Volume LXXX, Issue III
sluh.org/prepnews
St. Louis University High School | Friday, September 4, 2015 photo | Nolen Doorack
Flanagans return after memorial service for Tom, ’95 BY Leo K. Heinz EDITOR IN CHIEF
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Barbara Osburg’s freshman English class using their iPads last week. They used the English 101 website for a grammar exercise.
Complaints voiced about internet speed BY Connor FitzGerald NEWS EDITOR
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t. Louis U. High’s wireless internet speed (or lack thereof) has been a topic of discussion among faculty members and students alike this year. Almost everyone in school has noticed the internet’s slow speed. Freshmen on iPads, seniors on smart-
phones, and faculty members on laptops all have struggled to get their daily dosage of bandwidth while the IT department has struggled to solve the problem. “(The internet) has been noticeably slower this year,” said physical education teacher Patrick Zarrick, whose office is in the Danis Field House. “I will say that (the speed) has definitely got-
ten better since the first day of school though.” Despite many claiming the slow internet is a result of the new number of iPads on the server, Director of Information Technology Jonathan Dickmann believes iPads are not the only cause. In anticipation for the implementation of iPads for all underclassmen, the IT department added 35 wireless access
points, which is about a 150 percent increase from last year, and added 150 Mbps of bandwidth, for a total of 350 Mbps, a 75 percent increase from last year’s 200. Dickmann does not believe that either the bandwidth or number of access points are the problem, though, because the school is not using all of its bandwidth.
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Security guard Walsh once carried the Olypmic Torch photo | courtesy of Kim Walsh
John Walsh jogs with the torch. He traversed over a quarter of a mile with the torch in BY Sam Heagney and Ethan McIntyre FEATURES EDITORS
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ost of the St. Louis U. High community recognizes John Walsh in his cargo pants, steel-toed boots, and SLUH staff shirt, but on June 17, 2004, bystanders would’ve recognized Walsh by his official Olympic t-shirt, U.S.A. beret, and the Olympic torch he carried while representing all of America in the 2004 Athens Olympic torch relay.
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.
Out of a pool of 60,000 nominees in the United States, Walsh was chosen to represent St. Louis as a part of the torch relay, which circumnavigated the globe, stopping in every previous host city of the summer Olympics. He was chosen after his wife, Assistant to the Principal Kim Walsh, submitted an essay to the Olympic Committee entering him into the contest. The essay spoke briefly of an accident that severely burned Walsh, his
News
Drones’ art SLUMA hosts art exhibit composed of handpicked paintings from Timothy Drone, ’66, and his wife Jeanne. Page 8. News
Anything but normal Jimmy Sansone, ’06, has started the Normal clothing brand, which has used social media to fuel its growth. Page 5.
decade-long recovery, and how Walsh took the experience and used it as a catalyst for giving back to other burn victims and the local community. The relay, a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the modern Olympics, passed through four cities: Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, and St. Louis, the location of the first modern Olympic games not in Europe in 1904. Walsh stepped off of a bus on Natural Bridge by Fairgrounds Park on that Thursday as the torch was arriving from Los Angeles the previous day. This was no ordinary bus, though. Accompanying Walsh were ten Olympic athletes, including Billy Mills, his childhood hero, African American track star Jackie Joyner, speed skater Bonnie Blair, and a few others from around the U.S. who had won been chosen from the pool of nominations. “When I got to the thing, and still it really doesn’t dawn on you because it’s such a big thing, I’m like, ‘Wow! This is unbelievable,’” said Walsh. Walsh ran the torch for just 400 meters (a quarter mile). He joined 125 other representatives in carrying the torch from the Arch to Art Hill, finding its way around historic St. Louis neighbor-
fter attending a memorial service in Colorado for his son Tom, math teacher and cross country coach Tom Flanagan returned to St. Louis U. High this past week along with his son Jeff, who works as a clerk at SLUH. Tom Flanagan, ’95, was killed in a biking accident on Friday, Aug. 21 near his home in Golden, Colo. Six of Flanagan’s friends spoke at the memorial service, which took place outdoors on the banks of Clear Creek. Flanagan worked for the National Park Service as an environmental planner for nine years, his father said. “(It was an) absolutely beautiful day. The friends of Tom who spoke were very eloquent in their remembrances of him and tried to throw in the funny thing. Remembering that he’s going to remain in people’s hearts which means that he is never really going to go away,” said Spanish teacher Charles Merriott, who has known Flanagan Sr. for 38 years and his son since he was young. Merriott and Assistant Principal for Mission Jim Linhares—another friend of both Flanagans—attended the memorial service last Sunday.
photo | GoFundMe.Com
Tom Flanagan, ’95, and his son Owen.
Tom Jr.’s friends—colleagues, family members, and an aunt who spoke for his son Owen—remembered a man who had a deep passion for the outdoors at the service and in interviews this week. “After he graduated from SLUH and then college, we were still in touch through continued on page 5 Tom (Sr.) and sometimes on
News
our own. And he had this passion for the outdoors and for geology and for place and space. And I was really interested in those things,” Linhares said. “So we had a couple of really cool conversations about the outdoors and he read certain landscape philosophers and thinkers about land and resources and gave me some of those readings. I brought some of that material to my Humanities course that I was teaching.” “One of our last conversations was a conversation like that—we were both enthusiastically talking about what was profound and moving about land and resources and the outdoors. He is a guy of fierce live-it-to-the-full passions,” said Linhares. After moving out to Colorado in 1999, Tom married and had a son, Owen, who is now seven and a half. “He (Tom Jr.) loved the outdoors. There’s very few places better to be outdoors than Colorado,” said Flanagan of his son. Flanagan noted that his grandson had picked up Tom Jr.’s love of the outdoors. “Owen took me on a bike ride not this past summer but the summer before and we ended up going about five miles and he’s taking me
Sports
Campus Ministry switches site Campus Ministry has begun using a new website for students to register for service and retreats. Page 2. Opinion
Kornfeld harvests 200th win Head football coach Gary Kornfeld notched his 200th win as SLUH’s football coach last Friday, when the team beat Parkway 48-13. Page 6.
Letters to the Editor Silence and structure of the Examen considered while STUCO introduces use of fair trade clothing. Page 3.
Sports
Swim takes first meet of the year In the first meet of the season, SLUH beats CBC, posts six state qualifying times. Page 6.
along and I’m like, ‘do you know where we’re going?’ and he’s like ‘oh yeah, me and dad do this all the time,’” Flanagan said. “We rode for quite some time and he didn’t get lost. When you grow up doing those things, you’re pretty good,” he said. Flanagan said that he has
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INDEX News (2) Clubs and Letters (3) Crossword and Credits (4) Feature (5) Sports (6-7) Around the Hallways (8)
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Prep News NEWS Li goes from exchange to full-time student BY Cade Dernlan and Jack Casey STAFF, REPORTER
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oreign exchange student Lancer Li has opted to continue his education at Saint Louis U. High, kickstarting an extended exchange program that SLUH hopes to continue to cultivate in the coming years. Recently retired ChingLing Tai started the program 22 years ago, when only two students made the overseas trip to St. Louis. However, since then, that number has grown to as many as six participants at one time. Historically, the students who have travelled from China have excelled academically at SLUH. Those who were selected for the program had received scholarships from Nanjing Foreign Language School, an academically rigorous institution. Tai has been instrumental in making this program possible. However, Tai no longer feels that a scholarship-based exchange program is the best way to integrate exchange students into the SLUH community. “The administrators and I decided to make changes from a scholarship-based exchange program to a tuition-
required student program,” said Tai. Last year’s spring semester served as a test for the students on the scholarshipbased program which covered tuition for the semester. The new method provides the students the opportunity to pay tuition, allowing them to attend and ultimately graduate from SLUH. Li was one of the students who chose this path. “(Lancer Li) performed very well in the classroom and out of it as he was the first exchange student to attend Kairos,” said Tai. “He took AP Calculus and AP Chemistry and was outstanding in both, so when he heard about our plan and wanted to come back there was no way we could say no.” Li appreciates his time at SLUH and is excited to be finishing out his high school career here. “I think it is a place with really great opportunities, diversity, and friendship,” said Li. “There are so many new things to try, new subjects to pick up, and greater freedom in conducting my learning and socializing.” Along with attending Kairos, Li went to the first Missouri Chembowl and got second place with the SLUH
team. In addition, he’s recently joined several clubs, including Math, Science, Model UN, and NHS. Li’s time in St. Louis has sparked many friendships, including his relationship with his host, senior Laith Armouti. “I consider Lancer more of a brother than anything,” said Armouti. “He is a kind human being, extremely intelligent, and he knows how to empathize with people.” These relationships are part of the reason Tai hopes to continue the exchange pro-
gram for many years to come. She is concerned the exchange has mostly been onesided, but plans to send SLUH students to the Nanjing FLS at the end of the third quarter and into spring break, for a total of 15 days. “The students will be immersed in Chinese culture by going on field trips and taking history and language classes and I want the SLUH community to know you don’t need a Chinese background to go on these trips,” said Tai. —Jimmy Bricker contributed to reporting photo courtesy of | Lancer Li
Sophomore Will Perryman and junior Lancer Li throw up the “U High” sign at a football game.
