“If nothing else, value the truth” ST. LOUIS UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL, FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 2011
VOL. LXXV, ISSUE 28
PHOTO BY MR. MATT SCIUTO
SURVEY
WHERE WE STAND: A SCREEN FOR EVERY STUDENT?
Juniors elect STUCO executives for next year by Matt Cooley core staff
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85% of freshmen say yes, compared to 25% of seniors by Patrick O’Leary web editor
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n a survey conducted last week, the Prep News revisited the issue of technology at St. Louis U. High and the possibility of introducing one device to one student technology. We asked questions about whether the device would help or hurt in classes, whether or not one-to-one technology should be implemented, and about the technological devices students currently own. When evaluating the possibility of one-to-one technology at SLUH, there was a significant decline in interest from freshmen to senior year: 85 percent of freshmen agreed that SLUH should add this type of program, 70 percent of sophomores agreed, 55 percent of juniors agreed, and only 25 percent of seniors agreed. The survey asked students first what they owned in terms of technology and to identify how many of each device they and their family owned. Next, the survey asked when families were planning to purchase new technology. Students were also asked what they thought of current technology and could circle any applicable answer. The back of the survey, the future technology section, asked students if they thought SLUH should implement technology on a one-to-one basis, what form that technology should take, and further, what they would be willing to pay for such a device. Finally, survey responders evaluated which classes they thought personal technology would help in. Students’ responses to these prompts varied, and they are compiled below. Perhaps the most important question was whether SLUH should implement one-to-one technology. Students responded to the prompt “I think SLUH should implement technology on a one device to one student basis” with “Strongly Agree,” “Agree,” “Neutral/Disagree,” or “Strongly Disagree.” The results showed a much stronger tendency to strongly continued on page 4
sluh.org/prepnews
The newly-elected STUCO executive officers. Top row, from left: Social Officer Christopher Lynas, School Spirit Officer Tommy Behr, Vice President James Griffard, Secretary/ Treasurer Michael Henry. Bottom row, from left: President Bryan Mathews, Pastoral Officer Adam Hunn.
he junior class chose six officers to serve as Student Council (STUCO) executives next year in elections this week. The new officers hope to bolster STUCO’s ability to listen to student voices and encourage students to participate in school activities. Current junior class president Bryan Mathews was chosen to lead next year’s Executive Board as student body president. Current pastoral officer James Griffard won the race for vice president. The other four winners were students with no previous STUCO experience: Secretary/Treasurer Michael Henry, Social Officer Christopher Lynas, Pastoral Officer Adam Hunn (who ran unopposed) and School Spirit Officer Tommy Behr. One hundred eighty-five juniors voted in primary elections on Monday to narrow the four candidates for president, four for secretary/treasurer, and four for social officer to two candidates per position. The final two candidates
for each contested position addressed their classmates in an activity period assembly on Wednesday, and 207 students voted that day at lunch to determine the winners. Wednesday’s assembly was unusually colorful. Seemingly undeterred by the Gadfly members dressed in white jumpsuits staging a gag anti-STUCO protest from their seats, two candidates led the theater full of students in slow-clap “Who’s high? Who’s High” cheers, one spoke quietly for dramatic effect, and another showed a video trailer in which he asked strangers for votes. STUCO co-moderator Lauren Dickens was especially impressed with the candidates’ speeches. “Everyone’s speeches were outstanding,” said Dickens. “It’s always fun to see the creativity and the different ways people express their leadership abilities to their classmates.” Having never worked with most of them before, Dickens and co-moderator Brock Kesterson weren’t sure what to expect from continued on page 5
Of Mice and Men summer Sisyphus showcases reading paired with play student literature and art by John staff
Webb
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f Mice and Men will be St. Louis U. High’s summer reading book this year. In addition to reading the novel, which was chosen by the fine arts department, the entire school will see a stage adaptation of the book put on by the Dauphin Players in October. Of Mice and Men is the story of two migrant workers who come to work at a ranch in California during the Great Depression. Partly based on Steinbeck’s own experiences as a migrant worker, the book follows the pair in their quest to eventually settle down on their own piece of land. According to fine arts teacher Kathryn Whitaker, the book also presents several moral dilemmas. Three years ago, the selection of a summer reading book was turned over to a paired department committee. Last year, however, the fine arts and physical education departments, the two departments who were supposed to choose a book, reached an agreement where the physical education department would pick the 2010-11 summer
The weekly student newspaper of St. Louis U. High 4970 Oakland Ave. - St. Louis, MO 63110 (314) 531-0330 ext. 2241 online at sluh.org/prepnews prepnews@sluh.org Copyright ©2011 St. Louis University High School Prep News. No material may be reprinted without the permission of the editors and moderator.
reading book and fine arts would pick the 2011-12 summer reading book. Fine arts teacher Joan Bugnitz said that the arrangement was “a good choice.” “To have the departments each pick a book, what you’re saying is that department brings something to the process,” said Bugnitz. In what Whitaker calls “a different approach to summer reading,” the entire school will watch a performance of the play over the course of four days in October. SLUH’s performance of Of Mice and Men will not depart too far from the book, since it was adapted for the stage by Steinbeck himself. “We thought how exciting it would be to let every student have the experience of seeing that piece of material brought to life,” said Whitaker. “It’s a fascinating process—from page to stage.” The book discussions led by members of the National Honor Society (NHS) that normally take place in the first few weeks of school will now be held after continued on page 5
by Adam reporter
Thorp
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fter 29 years of publishing the best of St. Louis U. High students’ work in art and literature, Sisyphus, SLUH’s literary magazine, will release its longest issue ever next Tuesday–72 pages. Sisyphus editor and contributor junior Greg Fister was excited about the release of the Spring issue of the biannual magazine, calling it “something every student can be proud of. It’s a good representation of all the hard work ... that we’ve done, writing and drawing and painting all year.” Appreciators of the magazine willing to fork over the 25 cents to obtain a copy will be introduced to the issue by the cover art, a watercolor by senior Raymund Foronda. Fister described it as a combination of “using two-dimensional painting on the paper and raising certain squares of the paper using matboard. The effect that has on the cover that is two-dimensional is really cool.” Moderator Frank Kovarik noted that “the spring issue is
remarkable for the amount of fiction it includes.” In this issue, the number of short fiction pieces well exceeds the number of poems. This issue also includes one of the longest stories the magazine has ever featured, a piece by senior Tim Wilhelm. Moderator Rich Moran described the short story as a “remarkable drama in the story of a high school senior working at a French cafe.” The story illustrates a young man torn between a co-worker and what Moran calls “the charming and mysterious French woman who owns the place.” Moran remarked that the level of development invested in the decisions of the main character justified the unusual length. Senior Daniel L’Ecuyer, a prolific poet for Sisyphus, has five poems in this issue. Senior literary editor Conor Fellin was enthused by the works, saying, “I think Daniel has really reached his peak as a writer at SLUH. His poems are very complex and intense, without being hard to navigate.” continued on page 2
News
Opinion
Sports
Next year’s STUCO shapes up Freshmen and sophomores elected their class representatives this week. Read about the results on page 4.
Notebook: Seeing past the flaws At this age, our minds are finely tuned to pick out weak spots. Can we look past flaws or do we obsess over them? Page 3
Water polo suffers first loss Water polo won a handful more games, but they also suffered their first loss to Fenwick (Ill.) in the DeSmet Invitational. Page 6
Russian Essayists win big Three seniors earn gold in National Russian Essay Contest, two advance to earn double gold in this year’s competition. Page 2
Commentary: Learn, don’t invest When we see our education as a “daily deposit” in our future to cash in on later, we miss the point of learning. Page 3
Spring sports go inside for the week Rainy weather has forced many spring sports to cancel practices, reschedule games, and adopt alternate workouts. Page 7
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Volume 75, Issue 28
Accolades
April 29, 2011
Hayward travels to Washington, D.C. for National History Bee PHOTO COURTESY OF LOGAN HAYWARD
by Ryan Dowd reporter
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lmost two weeks ago, on Sunday, April 17, senior Logan Hayward participated in the National History Bee in Washington D.C. Hayward represented the school admirably, placing 18th out of 103 varsity contestants in the preliminary rounds, missing the second round by one tiebreaking point. That Sunday morning was essentially a history marathon. The first round began at 8:15 with World Pre-History questions. The competition consisted of six 30-question rounds of oral competition. A little more than an hour later, the preliminaries concluded with Modern American History. Each round alternated between world and American history, with questions progressing toward the present and gradually increasing in difficulty. Hayward scored best in the World Pre-History category, with 11 out of 30 correct, and in the the category of American History since 1946, getting ten out of thirty correct. The road to Washington D.C. began freshman year for Hayward. “I didn’t really study global history
Hayward (second from left) in the National History Bee.
