The Patriot April 2012, Issue 5, Vol 47

JC remembers Xavia Tennis swings into The community honors sophomore Xavia Pirozzi by wearing purple and praying for her and the new season Men’s tennis begins practice for spring.

Pirozzi family.

Lifestyles 5

Sports 16

The John Carroll School 703 E Churchville Rd Bel Air, MD 21014 Volume 47, Issue 5 April 2012

Patriots Do ... ... get to

170 Photo illustration by Maggie Cassidy

The solid figures represent the number of enrolled freshmen for the class of 2016. The red figures signify the 20 remaining spots needed to reach the targeted enrollment of 170.

Enrollment almost reaches targeted goal of 170 for class of 2016 Maggie Cassidy

Print Chief According to Director of Enrollment and Marketing Jesse Roberts, with about 150 students committed to be a part of the freshman class of 2016, the admissions department is in the home stretch of reaching their goal of 170 students.

In order to fill the remaining twenty spots to meet the goal, Roberts and the rest of the enrollment and admissions team rely heavily on the Patriots Do campaign.

“What we try to do is make the conversation for each family personal. We’ve tried to do… a much better job of telling the JC story through the eyes of the student looking at us. The Patriots Do campaign that went out is different than any other view book in the Archdiocese [of Baltimore],” Roberts said.

“We’re trending about the same in terms of the total number of kids we have in the pipeline and the kids we’re still working on [as of last year]. Looking at historical trends, we’ll still get some interest. It’s good to know now what we got in the door is within a few percentage points of last year’s total,” Roberts said.

Principal Madelyn Ball hopes that the commencement of the STEM program will be a factor in enticing incoming freshman.

“I think the programs we offer bring in prospective students. STEM is bringing a lot of kids in,” Ball said.

“Everything is getting better in its own way, and on top of that you have this new program bubbling up that’s going to affect all of those things,” Roberts said.

According to Roberts, meeting the targeted goal of enrolled students is crucial to the school community. “[Enrollment] is important for a number of reasons. First and foremost, for planning purposes: to be able to understand how many sections of classes we’re going to need to offer, what that’s going to do to your teacher workload. It’s also important, obviously, from a budgetary standpoint, to understand what tuition is going to come into the school and how that will affect the

expenses of the school,” Roberts said.

According to Roberts, the target amount of students must be reached in order to prevent budget concerns.

“If you budget for 170 and only 150 students show up, in terms of real budgeting, yes [budget problems occur]. That’s the real difference between programs happening or not happening on campus, just because of the tuition dollars that generates,” Roberts said.

Even though the class of 2016 hasn’t arrived yet, Roberts already has plans in the works for bringing in students for the class of 2017.

“The Patriots Do campaign is going to expand this year. I’ve got an augmented reality campaign. It’s going to be mindblowing,” Roberts said.

Library renovated to free up floor space, prevent misbehavior Brianna Glase

Managing Editor Students were surprised the week of March 12 when they walked into the library to study at their usual private study carrel and found that a table made for four had taken its place. Over the course of a few weeks, the Department of Facilities renovated the library, making changes that included the book shelves being moved against the walls, the addition of three tables, and the removal of study carrels.

Media Center Director Theresa Burlas noticed that there was a need for change to make the library a better place for students to study. “A lot of students were gathering at the study carrels, instead of one person, so we wanted to get tables so that they could congregate there,” she said.

“I like how they have more tables,” sophomore Gracie Hunt said.

Students misbehaving where neither Burlas nor Media Assistant Phyllis Grymes could see them was another reason for the changes. “Students would use these back tables to do things they’re not supposed to do, like eating and texting…Now this allows us to see everything,” Burlas said.

Revitalizing the atmosphere of the library was one of the reasons that the fur-

niture was moved around. “Moving the bookshelves freed up floor space…Facilities also painted the back wall yellow to make that uniform,” Burlas said.

According to Burlas, she and Grymes decided on the renovations in conjunction with Director of Facilities Stewart Walker and Building Superintendent Jesse Switzer. “[Burlas] contacted us to request to do significant changes, and then we met physically in the space to hear their ideas. It depends on what they want the end result to be. In this case, they wanted to open the middle space up and also fill up unused space,” Walker said.

According to Walker, renovating the library couldn’t be done during the school day, so changes were made in the afternoons, evenings, and weekends.

“This was a relatively straightforward job. It wasn’t costly. It was more labor intensive and we didn’t need as many materials, really just the paint,” Walker said.

Some students don’t like the floor space because that means there are fewer places to sit. “[The renovations] are really different, but there are less seats, and that’s bad because it’s more crowded,” sophomore Matt Cleary said.

Burlas hopes that students will see that

Photo by Brianna Glase

Students study and work on homework while sitting at the new tables in the back corner of the library. The Department of Facilities renovated the library over the course of a few weeks during afternoons, evenings, and weekends, moving around tables, study carrels, and book shelves. the renovations are for the better despite some dissatisfaction. “Right now, I just mostly hear complaints. Eventually, I think students will get used to it. Students like tables, so I think that’s a step in the right direction,” Burlas said.

INDEX NEWS..........2 LIFESTYLE.....4 A&E............7

IN-DEPTH...... 8 OPINION.......11 SPORTS........14

2

NEWS

Volume 47 Issue 5 April 2012

Photo by Martha Schick

(From left to right) Seniors Adam Kuester, Nick Henninger, and Ana Beain triumphantly pose with the cheerleaders after their victory in the second round of “It’s Academic!”

After defeating Gilman and Huntingtown in this competition, the team has advanced to the top nine out of an original 81 teams.

Academic Team triumphs in close victory Martha Schick

Managing Editor Seniors Ana Beain, Nick Henninger, and Adam Kuester stared at the picture of the sculpture on the screen in front of them. They had been in last place since the first round, but these questions in the last round were worth more points than before.

With lights and cameras trained on their faces, the host Dave Zahren said, “This sculpture is titled The Gift of Gab, a phrase that became popular in England during the reign of what Stuart king, restored to the throne in 1660?”

After a quick consultation with his other team members, Henninger rang in with the correct

answer: Charles II. With that, JC gained 30 points and went on to win “It’s Academic!” on March 17, becoming one of the remaining nine competitors for the Baltimore region. This episode will air on Saturday, April 14, at 10 a.m. on WJZ 13.

The final score had JC winning with 440 points, Gilman School with 405 points, and Huntingtown High School with 400 points.

At the beginning of the game, JC had fallen behind. “After the first round, we were down about 60 points. Every round after that we were in last place, so I was fairly sure that we were going to lose every round until the last round, when we made a big jump

in points,” Kuester said.

Even in the round where it is possible to win 25 bonus points when all eight questions are answered correctly, JC fell short, answering one question wrong.

“After we lost the 25 point bonus, and then Gilman got it in the fourth round, I thought for sure we were done. I just wanted to not get in last place,” Beain said.

JC emerged victorious “when the clock struck zero and by some miracle we had 35 more points than Gilman,” Henninger said.

This victory was the result of the players’ practice with the help of moderator Bob Schick. “Nick, Ana, and Adam, plus anyone else on the team who wants to help,

do buzzer practice. We use trivia books, questions from previous tournaments, and online sources.

We’ll go through dozens, if not hundreds, of questions that help us review material and increase our speed at answering questions.

‘It’s Academic!’ is very much about speed,” Schick said.

“It’s made me a better person by challenging my intelligence, my memory, and my nerves. I hope that anybody who’s ever loved to watch Jeopardy, play Scrabble, or memorized state capitals will give the Academic Team a try. You’ll still be a nerd, but you’ll be an awesome, ‘It’sAcademic!’-winning nerd,” Henninger said.

JC

INSIDER

Dorms rededicated as St. Joseph Hall After the former convent is made into dormitories for international students, it will be renamed St. Joseph Hall. “It will be named in honor of the Sisters of St. Joseph, the order that was considered the founding order of John Carroll,” President Richard O’Hara said. O’Hara proposed the name, and administrators and board members approved.

According to O’Hara Nuns from the Sisters of St. Joseph worked in JC until about two years ago, when Sister Maryanne and Sister Bernard left the school.

The most recent board chair, Sister Mary Helen Beirne, was also a member of the order. “[The Sisters of St. Joseph] have been connected with JC since the founding of the school,” O’Hara said. The convent originally housed the Sisters of St. Joseph.

According to O’Hara, there will be a rededication ceremony and reception later this year.

Students will be encouraged to attend, as well as art teacher Michael Gaudreau’s uncle, the designer of the convent, and all of the sisters who served at JC. “St. Joseph is a wonderful patron, and [the name] is something that means a lot in the history of the school and several generations of alumni,” O’Hara said.

By Martha Schick

Orientations planned for next school year

!!!!!!

4 HOURS for FREE! CALL NOW for details.

Bel Air Plaza • Bel Air, MD 410-420-3020 Accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Independently owned and operated. ©2011 Huntington Mark, LLC. SAT and PSAT are registered trademarks of the College Entrance Examination Board. ACT is a registered trademark of ACT, Inc. The College Entrance Examination Board and ACT, Inc. were not involved in the production of, and do not endorse, this program.

Instead of hopping right into classes, the 2012-2013 school year will start off with individual class orientations and assemblies.

According to Principal Madelyn Ball, “We’ve got something new cooking for the beginning of school next year.”

Instead of only the incoming freshmen class of 2016 having a class orientation, all grades will attend an orientation day.

According to Ball, each class will have an orientation prior to the first day of classes. During the orientation day, students will have their photo taken for the school yearbook and attend a seminar that will address issues such as bullying and alcohol education.

“We want to get the school year started on the right foot. I don’t know for sure what all the topics are going to be. Those types of topics are designed to make kids more resilient so you don’t fall victim to bullying or mean girl status, so that maybe we can give you some strategies to help you make those better decisions,” Ball said.

According to Ball, the focus of the assemblies will vary with the needs of each individual class.

“This will be an opportunity at the beginning of the year to address topics that are really important.

Obviously with the seniors, we’re going to want to stress drinking and driving,” Ball said.

By Maggie Cassidy

3 Senior starts club to fight against discrimination NEWS

Volume 47 Issue 5 April 2012

Adam Kuester

News Editor A homosexual student who wishes to remain anonymous recalls an event he will never forget. “Last month when I walked into the bathroom, one guy told me that I should leave, because according to him, I didn’t belong in there,” he said. This incident was never reported to the administration.

This student explains that these instances aren’t even what bother him. “My bigger issue is how some people act afraid of me because I am gay. Sometimes I feel like everyone is judging me. I definitely cannot be myself here.

