The Wisterian February 2013
Vol. LXXIX No. 5
La Salle Welcomes Mr. Robert Russell: Scholarship Recipients Forty Years of Dedication to LSCHS Christian Endrigian ‘13
Remember 8th grade taking multiple entrance tests to whatever school you were applying too? The pressure that came with each question? The nerves of whether or not you would be accepted to your dream high school? Well for me personally, these tests were a struggle. Simply put, I was not a good test taker. Time seemed to move faster than usual, my hands were too shaky, and the room seemed to be 100 degrees. These are the vivid memories I have of taking the entrance test. Not to mention the fact that I did not know a single kid beside me. That’s why being at the scholarship dinner for the class of 2017 was quite humorous. On January 10th, La Salle honored 33 young men, along with their parents, at a scholarship reception to highlight the achievements on the entrance exam of these future students. When I was in 8th grade, I was not even close to this scholarship, so now, from my perspective as a senior, I respect this award a lot more. Scoring extremely high on La Salle’s entrance test is not an easy task. The night consisted of a pasta dinner followed by a pair of speeches from current seniors
who received the scholarship back as 8th graders. Patrick May was the first to speak, as he took us through his journey at La Salle. Little did Pat know four years ago that he would end up being in school plays by the end of his senior year. He went on to state how coming to La Salle was one of the most important decisions of his life and how he was glad he made the right decision. Next up was Andrew Stone, who took us through his running career. Although he discussed how he would be attending Notre Dame on a cross country scholarship, Stone highlighted the facts that La Salle is so diverse. Alongside running, Andrew enjoys computers; therefore, he was able to earn Microsoft certifications through our IT department. He also added that he would not be in the position he is in today if it were not for La Salle. A night filled with laughs, questions, and informative talks came to a close after about two hours. Parents congregated around, eager to learn more about the Lasallian culture. Overall, it was a very successful night. Congratulations to all of the scholarship recipients of the class of 2017! A list of the winners can be seen online at www. lschs.org under “Headlines.”
Brendan Keenan ‘14
When Mr. Robert Russell joined the Lasallian community in 1970, typewriters were ubiquitous and computers personal computers were the stuff of science fiction movies. Over the course of his forty year career at La Salle, Mr. Russell said that one of his proudest achievements was the role he played in beginning the school’s computer program. La Salle’s first computer was purchased in the mid-1970s and was the size of a refrigerator. From there, the computer program eventually expanded, and following St. Michael’s Hall’s construction in the early ‘90s, personal computers were brought in and the original computer, affectionately dubbed the “Big Old Monster” was replaced. Although Mr. Russell has since given the reins of the computer department over to others, he expresses his amazement over how “crazily” it has grown over the past decade. Mr. Russell came to what he has called his “first and last teaching job” after leaving graduate school because it did not suit him. Although he was originally hired on as a math teacher, within a few years, Mr. Russell began to branch out into
Photo courtesy of www.lschs.org
Mr. Michael O’Toole ‘68 (left) and Br. James Butler (right) flank scholarship recipients at the reception .
Inside this month’s issue of The Wisterian
P.2--Rugby/Faculty Profile/Joe Ehrmann P.3--Top Ten of 2012/Oscar Predictions P.4--Basketball P. 5--Basketball/Volleyball P. 6--PCL Champions-Winter Sports The Wisterian
Photo by Jimmy Princivalle ‘13
Mr. Robert Russell, member of La Salle’s science department other disciplines. After starting with A.P. Physics C, Mr. Russell went on the become the first teacher at La Salle to teach the newly created A.P. Computer Sciences class in the late 1970s. Forty years later Mr. Russell is still teaching these classes with the addition of a JAVA programing course. Despite rumors that A.P. Physics C could eventually be replaced with a new course, Mr. Russell remains optimistic that as long as there is a student interest in the course it will remain. Regardless of Physics C’s fate, Mr. Russell has expressed his interest in developing and teaching a new course on thermodynamics. Instead of a two week session as part of Physics C, he hopes to create a “twelve week long semester course to explore this fascinating subject” with his students. Mr. Russell’s contributions to La Salle have extended beyond the classroom and into the extracurricular activities. Fifteen years ago he began the Academic Decathlon Club and has been managing it since. Currently, he admits the team is in a slump and is always looking for new members, so, if students are interested in the clu,b he asks they come see him soon. Despite four decades of service at La Salle, while the rest of the world has changed dramatically, Mr. Russell has observed that there has been a consistent trend running through La Salle. According to him it does not matter what year someone is teaching, the students are still the same: there are the dedicated ones, there are the slackers and there are the bright ones. The greatest difference he has observed, however, is that there are fewer students who are not involved in something beyond school. Mr. Russell also lightheartedly mentioned that he
has had fewer “nuisance” students in class, although he also attributes that to the subjects he teaches, observing that only students who enjoy physics take A.P. Physics C. While the internal characteristics of La Salle have remained consistent over the last forty years, its external face has changed greatly. Of the changes, Mr. Russell noted that he was most pleased with the new science wing in Kestler Hall, which has made his job much easier. Over his long career at La Salle Mr. Russell has accumulated a wide berth of interesting stories and events. During an interview Mr. Russell recalled the times during the Christmas Liturgy, before there was a student chorus, the faculty would fulfill the role, and while the teachers sung, Mr. Russell accompanied them on the organ. Although he said it was a lot of fun to do, he concedes that the student chorus and band are much better. During his tenure as Ski Club moderator, Mr. Russell also recalled the various predicaments the club was involved in while on trips to New England. He recounted one time while traveling to New Hampshire during an ice storm, the bus they were in was driving so close to the rails that they could see the headlights of cars that had fallen into the ditch below. Although they arrived safely, he still remembers it as a very tense experience. Mr. Russell said that La Salle is his first and last teaching position, which he jokingly says is because they cannot get rid of him, and he has enjoyed his time at the school. When asked about his future Mr. Russell replied, “This is a great place. The people are terrific—the faculty, the staff and the students—I love it. I think about retirement, but I love it too much. I have too much fun doing this.”