September 4, 2015
Kennedy, Denault travel to China BY Jerry Dugan REPORTER
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enior Kyle Kennedy and sophomore Conrad Deneault spent 15 days last summer visiting China as a part of an academic and sightseeing program. As the only two representatives from SLUH on the China Bridge Summer Trip, they traveled with a group of high school students and teachers from around the country and spent a week in Beijing and four days in both Shaoxing and Shanghai. They stayed in hotels rather than with a host family, and were given a lot of independence and free time, which allowed them to experience the culture on a much deeper level. Both Kennedy and Deneault felt the academic work was very manageable, thanks in large part to the instruction they have received in their Chinese classes at SLUH. After spending a week in Beijing focusing on classes, the focus shifted to sightseeing in Shaoxing and Shanghai. Among other attractions, the group visited The Great Wall of China and Tiananmen Square. It was during this more laid-back second week
of the trip that Kennedy and Deneault felt they were able to better immerse into the vibrant Chinese culture. “We had a lot of free time in the evening. We would usually walk to restaurants and stores near our hotel,” said Deneault. “It was nice to experience the bold flavors of Chinese cuisine. After dinner, we would walk around the city, and it was then that we really got to experience Chinese culture first hand.” Although it uncharacteristically rained almost every day and they lived in lessthan-luxurious conditions, both Kennedy and Deneault spoke very favorably of their experience. “I really enjoyed getting the chance to visit a country that not many Americans ever get to see,” said Kennedy. “I learned to like Chinese cuisine and ways of life. I really enjoyed the trip.” “We met a lot of nice people, especially when walking the streets in the evening,” said Deneault. “I was really fascinated with the Chinese way of life. It is definitely a rich culture, and I am thankful I had the opportunity to experience it.”
Campus Ministry updates service website Shalom House closes, Safe Haven BY Sam Chechik CORE STAFF
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fter realizing the current service website is lackluster, St. Louis U. High’s Campus Ministry has decided to switch to a new site, x2VOL. x2VOL manages all of the service hours for students, including freshman service, the Community Service Program, and Senior Project. It even allows students to sign up for retreats, something the old service website could not do. The new site provides a number of new features, including logging hours and tracking service for students over all four years at SLUH. x2VOL also tracks if the students have their parent permission forms in, a fact that delighted Campus Ministry, as they now don’t have to deal with “paper shuffling,” as Campus Minister Simonie Anzalone calls it. “It’s a structure that a school can kind of live in,” said Chair of Campus Ministry Nick Ehlman. Students can also sign up for a day of service or all semester, although right now only the fall service season is available for sign-ups. Another positive attribute of x2VOL is that it comes with a mobile application available on Apple and Android devices. On the app,
students can add hours and access their activity log, making service all the more easier for students. Although x2VOL doesn’t bring Campus Ministers and students together to discuss service interests and goals, there is much less emailing back and forth about availability, dates, and last-minute cancellations. All of the communication can go through x2VOL. The site manages the students signing up for one site, so if a student is the sixth to sign up when the max is five, they are rejected and have to find another site. “It’s quicker communication with the students,” said Ehlman. “The student doesn’t have to stop by or wait for an email. So it should be more efficient on that front.” In order to sign up for service sites, every student had to register for x2VOL. Ehlman sent out multiple all-school emails to assist students in this registration. With most of the students registered, the service program could really kick off. Of course, x2VOL isn’t perfect. For example, Senior Project initially posed complications, as trying to log those hours over one whole month the normal way just leads to problems with the service database. Also, the proposal form requires signatures, which has to be done on
paper, and the seniors’ evaluations have to be entered individually instead of all at once. “I wouldn’t even call it a problem; it’s just changing the way we currently run it,” said Anzalone. “We’re kind of fitting our vision into a little bit of a box.” Although this contract for x2VOL only lasts one year, Campus Ministry will reevaluate this website next year and in coming years to see if this is the system they want to use for service at SLUH. “I am very hopeful,” said Ehlman. “There are some limitations (with x2VOL), but like with anything new, you have to put in some work up front, and hopefully the long term benefit is that it’s more efficient, it’s better for the students, keeping track of everything, and all those pluses outweigh the upfront work that we have put in. I think that’s definitely going to be the case.” Ehlman, along with the rest of Campus Ministry, reevaluated the old website, and after seeing multiple options, either too expensive or too big of a job, decided its replacement. “Initially, we weren’t even taking the contact (from x2VOL) seriously until we started investigating a little bit more, and it was financially very feasible for the school,” said Anzalone. Screenshot | Naviance.com
site begins for Freshman Service BY John Burke and Charlie McGroarty REPORTERS
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his past summer, Shalom House, one of the freshman service sites, closed after 47 years of continuous service. In the wake of its closing, the St. Louis U. High Campus Ministry team needed to find another option for the freshman service program. Eventually, a new site was chosen, the Peter and Paul Community Center’s Safe Haven. Offered through Peter and Paul Community Center, the Safe Haven program is “designed to reach those who are chronically homeless, and provide them with permanent supportive housing,” according to its website.
According to Campus Minister Meg Beugg, it’s a program for 25 mildly disabled homeless men and women with developmental or physical issues. Twentyfive apartments house these people as an extension of the Peter and Paul Headquarters. Safe Haven is a nonprofit human services agency that opened last October; it is located on S. Jefferson Ave. and Wyoming St., a short drive from SLUH. It was built in an old school after being remodeled thanks to donations. This past Wednesday, Sept. 2, SLUH freshmen Noah Aubuchon, Will Baer, Dylan Bak, Cole Banker, and Frank Barbieri were the first to interact with the men and women
of Safe Haven through their Freshman Service Program. Freshman service will continue to visit Safe Haven every Wednesday and Thursday. This is the fifth year of the freshman service program, but the first year without Shalom House. As they did at Shalom House, the freshmen going to Safe Haven will continue to cook a dinner for the residents, bring it over, and eat with them. As in previous years, the food gathered in next week’s food drive will provide the food for the Freshman Service projects throughout the year.
IBL networks with alumni, looks forward to competitions and trips BY Andrew REPORTER
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ince the founding of the Ignatian Business Leaders (IBL) club, many students have explored the realm of running a small business. This year, the club hopes to give the guys currently involved the opportunity of starting a business, an idea the original founders had. “You learn a little when you run a business, but you learn a ton when you start one,” said club moderator and social studies teacher Kevin Foy. The club itself is a legal business that is registered in Missouri and in the past members have focused on just a couple of items involved with running a business in and around school. This past
year, however, the decision was made to become a sort of overseer of all the different competitions in which the guys from the club are involved. One of the longer of the activities planned is an eight month incubator. The club will be having a competition where students learn the ins and outs of starting their very own business, all the way from coming up with an idea to executing it. The winner will be given funding by alumni so they may start their own business. The idea is that by having multiple groups and simulating the free market atmosphere, students will get a feeling for what it’s like to go through the process of starting their own business while
still being able to get help along the way from alumni and Foy. There are many other competitions, both weekend and weekday, and events planned for the year include another trip to Wall Street and one to Silicon Valley. The club’s first competition is coming up soon, scheduled for Oct. 5. The club is also pushing to open its doors to all students no matter what field they are looking into for college. Junior Peter Hempstead said, “The club is open to just about anyone going into just about anything because pretty much everything involves business in some way shape or form.”
