The Guardian - Saint Joseph Regional High School

The Guardian
Vol. 53 Issue 10
Saint Joseph Regional High School, Montvale, NJ
Friday, February 12th, 2016
New SJR Website Includes Numerous Improvements
By Scott Dickson ‘18
SJR’s website is a major aspect of the school. It offers everything students, parents, alumni, and prospective families
need in trying to learn about St. Joe’s and stay up to date
with everything that is going on in the world of SJR.
After many years, all of the information on the website
began to pile up and slow the webpage down. Pair that
with the outdated appearance, and it was clearly time for a
makeover.
The main reason for this makeover was the fact that every
once in awhile everything needs to be updated to become
fresher and more modern. Also, because the old website was
so outdated, it was not adjusting itself properly to different
kinds of devices. The new website has a more responsive
design, meaning that no matter what device you are on – be
it a desktop, laptop, kindle, iPad, tablet, phone, or any other
electronic device – the website will open and adjust itself to
the proper size for that device.
SJR has also undergone a complete rebranding, and the old
website with the new logos made for an awkward appearance. Since this website often provides prospective families
with a first impression of St. Joe’s, the school felt that it was
important that the website have a clean look and feel. The
new website now shows off the new logos in a great way and
it really improves the image of SJR.
The new website also features new portals. When a person
first enters the site, they will see three links titled “Parent,”
“Student,” and “Alumni.” These new portals will allow these
three groups to get to a page with all the information they
need without cluttering the home page. Parents will now
have quicker access to the school calendar, fundraising
events, FACTS, and PASS. Students will have quick access
to PASS, Naviance, and their SJR Email and Google Drive.
Alumni will have access to everything they need to know
regarding future events at SJR. Everything is now split into
different sections with the homepage primarily reserved
for prospective families
trying to learn more
about SJR.
Students and parents
must subscribe to each
class list to receive the
homework assignments
from their various
teachers via email.
Saint Joseph Regional
High School is always
trying to improve itself.
A school just like a person can never be perfect,
but St. Joe’s is constantly
taking the steps to make
upgrades. The new
website is a very big step
in the right direction.
The new look will better
satisfy students along
with parents, alumni,
and especially, prospective students.
SJR recently updated its webpage, making both functional and aesthetic improvements.
The website will create a new image for
the school that is very
necessary for a bright
future.
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The Guardian, Friday, February 12th, 2016
Interview
Ms. Jennings on the Respect Life Club
The Guardian: Have you always been an advocate
for Respect Life and the pro-life movement?
Yes I have. “Before I formed you in the womb I
knew you” Jeremiah 1:5. God has a plan for each
and every one of our lives and it does not include
being destroyed in our mother’s womb. I was a
volunteer at Birthright. It is an organization that
helps unwed mothers. They provide counseling
and support for those that want to keep their
babies. I have babysat for unwed mothers so that
they could keep their doctor appointments. There
is an abortion clinic in Hackensack that I have
spent many days praying in front of.
Photo by Joe Malfa ‘16
The Guardian: In your opinion, what do you think
is the first step that needs to be taken to end abortion in the country?
I think it requires baby steps. The first would be to
end “partial-birth abortion.” I believe most people do not realize that in many states a baby can be aborted
up until the ninth month of pregnancy. When people hear
that you can abort a baby in New Jersey up until the moment before birth, but you cannot destroy a goose egg that
has a fetus in it, they are very shocked.
Justin Delgado ‘16 is the president of the Respect Life Club.
By Conor McCabe ‘17
The Guardian: Could you tell us a little bit about what the
Respect Life Club has done up to this point of the year?
We invited a really wonderful speaker, Megan Almon, to
talk to our student body about abortion. She was very
dynamic and was able to connect with our students. The RL
Club ran a spiritual adoption program in October. People
volunteered to spiritually adopt an unborn child. They
agreed to pray nine months for him or her. This past month
we sent emails to the adoptive fathers thanking them and
letting them know about the development of their unborn
children.
The Guardian: What made you decide to become moderator
of the club once Mr. Kenny, the club’s moderator for the last
few years, left?
The Respect Life movement has always been important to
me. I attended the first “March For Life” that Mr. Kenny
brought the club to. I am very blessed to be part of a club
that helps those that desperately need our help.