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Wisterian News
Scrums Are Coming Brendan Keenan ‘14
One of La Salle’s unique characteristics is the opportunities afforded to the students to propose new extracurricular activities and then see them created. This was most recently seen with the development of the Rugby Club last year. The club was the culmination of years of studentlead attempts to establish rugby at La Salle at the intramural and competitive level. Due to the club’s novelty, practices have been held monthly in order to refine the students’ skills after introducing them to the game. The team will be coached by faculty members, Mr. Matt Derrick ’02 and Mrs. Jessica Nedzwecky, both of whom have experience with the game, as well as Lou Tulio, a graduate from the class of 1992 and an alumnus of USA Rugby. When the Rugby Club began last year, its primary purpose was to be an instructive and informative extracurricular club that would prepare its members to compete against other schools. The club became a member of Rugby Pennsylvania this year, the governing rugby body in the state, and its official season begins on February 25th. As a member of the league, the club will be competing against several other PCL teams such as Cardi-n a l O’Hara, Father Judge and R o man Catholic, in addition to having the opportunity to fight for a state championship title. Follow-
Christian Endrigian ‘13
Rugby logo design by Coby Strausser ‘14
ing the start of the season, the club will be practicing four days a week and will have games on Sundays throughout the spring. Although a group of students have already signed on as players, the club is always looking for new members. Coach Derrick wants to tell any students interested in joining the club that there is a position for every body type and every skill level and “if you have not found a Spring sport, Rugby
is the game for you.” The students that have already joined the Club will make up one team that will compete on the Varsity level, although Mr. Derrick expressed his hope that if enough people express interest, they will be able to form a second team to compete in B-side (Junior Varsity) matches. As the Rugby Club begins to develop, it hopes to draw in more students to make the club a permanent fixture at La Salle.
Mr. Sean Montgomery Nicholas Camusi ‘16
During the 2012-2013 school year, among the new faculty members at La Salle is Mr. Sean Montgomery, a La Salle alumnus of the class of 2008. Mr. Montgomery has joined the staff of the Art Department, teaching ceramics and sculpture. Mr. Montgomery, a former resident of Warminster, attended the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio, after graduating from La Salle in 2008. At the University of Dayton, Mr. Montgomery studied Fine Arts and Sculpture. In addition to teaching ceramics and sculpture as an Alumni Volunteer, Mr. Montgomery is helping moderate the Art Club and acting as assistant coach of the wrestling team, which he belonged to during his high school days at La Salle. Having graduated from the University of Dayton in May of 2012, this is the first job Mr. Montgomery has had since his graduation. Like many of the alumni teachers here at La Salle, Mr. Montgomery was drawn back by the experience he himself had here during his attendance. “I really enjoyed going to school here when I was younger,” says
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Joe Ehrmann Speaks to La Salle Students during Assembly
On January 23rd, La Salle students were fortunate enough to hear Joe Ehrmann, an inspirational speaker and retired NFL defensive lineman, speak about what it takes to be a true man and a key contributor to our world. His main vision is “To transform personal practices, community values and public policies to create a society where every man, woman and child can reach his or her greatest human potential.” To relay his message to the student body, he connected football and the real world. Needless to say, this technique seemed to hit home with more kids than usual. Through football, Erhmann was able to describe the idea of leadership and youth growth. Teamwork, communication, and masculinity were all vocal points of his talk, which were all learned through football. As he grew older, he realized that these lessons he learned on the football field translated to real life. Just as he would battle for his family out on the gridiron, he would fight for his family. What I took most from this talk was the idea that being a man does not depend on how physically strong you are. You
Image from of coachforamerica.com
Joe Ehrmann
want to leave a legacy to people and die knowing that you impacted the community around you. Ehrmann gave the students a different look on the definition of being a man. I think too often kids our age lose sight of what being a man is actually about. Hopefully, through Ehrmann’s speech, that was clarified. Inside Out Coaching is a book by Ehrmann which encompasses everything he talked about during his speech at La Salle. I definitely encourage reading it as you get a more in-depth look at what he was trying to preach. Overall, I believe students received a great deal out of this speech.