before coming to SLUH, so the (freshman and sophomore) Global History classes really helped,” said Hayward. Hayward also competes in SLUH’s Scholar Bowl team as well as on the school’s
History Bowl team. Hayward actually earned his place in the competition at the Missouri State History Bee at DeSmet in January, where he finished second in the state. The top two in each
State competition earn the right to compete at the national level. He left and arrived the Friday beforehand to mentally prepare for the competition and enjoy the sights for a day before the big event on Sunday. “In the morning I was kind of nervous before the competition, but I thought I’d do well,” said Hayward. Hayward scored a total of 40 points in the preliminaries. The top 16 preliminary scores advance to the finals, essentially a playoff where the top 16 players would square off in pairs until only one player remained. Hayward ended up missing the final round by one point. The 17th and 16th ranked scorers each racked up 41 points. “I was disappointed I didn’t get to go the Finals when I initially thought I was going,” said Hayward. The third round may have cost Hayward the chance to reach the finals. In that round, Global History between 1066 and 1815, Hayward scored only two points. Hayward says that although he does not plan to enter any further history competitions in the near future, history will always remain a passion for him.
Three students medal in Russian Essay Contest Sisyphus by Zach staff
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Rauschenbach
hree senior Russian students this year have earned high awards in the National Russian Essay Contest, which is administered by the American Council of Teachers of Russian (ACTR). The seniors received awards from judges at the Pushkin Institute in Moscow, Russia. Seniors Conor Gearin, Austin Winn, and Jon Barber all competed in this year’s contest in the Advanced Division. In the first round of competition, there were a total of 1,173 essays submitted from all levels. Out of those essays, only 37 from the Advanced Division received gold medals and advanced to the second round. The first level of judging is handled by a network of Russian scholars from around the country who are not teaching students competing in the contest. In the second round of judging, the
essays are sent to the Pushkin Institute in Moscow, Russia and are judged by professors there. Out of the 37 essays which advanced to the second round, only 17 gold medals were awarded, including Gearin’s and Winn’s. Barber, who received a gold in the first round of judging, earned a silver medal at the Pushkin Institute; Barber, Gearin and Winn distinguished themselves as a few of the top Russian students in the country. This year’s essay dealt with the topic of travel and asked students to examine why they feel traveling is important and beneficial. “I basically wrote that travel is valuable for learning about other cultures and coming to understand people from different places, in addition to it being enjoyable,” said Gearin. “I gave reasons why I liked to travel,” said Barber. All three students are four-year Russian students and felt very prepared for the contest.
“Well, I have competed in the competition before, so I felt prepared for this year,” said Winn. “I felt like in my fourth year of Russian and after the Russian exchange program, there are fewer gaps in what I know,” said Gearin. “I’ve been studying Russian for four years now, so I was pretty well prepared,” said Barber. Both Gearin and Winn will pursue Russian studies in college. Barber will be attending Loyola University-Chicago, which does not offer Russian as a major. Russian teacher Robert Chura spoke to the success of the students in this year’s competition. “This is a better year than typically, but not by much. For us to have three students to advance to the second round is on the high end, but not that uncommon. Some years we have only one student advance and some years we have as many as four,” said Chura.
(from 1) Poems by L’Ecuyer open and close the magazine. Other art pieces that stood out were two pieces on the back cover, a landscape watercolor by Fister, and an etching of a tessellation of fleur-de-lis turning into birds by senior Evan Orf. Because of a technological error, this issue of the Sisyphus will be printed without the letter combination ff. The computer replaced every ff combination with a blank space. Moran theorized that all of the f’s were transported to the main office just in time for final grades. The moderators expect to print around 400 individual magazines to be sold for 25 cents apiece.
Underclassmen awards ceremonies This Tuesday and Wednesday, ceremonies were held to recognize outstanding students from the freshman, sophomore, and junior classes. PHOTOS BY MR. MATT SCIUTO
Above: the freshman and sophomore ceremony’s primary award was the newly-established Hagan Award, which was presented to freshman Paul Fister (center left) and sophomore Joe Merrill (center right). Right: at the junior awards ceremony, Joshua Zink-Duda (left) recieved the Dartmouth Book Award, Sam Erlinger (center) recieved the Harvard Book Award, Luke Reichold (bottom right) received the Princeton Book Award, and Sam Bufe recieved the St. Michael’s College book award.
April 29, 2011
Opinion
Volume 75, Issue 28
Commentary
Learning is more than a deposit to be cashed in on later by Zach Staff
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t the last Advisory Committee for Student Affairs, we were sitting around the table discussing pressures that were placed on students at SLUH, with a particular focus on the strain that the work causes. Then, an alum and SLUH parent spoke up and explained his theory that our work here at SLUH is a “daily deposit” for our future, and when we have already struggled through a lot of work, and are finding the pressure is tempting us to go to bed before we’ve finished studying the night before a test or an exam, we should force ourselves to get up, get to work, and make that final “deposit” for the night. I looked around to the group and saw newly motivated heads nodding in agreement. However, I couldn’t seem to get excited about his idea mostly because I didn’t like the thought of making a “daily deposit” every night. I think the first time that I really understood how much I disliked this idea was my first year playing select soccer where the coaches would sit us down, at age 13, and tell us how we needed “hard work” and “intensity” to accomplish what seemed to be incredibly important goals, such as winning a state championship or earning a college scholarship. The thrill of the game was lost, and it was replaced with the pressure to gain future success. Schools do this also. Even here at SLUH, we are tempted to tell prospective students of the benefits of a SLUH education when looking to get accepted to a four-year university, a luxury many in this country never experience. We understand the importance of education after SLUH, and it seems all too easy to view SLUH, with its 100 percent college placement rate, as a pipeline to further opportunities instead of a time to grow and learn as a community in the present. Now, as I was sitting at a table in the library during the Advisory meeting, it was happening again. I was hearing someone telling me that my education is something that I can put in a bank and cash in on later. This type of attitude forces us to view the students who succeed as those students who deposited the most, and the ones who lag behind as those who don’t have any money left in their piggy bank. In a time in American education where we see thousands of children failing to perform at grade level, there is definitely a need for change. However, are we really prepared to look at one student in any school who does well and performs above average and say he has deposited significantly more than another student who falls well below average in several subjects? At some point, especially here at SLUH, we need to realize that our education thus far has been a gift, not something that we have earned, and that almost all of the progress we have made has been a result of favorable environmental conditions: stable families, economic security, and good schools with qualified teachers. The students at SLUH who seem to thrive the most are the ones who find genuine interest in the subjects they study, not the ones who are constantly concerned with the benefits that their success will lead to. So, are we able to look at a student at SLUH who performs at the top of his class and say that he has deposited significantly more than the students who fall below him? I would say no, not at all. It’s not that they’ve deposited
Notebook
by
Conor Gearin
Despite the fly, the soup tastes fine
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t is not fashionable anymore, I suppose, to have a regard for one’s mother in the way my brother and I had then … One looks for the chink in the armor, the leg of the piano stool shorter than the other, the sadness that would detach us from her, but the truth is we enjoyed each other.” I am very thankful that the odd bits of outside reading I do always seem to have some worthwhile nugget in them. I was only 11 pages into Colum McCann’s Let the Great World Spin, and I had already found something that resonated strongly for me. The way of looking at things that always searches for the weak spots or flaws that seem to ruin people, ideas, or institutions beyond redemption seems to be prevalent at SLUH, especially in my own mind. It’s an efficient way of thinking that gives me a sense of having a handle on things. I may be confused by a story or poem, but if I can spot what’s wrong with it, I feel like I have mastered it. I may be annoyed by the way a teacher challenges me, but if I can impersonate his or her nervous tick, I can get my friends to laugh at the problem. I might not be able to figure out why I woke up in a bad mood, but if I can spot the storm-clouds, I’ve got a working excuse. One morning I compiled a list of all the small disasters and problems I had created, all before 8 a.m., hoping to turn it into column material—tapping a parked car as I pulled into a spot, pocket-dialing someone while walking from the parking lot, and spilling a fellow senior’s hot chocolate all over him and the hallway, and much, much more. It was quite a list, but I wasn’t breaking any new ground. I cause problems, those problems have ripple effects. I’ve thought that too many times to count. Can’t I think of something else? It’s a small comfort to know that it’s not just me. In the novel Siddhartha, the first thing the young man tells the Buddha is that he’s found the flaw in the Buddha’s teachings that invalidates his whole way of looking at the world. At lunch, my friends recite a litany of mistakes that our teachers have made so far that day. Young people have minds that are finely honed to pick out weak points. Which, I guess, is as it should be. We’re in the progress of growing into adults, being awakened to the many problems of the world in which we live. There are days, though, when I feel totally saturated with negativity—I’ve spotted so many logic errors, slip-ups in speech, or under-functioning kitchen appliances that
I can’t imagine anything else. I’ve often thought of the Blaise Pascal quote that I believe I first came across in a SLUH theology class—“In difficult times, you should always carry something beautiful in your mind.” I love the way he sees the mind as a vessel for carrying beauty, not as a processing unit. But thinking of my mind as a vase or pail reminds me that I’m usually busy filling it up with crud, not collecting beauty. Pretty soon it’s so full of the bothersome things that it doesn’t have any room left for anything else. There were other parts to that morning when I was collecting the list of my mistakes. The senior whose hot chocolate I spilled assured me cheerily that he had a spare shirt, and showed it to me. When I stepped out of homeroom, Mr. McCarthy was blasting that song that goes, “Oh what a beautiful morning, oh what a beautiful day… everything’s going my way.” Those moments were more than just a mere ironic soundtrack to my destructive morning, as I saw them. They were legitimate moments of beauty, however silly, that could have helped me into a better mood—had I been so inclined to pursue a better mood. But then again, our minds are also analytical. We’re not just here to smile at everything and ignore the bad. There are real problems with our world that demand our attention, and whether or not we’re happy is often irrelevant when we’re trying to set something right. It doesn’t matter whether I’m whistling a merry tune when I take out the trash or sulking—the trash has to be thrown out. But when I’ve taken care of the trash, must I go looking for yet more trash today? Do I remain in trash-taking-out mood for hours afterwards? The challenge for me is to strike a balance between my quick-firing analytical mind and the slower part of my mind that can see things as beautiful. In theory I know very well I can be aware of both the flaws and the beauty of a person or thing simulaneously. In practice, it usually takes quite a bit of effort.
