Volume LXXX, Issue XIII
Teachers discuss technology and formation
MOYIG tears down walls;
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BY Leo K. Heinz EDITOR IN CHIEF
hile students gathered at area diners consuming copious amounts of pancakes and hash browns or while they laid in bed debating whether to leave their homes at 8:45 or 9:00, teachers filed into the library to hear two presentations on technology and its effects on student formation here and then dispersed into eight groups to converse further. Math teacher and computer science chair Dan See began the meeting in the library with a presentation about technology’s impact on learning and on the teenage brain, drawing from several articles and books that he has read on the matter. He addressed “areas of concern like the ability of students to focus and think deeply,” how technology affects a student’s ability to empathize or reflect the effects of social media on identity, multi-tasking with focus, and the effect of technology on overall mental and physical health. Assistant Principal for Mission Jim Linhares then spoke about Ignatian formation and how the mission of the school applies to the new technology policy. He spoke about the opportunities and challenges that technology poses. “I made the point that we’re not just here to wring our hands about the technology, but to say that if we’re going to use it, that we can use it in some mission-oriented ways—to increase people’s awareness of others, their receptivity to God, their ability to serve and be loving, community-oriented sorts of folks,” Linhares said. “I tried to talk about how we have to face up to the fact that technology does disconnect us at times and it sets up obstacles to the formation of a healthy, happy, spiritual human being.” See and Linhares’ presentations set the context for
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St. Louis University High School | Friday, November 20, 2015
Spence elected BY Andrew REPORTER
Pluff
t. Louis U High sent 27 students to participate in the Missouri Youth in Government (MOYIG) conference in Jefferson City this past weekend, where they spent three days debating and passing bills, lobbying, and campaigning. MOYIG is an organization that gives students in high schools around Missouri the opportunity to see how the state government functions in a real way. Schools from all over Missouri send delegations to one of two different conferences held in the
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The Chinese scrolls exhibit opened Friday with the artists and several students.
photo | Leo Heinz
ACSA talks technology, drugs, and alcohol
photo | Leo Heinz
Assistant Principal for Student Life Brock Kesterson Monday at the committee’s first meeting.
BY Sam Chechik CORE STAFF
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alk of technology, drugs, and alcohol filled the Robinson Library Monday evening as Assistant Principal for Student Life Brock Kesterson and 25 teachers, students, and parents met for the Advisory Committee for Student Affairs (ACSA). The two main topics for the ACSA meeting were technology and drugs and alcohol. Technology took one hour of the meeting while the drugs continued on page 5 and alcohol portion took the
The weekly student newspaper of St. Louis University High School 4970 Oakland Ave. - St. Louis, MO 63110 (314) 531-0330 ext. 2241 online at sluh.org/prepnews prepnews@sluh.org ©2015 St. Louis University High School Prep News. No material may be reprinted without the permission of the editors and moderator.
remaining half hour. Many of the 13 parents at the meeting expressed concern about the influx of iPads into the freshman and sophomore classes this year— especially having to do with monitoring their usage of those devices. “I just think that we’re trying to figure out what the best avenue is for us,” said Kesterson. “I think we need to celebrate some of the great things that are happening in the classrooms, but those things that are dangerous or
News
tempting ... we need to continue to look at that and figure out the best way to deal with it.” Many noted the outbreak of Madden Mobile (along with other games) and Snapchat (and other social media). Kesterson cited the new lunch and phones policy put in place in August in response to the concerns about the overuse of devices at SLUH. “I think that good points were made about how distracting people playing games can be to both them and the
people around them because I’ve noticed this, especially with a whole group of people playing Madden Mobile or something,” said sophomore Matt Rauschenbach. “It can be pretty distracting to everyone else in the classroom.” One parent brought up the sexting scandal in Colorado, applications for hiding photos on smartphones, and the importance of the parents’ roles in these situations. “There’s so many different temptations that are out there, whether it’s through posting, whether it’s through text, whether it’s through pictures or video, I don’t know how well-informed students are about what the potential consequences are,” said Kesterson. “Maybe it needs to be further reinforced, and that’s part of the education piece. How much do you want to dig? How much do you want to try and make sure that guys do what they’re supposed to be doing?” Kesterson posed an issue of AirDropping—where a student with an iDevice can instantly share a picture, a document, notes, or messages to another, be it a Mac, iPad, or another iPhone—and the repeated act of taking pic-
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Sports
Liberty in North Korea Madison Bouse, Wash U. student, talks to SLUH about the oppression of the North Korean people and how LiNK helps the refugees to safety. Page 2.
Feature
Knobbe’s statue 50 years later Janet Knobbe shares the story of the sculpture in her likeness, crafted by William Doyle, S.J. Page 4.
Score. Rinse. Repeat. Hockey continues its hot streak, racks up 21 goals in two games, beating Francis Howell Central 12-0 and Vianney 9-1. Page 6.
News
Opinion
Sports
Service de prière Suzanne Renard leads French prayer service in response to the terrorist attacks on Paris last week. Page 2.
A word about working together Sam Chechik, ’17, shares his thoughts on group projects with classmates. Page 3.
Basketball poised for greatness Basketball ready for first game of the season against CBC, counting on star players McKissic and Nester to boost team. Page 6.
Language department prepares for Arabic
BY Nolen Doorack NEWS EDITOR
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dministrators and Foreign Language teachers met with experts Wednesday to begin discussions about implementing Arabic into the foreign language curriculum. Foreign language teachers have met a few times this year to research and discuss a plan to incorporate Arabic, though there is no set timetable for the adoption. “We are evaluating as we go, but it is a goal as we move ahead here,” said foreign language chair and Russian teacher Rob Chura. Last Wednesday George Simon, an Arabic teacher at Saint Louis University, discussed Arabic in the classroom and offered suggestions for building up an Arabic program at SLUH. Simon learned about SLUH’s wish to adopt Arabic and approached the administration to help. “(Simon) suggested some steps to lay the groundwork for this to happen sometime in the future,” said Chura.
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INDEX 3 Commentary Comic 5 Credits 6-7 Sports 8
Around the Hallways
Calendar
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NEWS
Prep News
LiNK volunteer visits SLUH, details North Korean struggles
artwork | Ian Mulvihill
Each rescue also costs BY Sam Chechik and Joseph Reznikov around $3,000—a steep price CORE STAFF to pay for many North Koreans. Oppression by North Koadison Blouse, a nine- rea and its leader Kim Jongteen-year-old student un also make the process very at Washington University complicated. Defections out in St. Louis and a volunteer of the country have decreased from Liberty in North Korea by 50 percent since Jong-un (LiNK), visited St. Louis U. came into power in DecemHigh this past Monday during ber, 2011. “She talked more about activity period to discuss the organization and its mission their smuggling efforts, which with over 50 students present. I wasn’t as aware of,” said EhBlouse explained many ret. “I knew that definitely one details about North Korea’s of their focuses was bringing government and the hard- awareness about the averships many North Koreans age North Korean because all face in their day-to-day lives. you see is the headlines, Kim All of the issues she discussed Jong-un, his military parades, were brought on by the gov- and stuff like that. You don’t really get a sense of what orernment. The non-profit organi- dinary people’s lives are like zation LiNK was founded under a totalitarian regime.” The information blockin 2004 with the mission of bringing awareness to the ade is one of the most extreme humanitarian crisis in North examples of oppression by the Korea and assisting refugees. North Korean government, as The group works to relocate they do not allow many InterNorth Korean refugees (with net websites, foreign phone no cost or conditions) to their calls, television channels, etc. choice of either China, South This also parallels with the seKorea, or the United States. curity of the country because LiNK works to redefine the rebellions cannot occur due way the world looks at North to the overextended authority Korea and make a change for of their leader. Eighty thousand to liberty for those being op120,000 people who were inpressed within the country. “We help North Korean terested in rebelling or tried refugees to reach freedom to rebel and were caught by and safety through a 3,000- the North Korean governmile rescue journey,” said ment are living in camps curBlouse. “There are 24 million rently. “I can’t believe how traupeople that all have hope and dreams and families and rela- matic it would be for a kid to flee North Korea and leave his tionships.” After having her AP family behind and go through World History class read Es- so much danger,” said senior cape from Camp 14, social Dan Walsh. “We often don’t studies teacher Lindsey Ehret realize the danger that they expressed interest in someone go through when trying to from LiNK coming to SLUH escape.” LiNK provides some to talk about the conditions mentioned in the book. Af- hope by feeding off of the ter being put on an email list, energy from those who still Ehret asked for a speaker to want to rebel and resist North come to SLUH and organized Korean government. People’s desire for freedom to work in the event from there. “Any chance you can get a certain place or to be able to the outside world to come in live without being oppressed to give these guys an experi- is very strong and LiNK hopes ence of something else other to make that desire a reality. In a video shown durthan St. Louis, Missouri, is important,” said Ehret. ing Blouse’s presentation, one LiNK’s goals are very North Korean who escaped lofty and difficult because of through LiNK said, “I escaped the strength of the borders because I wanted to live like a around North Korea. Though human being.” LiNK has resettled over 400 At the end of Blouse’s refugees as of October 2015 presentation, she listed tan(many of them also rescued gible things a high school from sex-trafficking), every student could do to help the rescue is a challenge since crisis taking place in North even one small mishap can Korea. ruin the whole mission.
