What`s Inside? - Loyola Academy

Loyola Academy Jesuit Preparatory School
Wednesday
OCT. 26, 2011
www.goramblers.org
Volume E Issue III
A.M.D.G.
Loyola Thespians Make Audiences Laugh
in the Musical Comedy Murders of 1940
one committed, everyone
was on their guard. With the
snowstorm going on outside, which the stage crew
During the weekend of
did a great job of making
October 14-16, the Loyola
look realistic, everyone was
Theater was not the Loyola
stuck and forced to stay in
Theater; it was the Von
the mansion. With that, the
Grossenkneuten Mansion
search and mystery began.
in Chappaqua, New York,
The action continued, and
in December 1940. Upon
the audience wondered who
entering the mansion, the
the murderer was. While the
audience was exposed to
audience spent some time
classic jazz usually played
trying to determine that
during the 1940’s and the
mystery, the rest of the time
mansion’s beautiful living
they spent laughing from all
room. As the house lights
the funny moments the play
died down and everyone
had to offer. The play had
became quiet, the play bemany funny moments, such
gan. The play opened with
as Helsa’s serious tone toHelsa Wenzel, played by
wards the guests, Patrick’s
senior Rachael Schamfunny Irish pronunciations
berger, cleaning the living
of words, and Eddie’s allroom while a mysterious
around funny character.
character, who was covered
There was also a romance
in all black, came up from
that developed in the play
behind the maid and killed
between Eddie and Nikki.
her. With that opening,
At the beginning it seemed
many people were wonderlike flirting, but at the end
ing what was going to hapEddie taught the entire aupen next. As the play went
dience that you don’t have
on, the audience met all of
to be suave
the characters,
and sophisincluding
the
ticated
to
mansion owner
win
the
girl.
Elsa Von Gros
The
senkueten (juplay’s entire
nior
Michele
cast did an
Frehe) and the
amazing job
chauffer
Miwith the play.
chael
Kelly
There were
(junior
Tris
some
key
Bucaro) as they
performances
entered
and
that made the
began to conespeverse in the liv- Comedian Eddie (Sammon) and chorus girl Nikki (Carini) play
ing room. Later decipher clues while the masked murderer strikes again. cially memoPhoto Courtesy The Year
rable. One was
came everyone’s
the
German
maid Helsa,
favorite Irishman, Pat- happy and carefree. Howevrick O’Reilly (senior Scott er, once the first murder was who was played by Rachael
Stratford, Jr.) whose mis- discovered and a second Schamberger, who made the
Michal Dwojak
Junior Writer
What’s
Inside?
pronunciations of nearly
every word made everyone
laugh. Next came the wellknown director Ken De La
Maize (senior Ninos Baba)
and the typical chorus girl
Nikki Crandall (senior
Catherine Carini). As all the
characters left to explore the
house, only Nikki was left
in the room when comedian
Eddie McCuen (senior Patrick Sammon) entered into
the lives of the audience and
also into the life of Nikki.
After the two shared a conversation, we were introduced to the rest of our cast,
including the Broadway
producer Marjorie Baverstock (senior Leanne Kelly),
composer Roger Hopewell
(sophomore Jimmy Hogan)
and lyricist Bernice Roth
(senior Rachel Thanas).
Once all the characters
were introduced and comfortable, the plot began.
With the thought that the entire meeting was an audition
for a musical, everyone was
New sports magazine
page 3
Chicago mourns Jobs
page 6
entire audience laugh with
her perfect German accent
and serious tone. There was
also the chorus girl, who we
later on learn is a member of
the United States Naval In-
served standing ovation. As
everyone left towards the
hallway outside the theater,
parents and fellow students
congratulated the actors
on a show well performed.
Helsa (Schamberger) stalks the Irish tenor (Stratford).
Photo Courtesy The Year
telligence, Nikki. Played by
Catherine Carini, the audience was able to grow close
to her. Finally, we have the
loveable Eddie, played my
Patrick Sammon. Eddie
made everyone laugh, and
it wasn’t just because he
was a comedian. Whether
it was his goofy personality, lack of obvious courage,
or just Eddie being Eddie,
he made the entire audience laugh and love him.
All the other cast members
did a fantastic job portraying their characters as well,
from the all important director Ken to the loveable and
hilarious Bernice; all of the
characters made the play a
perfect comedy to watch.
As the play wrapped up,
and the actors took their
bows, we were back to the
present day. The audience
gave the cast a well de-
I personally enjoyed the
play, and I know many of
my fellow audience members loved it too. “The play
had a great plot that was
well-developed and was
lightened with hysterical
comedy, especially on the
part of Patrick Sammon”
said junior Jenny Cichon. It
left many people still laughing as they got into their
cars. Even though I might
not be a play critic, if I were
asked to rate how well the
play was, which I will, I
would give it a perfect five
out of five stars. The entire
crew did an amazing job,
the cast, stage crew, and
everyone who worked for
months to put this play together. Everyone did a great
job, and I know everyone
can’t wait for the spring musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
Spirit Week ‘11
page 8
Boys golf wins big
page 15
2
The Prep
Editor-in-Chief
Thomas J. Gordon
Managing Editor
Zachary Aldana
Moderator
Ms. Katie Klein
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Editorials
Loyola Academy’s
Oldest Organization
Founded
September 20, 1912
THE
Prep
1100 Laramie, Wilmette, Illinois 60091
Phone: 847-256-1100
Coast to Coast
Letter from the Editor
by Ross Jordan
Dear Ramblers,
The weather is changing. We are at the turnover of the seasons, a period of beautiful, mild weather before the cold plunge
into another Chicago winter. For us Americans, the ever-sofast approaching winter means one thing: football season.
The falling of leaves coincides with pigskins dropping
into receivers’ hands in backyard pickup games and family room flat-screen TVs. Beginning with Saturday afternoon games at Hoerster Field, the weekend finds us Ramblers consuming excessive doses of football. Immediately
after the game, we ramble right on home to watch our favorite teams battle it out on television. Sunday morning
is spent catching up on DVR’d games, but really we are
just distracting ourselves until the main event: the NFL.
Before we know it, Monday is upon us. In a dreamy reverie
of the weekend’s football mania, we devour Monday Night
Football in the millions. While we wait for Thursday night
football, that “non-football” time is invested in Fantasy Football league(s), with frantic adjustments to injury-laden rosters.
After all, you are obligated to score big points in next week’s
match. There’s no way you’re losing to your younger brother,
who somehow managed to weasel into your fantasy league.
Wonder what would happen if someone made a fantasy
football league, Catholic Blue-style? No doubt, the Academy would boast a number of sought-after players. At the
time of this writing, the varsity football squad, with its perfect record, had catapulted to the top of the state rankings,
according to one poll, and was within four in other polls.
Fall drops new energy on the Loyola campus to help us
get through the dense reality in our lives. Like a quarterback scrambling away from the grappling hands of defensive linemen, we are also scrambling from the load of rigorous homework assignments and looming project deadlines.
The first few leaves floating down from Technicolor trees
remind us that summer is over, and the end of the first quarter has everyone ducking and dodging to evade extra stress.
No, Loyola is not simply a football school. The sign on
the corner of Laramie and Lake displays the words “college preparatory school,” which means at some point every student will have to fill out a college application on
the Common App and write a book’s worth of essays. But
still, take some time out of your busy schedule to showcase
your school spirit. Even if you are not a gridiron aficionado,
spending an afternoon supporting the team is a great distraction from class work. Loyola offers dozens of successful
activities and teams to cheer on – the Fall Play, the boys’ and
girls’ golf teams’ top five finishes in State, and the Catholic
League championships for cross country. Stepping out of the
routine to celebrate with fellow Ramblers is a requirement.
Seniors: good luck with first semester. Everyone else: enjoy the present, because college applications are not exactly conducive to happiness.
Thomas J. Gordon
-Editor-in-Chief-
Contributors
Michal Dwojak, Jessica Ayala, Grace Jimenez, Sarah
Young, Malcolm Hirsch, Catherine Schmid, Rosie
Frehe, Bridget Galassini, Grace Foley, Mervin Dino,
Will Lederer, Tommy Groden, Kushagra Gupta,
Imani Flowers, Mark Matousek, Danielle Oddo,
Danny Leemputte, Nandita Gupta, Elizabeth Murphy, Paige Afinito, Conor Walsh, Kevin Knoll, Egan
Berne, Ariel Reid, John Danielak, Mickey Morello,
Matt Torres, Scott Durning, and Ross Jordan
Captive Israeli Solder
Released
Officials in Israel are preparing
for the release of Sargent Gilad
Shalit, an Israeli soldier held in the
Gaza strip by the militant group
Hamas for over five years. The
exchange began late on Monday,
when Hamas held Shalit in a military zone near Egypt, closed to the
public, until he was turned over to
the Israeli government early Tuesday morning. The exchange comes
at no small price, though. In return,
Israel will release 1027Palestinian
prisoners from its prisons. The first
group, comprised of 577 prisoners,
is to be freed once Israel receives
Sargent Shalit, and authorities will
transport them to the Gaza strip
and West Bank, among other locations. Many of these prisoners
were involved in several terrorist
attacks against Israelis. The group
Hamas has declared this as a failure for Israel, and claims this will
further strengthen their causes.
Controversial Immigration
Law Faces Debate in Court
A immigration enforcement law
passed by the Alabama state legislature this summer is facing scrutiny, parts of it having been blocked
in the state’s federal appeals court.
The law would allow state and local
official to check the immigration
status and documentation of suspected undocumented immigrants,
including public school students,
and hold them without bond. However, on October 14, the U.S. Court
of Appeals temporarily blocked
HB-56, the law in question, doubting the legality of requiring schools
to determine the legal residency of
its students. Obama and other human rights groups have called for
a repeal of the law, claiming it has
caused many to flee the state and
pull their children from school.
Iranian Terror Plot
Uncovered
U.S. officials say that agents
have thwarted an Iranian attempted assassination of Saudi Arabia’s
ambassador to the United States.
Attorney General Eric Holder
claimed that members of the Iranian government directed the plot,
and that the U.S. will hold the nation responsible for its actions.
Among other targets were Israeli
and Saudi embassies within the
U.S. and possibly targets in Buenos
Aires, Argentina. The Justice Department has charged two men, one
a naturalized US citizen, in the conspiracy to kill the foreign diplomat.
It is believed that the men wished
to hire a member of a Mexican
drug cartel to carry out the attack.
Republicans Plan for Obamacare Dismantling
Republicans, foreseeing success in the 2012 elections, have
begun to lay groundwork for the
repeal of Obama’s comprehensive
health care bill passed in 2010.
This includes pressuring every republican presidential candidate
to use the power at their disposal
to reverse the healthcare overhaul
and the creation of a new, alternative, law that would not leave tens
of millions of Americans uninsured. However, theleading GOP
candidates have yet to release
a healthcare plan of their own.
U.S. Supreme Court to Decide on Human Rights Law
The Supreme Court decided
on October 18 to resolve an issue
dealing with whether or not corporations and political groups can be
held accountable in United States
courts for human rights violations
abroad. It is examining a lawsuit
against Shell oil, which brings into
question a law passed by the first
Congress in 1789, the Alien Tort
Statute. Last year, a federal appeals
court threw out the case, in which a
dozen Nigerians claimed Shell was
complicit in the abuse and execution of dissidents in the early 1990’s.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
The Prep
la news
3
Loyola’s Latest Club LA’s New Sports Magazine Promises
Defies Gravity
Sweet Coverage of Loyola Sports
Jessica Ayala Junior
Writer
Do you want to soar
to new heights? A new
club has been launched at
Loyola Academy, dedicated to bringing out the best
in all its students! Defying
Gravity: Women Leaders
without Limits is the latest
addition to the extensive
list of extracurricular clubs
built up and carried out by
the students and teachers
of our school community.
This club offers LA girls
the chance to explore issues
that impact their capacity to
experience life as empowered leaders in a range of
merely by her looks. The
story clearly contradicts
the theme that most fairytales possess: all princesses
are expected to look as the
title they hold. Elizabeth,
unlike the norm of other
fairytales, is not afraid to
end up without a prince,
especially one who rejects
her because of her looks.
Aside from discussing
this story, the club also engaged in watching a few
videos produced by the
Dove Care Foundation.
They saw a video based on
the evolution of a makeover and how the beauty
industry distorts our image of true beauty with
altered pictures displayed
The members of Defying Gravity soar to new heights.
Photo Courtesy Jessica Ayala
arenas. This club not only
encourages leaders, but it
also promotes a deeper loyalty to becoming capable
women for others. A few
ways in which the club plans
to achieve their numerous
goals are by inviting guest
speakers and discussing the
roles of women in articles,
films, music, and literature.