Penn State Football Coach Bill O’Brien Visits LSCHS
Photo by Jimmy Princivalle ‘13 Mr. Sean Montgomery, Lasallian volunteer for 2012-2013
Mr. Montgomery. He explains that not only was teaching as an Alumni Volunteer a great opportunity, but also he wanted to inspire La Salle students, just as he had been inspired only a few short years ago. When asked about his first semester back at La Salle, Mr. Montgomery calls to mind
no complaints. The students and staff have created a comfortable environment for Mr. Montgomery, as well as the other new faculty members. Thanks to the welcoming nature of the men and women of La Salle, Mr. Montgomery can continue to enjoy his time at La Salle, even after his own graduation.
Photo courtesy of Mike Martosella ‘15 Sophomore Mike Martosella with Penn State football coach Bill O’Brien. Coach O’Brien visited La Salle on January 25, along with La Salle alum John Butler ‘91, Penn State’s defensive coordinator.
The Wisterian
W isterian F eatures Top Ten of 2012 Oscar Predictions
Jimmy Princivalle ‘13
And so it is we come to it once more, the Oscars. This year brings us both some very good and very strange nominees for each category, from the Best Picture nomination of Django Unchained, to the egregious Best Director snub of Ben Affleck for Argo. So, I’m going to take us through the nine major categories and give my picks for what I think will win and what I think should win, beginning with Best Picture. (* = Will Win, **= Should Win) Best Picture: Amour Argo* Beasts of the Southern Wild Django Unchained Les Miserables Life of Pi Lincoln Silver Linings Playbook Zero Dark Thirty Argo is most definitely the lock for this category. Ben Affleck’s real life portrayal of the Iranian Hostage Crisis, kept everyone on the edge of their seats from beginning to end. Lincoln or Les Miserables both have the potential to upset, but I seriously doubt anything but Argo will win. Les Miserables wasn’t as universally acclaimed as Argo, and with regards to Lincoln, if Spielberg can’t win Best Picture against Shakespeare in Love for Saving Private Ryan, I don’t think there’s any way Lincoln can come out on top. However, the best director category is a different story. Best Director: Michael Haneke – Amour Ang Lee – Life of Pi David O. Russell – Silver Linings Playbook Steven Spielberg – Lincoln* Benh Zeitlin – Beasts of the Southern Wild (Ben Affleck – Argo [not nominated])** Spielberg really hasn’t done much in the past ten years. It was only last year with both War Horse and Tintin that he moved himself back to the foreground after all the backlash from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. War Horse was great, but this is his grand cinematic comeback and the Academy will most certainly reward him for it. I love Spielberg; he’s one of my idols, but the only reason he’s going to win on Sunday is because Ben Affleck isn’t nominated. The amount of work and passion that Affleck put into Argo is apparent from the very first frame. In two hours he is able to take us into another time, keep us guessing and show us the power movies have in the world. It was his year to shine. Best Actor: Bradley Cooper – Silver Linings Playbook Denzel Washington – Flight Hugh Jackman – Les Miserables Daniel Day Lewis – Lincoln* Joaquin Phoenix – The Master It’s Daniel Day Lewis, no contest. Sure, his competition is good, but they give nowhere near the same caliber performance as Lewis as Abraham Lincoln. Best Actress: Jennifer Lawrence – Silver Linings Playbook** Emmanuelle Riva – Amour Quvenzhané Wallis – Beasts of the Southern Wild Jessica Chastain – Zero Dark Thirty* Naomi Watts – The Impossible For the first time ever, I have seen every movie in the best actress category
February 2013
and am able to comment intelligently on it. As good as Wallis and Riva were in their respective roles, and as equally deserving they are to win, it’s between Jessica Chastain and Jennifer Lawrence. I wasn’t particularly crazy about either Zero Dark Thirty or Silver Linings Playbook, but both Chastain and Lawrence really were great in both films. Ultimately, it will go to Chastain just because of how much range she has shown in the past year between this and The Help, but personally I think it should go to Jennifer Lawrence simply because she was my favorite thing about that movie. Not to mention the fact that I just like her in general and would like for her to have an Oscar. Supporting Actor Tommy Lee Jones – Lincoln* Phillip Seymour Hoffman – The Master Christoph Waltz – Django Unchained Alan Arkin – Argo Robert DeNiro – Silver Linings Playbook This is really the toughest category to call out of all of them. It could easily go to any one of them and it would be deserved. I personally think it’s going to go to Tommy Lee Jones, but DeNiro might upset just by nature of the fact that this is the first remotely good thing he’s done in over a decade. Supporting Actress Amy Adams – The Master Sally Field – Lincoln Anne Hathaway – Les Miserables* Helen Hunt – The Sessions Jacki Weaver – Silver Linings Playbook Please, it’s going to be Anne Hathaway. Don’t kid yourself into thinking it’ll be anyone else. Best Screenplay (adapted) Argo Beasts of the Southern Wild Lincoln* Silver Linings Playbook Life of Pi Again, there’s really just no contest here; it’s gonna be Lincoln and that’s all there is to it. Best Screenplay (Original) Amour Django Unchained* Moonrise Kingdom** Flight Zero Dark Thirty Django was my favorite movie of the year, and I will be more than happy to see Quentin Tarantino win an Oscar for it, but if I’m really being honest with myself, Moonrise Kingdom deserves it more. It told such a simple story in such an endearing way and it’s getting almost no attention for it. Best Animated Feature Brave* Wreck it Ralph** Frankenweenie ParaNorman Pirates! Band of Misfits Brave is probably going to win, though it really shouldn’t. In my personal opinion it is Pixar’s weakest film to date, including the Cars movies. I found really nothing special about it and thought that it tried too hard. The most deserving nominee is without a doubt Wreck it Ralph. It knew exactly what it wanted to be and gave us a story that was fun and funny, and had more heart than I think anyone expected. So that’s my take. Tune in on Sunday, February 24, to see whether or not my picks pan out. I feel pretty good about them this year. I went 8 for 9 last year, so let’s see if I can top it this time around.