How homosexuals are treated is an issue that is rarely talked about, but it is a very real issue. I think it’s sad that JC hasn’t done something to address this problem yet,” he said.

To address this form of discrimination and all others, senior Scott Novak started Love One Another (LOA), a new group dedicated to fighting discriminatory behavior and attitudes. Novak gained approval from Principal Madelyn Ball earlier in the year to begin the group.

Moderator Carrie Siemsen has had previous experience with equality groups. Siemsen would like the group to become a place for open discussion regarding discrimination. “I would like to see this group as a place where

Photo by Brianna Glase

Senior Scott Novak (center) leads a meeting of the Love One Another club, moderated by guidance counselor Carrie Siemsen (far right). The club is planning to participate in the Day of Silence for LGBT teens on April 20 to fundraise for the Trevor Project, a suicide-prevention hotline. any student who is discriminated against can talk freely about their struggles. To have a safe place to go where they can speak freely is important,” Siemsen said.

At the second meeting on March 20, Novak described the club’s intentions. “The main goal of the club is to promote kindness and work against any discrimination. Discrimination happens, it’s definitely present at JC, and I don’t think that should be acceptable,” Novak said.

Novak explains the motivations behind the group’s name.

“We chose Love One Another because of its simple message and

roots in Scripture,” he said.

“The purposes of the club are to reestablish values of kindness and treat other people with respect, and this unfortunately doesn’t always happen for a lot of different reasons,” Novak said.

LOA member junior Morgan Jones explains her motivations for joining the club. “I joined LOA because I think discrimination is always intolerable. People owe each other a certain degree of respect,” Jones said.

While the club aims to fight discrimination in general, certain issues have come into focus.

“Currently there is a particular

focus on the LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender] issues at our school, for a couple reasons. One is that they’ve never been talked about before. It’s kind of like the elephant in the room.

I think they need to be talked about,” Novak said.

This focus ties into Novak’s motivations for starting the club.

“I chose to start this club because one of my friends, Jamey Rodemeyer, was bullied for being bisexual. He committed suicide as a result, so that inspired me to take action in my own school. What happened to Jamey could happen at any school where issues like

this are present,” he said.

Jones advocates for local change as well more large-scale change. “My hope for this group is to help campaign against discrimination in the school halls and beyond,” Jones said.

Novak wishes to make it easier for any student to find acceptance by creating this club. “One of the other goals of this club is to make respect and acceptance a given, not something that you’re lucky enough to find,” Novak said.

Novak waited until this year to start the club for multiple reasons. “I’d always talked about these issues in my classes, but I never talked about them in a more public way than that. Part of it is that I used to be shy, but I’ve had a growing confidence over the years. The other thing is Jamey’s suicide. I realize that I couldn’t be silent about these issues any longer, because kindness can be the difference between life and death,” he said.

The group plans to have a fundraiser in the near future. “April 20 is the Day of Silence for LGBT teens, which we will participate in. We will have jars placed around the school for students to donate money throughout the week. All the proceeds will go to the Trevor Project, a suicide-prevention hotline for LGBT teens.

This is the first time the group will really be active in the community,” Novak said.

Invisible Children organization raises awareness about Joseph Kony Brianna Glase

Managing Editor On March 5, the organization Invisible Children (IC) posted a video that became a viral phenomenon. IC created a campaign called Kony 2012 to raise awareness about the leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in Uganda: Joseph Kony.

According to the New York Times, “the Lord’s Resistance Army is a notorious renegade group in central Africa that have murdered, raped, and kidnapped tens of thousands of people. It is led by Joseph Kony, a selfproclaimed prophet known for ordering massacres, mutilating opponents and kidnapping count-

less children – turning girls into sex slaves and boys into prepubescent killers.”

According to the Sudan Human Security Baseline Assessment Small Arms Survey, “the LRA came to life as a movement to address the Ugandan government’s chronic neglect and marginalization of northerners.”

It was founded in response to the National Resistance Army under President Museveni, who is president of the country today. Museveni came to power in Uganda in 1986.

IC comes into play with Jason Russell, the founder of the organization, who experienced firsthand the conflicts in Uganda. According to The Huffington Post, Rus-

sell spent years in Africa trying to stop Kony. He built schools and other facilities for civilians in the area with donated money.

Social studies teacher Jacob Hollin thinks that service is the best way to truly experience what it is like to live in other countries.

“Being willing to go on a service or mission trip to makes it real and helps people realize that these are real people, these are real numbers, not just pictures or videos.

That provides you with a medium to do something,” he said.

Russell, a filmmaker, created the campaign to raise awareness about Kony and his crimes. According to their video, the goal is to “make Joseph Kony a household name. Not to celebrate him,

Our training programs are designed to develop a true athlete by using a variety of specialized exercises and drills that enhance an athlete's overall performance while helping to reduce the risk of injury. The Arena Club's elite training staff provides the individual attention needed to build confidence and strength as well as to progress to the next level in competitive sports.

Programs: Speed & Power

(conditioning camp that runs monthly)

LAX Stars Academy

(introduction and beginner plaers camp)

LAX Stars Academy Session I

(fundamental lacrosse instructional and conditioning camp)

LAX Stars Academy Session II

(Instructional and conditioning camp for the serious player)

Speed LAX Winter Session

(Instructional and conditioning camp for Middle & High School Girls)

Winter Sports Session

(Gain an Edge for your Winter Sports this year)

2304 Churchville Road Bel Air, MD 21015 410.734.7300

www.thearenaclub.com

but to bring his crimes to light.”

Junior Bryan Doherty first heard about IC “like everybody else, on Facebook,” but he took the video’s claims with a grain of salt. “I thought it was a lot of propaganda. In class discussions [about the video] I was clearly the minority. I thought what the video calls for was not in America’s best interest. Sending military over is how Vietnam started, and I don’t think it would be economically smart,” Doherty said.

Religion teacher Christopher Yeung is skeptical of the conflict portrayed in the video. “The main difficulty I see with the Kony 2012 campaign is that the solution seems too simplistic: pressure the American government to go and arrest Kony. Kony’s group is just one piece of a complicated power struggle going on in the whole region,” he said.

“It is a complicated situation I can’t even begin to understand.

Perhaps our federal government does have the necessary information to make the right judgment, but our history of intervening in other civil wars has not demonstrated this to generally be the case,” Yeung said.

Yeung believes that aid should be given to troubled countries, but he does not think the Kony 2012 campaign is the best way to do so. “First, the most important thing Christians can do is pray.

We have to pray for an end to sin, beginning in our own hearts, for any true lasting peace to occur anywhere and everywhere. Second is to listen and understand.

Do as much as you can to learn

more about the situation and the issues involved,” he said.

Sophomore Kelly Stifler is a fan of the Kony 2012 campaign and IC and believes that they’ll be helpful in solving conflicts.

“I like how they’re not all about giving money, they’re about awareness too. To help, there’s always the typical adopt a child programs, and you can always donate to charities that you trust, like Invisible Children,” she said.

Yeung suggests that it would be beneficial to put one’s time and money into the Catholic Relief Services in order to assist those in countries like Uganda. “The way I would make a financial contribution to fight Kony and others like him would be to support Catholic Relief Services’ [CRS] efforts in Uganda,” he said.

“CRS has been in Uganda for over 40 years fighting the roots of poverty and injustice: the main issues that started the conflict in the first place. They have front line experience, local infrastructure, are efficient with the use of their monetary contributions, and I am confident that they operate from a position of authentic Christian social justice,” Yeung explained.

Hollin also believes all people have a responsibility to stop the world’s injustices. “As a citizen of the world there is a certain sense of responsibility. You have to recognize that none of us would want to see the crime and carnage right in front of us. Then you figure out what the difference you can do is. Such magnanimous crimes must be brought to attention,” he said.

4

LIFESTYLES

Volume 47 Issue 5 April 2012

Family ties run deep at JC

School serves as a second home to teachers and their families

Rebecca and Elaine J-K Stephanie Meadowcroft Lifestyles Editor For senior Elaine Jansing-Kaestner, school is an extension of her life at home.

Elaine’s mom is science teacher Rebecca Jansing-Kaestner. “It’s funny because JC is like our second home, so what you hear in here is just like at home,” Elaine said.

According to Rebecca, having a daughter at JC has pros and cons. “It gets me more nervous because you feel like people are judging you and your kids. It’s also nice when [your kids] are getting in trouble and other teachers help out.”

As for Elaine, she is comfortable with her mom teaching at her school. “It’s a normal school day. You just get to annoy your mom more,” Elaine said.

Rebecca currently teaches Elaine. “I

have her for chemistry and she has to deal with me every day. This is the first time I had her as a teacher,” Elaine said.

According to Elaine, there are both burdens and benefits to having a mom as a teacher. “You always have to do your homework, [but] sometimes you get hints about quizzes. She is also my own personal homework checker,” Elaine said.

Elaine sometimes spends time with her mom on off mods. They interact during school when they are apart, too. “Elaine Skypes me during class sometimes and it’s kind of annoying,” Rebecca said.

Although there are annoyances with a mother-daughter relationship in school, Rebecca has had a good experience with Elaine. “Elaine has done well here with me. [She] does what she needs to do,” Rebecca said.

Photo courtesy of Brianna Glase

Junior Martha Schick and her father, social studies teacher Bob Schick, pose in front of the Newseum during a school field trip they took together. Bob moderates several clubs that Martha is involved with in school.

James and Shannon Fendryk Ashley Beyer

Lifestyles Editor Though they are 14 years apart, siblings social studies teacher James Fendryk and freshman Shannon Fendryk have a great relationship.

“Going to school with my brother is just like any regular day spent with him.

I love spending time with my brother,” Shannon said.

“It’s really fun actually. Even though we live close, I don’t get to see [her] as often as I’d like to. My sister and I have always been very close, even though we are not very close in age,” James said.

James may have the chance to teach his sister in the future. “I have not had my sister as a student yet because I no longer

teach at the freshmen level. I currently teach Government to sophomores and U.S. History to juniors, so maybe in the near future,” James said.

Shannon enjoys certain benefits of having a teacher for a brother. “I get free rides in the morning, almost every teacher is nice to me, and if I need some extra money, he always lends it to me,” Shannon said.

Having a sibling who works at JC can also have its down sides. “I am pushed harder because he is always on my back about getting good grades,” Shannon said.

Overall, Shannon and James have enjoyed being at JC together. “I really enjoy the fact that my sister is here and that I get to see her every day,” James said.

