Censored Censored Censored - Our Lady of Good Counsel High

The Talon
Our Lady of Good Counsel High School
February 14, 2011
17301 Old Vic Blvd. Olney, MD 20832
Vol. VI Issue III
What the HUCKleberry?
Censo
red C
ensore
d Ce
nsored
By Megan McCool,
Staff Writer
Photos courtesy of Google images free domain.
By Megan McCool,
The recent revisions to
Staff Writer
the American literary
classic, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by
Mark Twain, have sparked tremendous controversy amongst those who have read and studied the legendary novel. Dr. Allen Gribben, an
English professor at Auburn University, Montgomery and the editor of the censored edition,
has decided to replace two words often considered derogatory with “slave” and “Indian” in the
Huckleberry Finn published by NewSouth Books
said to hit bookstores sometime this February.
Gribben claims his main motive behind
making these changes to Huckleberry Finn is
to expose young readers, who otherwise would
not be allowed to read it, to one of the most
important novels ever written by an American.
Huckleberry Finn has been cut out of the teaching curriculum in many schools because of the
derogatory language used throughout the novel.
This new literary version will allow young readers
to gain a general understanding of the novel without being exposed to offensive material. However, that understanding could be faulty because
it is not interpreted from Twain’s original words.
The question that seems to ruffle the most feathers continues to be whether or not Gribben should
be allowed to alter the words of Twain. These
recent changes have die-hard Twain fans fuming.
Mr. Rich Seel, an English teacher at Our
Lady of Good Counsel High School, teaches
Huckleberry Finn to honors American Literature sophomores and says it is “never good to
change an author’s original words” and “part
of the purpose of the book is to rile people up.”
Twain wrote Huckleberry Finn in the vernacular
of those living in Missouri during the mid 1800’s.
Therefore, the language he uses characterizes
some of the social views in that historical period.
Mrs. Melissa Huey Burns, the resource teacher of the English Department at Good Counsel, said that Twain wrote “[Huckleberry Finn]
as an attack on racism” and censoring it would
give future generations a “diluted message.”
Many people would consider writing a
novel to be an art form. How would you feel
if someone changed your artwork after you
were dead and you did not have the opportunity to defend your work? When asked how
Twain would feel about the changes to his
book, Seel, in his notoriously witty way said,
“Mark Twain would be angry but laughing
and say something like ‘I’m not surprised.’”
Inside this issue . . .
We love Babies
Steelers
VS. Pg. 10 Life
Packers
is
Sacred
Superbowl
Pg. 6
XLV !
GirlsB
Pg. 9
V-Day
Article
The Talon
oys
Index
Student News.... p 3
Entertainment.. p 6
Opinion............ p 9
Athletics........... p 10
Page 2
February 14, 2011
Editor’s Page
Editor’s Page
Editor’s Pen
The Talon Staff
Co-Editor-in-Chiefs Becca Shipler and Megan Payne
Managing Editor Nora Considine
Copy Editor Olivia Jackson
Copy Editors (in training)
Maggie Sugrue, Gabby Esparraguera
Layout Editor Katie Medlock
News Editor Zack DeGraba
Student Life Editor Nicole Anastassopoulos
Opinion Editor Anne Sugrue
Entertainment Editor Paige Malengo
Sports Editor Brett Buccheri
Relations Manager Sara Shapiro
Advertising Manager Alex Honsberger
Photography Editor Emily Espina
Artwork Editor Abel Gonsalves
Distrubtion Editor Sean Sutton
Staff Writers
Mark Hinken
Lindsey Jones
Megan McCool
Mary Oakey
Taylor Prendergast
Marcela Rendon
Kevin Tracy
Evan Triandafilou
Headline Engineer Topher White
Advisor Ms. Laura Neugebauer
Each student faces situations that challenge his
By Megan Payne,
Co-Editor-in-Chief or her perseverance and courage. Freshmen right
now are still trying to find the balance between their
academic, athletic and artistic commitments. For sophomores it is hard to think
of getting through the year and becoming upperclassmen. Juniors have this
last semester to get the best grades before they start the grueling process of
college applications. Then there are the seniors, who are looking at this time
as a way to slack off and not worry so much about all their responsibilities.
