody accepted me right away, people in the math department took me under their wing. Our former Athletic Director Mr. Parisi, when I wanted to get involved in coaching he right away took me under his wing. So I think right off the bat I knew that I was in a great place as in a teaching environment and from a coaching environment. I wanted to get my feet wet right away and the support system was there for me to get involved right away. I don’t think I would be in this role without that support system with members from the math department, the administration, and the previous athletic administration who prepped me to get to this

point."

Even though Mr. Zanneo went to another all-boys school he was accepted with open arms at La Salle. This system helped Mr. Zanneo become quickly involved in La Salle’s community. As time went on this involvement helped prepare him for his current position as La Salle’s Athletic Director. The previous administration has also been a huge help in his transition to Athletic Director.

“I think the challenging part to that especially with athletics at a place like La Salle where we are very successful. Is how do you keep coaches engaged. How do you keep student athletes engaged? Especially when you are so used to wining year after year season after season. I think for me it is about staying on top of involvement what other sports can we possible add to our repertoire to differentialize us from some other Catholic League schools. On top of that, one of my initiatives is to profile more of our student athletes whether through our social media or YouTube channels. It’s about putting individual guys out there who didn’t get the chance to retweet their highlights or put their stuff up on Twitter. Also, for sports that don’t get enough recognition and recognizing all the student athletes across the board.”

This move to cover more sports and student athletes has been met with a lot of success. I know for me this initiative has helped with my sports reporting and writing for my future career. As this initiative continues more and more La Salle student athletes will get the recognition they deserve. Mr. Zanneo has been a great Athletic Director with the way he has handled Fall, Winter, and Spring sports and the winning season that La Salle has seen under him in his first year is only a prelude for the future of La Salle sports. Mr. Zanneo embodies what La Salle is all about and has done a tremendous job in his first year of being La Salle’s Athletic Director. La Salle sports are in good hands with Mr. Zanneo leading the way.

-Raymond Gomez ’22

Photos courtesy of Mr. Robert Zanneo

La Salle Grapplers tackle the Catholic League “The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena…”

Perhaps the metaphor for all challenges we may face in life, but by one writer’s firsthand research, there is no question that Roosevelt refers to the most daunting task in a sport, to go into battle, alone.

Through the test of time, only one sport is as bold as life, forcing us to step into the ring; with no goalkeeper, offensive line, or a relay anchor, no one to defend you, comfort you, no one to give you a boost of energy, no one to defray the blame of defeat. In the circle all strength, courage, grit, and determination, comes from within. It comes from a place that a young man didn’t know was there until, we fall into the depths of a cradle or cradle where pain turns into power.

After winning six of the last seven Catholic League Championships, every season from La Salle Wrestling brings high expectations and for coach Ben Courtney and the 2022 season would be no different.

Coach Ben Courtney brings a commitment to excellence and demands it from his athletes. Coach Courtney is celebrating his fourth year as the commander and chief of the program with the unwavering commitment from coaches Paul Fiorini, Kyle Bagenstose, Matthew Hess, Michael Furlong, Mike Walsh, and Robert Stott.

The 2022 wrestling season began in October and six days per week.

The runs, crawls powered the team through March. The team was built up of 60 men, the largest in the state. With the help of the very talented senior class, the team was able to win the District 12 Championship. The senior class included Eddie Donavan, Josh Fayette, Anthony Rezza, Brendan Purvis, Charles Huber, Danny Ford, Drew Henry, Liam Ragan, Matthew Kelly, Matthew Walker, and Robert Zappolo.

In my interview with Coach Courtney, he stated that his expectations for this season were to win the PCL Championship, repeat winning a District 12 Championship to get to the States in Hershey. When asked about the team roster size, coach commented “we had sixty guys on both varsity and junior varsity, the largest single sex wrestling team in the state of Pennsylvania.” Coach Courtney shared how he prioritized getting everyone matches and keeping everyone involved. When discussing goals for the season, coach was hoping “to see the captains and seniors step up and have a last good showing.” It was crucial to him that the seniors he started coaching as freshman, had the best run they possibly could. “Any obstacle they faced; they overcame.” Resilient was the word that Coach Courtney used to characterize this year’s team.