Call to view our portfolio, or visit us at www.huskinsbuilders.com Huskins Builders, Inc. – Jarrettsville, MD 410-557-6050- info@huskinsbuilders.com

Photo courtesy of Rebecca Jansing-Kaestner

Science teacher Rebecca Jansing-Kaestner (center) poses for a photo with husband Andrew and daughter Elaine after Elaine’s Junior Ring Ceremony in the spring of 2011.

Rebecca currently teaches Elaine in one of her chemistry classes.

Bob and Martha Schick Stephanie Meadowcroft

Lifestyles Editor Junior Martha Schick is incredibly involved in school activities, which may seem like the result of having a teacher for a parent. However, social studies teacher Bob Schick lets his daughter work her own way through school life.

So far, Bob has never had Martha as a student, but because Martha and her father are active in many school groups, they were bound to end up together. “Martha has been in numerous clubs I’ve moderated, like Academic Team, Film Club, and Speech and Debate,” Bob said.

Martha is the co-captain of Speech and Debate, but it was the choice of the other members. “I was actually treating her to a disadvantage being a moderator, but the other members overrode me,” Bob said.

According to Bob, Martha is a good

student. However, she has run into students who don’t do as well in school and have her dad for a teacher. “My personal favorite is when his students tell me to get my dad to not fail them. I promise, if somebody asks me that, I will tell my dad to fail you at all costs,” Martha said.

Both Bob and Martha get happiness and amusement out of their experiences at JC. “There are students who will tell me stories about him and ask if I knew that before. Seeing as I’ve lived with him for 17 years, the answer is probably yes,” Martha said.

“A lot of parents and kids don’t have good relationships but we do. She’s our only child and we get along really well,” Bob said.

Martha agrees. “All in all, I love going to the school where my dad teaches,” Martha said.

Photo courtesy of Shannon Fendryk

Freshman Shannon Fendryk and social studies teacher James Fendryk strengthen their brother-sister bond by watching a Ravens game together. James and Shannon ride to school together every morning.

• Custom Homes, Additions, Residential Remodeling.

• Personalized attention combined with quality workmanship and the flexibility you deserve • Over 30 years of building experience.

• All projects are personally supervised by Tom Huskins Jr. to ensure your satisfaction.

LIFESTYLES

Volume 47 Issue 5 April 2012

1

5

1. Dr. Yeung’s religion class praying in the chapel for Xavia. 2. Xavia in her freshman year casual picture. 3. JC’s sign remembering Xavia. 4. Xavia and her friends posing for a picture before Homecoming this year. 5. A JC student puts his prayer in a pastoral care cross. Photos courtesy of Patti Murphy Dohn and Carley Bynion.

Remembering

Xavia Pirozzi

Class of 2014

2

With the loss of a student from the community, school truly became a family Sarah Kearby Lifestyles Editor

3

4

When sophomore Xavia Pirozzi gained her wings on Wednesday, March 21, the JC community became closer as a family.

After losing her six month battle to lymphoma, Pirozzi became John Carroll’s guardian angel. Her classmates, as well as students from other grades and faculty, came together to support the Pirozzis.

Her classmates reflected on their favorite moments with Pirozzi. “One time at lunch, we were all talking about Homecoming since it was coming up.

I had asked Xavia what her dress looked like, and she looked so happy as she described it to us.

I was glad I could share [Homecoming] with her,” sophomore Brynly Wilson said.

“I first met Xavia in Mr. Baran’s Intro to Drawing and Painting class and we shared a little cubby for our art supplies. We just started talking to each other and started to get to know each other a little more every time we met in that class. She had a sweet personality. She never said anything mean to anyone else,”

sophomore Christy Kim said.

Sophomore Kayla Bynion was also a close friend to Pirozzi.

“Even though I only knew Xavia for a short time, she changed my life forever. There will always be a special place in my heart for her,” Bynion said.

Her classmates weren’t the only ones who remember Pirozzi. The whole student body incorporated the color purple into their uniforms to remember her on Thursday, March 22 and Friday, March 23.

Freshman Amanda Brannan helped spread the word about wearing purple for Pirozzi and posted campus minister Patti Murphy Dohn’s guidlines. “I posted [the guidelines] on the Facebook event called ‘Wear Purple for Xavia.’ I wanted to make sure that everyone at JC knew about it. It was really cool to see how in just a couple hours more than 300 JC students knew about the event,” Brannan said.

JC and St. Joseph School in Fullerton, Pirozzi’s former school, also pulled together to make 1,000 cranes for Pirozzi to symbolize hope. “[My mom and I] got the cranes done on Tuesday the night before she passed and

5

they were blessed that Wednesday at school mass,” freshman Emily Meyerl said.

English teacher Celeste Smith and Pirozzi’s advisory “prayed for [Pirozzi] often” and even “sent cards and a gift at Christmas.” Since she was not really in school this year, “we were remembering her from last year, but we miss her,” Smith said.

Pirozzi’s English teacher Dick Paaby had Pirozzi in class for “less than six weeks,” but he got the chance to determine that “she was confident, mature, and academically minded.”

“Xavia was trying to be lowkey. She didn’t want to give anyone a reason to feel sorry for her and get special attention, and she didn’t get it from me because that’s what she wanted,” Paaby said.

Even though she did not want attention, Pirozzi became an inspiration to the school community. “As I shared in prayer last week, there are times when school is family. Journeying with Xavia last week was one of the best examples I have ever witnessed in over 30 years where, indeed, school is family,” Murphy Dohn said.

6

LIFESTYLES

Spring has sprung!

Volume 47 Issue 5 April 2012

My family and I go to my Grandma’s to be a guide or a ref for an Easter egg hunt for my Grandma’s neighbors.

sophomore Joe Otenasek

Students and teachers share their plans for Easter Vacation I’m visiting my mom in Rhode Island, playing golf, and doing taxes.

math teacher Joseph Iacchei

For Easter, we always have a big

Italian dinner and go to Mass in the morning. We also play a huge family football game where everyone gets involved. freshman Hanna LeBuhn

Artwork by Lauren Friedly

Healthy You!

BY STEPHANIE MEADOWCROFT

Allergies strike early this spring When the idea of spring fever comes to mind, feeling sick isn’t the first thought. Unfortunately for allergy sufferers, spring is a dreaded time when each blooming bud leads to sneezing.

According to WebMD, the spring allergy trigger is pollen, tiny grains of powder that fertilize plants via air transportation.

When allergy sufferers inhale pollen, the immune system overreacts and releases antibodies.

Antibodies normally attack bacteria and viruses. In the case of allergy sufferers, antibodies identify pollen as harmful and attack it by releasing chemicals called histamines into the blood.

Thus, the culprit of the sneezy nose is the histamines.

Besides having a nose that won’t stop running, ABC News lists the primary symptoms of spring allergies as watery eyes, coughing, itchy eyes and nose, congestion, and tearing eyes.

For those that also have asthma, they can experience normal asthma symptoms like shortness of breath, wheezing, and coughing. Fatigue and headaches are possible too, but not as common.

So if pollen causes the allergies, where does the pollen come from? The most well-known answer is trees. However, not every allergy sufferer is allergic to all types of tree pollen. Grasses and weeds are also allergy offenders, but their season starts in summer.

Everyday Health lists another allergy culprit: molds, which release spores into the air that are carried by wind, like tree pollen.

While molds can be found inside houses, the most abundant mold spores are in the outside air.

Also like trees, mold causes typical allergy symptoms.

A major aspect to the severity of allergy symptoms is the pollen count, a measurement of the amount of allergens in air. The higher the pollen count, the worse the effects of allergies.

Allergy symptoms are worst on warm, breezy days because pollen easily floats in the air. In contrast, rainy days eases the pollen count because rain washes away allergens. Local weather forecasts report daily pollen count.

The Washington Post reports that the spring allergy season doesn’t begin until late March or early April. Because of the unusually mild winter, spring has sprung and allergies are here.

To help combat the long allergy season this year, keep doors and windows closed. Avoid spending extended time outside on high pollen counts days.

There are over-the-counter medicines like Claritin or Zyrtec that relieve typical symptoms.

If all else fails, seek out an allergist to prescribe medicine so you can enjoy the true meaning of spring fever.

Volume 47 Issue 5 April 2012

Senior Project Snapshots:

Wrabel bakes desserts for charity Emily Clarke Managing Editor Combining her passion for baking and the desire to give back to the community, senior Stephanie Wrabel has picked up her spatula and headed to the kitchen.

For her senior project, Wrabel is baking different desserts and donating them to My Sister’s Place, a shelter for women and their children in Baltimore, once a month.

Wrabel didn’t just want to bake for her project, however. She wanted to give back to the community.

“I talked to Mrs. Gezcy and she mentioned donating my desserts to a shelter. I did some research and found My Sister’s Place,” Wrabel said.

Wrabel says she usually bakes about 100 cookies, cupcakes, or other types of desserts for each visit. No matter what Wrabel makes, she says the people at the shelter are always grateful. “The

A&E

Many seniors are choosing to incorporate the arts into their senior projects. Featured below are three seniors who are using the arts to give back to the community and explore their creative interests.

A&E Editor In an instant it dawned on senior Lauren Barretto that Senior Project may actually be something worth taking advantage of.

As a fashion lover, Barretto decided to take her passion for fashion to the next level.

Attending Kent State next year, Barretto plans on studying fashion. This made it easy for Barretto to decide to focus her Senior Project on fashion.“I’ve always loved fashion. Clothes and art are my life,” Barretto said.

To mix her love for clothing and her passion for art, Barretto is creating a lookbook of her fashion designs.

A lookbook, in general, is a

collection of artwork or photography showcasing an artist’s work.

“My lookbook is going to focus on my designs. I hope that my project will teach me about my future career,” Barretto said.

The designs making up Barretto’s lookbook will be a mixture of her own designs and clothing that she had bought and remade.

“In my designs there are a lot of cut up tee shirts, high waisted destroyed denim, and shirts,” Barretto said.

Barretto hopes that working on her project will give her a taste of the life of studying fashion during college and as a post graduate. “I want to become a buyer for a major department store, so I can hopefully travel,” Barretto said.

Photo by Taylor

Kailey Tracy Copy Editor Investing her faith in Photoshop and her creative ability, senior Lydia Profili puts her design skills to the test as she reconstructs the sports mural in the upper gym for her senior project.

The idea to replace the outdated painting came to Profili with the help of her dad. “He went to JC and graduated in 1981, and the old mural was in the gym when he was a student at JC. He mentioned to me how old the sign is, and so we talked about making a new one,” Profili said.