Jimmy Princivalle ‘13
And so another year comes to a close. With it, we remember all the great movies and television it brought. Whether it was a film as huge and bombastic as Les Miserables, or The Amazing Spiderman, which was anything but, this year’s crop of films didn’t fail to stun us, excite us, or entertain us. You might read these lists and wonder how I could have excluded such Oscar-nominated films as Silver Linings Playbook or Zero Dark Thirty and critically acclaimed television like Homeland. The answer to that is very simple--I didn’t think they were all that great. Regardless, this year gave us a fantastic slew of movies and television, and I’m here to pick out my favorites of each. MOVIES 10. Wreck-It Ralph – After learning our showing of Skyfall was sold out, my friends and I decided on a whim to see Wreck-It Ralph--easily the best animated movie I’ve seen in the past couple years. It was smart, it was funny, and it had unexpected heart. Wreck-It Ralph is proof that Disney is capable of making movies independently of Pixar. 9. Life of Pi –Life of Pi is easily one of the most visually stunning movies I have ever seen. While I had absolutely no pervious knowledge of this movie, I was totally immersed in a fantastical story about a kid trying to survive on a lifeboat with a tiger. Not only did Life of Pi asked questions I thought about weeks after the credits rolled, but I was also left feeling sincerely happy about life in general. 8. Seven Psychopaths – This movie is ridiculous. It’s one of the most hilariously different movies I have ever seen, and I would gladly watch it again. The dialogue is great and unpretentious, the action is egregiously violent, and Performances are excellent. Sam Rockwell deserves an Oscar for his performance. 7. Lincoln – I’m really glad Spielberg is making good movies again. He returned in 2011 with War Horse, and now with Lincoln he presents a modest and sincere portrayal of whom many consider to be our nation’s greatest President (played by Daniel Day Lewis, who is uncontested for the Oscar). Spielberg transformed a topic that at the surface seems like it would not make a necessarily cinematic subject into a fascinating work of art. 6. Les Miserables – While I was initially unimpressed by early clips of this movie, I’ve enjoyed watching Les Miserables the most of any other movie that has come out this year. All the actors played their parts phenomenally, especially Anne Hathaway. I thought Russell Crowe was great and I really don’t understand why people have been criticizing him so much hate for this movie. Les Mis was every bit as huge as it should have been, and, despite the title, I felt happy by the finale. 5. Moonrise Kingdom – I love Wes Anderson. Moonrise Kingdom is one of the best examples of Anderson’s strange and sincere brand of filmmaking. Anderson’s personal connection with the audience makes you feel nostalgic for
your youth. Moonrise Kingdom is easily one of his best, and I’ll be seeing it again as soon as I can. 4. The Dark Knight Rises –This is the conclusion to one of my favorite movie trilogies of all time, and I was very satisfied with how Christopher Nolan chose to execute it. The last fifteen minutes of this movie is one of the most nostalgically satisfying things I have ever seen. I grew up with the character of Batman, and this movie felt like a culmination of my entire childhood. I’ve seen The Dark Knight Rises several times already and I expect to see it many more. 3. The Avengers – I never get tired of this movie. Everything about it is so huge and fun, and there’s absolutely no reason why it should have worked as wall as it did. A movie as ambitious as this almost always fails, but The Avengers was a pure success. It brings together six different characters from four different movies in a way that only Joss Whedon is able. This summer, The Avengers created not only a new standard for superhero movies but also blockbusters in general. 2. Argo – Ben Affleck can make a movie. In Argo, he turns an unbelievable concept into a story that manages to keep the audience on the edge of our seats even though we all know exactly how it ends. Afflek also takes the film a step further and portrays the mission in the film as the foundation for our current situation in the Middle East. Argo was a great movie, and I hope it gets the attention it deserves. 1. Django Unchained – Am I biased in favor of Quentin Tarantino? Definitely. Regardless, this was the most fun I had at the movies all year. Tarantino is able to create a ridiculous story with unrealistically gruesome violence, and still manages to write one of the best written scripts since Inglourious Basterds. His characters are richly developed and brilliantly played, Especially Leonardo DiCaprio’s Calvin Candie and Samuel L. Jackson’s Stephen. Django Unchained was fantastic, and I can’t wait to see it again and again. TELEVISION 10. The Office – The Office is back. It hasn’t been all that great for about three years now, but as they get into their final season, the Dunder Mifflin crew is back to being as funny as it used to be. After a year of trial and error the show has proved it is able to sustain themselves without Michael Scott. I’m really happy that it at least seems like it’s will ending on the high note it deserves in May. (Best Episode: “New Guys”) 9. Dexter – This is the season of Dexter we’ve been waiting for. Dexter’s secret is out, and the action is finally coming to a head. This season took many strange turns but ultimately ended in a way that makes me very excited for the final season this summer. (Best Episode: “Surprise, Mother F#@!er”) 8. Parks and Recreation – Although The Office has gotten itself back to form, it hasn’t and most likely won’t become better than Parks and Recreation. This past season of Parks and Rec proved its even better than