November 20, 2015
French classes unite to pray for Paris victims BY Nick Messina CORE STAFF
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n response to the bombings in Beirut on Thursday, Nov. 12, and the sudden and violent terrorist attacks in Paris on Friday, Nov. 13, French teacher Suzanne Renard hosted a special prayer service with each of her French classes during the block days on Tuesday and Wednesday. The service, which was held in the main chapel, lasted for about 20 minutes of each French class and included a tracing of a replica of the Chartres Cathedral Labyrinth and a reflection of the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi in French.
In Chartres, France, the labyrinth found in the cathedral has always been a place associated with a spiritual awareness. “The (French exchange) kids that we had here are from Chartres, and they have the cathedral down the street with that beautiful labyrinth,” said Renard. “So it just seemed like kind of a natural extension to do this meditation. People often come out of the labyrinth after walking it with mental clarity and they might not react to things the same way that they had prior to pulling themselves together and finding their inner strength.” In addition to the spiritual significance associated
with Chartres, it also is the hometown of one of the terrorists involved in the attack. The students have been unsettled by the recent events, so Renard had each of her classes take a picture in front of the altar near the end of the service holding various supportive words in French to reach out to the French community in their time of grieving. “I thought it was a good time to reflect—it was very quiet, and I particularly enjoyed tracing the maze,” said senior Adam Cross. “The words we sent to the people in France were very encouraging, and I think that it was a good idea to send it to them.”
While the invitation was extended to any student or faculty member who wanted to attend the prayer service, Renard mentioned that not many other people stopped by. However, chemistry teacher and Photography club moderator Kathleen Chott helped take the pictures to send to Chartres and followed along in the reflection on the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi. “I liked how it was really intimate—we were all sitting on the floor together in silence. It was a really powerful experience,” said junior Ian Mulvihill.
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Suzanne Renard and her French IV class praying the prayer of St. Francis in the chapel.
photo | Mrs. Kathy Chott
Varsity A and B scholar bowl teams continue to dominate, have a comined record of 15-1
BY Nick Messina CORE STAFF
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ot discouraged by the miserable weather conditions on Tuesday, Nov. 17, all three of the St. Louis U. High Scholar Bowl teams went 3-0 during the meet at St. John Vianney. The SLUH JV team had two very close matches, winning 180-170 against Rosati and 190-180 against home team Vianney. The match against Rosati ended in incredible fashion: down 60 points with only three questions to go, the JV team mounted a comeback and ultimately won by ten points. The team also had a dominant victory against Lutheran South, winning 210-100 to improve to 6-1 in the regular season. Both SLUH Varsity A and B played one person short on Tuesday, but despite the odds stacked against them, both teams performed admirably and won every match. Varsity B started off the day with a convincing win against Cor Jesu Varsity B, beating them 210-100. There was some anxiety about having a full roster towards the start of the match—member David Dowd was supposed to show up for the meet, but ultimately had other obligations and was unable to make the
matches. The team compensated quite well in his place, as senior captain Michael Brennan answered an impressive total of 17 out of 60 possible tossup questions and member junior Alex Hymes answered a respectable 11 out of 60. For reference, a good match is averaging perhaps two toss-ups a game. “I’m very proud that a short-handed Scholar Bowl team showed the amount of poise that it did. While there is a disadvantage to having only three people, the nice thing about Scholar Bowl is that theoretically, one person could beat a team of four,” said Brennan. “So, I think we did a good job of not letting the numbers get to our heads.” Match two for Varsity B was an even more dominant win over Cor Jesu Varsity A, 350-120. Despite some early concerns—Cor Jesu had a clear powerhouse answering many of the toss-ups and bonuses—SLUH’s depth was a key factor in securing the win. Even though the match was a blowout, the energy of the match was noticeably light-hearted, with both teams laughing at questions about the popular GameCube game Luigi’s Mansion, and a few that were so complicated that both teams just had to
shrug the questions off with a chuckle. In the final match of the night, Varsity B beat Rosati 280-110, although the score at the half was a much closer 140-110, in SLUH’s favor. Varsity B’s regular season record is currently 7-1. Varsity A continued its perfect season with three wins, improving to 8-0. The team’s first match ended 290110 against Nerinx. Team member Duncan Allen had to leave after the opening match, leaving Varsity A with only three team members. This didn’t pose a problem for the team, though, as they steamrolled Vianney in round two,
320-130. The final match ended 270-40, against Cor Jesu Varsity A, in SLUH’s favor. “I feel like Varsity A performed extremely well, especially given the fact that for the last two games, we only had three people,” said Varsity A member senior Michael Hayes. “I felt like everyone was on their game.” “Playing a close game against a relatively unknown opponent (like Rosati) is good for building instincts for later in the season, when we get into the postseason,” said Brennan. “We’ll reach the point where we’ll play very good teams who will push us into a lot of close games.”
artwork | Joe Fentress
OPINION
November 20, 2015
Juniors miss school on Thursday to learn criminal justice, tour St. Louis county jail BY Sam Chechik CORE STAFF
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photo | Sam Chechik
Thomas Rea, ’94, spoke about prosecution and defense in the courtroom Thursday.
Blake Strode, a graduate of Pattonville High School, University of Arkansas, and Harvard Law School, gave a presentation on the three main components of civil rights litigation: direct services, policy advocacy, and impact litigation. He also defined municipalities and municipal courts in comparison to the judicial system as a whole, where many trivial laws on violations like traffic tickets, local citations, littering, loitering, stealing below the $500 amount, and some trespassing laws, fit into the court system. Thomas Rea, ’94, a SLUH graduate and an assistant United States Attorney for the Missouri eastern district, and Mary Rox, a Missouri public defender, presented on prosecution, or proving someone guilty beyond reasonable doubt, and defense, or poking holes in the prosecutor’s argument. They discussed reasonable doubt and had a “mock
trial,” where students were put into positions of the prosecutor, defense attorney, witness, and defendant. Juniors Maurice Glass and Mitch Batschelett both had their turns in playing a prosecutor. “Allowing kids to get up and ask questions of the girl wearing the illegal light blue hooded sweatshirt... I thought that was a very hands-on, funny, but also very entertaining, way to give students a taste of what a trial looks like and what each attorney’s role is and how you do that work,” said Kovarik. Ellen Ribaudo, an associate circuit judge, had another interactive presentation after a quick lunch. She had three different rooms be three choices in a scenario she read to the students: send the alleged violator of the law to prison, have them pay a fine, or put them on probation. She had three very different stories of people who were driving drunk, stealing from a grocery store
and fighting an officer, and threatening college students with a gun. The students, after making their decision, discussed the consequences for the violator’s actions and then presented their thoughts to Ribaudo. At the end of the session around 1:30 p.m., the SLUH crew met to discuss their project and the next steps to take on their admissions outreach project. “One thing that stood out to me—you guys were pointing out that at each event so far, at least one of the presenters had been a SLUH grad, and I think that speaks to the role that this school plays in preparing leaders for our region,” said Kovarik. “And I think one of the things that our project is trying to do is to make sure that we are preparing a diverse group of leaders for the future of the St. Louis region and to try and help the school reach as wide a population as it can.”
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Commentary Suffer before the glory: working together hurts BY Sam Chechik CORE STAFF
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s part of the Youth Leadership St. Louis (YLSL) program at St. Louis U. High, YLSL and ACES moderator Frank Kovarik took seven juniors to Clayton to tour the Buzz Westfall Justice Center and learn about St. Louis’s criminal justice system and its components. After leaving SLUH at 7:45 a.m. yesterday, Kovarik drove the students in a service van out to the jail in Clayton, where Beth Casagrand, director of YLSL, met SLUH and other St. Louis schools for a tour of the jail at the Center. SLUH students learned about the different floors of the jail, the cell types (solitary confinement or community area), the control room of the jail, and the security used around the Center. “The tour of the jail was an enlightening, yet slightly frightening experience,” said junior Blake Johnson. “I feel like I have a better understanding of the criminal justice system and how it works.” Afterwards, Jennifer Banes, Acting Accreditation Manager at the Center, answered questions for the group, ranging from “the Ferguson effect” to the costs of the facility, which can rise to $28 million annually, or $45 to $52 per inmate per day. She even discussed how the jail was getting a large influx of inmates (about 1,500) when the capacity was around 1,200. Many single cells turned into doubles. The jail never turns anyone away. The Center is the only “superjail” in the area, as it can hold over 1,000 inmates. Although the jail does have challenges, like the lack of both outside and legal resources as well as people willing to take jobs like Banes’s, which involves being able to have thick skin to take threats and “have another self,” or putting on a different air when at the prison.
