Volume 43, Issue XIII

Preview: Cape & Swor d's 1776 Page 3

Vol. 43, I ssue XI I I

M ovie Review: A Quiet Place Page 12

Opinion: The Senior Tr ip Needs Refor m Page 15

The Student Newspaper of St. Joseph's Prep

Prep Rugby Tr ip to Spain Page 19

Apr il 26, 2018

PROCK EY WI NS STATE CHAM PI ONSHI P (Photo: St. Joe's Prep Facebook)

I gnatian Her itage Week

M ission Cor ner : On the Topic of M ercy Page 8

By M atthew Bae '21 With 2018?s Ignatian Heritage Week finished, the Prep?s Jesuit Identity is on the forefront of the community?s mind.

In nearly every classroom here at St. Joseph?s Prep, plastered on its walls are the five pillars of Jesuit education, or Graduate at Graduation Principles: intellectually competent, committed to doing justice, religious, open to growth, and loving. In addition, words and phrases of importance to the Jesuits such as magis or cura personalis. SJP?s Ignatian Heritage is all around, and this week has been a time to reflect as a Prep community on the values and teachings that have formed the Jesuit education that is received today.

To read more about the first Flyers Cup and State Championship victories in Prep Hockey history, go to Page 17.

Strategic Plan: Many Parts, One Prep (Photo: St. Joe's Prep Facebook)

On Tuesday April 17, Sr. Helen Cole gave a schoolwide lecture in the Church of the Gesu. For years, she has devoted her life to trying to make a positive impact in the impoverished neighborhoods of Camden, New Jersey. Sr. Helen Cole provides counseling for the families of murder victims as well as anyone devastated by the violence in the city.

On Friday, April 20, a homelessness awareness event was conducted. It began with a morning prayer service, then they met during Community Hour, lunch, and finally the students partook in after an school service activity to help the homeless community.

They were able to reflect on the causes and reality of homelessness, especially in the city Philadelphia.

The rededication of the Ignatius statue held on Monday, April 16 and the school wide mass celebrated on Thursday, April 19 were reminders of our roots as a Jesuit community, bonded to the faith of Jesus Christ. By coming together as a school community to pray and to honor gestures that reflect spirituality, like the DiCocco family?s generous donation of time to refurbish the statue, truly strengthens religion across the school community.

(Continued on Page 6)

The long-awaited Strategic Plan has been rolled out to the public by the Board of Trustees. Fully story on Page 3.

2 | News

C& S to Take the Stage with 1776

By Ronan Egan '18 In the wake of the exceptional, 11-performance run that was Newsies, as well as the annual Night of Scenes, the Cape and Sword Drama Society looks to continue their hot streak with the musical 1776.

The show, which is based off of the struggles of the Second Continental Congress, opens on May 11 and runs through the 20th, with eight shows in that time period. Its plot dramatizes the efforts of John Adams to unify the country. As its namesake suggests, the show is, obviously, meant to specifically emphasize the

signing of the Declaration of Independence in the year 1776.

The mashup of the creation of the United States with music is something that, initially, was met with skepticism when the play first hit Broadway back in 1969. However, over the course of 1200- plus performances, it has become a revered Broadway musical.

go with this show is how vastly it differs from the rollicking, dance- heavy performance that was Newsies in the fall. Where Newsies was a musical in every sense of the word, 1776 is really more of a play with some songs here and there - - as a cast, we've been thinking of it that way throughout the whole process.?

Its classification as a musical raises some questions. The show does not feature the elaborate dance numbers that Newsies is iconic for. Rather, just the opposite. One of the senior captains, Matt Phillips ?18, elaborates: ?One of the major reasons we decided to

The cast, according to captain Paul Koenig ?18, has taken great strides in the development of the play. While Phillips is playing the lead? his first ever? the supporting cast is second to none.

His fellow captain Paul Koenig plays the brilliant Ben

Franklin, while Steve Dierkes ?18, Jay Fogarty ?18, and James DiCocco ?18 all will be prevalent with their renditions of Thomas Jefferson, John Dickinson, and Edward Rutledge, respectively.

To play the lead role, John Adams, is a dream come true for Phillips. While excited, he is still nervous for his first time leading the cast under the bright lights. He has had countless supporting roles dating back to his freshman year, but to play the lead is something entirely different: ?I'm not exactly a stranger to supporting leads on the Prep stage, but I never expected to be the

lead of a Cape and Sword show, either. In all of it, my spirit is bolstered by how much of an ensemble piece this show is: I'm sharing the stage with such talented people, and under the guidance of unmatched directors, so all of that helps me breathe a little bit easier.

The role of John Adams is an absolute thrill to play, though? he isn't me fully and completely, but the character and I share some very similar fears, witticisms, and mannerisms. That helps, too? I've got a lot of parallel experiences and characteristics to draw upon.?

(Continued on page 6)

Ar t Requirement I ncreased to One Credit

By David McCabe '19 Since the beginning of the year, teachers and faculty members have been able to more openly discuss their teaching styles and the educational environment of the Prep with the addition of more frequent departmental meetings. The Fine Arts (FA) Department?s discussions have culminated with a change to the graduation requirement from the Fine Arts Department. The requirement is being increased from one halfcredit to a full credit of art in order to graduate.

Department Head Ms. Hilton explains where the change came from, ?We?ve been talking about it for a number of years.

Over the course of the development of the art department, we?ve actually spent time coordinating our courses so that they would have the same concepts.

It?s impossible to do a good job in just one semester to cover all

the basics of an art education.

We felt that this was leaving our students in a deficit.?

When asked why this change to the requirement came about this year, Mr. Foldesy replied, ?It is certainly something that all 3 of us have had in the back of our minds for many years.

Additionally, the new gradelevel meetings this year greatly influenced me. It is during these meetings that I have gotten the chance to listen to other faculty members speak about their students and pedagogical practices.

I realized that, for the most part, other teachers have a full year to work with their students. And I could see how this extra semester would impact students in the Arts. They would so easily be able to build upon content knowledge developed during the first semester. Their growth in the Arts would be exponential during a full year, as opposed to a single semester. Once Mr. Schwartz and I did some

research, the results we found were incredibly compelling. 19 other Jesuit Secondary schools across the country already have a full year FA requirement. And 7 additional Jesuit schools have 3 - 6 semesters for their FA requirement.?

The FA requirement for public high schools in Pennsylvania is 2 credits, so the Prep is taking a step towards the standard set by Jesuit schools across the country and by other schools in the area by increasing the requirement.

The increase in requirement could possibly lead to more full-year courses offered by the FA Department here at the Prep.

As of right now, there is one, full- year music course offered and three, full-year art courses, two of which are AP classes.

But, according to Mr. Foldesy, ?The earliest those changes would take place is the 2019-20 school year. ?

The Prep students who will be affected by this change are the current Freshman Class of 2021 and all subsequent classes from here on out. Foldesy predicts the effects on the student body to be positive. ?The Arts are meant to build imagination, vision, sensitivity, maturity, critical thinking, a respect for different approaches, and craft.?

Being one of the students affected by this change, Freshman Matt McCarney ?21 says, ?I think we should keep it as a half credit because if people aren?t interested in art, it?s not really fair to them. The half credit is still good to expose people to art.?

From an upperclassman?s perspective, Robbie Calabro ?19 says ?I think it?s a good idea because some colleges require a full art credit, so when some kids are applying, it?s already too late. This will fix that potential problem.?

Mr. Petruzzelli, who was integral in the process of approving the change in requirement, comments, ?When you look at us compared to other Jesuit schools and other independent, Catholic schools, our requirement was so much less. It also lives in the realm of having a well- rounded education. If we?re looking to make wellrounded students, this is an opportunity to expose them to that art which will help them move forward as students. If they love it, then great. If they don?t, that?s also fine.?

Ms. Hilton also adds, "We say that here at Jesuit school we teach the whole person. This is a part of the person. They?re getting a liberal arts education, and you can?t have that without the arts. It makes you a wellrounded individual. It?s a type of thinking that you develop that you only develop with the arts. It?s very necessary in today?s world."

News | 3

Many Parts, One Prep Announced to Public (Photo: sjprep.org)

By Joe Scott '19 Years after its initial conception, the St. Joseph?s Prep Strategic Plan, Many Parts, One Prep, was released to the community. The rollout of this plan began with presentations to the faculty during Wednesday morning meetings, each meeting focusing on a different one of the four goals layed out.

The early stages of the plan took form as small committee meetings of faculty, parents, trustees, and staff.

Through these meetings, Fr. Swope said that, ?The whole idea is to engage them. In years past, the Prep depended on Development, in a not sustained way. There was a lot of fund-raising, so we?d send out a mailing and wait for money to come in, hoping it would raise enough to pay the bills.

We still do that, but we also are now raising money for small gifts. Doing this, we project that the endowment will increase by about 10%.?

Their contributions started in October 2016, and the writers of the plan expresses thanks for this input and states that ?Their perspectives and passions have inspired our vision, and serve as foundation and fuel for the progress to come from it.?

Increasing the endowment, according to the plan, would enable more financial aid and scholarship money to be given, enhanced academic programs, more support given to athletics, developing Mission and Ministry initiatives, and attracting first-class faculty.

Many opinions were heard and incorporated into the strategy by a freelance advisor hired by the Board to lead in the creation of the plan?s many facets.

The long- awaited release of Many Parts, One Prep began in Wednesday morning faculty meetings, when the plan?s overview was announced by Father Swope. The following four presentations focused on each goal and were presented by members of the faculty and administration to whom the goal directly related.

The four goals that the Strategic Plan sets forth are to ?Live Our Catholic and Jesuit Mission, to Enhance Academic Excellence, to Strengthen an Environment of Involvement, Respect and Connection, and to Sustain the Prep Mission through Enhanced Revenue Strategies? Each addresses a different aspect of the future hopes and intentions of the Prep?s leadership.

Goal 1 addresses the concern of some students and young alumni during recent months: adherence to the schools Jesuit Identity and Mission. The goal, presented to the faculty by Father Frederico, outlines the mission of the school in regards to Jesuit ideology.

The plan pledges that ?The Prep will strengthen all programs that directly support the education of young men as citizens of the world, prepared and eager to transform society using the values of Jesus Christ.?

Essentially, the first goal of the Strategic Plan is to open opportunities to improve spiritual life of the community and give members the tools to continue that Jesuit work beyond the Prep.

There are three objectives laid out to achieve that, one of which articulates plans to establish an Ignatian Engagement Program for faculty and staff of the school. It is stated that the program would act as a way to create a professional development plan to bring growth in the Ignatian aspects of being a Jesuit educator or

the countless trips that the two have taken to various parts of the country. They have been very busy meeting and connecting with alumni, attempting to draw their attention back to the school that gave them so much.

The cover of the M any Par ts, One Prep packet mailed to the community featured senior students from the choir. staff member of a Jesuit school. The remaining two objectives regard attempting to better connect academic, service, and spiritual programs, and cultivate a sense of ownership for the mission among students.

The second goal highlights the academic portion of the plan.

The hope is that through this goal of enhancing academic excellence by reflecting SJP?s roots in the liberal arts and its aspiration to be at the front of new and improved studentcentric learning. The objectives communicate a hope of a full curriculum review in the coming years.

Mr. Petruzelli expressed excitement for this goal specifically stating that ?I think that looking at our curriculum to make sure that the classes we are offering and the types of assessments and learning opportunities coincide with the mission. We want to make sure the student is at the center of it all. The curriculum review will be huge over the next years.

Do we do more digital or virtual learning? Do we offer more APs? Do we expand art?

These are all questions that we?ll need to examine in the review.?

Goal Three has a focus on strengthening an environment of involvement, respect, and connection. The first sentence of the goal?s description states that ?The Prep will become an institution focused on diversity, equity and inclusion.?

In achieving that very important and already striven for goal, the Strategic Plan lays out objectives that include but are not limited to, ?proactively

and progressively [broadening] the diversity in each Prep constituency,? and ?[creating] active and varying support groups for all students, parents, and colleagues.

The fourth and final goal is essentially a plan to create a means to achieve everything else laid out in the plan. This fiscally focused goal should in theory be able to fund the achievement of every other goal set forth by enhancing revenue strategies.

Mrs. Betsy Courtney, the Head of Development, says that ?All of our campaign will be centered around supporting those goals, from living out the mission to improving academics to increasing diversity and inclusion.?