The Office was in its prime. (Best Episode: “Win, Lose, or Draw”) 7. Mad Men – While this was not Mad Men’s strongest season, a weak season of Mad Men is a great season for any other show. Although there is not one specific episode this season that is the show’s greatest, this season was meant to slow down and take a look at the all the characters and their journey since the show has begun. (Best Episode: “Commissions and Fees”) 6. Game of Thrones –This season followed through on its promise of being bigger and more epic than the first season. The characters have all become more interesting, and the story is getting more layered as dozens of new and pertinent characters come into the fold. I’m very interested to see how the show continues, and I really hope it maintain what its started. (Best Episode: “Blackwater”) 5. The Walking Dead – There’s something to be said for a show whose current season makes you think its preceding seasons were lackluster. In its 3rd season, The Walking Dead gives us the show we have been expecting from the first episode. It’s dark, it’s gritty, and it’s got a sense of urgency that was very noticeably missing from the first two seasons. The show itself has finally hit its groove creatively and I hope it maintains it. (Best Episode: “Killer Within”) 4. Community - Community is the best show you’re not watching. It is constantly new and fresh, and manages to find new ways to make you laugh every week, through anything from an entire episode in the form of an 8-Bit video game, or an epic pillow fight told in the style of a Ken Burns documentary. It entered its final season February 8 and I’m sure it will be every bit as great as it has been in the past. (Best Episode: “Pillows and Blankets”) 3. Archer –Until I started watching Archer, I was convinced that Community is the funniest show on TV. Archer packages the humor of Arrested Development into a form that vaguely looks like James Bond. The show becomes more ridiculous each week and consistently manages to keep me laughing. (Best Episode: “Space Race”) 2. Breaking Bad – Breaking Bad will be known as one of the greatest shows of all time. Walt’s descent into evil and disregard for the consequences of his actions marks this season as the beginning of the end. The final 8 episodes are sure to be brilliant and unpredictable. (Best Episode: “Gliding Over All”) 1. Sherlock – Regardless of how amazing Breaking Bad is, it has been outdone. In only 3 episodes, Sherlock managed to create some of the most brilliant television I have ever seen. It’s like watching a movie every week, and it’s better than some of the movies I’ve seen this year. The way the actors interact is amazing, and the writing is unbelievably witty and clever. The battle of wits between Sherlock Holmes and James Moriarty is epic and engrossing, and its payoff is one of the best scenes in television or film. Everyone should be watching Sherlock immediately, because it really is the best show of the year. (Best Episode: “The Reichenbach Fall”)
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W isterian Sports L S B V R C R a
Dan Spinelli‘14 Roman Catholic and La Salle again reminded us why there is simply nothing better than Catholic League basketball on a Friday night. This game defined WILD and passionate high school basketball. It was truly a pleasure to see two schools, drenched in their pride and traditions, go at it. In front of a capacity crowd at La Salle, the Cahillites edged the Explorers 56-49 in overtime. La Salle senior guard Amar Stukes (28 points) again led the way. Stukes has averaged 24.7 points in league play this season. Seniors Pat Cooney and Alex Cuoci were next in points with six each— truly showing the dominance of Stukes’ performance for the Explorers. For Roman, they were led by the incredible junior Shep Garner (16 points), but breakout performances were turned in by sophomore guard Traci Carter (19 points) and junior Rashann London (15 points). Carter had six steals on the day while sophomore TreVaughn Wilkerson (4 points) had fourteen boards. It
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was altogether a brilliant game, with the atmosphere almost reminiscent of a playoff game at the Palestra. At the 1 minute point in the first quarter, I surely did not imagine classifying this game as “brilliant.” Roman broke out to a 12-0 lead in the first quarter, helped by the superb play Carter (3 treys, 2 floor shots in quarter) and London (2 floor shots and a three-point play). The Explorers made bad passes early, and their early shots were flat. La Salle coach Joe Dempsey finally ended the torture with a timeout call at the 4:18 point of Quarter One. Stukes broke the drought on a steal-turned-layup with 50 seconds left. The quarter ended with Roman up 12-2; the ten point lead was surely not insurmountable, but the Explorers’ morale had definitely been hurt. The second quarter was a different animal. A salvo of offense greeted the crowd at the beginning of the period. The 12-2 score turned into a 20-10 lead for Roman only minutes into the quarter. La Salle could never