That motivational Roosevelt quote that was mentioned in the opening paragraph inspires generations to take the risk, win the war, but most importantly, summons up the strength to put yourself out there. Some may not know the quote, and probably more may not know that our 22nd President was in fact a Harvard wrestler and boxer. It’s hard to tell which courageous sport President Roosevelt was referring to, but writer is sure that there is no doubt: “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

While we are all together, if ever any Explorer needs a dose of inspiration, confidence, or strength, we are all here for you in the flesh with undying brotherhood. The world is full of critics, without comment on the gauge of character of those critics, most of whom have never dared to enter the ring and assuredly, most of them were not La Salle Explorers.

- Jack Trymbiski ’25

The Wisterian

Page Eight

The Wisterian SPORTS REPORT

Demystifying the Game of Squash At its core, squash is a simple game. Two people are put into a square room with white walls, a high ceiling, and a back wall made of glass. With them, they each have their own squash racquet and pair of safety goggles as well as one small rubber ball. The goal of the game is to use the racquet to hit that rubber ball off the front wall of the room in a way that makes it impossible for your opponent to do the same. If you manage to pull that off 11 times before your opponent does, you win. Sounds simple, right?

Well, yes, it is. Squash’s simplicity is one of its main selling points and one of the reasons why millions decide to pick up a racquet and ball for themselves. However, there is so much more to the game than just a simple concept.

Due to its simplicity, squash is a fairly easy game to pick up. With a good squash pro or friend willing to teach you, even people with little to no experience in any racquet sport can get a good rally going in around 10 minutes of practice. After that, if you’re willing to keep playing regularly, you’ll start to improve and see one of the best parts about squash: the freedom to play how you want to. Once you start to develop as a player with different shots and tactics, the way you play the game is entirely up to you. No style of play is invalid whether you want to constantly be aggressive and control to flow of points with speed and power or use longer and slower shots off the top of the front wall to force your opponent to make a mistake.

As long as you’re not actively breaking the rules of the game or seeking to hurt other players, your playstyle is up to you and you’re allowed to experiment. This freedom keeps the game interesting as players constantly strive to improve their game and use new strategies and shots in order to gain an edge over their opponent.

Another great part about squash is its health benefits. Since squash involves constant movement to keep points going, it massively improves cardiovascular health and endurance. In addition to this, squash also improves flexibility, strength, hand eye coordination, agility, and improvisation.

It is a game that will constantly push you to your limits as you go for ball after ball and the more work you put in to break those limits, the more you and your health will improve.

Thanks to the efforts of Mr. Jeremy Butt, La Salle is lucky enough to have a squash program of its own. Though the program may not have its own courts, La Salle is lucky enough to borrow courts at the nearby Philadelphia Squash Club located on the campus of Springside Chestnut Hill Academy. This may seem like a bit of a setback, but because the program borrows courts, it gains one of its defining features: 5 weeks of clinics. Before tryouts begin, La Salle squash holds 10 teaching clinics (2 per week for 5 weeks after school) run by Mr. Butt as well as the teaching pros at the Philadelphia Squash Club. These clinics give a massive head start to new players as they are given guidance on the game from the moment, they pick up a squash racquet.

Once these clinics are over, tryouts occur, and cuts follow them. Those who make the team go on to play matches against teams both inside and outside the PCL. However, those who participate in the clinics but don’t make the cut still have access to the courts for the rest of the year and are allowed to play as much as they with whoever they wish.