During their most recent meeting, the fairytale
of The Paper Bag Princess was discussed. The
story consists of a princess
named Elizabeth, who is
scheduled to marry Prince
Ronald until a dragon attacks the castle and kidnaps
him. Because she was so
determined to rescue the
prince as soon as possible,
she rushed in choosing an
outfit and ended up saving
him wearing a simple paper bag. In a quick-witted
and humorous manner,
Elizabeth finds the dragon,
outsmarts him, and rescues
Ronald--who is less than
pleased at her un-princesslike appearance. In the end,
she turns him down because he acted in an unappreciative way, judging her
throughout our society.
This part of the meeting
definitely raised awareness of what true beauty is.
The overall topics discussed were that women
are expected to live according to a certain standard
and that in order for the
beauty industry to profit,
they have to portray an unattainable standard of beauty; otherwise, there would
be no beauty industry at all.
Defying Gravity: Women Leaders without Limits,
with its current members,
are more than open in accepting more LA female
and male students. This club
definitely makes one think
about the role of women
in everyday life and how
we, as an LA community,
can watch our own women grow into the leaders
they were called on to be.
If you are interested in
joining this club, do not hesitate to attend the meetings
every Thursday in Room
36 from 3:10-4:30 P.M. For
any questions, contact Mrs.
Coury in the Theology Department or Sophia Day,
one of our fellow juniors.
Loyola athletics. Having
taken Graphic Design last
year, I will be able to use my
Students at Loyola can skills to help create the layread articles about in sea- out of the first magazine for
son sports in The Prep or Loyola,” said senior co-edican search them out online, tor Grace Moran, who combut they don’t get a
chance to see a recap of the season or
photos of games until
the yearbook comes
out in the spring.
This year, Loyola’s
new sports magazine
will provide Rambler sports’ enthusiasts with another
source of information about varsity sports. peted in IHSA Journalism
Whether it is lacrosse, ten- State Finals, placing sixth
nis, swimming, football, for Info Graphics last year.
bowling, or golf, readers
A small, but enthusiastic
will be able to learn more staff has been meeting on
about the team from the in Thursday mornings to plan
depth coverage of these, the inaugural edition of the
and every sport played that magazine. The first task was
season, in the new sports to brainstorm a name. They
magazine Boom, Sweet! landed on Boom, Sweet!,
“I joined sports maga- taking inspiration from
zine so that I could promote Coach Breitzman’s infaGrace Jimenez Senior Writer
mous “Rambler Spirit” song,
performed at pep rallies.
The full color magazine
will be produced at the culmination of each season
with a supplementary football magazine, highlighting
their
winning
season. Students
will be able to
purchase
the
magazine in the
cafeteria during
lunch periods. If
they subscribe to
Boom, Sweet!, all
four issues will
cost them $16.
For the Rambler
who’s unwilling to commit
to all four issues, they can
buy a single issue for $5.
For those budding sports
journalists who are interested in writing for the upcoming issues of Boom, Sweet!,
meetings are on Thursday
mornings at 7:15, in either
room 256 or 77. Please see
Ms. Krein in the math department if you are interested.
Dumbach Scholars Connect Academics with Real Life Experiences
Sarah Young
Sophomore Writer
“It’s not just an extra class; it’s
an attitude about approaching
life with enthusiasm, confidence,
and an open-mind,” explains Mr.
McNulty, head of the Dumbach
Scholar program, and I agree with
him. Participating in the Dumbach program is much more than
taking AP classes or maintaining
a 90% average. The Dumbach
program is about appreciating the
world outside Loyola’s walls and
realizing the need to share one’s
talents and gifts. What better way
for Dumbachs to grow in appreciation of the world than to explore
its streets on a class field trip?
During the last week of September, the AP Art History and
AP Music Theory Dumbach students departed from Loyola after
eighth period for a downtown
Chicago field trip. The students
first headed to the University
of Chicago campus for a photo
scavenger hunt. The students divided into their Dumbach groups
and chose a theme for their photographs such as the color red or
lights. Students traveled to various parts of campus taking photos of their chosen theme. The AP
Music Theory groups searched
for their theme in the Oriental
Institute, the music department,
the music library, and any current
events or shows on campus while
also looking for the oldest instrument on campus. The AP Art
History students looked for their
theme in the Oriental Institute,
the U of C bookstore, the Rockefeller Chapel, the Henry Moore
sculpture, and the general college library. Because the Dumbachs were unsure how to find
their way around campus, they
questioned university students
on where to find their designated
locations. According to sophomore AP Art History student
Bridget Feeney, the scavenger
hunt was, “a great opportunity to
see all the artwork in Chicago.”
While half of the Dumbach
groups searched for their themed
photos around university campus, the other half toured Frank
Lloyd Wright’s Robie House.
Although the Robie house may
be one of the oldest buildings
on its block, it looked like one
of the most contemporary. As
the students walked through the
Robie House’s rooms, the sunlight streamed through countless
stained glass windows. The students felt as if they were giants
when standing in the building’s
low-ceilinged entrance room.
The architect in the Art History
students’ summer reading of
Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead
closely resembles that of Frank
Lloyd Wright, making the tour of
his house all the more interesting.
After their tour of the Robie
House, Dumbach students and
their moderators walked to the
Oriental Institute where they
wandered through an art gallery
of the world’s earliest people.
Before this field trip, students
had only viewed art in small
one dimensional pictures. Seeing works such as the enormous
Lamassu from the Citadel of Sargon II gave the students a new
experience. “Truly experiencing
an artwork involves standing in
front of it, or walking around it,
or, as the case with much contemporary art, becoming a part of
it,” explained Art History teacher
Ms. Cramer. Sophomore Lucy
Melbinger recalled from her
trip, “It was a great way to see
the art we were learning about
rather than pictures in a book.”
Music Theory student sophomore Emma Wojnicki, seeing
the oldest instrument on campus,
believed “It showed us how musical instruments evolved.” Students also experienced modern
art at Millennium Park. Scholars splashed through the water
at Crown Fountain and stared at
their reflection on The Bean’s
surface. Experiencing life involves getting out into the world
and seeing what it has to offer.
Through this and future field
trips, Scholars will do just that.
4
The Prep
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
la news
LA Band and Poms Members German Club CelePerform with Local Students brates Oktoberfest
“Sweet Home Chicago.”
Malcolm Hirsch
Seniors Jon Santiago and
Senior Writer
Pat Sammon explained their
This month the Marching
experiences. “It’s a great
Band and the Varsity Poms
recruitment opportunity for
Team welcomed middleour band, and it gives the
school students from across
kids a lot of experience,”
Chicago to perform with
explained Santiago. “They
them at the halftime show
really get to see what the
of two Rambler football
High School marching band
games. In a program they
is all about.” Pat Sammon
call the Junior Ramblerettes,
went further explaining how
Poms squad taught a group
great of an experience it was
of more than
for him. “It really was a
90
middle
lot of fun, everyone benschool girls for
efitted. We get a chance
three hours beto teach younger kids
fore the home
and help others and the
game against
kids get their first chance
Gordon Tech.
to march in a band.” Both
They worked
seniors were quick to achard to develknowledge the important
op a cohesive
work of band moderator
dance routine. Mr. Ames in organizing
I
got
a
the program and spreadchance to talk
ing the words. Students
with one of the Poms members teach their halftime routine. from St. Hilary’s, RobPhoto Courtesy The Year
senior captains
ert Bellarmine, OLPH,
of the team,
and St. Norbert all parLisa Cholewa. She exThe following week, the ticipated in the program,
plained that the goal of the Loyola Academy March- and it was a huge success.
program is to “give them ing Ramblers took in 10
Both the Poms Team and
an idea of what we do and middle-school musicians, the Marching Band have
how we operate as a team. teaching them the routine been using their expertise
It’s supposed to encourage for the Homecoming foot- to pass on skills to kids who
them to come to the summer ball game half-time show. are interested in coming to
camp we run and to try-out Again with only three hours Loyola and participating;
when they come to Loyola.” to prepare, the band taught it is both a great recruiting
She also gave lots of credit the young recruits a slew of opportunity and a chance to
to Ms. McLean, the mod- Billy Joel songs, along with give back to the community.
erator of the Poms team, acknowledging her hard work
and organizational skills.
“With so many girls there,
it was kind of hectic, but
she did a great job of keeping us on track and making the program a success.”
The nationally ranked Poms
team has had great success
the past few years, and you
can see them dance at every
home game during halftime.
Architecture Expert Shares
Know l e d g e w i th A I A S
AIAS students work on their latest project
On Friday, October 14,
Dr. Lee Waldrep, professor
of architecture for UIUC
(University of Illinois at
Urbana/Champaign) visited
Loyola Academy’s architecture and design classes. The
purpose for his visit was
three-fold: first, to answer
student questions pertaining to the careers of architecture, landscape architecture and urban planning;
second to share information about UIUC’s specific
programs; and thirdly to
take a close look at student
work as part of the continuing process of evaluating
the design and architecture
classes. The classes thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to work with and get
feedback from a well-respected member of the field.
Recently, the club be-
gan its work on the design
of a new great room for
the Desherow Residence.
Mr. Beau Desherow, Assistant Dean of Students for
Loyola Academy, has given
his consent for the AIAS
Chapter at Loyola Academy
to prepare drawings and
models for possible use in
the extension of their family home. President Matt
Mozack and Vice-President
Jackie Zondlo begin the
process by studying carefully the 1955 blueprints
to the house. They will use
their knowledge the house’s
existing architecture with
their knowledge of current architecture to create a
new room that will compliment the rest of the house.
Catherine Schmid
Sophomore Writer
On September 28, the
German Club headed to the
Convent of the Holy Spirit
in Northfield to attend their
annual Oktoberfest. Since
they were at a convent,
there were no traditional
German clothes; however,
the club was introduced to
many friendly priests and
nuns. Some of the elderly
nuns are German natives,
so the club was able to
converse with nuns who
spoke German. They got
to say “Guten tag!” (good
day!) to the participants at
Oktoberfest. To create a
cheerful mood, one woman
sang and played guitar.
Soon the whole club joined
in on the festive singing.
They
sang
traditional
songs in German. Near
the end of the day, the
club enjoyed traditional
German
food,
which
included schweinerbraten
(a type of pork dish) and
schnitzel (breaded veal).
The club also ate German
spaetzle (noodles) and
drank non-alcoholic beer.
At the end of September,
some members of the club
also attended the GermanAmerican Oktoberfest in
Chicago’s Lincoln Square
neighborhood.
Both
presenters and attendees
dressed
in
traditional
dirndls and lederhosen.
They experienced similar
activities such as singing,
speaking, and participating
in the German culture. The
Oktoberfest in Lincoln
Square lasted longer than the
Convent of the Holy Spirit
Oktoberfest, because it was
geared toward the entire
Chicagoland
population.
Oktoberfest started in
1810 in Munich, Germany,
as a celebration for Prince
Ludwig
and
Princess
Therese. The event ended
with festival-like activities
and a horse race, which
were repeated the next year
until it became an annual
tradition. Thus the “Wisen,”
as natives of Germany call
it, was born. In Munich
and many other places,
Oktoberfest is held from
a Saturday in September
to the first Sunday in
October.
You may be
wondering why the event
is called “Oktoberfest” if
it is mainly in September.
The event is held so much
earlier because September
generally provides better
weather conditions than
October, which are required
for the various festival
activities.
They
have
carnival rides and lots of
games in Munich, which
makes the festival more
family-friendly. Oktoberfest
in Munich has gained
world-wide
recognition
and a major attraction for
tourists and natives alike.
In December, German
Club also plans to take
their annual trip to the
Christkindlmarket
in
downtown
Chicago.
Overall, these festivals
provide a great experience
for the German Club that
give them a chance to hone
their German speaking skills
and learn about the culture.
Happy Birthday
Ramblers!
If you see these Ramblers, be sure to
wish them a Happy Birthday!
Gabrielle Patton ‘12
Jasmine Vance ‘14
Jocelyn Anderson ‘15
Madeline Kovacevic ‘15
Megan Nolanv ‘15
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
The Prep
la news
5
Retreatants Ponder the God Question
writings of Saint Benedict, afternoon, just in time to see but an almost tangible level
who founded monasticism our cells (our rooms) and of holiness was present.
in the seventh century, guide attend midday prayer. Seven
Especially sacred were
The
God
Question. the order in embracing times a day the Trappist the vigils, held each day at
Nowadays, it’s often the the ideals and values of monks gather in the chapel 3:30 – in the morning. But
elephant in the room or the monastic life. Though to sing another part of their the tranquility that greets
key to an aggressive debate. many believe Trappists Psalter, at one of which they one was definitely worth
On one hand, people like monks are required to take celebrate mass. After eating the loss of sleep. The monks
Stephen Hawking use
science as their basis of
rejecting the existence of
God; while on the other
hand, extreme absolutists
are willing to sacrifice their
own lives for God. Nestled
in between these ends of
the spectrum are those like
Deepak Chopra, author of
War of the Worldviews:
Science vs. Spirituality.