Considering the fact that tuition and philanthropy are the two main sources of funding for the school, if the philanthropic aspects of the Prep?s revenue were to increase greatly, the hope exists that parents could see a halt in the rise of tuition in the near future.

The fourth goal?s specific objectives include those that fall within the realm of Development, Finance, and Admissions/Marketing. The first two objectives are inherently Development, as they present plans to create a development strategy that improves donor relations so that donor networks can be tapped into for major gifts, as well as seek aid in the form of donations from Trustees, alumni, and even ?colleagues,? a term used five important times throughout the plan; it can be inferred that the group to which that word

refers is the faculty and staff of the school, those on the Prep?s payroll.

Admissions and Marketing are called to ?judiciously manage student enrollment and financial aid.? Finance also plays a role in the final objective as it sets forth hopes that budgeting goals and processes can guarantee the long- term sustainability of the Prep.

One large facet of the financial aspect of the strategic plan is the goal to strengthen and increase the endowment. An endowment is a sum of money that is invested by an institution for sustained support. The principal investment cannot be drawn from, but the profits it creates through investment all go towards the funding of the institution.

Saint Joe?s Prep?s current endowment lies around $20 million. Often, nonprofit organizations strive for an endowment that is triple their operating budget. For the Prep, considering salaries, scholarships, financial aid, club and sports budgets, academic expenses, transportation and all of the other various expenses that go into our school, a target endowment by that model might fall close to $60 million.

The Development Office has already increased the endowment this year by $2 Million.

All of the improvements made upon the endowment stem from donations.

Fr. Swope and Mrs. Courtney have worked recently on creating opportunities for donors to benefit the Prep by directly donating to the endowment. Many have noticed

There is a wide spectrum of opinion in the school regarding the plan. Many are avid supporters while others have criticisms.

Mr. Petruzelli was steadfast in his praise, saying, ?I think it?s bold, I think it is something that will present a challenge to the community. I think that the pieces of it, the four pillars are very reasonable, they are things that a school like St. Joe?s Prep should be doing and paying special attention to.?

That is not an uncommon opinion to have. Other supporters of the plan such as Fr. Swope and Mrs. Courtney speak of the boldness and ambition in the plan, praising it as the much needed entity to propel this school forward into its full potential.

One anonymous faculty member was more critical and said, ?I feel like the board/administration is acting like we are a corporation or a university, not a Jesuit High School.?

Senior Stephen Dierkes was concerned about the Prep community's ability to have an open discussion about this plan.

"During this time in the Prep's history, one focused on redirection and new visions, I struggle with the administration's recent response to complaints from students and faculty," said Dierkes. "In some cases the issue is that students and faculty are hesitant to speak up. However, we have to remember that without students and teachers, the Prep doesn't exist. It's time for opinions to be freely heard and considered without fear of repercussions. To be taken seriously means actual discussion and actual, reactive change that proves these 'citizens' of the Prep are being heard."

4 | News

2018-19 STUCO EL ECTI ONS PRESI DENTI AL CANDI DATES

Br ian Anzilotti

Tommy Boyle

Alex Cabulong

Robbie Calabro

Shane Dever

Thomas Dintino

Cole K eeney

Yuanle M a

M ichael M archese

M ichael Wusinich

TREASURER CANDI DATES

Har r y Fanto

I saiah Fr anco

James M cDer mott

Richar d Nichols

SECRETARY CANDI DATES

Jackson Chamber lain

L iam Gr ugan

Ryan Procopio

FRI DAY, APRI L 27 -- PRI M ARY EL ECTI ONS TUESDAY, M AY 1 -- SPEECHES (COM M UNI TY HOUR) Voting will open following speeches and will last for the duration of the day. The winners will be announced at the end of the day on May 1. Note: The second and third runners-up from the presidential ballot will be selected to serve as the two Vice Presidents.

M in din g You r M in d

A Celebr at ion of Lif e: Ph iladelph ia Wh en :

Wh er e:

Th u r sday, M ay 10

Ballr oom at Th e Ben

8:00 PM - 12:00 AM

834 Ch est n u t St r eet

M u sical en t er t ain m en t , h or s d?oeu vr es, 4-h ou r t op sh elf open bar , r af f le, an d oppor t u n it y t o lear n m or e abou t M in din g You r M in d

Ph iladelph ia, PA 19107 A Celebration of Life was launched in 2011 at Vanderbilt University to honor the memory of Kyle Craig, a 21-year-old student who died by suicide. In the seven years since it began in Nashville, this annual event has expanded to New York City, Boston, and Philadelphia, engaging more than 2,400 young professionals in the service of suicide prevention and mental health education.

A Celebration of Life is an evening focused on inspiring hope, while also remembering those lives that we have lost to suicide. On Thursday, May 10, we join together to Celebrate Life! Join us for a 4-hour top shelf open bar, hors d?oeuvres, DJ, and incredible raffle items.

Funds raised from this event support Minding Your Mind?s mental health education programs

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED. I F YOU?RE I NTERESTED EMAI L CHRI S I X ?18.

The first A Celebration of Life: Philadelphia event was started by Drew Bergman '12 and Michael Garuccio '13, welcoming 275

Each t icket pur chased com es wit h a t icket t o t he Met s vs. Phillies gam e on Fr iday May 11. Volunt eer s will also r eceive t icket s

attendees at The Union Trust. Thanks to increased awareness of the issues highlighted by the event and positive word of mouth, last year ?s second annual A Celebration of Life: Philadelphia sold out

Lyft rides are discounted 30% off of rides to and from the venue using the promo "ACOL2018".

at 400 attendees and doubled the funds raised for Minding Your Mind's mental health education programs. In the 2017-18 school year, Minding Your Mind will complete 1,500 presentations to over 300,000 students.

6 | News

Cape & Swor d M ounts 1776 (Cont.)

Phillips and Koenig make sure to note this, saying, ?It's a high-stakes, almost courtroomdrama- esque story about a bunch of proud, intelligent, brave men poised to take on unquantifiable odds, or to re-

sist the war altogether. Admittedly, though, it's also really funny? much funnier than I expected the show to be when I first heard about it. I think that proves how much misconceptions can be wrong, especially with this piece -- it isn't boring Hall of Presidents at all. In fact, I think this is among the best work we've done in my time.?

In just a few short weeks the Cape and Sword Drama Society will yet again be taking center stage for the Prep community. While following the smash hit Newsies is no easy task, it is without doubt that I believe they will once again exceed these expectations.

(Photo: Matthew Bae'20)

At its core, 1776 is a musically-enhanced drama that is somewhat reminiscent of Kennedy?s Crisis, which made its run in the fall of 2015.

While that show was not a musical, the emphasis on dialogue is similar to that of 1776. It is high stakes from start to finish; and just as Kennedy?s Crisis used the Cuban Missile Crisis to advance the plot, so too will this use the formation of the Declaration of Independence to do the same.

The Continental Congress rehearses on stage, preparing for their May 11th Opening.

I gnatian Her itage Week (Cont.)

(Photo: Matthew Bae'20)

Students celebrate mass for I gnatian Heritage Week.

Throughout Ignatian Heritage week, students were asked to reflect and challenge themselves to grow and think outside the box. On Wednesday, April 18, students had the opportunity to stop by the Mission and Ministry Open House in Jesuit hall, and see all that they had to offer. There was an open house at which students were invited to mingle, meet new staff and students, and apply for postitions on the Mission and Ministry Leadership Board or retreat leadership teams.

The Prep community is a brotherhood of people from all different kinds of backgrounds.

One?s understanding of their role in the greater community

surrounding the Prep is crucial to their Jesuit education. The rededication and prayer service of the Christ of North Philadelphia Alter in the Gesu served as a way to strengthen the Prep?s bond with the community outside of its doors.

The overarching theme and goal here at the Prep is to develop ?Men For And With Others.? Jesuit identity is the cornerstone that brings people together as a Prep community.

As Fr. Chuck Frederico said, ?Ignatian Heritage Week is an opportunity for us as a school community to highlight and to celebrate how the charism of St. Ignatius is alive and at work today, here at St. Joe's Prep.?

By Reza Ali '20 Two weeks ago, on April 10th, Ms. Leah Dirkse from Women Organized Against Rape, held a presentation in the library. Ms. Dirkse, an education specialist, utilized a powerpoint to explain some definitions in regards to sexual violence, what WOAR specifically does to help victims of sexual violence, what members of society can do, even as teenagers, and much more.

Ms. Dirkse spent a lot of time on the definition of ?sexual harassment.? She stressed that intent doesn?t always matter, and that it is all about how you make the other person feel.

This resonated with the attendees, as murmuring broke out when it was said. After a few seconds, it was silent, since the realization was made that Ms. Dirkse was in fact, correct.

As well, time was spent discussing the specific things WOAR does as an organization. WOAR is the only antirape aid organization in the City of Philadelphia, and one of the first in the entire country. Established in 1971, the goal of this non- profit is ?...to eliminate sexual violence

through specialized treatment services, comprehensive prevention education programs, and advocacy for the rights of survivors of sexual assault.?

WOAR is available 24/7 and ?...is committed and ready ? 24 hours a day ? to serve the needs of survivors, to advocate on their behalf, and to provide life- saving information to our community.?

(Photo: Reza Ali '20)

Prep Hosts Women Organized Against Rape Speaker

Finally, Ms. Dirkse briefly addressed things teenagers can do to help. The main focus was on safe usage of social media.

She reminded the audience to be smart in their actions, and to understand the concept that it is not about what the intent is, but the affect the actions have on the other person.

This talk was well attended, partly due to extra credit offerings, however the main reasons many students attended was due to principles students are taught here at The Prep. The notion of being ?Men for and with others,? has taught students to strive to help others, which was the goal of the talk.

This talk was sponsored by the Religious Studies Department, Office of Diversity & Inclusion, Breaking Barriers, Student Council and Prep Democ-

Students listen intently to Ms. Leah Dirkse from Women Organized Against Rape. rats. The multitude of sponsors show that this talk wasn?t just in the interest of one group, or club, instead it is indicative of

the fact that the issue of sexual violence is one that everyone at The Prep is striving to tackle. Ms. Leah Dirkse?s pre-

sentation gave its attendees the tools needed to step up and help solve this issue, and truly be ?Men for and with others.?

Features | 7

Pember ton I nspires in Taggar t L ecture Ser ies

By Joe Scott '19

bility to not only students of the Prep, but students of the Gesu School as well.

Mr. Pemberton has a truly inspiring life story. It begins in Boston, where he grew up and

(Photo: St. Joe's Prep Facebook)

The Taggart lecture series saw one of its highlight speakers at the Prep on March 27th, when author, father, and corporate executive visited. Steve

Pemberton is a self made success, he rose up from situations and over obstacles that many of us could not imagine. He came to share his experience and act as a symbol of possi-

Steve Pemberton at the podium in the Kelly Fieldhouse, speaking on overcoming the immense obstacles that he faced in the foster care system throughout his youth.

began a long journey of social workers and foster homes. His story points out the flaws in the foster care system, as his experience reflects many of the problems it faces. In the homes he moved about, he never received the care adequate for a healthy survival. There was no support or encouragement coming from the guardian figures he came across, so he found himself forced to create that himself.

During his life, Mr. Pemberton was constantly faced with negativity, often from those trusted to protect him. His speaker profile on the APB Speakers website states that, ?these challenges only fuel his desire to become what he never had and in so doing find success as a trail- blazing corporate executive, enlightened people leader, visionary youth advocate and acclaimed speaker.? It is important to take the lessons that Mr. Pemberton brought and attempt to apply them to the lives of the Prep?s community members.

Many regarded Mr. Pember-

ton as one of the best Taggart speakers yet, Joe Matthews ?19 said, ?His story was amazing.

To come from such a difficult place and then almost alone get to a place of happiness, having a family, and being able to tell his story is truly incredible.?

One aspect of the speech that was considered the most powerful was his views on misfortune. He argued that if each person view the misfortune they face simply as an opportunity to leap over an obstacle.

He asserts that ?It?s about the leap not the landing.?

Not only did Pemberton?s speech bring inspiration to the Prep and Gesu, it gave an opportunity to unite the two schools. The speech served as another stepping stone on the path to a greater relationship.