The Guardian: What are your goals as moderator of the club?
I would like our student body to become aware of the extent
that abortion is being done in our country. If people knew
how often abortions took place and that they took place as
late as the ninth month of pregnancy, they might not be as
accepting of it. The pro-choice movement has actually complained that the Dorito commercial during the Super Bowl
“humanized” the fetus. Well, that woman was not about to
give birth to a cat. It is important that citizens are aware of
how the presidential candidates stand on abortion.
The Guardian: What inspired you to be involved with the
Respect Life movement?
The unborn are human and they are living beings. It breaks
my heart that they are being killed and in such a brutal way.
In 2011, there were 1,060,000 million abortions reported
in the USA. There were about 3,953,953 million births that
year. Over 19% of pregnancies in 2011 were terminated.
The good news is that those statistics have been coming
down.
Please send feedback, suggestions, or
Letters to the Editor to sjrguardian@gmail.com
The Guardian Staff
Editor-in-Chief: Joseph Malfa
Managing Editors: Chris Cheeseman, Conor Dickson
Layout Editors: Aidan Donahue, Cole Garabed
Photography Editor: Stephen Chimenti
Sports Editor: Ryan Soranno
Entertainment Editor: Nick Berninger
Photographers: Nico Blasucci, Andrew Del Priore, Kirk Brouwer,
Bryan Latawiec
Staff Writers: Jack Battle, Donny Cuttone, Scott Dickson, Zack
Epstein, Alec Goodnam, Ryan Hilliard Conor McCabe, Che Paul,
James Reagan-Ward, Joe Shelley, Colin Medwick, Alex Walsh
Moderators: Mrs. LoBianco, Mr. Mackie
The Guardian, Friday, February 12th, 2016
Politics
3
Primaries Heat Up, Election Takes Shape
NEW HAMPSHIRE PRIMARIES
On that note however, I was not very surprised to see Sanders take New Hampshire in the fashion that he did. After all,
it’s right next to his home state of Vermont, where he has
served in public office for the better part of 25 years. The republican side is where we saw the real shocker however. Not that Trump won, but that Ohio Gov. Kasich took
second. Up until Monday night, I thought for sure he was
a lost cause and would drop out of the race soon after the
primaries. Speaking of dropping out, I should note that as
I wrote this article, Gov. Chris Christie and Carly Fiorina
have both suspended their campaigns for the White House
– no surprises here.
Donald Trump placed 1st in New Hampshire & 2nd in Iowa.
By Kirk Brouwer ‘16
Over the past two weeks, we have begun to get a flavor for
the direction in which the 2016 election is going by way of
the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primaries. Let’s
talk about how these played out and see if we can take anything away from the results.
THE IOWA CAUCUSES
Donald Trump appeared to have a very large support base
throughout Iowa, especially during the weeks leading up
to the election. This is why it came as a surprise (to me at
least) that he did not win. The victory was taken by Texas
senator Ted Cruz, who is probably the furthest right out of
all of the GOP candidates. This says more about Iowa than
it does about the candidates. it shows that Iowa’s population
leans way “right” of center. Based on this vote, they seem to
embrace action against illegal immigration, lower taxes, etc.
It should be a reminder to GOP candidates that they need
to hold true to their conservative values in order to secure
the vote of Middle-America.
Now for the Democrats. I was shocked to see Bernie
Sanders do as well as he did. I would never have imagined
a self-professed socialist could gain such high momentum
in a rural state like Iowa. Then again, this goes to show the
possibility of dwindling support for Hillary Clinton. After
the various scandals dealing with her emails, Benghazi, etc.,
she has proven herself to be a very dishonest individual who
as her competitor Marco Rubio says may be “disqualified
from being commander and chief.” Many also found it shocking to see Rubio in such a low
position; however, I am not. If you watched any of Saturday
night’s debate, you would know that Rubio had an awful
performance. In fact, he repeated the same exact speech
about President Obama THREE TIMES over the course
of less than five minutes. We may be seeing the beginning
of Rubio’s demise. In order to continue to succeed, he
must do his best in the debates, and get himself out on the
campaign trail, more than he ever has before. The case is
the same with the other stragglers like Jeb Bush. In order
to try to gain any momentum, they need to do their best in
the debates, get out there, and campaign like they’ve never
campaigned before.