Recently appearing on
Conan, Chopra explained
his belief that both science
and spirituality are necessary
for a purposeful life. But
with so many options to
choose from, how do people
The Monastic Retreat helps members form closer bonds.
Photo Courtesy Mrs. Butvilas
decipher which is true? To
ponder this question among a vow of silence, necessary lunch, our retreat really sang the assigned psalms
life’s other mysteries, eight speech is both accepted and took off. Everyone began in almost total darkness.
Loyola students, myself encouraged. The monks to disperse, finally able to Holiness permeated the
included, and three faculty at New Melleray Abbey stop and think, free from the entire chapel; I will never
members ventured to New place particular emphasis pressures and anxieties of forget the magic of listening
Melleray Abbey on retreat. on the psalms; each week school and work. Whether to numerous voices raised
New Melleray Abbey, they complete their entire reading, praying, reflecting, in unison to accomplish
located in the sweeping Psalter. Across the street drawing, even napping (yes, one goal: to praise God.
farmlands just south of and down the road from the napping!) we seemed to
Such happenings of the
Dubuque, Iowa, is currently abbey is a factory where exist in a world unlike the day were discussed at the
home to about 30 Trappist some of the monks produce one from where we had just end of each night. Every
monks. The Trappist order coffins. These monks lead a arrived. Perhaps it was the person had a different story
was established after a simple but meaningful life. beautiful weather, maybe the to tell, a different experience
reform movement in the
We arrived at New peaceful silence, possibly to share, a different insight
seventeenth century. The Melleray Abbey Tuesday the serene environment, to offer. On the second day,
Rosie Frehe
Junior Writer
a friend and I walked to a
nearby cemetery and were
astounded by the vastness of
the surrounding farmland.
We followed a path, open
land on both sides, and I
thought about how unique
my journey was. No one
else will ever put her shoe
in the exact same spot my
foot was. Apply that to
millions of footsteps! One
can feel considerably alone;
I know I did. And yet, when
my friend and I came across
a hay bale after entering a
field of corn, she suggested
we try and climb it. Now,
these things are taller
than they seem from the
highway, trust me! In the
end, we both were able to
reach the top, but neither of
us would have been able to
succeed without the other.
And that’s when I realized
that someone will always be
there to help or support me.
Even when we feel alone or
separated from the rest of the
world, someone – a friend,
peer, companion, teacher,
mentor – will be there for
us. Even when dealing
with The God Question.
Especially when dealing
with The God Question.
Bridget Galassini
Senior Writer
Kairos. How does one
prepare for an experience
that has so much mystery
surrounding it? When looking ahead to the four days
of Kairos, all one sees is uncertainty. Hence, there is no
possible way to prepare for
something that one knows
nothing about. Or is there?
In reality, people prepare
for uncertainties every day.
Parents ensure that they
have extra money in case
of a medical emergency;
students strive to have high
grades going into finals because the outcome
of these tests is not
certain; football
teams have backup quarterbacks. In
this same manner,
Kairos retreatants
can prepare for
what is to come
in their future.
First, let’s
lay out what is
known about Kairos. There is a great amount
of hype surrounding it, both
good and bad. Some say it
was the greatest experience
of their lives, others say that
it’s a cult. Next, we know
that it is a four day retreat,
from which students return
“kai-high.”
That pretty
much sums up what we
know about it, which doesn’t
leave much to work with.
However, students can
still take initiative to get prepared. Going into my Kairos experience, I only knew
the basics about the retreat,
the ones I listed above. I
had heard from people who
would give anything to relive their experience on
Kairos, but I had also heard
from others who said that
it was overrated and overhyped. However, I made
the conscious decision to
have an unbiased mindset
going into the retreat and
to ultimately to make my
own judgments about the
experience. So, that is my
main advice – to be openminded, which will allow
you to take the experience
for what it is worth in your
eyes, not someone else’s.
Next, here is some advice that I myself did not
follow. Don’t be worrying
about homework or drama
or whatever else is running
through your mind. If you’re
on the retreat, be on the retreat. This is the perfect time
to worry about only yourself
and the person you want to
be. You’ll have plenty of
time to stress about school
when you return, but you
will never be on that Kairos again. Be present there.
Happy Halloween
Keep an Open Mind for the Kairos Experience
Photo Courtesy
Catherine Schmid
6
The Prep
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
national news
Steve Jobs Dies, Leaves Behind Legacy
Grace Foley
Junior Writer
October 5, 2011, appeared
to be a day like any other.
What most people discovered,
however, was that on this day,
our generation suffered an
immense loss. On that day,
the death of Steve Jobs, the
extraordinary
entrepreneur,
inventor, and genius behind
Apple, was announced. Born
in February of 1955, Jobs
died at the age of 56 after a
long battle with a rare form
of pancreatic cancer. His
small company, started with
a friend in his garage, has
transformed into one of the
largest and most successful
corporations in the world.
Unlike many successful
businessmen, Steve Jobs was
not educated in the Ivy League
or raised in the upper class.
He was an adopted college
dropout who held experience
only in computer programming
and calligraphy. Jobs did not
have a secure foundation
to begin with, but he took a
chance. And fortunately for
us, that daring chance paid off.
The impact that Steve Jobs
made on the world is profound.
To start, computers would
continue to operate solely
using buttons and keyboards
because he was the innovator
behind the ingenious “mouse.”
Without Jobs, Loyola students
would not be able to go home
and open iTunes, download
thousands of songs onto iPods,
or perhaps, read an assigned
novel on the iPad. If Apple
Computers was nonexistent, I
would not be typing this article
on a MacBook or checking the
time with my iPhone, and I
deserved. Due to his illness,
he suffered through the last
several years of his life.
Pancreatic cancer took a great
toll on his body, but never on
his ability to run a superb,
efficient,
and
innovative
company. He dedicated every
last drop of his ingenuity and
ounce of his passionate energy
to Apple. The result was, and
address at Stanford University
in
2005.
He
insists,
“Remembering that you are
going to die is the best way
I know to avoid the trap of
thinking you have something
to lose. You are already naked.
There is no reason not to
follow your heart.” Each and
every person on the planet
has some kind of individual
Steve Jobs presents new iPhone at 2007 press conference
Photo courtesy AP
would never
have PIXAR DVDs such
as Toy Story and Monsters
Inc. sitting on the shelf next
to me. It is truly difficult to
imagine a life sans Apple.
Steve Jobs was a man who
knew what he wanted out of
life, worked hard for it, and
got exactly the success he
remains today, an international
trademark
promoting
technology as a tool used to
explore the imagination and
communicate
effortlessly
with the rest of the world.
During his time as the CEO
of Apple Computers, Steve
Jobs gave the commencement
talent
that
is waiting to be exposed to
the world. Jobs assures us
that there should be no fear
in taking risks; taking risks
is what makes us fearless.
Living in a generation
where pagers and beepers
transformed into iPhones, and
walk mans and CD players
became iPods is incredible.
Walking into the Apple Store
on a Tuesday afternoon and
finding that it is the only
store in the entire mall that is
constantly filled with curious
customers is amazing. To
look back on Jobs’ life and
witness the progress that this
one man has made in his short
lifetime is truly remarkable.
We all have the ability to
change the world, and the
best way to do this is through
our passions. His ephemeral
life reminds us not only that
life goes by quickly, but also
that it is a gift, susceptible to
disappearance at any time.
In
his
Stanford
Commencement
Address,
Steve leaves the graduates
with this advice, “Your time is
limited, so don’t waste it living
someone else’s life. Don’t be
trapped by dogma-- which is
living with the results of other
people’s thinking. Don’t let
the noise of others’ opinions
drown out your own inner
voice. And most importantly,
have the courage to follow
your heart and intuition. They
somehow already know what
you truly want to become.
Everything else is secondary.”
“Stay
hungry,
and
stay
foolish,”
Ramblers.
Chicagoans Volunteer to Fight Hunger
Mervin Dino
Senior Writer
Julia opened her refrigerator
only to find an almost-expired
carton of milk, a pack of
string cheese, and leftover
ketchup packets. “It must be
that time of the month again,”
she would say. I met Julia
while volunteering at Howard
Area Food Pantry, when she
arrived to receive four bags
of food, enough to feed her
and her children for a week.
Julia, a single mother of three
children, is one of thousands
of Chicago residents who are
employed and yet struggle to
consistently provide meals for
their families, according to a
recent study. Her weekly pay
of $300 is not always enough
to pay the bills, and too high to
qualify for federal assistance.
And due to more and more
people obtaining food stamps,
Julia’s monthly benefits from
it have decreased from $220
to $40, so she must make the
extra trip to two other food with more and more individuals sources. The current economic
pantries. There are also days dipping under this number, environment has dramatically
when she must skip a meal the trip to the food pantry increased the demand for free
in order for there to be food becomes even more common, food, which means the need
for her sons and daughters. placing a heavier burden on for donated food becomes
According to the Chicago pantries to come up with even more critical. Food
Tribune, almost 900,000 enough food to distribute to pantries have become the last
hope for
people are
families.
considered
Which
“ f o o d
is where
insecure,”
we,
as
meaning
h i g h
they have
school
no reliable
students,
source of
can step
food. With
in. There
the rising
are over a
costs
of
hundred
housing,
things we
electricity,
can do
a
n
d
to fight
grocery
i t e m s , Volunteers help package food at the Greater Chicago Food Depository. h u n g e r ,
and
the
parents
Photo Courtesy AP
like Julia are forced to make clients. Food that is stocked in easiest way is to donate excess
difficult financial decisions, pantries does not simply grow food to school, church and/or
one of which is being able to on trees; they are delivered local food drives. Gather any
eat or pay the bills. A family by the Greater Chicago Food whole grain, rice or pasta, and
of four is considered under Depository, which distributes canned fruits and vegetables
the poverty line if their annual donated food from food drives, in your kitchen cupboards,
income is $22,350 or less. So local collections, and other and donate them to a food
drive. Give a few dollars to
missions. Any loose change in
your pocket will do. Volunteer
at a local soup kitchen or
food pantry with your friends,
athletic team, or club as part of
the Arrupe Service Program.
One of the service sites,
Howard Area Food Pantry in
Rogers Park, is in dire need
of volunteers. With winter
quickly on its way, it becomes
even more difficult for families
to make the trip to soup
kitchens and food pantries. By
going the extra step, and by
giving more of our time and
effort than we do now, we can
make sure that another family
will benefit from our help. If
you are interested in helping
parents like Julia put food
on the table for their young
children, please contact the
Ministry department or go to
their office in Room 90 if you
want to donate or participate
in
service
opportunities.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
The Prep
national news
7
Unmanned United States Drone EPA Sued Over
Kills Top al-Qaeda Recruiter
Pollution Levels
Tommy Groden
Junior Writer
The increased use of unmanned aircraft in the war on
terror has dealt al-Qaeda yet
another blow: the killing of top
regional commander Anwar alAwlaki in Yemen. Al-Awlaki was
primarily a recruiter and motivator for the terrorist group, using
the internet to reach potential
recruits all over the world. It
was through this medium
that he reached and subsequently influenced the Fort
Hood shooter, the “Times
Square bomber,” and Umar
Farouk
Abdulmatallab,
who attempted to blow up a
Christmas Day flight from
Amsterdam to Detroit in
2009. After the success his
preaching had, U.S. intelligence officials believe
that he was promoted to
regional commander of alQaeda in Yemen and the
surrounding countries. His
death is an important milestone in
the war on terror and is another
sign of the gradual defeat of alQaeda. A senior military official
noted that this victory will surely
lower the morale of the organization’s members, as it “sets a sense
of doom for the rest of them.”
Perhaps the most startling part
of Anwar al-Awlaki’s story is that
he was American, a fact that certainly helped him recruit other
Americans to attack their country.
Al-Awlaki was born in the United
States and then moved with his
family to Yemen. He returned to
the country to attend college, and
received a Bachelor’s degree in
civil engineering from Colorado
State University in 1994. AlAwlaki then continued his education, earning an M.A. from San
Diego State University, as well
as working on a doctorate from,
somewhat ironically, George
Washington University. During
his time in the U.S., al-Awlaki
worked in many popular and respected mosques and served as
a spiritual advisor for the 9/11
highjackers who crashed into the
Pentagon. American intelligence
authorities were well aware of the
threat he posed, although probably not to the extent that has recently been revealed. However,
following 9/11, al-Awlaki condemned the attacks, stating that
those who carried them out “have
high powered cameras and note
the particular truck he got into.
After following the three vehicles across the desert for a short
while, hellfire missiles were shot
from the drones, hitting only the
truck containing al-Awlaki. He
was killed immediately, along
with several of his followers.