The schools of our block have been growing closer in recent years, this year especially, and to share such a powerful experience with the Prep?s brothers and sisters at Gesu is a wonderful chance to connect the schools and their communities even__more.

Aidan M cGahey '20 to Study in M orocco

By Jason M atter a '20 The NSLI-Y Arabic summer program seeks to significantly increase students? Arabic vocabulary and their ability to communicate with confidence in the target language. The NSLI-Y website says that ?The program curriculum is designed to facilitate, through immersion and intensive learning, the equivalent of one year of Arabic instruction at a U.S. university.? All programs in-

clude instruction in Modern Standard Arabic. Classes in the colloquial dialect will also be offered to help students with everyday communication.

Aidan McGahey ?20, was selected for this specific program and one of many in the country with only a fifteen percent acceptance rate. Only twenty students were accepted for the six-week Morocco trip. It lasts from June 24 to August 5. Morocco offers an exciting mix of culture, situated at the cross-

roads of three distinct cultures: Arabic, European and Berber.

Aidan said ?I was really surprised to get the NSLI- Y scholarship considering it normally goes to mainly juniors and seniors. I am really excited to go to Morocco for the summer because it allows me to learn Arabic and Moroccan culture while staying with a Moroccan host family, which is something I always wanted to do.?

The Arabic academic year program seeks to significantly increase students? Arabic vocabulary and their ability to communicate with confidence in the target language. Instruction will be offered in reading, writing, listening and speaking Modern Standard Arabic. The NSLI- Y says ?The Arabic alphabet is phonetic, with each letter representing a single sound, yet mastering it will require you to think in new ways about sounds and how they

combine to form words.?

Towards the end of the trip students will present and showcase their final project and their final language portfolio during a formal gathering at the end of the program. The final three days of language courses will be devoted to helping students prepare for their final presentations. It is a great honor for Aidan to be selected for this program because of it's low acceptance rate and high__expectations.

College Spotlight: Pat Davies '18 While most seniors apply to at least five or six colleges, Pat Davies ?18 only applied to two: Penn State and Scranton.

He did this because he knew from the start these were the two places best for him. However, it was clear he desired more than anything to be a Nittany Lion. He says ?After visiting Penn State, I loved it so much I didn?t want to visit anywhere else. Nothing compares to the atmosphere there, and the opportunities are endless.? He chose Penn State and Scranton because ?I wanted to be comfortable continuing my Jesuit education at a place I loved, or step into the big school environment, which is a little out of my comfort zone.?

Pat, after being accepted to both institutions, will be attending Penn State in the fall, where he?ll begin studying Corporate Innovation and En-

trepreneurship, take part in the Army R.O.T.C. program, and hopefully get involved many more ways. The R.O.T.C. program also played a major role in where Pat decided to apply, noting ?Both schools are hosts for the program meaning I won?t have to travel another school for training everyday. I met with both recruiters and they were both very helpful, but I really liked that Penn State has clubs within the program to join.?

Pat described the his college options as a ?win-win?. Upon meeting with the head of his major, Corporate Innovation and Entrepreneurship, he knew for certain he?d be at Penn State this summer learning how to start his own business, training with R.O.T.C, and enjoying the vibrant and unique atmosphere that Happy Valley offers. He says the R.O.T.C. program ?will push me to be-

come better academically, athletically, and as a leader.?

(Photo: Pat Davies '18)

By Nick Paler mo '18

Unlike many people who join the R.O.T.C. program, Pat will have the opportunity to room with someone he knows.

Since R.O.T.C. typically has their own housing at a large campus like Penn State, most end up with a random roomate.

Pat, though, will be rooming with Alex Smith ?18, who is considering joining the program in his sophomore year.

Pat explains ?I?m hype to room with someone I know and feel our schedules will work well together. We are both motivated to be successful at Penn State, so I couldn?t be more excited to room with Alex.?

Pat has plays baseball at the Prep for his fourth year now, was an October Kairos leader, and sometimes plays Ultimate Frisbee. If you see Pat in the halls, ask him about Penn State and/or the R.O.T.C. program.

Pat is attending Penn State starting this summer with a major in Corporate I nnovation and Entrepreneurship.

8 | Features

M ission Cor ner : The Epitome of M ercy

By Paul K oenig '18

pope would never do. Francis did something that many would consider unorthodox for a Catholic, or even heretical.

Francis said to the crowd: ?A boy that inherited the strength of his father also had the courage to cry in front of all of us. If this man was able to create children like this, it?s true that he is a good man.? He explained that despite the fact that his father was without a faith or belief in God, he was still a good man and a good father. He went on to say that God himself was a father and

Francis then did something that many thought a Catholic

(Photo: cruxnow.com)

On Sunday, April 15th, Pope Francis paid a visit to St. Paul of the Cross parish in Rome.

During his visit, a little boy named Emmanuele was seen in the crowd, wanting to ask Francis a question over the microphone. However, the boy appeared fearful and tentative.

Members of the crowd persuaded him to approach Francis. The boy, overwhelmed with anxiety, resisted and broke down crying in front of the crowd and the Bishop of

Rome. However, Francis, in his Fr. Bur fashion of gentleness and pure saintliness, approached the boy, hugged him, and together the two had a quiet chat. The boy then went back into the crowd, allowing Francis to share with the crowd their conversation. Francis described how the boy had just lost his father and he was nervous to learn whether his father ? an atheist ? was in heaven.

Pope Francis embracing the young boy, Emmanuele, at his visit to St. Paul of the Cross in Rome, I taly.

possesed the ?heart of a father.? The pope then asked the crowd if they believed that God would ever condemn or ?abandon? the boy?s father.

The crowd responded with a resounding ?no.? Pope Francis the turned to the boy and said, ?There, Emanuele, that is the answer.?

Many would say that this was an un- Catholic thing to do or that Francis? response to the boy was heretical or not in line with Church doctrine. I spoke to Mr. McGlynn and Mr. Groch to get their take on what happened. Mr. McGlynn, who has taught Systematic Theology for countless years, reinforced the sentiments behind Francis?s actions saying, ?In the Gospels, Jesus says that the primary way we love God is by loving one another. When you feed the hungry, house the homeless and clothe the naked, that is loving and worshiping God. Whatever a person's intellectual conviction about the existence of God, faith is primarily a way of life? . when we live a life of goodness and forgiveness and generosity that unites us with God. Vatican II said that God judges us only with forgiveness. It is the very nature of God to love and forgive. Our salvation is determined by our capacity to respond to God's love and forgiveness. Living a virtuous life

is evidence of our acceptance of God's love.? Similarly, Mr. Groch, who has taught Church History for many years, poignantly reacted and analyzed the pope?s actions saying, ?I am deeply saddened every time I hear such stories of intolerance spawned by adults who miss Jesus' whole point. When did Jesus ever condemn outcasts judged harshly by society? Francis, who authentically embodies the attitude and values of Jesus, knew that the little ones, the children, had more sense than their elders. Would God abandon this boy's father, Francis asked the children.

No, they shouted. And that's why I've devoted my life to working with young people.

They are my inspiration.? Mr. McGlynn and Mr. Groch, two men well- versed in scripture and Church doctrine, negate the claim that Francis? actions deviate from the rules or guidelines of the Church. In fact it is the opposite. Francis?s actions, like those of Jesus Christ, are seen as counter cultural or dangerous because they are born out of pure love and mercy. Francis continuously acts not only in line with the church, but in line with the Jesus. Proving once more, Francis is not just the leader of the Catholic Church, he is the leader of the Universal__Church.

By Ned Bur ke '19 This past week, sophomore Reza Ali was selected to be a part of the Global Encounters 2018, an international program for teenage Ismaili Muslim youths dedicated on leadership and cultural development. This program is held in Kenya, India, and Pakistan during this summer. Over 1,300 applications were submitted worldwide, resulting in an overabundance of qualified candidates. The candidates were selected based on character, intelligence, passion, and commitment to service.

The participants of this program must be Ismaili Muslim(a denomination of Shia Islam) between ages 15 and 17, in addition to being academically accomplished and considered a civic- minded leader. Over the past 6 years, 720 participants from 33 different countries have contributed over 33,000 hours of service. These service includes leading projects and volunteering at local schools and communities. In addition to these long hours of service, the participants of the program stay at prestigious academic institutions, such as The Aga Khan University. Here, the members expand their knowledge of global development through challenging classes and through visiting historical and cultural sites. These bright young students also expand their knowledge of the world

through socializing amongst themselves and learning about the different cultures and countries they come from.

One mission that Reza hopes to accomplish through his participation of Global Encounters is to cultivate the necessary skills and principals required of a leader. Another goal of Reza?s is to educate others on the reality of his religion, as opposed to the many misconceptions of the religion that are relevant in the world today.

Reza, who has attended both Catholic and Jewish schools before his time at the Prep, considers himself knowledgeable in each religion: ? ? it is extremely important to understand that we are all on the same tree. Just different branches.?

A quality of Global Encounters that attracted Reza was the similarities between it and the Prep in terms of principles. ?Cura personalis, meaning care for the entire person, is a Jesuit philosophy that I strive to follow, and I believe this camp will allow me to do so,? says Reza. This principle is certainly a critical point to the idea of Men for and with Others, a philosophy that is instilled in the minds of Saint Joe?s Prep students. Through this opportunity, Reza hopes to not only expand his own knowledge of culture and service, but to lead and help others using these very principles.

(Photo: @SJPREP Twitter)

Reza Ali '20 Selected to L eader ship Progr am

Reza Ali '20 was chosen of thousands of applicants to take part in the "Global Encounters" Program for Muslim teenage leaders.

Features | 9

The Prep I ntroduces Post-Secondar y Spotlight We?ve probably all heard one of the Prep?s most famous sayings, ?College Starts Here.?

One of the newest ways in which the Prep is preparing us for the next step in our academic careers is with the PostSecondary Spotlight Series. If you?ve ever received an email from ?clogan@sjprep.org,? but never actually took the time to read it, chances are that Mrs. Corinne Logan, one of our fantastic College Counselors, was reminding you of an opportunity to attend a PostSecondary Spotlight Presentation. These presentations are one of the many other ways in which we could be spending our Community Period (when we actually have it), as opposed to always choosing study hall.

(Photo: @CorinneSJP Twitter)

The Post Secondary Spotlight Series is run by the College Counseling Department, taking place usually a few

times a week. Each presentation is done by someone very knowledgeable in the College Application Process, mostly current or former College Admission Representatives from Universities all around the country. The topics covered in these presentations range from navigating the NCAA, applying for Financial Aid, choosing between the SAT and ACT, finding your ideal sized school, discerning how far you would like to travel for school, presentations done by a single school showcasing their universities, and everything else in between, all in an attempt to help us students find the best fit for us.

This was all made possible by the implementation of the Community Period, as well as the vision of Mrs. Logan: ?I saw an opportunity to invite our colleagues to share their expertise.? A former St. Joe?s University Admissions Counselor, Mrs. Logan knows that

during the spring, college admission counselors are often occupied during the evenings, so she invited many of her colleagues to come in at our community period. ?The response was overwhelming,? she said, receiving over 60 responses, ?I saw another opportunity to educate you guys.?

The overall goal of the PostSecondary Spotlight Series is to help us students find what we want from our college experience, whether that be location, academics, or social life.

The colleagues of our College Counseling Department are very smart and great resources for us, allowing us to drive our college search and learn as much as we want to about the application process. When asked if these talks are working, Mrs. Logan responded ?From a topic standpoint, they are extremely resourceful for those attending. The topics covered are great, the representatives love coming in.?

Two of our of Post-Secondary Spotlight Series. On the left is Pamela Brutto from the University of Alabama speaking about the basics of the college search process. On the right is Jennifer Fabian from Lemoyne, presenting "Navigating the NCAA."

The most well attended presentations are the ones in which Prep Alumni come back to share their knowledge.

However, Mrs. Logan also noted that for the most part, the attendance is pitiful, with only a handful of students attending each presentation. In fact, the freshman and sophomores are doing their part, showing up just as much as the junior class.