Squash is an incredible game with incredible benefits and those benefits help to keep new players around once they decide to pick up a racquet. The La Salle squash team will be wide open next year with 9 seniors moving on to college. The clinics will occur next year as they always have, so if you need something to do during the winter season or just want a way to burn off the extra calories from holiday meals, give squash a try. You don’t even need to bring a racquet if you don’t have one, just sign up and give it a shot. It’s simple, fun, and an incredible workout. If you put in the effort to improve, you won’t be disappointed.

The Squash Team Photo courtesy of Christopher DelPlato '22

Ethan Walls surrounded by defenders Photo courtesy of Ethan Walls '22

-Christopher DelPlato ’22

Rugby Spotlight: Walls and Corso

La Salle Rugby is off to a rocket-powered start. With huge wins over Malvern Preparatory School (43-10) and Del Barton (52-24), the La Salle Rugby squad is looking to make a big run for the state title in 2022. With these great wins under their belt, the team is poised and ready to turn their attention to their upcoming Nashville Trip which sees them pair up against some of the finest rugby teams in the state of Tennessee.

But what makes La Salle Rugby work? Is it their hard work and dedication to their play, unwavering conviction to each other, or overall discipline instilled by a fantastic coaching staff? Well, I had the pleasure of sitting down with senior Ethan Walls (EW) and junior Kevin Corso (KC) to ask them a few questions.

Coming off two covid years which had many disruptions and tense moments, how does the team feel about finally being back on the pitch in a “semi-normal” year?

KC: It honestly feels great. I know for myself a lot of the other guys covid stunted some growth. Last year we had to go through temperature checks every practice, health surveys, and I even missed two weeks because of covid. Yet, our coaching staff really helped us out during these times. They made sure we were safe and healthy, and they developed us into great rugby players despite some setbacks.

As for the team, we love being able to go out there every day and get better without any interruptions. Everyone is having fun and playing well and being able to play the season out like a normal year is contributing to that.

Ethan Walls- You're a senior for this rugby team. This 2022 team is very senior heavy, is it not? Can you tell us a little about how the seniors have really stepped up this year and led this team to where they are right now?

EW: Being a rugby team, we really all know and love each other so much. I think that’s why we lead so well; we’re all brothers. These are guys we know and love and you know that’s the special part about these seniors. We all know what the end goal is and we’re ready to compete and win a state championship.

Going into Nashville, how excited are you guys to play some of these incredible teams? Can you tell me a little bit about what you are most excited about on the trip?

KC: Honestly, I am very excited to play against some of these competitive teams. La Salle Rugby always has a target on our backs and teams love to beat us. Playing against some great teams from around the world gives us the chance to prove ourselves and get better. Aside from rugby, I am excited to spend time with the guys and make our way around the city.

EW: I’m very excited to see some great new competition. Getting out of the state offers us the opportunity to stretch out and kind of change the way we play. It’s awesome to get out of PA and get I’m really excited to get after it with our guys.

Have either of you had any favorite moments from this season; great runs, scores, kicks?

KC: So far, one of my favorite moments is when we played Malvern and I scored a try to put us up by two in the second half. Aside from that, one of the funniest moments is when we had cutoff day at practice. We all wore cutoffs and played music the entire time. It was the best practice we have had all year.

EW: The first one for me is personal but scoring the first try of the season after all we’ve overcome these past two years- it really meant a lot. Another favorite moment of mine is when we beat Del Barton as a whole- the entire team was really moving and getting after it.... It was awesome. Then this past weekend, we played through the hail and mud that was all over us, it was just a really good experience.

La Salle Rugby looks to continue their winning season by taking the fight to Nashville later this week. The Explorers are currently 5-0 and looking to come out with more wins from the big games posttrip.

- Thomas Ballay ’23

The Wisterian

Page Nine

The Wisterian SPORTS REPORT

Lacrosse in Action The spring sports season has begun, and La Salle’s Lacrosse team is in full swing. The team, led by a large group of seniors, is driven by a selfless mentality and incredible work ethic. They have their sights set high, but they’re also cemented in humility and presence.

The team is hot early with a tough out of league schedule to ensure they’re preparing adequately.