September 4, 2015
OPINION
Letter
Guidance and structure part of Examen To the editors: For the past week or so, I have received emails and comments expressing concern that the Examen period has felt a bit cluttered and should return to two minutes of silence. Jimmy Reddy’s letter to the Prep News last week voiced similar concerns. I— as well as the other Campus Ministers—are delighted that students are discussing the Examen, prayer and the need for silence. To keep the conversation going, I’d like to say a few things about silence, the Examen, and Ignatian Spirituality. Silence is indeed something to be welcomed and savored in the midst of a busy day. I myself begin most classes with a minute of silence as a way to re-focus, settle, and place one’s self in God’s presence prior to jumping in to class. Indeed, the Examen, during most of the year, is conducted in silence. All of this being said, I do think it is helpful to remember what the Examen’s structure and purpose are within the context of Ignatian Spirituality. St. Ignatius intended for each Jesuit to take time each day, multiple times each day (usually about 10 minutes at a time), to practice the Examen on his own. For each Jesuit (and for us) the purpose of the Examen is to review one’s day in God’s presence and discern the ways in which one is being attentive (or otherwise) to God’s graces and to strive for greater fidelity where one is
struggling to do so. Ultimately, it is a practical way of seeing how we can find God in all things. It is not simply about having a moment for quiet, or to calm one’s nerves—though both hopefully occur!—but rather an intentional break in the midst of the day to walk back through the comings and goings of one’s day with God. We begin the year by providing guidance for the Examen because we hope that each person will learn about this aspect of Ignatian Spirituality and form the habit and disposition of prayerful recollection. We welcome freshmen into this tradition and for the rest of us, remind ourselves of how to enter again, in an intentional and prayerful way, into the hustle and bustle of school life. For those who are interested in learning more about the Examen, its roots in Ignatian Spirituality and alternative forms of it, please see Fr. Mark Thibodeaux, SJ’s new book, Reimagining the Examen (parts of which are available online at ignatianspirituality.com). And for those who crave silence (as I do), please check out the Senior Manresa Retreat (formerly known as Pallottine Retreat) which includes several periods of silence for prayer and reflection in the Ignatian tradition. This retreat will be offered in November and January. Dan Finucane Campus Ministry Theology
Letter
STUCO pledges to purchase fair trade goods To the editors: Dear Jr. Bills, From now on, Student Council will be using Alta Gracia, a fair trade clothier in the Dominican Republic, for merchandise whenever possible. Alta Gracia, as many of you know, is, as of this year, also the maker of our SLUH gym shirts. When it is not possible to purchase from Alta Gracia, we will be using Bayside, a union-backed clothier out of the US. This does mean that the price of shirts will go up, but it is important to remember why we as a school are investing in companies that pay living wage. After Ms. Beugg came and spoke to Student Council, we all agreed that this was a movement that we are absolutely behind. While the price will increase, if we call ourselves a Jesuit com-
munity, men and women for and with others, then this is an easy choice. By incentivizing those companies that pay a living wage, we are taking a stand against sweatshops and the abuse of human dignity. We are also showing to everyone around us that we care about more than simply whether our t-shirts for Fall Fest are $5 or $10. And if we as your elected peers cannot commit to this movement, then we have failed. We encourage you to think not as much of the price of the shirt, but what that price means. You’re paying more, but because you’ve paid more, someone’s family will be able to sustain themselves. It’s a small sacrifice on our part for a huge increase in quality of life for those workers at Alta Gracia. AMDG, Your friendly STUCO
Prep News 3 NEWS Clubs and Organizations Decade of Gadfly: members prepare for year
photo | Nolen Doorack
BY Nick Messina CORE STAFF
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adfly is now in its tenth year as a club, and with new members, sketches, and articles, the group is looking to make this year one of the best in its tenure at SLUH. “It’s our goal that this season (of Gadfly TV) will be the best SLUH has ever seen,” said senior Andrew Murphy. “We’re hoping to get some more elongated or recurring sketches on the show—I’m expecting it to be a smash hit.” The Gadfly crew is hoping to release 10 shows and an ambitious three magazine issues per semester—an increase in production compared to last year’s 6 shows. In addition to all-new content, Gadfly is also simultaneously focusing on both the TV shows and the magazine, with some of its core staff working on both. “I’m especially excited for the two-pronged attack with both magazine and TV receiving considerable attention from core staff members,” said senior Kevin Strader. “I’m heavily anticipating this next
Seniors Kevin Strader, Ryan Hopkins, Mario Thomallari and junior Liam Connolly work in the Gadlab. Hopkins has already put over 20 hours of work into his upcoming piece.
year in Gadfly due to a lot of fresh faces and already seemingly successful meetings.” “It’s a huge honor (for me) to be a part of this club as it is going into its tenth year, “said senior Ryan Hopkins. “What we are really planning on doing this year is getting a good group of underclassmen who are really excited and willing to be a part of Gadfly, so that we can pass the torch on to them after we graduate.”
“Gadfly’s main goal for this year would probably be to get the (underclassmen) ready and to make sketches and work effectively and efficiently since so many of us are seniors now,” said senior Laith Armouti. The magazine is expected to release by Oct. 1, and Season 7, Episode 1 of the TV show is expected to release by Oct. 4.
New moderator brings Youth in Government fresh ideas to Pax Christi looks forward to BY Billy STAFF
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Balossi
ax Christi kicked off its activities this Tuesday at the activities fair. The members of Pax Christi strive to provide an environment in which they can discuss current issues of justice and morality in both the local SLUH community and the world at large. “(Our purpose) is basically looking at how we as Catholic Christians embody Christ’s example of being a peacemaker,” said club moderator and theology teacher Dan Finucane. The club, made up of 40 members, meets weekly to discuss issues such as fair trade, capital punishment, and environmental sustainability. Finucane takes over responsibility from long-serving moderator and theology teacher Rob Garavaglia. Finucane hopes to increase cooperation between Pax Christi and other clubs that debate
moral problems in the community. “I think one of our goals is to build partnerships with other student groups who are moving for justice,” said Finucane. “Life issues run across the board with both Pax Christi and Students for Life—we’re really talking about the same principles at the heart of that which is human dignity.” Over the course of the year, Pax Christi participates in two major events: the Ignatian Family Teach-In, which takes place in Washington D.C. in November; and the Arrupe Justice Summit, which takes place in San Francisco, Calif. in February. The club hopes to send members to these events and broaden their understanding of Ignatian social justice. “We want to educate ourselves and hopefully educate the SLUH community about specific justice issues,” said Finucane. photo | Leo Heinz
second year BY Aidan REPORTER
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Moore
outh in Government has high ambitions for their convention this year. The first year for the club was last year. They passed two bills and got two outstanding statesmen awards, given to only ten people in the state. “We made a very big splash our first year,” said comoderator Craig Hannick. This year YIG hopes to surpass the high standard set by the original SLUH delegation of Youth in Government. YIG is coming out strong this year, with four returning delegates: Truman Stephens, Jack Bersett, Tim Nile, and Cameron Spence. Last year there were nine delegates, but five graduated. The club meets on Wednesday mornings at 7:20 in M122, co-club moderator, Bob O’Connell’s room. The general goal of the club is that “All the members co-sponsor a bill with somebody else, and they debate their bill, trying to get it passed, then they have to get a senator to support the bill, then the governor signs the bill” said Hannick. “In the meetings we talk about other people’s bills, molding them into really good bills that everyone can
agree with,” said Stephens. “I’m writing a bill where individuals can apply for tax benefits in exchange for donating money to programs who will offer full tuition scholarships to kids who are in failing school districts.” Youth in Government is through the YMCA and attracts more than 600 kids from across the state. The club’s history tracks back 68 years but last year was the first year SLUH took part. Hannick stated, “It is a mock government club, so we actually simulate the workings of the Missouri legislature, judicial branch, executive branch, and there is a media component as well, but at this point we’ve only done the Legislative part.” SLUH will be going to the Lewis convention in November; the earlier of the two conventions offered. “We are going to have most of our kids in the house” said one of the leaders, Truman Stephens. Since Youth in Government at SLUH is still fairly new, few people are running for leadership positions but “Cameron Spence may be considering running for an office such as governor, or speaker of the house,” said Hannick.
PN 80 Editors Leo Heinz Nolen Doorack
Quote of the Week
Connor FitzGerald Tim Nile
“Silence is argument carried out by other means.” –Che Guervara
Another thing the Gadfly staff members have been doing this year is recruiting underclassmen to get involved in Gadfly. Since the current Gadfly is mainly run by upperclassmen, it often experiences a lull come Senior Project. However, one of Gadfly’s objectives for the ’15-’16 school year is to prevent the down-time in January and pass the leadership positions onto younger students.