One of Mrs. Logan?s favorite talks came from Matthew Lopez, the Executive Director of Admissions at Arizona State University. He spoke about choosing your major, and spoke about ASU?s website, which is a great resource for major explorations. Another one of her favorites was a presentation done by a representative from the University of Southern California, who talked about the pros and cons of attending school across the country. Next week, there are three different presentations,

on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Monday?s Presentation hosts representatives from VCU, Elmira College, and University of the Sciences weighing in on the differences between a large University, liberal arts college, and Science University. On Tuesday, Frann Mawusi from Eastern University is coming in to speak on the benefits of having a Mentor in College. The presentation on Thursday is also a great resource, with Jamie Kirschner from Loyola University Maryland, who will be giving an inside view into what college admission counselors are looking for in college essays.

The Post- Secondary Spotlight Presentations are a fantastic addition to the Prep?s motto, ?College Starts Here.?

Next time Mrs. Logan emails, take the time to at least read it.

Most likely these presentations will help us in our college search.

(Photo: @CorinneSJP Twitter)

By Jacob DeAnnuntis '19

10 | Entertainment

M usical M usings: L il Yachty's Second Boat

By Sebastian Por reca '18

While Yachty, of course, does an excellent job, his features really add a lot to the album. Songs like ?MICKEY,? featuring Offset and Lil Baby, and ?OOPS,? featuring 2 Chainz and K$upreme, are really enhanced by their features.

Yachty employs them in a way so that they are not overpowering, but he still maintains control over the songs. The production and beats are also really strong on this album, complimenting Yachty?s new-

found flow. It almost seems like just as Yachty has a smoother flow, his beats do too. The production highpoint on this album is the beat on songs ?COUNT ME IN? and ?WHOLE lotta GUAP? by Pi?erre Bourne, who is known for his amazing beats on Playboi Carti?s self- titled mixtape.

That said, there are still some moments where Yachty?s rhythm and flow lacks, making his rapping seem a bit clunky at times.

Overall, Lil Boat 2 is a total rehashing of Yachty?s style, but still maintains the key aspects of his musical personality. It is

clearly a much more serious and aggressive album than those prior, but Yachty?s lightness and quirkiness certainly shine through across the album. I think Lil Boat 2 is a big turn in Yachty?s career and a just simply a really solid trap album.

(Photo: Pitchfork)

My personal view of Atlanta rapper Lil Yachty over the past couple of years has been conflicted to say the least. He has, of course, had his smash hits like ?One Night? and ?Minnesota,? but he never had any good songs or albums that he released himself. His past two albums and mixtapes, Summer Songs 2 and Teenage Emotions, were frankly both pretty bad; not to mention he also didn?t release many notable singles either. That said, I cannot discount Yachty because of how much he comes through on his features. We all know songs like ?Broccoli? with DRAM and ?ISpy? with Kyle, but it seems like just recently Yachty has been making tons of feature appearances, and absolutely killing it. Songs like Tee Grizzley?s ?From the D to the A,? ?Interlude? from The Migos?

Quality Control Records mixtape, and ?Bahamas? off of ASAP Mob?s second mixtape have been some of his best. Especially so since Yachty?s appearances on them totally blew me away. It left me asking: when was Yachty going to release something like this on his own? My question was answered when Lil Boat 2, a follow up to the Lil Boat mixtape, was released in early March.

Lil Boat 2 embodies everything I found so exciting about Yachty?s features, specifically a newer style. While maintaining spatterings of his older lighthearted, poppy style, Yachty has developed a much cleaner and melodic flow. His flow and general rapping style is also a lot more aggressive, but in a calm, controlled way that makes it work really well.

Personally I enjoy the agression a lot, since it is not too harsh to listen to. Not to mention Yachty?s voice, which really goes either way in terms of who you ask, is pretty unique and enjoyable. Across the album, Yachty?s rhymes and lyrics are consistently very clever and he?s got some very nice word play that fits pretty well. This is an area of major improvement from his previous works.

The album art for L il Boat 2.

Faculty Gr id

By Stephen Har r ison '20

M s. M ar ielle Bietz

M s. Gina Gulli

M r s. L isann Castagno M r. K evin K ear ney '06

What do you think of the new Prep dog?

I'm going to steal Iggy from Ms. Baland.

He?s adorable.

I?ve only seen him once, but he looks cute.

As far as I can tell, it is indeed a dog.

What is your favor ite Philadelphia spor ts team?

Philadelphia Kixx

The Phillies

The Eagles of course.

The Phillies

What is your favor ite kind of pretzel?

Snyder?s Pretzel Snaps

Soft Pretzel

Butter Snaps

Soft Pretzel

What is your most useless talent?

I once raced D'Andre Swift in the 60 meter dash I can recite the sorting hat My ability to know what?s and won. Also, I can eat an songs from the Harry going to happen in all entire box of Thin Mints in Potter books. movies? It annoys people. one sitting.

I can clap with one hand.

Entertainment | 11

Dining with Dav: The Rise of M ission BBQ

By David Haddad '18

Mission BBQ is a rustic barbecue spot that supports American military veterans.

When you walk into any of their locations you will see pictures of vets and a plethora

I have been to Mission BBQ numerous times, trying a lot of different entrees, some of which include the ribs, pulled pork, and pulled chicken sandwiches. Each time, the food has been fantastic. Within four minutes your food is ready and there is plenty of room if you want to sit there and dine in.

The food tastes very fresh and they are never stingy with the sides; the fries are always plenty. One thing I like best

about Mission BBQ is the quality of their food. You will never go there and receive a bad meal. So far, the pulled chicken sandwiches and the ribs set themselves apart from the rest of the menu. The meat is always very tender and cooked to near perfection. I would definitely recommend any of these two dishes.

I have been to two of the locations nearby: Warminster and King of Prussia. At both locations, there is no disparity in the quality of food. Both spots were fantastic. I must also add that the staff is Chickfil- a friendly. On the occasion when I was speaking to the manager to compliment the food, he thanked me and then gave me a bunch of free meal cards. Mission BBQ is has three locations in our area, King of Prussia, Warminster, and Plymouth Meeting. There

is, however, one closer to the Prep, located on Roosevelt Boulevard (11000 Roosevelt Boulevard Philadelphia, PA 19116). Mission BBQ caters

for events and is open MonThu: 11am to 9pm, Fri & Sat: 11am to 10pm, Sun: 11:30am to 8pm.

One of the many delicious sandwiches at Mission BBQ.

The Hawkword

By Fr ank Coyne '19

" Either Or " Edition Note: Some wor ds have multiple pronunciations.

Be the first person to submit your completed Hawkword to David McCabe '19, Matt Phillips '18, or Marco Sammartino '18 to receive a free Sage lunch pass.

Across

Down

2. Did dive, or bird of peace

1. ?Do? in the 3rd, or a group of female deer

12. Motor scooter, or acted sad

4. To shine shoes, or from Warsaw

3. Said it, or part of a bike wheel

9. Mustang, or Pinto

5. French explorer, or Prep nemesis

13. Yoke of The Prep, or closing pitcher

14. Rotten sausage, or coddled child

6. Argument, or oarsman?s activity

15. Anagram of ?Suite J?, or men in black

7. City waste conduit, or mender of clothing

16. Anesthetic, or numeral

8. First finger, or helpful tip

18. Pro ______, or U2?s lead singer

10. One who illustrates, or part of your bureau

19. Peanut coat, or sculler?s boat

11. Satchmo, or first moonwalker

17. Skin protrusion, or burrowing creature 18. Big-mouthed fish, or large drum

(Photo: Artios Retail)

For thirteen issues, I have been dining at spots all over Philadelphia. I have tasted a wide variety of foods: some amazing, some not so much.

As the school year wraps up, I decided to find a place that is not only located in Philadelphia, but also has a lot of locations all over Montgomery and Delaware Counties. Mission BBQ has been taking the food world by storm recently. They have opened up in locations all across Pennsylvania, including the suburbs many Prep students live in. Just in the past year, they opened up a new location in King of Prussia and Warminster, among others.

of American or Philadelphian pride. The restaurant mimics an old Southern restaurant with rustic booths and tables. On their menus, they serve just about every kind of barbecue food you can imagine: pulled pork, pulled chicken, and a variety of racks that includes chicken, ribs, etc. They have many traditional sides as well, like mac and cheese, baked beans, ?cold slows?, and fries.

12 | Entertainment

Review: K r asinski Scores with A Quiet Place

By Anthony M cTighe '18

family try to escape horror. I was on edge of my seat during each scene. Krasiksi does a phenomenal job for his first outing as a director. I cannot wait to see what he does next.

In addition, I believe A Quiet Place caught many peoples? eye because it seemed to be a genuinely scary movie with a totally inventive idea. A family forced into silence as they are hunted by monsters, who prowl upon them when they hear noise. Doesn?t that sounds awesome? Besides being a passive viewer to a new concept, it is a very creative idea.

The film is mostly silent, with very minimal dialogue, and much of the speaking is done

(Photo: Screen Daily)

Did Jim Halpert direct a horror movie? The Office star, John Krasinski just made his third film as a director this spring break with the release of A Quiet Place. One of the most hotly anticipated horror movies of the year, the trailers have left this layer of mystery making many want to see what is going on. A film that is predominantly silent, it sets the family in a time where monsters are hunting down people, and prowling upon them when they hear sounds. The movie had a great opening, therefore, I will reflect on the ups and downs of the film to see if it deserves all the hype.

A standout aspect of this movie is its direction. John Krasinski shows that he has grown over the past few years, and has definitely reached new heights with this film. He does a outstanding job, creating a new idea and executing it thoroughly. In the realm of horror today, it is easy to fall short, or entirely fail, in translating a great concept to the big screen, but Krasinski succeeds. He makes the situation real, setting it in an environment that builds a nerve racking atmosphere and terrifying reactions.

The characters portray the emotions of fright and nervousness perfectly. I, myself, was uneasy as I watched the

John Krasinski and Emily Blunt on the farm in A Quiet Place.

through sign language. It uses the quiet to its advantage.

There is silence when there would normally be loud noises or yelling, and the viewers are watching the family as they attempt to avoid mishaps that could cause imminent death. It is an eerie atmosphere for a horror movie, but definitely works. This idea was totally new and needed by horror genre.

monster. So, why would they choose to have a child? It is a subplot that confuses the viewer because it seemed that they were counting their days left with this child. A baby is bound to cry, which will definitely attract the monster, so why would this family choose to have a baby? There may be a simple answer, but I do not understand the reasoning behind it.

Furthermore, my favorite part of this film was the monster. I cannot say too much about it because I could spoil the movie, but it was very cool.

The look of it was intimidating, and the nature of it was terrifying. I think I enjoyed this monster because it remained mysterious which leaving room for thought.

Lastly, the environment of silence can really make this movie creepy and scary for the viewer. I do not recommend seeing this on a Friday night with a lot of people. When I attended the film, it was the opening weekend, and the theater was packed. If you plan to see this movie, schedule it around a not so busy night, with large crowds, or you could end up with people who are not taking the movie seriously, which could ruin your experience of the film. The silent environment is an upside to this movie, but it also makes it hard to watch when you are in a packed theater.

On the other hand, while I enjoyed this movie, I noticed, and albeit it does happen in many horror stories, this film seemed slightly repetitive. The family is in danger and that storyline doesn?t change throughout the movie. Something happens that creates noise, then that character must avoid death. It is done creatively, but it is basically the same idea. There was not much change to the order. It is not a huge deal because many movies do this, but it is still something that could get tiring after a while. Also, one thing that plays into the plot that is hard to understand (this is not a huge spoiler as it is noticeable in the trailers) is why is Emily Blunt?s character pregnant.

This is a horrible time that they live in and noise attracts the

The Hawkeye Staff Editor s-in-Chief

Head Wr iter s

Matt Phillips '18

Matt Brennan '18

Marco Sammartino '18

Simon Williams '18

David McCabe '19

Ned Burke '19 Robbie Calabro '19

M anaging Editor

Jacob DeAnnuntis '19

Dan Avington '18

Christian Giuliani '19 Andrew Koh '19

News Section Editor

Matt Marhefka '19

Joe Scott '19

Jack Thorell '19 Carl Whittington '19

Features Section Editor Nick Palermo '18

Staff Wr iter s Michael Enright '18

Enter tainment Section Editor

Jake Feehery '18

Ronan Egan '18

Riley Herriman '18 Paul Koenig '18

Opinion-Debate Section Editor

Anthony McTighe '18

Liam Grugan '19

Sebastian Porreca '18 Dylan Robak '18

Business M anager

Frank Coyne '19

David Haddad '18

Scott Hibbs '19

All things considered, I thought this film was worth seeing. I enjoyed the great direction created by John Krasinski, and the story was something the horror genre needed. The monster was totally different creating a cool antagonist in the process. Although, in my opinion, there were some issues with the film.