But the problem for each student is that giving up is not the mentality taught
for high school students. Expectations are high for everyone but to endure
every situation is a struggle. There are instances when our hard work pays off.
My one month anniversary of having my provisional license has just
passed. For me this is one of the luckiest and greatest achievements I have in my
short life, because I passed on my sixth try. I guess six is my new lucky number.
Trying to pass this horrifically stressful test has been a rollercoaster to say the least.
It all started in June two weeks after the new on road driving test
was implemented at the Gaithersburg MVA. It just happens that after three
hours of practice the night before I would hit a cone backing into a space
from a 90 degree angle. The four other times of failure were of course
embarrassing and different each time. It seemed that there was a major case
of bad luck with cars and me. The bad luck only continued after I passed.
Four short days after being licensed to drive, I had a run-in with a small
stationary object. It just happened to be Mrs. Huey-Burns’s mailbox. At first I
realized there were two options: one would be to drive away and the other less
appealing choice would be to go back to my house and tell my dad. I chose to
tell my dad, who of course yelled at me and said that I easily hit one of the most
expensive mailboxes in the neighborhood, causing $2000 worth of damage to
the car. Luckily it was an expensive mailbox, because somehow after plowing
right through it the mailbox was still intact and could simply be put back up.
After having this little run-in I realized that had I gotten my license
in June, I would probably have killed someone instead of hitting a mailbox. I
cannot help but remember all the complaining I did for not being able to pass
the test in the first place. I blamed everyone else for not passing; even my
black Ford Explorer was accused of sabotaging my opportunity to take the test.
I feel like countless people blame others for their failures and give up instead
of persevering. I have this tendency to make excuses up to avoid the blame
being put on me. The truth is that I could have driven and practiced a lot more.
I think I have learned from the whole experience of struggling
to get a license and then getting into an accident that perseverance
will help you succeed in any situation. I did not give up after failing
five times and my persistence gave me the ability to pass the driver’s
test. Even when I ran over a mailbox I did not automatically say “Oh
well, guess I cannot drive.” Instead, I got back to driving immediately.
As students it is important that we strive for the best and
remember that real perseverance will never let us down. Whether you
are a freshman wondering how you will get through the next three and
a half years or a senior debating on giving into senioritis, giving the rest
of the school year your best effort will pay off even though it is tough.
Editor’s quote:
“It’s not whether you get knocked down;
it’s whether you get up.”
~ Vince Lombardi
In memory of Justin Thornton
Mission Statement:
The Talon operates to inform Good Counsel about events
in the school and large community through the timely reporting of credible and relevant information. The newspaper staff
upholds the values of being objective and presenting multiple
perspectives; reporting news in an engaging way with openness to input; and being personally attentive to current events.
Falcon Forever
The Talon
News
February 14, 2011
Page 3
NEWS
Haiti: rebuilding more than just a country
Jan.
12,
2011
marked the
one year anniversary of the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti,
leaving over 200,000 dead and billions of dollars in damage. The reconstruction of this small island
is still well underway, but there
have been many complications.
Since the process of rebuilding houses is slow, there are “tent
cities” scattered throughout Haiti.
These tents are in close proximity, and the lack of clean water
and poor sanitation have led to the
spread of sickness and disease.
A cholera outbreak began in
mid-October and claimed the lives
of around 4,000 people. The shortage of clean water and soap to provide proper hygiene contributed
greatly to the rapid spread of this
disease. Those affected by cholera
have not received proper medical attention, as there are approximately
By Marcela Rendon
Staff Writer
New
teacher:
Mr. Benjamin
Currano
By Marcela Rendon Teaches HonStaff Writer
ors Spanish III
and AP Spanish V.
Grew
up
in
Howard
County,
Md.
Attended University of
Maryland as a Spanish major.
Initially wanted to major in
business, but decided to major in education because it was more exciting.
Taught
special
education classes in the summer when he was younger.
He enjoys the environment, history and sense of
community at Good Counsel.
Photo courtesy of Emily Espina, Photo Editor
Photo courtesy of Googe Images Free Domain.
two doctors for every 10 Haitians.