Keith Thomas Sam Heagney Moderator Dan Finucane listens to sophomore James Pollard on Tuesday. The group discussed the vow of nonviolence.
Ethan McIntyre
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NEWS
Prep News
STUCO raises $1,528 for Flanagan fund (continued from page 1)
thought about ways to talk about his son’s passing with his young grandson. “That’s one of the heartbreaks about it. He’s going to really miss his dad,” he said. “With a seven year old, you’re not sure what it is that they understand and don’t understand. The plan with Owen was to just let him lead us in what he needed. So nobody was sitting down and talking with him and laying out some sort of a bleak future. (We are) just kind of be(ing) with him, trying to not overblow the thing.” Owen has asked about his father and the implications of his passing. “He knows his dad’s not going to be there for guy’s night,” Flanagan said. Flanagan said that his son and grandson would spend Tuesday’s bicycling or skiing—whichever was appropriate for the season—and then go out to dinner together. While at SLUH in the early ’90s, Flanagan ran cross country his freshman and sophomore years, then played baseball. He was StuCo’s Publicity Commissioner his senior year. “(He was a) standout cross country runner,” said Linhares, who coached the team at the time. “One thing I remember about him was that he was always a happy person. Always smiling. Very pleasant. I knew that I could always joke around with him. (He was) one of the best students I’ve had around here. He always just wanted to be one of the guys,” said Merriott, who also taught Tom. “A good all around young man. I know he was like that with his family.” “(He) certainly enjoyed life. Reading some of the comments on the GoFundMe page, those com-
ments captured the spirit of the kid (that) I knew 25 years ago,” said math teacher Craig Hannick who was Tom’s baseball coach his sophomore year. Since his son’s death, Flanagan has been trying to sort things out with the generous help of his friends and family. The Monday after the incident, he returned to school and came every day until Thursday, when he headed out to Colorado. “For me, having a job to do keeps me focused on something, other than just going through the whole process of the immediacy of the loss,” he said. “There’s no instruction manual. You do what it is that makes sense.” Two of Tom’s closest friends in Colorado—Jeff and Kelly Chopin—created a GoFundMe page for his wife and son. As of Thursday night, 971 people have donated $81,130 to the fund, including a $1,528 donation that StuCo raised last Friday. Other people and groups from SLUH have donated. Flanagan senior said that the fund has helped to ease the family’s financial worries. “We’re been really thankful for all the support. It’s overwhelming,” Flanagan said. Family and friends hope to remember Tom while moving on and developing new routines in their life. “I think a lot of times being there for the family—their knowing that you’re there in case they need you—that means a lot,” Merriott said. Linhares said, “There have been some really nice moments with Tom and Dan (Tom Jr.’s brother) and Ruth (his mother) about who Tom was, about how we need to honor his memory, about how we’ll be different for having known him.”
IT department works to diagnose Wi-Fi issue (continued from page 1)
“We are trying to determine whether or not part of the issue is from changes we made to the network or the amount of devices on the network or what they’re trying to do with the devices,” said Dickmann. “Wireless networks are not always easy to (find) a clear answer as to what is causing problems with wireless networks; it could be a number of different things. More devices probably plays a part, but we’re not sure.” While Dickmann did not pinpoint a specific problem source, he commented that the area surrounding Campus Ministry and the Social Studies offices seemed to have had the most issues of any area. He did pinpoint a specific time of day, though: activity period. Among the download and upload speed issues, the speed of connecting to the network wirelessly has been slower this year than in years past. There have also been issues with wireless devices
connecting to far away access points, which slows down their surfing speed. “You always want to be connected to the closest access point because the farther away you are, the slower your connection is,” said Dickmann. “And one slow client can slow down an entire room of people.” Though SLUH’s wireless network is experiencing speed issues, users of desktop computers on campus, such as those in the library and computer lab, that are using a wired (Ethernet) internet have had no problems with spotty connection or speed. Student complaining has fallen quite a bit since the first few days of school, yet walking through the Commons during activity period, complaints can still be heard. As the year goes on and more work is done on the network, Dickmann hopes the speed will continue to increase.
September 4, 2015
Schmelter to Dominican Republic for service trip BY Sam Chechik CORE STAFF
photo | Ben Banet
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hristianity is not a religion; it’s a relationship.” That’s what Director of Admissions Anja Schmelter, her family, some St. Louis U. High graduates, and a few others learned as they traveled to Arenoso, a small town in the Dominican Republic, for a week-long service trip. The Schmelters—including David, ’14, freshman Nico, and senior at Cor Jesu Kristina—along with six others spent June 1 to June 8 in Arenoso. Alfredo Guzman, S.J., leads Campamento Mision, an organization that takes Puerto Rican teens on mission trips three times a year, to Paraguay, Argentina, and the Dominican Republic. After negotiating with Anja Schmelter about this summer trip, Guzman made an exception to take this group to Arenoso for a week. The idea for the trip originated from Kristina Schmelter’s LASTing (Living As Sacraments Today) Project for Cor Jesu, which required 40 hours of service over the summer between her junior and senior years. After talking with her mother, doing some research, and contacting her cousins in Puerto Rico, who had accompanied Guzman on two trips, she decided to go to Arenoso. “I served a lot in Saint Louis, and I wanted to do more—above and beyond that,” said Kristina Schmelter. “And this was a great opportunity to do that.” Arenoso’s rural location is ten miles to the nearest town, Cervicos, and Santo Domingo is over 50 miles south. The town consisted of around 150 families spread out from the town center and
Pn Puzzle
Schmelter, her daughter, and her friend all taught at the local grade school in Arenoso.
plaza to the rural parts of the country. The houses were merely one-room homes and had no running water or electricity. “Just seeing these kids and families in extreme poverty yet always so happy and with a smile on their face took me aback. It was so eye-opening,” said Kristina Schmelter. During the trip, each person kept a journal and didn’t have their electronic device. Instead, they played cards, laid in hammocks, and talked to each other. During the evenings, the group would watch the stars and reflect on the situations of each of the people they met in the day, like those with no shoes or those with one pair of clothes. The main project of the trip involved building a small concrete house on top of a hill near the center of the city, which involved lugging sand, dirt, and eventually concrete blocks up the hill to complete the project. The house went to the family who need it most. “This trip made me realize how bringing so little to a community that has nothing
can make them really happy,” said freshman Nico Schmelter. One of the most impactful activities they participated in were the community visits, where Guzman dropped off the whole group around five miles away and left them with a young tour guide to bring them home. Along the way, they stopped at different families’ houses to get to know them. Although their primary action was inviting the families to the Masses that were going to happen later in the week, the group really got a perspective of who the people were and what their needs were. The group also helped to renovate the shelter where they stayed, and where Guzman stays with the teens he brings, by improving the walkways and the roof. In the afternoons on most days, the group competed in relay races, played soccer and baseball and other games with the kids there, who always wanted to play more after they were finished. The kids even taught the group
crossword | Cade Dernlan and Jack Casey
their own games and songs. On Sundays, the neighboring towns competed in baseball games as well. “My favorite part was just hanging out with the kids in the village because they were always so happy and were constantly smiling,” said Ben Banet, ’14. “There were so happy with just so little, so I think that would be a good lesson for all of us.” Out of sheer coincidence, the group met the principal from the grade school, and Anja Schmelter, Kristina Schmelter, and Quinn were all invited to teach an after school English class. The group donated over 100 pounds of clothes to Arenoso after one of the Masses, and they left with the clothes on their backs and few other articles. Sold for few pennies or less, the articles of clothing were distributed throughout the town. “The reason I’d like to go again, to this particular town, is because we now know some of the easy needs we can fulfill,” said Anja Schmelter.
FEATURE Walsh’s history as an Olympic torchman
September 4, 2015
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hoods. He received the torch from Olympic speed skating champion Bonnie Blair, one of the most decorated women in Olympic history. “It was still so overwhelming until it really dawned on me when I saw Bonnie Blair running up Grand Avenue,” said Walsh. “When I saw Bonnie Blair, and I knew who Bonnie Blair was, the winningest woman in
of a sudden a dozen Interpol (agents) pull up to guard the flame. They give you plenty of space so the fans can see everything for your transfer and while you’re running, and you see this parade of STL police officers. Nothing was going to happen to this torch,” said Walsh. The torch traveled 86,000 kilometers, beginning in Olympiad, Greece and ending photo | courtesy of Kim Walsh
John Walsh received instruction from Interpol agent.