I still do recommend this movie. It was a fun time, and I cannot wait to see what John Krasinski does next.

Kevin Latu '19 Christian Locantore '19 Joe Matthews '19 Nick Rios '19 Niko Sammartino '19 Chris Strohman '19 Ricky Weipz '19 Thomas Avington '20 Denis Gallagher '20 Stephen Harrison '20 Tyler Konrad '20 Jason Mattera '20 Marcus Murphy '20 Santiago Ortiz-Landazabal '20 Rocco Spadea '20 Matthew Bae '21 Max Coyne '21 James Janco '21 Matt McCarney '21 M oder ator Mr. Leo Vaccaro '05 Mr. Brendan Kolon '13

Entertainment | 13

Review: Ready Player One Exceeds Expectations

By Niko Sammar tino '19 Ready Player One is a science fiction movie directed and produced by world-class director Steven Spielberg. The movie takes place in the year 2045, where technology and virtual reality (vr) is the center of attention in the world.

Wade Watts, a character who guys by the name Parzival in the OASIS is the main character of the movie that found the first key. Before Halliday died, he implemented into the game a building called ?Halliday?s Journals,? which were visual archives of his life. These archives contained hidden clues and information to win the contest everyone is eager to accomplish. To win the first key, the player had to win a race with obstacles that had the potential to kill your player, causing them to lose all

Parzival being the first one to find the key decided to retrace his steps and go back to Halliday?s Journals for more hints, but instead he recieves more.

Since Parzival knew everything inside and out about Halliday?s life, he makes a bet with the archive?s curator and gets a coin for winning. Parzival found out where the next

key was so him and the four others, aka the ?High Five,? set out to find the next key in a recreation of the movie ?The Shining.? Before they do so, Parzival and Art3mis set out to a dance club in the OASIS to have some fun. Since Parzival sees something about Art3mis, he accidentally gives out his real name to Art3mis. IOI workers overhear this and decide to target Wade in real life because they know that he has the best chance of winning the competition.

Naturally, Parzival and the High Five find the second key and are on the mission to find the last one so they can put an end to the violent outrage to win the contest. With most of the OASIS deep into the competition, they find out that the third key is in a fortress on ?Planet Doom.? IOI puts a force field around the planet so that they could win the competition and have ultimate control. None of the other players want this to happen so they team up and fight back, getting the forefield destroyed and causing warfare to commence.

Parzival makes his way to the final challenge and it is simply at an old time video game called ?Adventure.? He realizes that the challenge is to not beat the game, but simply to find the Easter Egg within it.

Nolan Sorento tries everything is his power to stop Wade from completing Halliday?s challenge by activating a ?cataclysm,? an in- game item that wipes out all players. He manages to activate it but for some reason Parzival does not die.

All I can say is that a little coin can go a long way.

This fantastic movie tells a complex story with a lot of symbolism and correlations throughout the story. Anyone who is into video games or wish they can escape the real world like Wade would love this movie for the heroic acts and action filled plot.

Throughout the movie, you will be on the edge of your seat waiting to find out what will

happen next as you experience beautiful shots that contain inspiring moments. As time goes on, more and more tension builds with an ultimate sense of thrill, excitement, and relief at the end. Go and watch this movie whenever you have the chance or are seeking a thrill of adrenaline because I can assure you that this movie will exceed any expectations.

(Photo: Rotten Tomatoes)

In the movie, James Halliday is the creator of a vr world that goes by the name ?OASIS.? In this imaginary realm, people who play the game can choose to be whoever they want to be or go wherever they want to go; the only thing stopping them is their imagination. Before the creator of this game passed away, he left an ?Easter Egg? within the OASIS, sparking a contest across the world. To win the contest, one must find three keys hidden by completing complex challenges relative to Halliday?s life. The player who accomplishes this will then receive full control of the OASIS and become the owner of Gregarius Games, the affluent company Halliday owned before he passed away.

progress and restart from scratch. Parzival knew that right before the finish line, King Kong would stop the player from making the jump and killing their avatar. He stops before this point so he doesn?t die but sees another player by the name Art3mis so he stops her from making the jump and saving her character.

Parzival knows that he can?t go forward, so by looking into Halliday?s archives he hears a comment that he needed to go backwards, and put the ?pedal to the metal.? This unlocks the first key and ignites huge commission, causing others to also complete the first step of the challenge. The next four people to follow Parzival were Art3mis, Aech (Parzival?s ingame friend), Daito, and Sho. The egg hunters in the game, also known as ?gunters,? were all in serious competition since the stakes were so high. In particular, a video game conglomerate Innovative Online Industry, also known as IOI. Nolan Sorrento, the CEO of this company, is a money hungry business man that will do whatever it takes for him and his team to win the competition. The stakes are high and the level of ambitious players are increasing to ultimately have full control of the OASIS.

The cover art for Spielberg's latest hit, Ready Player One.

Book Review: Comey's M emoir a M ust-Read

By James Janco '21

Comey not only describes his time in law enforcement, but reflects on his live and ponders on ethical leadership.

In his book, Comey presents specific incidents from his life and reflects on the lessons he learned from them. From when he was a child to when he was

(Photo: ew.com)

Former F.B.I. Director James Comey?s firing by President Trump last year set off a firestorm in the political world with ramifications still being felt today. The firing abruptly ended the career of a man who spent his life serving in law

enforcement. But besides an explosive testimony in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Comey has remained silent. That changed recently when Comey scheduled a blitz of media appearances to promote the release of his memoir, A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership. In this book,

F.B.I. director, Comey provides a captivating look at his own life and experiences. A common theme in his book is ethics, which Comey tries to connect to most parts of his life. It is clear that Comey is launching veiled criticisms at what he views as unethical behavior in government today.

One of the purposes in writing his book was to criticize what he views as unethical and untruthful behavior in the Trump administration. Comey repeatedly says that he believes that the current administration is attacking both truth and basic American values. Comey does not mention his own political beliefs and does not attack the administration for any specific policy proposals.

Comey instead criticizes the president?s personal actions and behavior both in and out of office.

The Author of A Higher L oyalty: Tr uth, L ies, and L eader ship: Former FBI Director James Comey.

One major problem with Comey?s book is that specific excerpts regarding the president distract from the rest of the book. Comey?s whole book is devoted to promoting ethical leadership, but that lesson is overshadowed by his attacks

on the president. Comey also risks undermining his credibility both as a witness in any ongoing investigations regarding the White House and as an independent truth teller. This has allowed people on both sides of the political spectrum to portray Comey as a partisan for the other side. Depending on your point of view, Comey can come off as someone bitter over his firing and wants revenge. Others are still bitter over his actions regarding the Clinton email probe. Comey tries to combat these criticisms by defending, in detail, his decisions when investigating both Trump and Clinton.

In conclusion, I highly recommend reading this book. If one can put personal feelings and politics aside, this book is both fascinating and informative. Even someone who disagrees with Comey or dislikes him can enjoy reading about Comey?s life and his defenses of various decisions he made over the course of his career.

His delivery is both genuine and authentic, bolstering the credibility of his book and making it a must read.

14 | Opinion-Debate

Opinion: Prep Dog is Great for Ever yone

By Rocco Spadea '20

pick up on this.

Overall, having Iggy as a new addition has been a lot of fun. I have seen kids play with and pet him, call his name as

he walks by, and overall have a better mentality after being near the dog. I have even seen teachers really enjoy having him around, going up and rewarding him with a pat on the

head or belly rubs. Sure, he is still a puppy, but, once he grows into an adult, Iggy will be an even more valuable part of the Prep community.

Dogs have also been proven to help with illness and recovery. This means kids wouldn?t miss school as much with Iggy around.

Another positive impact of having a dog around the school is that dogs can help with selfconfidence in kids and can help them react to stressful situations in a better way. Dogs have been proven to help introduce more social reactions.

Kids will get to know other kids who they might not have met before while being around Iggy, because of how popular the dog is. I can attest to this, as I have had conversations with two freshmen whom I wouldn?t have met before while petting Iggy in the hallway.

A final reason why dogs are great is even if they aren?t trained as service dogs for a certain medical issue, most dogs are really great at detecting something medically wrong. This can help prevent something bad from happening to a student if Iggy happens to

(Photo: Chris I x '18)

The Prep has recently welcomed a new addition to its family: Iggy, the little white dog with big paws who can usually be spotted in Mrs. Auerbach's office or with Mrs. Baland. There are many opinions on the topic of the Prep having a school dog. I can understand some people may not be dog or animal lovers and there are going to be some who believe there shouldn?t be a dog, but this dog can really do a lot to help the overall Prep community. There are studies that have proven that dogs help with stress, anxiety, and depression. We all know that the students of the Prep have a lot over which to stress: schoolwork, grades, extracurriculars, home life. Having a dog to even just see walk by can really help. I know it really made me feel better when I was having a rough day and I got to pet Iggy. This is caused by the rise of dopamine and serotonin, brain chemicals that help calm the nervous system and increase a sense of tranquility. I talked to fellow student, Scott Yezzi ?20, about how having Iggy has helped him. ?I feel better just petting him. I was on the fence about the dog, but after seeing just how much better I feel, it?s totally worth it.? Iggy will also be trained as

a therapy dog, which means he will be trained to handle difficult situations with kids and will know how to help. This training will make him more patient and more eager to sit with a person in need of some loving company.

I ggy lounging on the front lawn. He can often be seen napping in rooms on the second floor.

Agreeor disagreewith thisor any of the articlesin thisissue?

ContactLiamGrugan'19 to writea response!

Opinion: We Should All Treat the L ibr ar y Better

By M ar cus M ur phy '20

would not be so crowded during lunch time.

The solutions to the problem

of lunchtime in the library do not require much effort to be implemented. As long as the students abide by the rules and

some minor changes are made, lunch in the library can be as simple as it was last year.

(Photo: St. Joe's Prep)

With the new schedule, the lunch period has drastically changed. Instead of a full 40 minute period, the time slot is now 30 minutes, but, with the soft start, the lunch period is really only 25 minutes depending on class location. Besides the cutting of the amount of time allotted for lunch, there has been a substantial increase in the number of people having lunch at the same time, which leads to cafeteria overflow.

There are not enough chairs, nor is there enough space for seats in the dining hall, and the result is students flocking to the library to eat lunch. Mrs. Nelson has stated in an email sent to the students that she has no issue with students eating in the library, but she does have an issue with leaving behind trash and crumbs. The email ends with Mrs. Nelson asking for suggestions on how food and eating in the library can be continued. There are multiple solutions to this lunch issue.

First, Mrs. Nelson?s basic rules should be followed: speak at a volume at which only the people at your table may hear you, and remember to clean up after yourself. The one rule that could be changed is the limit of 4 people to a table: instead of only 4 chairs to a table, the table should be able to fit as many chairs as possible, as long as the extra chairs are returned to their respective tables. Also, there should be other tables besides the regular round tables: the design is inconvenient for 4 people at a table because there is minimal leg room. With the addition of 2 (or more) long rectangular tables on the ground floor, group study would be much more convenient and comfortable.

Adding to the issue, this year, food was prohibited from the second floor, which I think is unnecessary, if only students followed the rules.

If food were allowed on the second floor, the first floor

Students gathering in the library for a presentation sponsored by the Prep Democrats.

Opinion-Debate | 15

Opinion: Senior s Should Have Alter natives to Exams

By Ronan Egan '18 As the sun sets on the class of 2018?s four year journey at the Prep, things seem almost perfect. The teachers and students all operate on a much lower level of intensity, allowing the students to enjoy these last few weeks in peace and tranquility. The brotherhood is alive, and students feel as if they can put on cruise control for the final weeks.

and Buster?s. Their policy is simple: any student with a ?B? or better in a senior class gets an exemption from their final exam. There are no departmental regulations, no ?92.9? grades that cannot be rounded up, but rather a simple, fair system. Not only is this more lenient than our current ex-

School. A project or paper seems like a proper way to end our time at the Prep. It removes the two week span of stressful finals, yet still keeps the students engaged throughout the end. Senior Marco Sammartino ?18 elaborates: ?As seniors, we are tired.