Al-Awlaki’s death is a testament to a cornerstone of the
Obama Administration’s strategy in the War on Terror: the increased use of unmanned
aircraft, or “drones.” Enticing weapons, as their
use puts no Americans
in harm’s way, drones
have been used ten times
more under Obama than
under his predecessor.
Drones can stay airborne
for more than a day at a
time and send extremely
clear video to their controllers, who are often
over 7000 miles away.
A drone flies over enemy territory.
Unmanned aircraft have
Photo Courtesy AP
been a central part in
U.S.
military
activity in not only
perverted their religion,” and
Iraq
and
Afghanistan,
but also
even held a prayer service at the
in
Libya,
where
they
aided
rebel
U.S. Capitol. Because authorities
forces
in
overthrowing
longhad no concrete proof of his terrorist activities, they were ready time dictator Muammar Qaddafi.
Many Americans have questo arrest him on the lesser charge
tioned
the legality of the killing,
of transporting prostitutes across
especially
as al-Awlaki was, after
state lines in 2002. Sensing this,
all,
an
American
citizen. They
the terrorist recruiter left the U.S.
make
the
claim
the
government
and began his work in Yemen.
After being arrested and sub- violated the Constitution in “exsequently released by Yemeni ecuting” a man without a trial.
authorities, al-Awlaki went into The Obama Administration, howhiding in the backcountry, where ever, notes that al-Awlaki was
he was monitored by U.S. forces an enemy of the United States
for months. The CIA was aware and was actively involved in the
of his exact location, a compound killings of American citizens, a
in the desert, and unmanned practice he would be continuing
drones silently waited for him to if still alive. Anwar al-Awlaki
emerge. Finally, on September was a dangerously effective re20, he left his compound in one cruiter of terrorists, and his death
of three pick-up trucks. Drones, should be seen as an indicator of
controlled by operators halfway both the gradual destruction of
across the world in Virginia, were al-Qaeda and the advantages and
able to recognize his face using precision of unmanned drones.
Kushagra Gupta
Junior Writer
A large number of environmental and medical groups have
sued the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) following the
Obama Administration’s decision to not lower the maximum
ozone pollution level from 75
parts per billion (ppb) to 70 ppb.
The groups state that the current
standard is extremely dangerous, due to the poor air quality
in polluted zones. All five groups
have previously attempted to sue
the EPA in 2008 under Bush Administration, when he overruled
the EPA’s scientific advisory
panel and set the current rate.
Once President Obama promised to reconsider the standard,
the groups dropped the lawsuit.
President Obama, overturning EPA administrator Lisa P.
Jackson, turned down the lower
standard, worrying that it might
cause a backlash to the economy,
a concern voiced by many business leaders. He expressed sympathy for the business leaders,
saying his decision was made,
“to underscore the importance of
reducing regulatory burdens.” In
fact, the EPA estimates that the
costs that would be imposed by
the new standard would be about
$19 billion to $25 billion. Even
so, environmental groups have
fired back, pointing to the EPA
estimate of about $13 billion to
$ 37 billion, in all probability, a
large overall save in expenses
for persons at risk and welfare.
Earthjustice was extremely
adamant about the issue. David
Baron, a lawyer for the group,
stated, “The rejection of stronger
standards was illegal and irresponsible, in our view.” He went
on further to articulate worry
over the possibly shady reasons
behind the decision, considering the upcoming election and
the dire consequences saying,
”instead of protecting people’s
lungs as the law requires, this
administration based its decision on politics, leaving tens
of thousands of Americans at
risk of sickness and suffering.”
Ozone is the largest and most
prevalent molecule and widespread pollutant in smog. Unlike
when it shields the Earth from
the bombardment solar radiation in the atmosphere, ozone is
very dangerous to humans. High
levels of ozone pollution, common in urban and suburban areas, cause respiratory diseases
and other conditions such as
inflamed lung tissue in those
exposed to harmful amounts.
Adding pollution increases the
peril of acquiring such ailments.
The president of the American Lung Association, another
group suing the EPA, Charles
D. Connor stated concern for
the decision as he announced the
lawsuit saying, “The Obama administration’s inaction in cleaning up ozone pollution, and its
decision to ignore the strong
recommendations of the scientific community, jeopardizes the
health of millions of Americans.”
The EPA has estimated that
lowering the level to 60 ppb
could produce even superior results. Such a level would prevent 58,000 asthma attacks, save
up to 12,000 lives every year
and avoid 21,000 hospital visits.
Nevertheless, the President
has delayed any further discussions until after the next election, ordering the EPA to conduct more studies and come up
with a new suggestion in 2013.
In a political twist, the Republican Party announced support
for President Obama’s decision.
In fact, Mitch McConnell (RKy.), who supported the measure, stated coarsely that it “will
prevent more job losses than any
speech the president has given.”
Obama’s Jobs Plan Falls in the Senate
Will Lederer
Sophomore Writer
As many of you know, the
economy is in a downturn, and
jobs are being lost. From a
neighbor losing their job to a
relative being forced to sell their
house, this economy is hitting us
all. President Obama recently
tried to pass another piece of
legislation, the jobs plan he unveiled earlier this fall, to fix our
problems, but the Senate rejected
a motion to continue the debate
on the bill. The vote was 51-48
in favor of continuing with the
debate but fell short of the sixty
votes required to continue the
debate. This $440 billion package was harshly criticized by
both sides as a “temporary fix”
to our nations many problems.
The bill was comprised of
$270 billon of tax cuts and $170
billion focused on new spending.
Obama had been pushing for
this bill to come to his desk, but
forty-six Republican Senators
and surprisingly two Democrat
Senators prevented this. Senator Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) and
Senator John Tester (D-Mont.)
were the two Democrats opposed to this bill. Senator Tester was quoted after the vote
saying, “The things I support in
this bill are outweighed by the
things I can’t support” and “it
is an expensive, temporary fix”
Republicans were opposed
to this bill because it gave the
President more money to spend
on a plan that they thought was
purely for the “short term,” and
it didn’t focus on private sector
job growth. The Republicans’
main concern right now is to
prove to businesses that the United States is safe to invest in and
that government regulations on
the private sector are decreasing.
President Obama harshly continue pushing for the ideas Because there is a Democratic
criticized Republicans after the that were in the bill but pass President and a Republican Convote saying, “But even though them in small increments. Sen- gress, there is much arguing and
this bill contains the kind of pro- ate Majority Leader Harry Reid not much compromising. It will
posals Republicans have sup- is looking to assist the President be interesting to see which party
ported in the past, their party
obstructed the Senate from moving forward on the jobs bill.”
Former Speaker of the House
Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said,
“Republicans---in the house and
Senate---continue to delay and
block action on this critical measure, refusing to address Americans’ top priority: jobs.” Even
after this criticism, Republicans
still believe that this bill wasn’t
the best choice to create jobs,
and Speaker of the House John
President Obama and Speaker of the House Boehner disagree
Boehner made this known in his
on a new jobs plan for the struggling economy.
statement. He said, “Now it’s
Photo Courtesy AP
time for both parties to work to- in his attempt to pass the ideas in wins the presidency in 2012. But
gether and find common ground the bill. The government knows for now, this is not only a vicon removing government barri- that people are struggling and tory for Republicans but also an
ers to private sector job growth.” wants to help, but the approach indicator that a fix to this econPresident Obama looks to is different for both parties. omy will have to be bipartisan.
8
The Prep
By Bridget Galassini
Senior Writer
LA News
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Photo Courtesy
The Year, Grace Jimenez, and Imani Flowers
For Homecoming 2011, Loyola Ramblers took a trip to Las Vegas. In previous years, we have seen superheroes, attended
LAllapalooza, and channeled the Pink Ladies and Thunderbirds from Grease. No matter what the theme is, though, spirit
week leaves a lasting impression on us. This is the week when hallways are filled with anticipation manifested by the questions “What color is your dress?” “Whose group are you in?” and “Who are you going with?” The activities run by Student
Council on each day of the week also add to this anticipation. This year in the caf, we were entertained with Karaoke on
Monday, a Las Vegas-themed movie on Tuesday, and with playing cards on Wednesday. On Thursday, inflatables filled
the gym, and on Friday we had Fall Flavor Fest and the Pep Rally. Finally, Saturday was our Las Vegas Homecoming.
First, the Karaoke in the caf is a long-time tradition that never fails to get students out of their seats. Some freshmen who witnessed the
performances for the first time really enjoyed them. Sidney Burns ‘15 said, “It was funny to see everyone singing and dancing.” Trevor
Kory ‘15 agreed saying, “It was very fun hearing some of my friends sing the songs.” These songs ranged from artists like Justin
Timberlake all
the way to Journey. Having songs from these different eras
and
genres
always keeps the event interesting.
Unfortunately, not the same can
be said for
the activities provided
on Tuesday
and Wednesday. Tuesday’s
event
was
the movie in the caf called
Vegas Vacation, and out of about
100 freshmen and sophomores, not
one
listed
this activity as their
favorite.
In my opinion, having a movie
play on a
wall in the
caf is not
a
significant
enough event for spirit week.
That
Tuesday seems just like any other day, when really something
exciting
should have been happening, so improvements on this day can definitely be made.
Wednesday’s event was card games in the caf. From what I saw, very few people were participating in these games. So, although the idea sounded promising, perhaps an event that yields more student participation needs to be found. Still, Wednesday had a
high point in its late start, which all Loyola students greatly appreciate. It gives us the opportunity to
catch up on some sleep and get rested for the days to come. Maybe that was the goal of Tuesday and Wednesday as a whole, to give us a break from all the festivities so that we could be well-rested for Homecoming weekend.
The inflatables on Thursday brought the energy back to Ramblerville. Though getting students to leave the comfort of the caf
can often prove difficult, the inflatables got the job done. Many students made the trip to the gym, and they were glad that they did. Ragen Murphy ‘15 even said, “Inflatable day was my favorite day because it is the best way to spend a free period.” Ania Thomas ‘14 agreed that
inflatables were “crazy and fun.” Many students like Gwyn Brown ‘15 thought that “it was fun to compete against friends in the inflatables.”
Students were not only competing against friends though, there was also a rivalry
between the black team, made of the freshmen and
seniors, and the red team, made of the sophomores and juniors.
The black team ultimately won the prize of a dressdown day later in the year by accumulating
the most points, which is mostly thanks to the freshmen who were participating in many of
the activities and dominated in inflatables this year.
This competition brought enthusiasm to
the students, which increased even more on Friday.
When dealing with spirit week, we save
the best for last. Friday is packed with events from
Fall Flavor Fest to the Pep Rally, not to
mention that it is maroon and gold deck out day.
Plus, the Luau takes place that very night.
Friday is definitely the favorite day for the majority of students, and I can see why. As Annie
Lawler ‘15 said “There were so many fun activities packed into one day.” And most of the
student body thinks so too. There are so many
reasons to look forward to that Friday. One,
it’s deck out day, so we get to trade our khakis
and polos for maroon and gold attire. Two,
it’s Fall Flavor Fest, so we have an array of food
to choose from for lunch, “food that you can’t
normally eat because the caf doesn’t have it,”
as Sarah Choate ‘15 said. Plus, there’s music
playing, which always leads to dancing. “It was
entertaining to see some students dance,” said
Braimah Lawal ‘14. Three, there’s the Pep Rally.
This year, Teddi Weigel ‘12 and Mr. Kane
emceed the much-anticipated event. Many
students were happy that the Pep Rally “was
very exciting and energetic,” as Eva Hagman ‘15 said. The Maroon Platoon members
pumped people up, and Brain Hulseman ‘14
felt “Pretty pepped” by the end of it, which is
always a good sign. However, some students
did not see the excitement, especially the freshmen who did not appreciate being booed,
so that put a damper on their experience. Not
to worry, though, because as Matt Wilda
‘12 said, “the Pep Rally was a 10 because we’re
seniors now. The previous ones were just
opening acts for the one this year.” Carlin O’Brien
‘12 agreed. “This was the best pep rally of my four
years at Loyola. It could be because they seem to
revolve around the seniors, but I thought everyone got really into it.”
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
la news
The Prep
9
Obviously, throughout the years a student’s experience of this Pep Rally changes, but one thing we can always count on is “sticking to
the original stuff like Champions and the Ramblers’ Spirit Song,” as Cosette Bergin ‘12 observed. Another classic includes the football players’
dance, which always leaves students laughing. Erika Carter ‘15 said that
“It was fun to see the varsity football team dance, especially my brother!”
Many others agree that the dance is definitely a highlight of the Pep Rally.