United States Olympic history, I’m like ‘Oh my God. This is serious,’” said Walsh. Walsh stood on Natural Bridge, just outside of Beaumont High School, watching the Olympic torch that had travelled halfway around the world come closer to his grasp. “Then I start to realize in a couple minutes I’m gonna be the only person in the entire world who’s entrusted to carry this Olympic flame, and it’s gonna make its way around the world. No one can buy this. There’s no souvenirs,” said Walsh. Though Walsh was the sole bearer of the Olympic torch, he wasn’t totally alone. His wife Kim and some of his friends ran with him, but they were far outnumbered by the envoy of Interpol motorcycles and St. Louis Police Department patrol cars. “I’m sitting there when all
up in Athens. It was carried around the world by thousands of heroes, both Olympic heroes and everyday heroes like Walsh. “It’s not athletics, because other people are not athletes, you run a quarter mile and if you can’t run you walk. It’s got nothing to do with athletics, it’s about humanity. And the spirit of the Olympics is about peace, and the whole world comes together for two weeks and they’re supposed to compete, and it’s a wonderful thing,” said Walsh. Walsh and the other torchbearers received the same beret that the US Olympians wore during the opening ceremonies that summer. “Watching the Olympics when the Unites States Olympic Team came on the track with the exact same hat that I had that was an awesome experience,” said Walsh as a big grin broke across his face.
His wife, Assistant to the President Kim Walsh, nominated him after noticing a full page ad on the back of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. She wrote a short letter to the Olympic Committee explaining why he should represent the country on the world’s biggest stage. Her letter’s reasoning included his presence in the community and his resilience to continue on after 15 reconstructive surgeries spanning over a decade. “I nominated him for being a good husband, and a burn victim survivor after 15 operations—skin grafts and the works,” said Kim Walsh. A lot of Walsh’s service took place at St. John’s Mercy Burn Center, where he had received his treatments. He volunteered, usually at night after it was closed to the public, to talk to other burn victims to help them through the tough procedures. “I didn’t get any different treatment than a WWII or Vietnam veteran. It is not a contest, but I can’t think of anything worse than having a burn—the dressing changes,” said Walsh. “It is so much trauma and they are bombarded with so many things.” Even in light of all of these experiences, Walsh found a way to stay humble and look toward a higher power. “I did my job, I did what was expected of me, but for some reason God smiled upon me,” said Walsh. The trauma of all of these experiences started to build up for Walsh. Working closely with people who were experiencing the same pain and challenges that he had been through was difficult. “It was so traumatic. I said, ‘OK, I did the best I could possibly do but this is too hard on me personally. I’m paying too much of a toll. I accomplished my objective. I overcame every single fear, and I served I know that even from the beginning I’m
supposed to use my experience for the benefit of others, but at the time I had done the best that I possibly could,” said Walsh. So, Walsh drew back from his visits to the hospi-
“It’s got nothing to do with athletics, it’s about humanity.” -John Walsh tal, though he continued to the visit the Chapel. Eventually, though Walsh was drawn back to his work, but to prevent a similar experience he worked with people outside of the hospital, since adapting back to the old world is such a challenge for burn victims since many of them were put into medical induced comas and no longer remember their accidents or the subsequent treatments. While Walsh was working at the center, an anonymous donation came in to the nurses’ office to start a program to help the children. After a nurse wrote about it in the newsletter, another donation, this time twice as big came in. Walsh, inspired by the anonymous donor’s generosity, went to his brother and together they put together a fundraiser to raise more money. Through those efforts, a small camp was put together so children with burn injuries could find shelter in an environment with others with similar experiences. That small camp gained sponsorships over time and blossomed into something much larger. “That tiny little seed of cash turned into something, now, that is really exceptional. I stayed for 2-3 years because it was at the beginning and other people have turned it into a real organization,” said Walsh. The letter also spoke at length about Walsh’s presence
Prep News within the community. “He played with the kids in the neighborhood, everybody knew him as Mr. John,” said Kim Walsh. “He bought the most girl scout cookies from any of the kids. I just wrote a letter about how he shines his torch every day, he’s never once felt sorry for himself, and volunteers at St. John’s Mercy Burn Center.” “Even when Kim was writing the letter, I was like ‘OK thank you,’ but I didn’t expect in my life to be chosen,” said Walsh. Walsh’s selflessness was on display as he prepared to take his turn carrying the torch. Two sisters, one of whom had donated an organ to the other, were also selected to carry the torch that day. Due to the strict schedule,
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In appreciation of Walsh’s change in lineup, the family found a way to make sure Walsh got to take home an authentic torch used in the procession. “I got off the bus and she handed me a torch,” Walsh said. “I expected nothing, but then it caught me totally by surprise that the Olympic Committee or the family somehow gave me this real one.” One of the most remarkable bits of Walsh’s story is that throughout his whole experience, from his highs like carrying the torch and the lows such as his excruciating operations, he always stayed humble. Walsh had to search through storage in order to find the uniform, torch, and photos of the day—he doesn’t photo | courtesy of Kim Walsh
John and Kim Walsh pose with the torch before his run.
however, they were split up, one right after Walsh and one directly before him. “You have to take your assigned spot no matter what. No exceptions,” said Walsh. The family of the girls asked Walsh if he would consider bending the rules so that the two sisters could hand the torch off to each other. “And I said ‘Well of course I will,’” said Walsh. “They are gonna be the only two sisters in the entire world that are gonna be able to do this—of course I’ll change spots.”
flaunt the experience, simply cherishes the memories. “A thing like this you have to keep in perspective that you can never think that it’s you, ‘that John Walsh did this’ because I could walk around this building and counting the faculty, alumni, campus ministry, all of your board of directors, everyone who supports this school, hundreds of people deserve this,” said Walsh pointing to the uniform from the relay. “You can never look at this as ‘oh look what I did’, that’s why I never tell anyone. I had to find this stuff.”
Sansone, ’06, launches Midwest clothing brand, finds success early on BY Nolen Doorack NEWS EDITOR
Photo | Nolen Doorack
photo | Dauphin Yearbook
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lum Jimmy Sansone’s recently launched clothing and lifestyle brand, The Normal Brand, has grown quickly after only six months of operation. The idea for The Normal Brand came from Sansone’s discontent with popular regional brands such as the East Coast-inspired Vineyard Vines, Southern Tide, and West Coast-based Johnnie-O. “They are all brands that are made to represent a different lifestyle that I didn’t relate to,” said Sansone, ’06. “I wanted something more personal, more normal to me.” Sansone started out making a few t-shirts, which he called ‘normal shirts.’ People’s warm reception and encouragement prompted Sansone to turn the idea into a compa-
Jimmy Sansone, ’06.
ny. In March, he put his story onto a website and sold his first run of hats embroidered with a bear logo inspired by Missouri’s flag. “We sold out immediately and kept selling out,” said Sansone. The Normal Brand’s largest marketing tool is social media. In about six months, The Normal Brand’s Insta-
gram account has acquired nearly 2,000 followers. St. Louis-native actors and professional athletes have posted pictures in their Normal Brand gear using the hashtag “#mynormalbrand.” “We are able to give a 360 degree view of the company from the story to the lifestyle to the product,” said Sansone of The Normal Brand’s social media presence. “It’s the best way we know how to tell our story.” Sansone has been working hard to expand The Normal Brand’s products. Since March, he has added t-shirts and polo shirts to the website, and just recently has received shipments of his first full line of clothing for this fall. The fall lineup will include polos, henleys, button downs, and even backpacks. Over the summer, San-
sone took The Normal Brand to the Chicago Collective, a large trade show that attracts hundreds of retailers. Despite the clothing market being notoriously competitive to break into, The Normal Brand stood out. “We were called the most impressive brand at the show and we got into retailers throughout the country during this first show, which is almost unheard of,” said Sansone. “Buyer after buyer couldn’t believe how we nailed the brand and the quality with our price point.” What’s next for the growing company? Sansone has begun a partnership with the St. Louis Blues to produce co-branded apparel. Normal Brand clothing featuring the Blues logo will be sold at the Scottrade Center this season.
photo | Nolen Doorack
A freshman at the first Direction Day sports Normal Brand.