Mentally, we are checked out

tion for this second proposal, more specifically, semester courses. Many popular classes among Prep seniors require their students to take useless exams, sometimes against the will of the teacher. Depending on the department, many ?easy? semester classes have exceptionless finals. This

less of the class or department.

To me, however, this serves little to no purpose.

The teachers, staff, and students all recognize the lack of effort and focus that plagues the majority of seniors during their last few weeks at the Prep. While I do not necessarily support this, reasonable al-

That is, until the week of May 22.

From this date through the following Thursday, students will have up to six final exams to take for their respective classes. While essential to the college process for underclassmen to take these, their functionality for seniors seems to raise some eyebrows.

To begin, it seems as though the rigid departmental requirements for exemption need to change. The first proposal is inspired from our Augustinian counterpart, Malvern Prep.

They recognize that, after four years of hard work, seniors should be rewarded in some way that is not a trip to Dave

(Photo: Crisis Magazine)

I will not be the person to make the case that teachers need to recognize the ?senior slide? and take away their exams. For someone to say that we do not need final exams as a result of seniors not wanting to work anymore is absurd, and I have never believed this to be true. But still, we do need reform.

Prep Seniors should be exempt from sitting for final exams, argues Ronan Egan '18. emption policies, but it also motivates seniors to reach a more attainable goal. That policy encourages effort, while still lessening the load on fourth quarter seniors.

The second proposal is for no exam at all. However, this does not mean that there is no final grade to fill the slot on Power-

by, at the latest, the start of the fourth quarter. It is pointless to force seniors to sit for an exam which they do not need to take.

Seniors would appreciate the change. I recommend switching over to completing a project or paper, as some classes already do.?

These classes are the inspira-

raises another question: Why should seniors, after years of hard work and dedication, be forced to take exams for a second semester, senior year class? Yes, it is known that ?college starts here,? meaning we should follow their example and continue to give exams throughout the duration of our four years at the Prep, regard-

ternatives need to be found and implemented. By setting reasonable goals for students to achieve? a ?B? in a class through the end of the fourth quarter? or revolutionizing the system as a whole through the implementation of papers and projects, the Prep could provide seniors with a less stressful way of leaving.

Opinion: The Senior Tr ip Needs I mprovement

By M arco Sammar tino ?18 Honda Civic. Toyota Camry.

Volkswagen GTI. These cars cost less than tuition for a single year at the Prep. $23,900, in case you?re wondering. And that number doesn?t include transportation, food, books, and other costs.

That?s a pretty penny. One might expect that a price like that would mean high quality returns in almost every respect.

Whether or not the Prep delivers on that is another story for another time. Instead, I will pose a more benign question: why can?t the senior trip be improved?

Now, before you get all in a huff and puff and say that I?m acting very spoiled and disrespectful, consider a few things.

I come from New Jersey, and every school, public and private, gets to go to Disney World in Orlando, Florida. One week with your closest friends, one last hurrah, a fun time that will surely generate many fond memories.

Perhaps my viewpoint is somewhat biased. For the last few months, many of my

friends who attend high school in New Jersey have been telling me how excited they are for their trip to Disney. When they ask me about it, the question isn?t ?Do you get to go to Disney?? Rather, the question sounds more like ?When does your school leave for Disney??

It?s simply assumed. I then have to produce an awkward explanation that my high school, which costs more than some college tuitions, doesn?t really have a senior trip.

I can?t speak to the trips at Pennsylvania high schools; maybe it?s a state thing.

However, perhaps you?re beginning to understand where my line of thought is coming from. We, as students, make quite a few sacrifices to come here and succeed academically, and our parents make even more significant financial sacrifices.

Those sacrifices got us a day trip to Dave & Buster?s.

Again, you may think I?m blowing this out of proportion, that I?m a spoiled brat, that I?m ripping into the administration or student council or whoever.

I get that.

However, I have no intention to attack anyone over this; my goal is simply to raise a conversation about our senior trip, and bring awareness to the topic which will hopefully bring positive changes in the near future.

So, I asked Brendan Farrell ?18, a member of the Student Council who is working on the senior trip this year, a few questions in order to better understand why the trip is what it is.

I asked if there were any talks focusing on moving the senior trip to another location. ?We highly considered a theme park, but decided that Dave & Buster?s was the best choice,? he said.

Following up to that, he explained some challenges that come with trying to change the trip: ?There are several roadblocks in upgrading the trip.

The first is that if we did want to go to a theme park, spring sport players would be unable to attend, and we really wanted to include everyone. The second is the cost. If we want to majorly upgrade the trip, students may have to pay more and that could impact students?

ability to attend; we obviously want everyone to be able to go.

Third is the appeal of missing school. I think we could definitely do something fun on a weekend when there are no time constraints, but understandably, seniors want the trip on a day that we have school.

Transportation can also be an issue which is why it is convenient to go somewhere close to school. ?

Clearly, there are logistical issues involved. I?m sure it can be a challenge to plan a trip for more than 200 seniors, all of whom have a plethora of responsibilities and commitments. I?m aware that this isn?t simple.

However, some students share my sentiment. Sean Sklencar ?18 said, ?We definitely need a better senior trip because we worked so hard the past three years to get where we are now.? He went on to point out that, ?other schools in the area have much better trips than we do and I?m sure people won?t mind spending some more money in order for us to have a little more fun.?

Kyle Thompson ?18 agrees, saying: ?I personally feel like

we need a better senior trip because you see literally every school in New Jersey and a few in Pennsylvania that go to places like Disney and Universal. Meanwhile, we go to Dave & Buster?s, a few miles away from the school. I just feel like we deserve more considering all the hard work and late nights we?ve put into this school for 4 years.?

I think it?s safe to say that I?m not the only one who wants an improvement in some way.

I?m not asking for an immediate change. I?m not asking for a trip to Disney this year.

I?m not asking for an apology.

Rather, I feel that we, as students, should have a say in where we go. Perhaps if the administration can open up a channel of communication between senior classes of the future and themselves, we?ll be able to see some improvements. Even if a trip to Disney isn?t in the plans for a number of years, creating dialogue that allows students to have a voice is always a step in the right direction.

16 | Opinion-Debate

(Photo: CatholicPhilly.com)

'Chr ist of Nor th Philadelphia' Rededicated

"I n my opinion, this piece of art is a perfect reminder of the reason we stayed here on Seventeenth. We can commonly feel as though we're blocked off from the pains of the world around us, but the truth of the matter is that we, as students of the Jesuits, reside here as a reminder of the good that we are called to do through service." -- Liam Grugan '19

Opinion: Chromebooks M ust Be Replaced

By Denis Gallagher ?20

One issue that I personally have experienced is the fact that some Chromebooks just break at the hinges for no reason whatsoever. It might be the case, might be a loose screw, but as soon as this happens the slightest bit and the hinge cover comes off the axle, the screen is bound to fall off on that side. It gets fixed, but it is a hassle.

This goes against the supposed benefit of Chromebooks? being sturdy. Perhaps a newer model, which some students have, would not have that flaw.

This also brings up the fact that Chromebooks should be updated a little more frequently.

The progress in the technology industry is amazingly quick, and we should follow suit. Our Chromebooks are updated internally, with software upgrades, but the hardware is a little bit behind. Hopefully, the new set of Chromebooks can be integrated quickly.

Next is the speed at which a chromebook can handle activity. If more than ten tabs are open, loading rates slow down by a lot. This is probably be-

Another problem that almost every person at the Prep has comes in finding what is blocked and what isn?t. Now, I understand that sometimes a page totally appears to be useless and not for student use, but teachers sometimes assign articles only to have them be blocked. This can be solved with a better method of unblocking web addresses, such as instant password unlocks for teachers. Another tool that is widely blocked is the majority of the Chrome Webstore. Trying to get a converter because certain files were the wrong type, I couldn?t. Unblocking apps takes a very long time, and again to fix this problem the system for unblocking apps should be more quick People disagreeing with my stance have many concrete arguments to back themselves up. Chromebooks are great in the fact that they last long.

Tablets or more sophisticated laptops are not as sturdy as our Chromebooks are, and with an enrollment as big as ours, there would be way more accidents, at higher costs. Chromebooks use Google programs like Docs and Gmail, and this is beneficial to have a uniform platform. This lets teachers connect through Classroom and Edmodo, and send alerts and updates easily. Chromebooks are widely used in high schools and middle schools, because of

their utility and strength. But we are not just any high school.

The Prep is a private college prep school, and so the fact that we set ourselves apart like this should be evident in all facets of student life.

I hate to say it, but La Salle is a great example of this mindset. Technology is such an important part of our lives, and students should know how to use proper machines. La Salle?s technological integration program is very advanced, and their partnership with Mi-

crosoft benefits this. Perhaps we can use our great reputation to form an agreement with some other technology company, to give students the chance to use more advanced and more powerful tools to do greater things.

The solution to the issues many students have with Chromebooks is simple, but probably beyond my knowledge of planning and financing and what goes on behind the scenes at the Prep. There are probably many other factors besides the numbers of prices,

like future projects that the administrators are planning. But as far as the collective voice of the students of the Prep goes, many of us are asking for an upgrade. Yes, it works, but the current choice of student resources in technology is limited. Chromebooks are close to simply being a portal to Google search of controlled sources and the Google class apps like Docs, and the potential for use of technology in student life at the Prep can still be expanded to allow for greater opportunities.

(Photo: St. Joe's Prep)

Many students at the Prep have voiced their opinions on the quality of the Chromebooks each of them gets for his career at the school. Most, if not all, of their reviews are negative. Chromebooks are subpar in many ways, ranging from physical flaws to processing speeds and different uses. Proponents of the Chromebooks would say that they have a long battery life and that they are very durable, two important features for a device used by a high school student. But as a prestigious preparatory school, we should be looking for an upgrade.

cause it cannot handle the activity of multiple tabs, and downloading a medium- sized file in this situation can take quite a long time. Some teachers, when they have to use a loaner Chromebook, realize this as well. One solution is quicker internet throughout the classrooms or a more powerful piece of technology instead of the current model.

Students in M s. Hilton's ar t class making use of their Chromebooks for a proj ect.

Sports | 17

By Simon Williams '18

possibilities for some fans.

There is a debate in the sports world as to whether or not LeBron James would fare as a good player in the NFL. Obviously the world- beating, self proclaimed ?King? has been a force to be reckoned with in the NBA since he came into the league in 2003. James is a 6?8? and 250 pound small forward (but let?s be real: he can play all five positions) and compared to arguably the football?s best tight end, Rob Gronkowski, James is only 16 pounds lighter, but two inches taller. Imagining LBJ fighting for yards in the red zone is crazy, not only imagining one of the best athletes in the world playing a sport he is not a professional in, but also realizing that two- sport professional athletes, though few and far between, have existed, so it is not totally out of the realm of

Senior Brandon Sanders is just that: a two sport athlete.

One might expect the Downingtown native to be more gridiron- oriented because of his commitment to Bucknell University for football, or because the team he played for went 34-4 in his three years on the varsity roster, but this season, the lefty has performed so well for the Prep?s baseball team, he makes his case with conviction.

Slotted in the cleanup spot, Sanders has picked up from last season?s strides and is the most dangerous threat in the Hawk lineup. Hitting .346 last year off of 18 hits in 52 at-bats, he has almost matched that many hits in almost half as a many at- bats, going 12/22 for an incredible .545 batting average. Out of qualifying teammates (those with at least 13

(Photo: Brandon Sanders '18)

Student-Athlete of the Week: Br andon Sander s '18 at-bats) Sanders leads or is tied for the team lead in nearly every major statistical category: average, slugging percentage (.600), on base percentage (.600) runs batted in (8), runs scored (8), extra base hits (6), quality at- bats (15, tied with Gianni Arici ?18), contact percentage (95.5%).

He is second on the team in atbats (22) and plate appearances (25), one and two shy of the lead for both categories, respectively.

In the field, ?B? has been as dependable of a glove as head coach Anthony Valucci could get. Ranked second on the team fielding percentage, Sanders has converted 29/31 plays to him, registering 26 putouts on his own while only making two errors.

Unlike the fictional pro sports crossover debate, Sanders lives up to the hype.