Then, the freshmen attend the Luau that night. The dance that many
argue is the best one at Loyola got mixed reviews this year. For many
freshmen, it did not live up to expectations. As Trevor Kory ‘15 said, “To
me it was a 3-hour cycle of dance, overheat, go outside, freeze, go inside, and repeat.” Sidney Burns ‘15 also “expected the Luau to be a lot
more fun than it actually was.” Then, some thought the dance was ok, like
Izzy Trimble ‘15, who sai, “It was ok, but not a lot of people went.” Still,
others thought the Luau meet their expectations, like Riley Miller
‘15 who
thought
“It was so much fun seeing everyone and meeting people.”
Saturday brought the
Homecoming game and
dance. After beating Mount
Carmel 12-7, we Ramblers
were ready for a fun night. People often set such high expectations for the Homecoming
dance, that it is very difficult for the night to meet them. However, this dance lived up
to the expectations of many students. Colleen Kollar ‘12 described the scene, “the
lights and decorations were a lot better than the past years and there seemed to be
a lot of people at the dance all at once, so that made it fun.” Cosette Bergin and
Anna Waz ‘12 agree, and Anna added that she “always loves the huge lights outside.” Still, some students were disappointed. A main complaint was that
“the music was not
as good as it could have been,” as Colleen Kollar said. Also, Luis
Reichling ‘14 said that Homecoming
was “much more of a social and walk around dance,
not like the party scene of
the Luau,” so it did not
meet his expectations. Also, Mike
Kapst ‘14 liked the Luau
better “because it was less formal and involved less pictures.”
With its formality and all the pictures, Homecoming is definitely the
major event of the fall. In my opinion, it is also the
most stressful. Weeks
before the dance, students are already scrambling to find
groups, dates, and attire.
Waiting until the last minute to plan one’s night often leads to
having no plans at all, so being prompt is a necessity. Sometimes, even those who have planned
ahead are faced with last
minute problems due to over-crowded groups, transportation issues,
etc. Some people are kicked
out of groups, others have to do the kicking out, and overall it’s
definitely not an ideal situation.
So, how should students deal with all of these problems? Here’s
some advice from seniors who
have already been through it all. First, my advice is that preparing for Homecoming should
be more laid-back, that way you do not go
into it with
the highest expectations only to
be let down. For girls, instead
of
getting an up-do, a manicure, a pedicure, an expensive dress, and new
shoes, take a little time to paint
your
nails and curl your hair. Find
cute, less expensive dress or borrow one, and use shoes that you or a
friend already has. This way, the
night does not necessarily need to be perfect in order to compensate for all of the
time and money you put into it, because really you are not spending that much.
Next, “don’t stress because it’s only one night,” said Cosette Bergin. Instead,
Matt Wilda ‘12 suggests to “find something more important to worry about.” I
guarantee that if you do this, Homecoming night and the weeks leading up to it
will be much more enjoyable. It took me three years to learn this, but I’m grateful that I finally did because it made my last Homecoming that much better.
Finally, knowing that this was our last Homecoming was definitely bittersweet. Annie Feifar ‘12 said, “It’s sad that it was our last Homecoming, but we
still get to go all out with prom. Homecoming this year, though, was fun because senior year
we all know so many more people than we knew in previous years.” This rings true for most of us. For the
underclassmen, Annie suggests looking ahead to senior year because “more friends means more fun.” Senior year Homecoming was definitely one to remember, but looking back I am so glad that I experienced all of the Homecoming dances here because
as Anna Waz said, we need to “make the most of this because even though it’s only one dance, you only go through high school once.”
10
The Prep
Wilco Clings to Their Legacy
Mark Matousek
Senior Writer
Over the past decade, Wilco
has become a model of dependability and consistency. After beginning the 21st-century with a
five-year, three-album run (Summerteeth, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot,
and A Ghost Is Born) that could
compete with any from the past
quarter century, Wilco managed
to propel themselves into the upper echelon of the music world.
While it is apparent that they are
now past their prime, they have
managed to stay relevant by subtly shifting their sound while
maintaining their identity. From
the multi-layered, guitar-driven
experimentation of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot to the stripped-down
Americana of Sky Blue Sky,
Wilco has explored a wide variety of sounds without ever overreaching. By now, one generally
knows what to expect from a Wilco album, and their latest effort,
The Whole Love, is no exception.
At this point in their career,
Wilco do not have much new to
say, and they instead focus on
playing within and refining an established sound. As has been the
case with the rest of their postSummerteeth output, The Whole
Love boasts very clean and professional production that gives
all of the band members a chance
to shine. Their sound has an excellent depth to it, as nearly every
instrument can be heard in each
song. This has long been a staple
of their work, allowing their al-
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Arts & Entertainment
bums to improve on repeat listens.
Unfortunately, the stellar production here is not always fully
utilized, as some of the songs
are shallow and one-dimensional. The album bookends nicely
with two standout tracks at the
beginning (“Art of Almost” and
“I Might”) and end (“Whole
Love” and “One Sunday Morning”). The middle tracks, while
pleasant, are not particularly
revelatory. Yet frontman Jeff
Tweedy’s songwriting experi-
Wilco has always shown a surprising ability to maintain momentum in longer songs, which
often become the highlights of
their respective albums (“Impossible Germany” and “Bull Black
Nova” being prominent examples). Yet the strongest cut here is
the irresistibly catchy “I Might.”
Four minutes of straightforward,
indie-pop bliss, it is the type
of song Wilco have mastered
over the course of their career.
Tweedy’s vocals and lyrics, while
Wilco performs their new album The Whole Love,
out since September 27.
Photo Courtesy AP
ence assures that few of them
ever lose focus, compensating for their lack of originality.
The sequencing follows a fairly conventional structure, alternating between upbeat and deliberate. This makes the album feel
more like a collection of songs
than a cohesive whole, though
the songs are, for the most part,
strong enough to prevent this
from becoming a major problem.
Ideally, I would have liked
if they had kept with the somewhat experimental disposition of
the first track, “Art of Almost.”
still competent, are not as strong
as they were in their heyday. The
haunting imagery and emotional
vulnerability found in “Via Chicago” and “I Am Trying to Break
Your Heart” is instead replaced
with half-baked abstractions.
While it is apparent that they
are no longer at the top of their
game, Wilco can still hold their
own in the indie rock world.
The Whole Love may not be
the place to start for those unfamiliar with Wilco, but it is a
worthy addition to their impressive discography nonetheless.
Abduction: An On-the-Move Thriller
Danielle Oddo
Junior Writer
Taylor Lautner puts the Twilight series on hold and stars in
the new movie Abduction, directed by John Singleton. Abduction features teenager Nathan Harper (Lautner) and his
best friend since grade school,
Karen (Lily Collins). Nathan
feels that his life is exactly what
a teenager’s life should be, but
other times he has the feeling
like he is living in someone
else’s shoes. He has repeated
nightmares and raging issues,
which he discusses with his
therapist (Sigourney Weaver).
In his sociology class, the
teacher assigns a project about
society’s missing persons. The
teacher assigns Nathan and
Karen as partners, and they
begin to research missing and
abducted children. Nathan and
Karen go through baby pictures on a website listing all
abducted and missing children,
and the site ages the children to
what they might look like today. While going through many
pictures, they come across one
that looks similar to Nathan.
The two do some sleuthing and
come to the conclusion that the
baby picture is actually Nathan, causing Nathan to question his whole life and who his
parents are. He wonders who
the couple really is who has
raised him, even though he has
grown up calling them “Mom”
and “Dad.” This line of questioning unravels a series of information and events that bring
and Nathan and Karen across
the country searching for answers about Nathan’s past.
Their travels across the
country include frequent car
changes, trains, and swimming in rivers. There are numerous fight scenes that may
cause girls in the audience to
shield their eyes. Nathan’s best
friend Gilly (Denzel Whitaker), who points out interesting
facts pertaining to Nathan’s
childhood photos, rescues
Nathan on several occasions.
The people that are after Nathan are from the United States
and Europe, but Nathan does
not know who to believe and
who is an enemy. They are after something that Nathan has
on his possession but that he
doesn’t know contains important information. Soon Nathan
and Karen learn that they cannot trust anyone but each other.
The movie was filmed at
Hampton High School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They also
filmed Abduction at various
locations around Pittsburgh.
One of the locations includes a
scene at the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Heinz Field. One
of my favorite scenes from the
movie was during the exciting
train scene in which Nathan
and Karen board a train trying
to escape from men that are
after them. Afterwards Nathan
and Karen express their true
feelings for each other. The
scene also contains a thrilling
fight between Nathan and one
of the men that is after him.
Abduction is an action and
mystery movie with many fight
scenes that will leave viewers on the edge of their seats.
“People Don’t Change” - House Season 8 Premiere
Danny Leemputte
Senior Writer
With season 8 having just premiered on October 3, House fans
are glad to have one of televisions
most interesting characters back.
At the end of season 7, House
happened to be on one of his
more self-destructive routes and
crashed his car into Dr. Cuddy’s
living room after a rough breakup. The new season begins over
a year later, and we soon learn
that House fled the country for
a few months before finally getting rounded up by the police and
sent to prison for his outburst.
And that’s where the first episode of the season picks up, with
House in the midst of daily prison
routine. I was surprised by how
much I didn’t miss the other roles,
because introducing the season
with House alone shows just how
much the character himself brings
to the screen. The most entertaining aspect of this all was witness-
ing how he ends up dealing with
the threatening prison environment; the only way for a gimp with
a cane to survive in such a brutal
setting is with wit and cleverness.
But even with a possible parole
near approaching, House can’t
help but get himself involved
with a medical case from behind
bars. With the help of an inmate
doctor, Dr. Jessica Adams (Odette
Annable), he of course ends up
risking his chance at freedom for
the sake of solving a puzzle and
takes his diagnostics too far. It
doesn’t seem as if his time in prison has altered him in the slightest.
The next episode finds his old
team member Dr. Foreman as
Cuddy’s replacement as the Dean
of Medicine, who bails him out
in an emergency case to figure
out what’s wrong with a pair of
lungs in a box needing treatment
before they can be transplanted
into one of Dr. Wilson’s patients.
House returns to his old life in the
middle of the night to come back
to an empty hospital devoid of
his old office and of his old team.
Wilson claims they’re not friends
anymore, and Foreman treats him
with cold authority. Once again,
House must resort to his wits and
his indifferent cynicism to defend himself from old colleagues
Annable’s Adams will likely be
the new regular on the show. Unfortunately reports indicate that
Olivia Wilde’s “Thirteen” will
not return permanently to finish off the team. Team members
have moved around often over
the years since the show’s beginnings in 2004, but
House himself has
provided enough
stability over that
time to keep the
series consistently
successful
and
entertaining, and
that has always
made the addiHouse manages to work a case from behind bars tion of new faces
with Dr. Jessica Adams.
easier to adapt to.
Photo Courtesy AP
House feels like it’s coming
making a harder effort to move
on and stand up for themselves. to a conclusion, especially since
House’s empty team space actor Hugh Laurie mentioned in a
has now allowed new doctors to recent interview that he’s unsure
come and fill the void. Dr. Chi about the existence of a season
Park (Charlyne Yi) was the first to 9. And the series has felt like this
step in during the second episode before, because every time House
as a timid neurology resident, and almost reaches some personal
change or conversion, he ends
up reverting back to his old self.
Laurie deserves a great deal of
credit for expressing House’s enduring personality while showing
at certain points throughout the
series his struggle to fight himself and force a change. It surely
can’t be easy to balance the character’s frustrating, bitter side with
his witty, clever half that conceals
any possible hidden positivity.
I think House’s failure to
transform himself reveals that the
show creators have tested before
whether or not the character could
“conclude” in any sort of way,
but he can’t, and he shouldn’t. It
would be a shame to see the show
creators resort to any dramatic
conversion to finish off the character of House; that would only
undermine everything unique
about him that has been established over the past seven seasons.
Prison can change men. Fortunately, it didn’t change House.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
The Prep 11
Editorials
Boys Vs. Girls - Trouble in the Library
Paige Affinito
Senior Writer
Let’s face it, if Loyola were
a circus…the Library would
be the tightrope 50 feet above
the ground, and we, as Loyola
students, would all be 500 pound
humans expected to walk across
that tightrope without falling.
Only the nimblest of us can make
it through a full 43 minute period
without being sent to a cubicle
or out those glass double doors.
At first glance, it appears as
if the boys are the bigger trouble
makers of the library. I sit in
the reference section 7th period
and crazy stuff goes down back
there. Yesterday, I looked over
to the rows of computers only to
see an enlarged video of a man
voraciously eating oatmeal. All
last year, I’d look in the same
direction, and at least three
computers would have enlarged
pictures of our peers faces set to
the desktop image. I knew one of
my friends had fourth free, but I
saw his face in the library every
single period! Every period of the
day you can count on a guy falling
from his chair “accidentally.”
Some young man is ALWAYS
going to make a noise that’s
not
distinguishably
human.
One time, my friend, whose
name I can’t reveal (we’ll just
call him Ramburto), took a CD
I needed for class and convinced
me he put it into a computer.