Prep News
ll right, class, we’re doing a group project.” And then sounds the inevitable mix of groans and cheers. I’ve heard many responses to group projects during my past few years at SLUH, from pure hatred to enthusiastic joy. I’ve seen the cheerleaders and morale boosters that push the team further, the diplomat who keeps everyone on good terms, and the executive who controls the whole thing. Or sometimes people are forced into roles that don’t fit their personality. The antisocial guy could become the worker bee, or the big chief lies back instead of taking control. Some don’t like the group projects and struggle to work with others. Maybe it’s because one guy is too lazy to give any effort. Maybe another is taking control of the whole thing. Maybe two others just fool around and have fun and consider the group project a social event. Group projects might sometimes seem mundane and boring, but they don’t have to be fun. They give people who might not know one another a chance to get along and collaborate on one project together. Connections between people have the potential to be both fragile and strong, and it’s usually the personalities of people in group projects that decide how successful the project will be. People have the ability to both break their relationships with others and rebuild them from the ground up. Sometimes, very different people end up working together on a project that exemplifies both of their personalities, like an artist and a writer creating “worded art,” where the picture is made up
of the words. But they also don’t have to see eye to eye, and it’s at that point when the artist and the writer fight over which art form takes precedent. These connections sometimes blossom into more than just a friendship—it’s a bond that latches two (or more) people together through their hard work. It’s a struggle together, so those people know each other much better because they both worked together to achieve a hard goal. Class group projects aren’t the only “team-building” activities that are here at SLUH. The extracurriculars increase the quality of working with more and more people. “Collaboration” spurs an excitement in the group that an individual couldn’t have alone. For me, the Prep News not only gives me an outlet for my creativity, but it also makes me work harder than ever before on my writing style. Group projects like this outside the classroom show this even more than those inside it. Athletics, clubs, and many other extracurriculars all promote these same connections that group projects teach—love of another, struggling to succeed, and failing with grace. The truth is that people don’t like one another sometimes; it’s human nature. Overcoming that obstacle of unkindness only makes the group stronger, and the key to creating a group project is learning from others and their opinions. Group projects may be mundane, even unbearable, but although they might not seem beneficial at first, they create connections between people who wouldn’t have that otherwise, and that’s one thing to take into account when continually struggling with other people.
Adopt-A-Family
58
By The Numbers
Families adopted By SLUH
Items On the SLUH Shopping List
12.5%
1876
The percent of homerooms that have filled up all of their sign-up-genius slots
“I am thinking of what St Ignatius told us... He pointed out two criteria on love. The first: love is expressed more clearly in actions than in words. The second: there is greater love in giving than in receiving.” —Pope Francis Cartoon | Paul Anthony
This cartoon does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Prep News.
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NEWS
Prep News
Inspiration for 30-year-old statue visits her bust at Open House
ACSA thinks of policies to deal with SLUH drug abuse and iPads (continued from page 1)
photo | Brendan Voigt
Knobbe’s bust in the library. She modeled for the bust in 1965. BY Sam Heagney FEATURES EDITOR
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undreds of students walk past the bust of Janet Knobbe under the television screen in the library every day, but for one day a year, Knobbe herself provides an audience. Though she couldn’t make it to Open House this year, Knobbe was at the previous three Open Houses to check if her bust was still there. Knobbe was thrilled to come with her second cousin, a mother of two students, to see if the bust was still prominent in the school. The sculptor, William Doyle, S.J., tried to call Knobbe years ago hoping to reestablish contact with her, but since she and her second cousin share the same name, Janet Marie Elizabeth Knobbe, Doyle reached the wrong Knobbe. “I came the last three years when they have Open House to see if my face was
still here and that’s when I saw (the other) Janet and found out that he had contacted her. It’s a shame I didn’t get contacted,” said Knobbe. Thirty years ago, Doyle approached Knobbe at Steinberg Ice Rink hoping she would sit for him as a model. At the time Knobbe worked for Laclede Gas but was offered a chance to perform with the Ice Capades, a travelling entertainment show, so her impressive skating skills attracted Doyle, a regular at the rink. For many Saturdays, Knobbe would come into SLUH and sit while Doyle did his best to translate her face into his clay. After an hour or so Knobbe would head home until the next week. After some weeks Doyle thanked her with one of his own watercolor paintings and she never saw him again. Knobbe never saw the finished product until a few years ago. Knobbe lights up each
year when she comes to visit her statue, but noticed recently that there are some chips in the bust. “It’s a shame to see that cracked. When I was here a year ago it was like that,” said Knobbe. Though the bust was made 50 years ago, it hasn’t always called SLUH home. Knobbe actually ran into the bust at a collection of Doyle’s art at Richard Long Gallery in Kirkwood and had the opportunity to buy it for $200 but didn’t, a decision she still regrets. Though the statue still holds resemblance, with prominent cheekbones just like Knobbe, she still insists it never looked like her. “You never see your like in it. I would always ask my nephews who went here if they saw it and if it looked like me but they never thought it was a big deal,” said Knobbe.
What’s up with that? The secret frosh closet BY Sam Heagney and Ethan McIntyre FEATURES EDITORS
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f you happen to enter St. Louis U. High through the doors at the end of freshman hallway near the bike racks, you may have noticed a mysterious door ajar at the bottom of the short stairwell. Down a few steps and around a few dark corners, there’s a small closet populated with window screens and a sump pump. The pump con-
nects to the rifle range, like the closet used to. Years ago the room was closed off with a steel door that separated the room from the back of the rifle range. The room has had problems with flooding in the past, but despite the recent rainfall has stayed dry, leading people to wonder why the door was ever opened. Even Director of Facilities Joe Rankin was puzzled by the occurrence. Over the years, rumors
have circulated that the room caged the Jr. Billiken, but these claims can be neither confirmed nor denied. To investigate, Prep News banged repeatedly on the closed door, trying to see if any school mascots lived in there. The Jr. Billiken did not answer the door and declined to comment. The door is closed “securely” again, so investigations have been put on hold, for now.
November 20, 2015
tures of teachers without their consent and sharing them instantly. Multiple parents expressed their exasperated attempts to keep up with their sons’ social media and concluded that it isn’t possible and that the issue is all about trust. Matt Balossi—father of senior Billy—asked whether or not SLUH taught this sort of “digital discipleship” in the classroom or if it was specifically held to the student to learn. He recognized the inability of the administration to chase down everything, but he also questioned Kesterson about the severity of certain issues and when they come to his attention. Kesterson responded that time is not always helpful, as there isn’t much of it. He said that anytime one issue is brought to his attention—by teachers, parents, or students—he deals with it. Reaching every person connected to SLUH is hard, as many parents and students do not read the handbook, where the school policy on technology can be found. Kesterson said that this could help to educate everyone about current SLUH policy and ideas for new policies to keep up with technology. The consequences of just having the technology permeated the conversation during the evening. Students have to know their limits on how long to use their iPads and that using any of their technology too much could lead to friendship complications and social (and sleeping) problems. Kesterson cited SLUH’s old “free period meant face-in-a-book” policy, but they moved away from that to try and give students release—both a scary and a beneficial decision. “Part of this is ‘Okay, let’s allow whatever (game)—we used Madden Mobile, for example—and kids can do that,’ or do we say ‘Nope, you have to stay away from that,’” said Kesterson. “Again, we have that one half-hour during lunch throughout the day where we’re saying no, but do we build in more of that because we need to say no to more of that? Or do we say it’s okay that kids need a stress
relief?” Senior Leo Heinz raised the point of teaching students when to use and not use their iPads, the places for technology and different places for conversation, and classes with constructive conversations on iPad usage. Kesterson concluded the technology portion with the necessary student and parent input on the issue of technology. Drugs and alcohol—another topic discussed last year—resurfaced with multiple issues surrounding the SLUH community, including the “study drugs” like Adderall and the use of marijuana on and off campus. “Some of those statements are difficult to take at face value. If we’re going to have an honest conversation, we need to know exactly what we’re dealing with,” said Kesterson. “Bottom line is that it’s an issue, and needs to be dealt with. It requires all parties involved to have a stake in it and to be open and honest and aware and educated, and that’s going to be the best way for us to talk about a culture at SLUH—where I think Jack Perryman said it best—where it’s cool not to do drugs.” Some policy suggestions did surface throughout the talk, like the possibility of drug dogs and random drug testing. Martha McArthur— mother of juniors Michael and Peter—realized that if there was a speaker brought in to talk about drug usage and how it has ruined their life, then it needs to be relatable, preferably a person that is a recent high school graduate. Senior Jack Perryman mentioned that SLUH has some of the brightest kids in St. Louis, yet why would some become “jerks” when they’re here and decide to do drugs? He also stated that SLUH is a place where it’s cool to be smart, but it should also be a place where it’s cool to not do drugs and that people should “change the culture.” “We probably could have spent the whole hour and a half on drugs and alcohol and not even begin to scratch the surface,” said Perryman. “I think it puts ideas in (Kesterson’s) head. It’s kind of sparked some follow-up, but
it’s hard to do policy. Everyone here talks and talks and talks, and at some point we just have to do.” Perryman, the student body president, and juniors Thomas Leeker and Peter Hennessey attended the meeting, representing STUCO. Perryman and Leeker both cited more intense STUCO involvement in these issues during the next school year. “Just for the little bit that I was there, I feel like it opened up a whole new window/door into these issues that I want to help with, and at least pertaining to drugs and alcohol, it felt like we had started a good conversation and there were some good points brought up, (but) there weren’t a ton of solutions,” said Leeker. “I smell a bit of a club coming on, some kind of thing or committee to help Dr. Kesterson deal with these things.” Stress was another important factor in the talks of drugs and alcohol, and peer pressure to try those drugs was another. Balossi brought up cura personalis in an effort to try and give the students a way to say no to those drugs by taking care of themselves. Another parent mentioned that she drug-tested her own child to give him a legitimate excuse to say no to drugs given to him by friends. “We need to figure out what’s appropriate, and it’s important, and (stress is) such a serious topic because there are some really negative consequences that can come from it,” said Kesterson. Following the Monday meeting, Assistant Principal for Mission Jim Linhares and computer science department chair Dan See both assisted in a technology and formation presentation at a Faculty InService on Wednesday before school. Kesterson hopes that he can work with students, parents, and teachers about the issues of technology and drugs and alcohol at SLUH and realizes the benefits of seeing clubs that have been formed to battle particular issues around the school (e.g. STARS, SLUH4GE, etc.). The next ACSA meeting will be held on February 8, 2016.