By the way, if you want a good laugh, go on YouTube and
watch the candidates being introduced at Saturday’s debate.
Dr. Carson seemed to fall asleep in the middle of his walk
out.
Bernie Sanders defeated Hillary Clinton in a landslide in
New Hampshire after splitting Iowa 50/50.
4
The Guardian, Friday, February 12th, 2016
Book Review
Mr. Donnelly and Mr. Duchesne’s Top 10 Books
By Mr. Harry Duchesne
The Green Mile(1996) - Stephen King:
I didn’t think I would ever read a book by the
mastermind of popular horror stories. The
Green Mile was an incredible drama written
with such beautiful humanity that I couldn’t
help but think it was real. The story gave
great insight to the Death Penalty at the
turn of the century – especially the human side of a prison
guards and inmates.
Welcome to the Monkey House (1968) - Kurt Vonnegut:
Mr. Vonnegut introduced me to the mastery
of imagination and story telling in this collection of short stories that uses science fiction
and real life to get across lessons of critical
thinking, relationships, and morality.
Tuesdays with Morrie (1997) - Mitch Albom:
A sports writer creating a book about conversations with a friend who was elderly and
sharing his life story and life’s lessons … wow,
was I impressed! One of the most heartfelt
books I’ve ever read. Written with compassion and kindness that moved me to treat all
people with compassion.
Hiroshima (1946) - by John Hersey:
This book really opened my eyes to the
graphic effects of war – especially as a result
of dropping an atom bomb on a major world
city. The relationships described in this book
of the survivors of the atom bomb in Hiroshima were heart breaking and very telling
regarding the survival of human spirit and human nature.
The Color Purple (1982) - Alice Walker:
In The Color Purple, I was impressed how
Ms. Walker used the dialect and language
of people living in poverty to describe the
humanness of their situations. This book had
a profound impact on helping me understand
racism, unjust laws and inhumane behavior
that people of privilege held over people of color and
minorities.
A Prayer for Owen Meany (1989) - John Irving:
I have read all of Mr. Irving’s books, but this
one touched me especially regarding the
friendship between Owen Meany and his
friend and the relationships the two boys had
with their parents. Owen’s character taught
me more about the meaning of life than the
adult characters.
Snow Falling on Cedars (1994) - David Guterson:
I have read all of Mr. Guterson’s books, but
this story of the relationships surrounding
families in the Seattle area during the internment of Japanese-American citizens was
eye opening about the social justice issues
surrounding WWll. This story helped me
understand more about the Japanese culture as well.
Angela’s Ashes (1996) - Frank McCourt:
A truly inspiring book describing poverty in
Ireland. The literary descriptions and details
were incredible, especially in regards to the
manner in which poverty affected Irish families. Not only was I moved with compassion,
but I found myself incapable of putting the
book down! The sequel, which was titled Tis, was equally
gripping.
You Can’t be Neutral on a Moving Train (2002) - Howard
Zinn: Mr. Zinn is a contemporary of Martin
Luther King, Jr. His book is an autobiography of all his work from the Civil Rights Era
and beyond. It also gives an in-depth look
at events that were happening in the country
during his involvement in civil rights and
political rights.
On the Day you Were Born (2006) - Debra Frasier:
A children’s book my wife and I used to
read to our kids on every birthday (even
our own). The author connects the
birth of a child to the ebb and flow of
creation and all living things on Earth.
This book alone helped bring a better
understanding and respect for the environment for my children than any other book when they were growing up.
Photo by Stephen Chimenti ‘17
Mr. Donnelly (L) and Mr. Duchesne channel their inner
Holden Caulfield and Frank McCourt
The Guardian, Friday, February 12th, 2016
Book Review
5
Bosch, Caulfield, Gatsby, and Shoeless Joe
By Mr. Barry Donnelly ‘71
For my Top Ten List, I have amended the criteria slightly to
consider the ten books I would most like to have with me
on a desert island.
The premium is then on greatness and readability. If I am
stranded on a desert island with ten books, they are going to
have to be books that can be read over and over again.
My list also makes a bit of a distinction between “literary”
novels, and books that would fall under the more general
heading of “popular entertainment.” I am a big fan of crime
novels, which, in addition to being entertaining, often reveal
a great deal about human nature and morality.