more, it’s that they have recognized the gift they’ve been given. The students who spend hours folding intricate triangles into the shapes of dragons for Mr. Mills’s geometry class or the ones who finish their physics web assign a week before it is due are not making a “daily deposit” in their bank for the future. Rather, they are enjoying a gift that has been given to them. You see this throughout SLUH. There are students who perform well above others but never seem to be bogged down by pressures and by stress, but they are energized when they head into the classroom and are always eager to learn something new. I would say they have, whether they know it or not, rejected the idea of making deposits. They have gotten in the habit of loving what they do every day, so why would that cause stress? So, for the students who struggle to find motivation to finish their work, consider viewing your assignment in a new way. Here is an example: My junior year at SLUH I took AP Physics. Within the first week the class had beaten me. I was confused, and essentially gave up early on. I never experienced the class. I was consumed with the fact that it was hard work, and I began to fall into the easy excuse that, “I’ll never use this again in my life.” I was using the “daily deposit” theory to justify my giving up. If I was never going to benefit from physics in the future, then why would I deposit in a subject which promised nothing back in return? I lost an opportunity to learn about what I liked to the point that I have absolutely no idea if I enjoy physics, if I’m good at it, or if I hate it. Instead of taking on the “daily deposit” attitude, it is possible to pay attention in class even when it seems hard and find interest in subjects which before seemed too hard and in subject matters that you may only tackle for the nine months of one school year. And for the students and teachers and parents who would like to treat our education as a deposit, do you really believe will we be able to find the motivation to cash in fully on our education if we only think of it as a way to gain future riches? Or, if our lives after a very fruitful SLUH career take a turn for the worse, leaving us without much in return for our investment, how do we look back on our four years? As a wasted deposit? We need to reevaluate what our education means to us, and realize that our time here at SLUH is not a deposit for the future, it is a gift given to us that is meant to be used immediately. A gift that, if treated correctly, may lead to an easier and more successful life down the road, but, more importantly, can drastically enrich our four years at SLUH. This cartoon does not reflect the opinions of the Prep News or St. Louis U. High. -Editors: Nick Fandos, Conor Gearin, Patrick O’Leary, Mike Lumetta, Eric Mueth-
The students who seem to thrive are the ones who find genuine interest in their classes, not the ones concerned with the benefits their work will lead to.
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Young people have minds that are finely honed to pick out weak points.
CARTOON BY TOM FIELDS
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News
Volume 75, Issue 28
April 29, 2011
Survey: where do students stand on technology? (from 1)
GRAPHIC BY PATRICK O’LEARY
Should SLUH implement technology on a one device to one student basis?
100 Dark
Gray: Strongly Disagree
80
Medium Gray: Neutral 60 or Disagree Light G40 ray: Agree
4.55% 9.09%
6.98% 23.26%
32.95%
44.58%
28.13% 29.07% 39.06%
52.27%
24.10%
40.70% 15.66%
Black: 20 Strongly Agree
0
10.94%
15.63% FRESHMEN
SOPHOMORES
JUNIORS
9.64% SENIORS
Underclassmen responded favorably to implementing student technology, while upperclassmen were mostly opposed. (The totals may not add up to 100%, because some students did not respond. This percentage is indicated by the upper part of the bar, which is more visible in the columns for juniors and seniors.)
agree and agree among the lower grade levels than among the higher. Although students responded positively in general to whether or not SLUH should implement one-to-one technology, comments among surveyed students were split. Many students responded negatively to the idea, saying things such as “Why fix what isn’t broken?” and “They would just be a distraction.” “I think that most students would be distracted by the technology through playing games and looking at other books and what not,” said one sophomore in his survey. Other students responded positively but with reservations about the same issue of being distracted in class. “I think it would be a good idea to implement more technology uses as long as we were sure they could be used properly,” said junior Jordan Hopkins, who was surveyed. Students who responded positively to the possibility cited reasons such as needing to keep up with the larger community and being a modern school, as well as not having a load of textbooks. “Part of being a modern school is taking advantage of modern technology,” said one sophomore. “I went to a middle school, which used laptops and I think that it would greatly help the school, as long as we don’t overdo it. There’s no need for students to do everything on it.” Sophomore Michael Sigman said, “It has been way too long without laptops, I
think that it should have been implemented five years ago.” Another point of interest is which classes students thought increased technology would be helpful in. The results may have been slightly skewed by students so emphatic about their view that they picked all helpful or all counter-productive. The class that students most thought technology would help in was English with 65 percent responding positively, followed closely by science with 64 percent, and social studies with 63 percent. The most commonly voiced reasons were BioAssign for science, highlighting text in English, and eliminating the heavy textbook in social studies. The class least helped by technology, according to surveyed students, was fine arts at 21 percent. The most counter-productive were fine arts at 49 percent, and math at 43 percent. The lowest was science at 25 percent. One student said, “We already use laptops almost every day in science, an iPad would be more convenient.” Another student commented on the same idea. He said, “The ability to hold the Internet in your hand is much more powerful than people think.” The survey also included questions about the possibility of e-textbooks. On the whole, students were slanted towards e-textbooks, but only by about a 2 percent margin—students preferred e-textbooks 37 percent of the time and printed textbooks 35 percent of the time. Twenty-eight percent of GRAPHIC BY PATRICK O’LEARY students stated that they had no opinion on the matter. Surveyed students suggested that eliminating printed textbooks would save students from carrying back-breaking loads of textbooks, and said that 23.41% dynamic content could be No Answer helpful. Others said that printed textbooks are easier 43.23% to read and easier to learn Laptops 4.80% e-r eaders from. Freshman Mitchell Clauss said, “I think it would be really convenient to have all our books on an iPad so we don’t have to carry them.” 51.97% Junior Jack Howe, couniPads tered by saying, “E-readers are awful. Printed text is better.” Students were also asked if they believed their family Students were asked which form of one-to-one technology would be most would be able and willing to beneficial if SLUH were to implement such a program. More than half of the pay a technology fee for a students indicated that an iPad would be the best form. device. Seventy-one percent of students said that they
If SLUH were to implement one-toone technology, it should choose...