Some Haitians blame the
spread of cholera not on poor sanitation, but on witches. Witch hunts
in Haiti have become popular because Haitians believe that the
cholera outbreak was caused by
voodoo practitioners. Haitian mobs
lynched and killed at least one doz-
Same
en people whom they believed used
black magic to spread the disease.
“Cholera is a microbe ... The
only way to protect one’s self against
cholera is to observe the principles
of hygiene,” stated Haitian government officials in attempt to persuade
the mobs to stop the witch hunts.
Much of the turmoil in the
name,
By Sara Shapiro In observance
ValenRelations Manager of
tine’s Day, approximately 192 million cards are
exchanged worldwide between
loved ones to show appreciation
for one another, but how often
are the historical origins of Valentine’s Day actually discussed?
There are many speculations about the origins of Valentine’s
Day, but most stories revolve around
saints that all had the name Valentine.
One legend dates back to
the third century in Rome. At the
time, Emperor Claudius II had made
an official decree that outlawed
young men from being married, because single men made better soldiers rather than soldiers who had
wives and children back at home.
When Valentine, a priest
in Rome, heard of this he decided to defy the emperor and proceeded to continue the marriages
of the young soldiers in secret.
Eventually Emperor Claudius
II learned about the priest’s actions,
and decided that Valentine was to die
for disobeying his decree and performing marriages behind his back.
In a separate legend, it states
that a different Valentine, also in
Rome, had been trying to help Christians escape the horrible conditions
of the Roman prisons. When the
government heard about this, Valentine was beaten and tortured to death.
Another variation of the
story states that Saint Valentine
country is due to the instability created by the Haitian government. In
November, controversy arose over
the validity of the elections. The voting was so obviously rigged that 12 of
the 18 presidential candidates called
for the annulment of the election.
The results of this election
caused so much debate in the country that protesters burned down
voting locations. The Provisional
Electoral Council in Haiti denied
the annulment of the results because problems were only reported
in 56 of the 1,500 voting centers.
“The joint mission does not
believe that these irregularities, serious though they are, should invalidate the elections,” said the head of
the observers, Colin Granderson.
Although
many
organizations
have been working relentlessly to help rebuild Haiti, there is
still a long way to go in order to
create a healthy, stable country.
different
game
Photo Courtesy of Google Images Free Domain
was in jail and he fell in love with
the jailor’s daughter, who had
met Valentine while he was carrying out his punishment. While in
jail, St. Valentine learned that he
was going to be beheaded. Upon
learning this horrific news, he decided to write a letter to his love,
The Talon
and sign it “From your Valentine”.
Although this expression is
still commonly used today, many
traditions have changed drastically, and now the day is celebrated in recognition of those we
love and cherish, not to mourn the
martyrs who died for their beliefs.
Page 4
February 14, 2011
News
news
H e a l t h y New congress: further E x p e c t
r h y t h m s conflict between parties? o v e r t i m e
Hearts are a
common subject in February,
not just for Valentine’s Day but
for American Heart Month. While
teenagers may consider heart health
irrelevant now, making wise choices can achieve long-term benefits.
Preventing cardiovascular disease requires both lifestyle decisions
and awareness of existing conditions. By monitoring blood pressure,
cholesterol and body weight, heart
complications can be avoided.
School Nurse Marianne Kusbit
noted, “You start at a young age to
develop healthy habits.” She explained that being a “couch potato”
or eating too much junk food is a behavior that can be changed.
Positive dietary choices are
one means of heart health. Eating
fruits, vegetables, lean meats, whole
grains and fish in recommended
portions offer a nutritious habit.
Assistant Nurse Rosemary Harwood added, “If you don’t get adequate
sleep, it can be bad for your heart.”
Without meeting the basic need for sleep, it becomes
difficult for the heart to handle
illness and according to the American Heart Association, stress.
Regular exercise is also important. Aerobic activities such
as running, swimming and dancing are especially helpful to the
heart, as advised by the National
Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
Although these habits are
within teens’ control, Kusbit acknowledged there are other
health factors that are hereditary.
“If you have a family history of heart disease, it’s important to find out. You need to
know,” Kusbit emphasized.