SPoRTs Prep News
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September 4, 2015 Issue 3
Kornfeld earns historic 200th career Swimming capsizes win with victory over Lutheran North CBC at first meet photo | Patrick Enderle
photo | Brendan Voigt
Senior Dan Walsh talks with his teammates. BY Patrick REPORTER
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Head coach Gary Kornfeld salutes his players and SLUH football fans after his 200th career win. BY Chris REPORTER
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t the end of St. Louis U. High’s 48-13 win over Lutheran North Friday night, seniors Chris Stahl, Joe Mattingly, and Michael Niese gripped the orange handles of the Gatorade cooler, snuck behind head coach Gary Kornfeld, and flipped ice and water on him to celebrate his 200th win at SLUH, tying him for the most wins ever by a SLUH football coach. “It was a special night,” said Kornfeld. “A lot of things were going through my head. I’ve had so many wonderful players.” After Lutheran North scored first, with 9:45 in the first quarter, the SLUH defense did not allow another score until late in the fourth quarter. Between Lutheran North’s two scoring plays, a variety of SLUH offensive players found their niche.
Though junior Mitch Batschelett threw an interception on just his second attempt of the game, he redeemed himself by throwing for three touchdowns and completing 8 of 11 passes for 217 yards. Junior Tony Adams, the target of Batschelett’s final touchdown pass, ended the night with 107 receiving yards on just three receptions. Though the score was close at the end of the first quarter, the Jr. Bills blew the game open in the second quarter to go up 41-6. On the defensive side of the ball, captain Chris Stahl once again stood out, earning three tackles, two assisted tackles, and three sacks. Stahl is impressed with how the defense has shaped up so far. “I believe we have had such success because we not only have all this skill and talent, but we have been working hard and working together.
We have guys flying to the ball to make the play. I’ve got to give Coach Schnetty a shoutout for hammering it into my brain, ‘good things happen when you go to the football’,” said Stahl. The player of the game, however, was junior running back Andrew Clair. Last week Clair totalled over 100 yards rushing and three touchdowns. On Friday, the offensive machine cranked out 203 yards on 15 carries for four touchdowns, averaging 13.5 yards per carry. Clair is currently ranked fifth in St. Louis for most touchdowns. “He’s a special player,” Kornfeld said of Clair. “We saw that in him last year. Everybody sees his speed but I don’t know if everybody sees how tough he is. We’ve got a lot of others, too. If you look at our offense, anybody who touches the ball could go the distance every time, whether that’s David Jackson, Daniel
Isom, Tony Adams—these guys can run.” But the night belonged to Kornfeld. After the game, the players took off their pads to put on a shirt that said “Coach Kornfeld 200 Wins” in order to recognize the achievement. With the help of students, a white banner stretched across the field that said “Congratulations Coach Kornfeld Win #200.” “The special thing was my son played for me on my 100th (win) and presented the ball to me on my 200th,” said Kornfeld. “To see the t-shirts and the banner—that was pretty neat. I thought about Coach T”—former assistant coach Mark Tychonievich, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2010. The Jr. Bills play their first away game against Vianney tonight at 7:00 p.m. The Griffins feature quarterback Tionne Harris, second in completions and passing
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s Barkley Dale touched the wall and glanced up at the board to check his time, he smiled. He had just qualified for State in the 100 backstroke, something he had been trying to do all year last year. The first thing he said was “Yes, I did it!” “Yes, I did it” was a common theme for the Jr. Billiken swim team this Wednesday during its first meet of the year against CBC. SLUH posted six State qualifying times by five different swimmers to start off the season. The meet started off with the 200 medley relay. The Jr. Billikens won the race with a time of 1:43.48, over two-anda-half seconds faster than the qualifying time. “I don’t think we were expecting that much as this is just the first meet,” senior captian Dan Walsh said. “We just kind of went out and swam and ended up doing really well.” In the next race, the 200 freestyle, freshman star Joe Feder missed the 1:51.49 State cut by just .37 seconds.
Despite the result, Feder remained hopeful. “The race felt pretty good, but started hurting towards the end,” Feder commented after. “I will probably swim that event at State, so it was good to only be three tenths off.” As the meet continued, two swimmers stood out in particular, as well as two different swimmers in the same race. The first key swimmer was senior Mark Franz. Franz, who swam in the State meet the last two years, came in to the meet against CBC hoping to get off to a good start for the season, and qualifying for State twice individually was not a bad way to do it. Franz first qualified in the 100 freestyle, beating the time by a quarter of a second. He followed that up four events later by qualifying in the 100 breaststroke, his specialty, and beating the State cut by nearly two seconds. “I had a great meet today,” Franz said after. “I think practices have helped me, but
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Nationally-ranked soccer team nets 3-0 win over Gibault BY Keith Thomas SPORTS EDITOR
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f one word could describe the St. Louis U. High soccer team thus far this year, it would be dominance. The team has outscored opponents 8-1 en route to a 3-0-0 record. On Wednesday, the Jr. Bills showed their dominance over the Gibault Hawks in a 3-0 win. The 45-minute drive to Columbia, Ill. was no distraction for the Jr. Bills. SLUH jumped out to an early lead thanks to a header from senior captain Matt Frein, who redirected the ball from senior Peter Simon’s throw in deep in Gibault’s defensive territory. The Jr. Bills followed with two quick goals from se-
nior Matt Jansen and Simon, who both lead the team with two goals apiece this year. Head coach Charlie Martel was happy with the result despite the scrappy nature of the goals. “It was tough for a while,” said Martel. “They weren’t great goals, but we put them in and we got the lead.” The Jr. Bills went into the second half leading 3-0 with most of the team seeing playing time, holding Gibault steady until the final whistle. Seniors Carl Lee, Danny Barry, and Michael Mulligan helped the team throughout the game, especially in the backfield. “We have a lot of depth, and that’s a coach’s dream,” said Martel. “I thought they moved the ball really well and
photo | Keith Thomas looked sharp.” “Even though the game wasn’t a big MCC game, it still mattered just as every single game has mattered,” said Simon. “It’s the easier games like those that we really need to take care of and not lay off on.” Ranked fourth in the nation according to a USA Today poll, the Jr. Bills head into a packed weekend of soccer— playing at Jefferson City today and against St. Xavier (Louisville) tomorrow. “It’s just a number right now,” said Martel of the team’s ranking. “We have a lot of work to do. We’re rolling a little bit and I’d like to keep that going. We’re mentally fit, we’re playing really well, and we play the ball fast. We’re a handful, and we’re ready.” The Jr. Bills warm up in preparation for the game against Gibault. SLUH won 3-0.
SPORTS
September 4, 2015
Prep News
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JV soccer bounces back with 6-0 win Ehret collects first win as coach, Brendan Voigt and game and they scored a very Knapp scored as well. Marquette Relays up next for swim Matt Godar lucky goal from just outside “We were just playing BY
REPORTERS
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he St. Louis U. High JV soccer team (1-0-1) battled Oakville to a 1-1 draw and defeated Gibault handily 6-0 in their first week of contests. The JV team tied Oakville 1-1 in their first game thanks to a penalty kick score from junior Donovan Ditto. Strong play from the defense and great saves by junior goalie Klaus Preusser kept them in the game. “We dominated the first half. Second half we broke down a little. It was our first
the box,” said junior captain Luke Sextro. The Oakville strike came 30 yards out of the box, after the scorer quickly turned and shot off a throw in, a floater into the upper corner. “It threw us off our game … we didn’t play our style, and that’s why we tied that game,” said junior Henry Byrne. However, the team managed to bounce back in a big way in the next game against Gibault, defeating them by six goals. Sophomore Jacob Grimaud and junior Matt Grady each scored two goals and juniors Jacob Kircher and Joe
better all around, getting the ball to the corners, and getting more shots off,” said Byrne. After scoring early in the game, the team was noticeably more confident than in the previous game. “Everyone just played up to the best of their ability, and it really showed,” said junior Nick Baumer. JV soccer looks to continue its success against Rockwood Summit next Wednesday Sept. 9, CBC on Thursday Sept. 10, and in the Hillsboro tournament the following week.