Profili’s skill in the field of art manifested itself this year when she found her knack for design in her Digital Imaging class. With the help of Photoshop, Profili began “messing around with different JC logos” until she came up with “about three solid designs”

Hooper

e of her fashion e sketches of on th t ou ts ar st hen creating Lauren Baretto are important w s ea id y ar in designs. Prelim designs.

Profili updates upper gym mural that she believed would work.

She sent out the three designs to the student body earlier this year so that students could vote for the one they liked the most.

Profili will present a time lapse of pictures displaying the project from beginning to end.She plans to have the senior class assist in painting the updated mural, and help her take pictures for the time lapse video.

Profili’s mural will replace the old mural and the aged painting will be moved to the lower gym “so it is still in the school,” Profili said. Profili hopes to have the project finished before May. “I want to have a positive Lydia P rofili sets do Photo cour wn the first la tesy of Lydia and modern effect on JC. I She ha Profili yers of paint s enlisted th for the gym m e help of oth created this project to test my about th u e ra r l. students to m e school. ake her proje creative abilities and because ct I hope that people will acknowledge my hard work,” Profili said.

Novel Ideas

BY CARA REILLY

‘The Hunger Games’ encourages present political questions

shelter is very supporting and always takes my donations whenever I choose to donate,” Wrabel said.

“Most people probably don't know how long it really takes to bake 100 cupcakes or 100 cookies. It takes about five hours. I'll admit it’s super tiring, but when I give [the shelter] the boxes of desserts, I already feel proud of myself,” Wrabel said.

For Wrabel, her project goes above and beyond the grade that she’ll receive for the project.

“One time I dropped the desserts off, and there was a mass going on in the dining room of the shelter. Those women were so happy when they saw what Stephanie I brought in. Those women Wrabel ro Photo co next batc ll ur tesy of h of dess s cookie dough a Stephani looked so worn out, tired, and e Wrabe erts for th s she pre l her to ma e homele pares he ke large depressed. I guess it moved r ss. Her p amounts roject req of baked me because not many people uires goods. get to see these women. It's so sad to see people with nothing. I feel happy that I can put a smile on their faces with my desserts,” Wrabel said.

Barretto designs fashion sketches Eva Bialobrzeski

7

Let the Hunger Games begin.

This wildly popular series seems to spark an addiction within the reader that they must yield to by reading all three books as quickly as possible. This hunger, no pun intended, stems from the creative and meaningful story that begins in the first book.

“The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins begins on the day of the reaping in District 12, the last of the districts controlled by The Capitol. The story unfolds with Katniss Everdeen’s narration of life in Panem and the annual Hunger Games.

This competition forces one male and one female tribute in each district to fight to the death with each horrible moment captured on live television to entertain The Capitol and to remind the districts of the government’s power.

Even before the Games begin, Katniss reveals the squalor in which the districts live. The only way to survive is by illegally acquiring food, but sometimes this is not even enough. “The Hunger Games” is aptly named, as all character face the possibility of starvation, either while fighting in the arena or watching from their miserable homes The problems these characters face in Panem are not unlike the ones many face in America today.

Thus, “The Hunger Games” is not just the next “Twilight” saga.

Instead, it is a political allegory that Collins uses to draw attention to real problems that many see as far removed from their own life.

The issues presented in the books include the disparity between the rich and the poor as well as environmental degradation. Similar to reality, the gap between the rich and the poor is staggeringly vast as some worry about where their next meal will come from while others purge themselves to make room for more. In addition, a statement is made about the unchecked power of the government and the powerlessness of the governed.

Collins was quoted in the New York Times, saying that young readers should compare and contrast the world they live in to the fictional world she created.

“I hope they question how elements of the books might be relevant to their own lives. About global warming, about our mistreatment of the environment, but also questions like: How do you feel about the fact that some people take their next meal for granted when so many other people are starving?” Collins said.

The writing in the books is not that impressive, but Collins has a talent for creating vivid images from her words. The creativity and motives behind the trilogy makes the books more meaningful than they would be otherwise.

8

IN-DEPTH

Volume 47 Issue 5 April 2012

be d l u o h s ke I s me i l l e e f is n’t m d i d d l t u o s ew I ju n . o e o n o n l a d elt ure nt f g t i f s I u j .

I “ lly mous stude a e r , g livin ise.” -Anony otherw

The Patriot uncovers the stories of students who struggle with self injury

y m e v r a t s I

nch, and a pie four croutons for lu t, as kf ea br r fo rt Ta et. For one J A quarter of a Popem like a healthy di se t n’ es do er nn di r as fo s struggling w quarter and a few pe grade while she wa h ht eig of h uc m h roug seventh gra she ate every day th a lot of baby fat. In d ha d an e ag y m r ke about how “I was always big fo le would always jo op pe d an ds ki r he e ot l me that the I was bigger than th e my lunch and tel tak d ul wo ds en fri y m seventh grade when e said. to eat anymore,” sh ed to her, sh ne ’t dn di I because hy way. According alt he a in et di r he d good, but sa At first, she change ents about looking im pl m co ng tti ge d rte healthier.” She sta in the mirror.” up with what I saw d he She crav atc m r ve ne at mind th er into her anorexia. ep de r he e ov dr ly lled her fa The compliments on h to a girl that had ca ac m sto r he of re ctu a pi much that she sent two days.” in but I didn’t ten ea t n’ “I have else needed to eat, y od yb er ev e us ca ods. “It d “I felt empowered be hy and unhealthy fo alt he n ee tw be n tio s chocolat There was no distinc didn’t matter if it wa It e. m to n iso po s mething go cause everything wa to eat, it had to be so g in go s wa I if e, us d on how m choose the cake beca ercise regimen base ex an d ha e sh , od and joggin Besides avoiding fo e was 300 crunches cis er ex r fo t en m ire enough,” she said.

“My minimum requ lorie count was high ca y m til ng because un ce on straight s never said anythi nt re pa r he , nt de lp when her According to the stu er.” She only got he rd so di g tin ea an d to 115 pou that their daughter ha ne from 165 pounds go d ha e sh t, in po is gs were craz wasn’t eating. By th and my mood swin w llo ye rn tu to ng thought I w “My skin was starti s really weak, but I wa I r. ste on m us cio would turn into a vi e said. sh s,” her organs ay alw t, fa I was r, she was told that cto do a to r he ok to was fixed.

When her mother up and down that I e or sw d an y ap er down. “I went to th eating again switch,” she said. erapist, she started th d an r cto do e th hy, but I After her visit to . I was looking healt ht ig we g in in ga d rte people ate, but I sta . started bin id sa e sh ing,” e couldn’t stop. “I sh g, tin ea d rte sta fat, so I be Now that she had t then I would feel bu e, lg du in d ul wo I ia returned much I liked food. gotten from anorex d ha e sh at th r we because I The feeling of po control and power ng tti ge s wa “I .

JC was a freshman at . id up one d sa e sh ,” ny skin caught her throwing om m r he en wh d care of It all came to an en them, I had to take do to ed nt wa I if d e still ha dreams for myself an r freshman year, sh he e ac pl ok to ts en . My initi Although these ev ange your mentality ch to ve ha u yo e us e box,” s still a struggle beca as well eat the whol ay m I so , up d we ckon the r is that I already scre k nothing of also be in th d ul wo rls gi e inny is Things that som ly think that super sk on I e us ca be , rd ha “It make boyfriends makes it er, her advice is this: rd so di a th wi g in To those struggl you’re doing, and yo e weakest thing that th s sio it’ t Bu d. re we empo dreams. Find profes on your hopes and up ve be gi ll u u’ yo yo , at th hy alt ng sayi entally he deeper. If you are m result of something

By Martha Schick

“My ex-g point she irlfriend had an ea throwing was destroying he ting disorder, to t through, up so much. It’s a r throat because of he form of s and I think it’s alsterrible thing to g elf- injur y.” -Anony o a very overlooke o d mous stu de nt

38.7%

of has fro

yself

e of a ece of meat the siz what s wa at th , JC student er. rd so di g tin with an ea that g in tic no d ade, I starte e in m t hi It r. ge w I was lar vor fa a e m g in ey were do

and eat he “would eat less in my aid, “I had a picture

inny so ved being called sk d said, an e ad gr h at in sevent

have to,” she said.

I ate bedidn’t matter what I would te cake or lettuce. ood,” she said. that day. much she had eaten minutes ng. I jogged for 50

barrassed “they were too em that she friends told her mom a year. unds in the course of and then ted ela be zy. I would ought that was fine. I always th

of shutting s were on the verge e a light I wanted to fix it lik

what normal n. “I started eating althy lookdidn’t want to be he

I knew how nge eating because e said. ecame bulimic,” sh this time, she By with bulimia. h and still be I could eat so muc

I had all these day. “I realized that . my body,” she said healthy. “It’s g in be as to work at eating a cookie ial mentality when she said. rities. “Having return of old insecu id. s attractive,” she sa g and you feel on str es you feel so e white flag and ou’re putting up th not eating is the onal help, because physically healthy.”

%

IN-DEPTH

Volume 47 Issue 5 April 2012

23.9%

9

of JC students have considered cutting themselves

I cut myself

Ugly.

Stupid.

Never good enough.

These are things that ran through one JC student’s mind on a daily basis. “I’ve never really liked myself as a person... I don’t think I’m very good looking, I don’t really deal with people well, and I don’t think I’m very easy to get along with,” the student said.

These constant tortures led the student to cut. “I’m afraid of blades so instead I just clutched my arms with my fingers until my nails dug in and caused the bleeding,” the student said.

It wasn’t just one thing that caused this student’s cutting. “I think the pressures of being a teenager are really heavy. There’s appearance, studies, sports, and just overall happiness. It can be rough sometimes and you really need a way to de-stress. Stress is probably the biggest thing that got me to that point.”

Reaching out to a friend is what hepled the student stop cutting. “A couple of months ago I confessed that I was doing this to a really good friend of mine who lives sort of far away. She used to cut herself when she was my age, even a little younger than I am,” the student said.

“Her case was more severe than mine, but when I told her what was going on she treated it just as seriously as her own. She told me that she was always there to talk, and once I found someone to really vent to, things got better. It was hard to pull away and to be honest. I’m surprised I’ve done so well. It’s easy to get into, but it’s hard to get out of,” the student said.

Realizing that cutting was a serious issue was part of what made this student decide to talk to someone. “I kind of realized it [was bad] the first time I did it. I did it a couple more times before I actually told anyone, though. I just couldn’t bring myself to say anything. It hurt too much,” the student said.