Without further ado, here is a list of my top 10 books:
The Great Gatsby (1925) – F. Scott Fitzgerald:
Probably “the Great American Novel” since it
deals so clearly and vividly with the American Dream and the possibility of re-inventing
oneself. Replete with Fitzgerald’s precise
diction, beautiful imagery, unmistakable
symbolism (the green light, the eyes of Dr.
Eckleberg), the inevitability of Gatsby’s downfall unfolds
like a Greek tragedy.
The Catcher in the Rye (1946) – J. D. Salinger:
Salinger’s reflection on the loss of innocence
and childhood remains timeless. Holden
Caulfield (and his red hunting cap), self-styled
savior of children “falling” into adulthood, is
one of American literature’s great characters, a
poignant mixture of adolescent cynicism and
profound disappointment with the “phoniness” of the world
around him.
A Separate Peace (1959) – John Knowles: set during World
War II, the book is a little dated now, but its
story, about the unspoken rivalry between a
top student and a top athlete in an all-boys
prep school still retains its power, thanks to
Knowles’ perceptive insight into adolescent
competition and the human heart.
Sleeping Beauty (1973) – Ross Macdonald:
My all-time favorite author is Ross Macdonald, who wrote 18 mystery novels about
private eye Lew Archer. The best of MacDonald’s books feature incredibly complex plots
in which the crimes of the present are inextricably linked to the past and this book, which
links a massive oil spill, a missing woman, a kidnapping and
a World War II naval disaster, is Macdonald at his best in
my opinion.
Shoeless Joe (1982) – W.P. Kinsella:
I read this book went it first came out, long
before Field of Dreams was made. While I am
not a huge baseball fan, or a great admirer
of fantasy, this utterly magical book is really
more about the relationship of fathers and
sons and the desire for a life more simply
lived. The fact that J.D. Salinger is actually a character in
the book makes its fascination with childhood innocence
crystal clear.
The Fourth Durango (1989) – Ross Thomas:
Thomas’ novels feature some of the bestdrawn, quirkiest, most sardonic and ruthless
villains (and heroes) in the realm of crime fiction. The Fourth Durango has Thomas firing
on all cylinders in this very funny (and also
rather violent) book about a town that offers
its services as a refuge to criminals.
The Things They Carried (1990) – Tim O’Brien:
A tremendously moving novel about the
Vietnam War that is unforgettable both for its
often heart-breaking vignettes, and the unique
structure of the book itself, basically a collection of connected short stories that delve so
powerfully on questions of truth and perception. Though not a conventional combat story, O’Brien’s
novel portrays the human cost of the war with devastating
power.
Evidence of Blood (1991) – Thomas Cook:
Thomas H. Cook is the best American crime
novelist no one has heard of. Evidence of
Blood is a masterpiece of plotting in which the
investigation of a current crime has its roots
deep in the past, with devastating consequences for the book’s protagonist.
A Lesson Before Dying (1993) – Ernest Gaines:
This deceptively simple novel tells the story
of an innocent black man named Jefferson,
who is arrested for a robbery turned murder.
As much a victim as the man who is killed,
Jefferson learns to face his fate with dignity
through the help of a bitter teacher who learns
as much from Jefferson as he teaches himself.
Lost Light (2003) – Michael Connelly:
Connelly’s Harry Bosch series stands without
parallel among police procedurals: clear, easy
to follow, detailed and realistic. Lost Light is
the only book in which Harry operates as a
private detective; it details an investigation
that proves to be a very personal and revealing for Connelly’s favorite hero.
6
The Guardian, Friday, February 12th, 2016
Catholic Schools Week’s Dodgeball Tournament
Counter-clockwise from top right:
A masked Brian Kearns ‘16 hurls the ball
at the sophomores;
Jordan Scott (throwing) and Marc Doran
(observing) led the juniors to a
2nd place finish;
Louis Acceus ‘17 looks to terminate a
senior as Pat Fay ‘17 looks on;
Conor Dickson ‘16 does his best Patches
O’Houlihan (Dodgeball: A True
Underdog Story) impression as coach of
the seniors;
Carmine Palummo and Austin Triglia
celebrate the seniors’ victory;
All photos by Stephen Chimenti ‘17.