There was a bump in the road in a tough loss to Malvern, but captain Henry Troy and Coach Resch are using it as a learning opportunity and resetting quickly.

The leadership and camaraderie of multiple seniors that have experienced the varsity lacrosse “zone” has propelled the guys to challenge their teammates towards success and be relentless in their pursuits. A senior and team captain, Jack Pilling, stated, “We hold each other accountable every single day. Our coaches have emphasized being present in the moment. We want to be the last team standing in June but to get there we need to take each day once at a time.” It’s evident that the mindset teamwide revolves around the daily grit and grind of this team.

The defensive communication and physicality take this group to another level. A talented group of scorers on the offensive side know they’ve got the strength of the defense to rely on. Another senior and team captain, Henry Troy, reflected, “Our defensive chemistry and the identity we've created is scary with the likes of Will Pickering,

Colin Wakefield, Matt Wills, Ryan Moore, and Matt Nelson. We’re on the same wavelength at all times, being physically tough, flying around the field, and playing smart.” Further, the bonding of those guys has been paramount, being close on and off the field and finally getting a closer to normal year with opportunities in the locker room and classes to have interactions unhindered by masks and safety precautions.

As Coach Resch reflected on the team dynamic, he said, “There’s a lot of balance on the team. If you take a player like Andrew Kelly out of the game, it doesn’t mean our offense shuts down.

With the guys on defense, I know what they’re going to bring to the table with every game. Plus, Stevie Davis is off to a hot start with faceoffs, enabling the team to extra possessions.”

The boys with the lacrosse sticks are eager to play and lead with big games on the horizon. The seniors are looking to set the tone and treat every game like the national championship. They’re empowered by the wisdom and knowledge of their coaches and embracing F.A.M.I.L.Y, telling others, “Forget about me, I love you.” This team identity pushes them as they focus on their mental keys of selflessness, presence, and grit.

Get out and support La Salle lacrosse for a game of highlight reels and embracing a Lasallian brotherhood on and off the field! The cheers will only bolster La Salle lacrosse even more in their hopeful playoff aspirations.

Photos courtesy of WEXP Media Team

- Eric Fryer ’22

Interview with Shortstop Jephson Hadson-Taylor '22 I got a chance to sit down and talk to La Salle Baseball’s shortstop Senior Jephson HadsonTaylor and ask him a couple of questions about the goals of the team this season. Here is what he had to say: Del: What is are the goals this year as a team?

Jeph: To win The Philadelphia Catholic League title but take one week at a time.

Photo courtesy of Thomas Friel

Del: What values do you guys have as a team?

Jeph: As a team we have a lot of talent. I think everyone has a lot of heart too.

Del: What values do you have as a player?

Jeph: I think I am a leader. I am not a loud one, but I think I lead well by example.

Del: How Has Coach Werman prepared the team for this season?

Jeph: We have not had many practices to get out on the field and work before the season, but he has prepared our mental part of the game. As we go on and play each game, he always helps us work on what was exposed from the last game.

His goal is to help us work to get to our end of season form as soon as possible.

Del: What is the pressure like defending your state title?

Jeph: Being La Salle we always have a target on our back. I think the target just got bigger but none of our mentality will change and we will continue to compete the same.

- Delano Jackson ’23

Del: What are some personal goals you have for your last senior year?

Jeph: For me personally, I want to give it my all. I’m not so worried about stats. I just want to go out on the field for as long as possible with my teammates.

Photo courtesy of Delano Jackson '23

The Wisterian

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The Wisterian SPORTS REPORT

Rugby Sets Sights on a State Title Students at La Salle know we have two rugby teams, 7s and 15s, but most of them do not know the difference or much about them. 7s is played in the fall and is 7v7, and 15s is played in the spring and is 15v15. 7s is coached by Coaches Bitty Boyle and Mr. Derrick. 15s is coached by Coaches Louis Tulio and Mrs. Nedzwecky.