Acting on this awareBy Olivia Jackson,
Copy Editor
In 2010 the
Congress saw
many political
changes, including a significant shift
in the makeup of the Congress. The
House of Representatives has a decent
majority by the Republican Party.
However, the Senate still has a majority of Democrats over Republicans.
There are currently 51 Democrats, 47 Republicans and 2 Independents in the Senate. The President of the Senate is Vice-President
Joe Biden (D), and President pro
tempore (for the time being) is Daniel Inouye (D) from Hawaii. The
Senate Majority Leader is Harry
Reid (D) from Nevada and the
Senate Minority Leader is Mitch
McConnell (R) from Kentucky.
The House of Representatives
is made up of 242 Republican representatives and 193 Democrat representatives. The Speaker of the
House is John Boehner (R) from
Ohio. The Majority Leader is Eric
Becca Shipler,
Co-Editor- in-Chief
Cantor (R) from Virginia and the
Minority Leader is Nancy Pelosi (D)
from California. The Republicancontrolled House voted to repeal the
Health Care Bill of 2010. According
to CNN.com, the Democrat- controlled Senate and White House will
most likely not choose to repeal the
Health Care Bill. However, to appease the Republicans, there may be
some adaptations to the current bill.
Another issue the new Congress
must face is the rising national debt.
CNN.com says the Congress currently authorized total borrowing up
to $14.3 trillion. The government’s
debt is approaching that number.
Members of the Republican House
plan to vote against any additional
borrowing from foreign countries.
The Health Care Bill and the
national debt add to the increasing conflict between Democrat
and Republican politicians. With
this division it could be more difficult to accomplish tasks and get
bills passed in a timely manner.
Lindsay Jones,
Staff Writer
Photo courtesy of Google Free Domain.
Lindsay Jones,
Staff Writer
The rivalry between the Athletic Departments of Our Lady of Good Counsel
High School and DeMatha Catholic
High School began in the late 1960s.
When Good Counsel first had
varsity sports, it wasn’t in the same
league as DeMatha. In 1967, Good
Counsel was the underdog when for
the first time it beat DeMatha and
did so for the two following seasons (1968-1969). The Good Counsel football team shocked the local
high school football community.
After the three year winning
streak, Good Counsel was no longer
a challenge for DeMatha. That is,
until Bob Malloy became the Head
Football Coach 10 years ago and
since then, the Good Counsel football team has remained one of the top
10 teams in the D.C. area since 2004.
This rivalry hasn’t been
limited to football, but other sports
as well such as basketball and
baseball. The basketball team became more competitive under
Jim McCall who coached the varsity basketball team in the 1990s.
Athletic Director Mr. Pat
Bates says, “I think it’s been a healthy
competitive rivalry for the last six or
seven years. You try to play your best
game against your opponent; that’s
what I think a healthy rivalry does.”
Good Counsel Principal
Mr. John Yore says, “There’s nothing wrong with a good healthy
rivalry.” He also advises, “You
never want to lose sight of class,
character and good sportsmanship.”
Remembering our GC brother
Justin Thornton, class of
2010,
passed
away in his
sleep Tuesday, Feb. 1, succumbing
to T-Cell Acute Lymphatic Leukemia (ALL) after a heroic five
year struggle against the disease.
Justin entered the Good Counsel community as a freshman during the 2005-2006 school year. At
this time, there appeared to be nothing out of the ordinary and he completed the year without any signs of
health problems. However, during
By Zack DeGraba,
News Editor
the summer between his first and
second year, Justin was diagnosed
with Stage 4 ALL, a type of cancer
that forms in one’s blood and bone
marrow. In order to combat this
condition, Justin underwent several
forms of treatment, including chemotherapy, radiation treatment and
a bone-marrow transplant in 2008.
Throughout these intensely difficult
circumstances Justin maintained his
trademark, albeit mischievous sense
of humor, attending school when he
could, submitting completed assignments when he couldn’t, and never
Graphic courtesy of Abel Gonsalves.
The Talon
failing to provide charismatic friendship to all of those whom he knew.