Senior Brandon Sanders has been the firepower in the Hawks lineup throughout their beginning half of the season.

This year, more than ever, Sanders has cemented himself as a top-tier competitor in both football and baseball, but it is

for his most recent accomplishments on the diamond that he is named Student-Athlete of the__Week.

Prep Crew Dedicates Boats to Benefactor s

By Fr ank Coyne ?19 On April 8th, the crew team gathered at the river to celebrate mass and dedicate five shells to individuals that have had an enormous impact on the lives of so many students and athletes at The Prep. Each boat was presented on the dock with painstaking detail, emulating the meticulous nature of the sport. The beautiful white Hudson racing shells were blessed by Fr. Frederico and champagne was poured on them after the conclusion of mass. The five individuals honored at this event were Louis Backe ?84, Barbara

Brown, James Halpin Hill ?66, Ann McKernan, and Rev. J. Vincent Taggart, SJ. Each of these names are well-known at the boathouse and they all have a special place in the heart of Prep Crew.

Barbara Brown, a beloved science teacher at The Prep, has spent many years as the moderator of the crew team.

She is seen as the mother of the team, and her son, who was the coxswain of the boat that won the Henley Royal Regatta in 2000, was also at the dedication.

Fr. Taggart, who also served

as a moderator for many years, is revered by everyone on the team. He was known not just for his contributions to the team, but for his kindness and compassion toward every rower and student he mentored at The Prep. He transformed the team, but he also transformed each individual and gave them the confidence to succeed in the boat and in life. The boat dedicated to him is rowed by the lightweights, a group of boys as dedicated to the sport as he was.

James Halpin Hill ?66 has continuously contributed to Prep crew and the sport in gen-

eral since his time at The Prep.

He is one of the more active members of the crew community, volunteering his time as a referee and official during regattas. He is unmistakable from the launch, wearing his pith helmet as he follows the races down the course. The boat bearing his name is rowed by the 2nd varsity 8.

The McKernans and Backes are two families that have given to the crew program over many years and generations. Ann McKernan has made such a contribution to Prep Crew that the Varsity 8 will row in her shell. This

boat, made up of the best rowers in the program, is set to impress this season in their brand new boat. The Backe family now has two boats in their name in the program and continues to be an important member of the Prep Crew family.

These newly dedicated boats are preparing to race in the upcoming weeks and will be a tribute to the years of hard work that have gone into this team, making all those who contributed proud to be a member of Prep Crew.

Prockey Wins State Championship (Photo: St. Joe's Prep Facebook)

ability to keep composure during the regular and postseason was one of their main aspects to success. During the championship game, Coach Giacomin named their most efficient part of their game, ?The way we played defensively. We owned the neutral zone and limited quality chances in the defensive zone.?

Marc Colavita '18 and Nicolas Ciampitti '19 celebrating the first goal of the state championship win.

By Chr istian Giuliani '19 Determination and hard work were incorporated into the style of play for the Prep varsity ice hockey team. On Saturday, March 24, the varsity team skated off the ice that night with their first Pennsylvania State Championship. The opponent was Seneca Valley.

The Hawks scored four times and denied every shot on goal by their opposition. The team?s inspiring trust and reliance on

each other to perform their best contributed to this major accomplishment. Coaches Dave Giacomin, Mike Winton, and Rich Black were with the players through all the ups and downs throughout the season.

Head coach Dave Giacomin has the utmost confidence in his players. The pressure of an important game can most certainly affect the performance of any team, but the Hawks didn?t let that happen. The

Senior assistant captain Ronan Egan ?18 explained the reasoning behind the motivation of this season, ?I think our whole team was motivated by Sal this year. That made us closer as a team and allowed us to build some trust in each other as we moved along. Also, our tournament loss in DC and win in Chicago really helped us develop into our identity as a team. Through those, we learned what it took to protect leads and win close games.?

Egan racked up twenty- four points on the season, broken up into sixteen goals and eight assists.

As this was the final season for the seniors, these new leadership roles will be filled by next season with different attitudes towards the game. Senior and assistant captain, Conor Ryan, has much faith and confidence placed into these future leaders, ?I think the hockey team will have plenty of leadership to choose from considering how long some of the players have been on the team.

A good portion of the team will be moving onto their second year of varsity which always helps.? This type of transition can be bumpy at times, but veteran players ease the pressure. Ryan went on to say, ?The second year is a lot easier than the first year so I think a lot of players will be seeing improvements from their first year. Also, a few players will be moving into their third or fourth year, so they have an excellent understanding of what it takes to win and succeed, and it helps a ton to have someone lead by example.

?I feel that preparation and good leadership from the coaches down to the players gave us a certain confidence that carried us through out,? is how assistant captain Nick Urbani ?18 described their advantage over their opponents every game. The captain for the varsity team Tyler Black ?18 commented on his achieving his goal of winning the state championship ?It was an unbelievable feeling to accomplish our goal. We knew how close we were to the end and knew how much that game meant, not just to us but to all the alumni. It was something we all worked so hard for and something I have wanted to win more than anything for the past four years. So it was really amazing to see my team fight through adversity and hard times this season to win.?

Overall, the whole Prep hockey organization deserved this achievement because of their hard work and dedication to the game.

18 | Sports

M eet the Prep Baseball Senior s (Photo: Logan Kellerman '18)

By M ax Coyne ?21 This season, the Prep Baseball team is led by a cohort of seniors leading the charge for the squad. Two of the players who have shown extreme leadership are catcher Logan Kellerman ?18 and utility player Luke Donaphon ?18.

Kellerman has been the three year starting catcher, and has been one of the team?s most consistent players the entire time he?s been on the field.

With his excellent work in the classroom combined with his love for the sport, he committed to Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina.

When asked about that process, he said, ?The workload ramped up, throwing in college test-taking work on top of schoolwork. I just kept my head down and focused on what needed to be done which might have been what got me through it. Keeping up with baseball was easy because of how much I love playing and helping out. I did have to help some of my friends along the way but I was glad I did.?

Outside of baseball, Logan enjoys hanging out with his friends and helping them whenever they need it. In the Prep community, you can see Logan going to the Gesu School to help the little kids with their work. He tries to see the kids every time he can

showing his love for going out of his way to help others. Also, he has been involved with the Travis Manion Foundation, which works hand in hand with military vets to teach students the importance of strong leadership.

With a position like his, there comes many obstacles he has to overcome. With his teammates, his leadership only becomes stronger. When younger players are brought up to experience a higher level of playing, Logan is the first to take them under his wing and shows them what it means to

be a team player and helps them settle in more. With Kellerman as the team?s backstop, they are sure to climb back on top and bring more excitement to the season.

Another senior who has been a cog in this Prep Baseball program for three years is third baseman / left fielder / first baseman / whatever you need him to play Luke Donaphon.

With his bat and with his natural will to help others, he is the perfect candidate for a leader that will not let others down.

As a senior in high school knows, the admission to college and the work needed to be done was more than challenging. ?Keeping up with the schoolwork while finding time to play baseball was the hardest part.

Splitting up my time with breaks here and there worked the best for me because it kept me under control while still going one- hundred percent. I?m still finishing strong with school just to make sure everything goes well.?

Throughout the season, Luke is already helping not just his fellow teammates, but also his

Logan Kellerman '18 is one of the many senior leaders on this year's Prep Baseball team. coaches and the kids on the JV team and the Freshmen team.

He?ll throw with a kid who doesn?t have a partner because he knows that someone would do that for him. He takes time out of his day to connect with soon- to- be friends and loves seeing his leadership be spread throughout each teammate.

When you see him in the halls, it?s easy to see his initiative and how it stretches to everyone around him. All of this goes to show that Prep Baseball will dominate on the field and in everyday life letting nothing get in their way.

M eet the Captains: Russell Seneca '19

By Robbie Calabro '19 An oft- underappreciated yet accomplished sports team at the Prep is the tennis team.

Regularly a top two team in the PCL, they are looking to capture the title this year. They are led by junior Russell Seneca, who?s ready to take on the challenge.

Seneca, the sole captain of the varsity team, has been a tennis player since he was eight years old. He attended St. Aloysius Academy while residing in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. His summers were spent on the court, endlessly playing tennis in the Blue Ridge Mountains at the resort Winter Green. His parents owned a house there, and introduced him to lessons.

Sometime during those years he went to an elite Nike Tennis Camp, which in his own words is ?not invite only, but you have to be a serious tennis player to attend.? These early opportunities have paid dividends for his career at the Prep.

As a freshman, he tried out for the freshmen team, and to his surprise, he was invited onto the varsity team. That first year he played second doubles (the second best Prep doubles team) en route to the Rookie of the Year Award. These small accomplishments were just the start of his budding Prep career, as the following year he played first doubles with Colin Browning ?17. Together, they finished the season without a loss. Seneca?s tremendous sea-

son was capped off by winning MVP as well as First Team All-Catholic honors.

Then the pair was invited to a tournament at Episcopal Academy along with other elite teams from the area. Seneca described the journey to their semifinal finish, saying, ?We were the underdogs going in, just playing to have fun. All of a sudden we kept on winning, game after game, it was crazy.?

This year, he plays number one singles for the Varsity squad. The season has just begun, and the Prep is off to a hot start. As usual, rival La Salle is the main competition for the PCL crown. The two schools consistently finish first and second in the league, this year being no different.

One thing Russell is sure to do is pass the love of the game down to his younger brother. ?I ferociously train my younger brother Sam to be good at tennis,? said Russell.

Sam has already been sponsored by Wilson over the past summer as a youth player.

Just as he is passing on his love of the game to Sam, so too did his parents pass it on to him and his sister. ?Everybody plays in my family, my dad played number one in high school, my mom played number one in high school, my older sister was really good at varsity bench,? he explained.

Despite his easy going manner, Seneca is a fiery competitor, as is any athlete who strives to be the best. One time, he even smashed his racket

into the ground in frustration, shattering the border around it.

He?s always looking to improve, whether it be in practice or over the summer. One alternate method he uses to improve is attending the US Open annually, where greats like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal compete. Seneca studies the way in which they play and attempts to add elements of their style to his own game.

This year the singles number one is looking to bring the PCL hubcap back to 17th and Girard and knock off the reigning champion Explorers. As the sole Varsity captain, he hopes to be able to live up to the heightened responsibilities that come along with that title while leading the team to a championship.

M eet the Volleyball Captains

By Dan Avington ?18 and Tyler K onr ad '20 This season, the Prep Volleyball team is led by two highprofile senior captains: Declan Quinn and Nate Stuhltrager.

On last year?s Catholic League runner- up squad, these two were keys to the team, but this year, both have stepped into a leadership position.

Declan Quinn ?18 is a starting outside hitter for the Hawks. Declan holds the distinction of being the 1st ever St. Joe?s Prep volleyball player to commit to play college volleyball, heading to Elmira College next season. Quinn can jump out of the gym and has an incredibly powerful spike.

Tyler Konrad ?20, a member of the JV team who practices

against Declan every day, said, ?Declan is literally good at everything on the volleyball court." When asked about being a captain, Quinn said, "It means I get the opportunity to use my leadership to make everyone around me better on and off the court. " The other captain, hailing from Swarthmore, PA, is Nate

Stuhltrager ?18. Stuhltrager operates as the libero for the Hawks, which is the player who wears a different color jersey and can only play in the back half of the team?s zone.

For this reason, Nate is an incredibly strong passer and setter, but by the very nature of his position, he?s not a hitter so he doesn?t spike or attempt to block. Stuhltrager, who is

headed to the University of Scranton next year, said of being a captain, "To me it means to push my teammates to be better players and to be a leader on and off the court."

All in all, the two captains of this year?s Prep Volleyball team have set them up to make another run at the Catholic League championship.

Sports | 19

By Stephen Har r ison ?20 Last month, the Prep Rugby team traveled to Spain to compete in a series of games in both Valencia and Barcelona.

The team played for fun, exposure, and experience in the game. Although not all of the teams won their games, all of the players learned a lot more about the sport. Sophomore David Fosbenner said, ?My knowledge of the game grew because I saw the game from another country?s perspective.

My overall appreciation for the game grew.?

In addition to competing in games, the team also visited various historical Jesuit landmarks in Spain, including Manresa and Montserrat. Ross Curcio ?20 says, ?It was great having the opportunity to visit places that are very important in our Jesuit history. We visited Manresa where Saint Ignatius wrote his spiritual exercises, and Montserrat, where Ignatius traveled after his conversion.?