would be okay with paying a technology fee. That number breaks down to 15 percent saying they would prefer a fee separate from tuition and 56 percent saying they would prefer a fee included in tuition. Students were also asked to respond about the maximum amount their family would be willing to pay. The most commonly chosen response was $300 to $500 with 23 percent of student responses. Five hundred dollars to $750 and $200 to $300 followed with 21 and 16 percent, respectively. Many students commented that tuition was “high enough already” and another fee might be overkill. Finally, students were asked for their opinion about the technology currently available at SLUH. When asked whether or not current technology is sufficient and accessible, 55 percent said that current technology is sufficient and 65 percent said that current technology is accessible. The most common reasons for why technology was not accessible or useful were students playing video games after school and the library over-crowding during activity period. Students responding negatively suggested re-implementing laptops in the library as a possible option to alleviate this stress. As a response to that idea, one surveyed student said, “We definitely need laptops in the library again at minimum.” The survey also evaluated the technology that students owned personally, asking them to state whether or not they owned a laptop, iPad, e-reader, or desktop, and if owned, how many. They were also asked to state how many their families owned. Of the students surveyed, 55 percent owned a personal laptop. Seventy-five percent of surveyed students students also reported that their families owned a laptop. Most students and families do not own iPads/tablets or ereaders; 94 percent of students do not own their own, and about 83 percent of families do not own one at all. Families had a greater tendency to own desktop computers than students. Eighty-eight percent of families reported owning at least one desktop while only 35 percent of students reported owning a desktop. An interesting correlation cropped up between the preferred device and students’ families plans to buy devices. While the majority of respondents preferred the iPad/ tablet option (52 percent), a large percentage, 45 percent, said that they did not plan on buying one of these devices in the foreseeable future. However, the second most preferred device, a laptop (43 percent), showed most families planning on buying one in the near future, with the most responses (24 percent) being around 1-2 years, and only 7 percent saying that they did not see themselves buying a laptop in the near future.
GRAPHIC BY PATRICK O’LEARY
Currently, is SLUH’s technology... ...used by students? 26.37% Unused 73.63% Used Often
...accessible?
35.29% Inaccessible 64.71% Easily Accessible
...sufficient in size?
44.84% 55.16% Insufficient Sufficient
...usssed by faculty?
61.07% Used Often
Students were questioned about the current state of technology at SLUH. The majority of students had favorable responses to the current scope of technology at SLUH, but significant numbers of students said technology usage was lacking.
GRAPHIC BY PATRICK O’LEARY
80
I believe having an iPad/e-reader would be helpful in...
70
64.38%
60
65.36% 63.40%
50 40
38.93% Unused
45.75% 38.24%
30 20
20.92%
10 0
Theology
Science
English
Social Studies
Fine Arts
Math
Students were asked which classes would benefit from the use of an iPad or e-reader. Many students thought English, Social Studies, and Science classes would benefit from this technology, but less than half indicated that Math, Theology, or Fine Arts classes could benefit.
April 29, 2011
STUCO
Volume 75, Issue 28
Juniors elect STUCO executives for next year (from 1) the new group of officers. But they were excited about the ideas that the new group would bring to STUCO. “We’re always kind of anxious but excited to see what the guys do to finish off the year and set the tone for the summer and next year,” said Kesterson. The newly-elected officers said they were eager to take the lead. “I’m ready to get started as soon as possible,” said Mathews. Griffard, the only officer who has served on STUCO since his freshman year, is excited
about returning. “Hopefully I can bring some experience to the table,” said Griffard. “We’ve got a really varied group of guys this year, so hopefully we can all work together. We all kind of bring different aspects to the table.” Henry, a newcomer to STUCO, felt he would be a good fit for the secretary/treasurer position and looked forward to learning the ropes. “It’s a new experience, so I’m not really sure what to expect because I haven’t been on STUCO at all at SLUH,” said Henry.
The new ideas the officers will bring to STUCO are as varied as their backgrounds. Mathews said he was looking forward to building on the success of this year’s inaugural Mission Week. Griffard wanted to increase STUCO’s effort in advertising through video trailers and flyers, hoping that increased awareness about activities would lead to increased student involvement. The candidates mentioned that involving all students, not just the elected officers, in STUCO was important to them. Behr hoped for help with the Blue Crew from the
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runner-up candidate for his position, David Hack. Griffard said that listening to student opinions and desires should be a priority. “I just want to emphasize how next year’s student council really cares about the students’ voice,” said Griffard. “STUCO should be led by students, not just by the council.” “We’re definitely going to try to be more forceful. Make a bigger impact. Leave the most footsteps anyone’s left in a while,” said Mathews.
Underclassmen elect class STUCO representatives Freshmen elect Schmelter, Hoerr, Fister Sophomores elect Merrill, Essig, Brennan by Jack Godar reporter
T
he class of 2014 held elections for next year’s sophomore Student Council (STUCO) officers last Monday. Current freshman Social Representative Larry Hoerr and Pastoral Representative Paul Fister were reelected to their current positions, and freshman David Schmelter will succeed freshman class President T.J. Daniels, who chose not to run for reelection. “I decided to run because I wanted to make a difference in the school and I thought that I had some good ideas,” said Schmelter. Schmelter detailed many of his ideas in his speech in front of the students during Monday’s activity period. Some of his ideas included organizing barbecues exclusively for the class of 2014 before sporting events, having students vote on themes for their dances, holding quarterly meetings between STUCO officers and homeroom representatives, and letting students have a half-day of school then spend the rest of the day doing community service. Schmelter also said that he had talked with STUCO co-moderator Brock Kesterson, and he said that it was possible that some of Schmelter’s ideas could be implemented. STUCO co-moderator Lauren Dickens has been impressed so far with Schmelter. “He seems like he’s got some really great ideas, good vision for bringing the class together,” said Dickens. “I think that he, Paul (Fister), and Larry (Hoerr) will work really well together.” Dickens also has been pleased with the re-elected STUCO officers Hoerr and Fister. “They’ve really taken a lot of leadership in the activities they’ve been involved in, and they’ve brought good ideas to the table,”
said Dickens. “The amount of energy they bring to Student Council is tremendous.” Hoerr is excited to be re-elected as social representative, and looks forward to serve for a full year instead of just two months. “I’m really excited about it. Obviously we didn’t get a lot of time to show off what we can do in the couple of months that we’ve had,” said Hoerr. “I feel like that with the whole year I can work with the other STUCO guys and really make our class a more fun place to be.” Hoerr’s goals remain the same as they were when his peers originally elected him two months ago: to be creative, to be a social person, and to plan fun events for the class of 2014. “I’m hoping that I can put together a good dance this year and carry that over into my experience for next year,” said Hoerr. Fister looks forward to his second year as a STUCO representative. He was pleased with his body of work so far, which mainly consisted of planning freshman class Masses and prayer services. Fister plans to take on fewer leadership positions outside of STUCO next year in order to focus on STUCO. He said that his role as pastoral representative and his role as sophomore liturgy coordinator will cause him to dial back his leadership roles in CSP, though he asserted that he would still be just as involved in service. “I’m really excited. I feel like I got some stuff accomplished this year and I want to get even more accomplished because I have twice as much time next year,” Fister said.
by John Staff
Webb
S
ophomores voted in Student Council (STUCO) elections on April 13 to determine positions for next year’s junior class officers. Joe Merrill was re-elected as class president, Joe Essig was re-elected as the pastoral representative, and Kevin Brennan was elected as the social representative. Normally a primary election is held earlier in the week to narrow the pool down to two candidates, but since only two students applied for each position, the election process proceeded immediately to the final election. The sophomore class gathered in the theater on Wednesday, April 13 to hear speeches from each prospective candidate during Activity Period. Essig, the first candidate to speak, opened his speech with a prayer. Pastoral representative runner-up, sophomore Justin Jellinek, spoke next. Next up were the speeches for social representative. Current sophomore Social Representative Jack Ross opened his speech by throwing an assorted pile of coins on the stage to show that he would “bring change to STUCO.” Kevin Brennan had a comparatively shorter speech than the other candidates. “I decided if people don’t like me before my speech, they probably won’t like me after it,” said Brennan during his speech. Sophomores Ryan Caselton and Merrill, both candidates for president, rounded out the speeches. To show his dedication to the current sophomore class, Merrill cut his hair on stage at the end of his speech. Voting took place at lunch and candidates found out who won after school. In addition to one year of experience as pastoral representative, Essig says he brings
his creativity to STUCO. He is currently working with John Lan Tran, S.J., to put together a pastoral team of 10 to 12 students that will plan prayer services and Masses as well as work food drives and other campus ministry activities. “My main goals are to get everyone participating in the (class) Masses, give everyone a chance if they want to help lead a prayer service or lead a fundraiser,” said Essig. Merrill’s goals for next year include getting his classmates involved in service and other activities. With two prior years of STUCO experience, he believes he can serve his class well. “I know the system now,” said Merrill. “I know what works and what doesn’t work, and I know what it takes to lead a class.” Though new to STUCO, Brennan also had some goals in mind for next year. “I want to bring the class closer together through social events like dances, and I also want to get to know everyone in my class. Those are my two main goals for next year.” The newly elected officers will take over at the end of this school year.