Arabic to SLUH from SLU (continued from page 1)
One suggestion was to offer an informational session for students and parents interested in learning more about the language and culture. “That’s one thing that we will look at in the next couple of months … to gauge interest,” said Chura. Foreign language teachers have also been researching different dialects of Arabic. The language is spoken in many countries, but each country has a very distinct
dialect. Foreign language teachers have decided to teach Modern Standard Arabic at SLUH. This standardized variation is the language of newspapers and politicians across the Arab world. “It’s supposed to be the middle ground where all people who speak different dialects of Arabic are able to communicate,” said Chura. SLUH alum Brian Roche, ’01 who has studied Arabic, also spoke with the Foreign Language department. Roche
is a former Russian student of Chura’s and studied Arabic while serving in the military. Chura said Roche suggested Modern Standard Arabic as “the most logical step.” “I think we have seen some nice progress since the beginning of the year,” said principal John Moran. “We are at a pace where we know where we want to get. … We want to make sure we do this correctly.” Sophomores Sam Porter, Matt Rauschenbach, and Liam Heffernan on Monday.
photo | Leo Heinz
NEWS
November 20, 2015
Prep News
5
At MOYIG, Spence elected, among other SLUH victories (continued from page 1)
fall each year in Jefferson City. There are five different areas of the conference students can take part in: media, lobbyist, and the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of government. Depending on the branch, a student could spend the weekend debating and lobbying bills written by other high schoolers, or sitting on cases in the judicial branch, or honing his media skills. The majority of students were involved in judicial, legislative, and executive branches, which took place in the Capitol Building. There were around 600 students at the convention, most of whom were from St. Louis. Eighteen of those 600 students were representing SLUH in the House of Representatives and the other nine were placed in the Novice House of Representatives. This year was a major success for the Youth in Government delegation from SLUH as numbers jumped from nine delegates last year to 27 this year. The 27 students in the SLUH delegation were joined by moderators Craig Hannick and John Kavanaugh. Moderator Bob O’Connell had to cancel at the last minute.
“They were well prepared, good on their feet, respectful of others, all the things you would expect SLU High boys to be,” said Hannick. All SLUH delegation members wrote a bill, which they began shortly after the activities fair. Three SLUH students’ bills made it on to the docket to be debated on the house floor. Unfortunately there was only time to debate two SLUH bills and these bills belonged to seniors Tim Nile and Truman Stephens and juniors Joe Boyce and Nathan Inserra. “It was an amazing experience,” said Boyce. “We put in a lot of work, there were a lot of kids down there and it was cool to see the power given to the students.” On Thursday evening, delegates from the House of Representatives were split up into committees that had similar bills. These bills were debated by their author(s) and then voted on by the committee. The delegates spent all day Friday and Saturday debating, sponsoring, lobbying, and voting on the bills that were especially well-written and well-debated in the committees the previous day. First on the docket for the weekend, Nile and Ste-
phens debated a bill written for a grading system for tattoo parlors like the FDA does for restaurants. The grading scale would be based on cleanliness and safety. The two seniors researched the credentials for a Missouri tattoo parlor to obtain a license, and other basic tattoo information. The original idea came from Nile’s past bill partner, Kevin Thomas, ’15. “The writing of the bill wasn’t the hard part,” said Nile. “It actually took less time to write than it did to argue it.” As in actual politics, there was some disagreement between delegations and this led to other consequences when it came time to vote on the bills. “I shut down this bill written by someone from Rockwood Summit,” said Nile. “Since Rockwood Summit bloc votes, I think he convinced the rest of the people to all vote against our bill.” Bloc voting is where all the members of a delegation from a school vote the same on an issue or bill. But even with the opposition, the bill was passed with a heavy majority. Some schools bloc vote without fail, but the young SLUH delegation does not.
“We want every SLUH kid to think for themselves and to vote on what they believe.” said Stephens. “My favorite moment of YIG the past two years was when a student from another school asked me if SLUH wanted to bloc vote with them, and I got to tell them that SLUH kids vote on what they believe not what they’re told to believe.” After the bill was passed, they then asked senior Maggie Schwarz of Saint Joseph’s Academy to sponsor it in the senate. Schwarz was successful so Nile’s and Stephens’ bill was the first bill written into law by governor Patti O’Brien at the Lewis State convention. Boyce’s and Inserra’s bill was about mandated paid family leave. The bill was passed 140-0 on the House floor. They then had junior Justin Sweeney from Kirkwood sponsor it on the senate floor. Sweeney was successful, and O’Brien signed the bill into law. Boyce and Inserra received an Outstanding Bill Award—an award that is only given to four out of the roughly 300 bills—as a result of their efforts. Neither Boyce nor Inserra had ever been to MOYIG before. The third bill that made it onto the docket belonged to
Teachers discuss technology and formation (continued from page 1)
the smaller group conversations that followed. For about an hour, groups of 12-15 teachers, led by a member of the Instructional Council (the department chairs plus the principal and assistant principals) discussed three questions: how technology is used well in regards to formation, how it prohibits formation, and policy recommendations. An additional member of the Instructional Council recorded notes from the eight small group conversations, which will be passed on to the forthcoming Technology in Formation committee, Linhares said. “The spirit of theirs was to set the context of formation, how everything we do at St. Louis U. High—athletics or academics—go to the formation of the young guys that we teach,” social studies chair Bob O’Connell said. “In that context, how does technology help that, the formation? How can it sometimes distract, hurt, or hinder the formation?” The groups’ discussion of what is going well centered on ways teachers are using the iPads, as well as ways in which it is increasing communication, organization, and efficiency, math teacher
Dan Becvar said. For example, science teachers explained how some labs take less time now with iPads. Teachers spoke about the iPad as a tool that can perform tasks such as word processing, serving as a dictionary, calculator, notebook, and communication. Their discussion of the challenges and hindrances to education focused on it posing a distraction—there are numerous time-consuming applications like fantasy football, Snapchat, and other games—and feeding into an epidemic of screen addiction. “I think one of the major concerns that people had was that in the free time, unscheduled time, students are occupying themselves with device,” See said. “There’s a sense that—I think we all feel it, adults feel it too—that (we’re) drawn to the screen. There’s concern that that’s changing the culture, maybe that’s changing some aspects of the school that we like.” The conversations concluded with final comments about future policies and suggestions regarding technology here. Teachers suggested more communication on existing handbook policies while perhaps instituting more to encourage face-to-face interaction and silence. Other
Prep News Editor in Chief Leo Heinz News Editors Nolen Doorack Connor FitzGerald Sports Editors Tim Nile Keith Thomas
ways of encouraging students to look away from the screen were mentioned, like turning off WebAssign after a certain time each night, assigning less homework that requires a screen, or even placing Frisbees and footballs at doors so students could spend time outside during free time. Other topics like the school’s current primary use of Google products for email and document sharing were asked about, as well as the potential for a learning management system (LMS) that would combine all aspects of communication in a potentially easier way. “We also noted that folks seem more tired in class,” theology chair Diego Navarro said. “Is that in part because we have a lot of assignments that require them to be online? The question is ‘Is the amount of time folks on screens, does that set them up for not being able to notice or pay attention?’” A steering committee which organized the Wednesday meetings—a subset of the instructional council comprised of Linhares, English teacher Steve Missey, fine arts teacher Joan Bugnitz, computer science teacher Dan See, and Director of Educational Technology Andrea Nun-
Volume 80, Issue 13
Features Editors Sam Heagney Ethan McIntyre Core Staff Sam Chechik Patrick Enderle John Michael Fitzgerald Nick Messina Charlie Mueth
Joseph Reznikov Jack Sinay Staff Billy Balossi Jimmy Bricker Jack Casey Liam Connolly Cade Dernlan
ziante—will process some of the opinions gathered before the larger Technology and Formation Committee will be formed. Linhares said that he will invite the entire faculty. He said the group will meet three times before the end of the school year and make some formal recommendations—ranging from “broad philosophical points to where you can or can’t use your phone”—to the administration. The broader issue of digital discipleship—or digital citizenship—has been a priority of Linhares, but was put on the back burner after the administration made the decision to go to a one-to-one device policy in February of 2014. Last year, various committees focused on selecting a device as well as who should have that device and when. Others were part of a pilot program the year before. The broader issue of digital discipleship includes connecting technology with the school’s mission, considering how devices are used to build character and integrity, from a concern that “if we’re not intentional, technology may carry us in ways we don’t want to go,” Linhares said.