Rugby 7s is played a little differently from most sports. The games are only 14 minutes, with 7-minute halves, so 7s is played tournament style. Every Sunday Rugby teams from Pennsylvania will compete in tournaments and each team will play about 4 games. Since 7s games are so short we can play at halftime at big football games like the Prep game and at Homecoming, which many of you remember seeing. La Salle played in 6 tournaments during the season and achieved an impressive 6-0 record. Going into the State Tournament La Salle was a favorite to win and showed this level of skill during the first two games, where they advanced to the semifinals. Unfortunately, La Salle lost in a hard-fought game and their season was cut short. Even though the result was not what we wanted, La Salle had come a long way as a team and has a lot to look forward to going into next season.

Like the 7s team, La Salle’s 15s team is looking to make a run at the state title, and they are heading in the right direction. The team is off to a great start; they are 2-0 in league play, beating Malvern 43-10 and Doylestown 52-17. La Salle’s 15s team also played in a tournament in Nashville going 2-1, while playing some tough competition. They lost their first game to Raptors Rugby which is a highly ranked national team, but they came back beating Germantown Rugby who was ranked 21st in the nation. This great deal of success is from many of the 15s players have 4 years of experience which allows the team to be able to run a very advanced offense that many teams have not seen. La Salle has not won a state championship in 15s, and with the level of talent they have now this could be the year they pull it off.

-Matthew Braccia ’23

Matthew Sasso '22

Christopher DelPlato '22

Photos courtesy of Thomas Friel

Netmen Chase PCL Glory In October, the La Salle community lost a student, friend, teammate, and brother in Blake Barklage. Blake was set to be a key piece on the La Salle Varsity Tennis team this year as senior leader.

And after his tragic passing, the team has dedicated their season to his memory.

Before last season, La Salle Tennis had won the PCL Championship every season for 13 straight years, as well as the Philadelphia City/District 12 Championship 13 years, and 12 appearances in the PIAA State Playoffs until last year where they lost to Devon Prep in the semi-finals. They then opened this season with a 6-1 loss to Upper Dublin. However, since then the team has rattled off six wins in nine matches despite the team being made up with only four seniors. Those seniors that are on the team have sent a great precedent and proven themselves as strong leaders throughout the season, as shown in the constant improvement of the team. Despite it seeming like a disadvantage, head coach Gerard Brett stated that the youth of the team has played to their advantage as this has brought about a fearlessness that is one of the best parts of the team. Another strong part of this team is their JV counterpart who have tremendous potential to continue the success for La Salle Tennis.

With PCLs coming up in a week this team will need to be confident and composed in order to regain their claim as PCL Champions. The team has continued to improve throughout Catholic League play and are vastly improved from where they were in the match against Upper Dublin. The playoffs begin April 26th with the semi-finals vs Devon Prep and will conclude May 2nd at the Legacy Youth Tennis Center for the PCL Championship. Go Explorers!

- Joseph Young '23

Joe Perry '22

Drew Pensabene '24 Photos courtesy of Coach Butler

The Wisterian

Page Eleven

CLASS OF 2022

Names & Destinations Andrew James Acker Joseph John Adams Liam Henry Addison Kyle Patrick Adriaansen Brendan Reilly Agnew Richard Joseph Alessandrini Amir Anderson Kenneth Angelikas Nicholas Anthony Araco, III Aaron Armstrong Garrett T Bachinsky Bantu Sipho Banti Brandon Brian Baquero Blake Gardiner Barklage James Edward Barton, III Timothy Paul Bauer Sean Patrick Bethel Brandon Joseph Blythe Daniel Conor Boyd Emmett Francis Boyle Michael Frederick Boyle Francis Joseph Braccio Timothy William Brandt Aidan Thomas Bretschneider Zachary Reed Brill Gavin Thomas Brooke Celyn Charles Broomhead Samuel Joseph Brown , V Quinn O'Neill Buck Luke Michael Burman Lucas J Burns Michael Phillip Butler Kyle Matthew Caliendo Sean Joseph Campbell Ryan Joseph Carr Abdul J Carter Raymond McCreavy Casale, Jr Kenneth Chang Matthew Gerard Choate Luke David Ciccolella Matthew David Ciccolella Brendan James Coggins Matthew Edward Cohen Joseph James Cole William Price Coll Kyle Lawrence Connor