The last round of elections to round out next year’s STUCO, for senior class president, pastoral represen-
tative, and social representative, take place next week. See the bulliten board by the cafeteria for information about the candidates.
Of Mice and Men paired with play
PHOTO BY MR. MATT SCIUTO
In a mock effort to “dismantle” STUCO, a new regime, GADCO, attempted to arrest Vice President for School Spirit Cy Hill in the cafeteria on Tuesday during activity period. GADCO rebellion participant junior Tom Blood broadcast a public announcement while students gathered around to hear. Later in activity period, GADCO arrested most STUCO members, binding and hoisting Student Body President Tim McCoy in a parade of GADCO extremists. Throughout the week, GADCO roamed the halls in white jumpsuits and hard-hats, put up propaganda posters, made a film, and influenced school announcements to create a stronger regime. The Prep News continues to recognize the legitimacy of STUCO during this time of distress.
(from 1) students have seen the play. However, tests over the summer reading book will still be held during the first week of school. A central goal from the beginning of the selection process, according to Whitaker, was finding a book that had a stage adaptation or was a play itself. After considering many books, the Fine Arts department finally narrowed down the choices down to Of Mice and Men, Winslow Boy, and Translations. Many factors went into the selection of the book, including the number of students required to put on the play, and that Of Mice and Men originally existed as a novella while Winslow Boy and Translations exist solely as screenplays. One of the reasons Of Mice and Men was ultimately chosen, according to Whitaker, is because the book “appeals to all different age levels.” This year’s book selection, at only 112 pages, is noticeably shorter than selections in past years. Longer novels such as The Grapes of Wrath were also considered, but were turned down in part to the difficulty of
adapting a larger book for a play. “When you take (a larger book), you do lose some of the detail (in a screenplay),” said Whitaker. “That’s why the size of it is sort of lovely.”
Corrections The Curectuns ^ An article in the last issue of the
Prep News about earnings from Cashbah underreported the amount of money raised through the FundA-Need program. The amount raised was $135,000, not $125,000. The Prep News regrets the error.
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Volume 75, Issue 28
BA SEBALL
Moleski 1 0 0 0 Simon-cf
Tuesday, April 19
VIANNEY Pfeiffer 2b Walters 3b Barnes 1b Snyder of Knese of Ulrich ss Klages c Picha of Spradlin ph Agne p
ab r h rbi 3 110 3 111 3 000 3 010 2 011 3 000 3 010 2 000 1 000 2 000
Totals
25 2 5 2
SLUH Hernandez 2b Klug ss Floros 3b Kuebel p Pitts 1b Knesel c Jaskowiak of Maas ph Simon of Rund of
ab r h rbi 300 0 311 0 3100 3121 2112 2000 2001 0000 3000 2000 23 4 4 4
Vianney 200 000 0—2 SLUH 300 010 x—4 E—Pitts, Pfeiffer, Barnes, Ulrich. LOB— Vianney 5, SLUH 4. 2B––Walters. 3B–– Klug, Kuebel. SB––Ulrich, Knese (2), Ukebel. CS––Klages. IP H R ER BB SO Vianney Agne, L (3-2) 6.0 4 4 2 1 6 SLUH Kuebel, W (3-0) 7.0 5 2 1 0 11 T: 1.22. A: 74. Wednesday, April 20
SLUH
BELLEVILLE WEST
ab r h rbi
Piquard-p 4 1 2 1 Hubbs-1b 2 1 0 0 Bammer-ss 4 1 1 1 Rist-lf 3 0 1 0 Areheart-rf 4 0 1 1 Brown-c 3 0 0 0 Reiher-ph 0 0 0 0 Sheary-2b 1 1 0 0 Zimmerman-3b 2 0 1 0 Lofton-cf 2 0 0 0 Helfrich-ph 1 0 0 0 Totals
26 4 6 4
ab r h rbi Hernandez-2b 4 Klug-ss 4 Floros-3b 3 Kuebel-1b 3 Kretchmer-c 3 Simon-of 3 Jaskowiak 3 King 3 Hurston 1 Pitts-ph 1 Rund-pr 0 Maas-pr 0
1 2 0 0 2 1 1 1 0 0 2 0 0 2 2 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 0 0 1 0 0
Totals 28 5 11 5
Belleville West 110 000 2––4 SLUH 101 013 x––5 E. Floros (3), Bammer (2), LOB - BW 10, SLUH 9. 2B - Piquard, Bammer, Areheart, Hernandez, Floros, Simon. SB - Klug, Maas, Rund. CS - Hernandez, Sheary. DP - BW: 1. IP H R ER BB SO Belleville West Piquard, L (1-3) 5.2 4 5 4 1 1 Turner 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 SLUH Klug, W (4-0) 6.0 4 2 2 3 5 Dorand 1.0 2 2 0 2 2 T - 1:43. A – 58. Thursday, April 21 SLUH McCLUER N. Jackson Hulsey Elliot Wildman Hunt Okunrinboye Lindsey Hall Switzer
Totals
ab 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1
r 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
ab h rbi Binz 4 1 0 Klug-ss 2 0 0 Hurston-ph 1 0 0 Floros-3b 1 0 0 Jaskowiak-ph 1 0 0 Kuebel-1b 2 0 0 Kretchmer-c 3 0 0 Simon-of 2 0 0 Mass-ph 1 0 0 King 1 Rund 3 Reda 3
16 0 1 0
r 1 0 0 1 0 2 1 0 0 2 2 1
h rbi 2 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
Totals 24 10 10 9
Game ended by a mercy rule after five innings. E. Hulsey (2). LOB - MN 1, SLUH 5. 2B-Jackson, King. 3B-Binz. SB - Floros, Kretchmer, King (2), Rund. HBP - Floros by Hunt, Jaskowiak, Rund by Hulsey. IP H R ER BB SO McCluer North Hunt, L (1-3) 3 5 6 6 3 1 Hulsey 2 5 4 4 1 1 SLUH Howard, W (4-0) 6 1 0 0 0 6 T – 1:31. A – 14. DUBOURG ab r h rbi Althage 3 0 1 0 Rocchio 3 0 1 0 Fulgham 1 0 0 0 Forcelledo 1 0 0 0 Wente 2 0 0 0 Schwartz 1 0 0 0 Sunshine 2 0 0 0 Bonasch 2 0 0 0 Barnes 1 0 0 0
SLUH
Hernandez-2b Klug-ss Floros-3b Jascowiak-ph Kuebel-1b Lynas-ph Pitts-of Rund-ph Kretchmer-of Weber-ph
ab r h bi 4 2 2 1 2 3 0 1 2 0 0 1 1 1 1 2 3 1 3 2 1 0 0 0 3 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 1 2 0 0 0 0
Totals 17 0 2 0 DuBourg SLUH
3 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 3 2 2 0 28 10 10 9
Knesel-c Fish-of Totals
000 000––0 105 004––10
Game ended by a mercy rule after six innings. E. SLUH: 1 (Floros), DB: 4. LOB - DB 2, SLUH 6. 2B-Kretchmer, Jascowiak, Hernandez. 3B-Fish. SB - Kuebel, King (2). CS - Forcelledo, Wente. DP - SLUH: 2. DB: 1. DuBourg IP H R ER BB SO Forcelledo 3 4 6 1 1 3 Rettig 2.2 7 4 3 1 1 SLUH Clark, W (1-0) 5 1 0 0 2 5 Greiner 1 1 0 0 0 1 T – 1:52. A – 54.