According to the student, the hypocrisy of the situation struck them as well. “Ever since I first knew what it was, I’ve always advocated towards being there for those who self-harm. I’ve always said there were better ways to deal with your problems, and I knew that doing it myself was just letting down everyone I’ve ever tried to help,” the student said.

Although this student has stopped cutting, it is still a daily battle. “It has been about a month or so since the last time I [cut myself]. The truth is that I’m still recovering. I had a bad night a couple of weeks ago and I bled a little bit more. It wasn’t as bad as any of the other times, but it still happened,” the student said.

They also want to help other students struggling with this battle. “You need to find someone who cares, someone you trust, and talk to them. I did this to myself because I just felt too alone to deal with it all. It really can be prevented if you just have a friend who you know you can talk to,” the student said.

Guidance counselor Carol Heflin-Shupe agrees. “Because [cutting] is addictive, they think they can stop, but it is very difficult to do without some support,” Heflin-Shupe said. “[We can] help kids realize there are other options than cutting that they can turn to before it gets there, because once they start, it is hard to stop,” Heflin-Shupe said.

For those who know someone who cuts themselves, Heflin-Shupe’s advice is: “If you know someone who is cutting, no matter how long, helping them get help is important. You can’t do it for them, but you can help them. Help them see its ok to get help.”

“I’m not completely happy with how things are going right now in my life. A lot of things are making me unhappy, but the difference is now I have someone to talk about it with. I know it’s all getting better. I can feel it,” the student said.

By Ashley Beyer

JC students know someone who s suffered or currently suffers om an eating disorder

All JC students were polled on Mar. 21 through Surveymonkey. 329 students responded to the survey. The survey has a +/- 4% accuracy rate.

quick

10

A&E

Bites:

Volume 47 Issue 5 April 2012

The Patriot staff reviews the best Asian restaurants in Harford County

Chopstix

Photo by Imani Love

Chopstix offers sushi rolls ranging from California Roll to the Volcano Roll. Chopstix also offers Chinese food such as great egg rolls.

Imani Love, Cara Reilly Sports Editor & Copy Chief Whether it’s a Japanese or a Chinese food craving on Friday night, Chopstix has the ability to satisfy any urge.

Located in a hidden corner on Rock Spring Road in Forest Hill,

Taylor Hooper Multimedia Editor Kim Wah cooks the best Chinese food there is in Bel Air, hands down. Not only is their food delicious, but their service is friendly, fast, and reliable. The take out restaurant provides a quick and easy fix to satisfy any Chinese food craving.

Here are a few of the best menu items.

The shrimp lo mein is a brown noodle dish packed with shrimp and covered in a light, tangy sauce. This dish is the best and great for those who don’t like to take too much of a risk.

Think of it as Chinese spaghetti.

Moo goo guy pan is a mixture of chicken, snap peas, and corn covered in a sweet, white sauce. It seems complicated, but the taste is simple and delicious.

Chopstix offers gourmet Japanese and Chinese food, whether it’s a dining in occasion or a carry out one.

Walking into the restaurant, the dim lighting and big water fountain give off an authentic, peaceful restaurant feel. The hostesses The sesame chicken contains bite-sized pieces of chicken dipped in a syrupy brown sauce.

Lastly, the classic crab and cream cheese wanton is, of course, crab and cream cheese wrapped inside of dough.

The cost of purchasing the four of these dishes together would be around $35-$45. Although that may seem rather expensive, the portions make up for the price.

These are just four of the many dishes and sides offered Kim Wah. Kim Wah offers other various dishes such as shrimp fried rice, sweet and sour pork, and beef with broccoli. My favorites are usually along the sweet side instead of spicy. If you prefer spicy meals, the menu clearly labels which are spicy by highlighting the item in red.

Korean Restaurant

Photo by Chioma Iheoma

Korean food may not be the most popular of Asian food, but Korean Restaurant offers wonderful dishes. For example, it has perfected rice.

Chioma Iheoma A&E Editor Restaurant titles tend to be quite vague, but Korean Restau-

rant gets right to the point and holds no secrets about its serving of Korean food. While the restaurant owners weren’t too cre-

are quick to help the customers and greet them warmly. Usually on a Friday night, Chopstix is packed, and calling ahead of time might be a good idea. However, right after school lets out during the week, it’s not as crowded.

Chopstix does a pretty good job at quickly finding seating.

Customers have the option of sitting at the bar, a table, or a booth.

For those who want to be comfortable, a booth is definitely the way to go.

Now to the good part: the food. Chopstix offers a great variety of appetizers to choose from.

The Chopstix menu ranges from salads and soups to eggrolls and wontons. We started the meal off with a seaweed salad, which cost $5.25. The seaweed salad was great. It wasn’t drenched in sesame oil or too dry, it was right in between.

Another appetizer was the fried crabmeat wontons. They were golden and looked delicious when they came out on the plate.

The cost for six wontons is $4.95.

Inside the wontons is crab meat with cream cheese. The combination of Baltimore’s specialty and Asian spices resulted in a deliThe food is consistently hot, fresh and ready to go. It is high quality and the portions are large, which can leave you with leftovers to enjoy for another time.

Even though this place is take out only, they kindly include the traditional fortune cookies with your order so you can enjoy your food and receive your good fortune.

Although I do enjoy eating in the comfort of my home, I would not object if Kim Wah decided to create a sit-down restaurant as well.

If you are looking for a fast and easy dinner, order from Kim Wah instead of a random fast food restaurant. Believe me, your stomach will thank you.

Kim Wah is located at 116 North Tollgate Road, Bel Air, MD 21014. ative with the name, the food is superb. Anyone interested in trying new food should head down to Aberdeen Shopping Plaza to Korean Restaurant.

It’s hard to miss Korean Restaurant because of its 15-foot long huge sign that can be seen from a mile away.

Slightly discouraged by the cafeteria-like set up and silm decor of the restaurant, I walked to the register to see what the restaurant had to offer and was met with one of the very kind owners. The owner was very nice and showed me the menu which featured photos of the food and their titles. I ordered shrimp fried rice and my eating partner ordered chicken bulgogi.

The restaurant is mostly selfserve aside from the food. Din-

cious soft wonton filled with rich cream of crab.

The last appetizer ordered was steamed dumplings for $5.25.

They come either steamed or fried, and both tasted delicious.

The classic dumpling contains seasoned ground pork wrapped in dough, but these went above and beyond the average dumpling.

What’s a complete Asian meal without sushi? Nothing. We stuck with the classic California Roll which is cucumber, imitation crabmeat, and avocado all wrapped in rice. The only way to can go wrong with a California Roll is if it’s store bought or if the ingredients aren’t fresh.

Although nothing that we ordered was unsatisfactory, the order of shrimp sushi was not ideal. Like most people, we were picturing the colorful rolls filled with rice, avocado, and shrimp.

However, what we had mistakenly ordered was a small mound of rice covered by the shrimp’s outer layer of meat.

There were only two of these bite-sized shrimp sushi in the entrée that cost $4.50. The miniscule meal looked even smaller on its unnecessarily large plate. Al-

though the order was not what we had expected, the sushi was fresh and tasted similar to a normal sushi roll once dipped in soy sauce.

The shrimp fried rice, another dish at our table that is a classic at any Chinese restaurant, cost $6.75 for a small order. This dish at Chopstix was even better than at most restaurants because it was flavorful without being overly oily or salty. Every ingredient tasted fresh, making the shrimp fried rice taste even lighter than usual.

The chicken with broccoli, another common dish at most Chinese restaurants, was also enjoyable and full of flavor. However, this dish was much more filling and slightly greasier at the higher price of $7.75. The chicken and broccoli was immersed in a pool of soy sauce, adding a little too much flavor to the dish.

Chopstix provides a wide variety of Asian food in a more upscale atmosphere with reasonable prices. Go to Chopstix for exceptional Asian ambiance and delicious food.

Chopstix is located on 1523-A Rock Spring Road, Forest Hill, MD 21050-2855.

Kim Wah

Photo by Taylor Hooper

Kim Wah is a take-out restuarant which offers no seating inside.

However, the tasty food is worth taking home for lunch or dinner. ers are able to get their own drinks from dispensers or soft drinks from fridges along the side of the restaurant. Utensils and side dishes are also able to be self-served.

The kitchen is open and easily viewed from the dining area, so I was surprised when both the shrimp friend rice and chicken bulgogi arrived at the table in a little under 10 minutes. It was freshly made and steaming hot on the plate.

The fried rice was tossed with corn and green beans and topped with sesame seeds. The right amount of perfectly cooked shrimp was tossed in to round out the dish. While most fried rice tends to be oily, the sauce that this was tossed in seemed to eliminate all traces of that unpleasant oil.

The chicken bulgogi came with tossed chicken and white rice and a side plate. The side plate was a miniature plate divided into three sections. One section had cucumbers in sauce, another had sliced cassava and carrots, and the other had spicy sliced onions.

All of these could be eaten by themselves or mixed in with the chicken bulgogi.

The fridges along the side of the restaurant also hold side dishes that patrons are allowed to take food from for an additional price. Both meals were under $11 and worth every cent. The fresh vegetables and seasonings all contribute to guilt free eating at Korean Restaurant.

Korean Restaurant is located on 17 Aberdeen Shopping Plaza, Aberdeen, Maryland 21001.

Megan Foard Multimedia Editor A few weeks ago, if someone mentioned Invisible Children (IC), most people would have no idea what they were talking about.

No one knew what Invisible Children did until the video Kony 2012. For those who haven’t seen the video or know what IC is, here is some of its history as well as proof of IC’s legitimacy as a charity, which so many people have started to doubt simply because of media distortion.

Before people can make you believe in their legitimacy, they need to know the actual information and not just read some article that a random person decided to write. Although 100 percent of donations do not go straight to the kids, it does go to transportation to help get those children out of there. The Kony 2012 video is not asking for people to give money, but to simply raise awareness of this massacre.

The honest truth is that no one knew what was going on, so no one could stop Joseph Kony. Invisible Children decided the best way to stop this war was through

awareness spread through social media.

IC has been working for nine years to stop Kony and finish Africa’s longest armed conflict. U.S. military advisors are in central Africa trying to stop Kony and destroy the LRA. The U.S. is only remaining in Africa for one more year, and then they have to leave Kony to wreak havoc.

The Kony 2012 video spread like wildfire through social media on Wednesday, March 7, 2012, raising national awareness. On April 20, 2012, Invisible Children is asking people to put up posters around the county to raise even more awareness. IC’s mission is about saving the future children of Africa. There has already been a group started on Facebook to start a group at JC and raise awareness by hanging posters all over the school. This main event will also be happening on Main Street in Bel Air. This video has nothing to do with taking your money, but simply raising awareness.