Now, I know that those disk
receivers in the Library don’t
even eject, but I spent at least
20 minutes trying to open the
dang machine! I called over Ms.
Bedo and Mrs. Siegelman to help
me get the disk out, but we just
couldn’t do it! Just as Ms. Bedo
was about to get a screwdriver
from the library office, Ramburto
placed the CD on my table.
It was never in the computer
at all. Thanks, Ramburto.
So, yup! At first glance, it
appears as if the boys are the
bigger trouble makers of the
library. However, we girls are
sly and have more creative
tactics of generating mischief
in our Ramblerville haven.
The boys can be obnoxious
with their weirdo noises and
oatmeal videos, but we’re sly.
As I ponder the feminine
escapades of the library, one
particular girl’s story comes to
mind. My friend, Rambella (once
again, pseudonym) convinced a
librarian last year that she could
not be silent in the library due to a
loss of hearing in her left ear. She
could not hear her own voice at
the volume of a whisper and in
addition, all of the people sitting
at the table had to talk louder so
she could hear the conversation
properly. Rambella, who has
perfect hearing, had slyly eased
her way out of the silent library
standards. Due to this false
testimony of defective audible
range, she avoided the notorious
“DONE-ZO!” and “final
warnings” for a solid semester or
so. Eventually, Rambella’s cover
was blown, but for all it was worth,
the idea was pretty ingenious.
I don’t know if any of the
upperclassmen remember but
there was a period of time when
random carrots would be thrown
about the perimeter of our library.
I’m being serious, freshman!
Carrots, ranging from the baby
variety to regular-sized, would
literally be flying through
the air! But for a while, no
one knew who the culprit
behind this madness was!
On one particular day, the
library was a warzone of
carrots. One hit me right
on the head and all of the
sudden I heard “It was Paige,
It was Paige!” I was so
confused! I didn’t throw the
carrot; I was merely a victim
of the vitamin A missiles! Mrs.
Siegelman walked over to the
table I was sitting at—enraged. It
took a while for me to convince
her that I had never thrown the
vegetable. Later I found out that
Carrot Thrower was none other
than Loyola Academy recent
graduate, Rambella 2. I’d say
that those carrots caused more
trouble than any other prank or
disruption in the library to date.
You know those signs hanging up
in the library that say something
like “throwing objects will result
in expulsion” (well, maybe that’s
an exaggeration...I’ll have to
check again) But that’s beside
the point. THOSE SIGNS
WEREN’T THERE BEFORE
RAMBELLA 2! It was our
gender’s trouble-making that
brought those signs about.
Time to Take Out the Trash
Nandita Gupta
Freshman Writer
How many of you have seen
the movie Wall-E? In the film,
Earth has become uninhabitable
due to humanity’s extreme
waste production. Can you
imagine it? Imagine if the city
of Chicago, from the ground to
the tip of the Willis Tower, was
covered in trash. What if Lake
Michigan was all dried up and
used as a dump? It’s not a very
pretty picture, is it? Though I
believe we have a good amount
of time before we end up in such
a horrifying situation, it is a fact
that Earth’s resources are limited
while human waste is not. So
just how bad is the problem you
might ask? Well, in the United
States alone the average person
produces about four pounds of
garbage each day. That’s two
hundred thirty million tons of
trash each year. Unfortunately,
only about a quarter of all
that garbage is ever recycled.
It’s really a shame that we’ve
reached the age of iPads and
nanotechnology, but we can’t
even clean up after ourselves.
Sure, there is a rising
awareness from coast to coast
that our nation has a dark cloud
of environmental doom looming
over the horizon, but it’s one
thing to “talk the talk,” and
another to “walk the walk.” We
should be taking greater steps to
reduce our stinking, rotten mark
on the world. Companies have
jumped on the “going green”
bandwagon with enthusiasm, but
simply making biodegradable,
fuel-efficient, and non-toxic
products is not enough. There
are those that go out and egg
on the eco-friendly market with
good intentions. While some of
the things they buy (reusable
water bottles, lunch boxes, etc.)
do help reduce waste, it’s not
solving the true problem. In my
opinion, one of the best ways to
fade your footprint is just buy
less and work what you have to
the bone. Yes, please invest in
reusable items, but don’t keep
purchasing one after the other.
Here’s why: the more you buy,
the more companies produce.
It’s the simple concept of
supply and demand. What goes
on in those factories to make
your “green” product can be
hazardous, and there’s also that
scenario where you get tired of
a product (or damage it), toss
it out, and get a new one. You
should hit the pause button
before you deposit that water
bottle or plastic container in the
trash. Can you still get some use
out of it? Maybe not the way it
was intentioned to be used, but
maybe to help you organize that
junk drawer or knick-knacks.
What I’m getting at? We,
as totally awesome Ramblers,
should help set the world on
fire (not literally) this year, by
caring for God’s gift of nature.
Yes, we’re young, and people
may think that we don’t have a
clue about what’s going on, but
that doesn’t mean we can make
excuses when it comes to saving
Earth. Buy less (and toss out an
even smaller amount), recycle,
and just overall have a general
awareness of every move you
make near a garbage can. We all
have a part, and it’s about time
we got on the stage and played it.
Conor Walsh
Junior Writer
The question is who is the bigger troublemaker in the library
and honestly, I shouldn’t have to
argue this point. If you want to
make trouble in the library, you
make noise. So really the question
is who is louder? It’s clearly boys.
I wish I could just leave it at that
and be done with it, but unfortunately I have a word minimum
for this article, and I now have to
back up my claims with evidence.
So here we go, my first point
and main argument is that the
average boy is just naturally
louder than the average girl. I
know there are exceptions to this
rule, but in general it applies.
Girls’ voices tend to be softer
and higher pitched, while males’
are deeper with more resonance.
Like I said there are exceptions,
but more often than not in the library, the boy’s voice is louder.
Secondly, ask a librarian.
When I asked a librarian who
was the loudest and caused the
most mischief in the library,
they answered, “Boys!” without hesitation. And who is more
qualified to judge than someone who spends her day in the
library? I don’t know what it is
but once again boys seem to be
the louder of the two genders.
Boys also like to participate
in a lot of different shenanigans
in the library, which raises their
noise level considerably. Everyone has watched as a boy prepares to do something ridiculous
in the library, trying to cause as
much trouble as possible. And
where are the girls during this
event? They are sitting at their
table giggling. You know it’s true;
girls hardly ever participate. They
are just such model students, I
guess. The only noise they make
is when they whisper to each other at their tables and every once in
a while some laughter seeps out.
The reason for this is probably
pretty basic. The boys want to impress the girls, so they do stupid
stuff, which they think will make
them look cool, but really only
makes them look stupid. It’s just
a primal instinct but placed in a
setting that calls for silence and
obedience. These two things do
not mix very well, and the subsequent result is the obnoxious
levels of noise that boys create.
Boys being louder in the library than girls probably also directly correlates with the favoritism teachers show towards girls in
the classroom. I mean if you were
a teacher would you prefer the
loud obnoxious adolescent boy,
or the nice, quiet girl as a student?
See how all these things connect?
It just seems like guys can’t catch
a break these days. Everyone is
coming down on us from all sides,
just because we like a good laugh
every once in a while. High levels of volume should not be punished. The injustice can stand no
longer. It’s obvious that boys are
louder than girls in the library, but
should they be punished for it? Is
it really such a crime to laugh?
Cell-tasrophe
Elizabeth Murphy
Freshman Writer
We all know the risk of
texting while driving or even
multi-tasking
in
general. If not
both, at least one
of the tasks usually
fails when doing
two
things
at
once. Texting and
talking on a cell
phone distract the
human brain from
concentrating on
the road. According
to the University
of Utah, using a
cell phone while
driving delays a
driver’s
reflexes
just
as
much
as having a blood alcohol
concentration of .08%. This
is why so many accidents are
reported every year due to cell
phone disturbances. Not only
do cell phones distract us while
driving, but they also pull us
away from studying, sleeping,
or even spending quality
time with family and friends.
Although it might sound as if
cell phones are egregious, cell
phones have become extremely
convenient, especially in
cases of emergency or danger.
They provide contact to those
who are distant and easy
connection for those with
health complications. Decades
ago, the cell phone was built
with great intentions. Today,
its benefits are even greater
and more useful. However,
driving associated with cell
phones lead to injury and even
death. It’s important to realize
when it’s appropriate to be
on and off our cell phones.
12
The Prep
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
FUN AND GAMES
What are you being for Halloween
this year?
What’s your favorite treat to
receive at trick or
treat?
What’s the scariest movie you’ve
ever seen?
Who do you like
to trick or treat
with?
What is your favorite part about
Halloween?
A ghostbuster
Skittles - I like tasting
rainbows.
Children of the Corn
My Chinese class most def Hannah and
Andre
Walking through
graveyards and hunting ghosts
White trash
Anything but a toothbrush
All the videos made by
Christian Jansen
My bros
Free stuff
I don’t know yet
100 Grand bars
Halloween
My friends
Candy
White trash
Skittles!
When a Stranger Calls
Ms. Casey
Egging
A formal apology
Almond Joy
Carrie
My little poodle
Decorating
Clare Sargent ‘15
Michael Neumeyer ‘14
Katherine Dolan ‘13
Debbie Mokeleba’12
Mrs. Parisoli
Sudoku
Challenge
Think you are a sudoku
master? Be the first to
solve The Prep’s sudoku puzzle, and you’ll
win a prize. Bring your
correctly completed
sudoku to Ms. Klein
and you’ll win some
delicious caf bucks.
Good luck Ramblers!
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
The Prep
la SPorts
13
Getting to Know the Leader of Rambler Athletics
Michal Dwojak
Junior Writer
Athletics is something
people love to do and is
interesting, which is probably why you are reading this article right now.
So it’s not a surprise that
athletics are important at
Loyola. There is one person who has the job of
running all athletic related subjects, and that man
is Mr. Patrick Mahoney.
Mr. Mahoney got his
start in Rambler athletics
when Mr. O'Loughlin, a
very good friend of his,
became the head basketball coach. Mr. Mahoney
was brought in to be the
sophomore
basketball
and baseball coach. He
continued his coaching
for many years; he also
helped run the shadow
program during those
years. He continued
coaching for many years,
and then after the passing
of the previous athletic
director, Mr. Hoerster,
he became the new AD.
As athletic director,
Mr. Mahoney has many
goals for all athletes. He
wants all athletes to have
a positive experience. Of
course as any Athletic Director would say, he also
wants to win a lot of games.
But what he really wants out
of all athletes is that they all
become positive leaders and
work hard at what they do.
He knows that balancing
the life of an athlete and a
student is a very challenging task. Students are faced
with great adversity on and
off the field. They are forced
to manage their time and
learn how to be organized.
This is why he knows that
if athletes are able to balance all of these tasks, they
will be able to deal with all
the challenges that life will
throw at them. As he said,
“adversity makes the man.”
People Mr. Mahoney expect will help the athletes
face these difficult tasks
are their coaches. When
he looks for a good candidate for a coach, he looks
for someone who is able to
form strong relationships
with the athletes, is organized, a good teacher, and
technically sound at the
sport that they are coaching. Another aspect that he
looks for is that they are
able to be a teacher in the
classroom. This is a great
quality because if they are
able to be a teacher in the
classroom, they will be able
to teach the athletes the best
way to win and teach them
how to work their hardest.
This is also why so many
alumni are coaches here at
Loyola. He likes having
all of these former athletes
who have gone through
the grind and are able to
help their student athletes.
Mr. Mahoney is also
proud of the reputation that
Loyola athletics has grown
to have. When other schools
play Loyola, they are always complementary of
how great and hard working
the students are. This is why
he wants Loyola to have the
reputation of disciplined,
hard working, good kids. He
wants all the other schools to
look at Loyola and to see its
sports programs as a model
for all other schools. He
wants other schools to wonder how Loyola upholds its
high standards and wonder
how they could do the same.
I’m sure that many of the
seniors, juniors, and also
maybe sophomores are familiar with all the facility
additions and modifications
made to the sports facilities,
such as the stadium/field
improvement, tennis court
soon begin for the project.
One great quality he
hopes all Ramblers have is
school spirit. Yes, it would
be nice if a lot of students
went to all of the games and
cheered on the
various sports
teams.
However, when he
talks
about
school spirit,
he means students
who
get involved,
with different
groups, clubs,
and
activities. This is the
kind of school
spirit he hopes
Mr. Mahoney revs up the crowd.
Photo courtesy The Year
we all have. He
improvement, and also the wants to continue the great
Munz Campus. There are tradition of Loyola athletnot many changes in the ics that his predecessors
plan for other projects, but have helped create and he
I doubt many Ramblers hopes he is able to add on to
would complain about that. the great tradition. He also
The only project that is in hopes to help future Ramthe future is the need for a blers continue the winning
new pool. The area needs to tradition for years to come.
become bigger, with a bet- A final message from Mr.
ter pool, bigger stands for Mahoney: “Ramblers, bleed
fans, and other additions maroon and gold, be posito the pool since the swim- tive, and remember, IT’S
ming program has risen ALWAYS A GREAT DAY
so highly. Funding will TO BE A RAMBLER!!”