Football improves record to 2-0 (continued from page 6)
yards in the area. The undefeated Griffins (2-0) cover what they lack on defense with their powerful offense, having scored 95 points in their first two games, wins over Francis
Howell North and Jackson. Kornfeld has similar expectations for this game. “Offensively, this is going to be the best challenge we’ve had so far this year because
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especially (junior) Kyle Irvine has been a big help to me.” The other standout swimmer was Walsh. Walsh swam the 500 freestyle at the team’s Blue-White intrasquad meet last week, and missed the State cut by three seconds. Instead of fooling around for the rest of the season, Walsh easily qualified for State on Wednesday, dropping nearly six seconds and beating the qualifying time by more than three seconds. “(Dan) has been working really hard in practice,” head coach Lindsay Ehret commented after. “He has an
intensity going into the race, focus, drive and it came out as good, fast splits.” “I went out really hard,” Walsh said. “I could hear everyone cheering me on and I thought I was behind my pace, but overall I’m just really happy how it turned out.” The last exciting moment during the meet included two swimmers in the 100 backstroke: Dale and Feder. Dale and Feder both are very good at the event and had already raced each other once during the Blue-White Meet, both getting a state time. But that meet did not count. Wednesday both of them
made it officially count. Dale outtouched Feder like the last race, but both were very happy with the cut. “I am really happy with where we are this early in the season,” Ehret said at the end of the meet. “It’s a good position to be in, and takes away the worry of making (state) at the end of the season.” This meet was Ehret’s first win as a head coach of the team. The Jr. Bills next meet is the Marquette Relays tomorrow at Marquette High School.
Drawing | Ian Mulvihill
they have some very good athletes on the offensive side of the ball,” Kornfeld said. “We’ll hopefully see if our defense is up to the challenge.”
O’Fallon Futures Invitational Top 5 Runners (Fresh. & Soph.) Patrick Hetlage
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Paul Burka
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Declan Tajkowski 11:27
Gunnar Himich 11:27 Matt Gunn
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C football off to 1-2 start BY Jameson REPORTER
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truggling to do simple things better, the St. Louis U. High C football team has a 1-2 record. The team opened up last Monday at home against Hillsboro High School. After Hillsboro got off to an early lead, the Jr. Bills powered back to score a touchdown in the final minutes of the second half. Both teams battled in the second half but after a devastating safety the Jr. Bills lost their momentum, and the game 40-32. “I thought we played well as a team,” said freshman quarterback Nick Lang. “They just out-powered us in the end.” Despite the loss to Hills-
boro, the Jr. Bills had to keep moving forward as they traveled to Bayless High School the following day. On the first play of the game, the Jr. Bills returned the kickoff to Bayless’s 10-yard line, scoring soon after. The team went on to win 18-0. “We controlled both sides of the ball throughout the game,” said coach Tom Wilson after the game. “But we had to fight hard for a victory.” On Tuesday, the Jr. Bills played Fox High School at home. Fox dominated the the whole game, never allowing the Jr. Bill offense to get any traction which resulted in an 18-0 loss for the team. “I need to improve my relationship with my wide
receivers,” Lang said about Tuesday’s game. “We had a few good things going, but it just wasn’t working.” Despite losing both games at home, the Jr. Bills are improving and getting better every day by conditioning and paying closer attention to the small details. “We need to man up and figure out what we are doing,” Lang said, “We aren’t executing the little things correctly.” Although it is early in the season, the Jr. Bills still have much room to improve. “I’m disappointed that we lost both home games,” said Lang. “Our team needs to do better as a whole.” The Jr. Bills play next on Tuesday, Sept. 8 at home against Vianney.
C soccer handles Priory, shut out against MCC rival Vianney BY Gabe Lepak REPORTER
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fter a 2-0 loss to Vianney in a hotly-contested game on Tuesday, the SLUH C soccer team was able to come back with a 5-1 win over Priory. After two very quick goals by Vianney, SLUH was unable to put any balls into the back of the net. During the second half, the Jr. Bills kept up their momentum but were still unable to score any goals. The match ended with a score of 2-0 for Vianney. The following day the Jr.
Bills faced off against Priory. The game started started with Chris Cerotti scoring a goal 24 seconds into the game with a chip. He scored again early in the first half, bringing the score to 2-0. Priory then scored on a one on one against goalie Charlie Steenberge; however, it was not enough. The Jr. Bills retaliated in the form of another quick goal from Sean Cody to make the score 3-1 at halftime. The score remained 3-1 until the latter minutes of the second half, when Jr. Bill Jack Colvin scored. Not much lat-
er, Justin Koesterer scored on a head ball. The final score of the match was 5-1. “We needed to win that game (against Priory) the way we did after the game against Vianney,” said center back Ryan Liesure. “Our team looked very good, had great pass work, and had a lot of chances. Priory played a good game, but we were the better team and that showed on the scoreboard.” C soccer’s next game will be away against Chaminade next Tuesday, Sept. 8, at 4:00.
JV football overcomes a 40-14 deficit, defeats Alton 43-40 BY Will Smit REPORTER
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he JV football squad brought its talents across the river to battle the Alton Redbirds in a nail-biting 43-40 win after being down 40-14 at halftime. This win embodied the term “teamwork” as the players put the first half behind them; both the players on the field and the guys on the bench picked each other up to rally for the win. As the JV squad huddled up during halftime, they used the anger and momentum to charge their game and mental mindset as they faced an almost
certain loss. A major aspect of the win was the resurrection of their immense defense. “Our defense was rough in the beginning, but then our defense came back, and we started to actually play like a team,” said sophomore running back/ linebacker Daniel Terry. A major turning point in the game was when sophomore tight-end/linebacker Sean Bender tackled the Redbirds’ starting quarterback, knocking him out for the entire game. As the defense ignited, the offense exploded as sophomore quarterback
Rickey Brown and sophomore wide receiver AJ Hardin tore up the opposing team in the second half. Sophomore Jack Leavitt also had a clutch throw to Hardin to keep the game alive. With eight seconds left on the scoreboard, Brown threw a perfect spiral to Hardin for a touchdown to take a 4340 lead over the Redbirds. At this point SLUH’s bench erupted in excitement as they took their first lead. After the Redbirds called a timeout with only five seconds remaining, Terry tackled Alton’s running back, throwing him to the ground on the final play of
the game. Though Terry injured his arm on the play, he has since recovered and is ready to play again this weekend against Vianney. “Our comeback involved everyone on the team. Everyone on the field was playing with their hearts out and on every play, our teammates on the sideline were always making noise and supporting us,” said sophomore Daniel “Dee” McMurran. The team’s next game is on Monday, Sept. 7 at 10:00 a.m. at Vianney.
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AVOCADO
Prep News
September 4, 2015
School Day
Around the Hallways Activities fair expands The activities fair was held Tuesday on the plaza in between the Science Wing and the Field House, extending west towards the turnaround. Seventy-six clubs attended the event Wednesday, ten more than last year, according to Assistant Principal for Student Life Brock Kesterson. Five sports teams also attended. The sultry outdoor setting allowed students to sign up for various groups and activities and to converse. The fair—which has been held either in the Field House or on the plaza in recent years—was the largest in recent memory. 2014-15 Yearbooks due out today The 2014-15 Dauphin Yearbook will be delivered in homeroom today. The 224-page yearbook’s theme was “Finding God in All Things.” “The cover design is a lot more dynamic than past years,” said editor-in-chief Joe Slama, ’15. The cover features four different photos intended to connect with the
Friday, September 4
book’s overall theme. The yearbook staff finished the book in mid-June—the earliest completion date of moderator Jennifer Ice’s memory. Members of the Class of 2015 should pick up their copies in the Robinson Library. ACES holds Car Wash The Association for Cultural Enrichment at SLUH (ACES) held its annual carwash this past Saturday in the turnaround. ACES members advertised with signs on Oakland Ave. and Kingshighway Blvd. About a dozen members worked the car wash while moderator and grillmaster Frank Kovarik cooked hot dogs to sell. Throughout the morning, ACES raised nearly $400 which they plan to donate to Greater St. Mark Family Church in Ferguson. Senior Ryan Hopkins noted that the car wash was a little slower than previous years, as there were no other events occurring at the same time. Nonetheless, Hopkins said, “The car wash went really well. We enjoyed each other’s company.”
Environmental Science class photo contest begins Tuesday Bill Anderson’s AP Environmental science class is holding a contest of photos that shows proper waste sorting in the Commons. Prizes, judged by students in the class, will be awarded to the best student in each grade and also to a faculty member. “The photo must clearly demonstrate a working knowledge of how to properly sort waste from the Commons,” Anderson said in an email. The contest runs through Friday, September 18. Food Drive starts today, runs a week The annual Community Service Program (CSP) food drive begins today, after a week of prayer services leading up to it. Homerooms were given lists of foods and supplies to bring in. Homeroom representatives have those lists, for those that need them. The drive primarily benefits the freshman service program. —Nolen Doorack and Leo Heinz.