Credits Staff Artists Joe Fentress Ian Mulvihill
Staff Photographer Brendan Voigt Reporters Chris Kreienkamp Andrew Modder
Andrew Pluff Patrick Schuler Contributing Artist Paul Anthony Will Kramer Lancer Li Moderator Mr. Steve Missey
Kyle Irvine and Thomas Nordmann. Their bill was an act to build a wall around Missouri, but because it was placed last on the docket, there was not enough time to debate it. In the novice house many of the underclassmen from SLUH’s delegation had success. Out of the nine students that were in the novice house six of them had their bills passed: Tate Portell, Adam Stemmler, Leonard Kim, Kurt Roethlisberger, Max Nuccio, and Dan Sharp. Will Smith and Briant Tretter had their bill voted through and then vetoed by the Governor. When the bill arrived back for the veto overthrow vote they missed the two-thirds majority by one vote. Every year students are elected to the special positions in the government such as Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Speaker of the House, and Attorney General. This year, junior Cameron Spence was elected to the position of Secretary of State, beating out one other student to secure the position. Spence spent most of the first part of the weekend campaigning, and on the first night he gave a couple of ‘Zarrick-style’ speeches when he was called to walk around
to different rooms at an event called ‘Meet The Candidates.’ This event is designed to help the voters get to know who is running for these positions. The people in the rooms were allowed to ask any non-political question they choose. Questions ranged from ‘Chipotle or Qdoba?’ to ‘Was A&P comic or ironic?’ Spence also made a banner that said ‘Vote Spence for Secretary of State’ and made stickers to distribute. “It’s pretty cool to be the Secretary of State now,” said Spence. “I’m excited to actually do the job next year.” The club hopes to continue to build on these first two years of participation and would like to become a major presence at Missouri Youth in Government in the future. It would also like to send some kids to the national conference this coming year. “It’s a great way for kids to become comfortable with themselves when speaking in a large group,” said Stephens. “One of the best things about YIG is that you don’t have to be necessarily very interested in politics to be able to get something big out of it.”
Racquetball slides past Kirkwood BY Andrew REPORTER
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Modder
he St. Louis U. High varsity racquetball team continued its high-level play in its victory over Kirkwood this past Thursday, Nov. 11, despite winning by a narrow margin of 3-2. The team’s season began with a very tough opponent in Kirkwood, ranked close behind the Jr. Bills in the state rankings. The Pioneers gave the Jr. Bills a very close match, but SLUH managed to pull out their second win of the season. “We knew Kirkwood had a lot of good players, so we knew we weren’t gonna roll over them,” said senior Tim Juergens. “But they made it a lot closer than we were expecting.” “They had a lot of varsity experience since their two through five seeds had played varsity prior to this season,” said senior Charlie Mueth. The Jr. Bills won three matches out of the five played, with senior Rich Helfrey providing a blowout win in the No. 6-seed match, along with two matches narrowly won by No. 1 seed junior Chris Schulze and No. 4 seed Mueth. Helfrey rolled over his opponent Brian Goyda 15-9, 15-0, but Schulze and Mueth had to work a bit harder than expected. Schulze started out losing the first seven points to his opponent J.T. Wescott, but then rebounded to win the first game 15-12 before dominating the second game 15-2. “After I (went) down 7-0, I took a timeout, composed myself, and started playing more conservative,” said Schulze. “I ended up winning that game and then won the
second one handily, keeping with the strategy.” Mueth needed the third game tiebreaker in order to defeat his opponent, Brendan Justin, after losing the first game 8-15. “The first game was really frustrating for me,” said Mueth. “My opponent was really quick and deceptive and that caused me to hit a lot of bad shots.” Mueth rebounded in his second game and the tiebreaker, though, winning 1510 and 11-7 to get the point for SLUH. “I changed to a more conservative strategy, and it really caught (my opponent) off guard,” said Mueth. “And I think my endurance in the tiebreaker was what helped me eventually win the match.” Despite the three wins, SLUH also suffered some heartbreaking losses from No. 2 seed Juergens and No. 3 seed senior John Correa. Juergens lost both of his games 14-15, unable to close out his opponent Jacob Hauck when he most needed to. “I played well starting off the games, but obviously I just couldn’t finish them,” said Juergens. “I wanted to figure out how he played in the first match and then adjust my game to win the second match, and even though I played really well in both matches I could have played better and beaten him.” Correa lost 10-15, 7-15 to his opponent George Hansen, and had trouble finding his groove in both games. “John’s main goal after the match was to do better the second time we play Kirkwood so that way he can beat him next time,” said Mueth. “He thought he could
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Prep News
Sports
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November 20, 2015 Issue 13
XC sets mind on future
Powered by youth, basketball season tips off tonight Keith Thomas BY SPORTS EDITOR
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fter an impressive fourth-place finish at the State tournament last year, the St. Louis U. High basketball squad and head coach Erwin Claggett are hungry for more this season. The team opens its season tonight against CBC, an MCC powerhouse and fierce rival. The Jr. Bills return their two top scorers from last season, junior Brandon McKissic and senior Matt Nester, for a team that is poised for yet another Final Four run. SLUH will return most of the team from last year, losing only two players to college—Hunter Schmidt and Spencer Stapf. With that being said, the team’s youth will be a key component towards the team’s success this season. Returning players like Nester— who has started all four years for the Jr. Bills—look to lead the team yet again, but with a clean slate. “The main thing for me is trying to get the guys to understand that it’s a brand new year,” said Claggett. “Whatever successes or failures happened was last year. We have to come with a different mentality because we’re a different team from last year: a year older, and we lost some parts, so it’s a new journey.” Guard play for the Jr. Bills will be led by McKissic and Nester. The shifty 5’11” Nester averaged 11.8 PPG last year, while McKissic had 13.8 PPG. Most of the Jr. Bills’ scoring last year came from
the duo, and they will look to continue that trend in the coming months. “Brandon is definitely one of the most important players on our team,” said Nester. “He’s our most talented scorer and player in general. When it’s time to score, he’ll get the buckets.” “They’ll be our engine this year,” said Claggett. “As far as leading, Matt’s a little more mature, and Brandon leads by example: going out and making plays and scoring points.” Junior B.J. Wilson will also return to the court as a part of the team’s starting five. The 6’7” center will take on an even bigger role in the post this year with Schmidt’s absence. Helping out Wilson will be junior Brent Smith at forward, who played in 31 games last year as a sophomore. “B.J. and Brent are vital if we want to win this year,” said Nester. “The MCC is packed with skilled and dominant big men. In order to compete, they have to play at that top level at all times.” “We are missing Hunter, who was a big part of our offense,” said senior David Jackson. “But we are expecting them to accept the challenge.” The rest of the team will be bolstered by its defense, the main focus of Claggett’s game plan. Players like juniors Ryan Hebenstreit and Andrew Grassi, sophomore Matt Leritz, and senior twins David and Daniel Jackson will provide a well-rounded
BY Joseph Reznikov CORE STAFF
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photo | Brendan Voigt
Junior Center B.J. Wilson at practice yesterday. The Jr. Bills play at CBC tonight.
defensive structure in the backcourt. “They’re an integral part to our defense,” said Claggett. “Hopefully, our defense will be a little bit more up tempo than last year.” The MCC is, and always will be, a tough conference to win games in. There is, of course, CBC, whom the Jr. Bills haven’t defeated in four straight games. Vianney and De Smet are somewhat weaker in comparison to CBC and Chaminade, though, and the Jr. Bills have had success against them in the past. The biggest challenge this year will be the Chaminade Red Devils, who are led by Duke commit Jayson Tatum, Iowa commit Tyler Cook, and Duquesne commit Mike Lewis. “This is, by far, the most talented conference in the state,” said Claggett. “Each game is going to be a war.
The good thing for us is that no team in our conference is in our district. We relish the challenge because we know how much good it’s going to do for us.” Chaminade defeated the Jr. Bills last year in the thirdplace game at the State tournament. Fueled by the interconference rivalry and last year’s results, the Jr. Bills are prepared to have another go at the Red Devils. “We’re all really close to each other and we love to joke around,” said Nester. “But when it’s time to get serious, we lock in. I think our team is extremely focused this year and ready to go.” Before the season even starts, though, the Jr. Bills have one college commit in Nester. He will attend Washington University in St. Louis to continue his playing career. Although he hasn’t commit-
ted to a school yet, McKissic also picked up an offer to play at Missouri State in 2017. “I’m super excited that I get the opportunity to continue to play basketball at such a great school,” said Nester. “Coach Clagg and everyone on the staff have transformed me into the player I am and I have to give them credit for it.” Tonight, the Jr. Bills look to open with a win over an always tough CBC team. “It’s our first game, so we need to start off on a good note,” said Nester. “We’re all extremely focused and ready, so I think it’ll be a good night.” “We have no idea what to expect,” said Claggett. “It’s not at home, so we can just go out and play. We use (the CBC game) as a measuring stick for the season . . . it’s all about learning and getting better throughout the year.”
High-powered offense led Jr. Bills to success in 2015 Swim ends Some highlights from the season include the 63-13 undefeated win on Sept. 18 at De Smet, the largest point differential in dual in SLUH football in over a decade. meets The Kirkwood victory on
The Jr. Bills bumping chests. The team finished 8-3, winning twice in the MCC.