College Football Off and Running
Kevin Knoll
Junior Writer
Good luck
varsity
volleyball
in state
competition!
It is about mid-way
through the college football
season, and there are once
again several story lines.
As of Week 8, there are still
ten undefeated teams in the
AP 25, with the clear #1 being LSU. LSU has a solid
resume with victories over
elite teams, such as Florida,
Oregon, and West Virginia.
The #2 ranked team is Alabama, and they have also
been impressive with wins
over Florida, Arkansas, and
Penn State. Something will
have to give as these two
teams will face off on Saturday, November 5. Oklahoma is #3 and they have
a high-powered offense
led by quarterback Landry
Jones. On Saturday, October 8, they put a hurting on
rival Texas, beating them
55-17 at the Cotton Bowl.
Wisconsin is #4 and they
are led by quarterback and
Heisman candidate Russell
Wilson. The Badgers gave
Nebraska a rude welcome
to the Big 10 with 48-17
drubbing on October 1. Kellen Moore is leading the #5
Boise State Broncos to presumably another undefeated
season and BCS bowl game.
At #6, Oklahoma State is
another offense with many
weapons as they average 46
points a game. Stanford is
currently #7 and is at times
forgotten about because
because of the way college
football is run, only two of
these superb teams will have
a chance at the title game.
Locally, Illinois and
Notre Dame are off to pretty
solid starts of their own. Illinois is 6-1 and won their
first six games for the first
time since 1951. The #23
Fighting Illini have quality
victories over Arizona State
and Northwestern, with the
latter being a
wild
comeback due to the
performances
of
quarterback Nathan
Scheelhaase
and wide receiver
A.J.
Jenkins. Their
only loss of
their season
they play late games on came against Ohio State
the West coast, but they are October 15. The Fightthe real deal led by future ing Illini still have cruNFL quarterback and Heis- cial Big 10 conference
man hopeful Andrew Luck. games coming up against
These seven teams are the Michigan and Wisconsin.
serious contenders for the
As for Notre Dame, it
BCS National Champion- has been an up and down
ship Game right now but year for the Irish. They
started the year off with a
disappointing home loss
to USF and followed that
with a crushing loss to rival
Michigan in the last seconds
of the game. But, they have
turned the season around
of late, winning their last
four games against tough
opponents like Michigan
State and Pittsburgh. Notre
Dame has a big game coming up against rival USC
and another tough game at
Stanford in late November.
Unfortunately,
Northwestern is off to rough start
with a 2-5 record. They
started the year out with
wins over Boston College and Eastern Illinois.
Yet they have lost their
last four games against
Army, Illinois, Michigan,
and Iowa, and they squandered leads in all of those
games. Northwestern could
bounce back with conference wins over Penn State
and Nebraska. Three former
Ramblers, Brian Mulroe,
Pat Hickey, and Chance
Carter, all are playing for
the Wildcats this year.
14 The Prep
‘Ya Gotta Regatta: LA’s
Race in Rockford, Illinois
Egan Berne
Junior Writer
On October 9, 2011, the
Loyola Academy rowing team
traveled to Rockford, Illinois,
for a gorgeous day of racing.
The weather couldn’t have
been better to row in, with not
a cloud in the sky and temperatures in the high 70’s to low
80’s. Even when the Varsity
men’s teams set off towards
the start early in the morning,
the air was warm and
still. The men’s team
sent out three boats for
their race and placed
well in their event. The
A boat finished fourth,
just a few seconds
off of our favorite rival, New Trier. The B
boat finished eighth,
beating New Trier’s B
team by half a minute,
and the C boat finished fourteenth demolishing several
of the Ignatius boats in their
wake. “Racing against teams
like New Trier let’s you know
how well you’re doing because they have such a strong
program,” said varsity men’s
coach Rob DeCleene. “We
can always do better, but I feel
like we are on the right track.”
Next, the varsity women’s
four-man boat set out towards
the top of the course. After
some delay, the girls came
tearing down the course fin-
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
LA SPORTS
ishing just behind New Trier.
After the race, junior coxswain
Mary Clare O’Malley said,
“Holding off New Trier’s best
four girls was a feeling I’ll
never forget.” Loyola sent out
yet another boat, the women’s
novice eight. The girls placed
second in their race, right behind a Lincoln Park boat that
scored a thirteen-minute piece.
That score was clearly wrong,
as male Olympian rowers
struggle to achieve that time,
seven out of ten. The set wasn’t
quite there, but we were all
definitely pushing hard,” said
team captain Annie Feifar. The
women’s head Coach Mathew
Baldino, Loyola Academy ’93,
was equally as pleased. “I told
the girls that this race was no
Super Bowl, but I wanted it
to feel good and look good.
That’s exactly what they did.”
After the women finished
racing for the day, the men’s
boats were at it again. Loyola
Loyola crew team pulls to the finish.
Photo Courtesy The Year
so how could fifteen year-oldgirls, who haven’t even rowed
for a year, race faster than
them? After review, the novice girls had actually finished
in first in their race. “The boat
felt great throughout the whole
race, and after we started passing boats, I knew we would like
the results,” said Haley Hartzel, one of the sophomores in
the novice boat. Then the varsity women’s boat set out and
finished fourth in their race,
right on the heels of New Trier. “I think I’d give the race a
sent out three four-man boats
all of which rowed well; the
teams placed seventh, eighth,
and thirteenth out of twentynine other boats. Finally, to
end the day, the entire Loyola
Academy rowing community
gathered at the tent, enjoyed
amazing food, and cheered
on the novice boys’ boat. The
two young boats finished well,
placing seventh and thirteenth
in their races. The finish was
a great way to end a great
day of racing; it was truly a
“great day to be a Rambler.”
Swim Team is Kicking
it to the Next Level
port, nothing could slow them
down. Loyola easily defeated
Regina. Multiple swimmers even
had personal records at the meet.
The sound of kickboards
Furthermore, this year’s seloudly slapping against each oth- niors love swimming so much
er echoes throughout the pool. that many plan to swim in colThe energy created by fans, par- lege. Captain Michelle Garland
ents, and swimmers is palpable ‘12 has signed with Michifor miles. On October 13, 2011, gan State. Although unsure of
the Loyola community came to- where, Captain Mallory Remick
gether to celebrate this year’s ’12 intends to swim in college.
senior girl
Others are conswimmers.
sidering
their
From the
future in swimposters that
ming as well.
lined the
Not
only
walls to the
have this year’s
humorous
seniors shared
skit, it was
their
passion
clear that
with their teamspring into the pool.
the seniors LA swimmers
mates, they have
Photo Courtesy The Year
had come a
also encouraged
long way since freshman year. each other to set goals. As the
Once quiet freshmen, the Lady season winds down, the team
Ramblers have improved and hopes to finish the season strong.
grown into today’s leaders. As They are excited for all the fileaders, the seniors have en- nal meets including JV Concouraged the team to set goals ference and Catholic League.
and have fostered a friendly The ultimate goal is to win and
and supportive environment. swim fast. Swimmers have set
“Team chemistry is great. We individual goals in order to beat
are like a family. Everyone is their personal best. At state, varalways there for each other. sity aspires to place in the top
Whether it is a fellow swimmer three overall, especially aspire
or coach, you can always count to place high in all their relays.
on someone to listen,” Captain
Ultimately, Loyola’s girls
Mallory Remick ‘12 describes. swimming and diving team is a
The main focus of the night very close knit team. Focused on
was swimming for the seniors excellence in the pool and friendand thanking them for the four ship forever, the Lady Ramblers
years. All the swimmers put their work hard and play hard day
best effort into the meet. The after day. Hopefully, that hard
Lady Ramblers were competing work will pay off as they head
against Regina. With the Lady into the post season. Come
Rambler’s energy and fan sup- out and support the Ramblers!
Ariel Reid
Sports Editor
Sailing: It Really is a Sport
Colleen Kollar
Senior Writer
In the sixth week of racing,
the sailing season is in full force.
With over 25 schools to race from
Minnesota, Indiana, Wisconsin,
Michigan, and Illinois, the competition is fierce. To prepare for
regattas, or sailing competitions,
practice is an absolute necessity
for understanding tactics, perfecting boat handling, and getting experience in different conditions.
The team sails 420s and Lasers
out of Sheridan Shore Yacht
Club at Gilson Park with Coach
Zachary Hernandez. Varsity and
Junior Varsity sailors meet for
practice up to four times a week,
have Friday off (unless they are
traveling to an out-of state regatta), and race every Saturday
and Sunday. When asked how
she can handle the time consuming sport, senior skipper Melinda
Lee responded simply, “Sail Fast,
live slow.” Twice a week, the “no
experience necessary” Club Team
practices. The Club days have a
fun, laid back atmosphere where
learning to sail is made easy
with the help of the Varsity and
JV sailors. The Race Team sail-
ors often come to these practices secret, “Start in first, and extend
to help teach the Club sailors, the lead.”At the end of day two,
build up the team, and get a bit Loyola successfully climbed to
of extra practice in for regattas. fifth place overall. Senior Conner
This past weekend, five of Croft, crewing for senior skipper
the Varsity sailors traveled to the Melinda Lee, reflected on his time
Coast Guard Academy in New on the water, “The breeze was big
London,
Connecticut, for a
“by invitation only”
race weekend. The
most elite
teams were
invited to
participate
in a regatta
with the
Loyola Sailing heads for open waters.
top sailors in
Photo Courtesy
the country
ranging from Bermuda to Chica- today and it was a challenge, but
go to Annapolis. The location was the time we put into practice paid
breathtaking, the competition was out in full with how well our team
intense, and the experience was worked together.” Every race is
priceless. With winds up to 30 a physical and mental test with
knots and 22 boats, it was com- constantly changing conditions, a
parable to a national competition. necessity for communication and
After the first day of racing and synchronization with your partpicking up a solid seventh place, ner, and careful observation of the
the team rested up to prepare for race course. But after practicing
day two, when they hoped to as much as they do, Varsity sailmove up a few places. Freshman ors compare the sport to riding a
driver RJ Porter shared his sailing bike, “Once you get into the boat,
your body knows exactly what
to do,” says senior James Kohn.
The sport is unique because
weather is a major factor. The
water can be flat as glass or with
waves up to five feet. The wind
can be less than 1 knot or over
30. It can be pouring rain, hailing, or snowing. It can be 90
degrees or below freezing. No
matter the conditions, sailors
will still race, and they need to
be prepared for anything Mother
Nature throws at them. In the
words of senior Colleen Croft,
“You can’t change the wind,
but you can adjust your sails.”
The Loyola Team has
obviously been adjusting to the
right point of sail with a lead in
the Midwest Interscholastic Sailing Association and a title of the
Largest Sailing Team in the nation. Coach Zac proudly says,
“We’re the biggest team in the
country for a reason. The team
has been practicing hard and the
results prove it.” Wining the first
regatta of the season, the team
set the bar high for themselves
and has been consistent with top
finishes throughout the fall. With
three races to go, keep an eye out
for a few more trophies from the
Loyola Academy Sailing Team.
CONGRATS
ALL FALL
SPORTS ON
EXCITING
SEASONS!
BOYS CROSS
COUNTRY
GIRLS CROSS
COUNTRY
BOYS GOLF
GIRLS GOLF
GIRLS TENNIS
FIELD
HOCKEY
SOCCER
VOLLEYBALL
SWIMMING
AND DIVING
CHEERLEADING
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Girls Golf Competes at State
For the Fifth Year in a Row
rounds and the responsibilities and duties that go along
with being a team captain, I
have such a sense of accomThe Loyola Academy plishment. We’ve made it to
Girls’ Golf team made it back state every single year that
to State for the fifth year in a I’ve been a part of this team.”
row, making Academy hisIn past years, Loyola has
tory in the process. The girls defined and achieved success
settled for fifth in the state based on the strength of indicompetition at a windy week- vidual performances, through
end at Hickory Point Golf the prowess of a Nora Lucas or
Course in Decatur, Illinois, Chelsea Michalek. Although
in mid-October. On the way, Isabelle Kane, who finished
the girls’ team set a school fifteenth in state overall indirecord by shooting a 308 in vidually, fills that role, talent is
sectional play, the lowest a balanced favorably across all
Loyola girls’ golf squad has six girls of the state team. The
ever shot in state competition. seniors were able to effectively
From the beginning of the share their knowledge with the
year, the team expected to underclassmen on the team to
compete in the state finals, due foster future success as a team.
to the fact that the Ramblers
Senior Nina Puch sheds
returned
s o m e
four
of
light on
their six
the team’s
players
group dyfrom last
namics.
year ’s
“These
state title
past four
run. Three
y e a r s
anchor
have been
seniors,
a roller
Caroline
coaster of
N e w scores,”
ell, Nina
reflects
P u c h ,
Nina, “but
and Tedwhatever
di WeiI shot that
gel,
all
particufour-year
lar day,
varsity
my teammembers,
m a t e s
returned
w e r e
to
aid
always
sophothere for
m o r e
me. I love
standout
the girls
I s a b e l l e Senior Teddi Weigel executes her shot. of
the
K a n e
Photo Courtesy Teddi Weigel
golf team,
in
their
and they
quest for the state title. Tay- have
helped
me
to
lor Gentzkow ’14 and Katie love golf even more.”