L ACROSSE
SLUH Ladue
5 3 2 3—13 1 0 0 5—6
First Quarter—1, SLUH, Moore 5 (Place), 10:24. 2, SLUH, Reding 12 (Place), 9:29. 3, Ladue, 8:48. 4, SLUH, Schoessel 11 (Moore), 6:52. 5, SLUH, Griffard 3, 6:44. 6, SLUH, Reding 13 (Schoessel), 3:24. Second Quarter—7, SLUH, Kusky 2 (Reichenbach), 6:41. 8, SLUH, Schoessel 12 (Moore), 4:07. 9, SLUH, Reichenbach 17, 2:36. Third Quarter—10, SLUH, Reichenbach 18 (Griffard), 11:30. 11, SLUH, Reding 14 (Place), 2:17. Fourth Quarter—12, Ladue, 11:44. 13, SLUH, Leritz 7, 7:03. 14, Ladue, 6:49. 15, Ladue, 6:30. 16, SLUH, Orf 1 (Weber), 5:20. 17, Ladue, 3:30. 18, SLUH, Reichenbach 19 (Reding), 2:57. 19, Ladue, 0:22. Wednesday, April 20 Lafayette SLUH
2 1 1 3—7 3 5 3 1—12
First Quarter—1, SLUH, Schoessel 13 (Reichenbach), 11:43. 2, SLUH, Moore 6, 10:16. 3, Lafayette, 9:30. 4, SLUH, Reding 15 (Reichenbach), 8:22. 5, Lafayette, 2:43. Second Quarter—6, SLUH, Reding 16 (Place), 11:08. 7, SLUH, Moore 7 (Leritz), 6:44. 8, SLUH, Tlapek 3 (Kressig), 6:25. 9, Lafayette, 5:02. 10, SLUH, Moore 8 (Leritz), 4:18. 11, SLUH, Moore 9 (Reding), 2:08. Third Quarter—12, SLUH, Moore 10, 8:22. 13, Lafayette, 6:46. 14, SLUH, Reichenbach 20 (Place), 2:49. 15, SLUH, Place 18 (Reichenbach), 1:41. Fourth Quarter—16, Lafayette, 8:42. 17, SLUH, Place 19, 3:50. 18, Lafayettte, 0:22. 19, Lafayette, 0:06. SLUH O’Fallon
Sports
VOLLEYBALL
WATER POLO
Thursday, April 14 SLUH def. Francis Howell 25-17, 25-8. Saturday, April 16 SLUH 2, Kirkwood 0 SLUH 2, Pattonville 0 SLUH 2, DuBourg 0 DeSmet 2, SLUH 1 Monday, April 18 SLUH def. St. Mary’s 25-17, 25-21. Wednesday, April 20 SLUH def. Vianney 25-18, 20-25, 25-22. Monday, April 25 SLUH def. Parkway Central 25-14, 24-26, 25-20.
SLUH 21, Oakville 4 The Jr. Bills fell behind 2-0 early, but SLUH’s offense took over in the all-deep pool, as 13 of the 14 field players scored.
TRACK Saturday, April 16 All-Catholic Meet 1. DeSmet 2. CBC 3. SLUH 4. Priory 5. St. Dominic 6. Cardinal Ritter 7. Chaminade 8. St. Mary’s 9. DuBourg/Vianney 11. Duchesne 12. Kennedy/Barat
163 68 56 50 45 44 38 30 25 13 0
4x800-meter relay—1, SLUH, 8:43.7 110 hurdles — 3, McCarthy, SLUH, 17.1. DNP, Hoefel, SLUH, 18.2. 100 dash — DNP, Banks, SLUH, 13.5. DNP, Lamb, SLUH, 13.1. 4x200 relay — DNP, SLUH, 1:48.2. 1600 run — DNP, McLaughlin, SLUH, 4:51.4. DNP, Pollihan, SLUH, 5:13.7 4x100 dash — DNP, SLUH, 51.2. 400 dash — DNP, Zink-Duda, SLUH, 58.3. DNP, Anders, SLUH, 61.6. 300 hurdles — 2, McCarthy, SLUH, 42.8. 800 run — 8, Carroll, SLUH, 2:17.2. DNP, Jacoby, SLUH, 2:22.6. 3200 run — 2, Nicholson, SLUH, 10:22.0. 3, Laughlin, SLUH, 10:25.0. 4x400 relay — DNP, SLUH, 3:51.7. Long jump — DNP, Gruebel, SLUH, 1511. DNP, Bosslet, SLUH, 16-6. Triple jump — DNP, Bosslet, SLUH, 31-0.5. Discus — 2, Clark, SLUH, 117-1. 6, Patton, SLUH, 102-3. Shot put — DNP, Clark, SLUH, 36-10. DNP, Patton, SLUH, 35. High jump — 3, Patton, SLUH, 5-4. DNP, Burke, SLUH, 5-0. Pole vault — DNP, Conley, SLUH, 9-6.
2011 Cross Country Captains: Joe Esswein Michael Pollihan Nathan Rubbelke
SLUH 15, Parkway North 6 Senior Joe Kabance earns player of the game for two goals, two assists, and five steals. The Jr. Bills shut down Parkway North’s star player, senior Brett Lundstrom, with their solid press defense. SLUH 10, Marquette 4 Senior Mitch Kramer landed three goals and an assist and added a strong defensive effort. Senior John Lewis also earned a hat trick as the team worked to create turnovers on defense. SLUH 8, Parkway West 6 SLUH scraped out a win despite difficulty on offense and a lack of communication. Junior Sam Erlinger led with three goals and two assists. Fenwick 17, SLUH 8 SLUH fell behind by seven goals after the first quarter and could not fully recover. Senior Mike Hagerty said, “We got what we wanted out of the tournament; we got to play Fenwick. And although the outcome wasn’t what we wanted, we learned that we can’t just expect to win.” After the first quarter, Kabance did not let Fenwick’s star player, Matt Farmer, score any easy goals. Described as a “monster” by the SLUH water polo Twitter feed, Kabance held Fenwick’s two-meters to only a few more goals. SLUH stepped up its game after the first and outscored Fenwick 5-4 in the second and third quarters but still received its first loss of the season. “The team came together during the second and third periods of the Fenwick game to play one of their best halves of a game this year,” said coach John Penilla, happy that the team fought back. “The game against Fenwick was a good learning experience,” said coach Paul Baudendistel. “We’ll find out this weekend what we learned.” Lewis echoed Baudendistel saying, “(It) was a tough loss, but I think it was the push that we needed to really work these last few weeks of the season.”
2011 Soccer Captains: Paul Buehler Ryan Merrifield Joe Rund Sam Steuer
Jack Witthaus, Donnie Land, John Sachs, Adam Cooley, Justin Jellinek, and Evan Becton contributed reporting.
6 4 1 1—12 2 1 3 3—9
First Quarter—1, O’Fallon, 9:44. 2, SLUH, Tlapek 4 (Reding), 7:37. 3, SLUH, Reding 17 (Place), 6:58. 4, O’Fallon, 4:57. 5, SLUH, Leritz 8, 4:27. 6, SLUH, Leritz 9, 2:03. 7, SLUH, Reichenbach 21 (Reding), 1:20. 8, SLUH, Place 20, 1:00. Second Quarter—9, O’Fallon, 7:47. 10, SLUH, Schoessel 14, 7:38. 11, SLUH, Moore 11, 7:11. 12, SLUH, Place 21, 4:11. 13, SLUH, Reding 18 (Place), 0:25. Third Quarter—14, SLUH, Reichenbach 22 (Place), 11:33. 15, O’Fallon, 8:15. 16, O’Fallon, 6:43. 17, O’Fallon, 1:03. Fourth Quarter—18, O’Fallon, 7:09. 19, SLUH, Perreira 1 (Hoffman), 2:34. 20, O’Fallon, 1:48. 21, O’Fallon, 0:57.
April 29, 2011
PHOTO BY BEN BANET
Senior Willie Whelan spikes the ball past Vianney defenders.