Currently, Joseph Kony is one of the world’s top 10 most wanted criminals. The IC’s KONY 2012 campaign is designed not to cel-

ProV.Con

Artwork by Lauren Friedly

Scott Novak Opinion Editor Out of all my Facebook friends that have posted statuses supporting Invisible Children (IC), I bet

few of them would be able to locate Uganda on a map. This leads me to my main problem with IC. They leave one with a grossly oversimplified idea of the situation in Uganda.

Student Answer Freshman

11 1

OPINION

Volume 47 Issue 5 April 2012

Sophomore

The Patriot

The John Carroll School 703 Churchville Road Bel Air, MD 21014 Volume 47, Issue 5, April 2012

Print Chief: Maggie Cassidy Online Chief: Grace Kim Copy Chief: Cara Reilly Managing Editors: Emily Clarke Brianna Glase Martha Schick

Artwork by Lauren Friedly

ebrate him, but to raise awareness for his arrest.

Kony has stolen food and abducted children for his army. He made children kill their families

and the girls become sex slaves for his officers. The LRA has taken more than 30,000 children in northern Uganda, and must be stopped.

Does the mission of Invisible Children deserve your support?

First of all, American involvement with Kony started long before IC existed. However, every mission to stop Kony has been a complete failure.

According to an article published by Foreign Affairs called “Obama takes on the LRA,” U.S. African Command has had soldiers deployed in Uganda for years. The failed Operation Lightning Thunder, the mission aimed at capturing and/or killing Kony, that took place in 20082009 remains unmentioned.

Kony’s army, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), responded viciously to these failed attacks. In January and February 2009, the LRA abducted around 700 people and killed almost 1,000. The local population, caught between a rebel group and an army that does not prioritize civilian protection, are overlooked by IC. Pursuing Kony has done much more harm than good. IC also cooperates with the Ugandan military in tracking down Kony, a military that has a history of human rights abuse just as horrid as the LRA. Even if Kony was killed, the

Junior

LRA will not cease to exist because of the death of one man.

Until the region’s poor government is fixed, there can be no lasting peace. Addressing such a problem would take a huge deployment of troops with a longterm commitment to stay in the country, and even then, it might still be unsuccessful (think of Iraq).

If you want to help Africa, a better way to spend your money is fighting malaria. Make a donation to Against Malaria Foundation, a top-rated charity where 100 percent of your money goes to malaria nets. The only reason why malaria continues to be a problem in Africa is money. Africa has many other problems like malaria that are preventable with donations. Kony is not one of these problems.

IC is right when it says that individuals can change the world, but with the power to cause change comes responsibility. If IC has inspired you to care more about Africans, that’s great, but please, take the next step and research how you can help them most effectively.

Senior

Section Editors: Ashley Beyer Eva Bialobrzeski Amanda Graziano Chioma Iheoma Sarah Kearby Adam Kuester Imani Love Stephanie Meadowcroft Scott Novak Miranda Ripken Copy Editors: Kailey Tracy Multimedia Editors: Megan Battaglia Megan Foard Taylor Hooper Ashley Moxley Cartoonist: Lauren Friedly Jenny Yang Moderators: Mark Ionescu Nick Attanasio

The Patriot is a publication of The John Carroll School.

The views and opinions expressed in The Patriot are not necessarily the views of the Board of Trustees or the Administration of The John Carroll School.

For information regarding our mission statement, editorial policy, number of copies distributed, advertising policy, and corrections, please visit jcpatriot.com/about The editorial staff invites and greatly appreciates comments from readers on any issue.

Angela DeCarlo “It’s questionable, because I’ve seen a lot of videos saying it’s not legit.”

Dan Hentschel “I think their intentions are legitimate, but they’re going about it the wrong way.”

Renee L’Atrelli “It changed my views on the world and made me feel fortunate. It’s probably legit.”

Ben Pickett “I really don’t know much about the organization, I haven’t been following it.”

Please email comments or letters to editor@jcpatriot.com or submit them through our website: www.jcpatriot.com

12 12

Brain Droppings

BY SCOTT NOVAK

Historic event reveals need for reason I have been a part of history in the making. Literally.

On March 24, I attended the first ever Reason Rally, held at the National Mall in Washington D.C. The rally drew a crowd of 20,000, making it the largest secular gathering in history.

The Reason Rally is exactly what it sounds like: a rally for the virtue of reason. It celebrated basing one’s beliefs on logic and evidence, as well as the value of the separation of church and state.

Is such a “rally for the obvious,” as one of the speakers, Richard Dawkins, puts it, needed? Alas, there are people who are against reason, and they must be more educated to see it.

Although it is not a problem at JC, teaching evolution is still a struggle in America, especially in the South. In 2008, a conference of American science teachers was held in Atlanta, Georgia.

One teacher reported that students “burst into tears” when they found out that they were studying evolution, while another teacher told how students screamed “No!” when he began talking about evolution.

The current GOP candidates are another omen that a rally for reason is needed. Currently, there is a mentality of preferring politicians who are more like them and not intellectual elitists. People want someone they can relate to rather than someone who is qualified for the job.

Perhaps the most poignant reminder of why the Reason Rally was needed was a group that attended to protest it: the Westboro Baptist Church, a hateful organization that condemns anyone to hell.

In a society where faith is considered an item of moral goodness, it is often forgotten that believing in things without proof can be a source of tremendous harm.

Ask Nate Phelps, the son of WBC leader Fred Phelps, whose speech was among the most moving.

He apologized for the hate his family spread. “Seeing my family out there protesting, standing behind barriers with their garish signs, espousing the ideal of their god, the prevailing emotion for me is sadness,” he said. “I see the results of a lifetime of controlled indoctrination. I see a system [that] vilifies new ideas, shuns new discoveries, clinging rather to ancient notions about the nature of our world.”

Hopefully, 100 years from now, people won’t need rallies to remind them to of the importance of reason and the harrowing effects the lack of it can have.

STAFF

OPINION

: ED

There’s a new form of murder that’s sweeping the nation’s youth: bullying.

Bullies attacking someone’s race, gender, sexuality, religious or political views, or anything as inconsequential as what they wear can be seen in the halls of any school.

Seeing JC take bold steps into a direction away from that deserves a standing ovation.

There are a few new initiatives taken by both the student body and the administration that may seem small, but could be lifesaving for some.

An assembly on bullying will be held for next year’s classes, according to Principal Madelyn Ball.

Volume 47 Issue 5 April 2012

JC needs to take even more steps to combat bullying, discrimination

This assembly is designed to expose the students early on in the year to issues of bullying before they begin their school year, which is crucial. Before students find their own friend groups and cliques, they should be united in one commitment to not bully each other, despite their differences in social circles.

This assembly will not be an be the solution to bullying, but it’s a good start. It has the potential to raise awareness and provoke thought on how students should treat each other and what consequences their actions and words can have.

Even though topics are not certain at this time, the assembly should definitely share personal

stories of students who have been bullied in order to personalize how troublesome being bullied can be.

Additionally, the new group named Love One Another (LOA), started by senior Scott Novak, focuses on fighting against discrimination. It is extremely important for students themselves in the school community to tackle bullying issues.

If JC is going to advertise itself as an upright Catholic institution, then accepting people from all different backgrounds, personalities, and preferences should be a top priority.

This school should strive to be an example for all other schools to follow in terms of the way stu-

dents treat each other.

The Golden Rule and the first of the seven themes of Catholic Social Teaching talk about the sanctity of every single person’s life, and bullying destroys the dignity of that life.

An agreement to not bully should be as present and visible as the Honor Pledge. Just as a student signs their name and promises to be honorable, they should pledge not to bully.

Students need to realize that bullying can be a life or death situation. Many don’t know what a student is going through at home or in their life outside of school.

Hopefully, these small steps JC has begun to take will pave the way to a more loving community.

What do you think of using

in the

classroom?

Cartoon by Jenny Yang

“I believe that technology is a benefit because it helps, at least me, get homework and work done quicker.

I can type notes faster than I can write them, so it’s a positive to me in the classroom.”

Junior Carrie Dukes

“I don’t like technology in the classroom because it’s too distracting.”

Sophomore Katherine Flanigan

Freshman Lauren Glase

“I think technology is an absolute necessity. It’s a valuable tool.”

Science teacher Susan Kraft

“It’s definitely easier to keep track of homework and notes, but at times “Technology gives people opportunities it can also be very that other people don’t distracting.” have.”

Freshman Brady Fritz

“I think there are definitely more benefits to the computers than there are scandals.

Computers allow us to have the Internet at our fingertips, but we need to know how and when to use it properly.”

Senior Luke Navin

“In my case, the pluses definitely outweigh the minuses. When used correctly, it’s a great way to enhance student learning, but it can also be a great distraction for students from their learning.”

Science teacher Shane Lawler

Double standards result in gender inequality Cara Reilly

Copy Chief

What is the boy who tells the girl to go and make him a sandwich? Single. And what is the girl who tells him what he can do with his sandwich? A feminist.

The term feminist has negative connotations, just as the women’s rights movement does.

Although this issue was supposedly resolved several decades ago as women became legally equal to men, issues over gender inequality are still present today in schools as well as in the rest of society.

Violations of equality are present in the student handbook as girls are required to wear a uniform, while boys simply have to follow a dress code. Male students are given more freedom for personal expression because they are not required to wear the same exact outfit as every other boy in the school.

In contrast, girls must all wear the same skirt and polo shirt, with accessorizing being the only opportunity for individuality. In order for the policy to be fair, both girls and boys should have the same rules and regulations concerning their attire. On the other hand, girls tend to not be reprimanded quite as often for short skirts simply because it is an awkward subject for a male teacher or faculty member to broach with a female student.

Males, however, have their names bellowed down the hallway by social studies teacher Rodney Johnson or Assistant Athletic Director Tim Perry to order the boys to tuck their shirts in or button their top buttons. In addition, students bring some of these inequalities upon themselves when it comes to dating.

Some say that chivalry is dead,

Grace Kim

The last library rule made it so that students could not eat or drink in the library. However, they at least had the walls of the individual study carrels to hide behind.

But now those study carrels have been removed as well, leaving students without food, drinks, and privacy in the library.

According to Media Center Director Theresa Burlas, in regards to the dramatic change of removing the quiet study carrels along the far left wall of the library, the carrels were removed, for two reasons.