Following a brief remission, the
leukemia returned in 2010, and after
an unsuccessful bone-marrow transplant (his second), Justin died in the
late evening on Feb. 1 at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC.
The Talon would like to dedicate
this issue to the memory and family of Justin Thornton, our fallen
brother, who still reminds us that
even in death, Falcons fly together.
News
February 14, 2011
Page 5
News
Dancing the night away
On
Jan.
8,
2011, the eighteenth
annual
Father-Daughter Dance took place
in Our Lady of Good Counsel
High School’s Kane Center. This
year’s theme: Masquerade Ball.
While at the dance, girls and their
fathers enjoyed dancing, taking pictures, eating snacks and, of course, the
raffle, which offered a Tiffany & Co.
bracelet as the largest available prize.
“The dance was fun as a senior.
After taking pictures, I danced
until it ended with my sister
and my dad. We all had a great
time!” says Jessica Daly, senior.
“My dad’s favorite song is ‘It’s
Tricky’ by Run-D.M.C., so when
By Katie Medlock,
Layout Editor
it came on he got really crazy,” says junior Rachel Quinn.
The school’s first FatherDaughter Dance took place in 1993
because of Mr. Paul McCallister.
“Mr. Paul McCallister had six girls.
The oldest went to Holy Cross where
they had a tradition of a FatherDaughter Dance,” says Mr. Arthur
Raimo, president of Good Counsel.
“He wanted to start the tradition here.”
“Because of the great success of this first Father/Daughter Dance, it will definitely not be
the last,” stated the Good Counsel
yearbook of 1993. This tradition
has continued and will hopefully
continue for many years to come.
Photo courtesy of Katie Medlock.
Forever running in our hearts
Photo courtesy of Google Free Domain.
The
Sherwood
High
School community suffered the loss of junior
Alexander “Alex” Popeck on Jan. 7,
2011. He died from complications
due to a car accident on Dec. 12.
Popeck was a 17-yearold junior at Sherwood who was
on honor roll and a varsity field
and track captain as well as an active member of the community.
Popeck and two other Sherwood students were involved in the
accident. It happened on the way to
morning basketball practice when
Popeck lost control of the car and
hit a tree on New Hampshire Avenue in Ashton. They were taken to
Washington Hospital Center. Popeck
stayed in a coma from the crash.
In an email from Mr. John
Yore, principal of Our Lady of
By Megan Payne,
Co-Editor-in-Chief
Good Counsel High School, he
stated “While we are members of
the Good Counsel community, we
are also honored to be members
of a larger community. The loss of
Alex Popeck was devastating for our
entire community. We grieved the
death with our friends at Sherwood
High School and the Olney community. Many of our Good Counsel students maintained a strong friendship
with Alex and have felt great pain.”
Funeral services were held at
12:30 on Monday, Jan. 10 at B’nai
Shalom of Olney Synagogue. An
estimated 2,000 guests were in attendance to support his father and
mother, Bart and Betsy Popeck, as
well as his younger brother Matthew.
A website sporting the “Never Back
Down” motto of Popeck was made to
help support the family and keep the
community updated. Many friends
of Popeck who had Facebooks put
their profile pictures of Popeck running at a meet and left messages on
his wall in remembrance of him.
Yore also said, “We are planning a memorial prayer service for
Alex in late February. We will invite the Good Counsel community,
the Popeck family and friends from
Sherwood High School to join us
in reflection and celebration of a
wonderful life that ended too soon.”
Leroy:
brb
By Alex Honsberger,
Advertising Manager
The “crackberry” didn’t
get its jingle
from a marketing campaign; it is
truly an addiction that has overcome
today’s society. People text on them,
call on them, even check the weather
on them . What are they? Cell phones.
In today’s world, people constantly
rely on their mobile phones. The
latest cell phone technology allows
Americans not only to verbally communicate with people but also send
texts and emails within seconds.
The texting epidemic has begun and people are texting wherever, whenever. People text while they
drive, while they are in a conversation, in the workplace and even at
school. For many, texting has become
an addiction, leaving some people
unable go anywhere without their
phone. The rising question is where
society should draw the line for when
it is socially appropriate to text.