April 29, 2011
Sports
Volume 75, Issue 28
Rain, rain, not going away by Mike Lumetta sports editor
B
esides causing significant damage in parts of St. Louis this week, the recent spat of storms has also disrupted many SLUH teams' seasons. With the exception of the three indoor spring sports—volleyball, water polo, and inline hockey—every sport has felt the effects of the weather in some way, and many have lost practices or games because of it. Sports ranging from baseball to Ultimate have lost games or practices. Varsity baseball has lost three games and so far this week has practiced in the Danis Field House twice, on Monday and Wednesday, and on the soccer field on Tuesday. They practice in the field house when it rains, and on the soccer field when it is not raining but the field is still wet. Varsity and JV tennis lost matches Monday and Wednesday against Whitfield and Parkway Central. Ultimate had practices cancelled Saturday and Wednesday and had to move its Tuesday practice from SLUH's green space to Forest Park. In addition, they ended practice early last Tuesday and had a JV scrimmage against CBC cancelled. Other sports that depend less on grass fields have been more resilient in the face of the weather. Rugby lost its first practice to rain Wednesday, and varsity lacrosse battled the elements to squeeze in a practice the same day. Golf played its District tournament Wednesday but suffered an hour-long rain delay. In addition, track practiced Wednesday but had to cut it short because of lightning, only its second shortened practice. Many track and field athletes worked out in the weight room instead, and hurdlers watched film in the Commons. Track has also lost a few meets: the Cory Siebert Invitational at Rockwood April 16, the Ladue Invitational
April 23, and a freshman meet at Kirkwood. “It has been a wetter spring than usual,” said Athletic Director Dick Wehner. For practices, many sports have employed alternate strategies or been flexible. Track, for example, had to keep its runners within a one-mile radius of the school Wednesday, per Missouri State High School Activities Association rules for stormy weather. During their last shortened practice, distance runners went on their regular route and were caught in the middle of Forest Park when lightning began. On Wednesday, though, they stayed close and got in faster when lightning appeared. “If it's just raining, we'll run in the rain, but if it's lightning, we'll stop,” said head coach Joe Porter. Baseball, according to head coach Steve Nicollerat, has to get creative when it rains. In the Danis Field House, the team does footwork and base-running drills, along with a few bullpen sessions. Nicollerat said that it is mentally difficult on the team to practice inside, but that it is important to get in a hard workout. Varsity games and practices also take precedence over underclassman teams, said Wehner. For example, if varsity lacrosse were playing an away game on an unplayable field, they could move that game to the football field in place of a JV game. “On a regular rain day like Wednesday, varsity sports would have priority,” said Wehner. However, he said, the athletic department makes up for this difference by scheduling extra games for underclassman teams at the beginning of the season. Wehner and the coaches will reschedule as many missed varsity games as possible, continued on page 8
Rugby falls in Districts by Justin reporter
Sinay
T
he varsity St. Louis U. High rugby team ventured out to Town and Country onFriday, April 15 to take on the CBC Cadets in their biggest game of the year. Both teams went into the matchup undefeated in their regular seasons––the Jr. Bills with four wins and the Cadets with three. To make this game even bigger, several CBC students once played rugby for the U. High club team the St. Louis Druids, as CBC did not have a rugby program, and SLUH’s was not big enough yet. To top it all off, both teams are in the same District, which also includes University City and Priory, and a loss would likely eliminate either team from State contention. Numerous members of the rugby team even sported freshly-cut mohawks that Fri-
day for the game, but Assistant Principal for Student Life Brock Kesterson made them shave them off. Senior Joe Bentz said, “The team was the most focused they’d been all season. Everybody was pretty pumped about the game. It was basically our season in that game.” Although the Bills have averaged 28.5 points a game in the regular season and the Cadets over 36 points a game, this game was all about defense. The Jr. Bills got on the board first when senior back Nick Herrmann successfully converted a penalty kick early in the game. However, the Jr. Bills relinquished the lead as the Cadets scored a try later in the first half, and SLUH was down 7-3 at the half. Sophomore Pat Mulligan said, “We were playing really well. They got a break, continued on page 8
Golf takes fifth in Webster Cup by Ben Hutchinson reporter
O
ver Easter break, the golf team transitioned from dual matches to tournament play. Although 2-6 to start off the season, the team’s confidence still remained high going into the highly regarded Webster Cup at Crescent Farms in Eureka. The tournament invites 22 schools from the St. Louis area to choose their top five players to compete. Coach Greg Bantle chose senior Dylan Gardner, juniors Matt Schoelch and Jack Mimlitz, sophomore Ben Hutchison, and freshman Scott Schaeffer to represent SLUH. The course was in good condition other than a few aerated greens that made putting difficult. The weather was perfect for the day as the temperature reached the high 70s and the team agreed that they could put up some good scores.
“We felt confident (heading in),” said Schoelch. “We had just played the course a few days before, and we were comfortable with it.” The five Jr. Bills came in with decent scores, putting them in a good position to put up a top five finish with a few groups yet to come in. Hutchison placed ninth with a 76, Schaeffer placed 11th with a 77, and Gardner shot an 81, good for 18th. As the team did the math, Schaeffer said, “If the final couple groups don’t go extremely low, we have a legit chance to place fourth or fifth.” The whole team sat close to the scoreboard waiting anxiously to see if they could pull off the unlikely and take home a trophy. The final scores went up and the Jr. Bills took fifth place, much to the surprise of everyone. A week later, the Jr. Bills traveled to Pevely continued on page 8
7
PHOTO BY BEN BANET
The JV Baseball team practices on the soccer field yesterday afternoon.
Inline fights for first in division by Matt Geisman reporter
T
he St. Louis U. High inline team finds itself assured of a playoff spot for the first time in years and is battling for first place in its division. SLUH played two highly-ranked teams last week in games that determined playoff seeding. SLUH faced off against first place Vianney at Matteson Square Gardens last Saturday. Vianney took an early lead with a goal less than seven minutes into the first period, but SLUH rallied to tie the score with a power play goal by senior Matt Potter. However, Vianney scored with three minutes left in the first to make the score 2-1 going into the half. SLUH, coming out of the second half determined to regain the lead, was quickly stunned by Vianney as they scored a goal not even three minutes into the second half, doubling SLUH’s deficit. SLUH, unfamiliar to being offensively dominated, quickly regained its footing, scoring a quick goal midway through the second. Sophomore Chase Berger finally evened the score with a power play goal, sending the game into OT. However, Vianney put the
final goal on the board with a partial breakaway less than two minutes into overtime. “It really was a disappointing loss,” said senior Henry Schneider. “We had numerous scoring chances, but unfortunately weren’t able to capitalize.” Coach Tim O’Neil was optimistic, even after a disappointing loss. “When we stay in the game the entire time against the (Vianney), that shows the true depth of the team,” said O’Neil. “This loss, although (unfortunate), bodes well for the posteason.” Eager to bounce back, SLUH faced off against Seckman, who was tied for third place. After being shocked with an early first period goal from Seckman, SLUH fought back to tie the game at 2-2 before intermission with goals from juniors Dan Warnecke and Pat Meehan. SLUH immediately scored two goals eight seconds apart in the second half, took a 4-2 lead, and never looked back. Although Seckman tried to fight back late, SLUH won 5-4. SLUH will face off for its final game of the regular season tomorrow against Lafayette at The Wheel.
Tennis waits out rain by Drew Dziedzic core staff
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ecause of heavy April showers, the St. Louis U. High tennis team had to cancel its matches this past week. Monday’s match against Whitfield and Wednesday’s match against Parkway Central were both rained out. The team has felt the effect of the missed opportunities to play. “Actually it has been tough. Over Easter Break, I didn’t get to practice much. Then with the rainouts this week … it’s difficult to stay focused,” said senior captain Greg Marifian. “We need to stay focused, though, because we have some tough matches coming up. These rainouts are not helping our team goal”— of having ten wins for the season. The team was especially disappointed that they were not able to play Parkway Central. The Colts have become a perennial contender in the State tournament, and SLUH wanted to see how they measured up against them. “I would like to see where we as a team are at. I would like to see where I am at. That’s the key for big matches at the end of the season, it can be a kind of evaluation. This would have been key for me especially, as it would be a preview of State,” said Marifian,
who mentioned that the No. 1 singles player at Parkway Central, senior Michael Davis, is favored to win State, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Overall, the entire team is focusing on the upcoming matches, and attempting to get over a somewhat disappointing Metro Catholic Conference (MCC) tournament, where they finished second behind CBC. “I thought we had a good opportunity coming in to win the tournament, and we fell a little short, ending up in second place, which was a little disappointing,” said coach Patrick Zarrick. The Jr. Bills did have a few bright spots, though, as the No. 3 doubles team of senior Gil Plitt and sophomore Michael Essma clinched first place in their bracket. “We played very well at the net, and we played up to our potential with serves and returns,” said Plitt. “It was really great to see all of our hard work pay off to win against all of our MCC rivals.” Trying to leave the MCCs in the past, the team is looking forward to the rest of the season, which includes many big matches —against Parkway South today at 4 p.m., against Westminster on Monday, against Priory on Wednesday, and at Kirkwood on Thursday.