Chris Kreienkamp REPORTER
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early three weeks after the final football game of the 2015 season, the St. Louis U. High football team is not disappointed in its finish. Though Hazelwood Central ended the Jr. Billiken playoff run for the second time in just as many years, the coaches and the players are in no way unhappy. SLUH held up an outstanding 8-3 record during a season despite all of its opponents being competitive except maybe one or two. Nineteen seniors, 26 juniors, and eight sophomores formed the varsity team of 53 players. Six senior captains— Daniel Isom, Daniel Jackson, David Jackson, Joe Mattingly, Michael Niese, Anthony San-
sone, and Chris Stahl—led the team through each of the 11 battles. The team could not have been successful without the cohesion among the players. Though some players stood out, like junior Andrew Clair, the team was still strong when he was injured. They did not depend on one player but rose and fell as a team. “We finished our season with an outstanding record and formed some great bonds and relationships among that team that I know will last a lifetime,” said Niese. Offensively, the top three scorers were Clair, David Jackson, and junior kicker Joe Rogan. Clair led the team in touchdowns with 21 and in rushing yards with 1,303. Clair averaged an impressive
photo | Dominik Skroska
8.9 yards/carry on the season. Another junior, starting quarterback Mitch Batschelett, also found his way to the scoring summary often, finishing the season with 23 touchdowns for 1,985 yards. His favorite target was David Jackson, who recorded 694 yards and 12 touchdowns on 32 receptions. On the defensive side of the ball, defensive lineman Stahl hogged most of the statistics. He led the team in tackles with 69, in assists with 31, and tied for first with junior Kameron Bowdry in sacks with six. His two fumble recoveries were just one short of Bowdry’s team-leading three. Junior Tony Adams had the most interceptions with six.
Oct. 16 was the final regular season game and also the first loss for the undefeated Pioneers. This is the second year in a row that the Jr. Bills ruined a Kirkwood undefeated football season. “I believe our season went really well with what we were given at the beginning of the year,” said Mattingly. “I think we really surprised a lot of people and were able to come back through. Beating Kirkwood two years in a row is a huge challenge, but our team was able to get through it.” Perhaps the most special moment was on Aug. 28 against Lutheran North when head coach Gary Kornfeld earned his 200th win as a SLUH football coach. With a few more wins before the end of the season, he became the winningest coach in SLUH football history. He came to SLUH in 1979 and became head coach in 1988, and he is coming back in 2015, 36 years after his first day at SLUH. Another season is in the books for Kornfeld. “It’s sad to see the season over but I think the team has a bright future for next year,” said Mattingly. Kornfeld comes back
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BY Patrick REPORTER
Schuler
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rom the bowels of Forest Park Community College pool, the St. Louis U. High swim & dive team trained and in turn, churned out a successful season with a few lows and many highs. The season began with two new coaches and a new mindset for the season. Last year’s head coach, Joe Esposito, stepped down to take a coaching and teaching job at De Smet, and coach Kevin Moore retired after many years. Lindsey Ehret became the new head coach and chose Andrew Killkenney as her assistant. “Having Coach Ehret and Coach Andy in the lead this year has been really awesome,” said sophomore John Burke. “They have taught me a lot about swimming and I think they handled the team really well this year.” Some highlights from the season include three individual winners, an undefeated dual meet season, and JV and Varsity MCC championship titles. The team qualified six individuals at the State Championship in 13 events, including all three relays, and finished 13th overall.
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he 2015 St. Louis U. High varsity cross country season has reached its close, and though the 11th place finish at State was not the goal coming into the season, the coaches and runners know that they accomplished a lot and have a lot of things they can build off of for future seasons. Five of the top seven runners on SLUH’s second place state finishing team last season graduated in the class of 2014, so this year’s team was fairly inexperienced with racing at the varsity level. “The new guys had to learn how to race at a different level,” said Porter. “But they really stepped up and got better and better at running in bigger races as the season went on.” The season got off to a slow start in September at the Forest Park XC Invitational, where SLUH placed tenth—a frustrating finish compared to their third place finish the previous year. The runners’ hard work finally started to pay dividends halfway through the season when they placed first at the MCC Championships. Senior Dustan Davidson finished first overall in the meet with a time of 16:16. The MCC meet was arguably one of SLUH’s two best
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Helfrey excels vs. Kirkwood
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Mueth. “He thought he could have easily beaten the guy he played.” This 3-2 win for SLUH is unofficial at this point because the No. 5 seed and doubles matches still need to be played because Kirkwood players were absent from the original match. However, since the team only has a one-point lead, if both No. 5 seed senior Jacob Longinette and senior doubles duo Vince Freeman and Andrew Thomas are unable to win their respective matches, it could end up being a loss for the team if the opponents are better than expected. “Kirkwood is a great example of a team that is starting to figure out how to beat SLUH unlike most of the other teams we play,” said Mueth. The team now looks forward to an important tournament, the Winter Rollout, that started last night with a professional clinic and an appearance from the No. 1 ranked player in the world, Kane Waselenchuk, and is followed by the actual tournament starting tonight and continuing through tomorrow. The tournament will be held at the Missouri Athletic Club (MAC), and the first SLUH match starts at 7:00 p.m. tonight.
SPORTS
November 20, 2015
Prep News
Hockey finds success against FHC, Vianney, look for second win over CBC BY Tim Nile SPORTS EDITOR
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he St. Louis U High hockey team posted two mighty blowouts last week, one 12-0 over Francis Howell Central, the other 9-1 over Vianney. The Jr. Bills have progressed from the preseason, where they had lots of shots on goal but not so many goals. Now the shots are finding the back of the net. “I think it just comes with time,” said head coach Kevin Fitzpatrick. “In the preseason, we did have a lot of shots and had a lot of chances and we just couldn’t put them in, and now they’re starting to go our way. As long as you’re getting chances that’s all you can ask for. The kids didn’t give up and they’ve worked hard and they continue to work hard and they’re going our way.” Against Vianney, the game started in the usual way: slow. The team had 12 shots on goal but only one goal, from senior captain Connor FitzGerald halfway through the period. If the first period was quiet, the second period was explosive, with the Jr. Bills scoring six goals. Sophomores Steven Pawlow and Joe Win-
kelmann scored the team’s second and third goals as the period opened. The Jr. Bills’ fourth goal was scored shorthanded by junior Luke Gassett, and the period ended the same way it started with Pawlow and Winkelmann scoring, to make it 7-0 Jr. Bills. The third period was only a little less explosive as the Jr. Bills found the back of the net another five times. Five minutes into the third period, on the same shift nonetheless, senior Kyle Einig notched two goals. The only thing that held Einig back from three consecutive goals was junior Liam Knobbe, who scored the Jr. Bills’ tenth goal. After Knobbe, Einig earned his hat trick, and senior Steve Lockwood closed out the night with the teams twelfth goal. Because of the abundance of goals in the second period, senior Dan Hirlinger took over for senior Joe Warnecke between the pipes in the third period. “It feels really good,” said Hirlinger. “I’ve only been playing for a few years. With all the dedication and hard work I’ve put in it’s been really awesome playing at a varsity level. I look forward to playing in some more games.”
Senior Kyle Einig during Monday’s matchup against MCC rival Vianney.
The Jr. Bills’ scoring prowess continued into Monday night’s game against MCC foe Vianney. The first period felt like another one of those quiet first periods—at least until Gassett notched the first goal. In the 75 seconds that followed that goal, Gassett scored again and Winkelmann scored the team’s third goal. Just like that, the game belonged to SLUH. Vianney showed a glimpse of hope at the begin-
ning of the second period when they slipped one past the Jr. Bills’ defense and scored their only goal of the game. The Jr. Bills answered with six of their own, including two from senior captain Patrick Pence, one of which was a top shelf snipe. The seventh Jr. Bill goal was scored by FitzGerald with so much tenacity that the aftermath knocked the goal off its pegs and took the referees more than a couple minutes
photo | Tim Nile
to fix. Hirlinger again played goal in the third period when the Jr. Bills wrapped the game up with their ninth goal, which was scored by Einig. “The success is really coming from the hard work everyone puts in during practice and the commitment everyone has to the overall goal of getting to Scottrade,” said Einig. “When we get up by a couple we really focus on possession and keeping the puck
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out of our net.” This week, the team has been preparing for its first regular season game against CBC. The last time SLUH faced CBC was in the championship of the Top Hat preseason tournament this year where the Jr. Bills beat the Cadets 3-0. That was the Cadets’ first loss since the 2013 Challenge Cup final, which the Jr. Bills won in overtime 2-1. “We have two practices coming up here Wednesday and Thursday,” said Fitzpatrick. “They have to be our two best practices of the year. We’ve got to be ready for them, and they’re certainly going to be ready for us. Obviously, they’re not used to losing. It’ll be a great test for us—a great battle—and we’re definitely looking forward to it.” “There is a lot of mental preparation that goes into preparing for a game like this,” said Einig. “I and most likely everyone else on the team have been thinking about this game and what we can do to win for a long time.” The game is tonight at the Grindhouse on Gravois, also known as Affton Ice Rink. The game is at 8 p.m.