The Guardian, Friday, February 12th, 2016 Ash Wednesday Mass
Clockwise from top left:
(L to R) Devin Ortiz ‘17, Conor McCabe
‘17, and Kirk Brouwer ‘16 with Fr. Charles
Granstrand, the pastor of Our Lady of
Mercy in Park Ridge;
Nick Berninger ‘16 leads the congregation
in the opening hymn;
Rob Skudera ‘16 administers ashes to
Dominick Posta ‘16;
Fr. Granstrand delivers his homily;
Sharon Reilly-Tobin, program manager
of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of
Newark, thanks SJR for donating
over 100 toiletry kits for the homeless;
“Repent and believe the Good News.”
7
8
The Guardian, Friday, February 12th, 2016
Sports
Hockey Heads into League Playoffs as Top Seed
By Cole Garabed ‘17
SJR hockey has played a total of three games since the last
edition of The Guardian. The season has been tapering
down to its final games, and SJR went 2-1 in the last threegame stretch to improve its record to 15-2.
Northern Highlands was the first opponent of the stretch.
The Green Knights’ lineup was depleted for this game,
having many players absent either for club team conflicts or
injuries. Matthew Cocciadeferro ’16 and Karsten Lusk ’17
started the scoring early in the first. Brian Quinn ’16 and
Nick Krasniqi ’16 added a goal each in the second period.
Northern Highlands struck once in the second as well. In
the third, the game became interesting when Highlands cut
the lead to two. The dynamic duo of Dominick Posta ’17
and Pete Lombardi ’17 netted a goal apiece to take a commanding lead. SJR would surrender one last goal and skate
to a 6-3 victory.
“This game was great to see how deep our team really is”
said Ryan Greico ’16. “We all think that we can walk all over
a team like this no matter who we put on the ice, but it’s nice
to really know that even with a shortened lineup we can still
take care of the task at hand.”
The next match against Northern Valley Old Tappan was
horrifying for St. Joe’s. While already missing a few players,
the bench shortened for the Green Knights with a few sudden injuries. James Durante ’17, Andrew Javier ’18 and Alex
Poltarakov ’16 all left the
ice early with undisclosed
injuries. Despite the loss of
three skaters, SJR was still
dominant in its play. Leading scorer Posta was able to
complete a hat trick while
Greico, Lombardi, Durante,
Nick Tauken ’17, Krasniqi,
Cocciadeferro, and Donny
Cuttone ‘16 all buried a goal
of their own. The Green
Knights came away from
the game with an 11-0 win,
even with the three skaters
being sidelined.
“You never want to see anyone go out of the game with
an injury, let alone your
teammate,” said Krasniqi.
“Seeing James, Andrew and
Alex go inspired us to pick
up our game and win it for
them. Losing teammates
can sometimes take the
wind out of your sails but, we chose to use it as motivation
to raise our level of play.”
Senior Night was the final game of this stretch against St.
Peter’s Prep. St, Joe’s fell behind by 1 midway through the
first. Cocciadeferro rifled a shot low glove side to make it tie
game. Before the end the period, the Green Knights found
themselves down by 1 again. It didn’t take long for St. Peter’s
to add another tally to the scoresheet making the score 3-1.
To start the third St. Joe’s let up another goal within minutes. Cutting the lead in half, Cocciadeferro unloaded a
laser for his second goal of the game. Unfortunately, it was
too little too late as St. Peter’s added an empty net goal to
hand the Green Knights their second loss of the season by
the score of 5-2.
“Obviously we don’t want to lose any games, but we can
see games like this as character builders” said Lombardi “A
little adversity won’t hurt us since we haven’t had much this
season. We’ll use this game as a reminder of how much we
hate to lose.”
The Green Knights fell to league rival Glen Rock 4-0 last
night. They will heaad into the league playoffs as the top
overall seed, earning them a bye in the first round. If everything goes the way it should, the Green Knights will face
Glen Rock again next Friday in the league championship
game, seeking its first title since 1992.
Photo by Karyn Ochiuzzo
Following the St. Peter’s Prep game, the Green Knights held the Senior Day festivities.
Top (from left): Eddie Klein, Donato Cuttone, and Ryan Greico (the team’s captains).
Bottom (from left): Nick Krasniqi, Matt Cocciadiferro, Alex Poltarakov, Brian Quinn,
David Stelmach, Tim Daouphars, and Paul De Stefano.