The first was due to the fact that students were texting and eating in those study carrels, which is against school and library policy.

Because they were located on the back wall of the library, neither Burlas nor Media Assistant Phyllis Grymes could watch the students to make sure that they were following all library rules.

Second, she felt that the space used for individual study carrels

Martha’s Musings

BY MARTHA SCHICK

College fair fails to meet expectations

Cartoon by Lauren Friedly

referring to the days when a gentleman would open their date’s car door or let the ladies go first.

The very definition of feminism implies that feminists would prefer equality over any special treatment, but their ideals seems to go by the wayside before any formal school dance, when every girl is rushing to find a date. Society has raised girls who would rather be asked instead of do the asking.

However, these incongruences do not only apply to teenagers.

Talk show host Rush Limbaugh recently misspoke when disagreeing with President Obama’s new health insurance regulation that would require a woman’s contraception to be paid for by her employer, calling the woman in question a “slut” and a “prostitute.”

However, Limbaugh was un-

aware of how false his words were, since the woman he referred to was actually using contraceptives to control her ovarian cysts.

Although the Catholic Church prohibits the use of birth control regardless of if the woman’s motives are sexual or not, a woman could be using contraceptives for a number of reasons. I believe that choice is theirs, whether they are controlling acne or preventing pregnancy.

This recent example in popular culture demonstrates the double standard hidden from polite conversation, whether it is demonstrated in the news or in JC’s hallways. A high school girl who admits to using birth control would be branded a slut, without her accusers bothering to ask about the reasons. But would every guy with a condom in his wallet be branded a prostitute?

Absolutely not.

Gender inequality has been ingrained in society and admittedly may never be completely eradicated. Social norms have women being the caretakers of the family and men being the source of financial support.

While this is not always necessarily true today, it’s still surprising to see gender roles switched.

A woman asking a man to marry her and supporting her husband with her higher-paying job is just not seen very often.

Some of these customs are a part of society for reasons that cannot be described and therefore cannot be easily altered. Still, society’s written and unwritten rules should be consistent for both men and women in an attempt to gradually remove gender stereotypes.

Men can make great sandwiches too.

Library takes out desks, removes privacy Online Chief

13 13

OPINION

Volume 47 Issue 5 April 2012

could be utilized more efficiently to put in more large group study tables and bookshelves.

The first reason is disappointing. Just because a few students were using study carrels inappropriately does not justify the disappearance of one of the most valuable study tools the library offered.

Many students used those study carrels when they had nowhere else to go to focus quietly to study or do schoolwork on their off mods or after school.

The large tables can be more distracting, and the cafeteria is an even worse place to study with all the noise. Throw “study buddies” in the mix, and that’s a recipe for a C rather than an A on that quiz a student might be trying to cram for.

Those individual confines insured privacy for a student and encouraged intense concentration on just the student and his or her study materials.

Instead of taking away a privilege from all students, only those caught misusing the study carrels should be punished.

Artwork by Jenny Yang

Those misbehaving students should just be sent straight to the office for a demerit or two to teach them a lesson. Leave the study carrels there for students who truly need them.

On the other hand, the library has recognized an issue that should definitely be addressed: spatial arrangement.

The library can become crowded quickly during certain lunch mods. Analyzing the available space and thinking carefully about what arrangement of study carrels would be best to fit the most students in it is a great idea.

The library is rather small, and there should be more study car-

rels to fit in more students during popular off mods so that everyone has a chance to be in a place to study if they need to.

The initiative in trying to utilize the available space in a more strategic and careful way deserves nothing but praise.

In the end, however, the individual private study carrels should still be there. Those study carrels served positive academic purposes, and they will surely be missed.

Despite this, the new arrangement provides for the opportunity to see a new and improved library that will make up for the loss of the study carrels.

The College Fair on March 28 was planned by the guidance department, who had good intentions. These intentions were quickly dashed on rocks of annoyance upon entering the gym.

There was some good that came out of it, but there are some definite ways to improve it next year.

For students who want to go to college as far away from Harford County as possible, the fair wasn’t helpful. There were 58 colleges represented, but the majority of them are in Maryland or surrounding states. The fair should have been an opportunity to shed light on colleges that are not very easy to visit, but most were only a couple of hours away.

The relevance of some of the schools to students was questionable. Over half of the colleges at the fair were schools that nobody from the class of 2011 attended.

Without interest, they should not be invited back. Their places should be filled by schools that JC students could be interested in.

A major issue of the fair was the spacing. There was a large ring of tables around the gym and a small ring of tables in the middle Popular colleges like University of Maryland and UMBC were quickly mobbed by students that filled all of the available room around those tables, which made it impossible to get near their tables or the tables surrounding them. With more room between tables, it would have been much easier to look at popular colleges.

This is obviously not JC’s fault, but some of the representatives themselves were completely unhelpful. When a college’s representative is an alumnus or a current student, there is almost no way that a JC student will actually find out useful information.

Unless a student wants to major in the same thing as the representative, he or she probably can’t offer any insight on what the student needs to know.

Of course, there were also the representatives who were too busy playing Temple Run on their iPads to answer questions.

A helpful hint to colleges: if your representative can’t answer a question like, “Do you have a journalism program?” you are not putting your best foot forward.

What seemed like the biggest waste was having the sophomores attend. While it looks like tons of sophomores are interested in finding colleges early, let me clue you in. If you tell a sophomore that they can choose between going to class or milling around the gym with their friends, they will pick the gym. The fair should be a helpful place for juniors who seriously want their college questions answered.

14 14

SPORTS Senior athlete Track coaches race, coach together creates

Volume 47 Issue 5 April 2012

Grace Kim

Online Chief

In memory of sophomore Xavia Pirozzi, who passed away from leukemia on March 21, senior Carlee Ries has ordered purple wrist sweatbands with the letter X on the front. Purple was Xavia’s favorite color.

According to Ries, her aim for this project was to honor Xavia by having all spring sports players wear the sweatbands. Athletic Director Larry Dukes assisted her in this process.

“I cannot really tell you where the idea came from. I honestly was just thinking one day and I knew that I had to do something.

Since I play lacrosse, I was going to just have the sweatbands for your arms for our girls lacrosse team. Then I thought, why not try and have them for every sports team? When I thought of the idea, I went right to Mrs. Murphy-Dohn. She then led me to Mr. Dukes,” Ries said.

According to Dukes, the Student Affairs Council paid for half of the cost of the sweatband order. Each sweatband cost $2, so when the sweatbands go on sale, students will be charged $1 for them.

According to Dukes, coaches have been collecting pre-orders.

Spring sports teams showing interest will be given the sweatbands first. Dukes ordered 400 sweatbands from STbands.com on March 27.

After spring break, the sweatbands will be available for the rest of the student body and more orders can be placed if interest increases.

“After the ideas are finalized between Mr. Dukes and me, the sweatbands will be in within two weeks. I know this is kind of late into the spring sport season, but [I want to do] anything to help remember Xavia. The whole idea is to remember and celebrate Xavia. . . . As an athlete that was really touched and upset with what happened, I wanted all athletes to support her family and friends,” Ries said.

Senior Erica Bodt is a member of the women’s lacrosse team, and she plans on purchasing one of the bands.

“We all talked about it as a team and thought it would be a really good idea. When I went to the viewing, I talked to her [Xavia’s] mom and she said that she would like a sweatband just to have and thought it was really nice that were doing this for Xavia,” Bodt said.

Junior track runner Derek Alban plans on purchasing a sweatband as well.

“I’m buying a sweatband because I think people need to know Xavia’s story. I think it’s a great idea because the athletic department is coming together to remember a special student,” Alban said.

Opnion Editor

“

“

remembrance for Xavia

res just wanted to be a part of a school team, and he soon realized that his options were limited.

Before track and field coaches “I couldn’t play soccer well Rob Torres and Mike Monaghan and I was too small for football. coached together, they were com- The only other choice was cross petitors. country. I could run around the “I knew Mr. Monaghan from neighborhood better than the rest when I used to run road races in of the kids, so I went out for that,” high school and college and he Torres said. As a senior, he ended used to kick my butt all the time,” up winning the individual MSA Torres said. They have gotten to (the former MIAA) and the State be close friends over the years, Catholic Championship. He also but Torres says that one thing has was awarded a scholarship to run not changed. “He still kicks my for University of Maryland, Baltibutt in running,” Torres said. more County.

At Parkville High School, Torres and Monaghan were Monaghan ran as a way to stay brought together 10 years ago to in shape for coach, when Torfootball, but res came to JC I always admired football was from coaching at not in his fu- and respected the Catholic High. ture.

The reason way my coach treat“I was althat they both got ed and nurtured his ways so far involved with ahead of ev- athletes. I wanted to coaching was eryone else simply because emulate what he did when we did they wanted to laps that the for so many. continue running football coach be involved - Mike Monaghan and had the track with the sport. coach stop by “The fact of and watch me run,” Monaghan staying involved in the sport got said. After his freshmen year, his me into coaching,” Torres said. football career ended and he ran “I always admired and respectfull time for his high school and ed the way my high school coach college, the Virginia Military In- treated and nurtured his athletes. stitute.

So in some way, I suppose I wantAt Archbishop Curley, Tor- ed to emulate what he did for so

Amanda Graziano

Photo courtesy of Taylor Hooper

Track and field coaches Rob Torres and Mike Monaghan stand side by side, watching and timing the race on the track. The pair have been coaching together for 10 years.

many,” Monaghan said.

Torres has many great memories to look back on at JC. The most memorable for him are the 2006 and 2009 women’s championships.

In 2006, the cross country team “completely dominated the league. The 2009 team was an underdog going in, but [the girls] worked incredibly hard through the season and pulled off a very close win,” Torres said. He also remembers fondly the men’s track team from last year. “They were the strongest guys track team we’ve had since I’ve been at JC,” Torres said.

Monaghan’s favorite coach-

ing memory is when the men’s cross country team won their first MIAA Cross Country meet. They beat Spalding High School by a single point.

“Chris Kunkel [class of ‘10] was sick and ended up collapsing on the finish line, beating a fast approaching Spalding runner by just a few steps. It was a defining moment for our program. We became a real team and have been very successful from that point,” Monaghan said.

Both coaches are excited for the 2012 outdoor track season, but “it will take a lot of hard work to pull off another championship,” according to Monaghan.

We offer batting cages and year-round athletic training!