Pennsylvania State University Pennsylvania State University Temple University James Madison University Pennsylvania State University Pennsylvania State University Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Temple University University of Delaware Morehouse College DeSales University University of Delaware West Chester University In our hearts forever Thomas Jefferson University Saint Joseph's University Rochester Institute of Technology Monmouth University Sarah Lawrence College Saint Joseph's University Pennsylvania State University Drexel University Pennsylvania State University Monmouth University Belmont University Johns Hopkins University Pennsylvania State University Rutgers University University of South Carolina Pennsylvania State University Undecided Grove City College University of Florida University of South Carolina Columbia University Pennsylvania State University Saint Joseph's University Saint Joseph's University James Madison University Pennsylvania State University Undecided Northeastern University University of Pittsburgh University of Georgia Loyola University Maryland DeSales University

Thomas Christopher Convey Luke Robert Corcoran John Mitchell Cureton Christian D Daikeler Timothy Joseph Damasco Joseph Nicholas DeSantis, III Christopher James DelPlato Michael Armand DiIenno Rocco Anthony DiPede Mateo John Diez Michael Anthony Diorio Edward William Donovan Garret Nicholas Dotger Francis Joseph Dougherty Owen Wallace Dougherty Bohdan L Doyle Michael Dukissis Matthew Dyer Justin Mark Eney Nicholas Anthony Esposito Chase D. Evans Antonio Benjamin Fabrizio Benjamin Patrick Fall Joshua Peter Fayette Timothy Ryan Fiedler Patrick Martin Fisher Franky Fix Daniel J Ford Thomas J Foster Eric E Fryer Shawn Michael Fuchs Nicholas James Gambone, Jr Matthew Ryan Geib Justin Robert Getty Luke Henry Gianfrancesco Jack David Gibson, III Dominic Jefferey Giorno Raymond Joseph Gomez William David Gomez Patrick Joseph Grady Ryan James Gregg Keghan Patrick Grimes Timothy Ryan Grossi Hayden Ryan Grosso Brady Angelo Guerin Douglas Guida

Undecided Pennsylvania State University Princeton University Duquesne University Pennsylvania State University Undecided University of South Carolina Drexel University Temple University Pennsylvania State University West Chester University Holy Cross College / Notre Dame High Point University Undecided Franklin & Marshall College DeSales University Undecided University of Tampa Undecided Pennsylvania State University The University of Tampa Temple University Syracuse University Montana State University Undecided Villanova University University of Delaware West Chester University High Point University University of Virginia Rochester Institute of Technology Goucher College Pennsylvania State University Drexel University Pennsylvania State University Undecided Pennsylvania State University Syracuse University Pennsylvania State University Undecided The University of Alabama Plumber apprenticeship University of Delaware University of Richmond Undecided Undecided