The Guardian, Friday, February 12th, 2016
Sports
9
Wrestling Hopes for Turnaround before States
On January 29th, the Green Knights wrestled against
Old Tappan. After a long and hard fought match, SJR
fell to OT by a score of 39-25. All of the wrestlers
fought and wrestled their hearts out, but the outcome
was disappointing for the Green Knights.
Just one day later, SJR took on Bound Brook. The opposition’s roster was filled with upperclassmen, so it
was a challenge to the underclassmen to put up a fight
against the opposing upperclassmen. Throughout the
match, St. Joe’s cycled through its full roster, but still
came up short, losing by a score of 43-21.
On February 3rd, one of the most anticipated matches
Photo by Karyn Ochiuzzo of the year had finally come – Don Bosco Prep. SJR
has been preparing for this moment after months of
Joe Napoleone ‘18 earned a victory over Don Bosco on February 3rd. scouting out the opposition. The team put up a great
By Andrew Del Priore ‘18
fight against the Ironmen, but they fell short with a score of
46-23.
Although the record may not show it, this season for the
SJR wrestling team has been a good one. At the beginning
of the season, the Green Knights had a number of inexperi- SJR wrestling will look to rebound against Passaic on March
4th, as the individual state tournament is now just three
enced wrestlers that had never tasted the glory of wrestling
weeks away. The team hopes to have a few wrestlers - nameat such a high level, but in just two short months of facing
high-caliber teams, these wrestlers are now on the come up. ly Jonathan Tropea ‘16 and Michael Carfagno ‘16 - make
deep runs. It will be interesting to see if any of the underThe veterans on the team have taken the new guys under
their wings and taught them ways to be successful wrestlers. classmen can make deep runs as darkhorses as well.
Bowling Season Winds to a Close; States Saturday
By Nathan Tombo ‘17
The SJR bowling team wrapped up the season with a final
record of 4-9. After a disappointing loss to Bergen Catholic
by a score of 2-5, the team went into the county tournament
the next day flying under the radar.
The Green Knights came in as afterthoughts, but still performed well in the Bergen County Boys’ Bowling tournament, which was comprised of six total games. Nathan
Tombo ’17 was expected to be a strong competitor for the
singles title, but after bowling a below average 492 3-game
series in the morning, he was out of contention to win going
into the last three games. He was able to recover and bowl a
611 in the afternoon session, as the team managed to average 777.9 pins per game with five bowlers.
With State Sectionals coming up this Saturday, the team
hopes to end the season on a high note. To move on the
overall state tournament, the team needs to finish in the top
two of its group. To get to the individual state tournament,
a bowler would have to finish in the top nine of the whole
sectional tournament. Tombo will hope to emulate his success in this tournament last year, where he tied for second
and went on to the overall individual state tournament.
The team will bid its final farewell to Matt Chiocchi ’16
Photo courtesy Liz Campbell
Top (L-R): James Reagan-Ward ‘17, Coach Frank Salvano,
and Matthew Chiocchi ‘16.
Bottom (L-R): Shawn Calhoun ‘19, Nathan Tombo ‘17,
and Antonio Sirianni ‘17
at the final major tournament this season. No matter the
result this Saturday, the team has a lot to be proud of. It was
able to beat league powers Bergen Catholic and Paramus
Catholic. This season was a rebuilding year, as it was their
first year on varsity for three out of the four bowlers. The
team hopes to come back better and stronger next year, with
more experience and more confidence.
10
The Guardian, Friday, February 12th, 2016
Sports
Five SJR Athletes Commit on National Signing Day
By Joe Shelley ‘18
On February 3, 2016, five SJR Football players accepted
football scholarships by signing a national letter of intent to
play at their respective schools. Each of these players distinguished his self as an elite high school football player, with
the physical and academic tools coveted by college football
programs. This year’s class is a testament to the excellence
of the SJR football program and to the commitment of the
coaches and teachers to their success. All five chose campuses located in the North East for various reasons.
Austin Triglia - Bentley University (Waltham, Massachusetts)
“First off it was the education at Bentley. It’s a great school
that is going to open a lot of doors for me down the road,
especially with it being so close to Boston. I loved the campus and the players and had a great relationship with the
coaches on the team. Lastly, when I visited the school it gave
me a similar feel to St.Joe’s four years ago and it was a place
I knew I could call home.”