Proud supporter of John Carroll Athletics

Facebook: Harford Sports Training Academy Twitter: @HarfordSportsMD

(410) - 420 - 8442 125 A Industry Lane Forest Hill, MD 21050

15 15

SPORTS

Volume 47 Issue 5 April 2012

Halftime with

Ranni

BY MIRANDA RIPKEN

Spring sports open season with mixed results

Photos by Taylor Hooper

Freshman Collin McCaughey, of men’s JV baseball, and senior Maria Edwards, of women’s varsity softball, both practice their swings. At the time of publication, the varsity baseball team has a record of 2-3 and the women’s varsity softball team has a record of 2-3.

Batting sports encounter new challenges man freshman Timmy Kutcher.

Also, sophomore Connor Reeves transferred from Patterson Mill High School and is set to play shortstop and second base.

“We’re young and not playing together well yet. We will definitely pull it together soon,” senior TJ Centi said. “I think we work great with the new coach.

He knows a lot about the game and always has good tips for the team. We’re working to get our team chemistry together.”

The team hasn’t picked their team captains yet, but seniors Denzel Varner, Avery Callan and Centi have hopes of taking the lead and steering the team to a successful season.

“I feel like we’re playing well.

We just have to put it all together

Imani Love

Sports Editor

New season, new coaches, and a new beginning. This spring the softball and baseball teams are getting into the swing of things.

With the loss of KJ Hockaday, Brendan Butler, and Trent Shaw, all from the class of ’11, the baseball team is taking a hit.

The team has started out with a record of 2-3, recently losing to Mount St. Joe 2-12, Loyola 3-13, and McDonogh 4-15. The baseball team seems to have a tough road ahead of them.

However they have a couple of fresh faces including new coach Steve Teter, freshman catchers Matt McGee and Peter DeNardi, and right field and second base-

to get some more wins, but I think we’re working hard, and we will make a big turn around,” Varner said.

On the women’s side, softball started out the season with a win against Patterson Mill High School, winning 4-3, and a loss against Seton Keough High School 2-5.

The seniors leading the team this year, along with new head coach Jack Westermeyer, are pitcher Clare Puopolo, outfielder and first baseman Talia Kahoe, centerfielder Maria Edwards, and third baseman Amanda Norris.

The softball team, which is made up of one sophomore, three juniors, eight seniors, and a freshman, don’t have any problems getting along.

“The chemistry on the team is great. We have girls from every grade level, but that doesn’t affect our play at all. We’re all friends, and we help each other out and pick each other up,” Puopolo said.

Being a new student to the school and a team is not always easy, but one person who seems to have no problem adjusting to being the only freshman on varsity is Molly Exter.

“I was pretty proud and also nervous,” said Exter.

“Coach told me not to let my head get big, so besides getting better as a player, I also have tried to focus on that. I love it so far, the team is great and we all get along really well. I’m looking forward to a great season,” Exter said.

Patriots Month

Patriots of the Month highlight athletes who deserve recognition for contributions in their chosen sports.

They are selected by the Sports Editors.

Matt McGee

Clare Puopolo

of the

When baseball runs in the family, it’s hard not to become a part of the shared passion. For freshman Matt McGee, his passion for baseball began at the age of five and sparked a lifelong ambition.

“My dad played baseball for the University of Iowa and my mom played softball for John Carroll. I guess it runs in the family,” McGee said. His family has been very supportive of his choice to play the game.

“I loved it from the time I

played T-Ball,” McGee said. His love for the game and hard work paid off. This year, he finds himself a member of the varsity baseball team as only a freshman.

As catcher, McGee hopes to help his team as much as he can.

“I want to make my pitcher’s job easier by catching clean games, blocking balls and throwing out runners. I also want to contribute at the plate with solid hitting,” McGee said.

Looking into the future, McGee wants to follow in his father’s footsteps and play baseball in college, but he is presently focused on the current season at JC. “I expect to work hard, and help my teammates and coaches win games. I expect to keep learning and growing as a player and support the team however they need me to during the season,” McGee said.

Monday - Pizza Day Tuesday - Pasta Day

Woolsey Farm Lamb and Beef, Country Pork, Free Range Eggs, Farmstead Cheese, and more!

Broom’s Bloom Farm Products, Inc.

She has been the starting varsity pitcher since freshman year.

She maintained a shutout when she was just a sophomore and added a homerun to her team’s score in the same game. Rounding off, she was selected to be team captain last year and is taking on the same role this year. She is none other than senior softball player Clare Puopolo.

“I really do love what I get to do. I try to be a leader on the field and give my all with every pitch,”

Puopolo said.

Puopolo attributes her interest in softball to her father, who first taught her to hit a beach ball with a broomstick when she was two. As she was growing up, Puopolo’s father coached a lot of her teams and still continues to improve her game today.

“I have a great experience with my teammates every year. We always come together and support each other, no matter what.

I would not have the success and accomplishments I do without the help of each and every girl on the team,” Puopolo said.

Puopolo’s favorite moments are from the team’s games. “There is always great competition in the ‘A’ conference, so anytime there’s a close game and we manage to pull it out, I’m pumped. Those are the games you never forget,” Puopolo said.

410.399.COWS

www.bbdairy.com

Fundraisers, Birthday or Team Parties, Private Parties, and Catering available!

Join us on FACEBOOK!

(410) - 838 - 7640

After a brutal 0-7 loss to Garrison Forest, the women’s badminton team turned the tables on IND, shutting them out 7-0. The men’s badminton team has not played any matches yet, but according to Athletic Director Larry Dukes, they are trying to schedule a match with the badminton club at Boy’s Latin and the co-ed teams at a few Baltimore County Public Schools. The men practice every other day and have occasionally scrimmaged, and lost, against our women’s team.

The huge 16-1 win against Boy’s Latin did not give the men’s varsity baseball team momentum as they began to compete against the more difficult team in their conference. The team reversed roles as they weathered two 10-point losses at the hands of Loyola and Mount St. Joseph.

The golf team teed off in its first match against Gilman on Wednesday, March 28, losing 0-21. Hopefully the acquisition of 13 freshmen will bring some life to the team for years to come.

Winning their first and second home games of the season 14-12 and 13-7 respectively, the men’s lacrosse team looks promising.

Over the next few weeks, however, the men will have to keep their stamina up, as they will have back-to-back games toward the end of April.

The women’s varsity lacrosse team pulled out a close 14-13 win against Maryvale, but suffered a disappointing loss against Bryn Mawr 7-9. In the game, however, senior Erica Bodt and junior Mackenzie Reese each scored a hat-trick, while freshman Caroline Sdanowhich added her own goal and assist.

The softball team picked up their first win with new head coach Jack Westermeyer on Wednesday, March 21 against Patterson Mill, 4-3. Senior Clare Puopolo struck out nine batters. On the offensive end, junior Jenna Fiamingo went three for four at bat, stole three bases, and scored a run.

The game ball went to junior Darien Exter, who made two runs and stole three bases. Another standout was senior Amanda Norris, who made a diving catch at third base followed by a throw to first from her knees.

The men’s varsity tennis team has not had a match yet, but they have been practicing every day, hoping to make an improvement from their previous 0-10 season.

The men’s and women’s track and field teams competed in their first meet of the season at Loyola.

Already, 14 new school records were set, mainly in field events.

Unfortunately, the men finished eighth and the women finished seventh but placed first in the high jump and pole vault relays.

16 16

SPORTS

Badminton vs.

Tennis

Volume 47 Issue 5 April 2012

Imani Love

Sports Editor

On the court with a racket in her hand, senior Amanda Weerasooryia patiently waits for her opponent to serve. For Amanda, this occurs in both the spring and fall as she participates in tennis and badminton. So which one is more preferred?

In the world of tennis, the sport tends to attract more viewers and is widely popular around the world than badminton.

Playing doubles in both badminton and singles for tennis, Weerasooriya understands the technicalities of both sports.

“I’ve been playing tennis since I was five, and I’ve stuck with it all my life. I started playing badminton in my sophomore year simply because I just wanted something to do during the spring and I thought that some of my skill from tennis would help me with badminton,” Weerasooryia said.

“They’re both racquet sports, but you’re hitting a ball in tennis versus a birdie in badminton.

The tennis courts are bigger, wider, and obviously you have more movement because of the size of a tennis court relative to a badminton court.

I prefer tennis to badminton because I’m better at tennis than badminton and if you don’t know you better ask somebody. I never really played a lot of badminton other than backyard variety without resulting in a sprained ankle,” tennis coach Rodney Johnson said.

Another difference between the two sports is what comes into contact with the racket. In tennis, it’s a yellow, light-weight ball. In badminton, it’s a light-weight yellow birdie, though its official name is a shuttlecock.

Following the loss of the rugby team this year, JC will be “going into the new” with the addition

of men’s badminton, coached by English teacher Eric Sutton.

“The rugby team folded and I needed to pick up a coaching position, which is tied into my salary. I asked Mr. Dukes what I could do and he said they were thinking about starting a men’s badminton club. He asked me if I was interested in coaching that, and I said sure. It’s not a team yet, it’s just a club. We’re trying to figure it out right now,” Sutton said.

“I think it’s excellent that we have a men’s badminton club. For many years, the boys have been asking every time the season starts, ‘why don’t we have a men’s team?’ and this year it was lucky that it worked out so we could have a men’s club team. A lot of other guys that play competitive sports can play without all the high level stress. It’s just competitive fun,” women’s badminton coach Tess Gauthier said.

Practices for the men’s badminton club lasts for about two hours a day. Usually between 15 to 20 kids show up ready to play. According to Athletic Director Larry Dukes, Boys Latin has a men’s badminton club team, with whom JC is in the process of trying to organize a match.

“There are some Baltimore county schools that play coed and we’re trying to set something up on the boy’s part.

There are some other people that we have been told that have club teams, so we’re trying to put up a schedule,” Dukes said.

Which of JC’s two racket sports will reign supreme?

Which do YOU prefer?

Rodney Johnson “I’ll stick with tennis, you can’t really bring the heat in badminton, and I bring the heat on the tennis courts.”

Dana Grimmel “I prefer badminton over tennis because I can ‘smash that shuttlecock.’”

Alex Snyder

Tess Gauthier

“I wanted to play a spring sport. I would have played badminton if I didn’t do tennis, but tennis is more important to me.”

“I really can’t say that I prefer badminton over tennis. I had to take up a sport in college and I chose badminton. I really love it.”

ON THE COURT TENNIS

BADMINTON

Court size: 36 by 78 feet

Court size: 20 by 44 feet

Fastest serve: 156 mph

Fastest stroke: 206 mph

First played: 19th century - Birmingham, England

First played: 17th century - British India

Sources: Wikipedia, sportsknowhow.com