100 Days until Graduation Celebration

Photos courtesy of Marvin Burwell

The Wisterian

Page Twelve

CLASS OF 2022

Names & Destinations Emery Reece Guldalian Jephson Clive Hadson-Taylor Aleksandr Smith Harkins Charles Michael Harrington Theodore Leland Harrison Teagan Harvey John Martin Hasson Kevin MacKay Hawley Timothy Cash Hayden Drew Edward Henry Sean Herron Charles Jacob Hetz Tyler Joseph Hill Charles Joseph Huber Otto Edward Livingston Huber Cole Michael Hudock Charles Thomas Huntley Braden Thomas Hynes Jaylen Trent Ivey Kofi Da-Yi Jackson Nicholas Joseph Jackson Patrick Robert Jakubik Dalton Janiczek Ethan Paul Jappe Edward Vincent Jeitner Sean Thomas Jennings Dennis Paul Johnson James Paul Johnston Ethan Taeee Jones Kevin Robert Kell Andrew Joseph Kelly Edward Kelly, III Matthew A. Kelly, IV Mohammed Adnan Khan Evan Joseph Knox Peter M Koniers Colin James Kress Brendan Elliott Krug Nolan Thomas Krumenacker Colin Michael Kuczborski Matthew C Kuhn Connor Michael Kwok Joseph Lacca Benjamin Patrick Lawler Deane Richard Leader, III Alex Lemelin

Pennsylvania State University University of Maine Bloomsburg University Auburn University Trinity College Rochester Institute of Technology Pennsylvania State University Hofstra University University of Vermont University of Mississippi Pennsylvania State University Pennsylvania State University Brandeis University Saint Joseph's University Temple University Pennsylvania State University University of Vermont University of Connecticut West Chester University Montgomery County Community College University of Connecticut Berklee College of Music Undecided James Madison University University of Tennessee University of Pennsylvania Saint Joseph's University Pennsylvania State University Undecided Fairfield University Lehigh University Pennsylvania State University Saint Joseph's University Undecided University of Cincinnati Clemson University James Madison University DeSales University Virginia Tech University SUNY College at Brockport Drexel University Boston College The University of Tampa University of New Hampshire Ursinus College DeSales University

Joshua Paul Lloyd Finn Matthew Loftus George Patrick Lynch, III Maximus C Maddalo Timothy Charles Madden Matthew James Magarity James Francis Mahon Aidan Robert Mann Dominic John Martin Henry F Marzarella Zachary Joseph Matthews Andrew John Mattia Lucas John McCabe William Francis McCloskey Liam James McDonough Daniel Joseph McFillin Kail D McHugh Matthew Francis McHutchison Ryan James McHutchison Emmett McLaughlin Finnegan Carroll McManus Sean J McManus Brett James McNally Ryan Patrick McPaul Samuel McShane Reynold D. McWilliams Connor Thomas Mehlmann Michael Lawrence Mendte Brennen William Miller Ryan Morrison Moore, Jr Matthew Paul Morrow John Michael Mullaney Aodhan Joseph Murray Luke Thomas Murray Robert John Murray, V Ronald Joseph Nedzwecky John Conor Negro Devon Alexander Newell Brendan Matthew Nguyen Emmanuel Kweku Nkrumah Darren Charles Nolan Kevin Albert Nolan Gavin Patrick O'Connell Keegan Michael O'Donnell James William O'Malley, IV Jack Walker O'Neill

University of Notre Dame Fairfield University Undecided Duquesne University The University of Alabama Undecided Boston College Villanova University University of Colorado (Colorado Springs) Fairfield University Undecided Undecided Fordham University Citadel Military College of South Carolina Providence College Pace University Chestnut Hill College Undecided West Chester University Bloomsburg University Florida Institute of Technology Lafayette College Baylor University Pennsylvania State University Randolph-Macon College Undecided Pennsylvania State University Pennsylvania State University (Abington) Susquehanna University Sacred Heart University Undecided Pennsylvania State University George Washington University Undecided University of Notre Dame West Chester University Undecided College of Charleston University of Pennsylvania Undecided Temple University Temple University Undecided Villanova University University of Scranton University of South Carolina