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gain an edge on their deficit, but they were scoring the ball at least. Roman retained its ten point lead at halftime (27-17) as both teams added 15 points in the quarter. During halftime, two teenagers from Athletes Helping Athletes, an organization centered on helping special-needs athletes, took turns shooting the ball on the court. One kid, Pete, had serious range and drained a couple shots from beyond the arc. His fine marksmanship brought both the La Salle and (admirably large) Roman student section to cheers. Pete might have brought the opposition together for a moment, but the student sections began to firmly antagonize each other in the exciting second-half. Pat Cooney hit La Salle’s first trey a minute into the third quarter, cutting Roman’s lead to seven. The three-point arc had been cruel to La Salle for the entire first half; it was surely a good sign to hit a three early in the second half. After some responsive shots by Garner, Stukes led La Salle on a 7-0 spurt, scoring on two floor shots and a
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trey. His nice work cut Roman’s lead to 31-27 with 3:30 left in the third quarter. The quarter would end with Roman retaining a lead, 36-31. And THEN things got crazy… La Salle overtook the lead through the play of (who else?!) Amar Stukes. A three point play from a foul by London cut Roman’s lead to two points (36-34). A Stukes three-pointer soon followed, finally giving the La Salle fans what they so wanted: THE LEAD. At this point, the outrageous La Salle fan base began screaming “Scoreboard! Scoreboard!” This chant came in return to Roman’s fans frequent referencing of the score as both sides traded catcalls. Among the more notable chants: “Roman Football!” (La Salle fans), “Overrated!” (Roman fans), and “OneSport Wonder!” (La Salle fans). La Salle stood in a pretty good place with a little over three minutes remaining in the game. They had overcome a brutal first-half deficit to hold a six point lead (46-40). A stealturned-layup by Traci Carter cut
ecap
the lead to four. Another Roman basket made this a two-point game. Roman was forced to take its final timeout with 1:18 left in the game, as the Cahillites could not get an inbound in. Garner tied the game at 46 with 50 seconds left; La Salle could not gain the lead and we went to overtime. To put it frankly, Roman won the overtime period. La Salle put forth an A+ effort in the second-half to overcome early mistakes, but they could never gain traction in overtime. With both teams in the bonus to begin overtime, all referee calls made your heart beat. An early foul call on La Salle senior Malik Janifer brought Garner to the foul line— Roman facilely took a two-point lead. London extended the lead to four with his jumper, from an assist by Roman senior Matt Simon. Stukes traded free throws with the Cahillites throughout the rest of the period; La Salle couldn’t get any shots to fall on their end. After a slew of free throws which extended an already potent Roman lead, the 56-49 final score came as an anticlimax.
La Salle Basketball Vs Archbishop Wood Recap Dan Spinelli ‘14 On another Friday night at La Salle High, the Explorers celebrated the end of exams with a 47-39 league win over Archbishop Wood. The lowscoring game got pretty messy at times, but La Salle was able to earn their third win in five days. With a series of victories over West Catholic, Conwell-Egan, and Wood—all during exam week—the Explorers upped their record to 5-1 in the Catholic League. Last night’s victory was highlighted by a stellar performance by senior guard Pat Cooney, who scored 20 points (including four treys). He was assisted (excuse the pun) by senior Amar Stukes, who scored 18 points while dishing out six assists. Senior Steve Smith made his money on the boards, collecting 11 rebounds while battling with Wood junior big man Joe LoStracco (8 points) under the
rim. Now, let’s get to the nittygritty: The first quarter was, well, tough to watch. Both teams struggled early with their shooting and it looked like we might enter the second quarter with no team in double digits. Cooney finally resurrected the La Salle offense with a few minutes remaining in the opening period; he nailed two treys to inspire a late Explorer salvo that gave them a 12-8 lead at the end of the period. LoStracco showed his might under the basket, but he collected his third foul with 1:36 left in the first quarter, thus limiting his playing time in the next period. His absence was felt as La Salle embarked on an 11-1 run in the second quarter. A basket by Wood junior Eric Walsh finally ended the Wood scoring draught. Walsh had an interesting game—he played about four minutes, racking up five fouls in that span.