Senior-heavy soccer team turns in second-best record in SLUH history
photo | Brendan Voigt
Will Minnick (5) and Trey Haman (17) celebrated a goal in the District win over Chaminade. BY Keith Thomas SPORTS EDITOR
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ll of the joinks, passes, and assists led to an incredible ride for the 2015 St. Louis U. High soccer team, which finished a memorable season with a 25-3 record. Despite being knocked out by De Smet in the Sectional final, head coach Charlie Martel regards the 2015 squad as one of his best ever in his tenure as head coach. The second-best team in SLUH soccer history— the 1977 squad went 25-2— kicked its season off with heavy hearts, as captain Peter Simon’s father passed away before the season-opener against Chaminade. Simon promised his father that the team would defeat Chaminade in the game, and he kept that promise. The Jr. Bills dominated the game, winning 3-1, but the highlight of the game came when Simon put the Jr. Bills up 1-0. He ran towards the stands, holding his father’s ‘PS’ patch on his jersey, and jumped into the crowd. This
moment motivated the team to play with the same energy and passion for the rest of the season. The team went for a month and three days without losing a game after the opener, pushing the team out to an impressive 14-0 start. In that span, SLUH beat three of its MCC foes twice: Chaminade, CBC, and Vianney. The team also tallied a narrow 1-0 victory over De Smet. Everything was going right for the Jr. Bills, who had reached the number two spot in the USA Today national rankings, until the finals of the CYC Tournament. The Jr. Bills played CBC in the tournament finals, a team whom SLUH previously beat twice. This time, though, the Jr. Bills were pushed onto their back heels. Goal after goal came from the well-composed Cadets, and by the end of the game, the score was 4-0 in CBC’s favor, stunning the previously unbeaten Jr. Bills. “CBC had two or three guys that played fantastic, and we had a few things that didn’t go well for us,” said Martel.
“They had the momentum . . . they played well and they beat us. I think the loss was good for us because someone drew blood, and the guys didn’t like that.” The loss to CBC was only a speed bump in the Jr. Bills’ journey. After blowing out Priory by a score of 7-0, the Jr. Bills spent the first weekend of October in Louisville, playing Floyd Central and Trinity. The Jr. Bills defeated Floyd Central on a cold and rainy afternoon 4-3, showing dominance over the out-of-state opponent. The next day, the Jr. Bills took their second loss of the year, 2-1 from a tough Trinity squad. The loss was the Jr. Bills’ last until the Sectional final. The team hit a late-season stride, outscoring opponents 30-3 through the District final vs. Chaminade. In that game, the result wasn’t as wide open as it was in the first game of the year, with senior Will Minnick scoring the only goal for the Jr. Bills. “Chaminade was ten times better in Districts than they were in the first game of
the season,” said Martel. “We defended well, and found the goal. That’s what we did all year.” The game against De Smet was a tightly-contested game, with both teams struggling for possession. The Spartans scored the only goal in the game off of a volley, then fended off the Jr. Billiken attack with the help of their goalkeeper, Connor Range. One of the best runs in Jr. Bill soccer history ended short with the Spartans advancing by a score of 1-0. Despite the tears and sullen spirits after the defeat, the team has a lot to be proud of. The 25-3 record was the second best in the program’s history, with a win percentage of .892. The Jr. Bills outscored their opponents 82-21. Most of those 82 goals were scored in the same way: the Jr. Bills’ strategy this year was to get the ball deep into the corners and score off of crosses, whether the cross was a corner kick or one of Simon’s long throw-ins. Allowing only 21 goals is remarkable as well, thanks to senior and first-year keeper Ty Frederking. Frederking’s height and athleticism allowed him to get to most balls in the air, preventing other teams from getting a head on the ball. Frederking had a .923 save percentage with 14 shutouts, one of the best stat lines in Jr. Bill history. As a first-year starter, Frederking went through a lot of preparation for his successful year. “It was so much fun going out onto the field every day with all the guys,” said Frederking. “In the beginning of the year, I was very nervous any time the ball came near me, but as the year progressed … I became more comfortable in net.”
“We’ve had this situation three or four times,” said Martel of Frederking’s unexpected first-year starting position. “We find a great athlete and ask if they’re interested, and that’s what we did with Ty.” In the midfield, matches were run by captains Minnick and Matt Frein, along with help from the versatile Matt Lesko. On the scoring front, the three were relatively quiet, but many of the goals that Simon or other players scored were a result of the midfield triumvirate. “It was awesome playing in the midfield with Will,” said Frein. “We already knew each other so well and knew how each other played so it was real easy getting used to him in the midfield.” “Starting at center mid with Minnick and Frein really challenged me to play my best,” said Lesko. “Playing on such a great team with such quality players also took my play to a whole new, aggressive, and relentless level.” The four starting defenders—sophomore Kurt Schumacher and seniors Al Solverud, Jack Dempster, and Ian Hurford—held up a fortress for the team. The defense was remarkable, and the impressive Schumacher is a player to watch in the coming years. “I thought our back line was solid the whole year,” said Solverud. “Ty was incredible in goal, and when we needed another center back, Kurt filled the role perfectly. We communicated really well and played as a unit.” Simon led SLUH’s forwards this year with 16 assists and 17 goals, six of which were game-winning. It’d be an understatement to say that he was the best player this year for the Jr. Bills. His 17 goals led the team, with Dempster
and senior Trey Haman trailing with an impressive ten goals each. “Pete came in really fit and strong and fast compared to last year,” said Martel. “It’s more than just the 17 goals. He got balls to the endline and served dangerous crosses. I think, in some ways, he was one of our most valuable players.” One problem that the team will have to face for next year is the loss of 19 seniors. However, there is promise with the up-and-coming Jr. Bills, led by Schumacher. Two juniors, Brandon Trusler and Miles Horton, look to lead the midfield next year for the Jr. Bills, while a core of three sophomores—Schumacher, Pietro Nicastro and Will Rudder—seek to provide support in the coming years. The lone freshman, Alex Lehmann, will take on a big role in the midfield as well. “In my mind, we have five returning players,” said Martel. “That way, we only need to fill in five other places for a full team. With the quality of some of the guys on JV, and that of the sophomores, I think we’ll be okay.” Although the Jr. Bills were handed a loss in the playoffs that prompted an early, unexpected exit, the team is proud of its accomplishments this year. “It didn’t end the way we wanted, but that’s life sometimes, and you have to move on and become better,” said Frein. “We wanted State and wanted it all but we came up short,” said Minnick. “This team will go down as one of the greatest in the long SLUH soccer tradition, and I can’t express how grateful I am to be a part of it.”
8
Prep News
Around the Hallways Nerinx and SLUH come together to discuss Teach-In Campus Minister Meg Beugg, two seniors, and two juniors met with three teachers and six students from Nerinx Hall to reflect on the Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice. At 7:00 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 16, the group gathered in Campus Ministry to talk. Among the topics discussed were the breakout sessions, speakers, senior Brendan Underwood, and the non-Jesuit perspective of the Teach-In itself. Nerinx students cited their Loretto values as aligning quite well with the Jesuits’ in some cases. Although there were likes and dislikes among the group, both schools realized that the Teach-In inspired them to have conversations about different social justice issues at their schools. Malcolm X Meeting Brendan Underwood led another S.T.A.R.S. meeting yesterday where students of all age groups filled three tables to discuss chapters 14-16 of The Autobi-
REPLAY BOOTH
ography of Malcolm X. The main topic was on the transition of Malcolm from a dependent follower of Elijah Muhammad to a more independent leader who stresses the value of acceptance to all. The club plans to meet Dec. 3 to talk over the closing chapters of the book, and to connect the main themes to social justice in our lives today.
Girls Hope.
Sterling Brown wins award Sterling Brown was recognized as one of St. Louis’ top 100 most influential African Americans at Delux Magazine’s Power 100 banquet. He accepted the award Nov. 8 at the Lumiere Theater. The award honors black millennials who lead, inspire, innovate and demonstrate. Brown is the St. Louis U. High Director of Diversity, American history teacher, admissions team member, JV football and freshman basketball coach, serves on the Loyola Academy Junior Board at Priory, and volunteers for Boys Hope
Students for Life substitute meeting for morning rosary Recognizing the lack of activity periods this week, Students for Life President Joe Laughlin decided to organize a time to pray the rosary during the block day schedule on Wednesday morning. From 9:00 to 9:30 a.m., five students— four juniors and one sophomore—gathered in the North American Martyrs’ Chapel to pray the rosary, where Laughlin and Cannonball Club President Jacob Price read the Glorious Mysteries.
races all season; sectionals was the other. “(Conference) was a day we thought could go any direction, and the guys really rose to the occasion,” said Porter. “At sectionals, the pressure was on to try to qualify for state for the 22nd year in a row, and they really answered the bell.” The close of the team’s season also marks the close of the SLUH cross country career for six seniors: Davidson, Billy Balossi, Joe Butler, Jake Lepak, Ethan McIntyre, and Sergio Goodwin. Butler, Goodwin, and McIntyre ran on the team all four years. “It’s sad that it’s over now,” said Butler. “I really enjoyed it and we were really successful, but it has to end eventually. One experience I’ll never forget is freshman year when we won state. Even though we didn’t race, the freshmen were
painted blue and were running around the course. It was a lot of fun.” Lepak in particular has pushed himself extremely hard over the course of the season, and his work has not gone unnoticed. Lepak put in over 800 miles during the season—the most of any runner on the team. “I appreciate the hard work of Jake over the summer,” said junior Will Kelly. “He ran over 400 miles which is super-impressive. He and all the seniors kept the mentality of the team high.” “The way to get better is to run more, and Jake did that,” said Porter. “He showed a lot of leadership by putting in more miles than anyone else.” Porter hopes the seniors will never forget the experiences they had as a part of the SLUH cross country, whether they’re planning to run com-
Frosh Retreat Changes In order to establish the identity of the freshman class earlier and allow senior advisors to share a more definitive goodbye with their freshmen, this year’s Freshman Retreat will be led by the senior advisors on Monday and Tuesday.