Brian Kearns - Stonehill College (Easton, Massachusetts)
“I got a feeling when I got there that it was the place for me.
I really liked the coaches, the school, the campus and the
football program. It felt like it would be a good place to
spend the next four years.”
Ibn Foster- University of Albany (Albany, New York)
“I got a great vibe from the coaches and it’s a beautiful
campus with a great business school. I would also be given
the opportunity to play my first year there, because they lost
four senior defensive lineman to graduation this year, and
I really liked that. It’s also close enough that my mom and
family can see me play.”
Jordan Velez - University of Rhode Island (Kingston,
Rhode Island)
“I committed to URI because I felt that they were going to
help me out academically and because the coaches talked
to me about how strong of a class was coming in with me.
I also feel that I can make a strong impact on the field right
away and it was close enough that my family can come and
see me play as well as visit me.”
Jack Flanagan - Merrimack College (North Andover,
Massachusetts)
“I felt that Merrimack offered me all the things I wanted
in a college. School size, facilities, and the major I wanted.
Everyone on the team, including the coaches, seemed like
great guys. The campus was great because everything was in
walking distance and was only 20-30 minutes from Boston.”
Photo by Karyn Ochiuzzo
Top (from left): Jack Flanagan (Merrimack), Coach Augie Hoffmann ‘99, and Jordan Velez (Rhode Island)
Bottom (from left): Austin Triglia (Bentley), Ibn Foster (Albany), and Brian Kearns (Stonehill)
The Guardian, Friday, February 12th, 2016
11
The Joe
Circus
that
is
National
Signing
Day
Malfa on Sports
Skydiving and paintballing are two exhilarating experiences for the adrenaline
junkie looking to have a good time on a
Saturday afternoon. Both activities now
share something else in common – methods of commitment by seniors on National
Signing Day.
Over the last few years, National Signing Day has turned
into a circus. Gone are the days of the nation’s top football
recruits announcing their commitments in front of a small
crowd at their high schools. These top athletes are coming
up with creative new commitment methods in an attempt to
gain as much media attention as possible before they even
set foot on a college football field. It is getting out of hand,
and it needs to stop.
“It has just become an all-eyes-on-me affair where self interest is satisfied,” Pat Lanni of NJ.com said, “and the media
just feeds into the self-interests of the players.”
Deontay Anderson, four-star safety out of Texas, announced
his commitment via a video on Bleacher Report. He took his
announcement to new heights – literally. Anderson decided
to go skydiving and when he landed, he removed his jacket,
exposing an Ole Miss T-shirt.
Brandon Burton, four-star safety from California,
also announced his commitment through a Bleacher Report video. He got together with some friends
and went to a local paintballing arena. They played
a game of “capture the flag,” and at the end of the
video, Burton captured and waved a UCLA flag
in order to announce his commitment. As if that
were not enough, Burton also appeared on ESPN
that day to announce his commitment on the set of
SportsCenter in Los Angeles.
build up to his on-air commitment. As long as these high
school athletes are generating intrigue, ratings, and money
for major media outlets, National Signing Day will continue
to be an overblown extravaganza.
While National Signing Day certainly has its detractors,
there are others who admire what it does for the athletes.
“It certainly has become a circus, and there are some people who certainly do not like it,” recruiting analyst Adam
Friedman of Rivals said, “but I believe it is more about the
personalities of these high school athletes being able to
shine through. I do not think there is a point to shutting
it down or stifling it because it is the last time that some
of these kids will ever be in the spotlight, and they should
enjoy every moment.”
Mike Golic, former NFL player and Notre Dame standout,
mentioned on his radio show “Mike and Mike” that he
announced his commitment back in 1980 to his family over
Thanksgiving dinner. Commitment decisions will never
again be that low key because of the media age in which we
live, but it does not need to be as extreme as it is right now.
Athletes do not need to be jumping out of airplanes or playing a round of paintball in order to announce their commitments. A table and a few hats would do just fine, but I am
certain that the National Signing Day circus will be back in
town next February.