At the 7:20 mark of the fourth quarter, he finally fouled out. Anyway, the Explorers ended up outscoring Wood 13-3 in the second quarter. Senior Ryan Winslow and Smith did a great job frustrating LoStracco; they blocked the big man and consistently fought him for rebounds. Winslow, Smith, and senior guard Malik Janifer epitomize the senior leadership that has guided this team all year. Amar Stukes said it best: “This is a senior driven team. We start 5 seniors. Our chemistry is a lot better than last years’. We’re hungrier.” Now, it was obvious that Wood would not go down without a fight. They came out guns-
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a-blazing in the second-half, but still, their scoring was scarce. They were running nice offensive sets, with a series of tough screens to either get an open shot or acquire available space for LoStracco to shoot. Shots were just simply not falling for them. After a scoreless first-half for the normally potent junior, Pat Smith, he came out strong in the latter half of the game. Smith ended up with 11 points, and was complemented by fellow junior guard Tommy Rush, who also dropped 11 points. Pat Smith scored first in the third period, bombing a trey to help put some life back in his team’s fan section. Rush had five points in the quarter, and Wood ended up outscoring La Salle 12-10 in the quarter. The fourth quarter is a little harder to evaluate in context. Wood outscored the Explorers again, this time 16-12, but as the byline clearly shows—it was
too little, too late. Stukes helped his team by going on a 6 point run early in the quarter. But he, along with the rest of the team, suffered from the free throw line. La Salle ended up making only 5 of 15 free throws in the fourth quarter, while finishing 50% for the whole game. While this is a disappointing statistic, I feel OK excusing the Explorers, who managed to score a win even during a brutal week of basketball/testing. Wood staged a late run, even getting within four points (43-39) with forty seconds left, but La Salle made enough free throws at the end to avoid a slip-up. A missed trey by sophomore Viking, Cody Fitzpatrick (2 points), at the 25 second mark sealed the win. La Salle will finish their hellish week on Sunday against Bishop McDevitt. They have strutted out to a 5-1 league record, but still have a tough slate of games remaining.
Who is the Wisterian? Editors-in-Chief Christian Endrigian ‘13 Jimmy Princivialle ‘13 Assistant Editors Robert V. Straton ’13 Brendan Keenan ‘14 Danny Spinelli ‘14
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. The Wisterian welcomes all comments, suggestions, and Letters to the Editor. Please keep all letters to 600 words or less. Letters may be submitted to thewisterian@gmail.com.
Contributors
Arthur Bailin ‘13 Evan Walsh ‘13 James Foley ‘14 Chris Jastrzemski ‘14 Ryan Meeks ‘14 Mike Mullin ‘14 Nicholas Camusi ‘16 Angelo Giuliano ‘16 Nathan Janda ‘16
Advisors
Mr. Chris Holwick Mr. John Janda
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Wisterian Sports La Salle Basketball Ends Neumann-Goretti’s 73 Game PCL Win Streak
Dan Spinelli ‘14
No streak can last forever. After 73 straight Catholic League wins, the mighty Neumann-Goretti Saints have fallen. This is the website report I thought I would only write in my dreams. Since La Salle moved to the Wyndmoor campus in 1960, this game has to rank as the one of the best wins in the Explorers’ gym. In fact, I would cite this game as the best La Salle win of Joe Dempsey’s tenure as head coach. Now yes, a regular season victory, even over NeumannGoretti, doesn’t win a city title; it doesn’t get you to the Elite Eight of the state tournament, but this was the win Dempsey needed. In my opinion, beating NeumannGoretti united the school around a basketball team that for years had been second…third priority behind football and baseball. Only minutes after the game ended, the school’s incredible fan base spread the word on Facebook and Twitter; most of the tweets were congratulatory messages to Amar Stukes, Steve Smith, and the rest of these magic Explorers. The amount of work put in by this coaching staff and the players, especially the incomparable Amar Stukes, merits this
well-deserved victory. This win capped an incredible journey for Dempsey and his players—a journey that has only just begun. I am beyond happy for them. I’ll recap the incredible fourth quarter before giving some context for the full game. The Explorers entered the game’s final period trailing the Saints by four points, 47-43. At this point, Carl Arrigale, the head coach of Neumann-Goretti,
“It was a great team win for us. I was really proud of my team for pulling out a tough one.” -Amar Stukes ‘13
had not used a timeout. After realizing this at the beginning of the quarter, La Salle’s premier assistant, Jim Sheedy, presciently stated, “Oh, he’ll be using them. Don’t worry.” How right Sheedy was. A basket by senior forward Alex Cuoci cut Neumann’s lead to 47-45 with 5:53 left in the game. The Explorers earned the lead after Stukes was fouled by Saint junior Troy Harper on a layup attempt. The basket went
La Salle Volleyball: Coming Spring 2014 Ryan Meeks ‘14