Midwest paintings leave SLUH for SLUMA BY Sam Heagney and Billy Balossi FEATURES EDITOR, STAFF
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f you wander up to the third floor of the Jesuit wing at St. Louis U. High, you may notice that there are empty hooks where paintings used to be. Don’t worry though, SLUH hasn’t been robbed. Since Aug. 21 and running through December, the St. Louis University Museum of Art (SLUMA) is hosting Painting in the Midwest, a collection of works of art, which depict life in the Midwest and features works by mostly Missouri and Illinois area artists including George Caleb Bingham, Thomas Hart Benton, and Joe Jones. The entire exhibit is made up of pieces handpicked from the collection of Timothy Drone, ’66, and his wife Jeanne. Thirty-seven of Drone’s pieces that usually find their home at SLUH are currently at the SLUMA show, along with around the same number pieces from the Drones’ personal collection. The collection ranges from the 19th century to the mid 20th century, and incorporates the ideals of several periods of American culture. Starting around the turn of the 19th century, professional artists came to the city to paint images of the Native American culture and the expanding ‘gateway’ city. St. Louis was a jumping off spot for artists and harbored a lot of talent relative to its population. As a result of that there were a lot of artists that set up shop here, and some of them went on to become famous. Those are the artists that Drone seeks out through various agents throughout America and even in Europe, since many early paintings were commissioned by Europeans and sent back to their home countries. Some of the highlights of the collection include three or four pieces by George Caleb Bingham who, according to Drone, is probably the most famous Midwest painter of the 1800s, all of which are part of the SLUH collection. One of
his most famous works, Jolly Flatboatmen, was donated to SLUH by Drone but is on loan at the St. Louis Art Museum. According to Drone, that particular piece could fetch a bidding price of 20 to 40 million dollars. One of the later paintings borrowed from SLUH is Joe Jones’ Desolate Hills, a depression-era work. According to Drone, the dull colors and bland landscape portray the attitude of Americans at the time. However, as you look deeper into the painting, noticing the mangled barbed wire and twisted tree stump, Jones’ criticism of the capitalist system becomes clear. This social statement is representative of shifting American values at the time. This type of indirect commentary is common in many of the paintings in the SLUMA show and typifies the deeper thought that the collection hopes to stimulate in viewers and students. The Drones have donated around 100 paintings to SLUH, 50 to 60 of which are usually on display. Going forward, Drone plans to move his collection, which includes an additional 400 paintings, totally into SLUH over the next two to four years. “There are a lot of things that we just don’t have room for. What we’d want to do here is be able to build something or find a space where we can actually display this stuff, where you can actually go and study quietly but be surrounded by some pretty good art,” said Drone. Drone’s strong connection to the art effort at SLUH isn’t a new one by any means. Drone’s quest to bring art to the hallways, classrooms, and common areas of the school began when he was student. Drone was in his freshman Latin class, which he was failing at the time, when his teacher, Phil Kellett, S.J., brought in a Roman coin and asked him to read the inscription on it. After Drone successfully translated it, Kellett told him, “Tim, you really do know Latin; you’re just intimi-
dated by it.” “It was at that point in time that I learned that boys are tactile learners, so if you pick (something) up and hold it you’re gonna get that. You’re going to understand that (item) a lot better than if
you needed to be artful. So I was artful with my left hand and played football with my right hand.” Drone’s mission is to give SLUH students an exposure to art that may uncover a bit of the artist in themselves, or at photo | SLUH.ORG
Regular Schedule
Food Drive (through Friday) Spinning into Butter @ Nerinx AP Senior Class Mass Snack—Mini Tacos Lunch Special—Pulled Pork and Redi Ribs Vegetarian—Mashed Potatoes
Tuesday, September 8
Regular Schedule AP Emergency Drills—Lock Down/Tornado University of Chicago (IL)—(M110) Snack—Chicken Giggles 7:00 pm Mother’s Club Opening Meeting Lunch Special—Philly Cheesesteak Vegetarian—Olive Oil Pasta
Wednesday, September 9
Regular Schedule
AP Lunch
Emergency Drills—Fire Drill DePauw University (IN)—(M108) Fairfield University (CT)—(M106) University of Kentucky (KY)—(M110) Snack—Texas Sweet Pretzel Special—Hand-Breaded Chicken Strips Vegetarian—Mashed Potatoes Regular Schedule Thursday, September 10 AP Miami University, Oxford (FL)—(M112) Milliken University (OH)—(M114) Pomona College (CA)—(M110) University of Tulsa (OK)—(M106) Snack—Bosco Stick Lunch Special—Papa John’s Vegetarian—Sweet Potatoes Regular Schedule Friday, September 11 9:00 am Mother’s Club Craft Workshop AP Sophomore Class Mass Case Western Reserve University (OH)—(M112) Rhodes College (TN)—(M114) University of Denver (CO)—(M108) Loyola University Maryland (MD)—(M106) Wake Forest University (NC)—(M110) Snack—Mozzarella Cheese Sticks Lunch Special—Fried Chicken Vegetarian—Mashed Potatoes
Athletics
Friday, September 4
6:00 pm V Soccer @ Jefferson City 7:00 pm V Football @ Vianney
Saturday, September 5 12:00pm V Soccer vs. St. Xavier (Louisville) @ SLUH
Monday, September 7 Timothy Drone and Jeanne Drone.
I described it to you. Boys are tactile learners, and if they can touch it they will retain the knowledge of it better,” said Drone. “That’s when I started thinking, well, I gotta bring all this Roman stuff down and Egyptian stuff and Chinese stuff, because if you guys can see it and can touch it, it’s gonna make a more sense.” Drone’s first exposure to art came from the only art teacher at SLUH at the time, William Doyle, S.J., who founded the Fine Arts Department and sculpted the St. Ignatius statue that stands at the turnaround. Drone entered the class hoping for an easy A without many expectations, but left with a lasting impression on what art could offer. The transformative experience began when Doyle asked Drone to draw autumn leaves with his left hand, because Drone’s dominant arm had been broken in a football practice. The result surprised Drone, who discovered a new talent in himself. “He looked at me pretty seriously and said, ‘Drone, you have more art in your left hand than you have football in your right hand,’” said Drone. “I was crushed, because here I thought I was this mighty big jock and what he was saying was football wasn’t the end all and be all to everything, that
least an appreciation for the message a work conveys. “Art doesn’t necessarily have to be pretty; it doesn’t have to be comforting, in fact. Good art should challenge you. Good art should make you think about, ‘Well why?’” said Drone. “I’m not saying if I hang it on the wall you have to love it, but if that helps qualify what art is to you then I’ve done a good deed. So it’s there for you to think about it...You are 15,16,17 years old. You’re not supposed to know what that is, but at some point you are going to remember when you are 23 years old, ‘Oh, man, there was some really cool stuff down there.’” Drone donated his the first of many pieces to SLUH at 40 years old. When he started collecting he was in law school and owned his own bar. He soon decided that business was his calling and got his MBA from SLU, which led him to the banking business which he still works in today. “I had the ability to be thoughtful about what art collection I wanted, but more importantly what that art collection would do for this place. How could we make school a better place? So that’s when we started gifting the fine art,” said Drone.
10:00am B Soccer @ Chaminade (MCC Tournament) 10:00am JV Football @ Vianney
Tuesday, September 8 4:00 pm Swimming @ Parkway South 4:00 pm C Soccer @ Chaminade 4:30 pm C Football vs. Vianney @ SLUH 5:00 pm V Soccer vs. Vianney @ CBC (CBC Tournament) 6:45 pm B Soccer vs. Vianney @ Oakville (MCC Tournament)
Wednesday, September 9 4:00 pm C Soccer @ Kirkwood 4:15 pm JV Soccer @ Rockwood Summit
Thursday, September 10 4:00 pm JV Soccer vs. CBC 4:30 pm C Soccer @ Edwardsville 6:45 pm B Soccer @ De Smet (MCC Tournament) 7:00 pm V Soccer @ CBC (CBC Tournament)
Friday, September 11 4:00 pm Swimming vs. De Smet 7:00 pm V Football vs. Chaminade @ SLUH
Win 200: Football coach Gary Kornfeld spoke to his team after tying Paul Martel in SLUH wins last Friday. “If you’ve learned nothing else, surround yourself with good people,” he said, saluting former colleagues and administrators, noteably former AD Dick Wehner, who looked on. Photo | Leo Heinz