Boesen ’14 rounded out the
Isabelle Kane describes the
state team. Erin Buscemi, benefits of a more platonic
Carly Callans, Katherine Cha, team as a chance for the team
Martha Hick, Sarah Hynes, to develop group cohesion.
Katelyn Kluckman, Ashley “When one player would have
Lodarek, Brittany Lodarek, an off day, whether in a tournaand Meghan Pappano round ment or at practice, someone
out the rest of the squad, al- would always fill in with her
though they were not able performance. We were always
to make the trip downstate. right there to pick each other
The very first tournament of up, through a lot of encourthe year, the Rockford Invite, aging smiles and high-fives.”
served as a litmus test to mea- Clearly, that was strength
sure the duration of the season. of this year’s team. The ab“We knew at the beginning of sence of ego enabled the team
the year that those three teams to develop its potential, as
at the invite [New Trier, Pros- demonstrated in its scintilpect, and Highland Park] were lating sectional performance.
the ones that we needed to
Head Coach James Jackbeat,” explains Caroline New- imiec’s attitude was essenell. “The basis of our season: tial to the development of the
we wanted to do it again.” team’s swag, according to IsaThe
state
tournament belle. “Coach definitely was
served as a rematch of these influential. He supported evsame teams. Despite tough erything we did,” asserts Isacourse conditions, the girls belle. “Whether we had a bad
managed to “sit pretty” (in or good round, he helped us
the words of Caroline Newell) move on mentally by focusing
in third place going into the on the next goal and on whosecond and final round of the ever we were playing next.”
tournament.
Unfortunately,
Caroline Newell sums
the girls were not able to fol- up the season: “Ultimately,
low up their performance the whichever team plays better
next day, and finished in fifth. that day wins. All the teams
Teddi Weigel sees no rea- that reach the state tournason to mope around. “Making ment are fantastic, and whoit to state for the fifth year in ever happens to play better
a row is an amazing accom- on the day of the match is
plishment, aside from our sour going to take home the hardperformance. Yes, we would ware at the end of the day.”
have liked to do better—but,
The Ramblers can feel good
looking back at all the hard about next year with the proswork through school practice pect of Isabelle Kane ready
Thomas J. Gordon
Editor-in-chief
The Prep 15
LA SPORTS
Boy’s Golf Team Takes Third at State
to pace the rest of the team.
O’Neil’s standout performance
of a 34, two under par, on the
back nine of the second day
With difficult conditions
helped the team post a 312
plaguing the boys’ golf team
to edge out Hinsdale Central
at the state finals the weekend
and take third place with a
of October 14, our Ramblers
total score of 626. Coach
stepped up their
Kane said “Many teams were
game and came
folding under pressure and the
from behind to
conditions on the course, but
capture third place
we held in there and played
this year. No one
well.” O’Neil’s impressive
outside of Loyola
debut at the state finals earned
really expected the
him the ranking of ninth best
team to finish in the
golfer at the state finals. When
top three. It was a
asked about the experience,
surprise to many
O’Neil said “Everyone came
except the Ramblers.
together as a team. It was a
Junior Colin O’Neil,
fun experience because we
who led the team
were all together for three
with this round
two score of 155,
nights, which was a great
said, “We’re really
team bonding experience.”
happy with a third
Lake Forest won the
place finish since
tournament with a two
no one expected us
day total of 612 and Lyons
to place that high.”
placing second with a 621.
The conditions
The Rambles now know what
were not ideal for a
they need to strive for in order
round of golf. The
winds were gusting Jack Haberkorn drives the ball at state. to continue to be successful
at the state championships.
up to 40 mph, causing
O’Neil summed up the
shots to be blown off course. after the first day. Their score
tournament
by saying, “We take
The Ramblers, however, took of 314 was good enough to put
this
as
a
stepping
stone for next
this in stride and competed them in the hunt, but not enough
year.
We
want
to
build upon
at the highest level. Adding to put them in the top three.
our
success
of
this
year.” The
to the strong winds was the
On the second day of
condition of the greens. The competition, teammates Loyola community is certainly
course greens were very firm senior Jack Haberkorn, proud of the boys’ golf team
and fast, so putting became junior Creighton Helms, and looks forward to another
quite a challenge for the squad. and Colin O’Neil stepped up exciting season next year.
John Danielak
Senior Writer
Despite some great scores
posted by three newcomers to
the state finals, the Ramblers
trailed after the first day. Rookie
state competitors senior Tom
Kennedy, sophomore Michael
Abrahamson,
and
Colin
O’Neil shot a 77, 77, and 79
respectively to lead the team
Volleyball Prepares for State Playoffs
Morris, the key to their success
has been their middle attack
and strong setting. As they
prepare for the GCAC this Friday and State Playoffs on October 25, Coach Morris plans
to work on passing. While
they have three talented defensive specialists on the squad,
ing some tough competition
in their post season. Mother
Mickey Morello
McAuley, a favorite to win
Senior Writer
the GCAC, is their third and
The girls Varsity volleyball
final opponent Friday. While
team finished their regular seaMcAuley has lost their starting
son this week with a final relibero, a back row defensive
cord of 18-12. Seniors Hayley
specialist, to a torn ACL, the
Johnson, Shannon Sullivan,
Ramblers aren’t about to let
Kailey Carini,
up their swings.
Kaitlin Mohr,
After a loss to
Michelle DisilMcAuley
in
vestro, Emma
September, the
Walsh,
and
girls are preEsme Condon
pared to jump
said goodbye to
higher and hit
their home court
harder to settle
on Tuesday, Octhe score. Detober 11. While
pending
on
their opponent
their
perforA Loyola volleyball players dives for the ball.
Resurrection
mance Friday,
Photo Courtesy of The Year
may have had
the girls may
the upper hand that day, the the girls have not been passing be playing Saturday at 2:00
girls will get a chance to even the on the money as they do in P.M at St. Laurence or Peace
the score Friday, October 21, at practice during games. “Our for either first or third place.
the GCAC tournament. Along pass rating right now on a
The State tournament bewith Resurrection, the Ram- scale of zero to three is around gins October 25 against Linblers will take on Regina and 1.8. We want that number to coln Park at Niles West and,
Mother McAuley on Friday. be more around 2.5,” said if they win, the Ramblers
I had a chance to speak with Coach Morris. Serving has will go on to play either Von
head coach Jennifer Morris to also given the ladies trouble, Steuben or Niles West in the
look back at a successful regu- accounting for 178 points for Regional Championship.
lar season and discuss how she the opposition throughout the Captain Esme Condon hopes
plans to prepare for the tough season. “There is no strategy that her teams’ close friendroad ahead. 112 aces, 686 kills, for stopping errors,” Coach ship and chemistry will help
and 1085 digs later, this year’s Morris answered when I asked the squad succeed in playvarsity team has spiked their her how she was going to lead offs to immortalize the team
way to a sixth seed playoff her team to post season glory. with a bold maroon 2011
position. According to Coach
The team will be fac- on the volleyball banner.
16
The Prep
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
JOIN US!
Do you want to write
the latest news for
The Prep?
Then join our staff now!
Talk to Ms. Klein in
the English office or
email her at kklein@loy.org
CONGRATULATIONS
TO...
Girls Varsity Tennis
The team placed second at sections!
Devon Hubbard placed first in singles, Meredith Abrahamson and
Hannah Post placed first in doubles, and Jennie Gault and Nora
Huges placed second in doubles.
All five ladies qualified to compete
at the state finals. Congratulations!
Boys Varsity Cross Country
The team won the CCL championship. Good luck in state competition!
Girls Varsity Cross Country
The team won the GCAC championshop. Good luck in state competition!
Boys Varsity Golf
The team placed third at the state
finals.
Colin O’Neil was ninth overall.
Girls Varsity Golf
The team placed fifth in state.
LA Football Defends Its
Undefeated Season
Malcom Hirsch
Senior Writer
Since the beginning of the
season, the Loyola Academy
Ramblers have risen to number
two in the IHSA state football
rankings behind Maine South.
Heading into the month of October, the Ramblers knew they
would be tested. On Homecoming Saturday, they were scheduled to face the Mt. Carmel
Caravan. Always promising a
hard-fought battle, the CCL Blue
match-up reached expectations.
With both teams undefeated,
the Ramblers and the Caravan
came into the October 1 battle
determined
to earn a win.
After an unsuccessful
opening Rambler
drive,
Mt. Carmel
scored
on
their first offensive play
on a 94yard rushing
touchdown.
Down
7-0
early,
the
Ramblers had
ground
to
make up. Early in the second quarter,
after a lengthy
drive, senior
quarterback
The
Malcolm Weaver pounded
in an eight-yard rush for a
Rambler score. After a missed
PAT, the Ramblers were only
down by one. The game quickly
developed into a defensive battle. Led defensively by senior
middle-linebacker Lars Lopatka—who racked up seventeen
tackles—the Ramblers seemed
to take control of the game, despite the score. After a blocked
punt by junior Darby Goodwin
and a rowdy Rambler rendition
of “Jump Around” from the student section, the future looked
hopeful for the Ramblers. After
a long second and third quarter
without a score, the Rambler
offense was ignited by senior
running-back Willy Palivos on
a forty-four yard reception leading the Ramblers into Mt. Carmel territory. Two plays later
on a deep route to the end-zone,
Weaver connected with senior
wide receiver Connor Person,
who made a spectacular leaping
catch in triple coverage to score
for the home team. After a failed
two-point conversion, the Ramblers led the Caravan 12-7. Following a tough defensive stand,
the Rambler offense took the
field to close out the game, earning a decisive win over a topfive opponent and the setting the
tone for the rest of the month.
A week later, the Ramblers
travelled to Oak Park to face the
Fenwick Friars. With a quick
score by the Friars on a two
yard rush, the Ramblers went
down early. But after scoring
rapidly in the second quarter on
LA defense breaks through for a
Photo Courtesy The Year
a Weaver pass to burly junior
Jack Rushin, the Ramblers never looked back. Led by Weaver
who went 16 for 30, and passed
for 208 yards and four touchdowns, the Ramblers routed the
Friars. Six different Ramblers
scored, including a 27 yard interception return by senior defensive lineman Michael Scott.
The Ramblers rolled to 6-0
record after routing the Friars
47-0. But they would be faced
with a much tougher opponent
in the Brother Rice Crusaders.
In another tough-as-nails
CCL Blue match-up, the Ramblers travelled down to 100th and
Pulaski to take on Brother Rice.
In a physical, back and forth
game, the Ramblers opened the
game with an extended drive,
capped by a two-yard Palivos
touchdown run. After a solid
defensive quarter for the Ramblers, Senior Will Cushwa booted in a 26 yard field goal, only to
be answered by a Brother Rice
field goal to end the half. The
Ramblers headed into half with
a 10-3 lead. However, Weaver
would leave the game with what
was feared to be a concussion.
With junior Peter Pujals replacing Weaver, the Ramblers relied on their rushing attack led
by Palivos and the experienced
receiving core of seniors Charlie Dowdle, Marquese MartinHayes and Connor Person to
carry the offense. Late in the
third quarter, after a dominating defensive performance, the
Ramblers
drove down
the
field
for another
Cushwa field
goal. However,
the
Crusaders
immediately
responded
with an 89yard kickoff
return. The
Rambler lead
had been cut
to only three,
too
close
for comfort.
Late in the
third quarter,
after another
defensive
stop, Pujals
sac.
connected with Marquese
Martin-Hayes for a 79yard touchdown pass, opening
up a ten-point lead. The Ramblers maintained control of the
game through their oppressive
defense, orchestrated by Coach
John Holecek. After late fourth
quarter Rice field goal, the Ramblers closed the game with a 2013 lead, rising to 8-0 and taking
out another Catholic League
opponent. With three convincing victories, the Ramblers became the number two football
team in the state. With their
sights on a Catholic League
championship, the Ramblers
look to defeat St. Rita, remain
undefeated and bring home a
coveted State Championship.
With the backing of the entire
school community, and a landslide of momentum, I only expect the best from our Ramblers.