Photos courtesy of Richard Ormanowski

The Wisterian

Page Thirteen

CLASS OF 2022

Names & Destinations Peter Jake Oppenheimer Jacob Michael Overton Jordan Michael Pakuris Evan A Palumbo Joel Michael Palutis Alan William Paturzo Johnathan David Perkins Francis Joseph Perry, IV Samuel John Perry Cristian Luca Pettinato Jonathan Patrick Piano William Harvey Lucier Pickering Jack Graver Pilling Julian Samson Pinckney Liam Sedgwick Pluck Alexander Joseph Poliwoda Luke Roger Pollazzi Braeden Francis Poterjoy Kevin Nicholas Pritchett Nerio Joseph Prosperi, III Brendan James Purvis Michael Alexander Quigley Michael D Quirk Christopher Michael Rafferty Liam David Ragan Luke Anthony Rambo Brian Edgardo Ramos Dominic Vincent Randazzo William Henry Rau Robert K Re Michael Anthony Reed Peter John Reilly Jonathan David Repko Anthony John Rezza Anthony Jermaine Rivers, Jr Michael Patrick Robertson Michael Anthony Robles Noah Edward Ross Peter Kelly Saldutti Matthew John Sasso Brendan P Schaefer Keenan James Schneider Bryan James Seaman, Jr Charles Albert Seawright, III Connor Joseph Seiberlich Brian R Senour

Marist College The University of Tennessee Auburn University University of Michigan The University of Tampa Ursinus College Saint Joseph's University Pennsylvania State University Univ. of North Carolina - Chapel Hill Fordham University Saint Joseph's University Bucknell University University of Richmond Pennsylvania College of Technology Undecided University of Delaware Pennsylvania State University Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Undecided Drexel University Pennsylvania State University Undecided University of Delaware Lafayette College Pennsylvania State University (Abington) Undecided Boston Univ. (guaranteed soph. transfer) Pennsylvania State University Saint Joseph's University Temple University Pennsylvania State University (Abington) Villanova University The University of Tampa Clemson University University of Louisville American University Undecided Boston College Saint Joseph's University University of Delaware University of Florida Junior Hockey Arcadia University Susquehanna University Providence College Pennsylvania State University

Matthew Kenneth Sherry Luke James Shissler Declan Patrick Smith Patrick Thomas Smith Luke Thomas Snell Joseph William Solana Alexander Sorgini Giancarlo Sperduto Jake Patrick Squillaro Jacob W Stevens Ryan Michael Stewart Santiago Martin Sturla Brendan B Sullivan Bryan Michael Sundheim Harrison Sweitzer Owen Christopher Tatlonghari Lawrence Emerton Thiel, Jr Christopher Thompson Tristan James Thompson William Michael Thompson Andrew Benjamin Thomson Henry James Troy Owen Patrick Valinis Thomas Vandegrift Nicholas Michael Varano Aidan James Vesci Michael Anthony Vitali Nicholas James Vitello Collin Joseph Wade Colin Alexander Wakefield Matthew J.W. Walker Ethan John Anthony Walls Edward Joseph Wentz Zachary Robert Whiting Daniel Gerard Whittock Robert Grant Willard Christopher Daniel Williams Evan Vincent Williams Christopher Patrick Wnek James Maxwell Wolfe Jake Edward Yuskevich Robert M Zappolo Michael Jacob Zavatsky Jake David Zook

Wagner College Ursinus College Enlisting in the Military DeSales University Undecided Pennsylvania State University Princeton University Continuing landscape business The University of Alabama University of Maryland The University of Tampa University of Pennsylvania Undecided James Madison University Ursinus College University of Delaware Saint Joseph's University West Chester University Temple University The University of Alabama Pennsylvania State University Hofstra University University of Pittsburgh Stockton University Undecided Pennsylvania State University University of South Carolina Florida Gulf Coast University James Madison University University of Maryland (College Park) Lehigh University Arizona State University The University of Alabama University of Pennsylvania Enlisting in the Military Drexel University Arcadia University Undecided Undecided Undecided Vanderbilt University Arcadia University Hofstra University Temple University

Photo courtesy of Richard Ormanowski

The Wisterian

Page Fourteen

La Salle Prom 2022 Spring Mill Manor

Photos courtesy of Frank Jacobs

The Wisterian

Page Fifteen

FIELD DAY 2022

Photos courtesy of the WEXP Media Team

The Wisterian

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