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Volume 75, Issue 28
Sock it ... to me?
Heavy rain disrupts athletics (from 7) particularly conference contests. Just yesterday, a key baseball game between SLUH and CBC was cancelled, and, according to Wehner, games like that must be played. Wehner mused that it might be easier to have baseball, tennis, and golf—the sports which have suffered most from the rain—in the fall, when rain is less prevalent. “I'd love to see baseball and either golf or tennis moved to the fall, simply because of weather,” he said. Such a change would also decrease the large number of boys' spring sports—there are currently 10. But, Wehner added, MSHSAA voted overwhelmingly against moving baseball to the fall, in part because at small schools a very athletic kid might play both baseball and either soccer or
Friday, April 29
football. Tennis or golf could not make the switch because the complementary girls' teams play in the fall, and the area's tennis and golf facilities probably could not accommodate both. Overall, though, Wehner said that though this year's batch of storms seems rough, some years in the past have been even worse. About eight and 15 years ago, he said, St. Louis had even wetter springs. Wehner put things in perspective: “Back then, we weren't playing (most sports on SLUH fields). We didn't have a turf field. … So this is easier.”
Golf takes fifth in Webster Cup (from 7)
Farms, just up the road from Crescent Farms, to play in the MCC Championships. With a shotgun start at 7:30 a.m., the teams had to get up early to play. When the team gathered on the practice green before the round started, Gardner told the team, “This is my last year and I’m tired of only beating Vianney every year. Let’s go out there and surprise them like we did at the Webster Cup.” The course was in pristine condition, but winds were a steady 30 mph with gusts up to 40 mph that made conditions rough. With the first shot of the day being a hole-inone from a CBC player, the field thought they were in for a dissapointing day. Sophomore Andy Hitch and Schoelch both medaled with 84’s, and the team ended up placing fourth, once again only beating Vianney. The Mickelsonbills took their top five players—Hutchison, Gardner, Schoelch, Schaeffer, and Hitch‚to Districts at prestigious Persimmon Woods in St. Charles Wednesday.
Despite rain all week, the course stayed in great condition, and drained well. Hitch said, “With the course looking this perfect, hit fairways and greens and we can all play well. I just want a good shot at winning as a team.” The five went out with confidence, playing pretty well until an hour-long rain delay halted play. Hutchison and Schaeffer were playing well enough to advance to Sectionals. After finishing up their final holes, Schaeffer ended up with an 84 and Hutchison a 79. They both advanced to Sectionals by placing in the top 15 Wednesday. Sectionals are questionable for the current location in Poplar Bluff because of flooding this week, but the two are confident they will continue their good play and make it to State. The team has its final match at the highly respected Bellerive Country Club on Monday against Priory. The team hopes to end the season on a good note with a win.
Rugby falls in Districts (from 7) and that’s why they had the lead.” The second half continued the theme of defensive dominance, as nobody could put points on the board until there were five minutes left in the game, when the Jr. Bills soared ahead on a try from senior Nick Schwetz and took a 10-7 lead. Senior prop Tate Macarthy said, “We were driving the ball for most of the second half and finally got over the hump by powering it in with Nick (Schwetz).” This set the stage for an intense final five minutes. Unfortunately, the Jr. Bills got called for a high tackle penalty very deep in their own territory. Bentz said, “It was just unlucky to get that call against us that late in the game.” The penalty led to a CBC try with about a minute to go, as they stole the game from the Bills 12-10 and handed them their first regular season loss this season. Mulligan said,” We gave them everything we had. A couple of things didn’t go our way, and we got a bad result.” Macarthy also added, “We thought we had it. We got too pumped, and they scored. Worst feeling in the world.” The loss dropped SLUH to 1-1 in District play, while CBC remained undefeated in districts. The game had serious implications for SLUH, because unless CBC loses a game, the Jr. Bills cannot win their district. The highest SLUH can place at State without winning their district is fifth.
On Holy Thursday, the Jr. Bills took on Parkway United for the second time this season on a beautiful partly cloudy day in Forest Park. Earlier this year, the Jr. Bills fell 12-7 to United during the Ruggerfest Tournament. Hoping to avenge their early season loss, SLUH got on the board early again with a penalty kick from Herrmann. However, the Jr. Bills struggled to get things going offensively, failing to put up any more points in the first half. Parkway took advantage of the offensive woes of the team, running all over the field and possessing the ball for most of the half. Parkway scored two tries, but fortunately were unsuccessful on a conversion kick, so the Jr. Bills were only down 12-3 at halftime. After a try from Parkway early in the second half, Herrmann finally got a try for the Jr. Bills and cut the lead to twelve points. But that was all the offense SLUH could muster on that Thursday afternoon, and Parkway scored a couple more tries to hand the Jr. Bills their second straight loss, this time by a score of 29-8. Macarthy said, “They were huge and outmuscled us. Plus, we played a sloppy game.” Tomorrow, the Jr. Bills will try to get back on track and take on the defending State champion Eureka Wildcats in what will surely be a good game. In their two meetings last year, the Bills tied Eureka in the regular season matchup 15-15, and then lost to the Wildcats in the State semifinals. PHOTO BY DREW DZIEDZIC
April 29, 2011
Schedule M
Mass Schedule End of Year Assembly JV Water Polo @ Ladue Invitational C Lacrosse @ CBC Freshman Tournament 2pm Awards Ceremony 4pm V/JV Tennis @ Parkway South 4:30pm C Baseball vs. Chaminade JV Lacrosse @ John Burroughs Lunch Chicken Fried Steak Sandwich Healthy—Hamburger Stroganoff
Saturday, April 30
Varsity Baseball @ Ritenour Tounament C Lacrosse @ CBC Freshman Tournament JV Volleyball @ DeSmet JV Tournament V Lacrosse @ Midwest Jesuit Lacrosse Classic 9am V Track @ Clayton Invitation 11am V Rugby @ Eureka 12pm B Basketball vs. Ladue 4pm V Inline vs. Lafayette 7:30pm Senior Follies
Sunday, May 1
C Lacrosse @ CBC Freshman Tournament V Lacrosse @ Midwest Jesuit Lacrosse Classic 7:30pm Senior Follies
Monday, May 2
No Classes
Tuesday, May 3
Schedule R
Wednesday, May 4
Schedule M
Thursday, May 5
Schedule R
Friday, May 6
Schedule H
No Classes-Faculty In-Service JV Water Polo @JV Championship 7:30am AP Chemistry/Enviromental Science Exams 12pm AP Psychology Exams 3:30pm V Golf vs. Priory 4pm JV/C Track vs. DeSmet/CBC 4pm V Tennis vs. Westminster 4:30pm V Baseball vs. St. Mary’s 5:30pm V Volleyball @ Francis Howell Central Schedule R 7:30am AP Computer Science/Spanish Exams AP Freshman Class Meeting Rosary Junior Class Meeting 4pm JV Lacrosse vs. Lindbergh 4:30pm V Baseball @ DeSmet 6pm V Lacrosse vs. Lindbergh Lunch Chicken Rings Healthy-Pizza Calzone Schedule M End of Year Mass 7:30am AP Calculus AB/BC Exams 4pm V Tennis @ Priory 4:30pm V Baseball vs. Chaminade 4:30pm V Rugby @ Fox 5pm JV Volleyball vs. CBC 6pm Leadership Circle Dinner 6pm V Volleyball vs. CBC Lunch Burritos/Crispitos Healthy-Chicken and Dumplings
Schedule R 7:30am AP English Literature Exams 8am V Golf @ Sectional 12pm AP Latin Exam 4pm V/JV/C Track vs. MCC Championships 4pm V/JV Tennis @ Kirkwood 5pm V Volleyball @ Chaminade 6pm V Lacrosse @ Chaminade Lunch Taco Bar Healthy-Bean y Beef Burrito Half Day Schedule C Baseball @ CBC/SLUH Tournament 7:30am AP US History Exam 12pm AP European History Exam 1:30pm Junior Ring Mass 8:00pm Junior Ring Dance 4:30 B Baseball vs. Granite City More on the Web:
Underclassman Sports Check the Prep News website for scores and game recaps of SLUH’s JV, B and C sports. The making of a prank.
sluh.org/prepnews/ucsports