department is to have enough interest in the sport to field Varsity During a recent interand Junior Varsity teams. view with the Athletic Director The process of selecting of LaSalle College High School, a coaching staff for a high school Mr. Parisi, it has become apsport can be very difficult, but parent that La Salle will field a Mr. Parisi and the athletic deVolleyball Team in the spring of partment have a very organized 2014. As of next spring, volprocess. An advertisement for leyball will become an official the coaching position has been PCL sport in the PIAA and there placed on the will be as many “High school vol- Pennsylvania Volas twelve other leyball is a tad more leyball Coaches schools in the PCL that intend complicated than Association (PVCA). Then, to participate in playing volleyball in Mr. Parisi says volleyball. Mr. that, “we will the pit and I am conParisi is absolutepick, what we ly ecstatic to add fident our student- believe, to be the volleyball to the list of successful athletes will make the top two candidates to sit down sports team at adjustment” with Mr. O’Toole LaSalle. -Mr. Parisi so that he can The choose the coach, future volleyball team plans to in consultation with the athletic practice and play the games in department.” the gym, and Mr. Parisi optimis There are many athletes tically states that there is “hope at LaSalle who are already for renovation of the gym, and involved with CYO volleyball, if not we will do what is neceswhich ensures that students are sary to accommodate for the interested in the sport. Mr. Parisi volleyball team”. Also, there is a left the interview with the idea chance of having the entire gym that “high-school volleyball is re-done which would be increda tad more complicated than ibly beneficial to LaSalle’s entire playing volleyball in the pit and I athletic program. Also, open-tryam confident our student-athletes outs will take place in March of will make the adjustment” 2014 and the hope of the athletic
February 2013
in, as did Stukes’ ensuing foul shot, putting the lead at 48-47 La Salle. After a Neumann basket, La Salle regained the lead with a three-pointer by senior Steve Smith. Smith would have six total treys on the day. His basket gave La Salle a 51-49 lead; the Explorers would own the lead the rest of the way. Another Smith trey along with a layup by Neumann junior Ja’Quan Newton kept the score close—54-53 La Salle with three minutes left. Another three-point play by Stukes extended the Explorers lead to 61-56 with just under a minute left. Neumann sophomore Lamarr Kimble was then fouled while shooting a trey—he made all three free throws. A La Salle bucket in response extended the Explorers lead again, this time to six points, with around twenty seconds remaining. The Explorers rode their 65-59 advantage into the final seconds, where a Kimble trey at the buzzer gave the game its final score: 65-62. Stukes scored 11 of his 26 points in the quarter, cementing a victory that he owned the whole way. La Salle as a whole outscored Neumann 22-15 in the final period. Stukes aptly summed up the Explorers’ feelings after the game: “It was a great team win for us. I was really proud of my team for pulling out a tough one.” A tough game this surely was. While I began this report with La Salle’s happy ending, this game actually looked like an easy “W” for Neumann for a long time. The Saints led by ten at halftime, and were especially potent on offense. Newton did not start—for “per-
sonal reasons,” according to the have. Their players are excellent Neumann manager—and he only and I love watching them play. entered the game with 2:27 left But boy, how great is it to see the in the first quarter. The Saints led Explorers end that streak? by one (16-15) after one period. All I can say is Amar Neumann continued its offensive Stukes, Ryan Winslow, Steve rampage in the second quarter, Smith, Alex Cuoci, Pat Cooney, scoring eighteen points. Newand Malik Janifer—all seniors, ton and fearsome senior center all leaders, contributed to this John Davis led the way. Davis is win. Winslow played out of his absolutely mind, battling excellent— under the basket his rewith John Dabounding is vis. Cuoci came terrific and into his own his interior again and didn’t moves get let anyone him points from Neumann pretty much intimidate him. every time Cooney didn’t he drives. just “belong,” His foul he made things shooting… happen on ofwell, that fense. And Macould be lik did his job a point of and produced improvea team victory. ment. I was I mean every also really word I write impressed about these with guys. They have Kimble amazed me yet and Harper, again. who will The Explorers surely Coach Dempsey congratulates Amar are surely not torture La Stukes ‘13 after Amar scored his finished yet, as Salle in the a nearly-full 1000th point vs Carroll years to league schedule come (smile). still awaits them. Stukes detailed Last year, I wrote a his expectations of the team, and mildly depressing column detail- they surely seem possible, “For ing an 82-53 Neumann victory the rest of the season, we want to in the La Salle gym. Never in finish in at least in the top four my wildest dreams would I have spots in the Catholic League, imagined the Explorers beating probably get a home playoff them. No respect has been lost game, and play at the Palestra.” for Neumann; this is surely only If the Explorers play like they a game to motivate them further. did tonight, well, they can surely I have the utmost respect for go anywhere. Carl Arrigale’s squad and always
Amar Stukes ‘13 elevates vs Carroll before a packed La Salle gym Basketball Photos by Arthur Bailin ‘13
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Wisterian S ports L S S a
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wimming
La Salle Swimming Wins an Amazing 25th Consecutive PCL Championship Photo by Mrs. Patty Finlay
La Salle Indoor Track La Salle Indoor Track Wins its First PCL Championship Since 1999 Photo by Mr. Charlie Stone
La Salle Wrestling La Salle Wrestling Wins its 5th Consecutive PCL Championship Photo by Mr. John Janda
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The Wisterian