During these visits, the team brought what they had learned at the Prep to these iconic monuments. George Binck ?20 claimed, ?It was kind of a full circle learning about these places and then seeing them in person.?

The team also spent their Easter in Spain, and because Spain is a highly religious country, they had a much dif-

ferent experience than their normal Easter traditions back in America. Garrett McCloskey ?21 explained, ?Spain is VERY Catholic. Easter Mass was something else to say the least. The Mass was two hours, and the first twenty minutes was a song with the same line being repeated. It also didn?t help that the entire Mass was in a foreign language. However, the Prep contingency was definitely vocal during the ?Padre Nuestro.? After Mass, we had a team lunch, and everybody shared their favorite Easter memory.?

The team was immersed in the Spanish culture while spending time in the country.

Being away from the comfort of home, they were forced to try new foods, including ?paella,? a dish native to Valencia. Sophomore Joe Lilley says, ?Paellas are huge rice dishes with meat, beans and peppers. We just took a scoop from the big paella bowl, and sometimes they left the bone in the meat in the paella.? Curcio continued to describe them, ?One of the paellas had snail and rabbit, and others had meat.? The team also took a white water rafting trip to Montanejos, right outside of Valencia, for the day. Garrett McCloskey describes this excursion, ?It was so cold, but it was amazing anyway. I was lucky to be in a very fun raft.

(Photo: St. Joe's Prep)

Prep Rugby Takes Tr ip to Spain

The Prep Rugby team during one of their games in Spain over spring break.

Everything from our tour guide?s fun personality, Dan O?Connell?s hilarious comments, and the fact that Nick Gerardi didn?t realize his brand new Adidas shoes would be soaked made the white water rafting a fantastic adventure.?

During the end of their stay in Spain, the team was given a once in a lifetime opportunity, when they were able to see FC Barcelona play Roma live. ?We got really lucky because we had a free night in Barcelona,? McCloskey said,

?and FC Barcelona happened to be playing Roma that night.

You see those games on TV and always wonder what it would be like to go to a game like that. About one-third of the players decided to get tickets to the once in a lifetime opportunity. The atmosphere was unreal. Spaniards take their soccer very seriously. Contrary to Eagles games, fans don?t let you stand up, except for goals, and the concourses were practically empty during play. After the game, myself and a group of

friends decided to walk around Las Ramblas, the most famous street in Barcelona. That game was the highlight of many Preppers?trip.?

The team was sad to leave at the end of Spring Break, but they know that the trip was something they will never forget. David Fosbenner finished by saying, ?The trip was a once in a lifetime experience, from the games to all of the churches we visited. It was truly__amazing.?

Volleyball L ooks to Avenge L ast Year 's L oss

By Tyler K onr ad ?20 Not many people know of the volleyball team at the Prep, nor could they even name you a single player on the roster.

However, that doesn?t stop the team from playing at a high level throughout the entire season.

Last year their season ended with a Catholic League Championship loss to their rival La Salle. Following that heartbreaking loss, the team has come back this season with a vengeance. The team has a star studded lineup, which could be their best ever. The team has a number of incredible players, most of whom are seniors.

First off is the captain, the 1st Prep player in the history of

the sport to be scouted and committed to play in college, returning 2nd- Team AllCatholic Declan Quinn ?18.

His cocaptain Nate Stuhltrager ?18 mans the Libero position. The Miller twins, Mark and Mike Miller ?18, are ridiculously athletic and have been known to run the gym during lift sessions.

One of the other cogs of this team is Grant Hadden ?18, the human pogo stick, who JV star Ben DiGiacomo ?20 spoke of, saying, ?When he jumps, you just have to think, ?There is no way I?m hitting it over him,? and when he hits it back at you, it?s impossible to stop it because of his quickness.?

Jimmy Childs ?18 is another key aspect of the team, using

his frame to be an ideal blocker on the defensive end and often spiking it back in the opposition?s faces, and he?s also been described as the life of the team. Steve Crilley ?18 swings between varsity and JV, acting as the JV team leader and providing some fresh legs off the bench for varsity. Justin Hwang and Ray Cobb round out the seniors. Cobb has been injured the whole season and has not made an appearance in any game, but he?s been the team?s hype man, controlling the pregame music. Hwang has been a really huge asset for the JV squad and varsity bench, even though it?s his first year playing. He provides a huge morale boost, pushing his teammates back into it when

they?re down and holding teammates accountable.

The two non seniors, AJ Spallucci ?19 and Mike Matthews ?20, are crucial for the team this year and for the years to come. Spallucci is the team?s starting setter, which may just be the most important position on the court mainly because he calls all the shots.

Everyone will call a play but AJ decides who to go to, and has done so with much success this season. Finally, Matthews, the sophomore stud, is one of the quietest kids on and off the court but he?s a phenomenal player, has an undeterrable motor, plays impeccable defense and will give you everything he?s got. Thomas Avington ?20, a frequent visitor of

Prep Volleyball games, said, ?Mike really looks like he?s going to be the next big thing for Prep Volleyball.?

The varsity volleyball team, coached by Scott Murphy and Audra Brady, has a record of 42, with wins against Palumbo Academy, George Washington, Engineering and Sciences, and Archbishop Ryan, with their only losses coming against La Salle and Bensalem High School.

Overall, the Prep Volleyball team has so much experience and talent that it wouldn?t shock anyone if they make their way back to the Catholic League championship, and this time, take the hubcap home.

Outdoor Tr ack Destined for Greatness

By Denis Gallagher ?20 The Prep outdoor track team has an exciting season ahead.

After a wildly successful indoor season, this team can only get better with more members in the spring. Senior stars Miles Green, Bobby Dupell, and Calvin Willie are looking to finish their Prep careers in style. Behind them are more

young runners with great talent. Stay tuned, because there is a great season ahead.

As I mentioned in the winter recap, the Prep indoor track season was impressive to say the least. After a heartbreaking second place to the hoards of La Salle runners in the Philadelphia Catholic League, the Hawks took over at states

and nationals, winning national and state titles.

The team can only improve from there, because an influx of runners who didn?t run indoor are now working hard to make up lost points in the PCL from the previous season. So far our school has sent athletes to Maryland and New York meets. Our team has been

putting in hard work in the lab, aka the Mezzanine, and at Girard College, as well as on long runs through Philadelphia.

The runners are prepared to fight for success as the end of the regular season approaches.

Led by coaches Cockenberg, Pohlig, and Wallace, the team has great guidance and wisdom behind them.

The track team has been working hard to see success.

Stay tuned for the postseason as larger numbers enter the meets, ready to battle rivals like La Salle, Roman, and Neumann-Goretti. The outdoor track team has high hopes coming off their indoor season, and with luck they will follow through aided by out support.

Avington: Senior Class Among Best in School Histor y

By Dan Avington ?18 The Class of 2018 is one of the most high- achieving athletic classes in school history.

In their time at the Prep, five state championships have been won, two in football, one in golf, one in track, and one in

hockey, and they?ve even won a national championship. Football appeared in the state playoffs three times in their four years, lacrosse won a Catholic League championship and went to the state playoffs twice, hockey took home their first Flyers Cup and state championship, basketball made multiple appearances in the Catholic League and state playoffs, baseball advanced into the state playoffs, and indoor track was victorious in the 4x400 relay at state and national championships.

29 members of the class are

committed to play their sport in college, with other commitments still to come. The football team alone has thirteen of those commits, with Ryan Bryce attending the United States Military Academy, both James Cherry and DeJuan Dandridge going to Robert Morris, Dawson DeIuliis committed to Princeton, Nick DiPrinzio to Amherst, Paul Hess to Stevenson, Vaughn Hines to Mansfield, Marquez McCray to Sacred Heart, Phil O?Connor to Richmond, Tim Possenti to Kutztown, Brandon Sanders to Bucknell, Darryle Simmons to Virginia Tech, and

Rayshad Wallace taking a player walk- on spot at Penn State. The basketball team will be sending Ed Croswell to La Salle University, Darius Kinnel to Hartford, and Kyle Thompson to West Chester. Baseball has Gianni Arici committed to Quinnipiac, Luke Gutos to UMass, Logan Kellerman to Furman, Dom Leuzzi to Montclair State, and Evan Matthews to Bard College. For lacrosse, Jake Goss will be attending Cabrini University, Dan Maguire will be going to Scranton, Eric Scheuerle is headed to Franklin & Marshall, and Zach Snider is committed

to the United States Naval Academy. And finally, the track team will be sending Miles Green to Virginia Tech and Calvin Willie to Hartford, the swimming team has Tom Montvydas committed to Kings College, and crew sends Mike Pagliaro to Fairfield.

This kind of success in just one class is incredible, something that very few schools can boast. All in all, the Class of 2018 is one of the best in St. Joe?s Prep history, and the school?s athletics will greatly miss them next season.

Prep Ultimate Three-Peats in Tour nament (Photo: St. Joe's Prep)

Koenig had a spectacular interception in the endzone to win it, aka the ?Callahan.? McCabe made some great catches over his defenders to put his team in the best situation to score. D?Angelo was amazing as well; on every offensive possession it seemed like he was always open.

The Prep Ultimate team at the North Penn "Knights for Life" tournament this past weekend.

By Thomas Avington ?20 The 2018 Prep Ultimate Frisbee spring season has kicked off! They have a lot of returning players from the fall season along with some newcomers.

The captains, Matt Bevilacqua ?18 and Shea Enright ?18, are both fit to lead this Ultimate team to the City Championship.

Veterans such as Theo Meis ?18 and Jacob Legaard ?18 bring their experience and talent to the team. Newcomers such as Benicio Beatty ?21 and Michael Torna ?21 have both brought their talents and athleticism to help out the team and to show everyone that the future is bright for Prep Frisbee.

The season started off with a tough but inspiring loss to Penncrest, where they had some good moments but ultimately fell short of the victory. Even though the score wasn?t close, the effort displayed a different story. The next game against the Haverford School, they were simply overmatched and took home the loss. Haverford had more players on their bench, more height and more athleticism. The Prep ended up losing 15- 6, but they did not give up without a fight.

This past Saturday, they competed in the North Penn Tournament. They were scheduled to play Plymouth-

Whitemarsh in their first game, but only two of the PW players showed up, due to many of them taking the ACT. PW forfeited the game, but the two teams decided to have a little fun. They made the choice to play 6- on- 6, compared to a normal 7- on- 7. The Prep gave PW some players so it would be evenly matched.

Once that was over, the Prep was then matched up against North Penn, the tournament?s host. The Prep took a commanding lead to start and they didn?t look back. Paul Koenig ?18, David McCabe ?19, and Jack D?Angelo ?20 all notably contributed to the 13-2 victory.

Their final game against Haverford High was a revenge game for them. They played this same Haverford team in the fall at the ?Hip Hop Tournament.? Haverford beat them by a large margin and the Hawks would not let that happen this time. From the start, the Prep was always relaxed and in the driver?s seat. They took an early 3- 1 lead, thanks to every player on the team doing what they were supposed to be doing. This was a defensive game from the start. Some points lasted 15-20 minutes, which led to many players tiring themselves out. Haverford had 3 lines of subs so they had players who were always at 100%.

Their coach said to them, ?If you aren?t 100%, come out. We have a lot of subs.? The Prep, on the other hand, only had 3 subs.

The game became very close.

The Prep called a timeout at 1:03 after a 25 minute long point which really tired them out. The game was played until 1:20 because there was a hard cap for the game. Bevilacqua told the players to play their game with short, quick passes, and to get their way down the field. After the timeout, the Hawks did just that. Meis found Nick Palermo ?18 in the endzone for their 8th point and they made it quick. The next point was a very odd sequence.

Haverford was pulling to the Prep, the Hawks turned the frisbee over on a bad pass.

Haverford then throws the frisbee into the same endzone for an incomplete pass. Jimmy Carr ?20, with his quick thinking, sprinted down to the other side to get the point and the Prep ultimately won the game 9-7. The newcomer of the day for the Hawks was junior Ricky Weipz, playing in just his third and fourth frisbee games as a Prepper, and showing phenomenal athleticism and great hands throughout the day.

The Prep Ultimate team is looking to continue their great tournament run into the closing parts of the regular season.