—Jack Casey, Sam Chechik, Aidan Moore.
petitively in college or not. “When they look back at the season years from now, they won’t remember the races as much as they’ll remember the training,” said Porter. “ We spend a lot of time our running at a conversational pace, so there’s lots of time to hang out with teammates and build relationships.” “I don’t think I could’ve have gotten through the workouts or the races on my own without my teammates,” said Balossi. “It’s sad that it’s over now.” Looking ahead to the next season, SLUH will be returning with only three juniors—Joe Laughlin, Will Kelly, and Brad Gale. Beyond the juniors, freshmen Patrick Hetlage and Reed Milnor, along with sophomore Paul Burka, have all competed with the varsity team on and off throughout the season, so they have a lit-
tle experience and Kelly sees them becoming an instrumental part of the team next season. “I have a lot of confidence in the underclassmen,” said Kelly. “They’re hardworking and very committed, so I know that they will be definitely be stepping it up next year.” Though no offseason races are required, the coaching staff encourages guys to keep racing. Because there are no indoor tracks in St. Louis, some runners will travel to Principia college in Illinois as well as Mizzou for indoor meets. The 13-week winter is also filled with St. Louis races that include the Frostbite series and the Turkey Trot. “We have a bunch of talent and guys that already have some experience,” said Porter. “We’re going to back to the drawing board, get guys out there in the winter, and try to get better every day.”
15 selected for all-MCC
Ehret’s first year a success
(continued from page 6)
(continued from page 6)
because he is grateful to be at SLUH, just like Daniel Jackson. “I’m happy to play with everybody from the team. I’m happy we had a great year. I’m glad that I got to teach all of these young guys something new. I hope that they go in the image of working hard, playing hard, and doing everything that they can,” said Jackson. “I’d like to thank the coaches for every down that they allowed me to play. And I’m so glad to end my high school career as a Junior Bill.” This year the following players were selected for the
all-MCC conference team: Selected to first-team offense were Clair (RB), David Jackson (WR), Mattingly (OL), and Isom (Ath.). Selected to second-team offense were Batschelett (QB), Adams (WR), BJ Wilson (TE), and Niese (OL). Honorable mentions were Mike Ruggeri, Jake Henty, and Rogan. Selected to first-team defense were Stahl (DT), Anthony Sansone (LB), Adams (S), and Daniel Jackson (CB). Selected to second-team defense were Ryan Hebenstreit (DE), Bowdry (DT), Jared Scott (LB). Honorable mention includes Tim Sansone (LB).
artwork | WIll Kramer
Calendar
Regular Schedule
Friday, November 20
Laughlin, Kelly to lead XC next season (continued from page 6)
November 20, 2015
“We got much faster throughout the season,” said junior Thomas Nordmann. “It was really cool to set goals at the beginning of the season and then accomplish those as the season went on.” This year also included a new event for the Jr. Bills: a team open water swim. The entire team all swam at least a mile at Innsbrook one weekend, and some swimmers swam up to three miles in the lake. “The open water swim was my favorite event,” said Ehret. “(It was) something new, and got swimmers out of the pool. … I had a great time in the kayak watching and cheering. I’m grateful to the Kreienkamps for all the help hosting the new SLUH tradition.” One of the lowlights for the season was the COMO Invitational at Mizzou. “(We) did not perform well for the most part,” Ehret said. “It just wasn’t our best meet.” Despite meeting many of their goals for the year, the Jr. Bills did not meet all of them. After last year’s fourth place finish at State, they hoped to finish top five this year. They also wanted to be the best
team in St. Louis, something they also accomplished last year, but this year took third out of the St. Louis teams behind Eureka and Chaminade. There were also a few team problems during practice, including complaining, hiding in the locker room, and even a slip-n-slide that was created in the showers. “There were definitely some rough parts in the season,” Nordmann said. “We had a tough time concentrating at times, and also became a little unfocused with many practices in a row.” Ehret also made a big push this year to promote camaraderie. “I tried to change the culture of swimming and that was a challenge,” Ehret said. “I put an emphasis on the team aspect of a very individual sport (and am) hopeful for next year that everyone knows the expectations of SLUH swimming and they know I will hold them accountable for training well and seriously, because it leads to our success. Talent only takes a team so far ... the rest is really working hard. Collectively the team makes individuals better.” Overall, despite a few goals not being accomplished, the Jr. Bills had a very success-
AP lunch 4:00pm 5:15pm 6:30pm 8:00pm
Sophomore Class Mass Snack—Chicken Rings Special—Taco Bar Vegetarian—Grilled Cheese C White Basketball vs. CBC @ SLUH C Blue Basketball vs. CBC @ SLUH V Basketball @ CBC V Hockey vs. CBC @ Affton Ice Rink
Saturday, November 21 4:30pm Alumni Remembrance Mass 10:30pm JV Blue Hockey vs. CBC Purple @ Webster Groves Ice Rink
Sunday, November 22
SLUHtique Senior Kairos (until November 25) CISL Speech (TBA) 8:00pm JV Blue Hockey vs. Oakville @ Fenton Forum 9:15pm JV White Hockey vs. De Smet Maroon @ Fenton Forum
Monday, November 23
No Classes
Junior White House (until November 25) Freshman Retreat (until November 24)
Tuesday, November 24 4:00pm 4:00pm 5:30pm 9:40pm
No Classes
C White Basketball @ Chaminade C Blue Basketball @ Chaminade B Basketball @ Chaminade JV Blue Hockey vs. Marquette @ Hardee’s Ice Plex
Wednesday, November 25
No Classes
Thursday, November 26
No Classes
Thanksgiving Break (until November 29) 7:00am Father’s Club Thanksgiving Day of Service
Friday, November 27 5:00pm 9:45pm
No Classes
Class Reunions (‘00, ’05, and ‘10) V Hockey vs. De Smet @ Affton Ice Rink
Saturday, November 28 Tim O’Neil’s Birthday
Sunday, November 29 6:45pm 8:00pm
JV White Hockey vs. Francis Howell @ Rec-Plex South JV Blue Hockey vs. Timberland @ Rec-Plex South
Monday, November 30
Regular Schedule
AP Senior Project Class Meeting Snack—Bosco Sticks Lunch Special—Fried Chicken Vegetarian—Black Bean Burger 6:45pm V Basketball vs. Maplewood- Richmond Heights @ Pattonville Tournament 7:40pm V Hockey vs. Lafayette @ Hardee’s Ice Plex
Tuesday, December 1
Regular Schedule
Advent Confessions (until December 4) 8:15am Advent Adoration AP All School Liturgical Choir Rehearsal Snack—Mini Tacos Lunch Special—Chinese Special Vegetarian—Penne Pasta 6:00pm V/JV/C Wrestling @ Hazelwood West 7:30pm C Blue Basketball vs. Webster Groves @ Webster Groves Tournament 9:15pm JV White Hockey vs. Kirkwood @ Kirkwood Ice Arena Regular Schedule Wednesday, December 2 8:15am Advent Adoration AP All School Liturgical Choir Rehearsal Poetry Out Loud Snack—Cinnamon Rolls Lunch Special—Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders Vegetarian—Turkey Burger C Basketball @ Timberland Tournament (until November 4) V Basketball @ Pattonville Tournament 3:30pm Ignatian Evening and Dinner 4:00pm B Basketball vs. McCluer North @ SLUH
Thursday, December 3 8:15am AP Lunch 4:30pm 6:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm
Regular Schedule Advent Adoration All School Liturgical Choir Rehearsal Snack—Onion Rings Special—Domino’s Pizza Vegetarian—Grilled Cheese B Basketball @ Kirkwood V/JV/C Wrestling vs. Windsor @ SLUH C Blue Basketball @ Webster Groves Tournament Band Concert
Friday, December 4
Special Schedule
8:15am Advent Adoration AP Snack—Chicken Rings Lunch Special—Philly Cheese Steak Vegetarian—Garden Burger V/JV Wrestling @ Parkway Tournament (until November 4) V Basketball @ Pattonville Tournament
Calendar | Liam Connolly
ful season. They have a lot of depth going into next year with a very strong freshman class, including Joe Feder, who qualified in two events for finals at State. Barclay Dale and Matthias Hostetler lead a sim-
ilarly strong sophomore class. The incoming freshman class also has a few strong swimmers, and the Bills are hoping to maximize their talent to its full potential.
Science Club Speaker Science Club will host speaker Marcia Owens (RN, BSN, CCM). She will speak on the topic of health care professionals with an emphasis on the Care vs Cure model of health care in room 215C today.