The list of over-the-top commitments does not stop
there. Bergen Catholic’s QB Jarrett Guarantano
committed to Tennessee in a video that played on
a building in Times Square. A couple of years back,
Paramus Catholic’s Jabrill Peppers announced his
commitment to Michigan in the form of a rap song
that aired on ESPN. At some point, the charade
needs to come to an end, but the media will never
allow it to happen.
ESPNU, the ESPN channel devoted to coverage of
college sports, aired an all-day special on National
Signing Day in which a slew of players announced
their commitments live. Over on SportsCenter,
nearly a half-hour was devoted to Paramus Catholic’s Rashan Gary. He was interviewed by the anchors, and a feature highlight tape was shown in the
Photo by Joe Malfa ‘16
Paramus Catholic’s Rashan Gary, the nation’s top recruit, signs his
National Letter of Intent to Michigan on February 3rd.
12
The Guardian, Friday, February 12th, 2016
Sports
Basketball
to
Face
BC
in
Jamboree
Quarterfinal
By Andrew Zoltowski ‘16
SJR basketball split its last two games of January. The Green
Knights played against Ridgewood at home and were led by
Nate Garvey ’16 and Isaac Hippolyte ’17 who scored 18 and
11 points respectively in a 67-50 win. Following the victory,
the team traveled to Toms River to play Mater Dei. Starting
point guard Chauncey Hawkins ‘17 was out for the game
with an injured ankle. The team was led by Jojo Radi ’17,
who scored 17 points in a matchup that lacked fluid offense.
The Green Knights would go onto lose the game 57-49.
Following that loss, the team traveled to Wayne to play a
motivated DePaul Catholic, eager to avenge their season
opening loss to the Green Knights. Nate Garvey arguably
had his best all-around game of this season, scoring a team
high 26 points to go along with seven rebounds and five
assists. DePaul nearly brought the game to within single
digits, but the comeback attempt was thwarted and the
Green Knights left the game with a 61-48 victory.
The next matchup for the Green Knights came against rival
Don Bosco. The stage was set for a showdown, and for three
of the four quarters, it was very close. The Green Knights
were decimated by fouls early in the game as both Chauncey Hawkins ‘17 and Isaac Hippolyte ‘17 were in foul trouble
by the end of the first quarter. Without two key starters, the
team struggled to score and went into the half down by a
point. The third quarter saw Bosco’s lead widen. Don Bosco
guard Omar Mostafa ripped open
the Green Knights defense from
beyond the arc. He launched three
after three and the Ironmen left
the quarter with a 10-point lead.
Even though the team scored 20
points in the fourth, the Knights
couldn’t slow down the Ironmen
as they matched point for point.
The Green Knights left the game
with a 62-51 loss to Bosco.
The next game for the Green
Knights was their first game in the
Bergen Jamboree. They took on
Pascack Valley in a game that was
much closer than it should have
been. The Green Knights would
win by 13, but this was a game
they should have won by 20 plus;
not for the lack of effort by the
Green Knights, rather because of
the ridiculous shots that Pascack
Valley made. Pascack Valley hit
many fade-away threes, which
kept them in a game they had
no business being in. Garvey led
the way for the Green Knights as he scored 24 points in a
limited role due to foul trouble. The Green Knights went on
to win 77-64.
Paterson Eastside was the next obstacle in the Green
Knights’ way. In a game that seemed to start off like another
victory for the team, Eastside fought harder than anyone
expected them too. They came out of halftime draining
two straight three pointers after not shooting a single one in
the first half. They built their lead, and by the time that the
Green Knights started their comeback, it was too late. They
would go onto lose the game 56-55.
The Green Knights earned a 72-47 victory over Paramus
Catholic last night, and they will take on rival Bergen Catholic this Sunday in the quarterfinals of the Bergen Jamboree.
Emotions have been running rather high in practice lately
as Coach Mike Doherty ‘82 has been pushing the team to its
peak. After the disappointing loss to Paterson Eastside, the
coach went back to the basics as a majority of the practices
this week have consisted of different forms of tough conditioning.
This is not without reason, however, as Doherty hopes the
team plays at a high level for all four quarters, especially in
Sunday’s (2/14) 5:30 matchup against BC at the Rothman
Center on Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Teaneck campus.
Photo by Karyn Ochiuzzo
Nate Garvey ‘16 lines up a shot in his 24-point performance against Pascack Valley.