The popularity of texting is
rising, especially among teenagers
ages 13 to 17. According to a 2008
Nielsen Study, the main reason that
many people, including teenagers, purchased a cell phone was for
safety. However, in 2010, 43 percent
of teens say that texting is the number one reason to own a cell phone.
“I sometimes miss texting
because of its convenience, but I
was an even bigger procrastinator
when I had texting than I am now,”
29
Gold = No
The Talon
says sophomore Caroline Byrne.
Texting has taken society by a firm
grasp. “The one thing that irks
me about texting in our generation is that people text all the time.
It doesn’t seem to matter whether
they are at a party or out with friends
or in the middle of a conversation,” says senior Sarah Petrocci.
“As communication technology
advances, the ‘human interaction’
component is lost or is nearly lost.”
At Our Lady of Good Counsel
High School students find new and
creative ways to text on the regular.
They have found new ways to send
that message. Whether it is going
to the bathroom, hiding it in pencil
pouches, texting behind another person or even texting without looking,
students are mastering the text world.
But enough is enough. Since texting
was taken up by this young generation, people don’t need to have
a conversation anymore because
it’s easier to text someone. People
can remove themselves emotionally from the conversation and perceive different meanings from a text.
Texting can take over a life, with
the constant availability and convenience that a cell phone provides. To rid yourself of the dependence on texting and using a cell
phone in general, try turning the
phone off for a day or even an hour.
DO YOU TEXT
IN CLASS
71
Blue = Yes
Entertainment
February 14, 2011
Page 6
Entertainment
A lasting impression or
F a s h i o n
evolves over
time just as
everything else does; today’s icons
are far different from the ones in the
past. Icons such as Jackie Kennedy
and Audrey Hepburn represent the
more timeless classic style whereas
today’s icons such as Lady Gaga and
Ke$ha push the boundaries with risk
taking outfits. Can these new trendsetters hold up as well? Or will they
By Paige Malengo,
Entertainment Editor
make their statement and move on?
Audrey Hepburn’s simple, elegant style made the “little black
dress” popular. Jackie Kennedy favored a similar timeless look with
black and white combos, oversized
sunglasses and A-line skirts. Both
women were very conservative
but glamorous at the same time.
Today’s most well known style
icons are more skin-bearing and risk
taking. Ke$ha rocks the grunge style
a short-lived trend?
with ripped tights, sequins, baggy
shirts and boots. Lady Gaga is the
definition of “unique” with her outthere dresses and crazy unitards.
Along with Lady Gaga, Katy Perry’s style is more entertaining than
practical. Her unusual costume- like
outfits are always full of bright colors and 3D shapes. Rhianna is one
celebrity who has changed her look
countless times but can pull off almost anything. Overall her look is
very tough-girl with items like black
leather, studded clothes and daring
jewelry as part of her signature look.
Why are the teens of today
drawn to such outrageous trends?
Trends of today like ripped tights,
obscure dresses, tattered shirts and
all together flashy outfits are bound
to burn bright and simmer fast.
These style icons represent a fashion that is all about the big bang
but most likely will get old fast.
Photos
“The
Hunger
Games”
A reality sister, Katniss and a classmate, Peeta
show is will travel to the Capitol to fight in
typically the Hunger Games. The Capitol is
a group of young 20 somethings out the base of Panem’s powerful govto find “true love.” What if that re- ernment. The government chooses
ality show was turned into a group 24 children, a boy and a girl from
of 24 children
each of the
from 12 to 18
12 districts,
years
old?
through a lotTheir goal:
tery to kill
to kill one
one another.
another
in
The Games
order to win
reinforce to
a
comfortall
Panem
able life for
how
chilthemselves
dren are not
and
their
even beyond
family, while
the Capitol’s
it is watched
power. Givby the whole
en few supcountry?
plies and us“The Huning only the
ger Games,”
knowledge
written
by
they gained
Suzanne
before
the
Collins, is a
Games, Kat“1984”esque
niss and Peestory showta must fight
ing a slightly
to
survive
twisted, yet
until the end.
intriguing
Through a seidea of the
ries of twists
power of big
and
surgovernment.
prises,
ColPhoto courtesy of Google free domain.
In “The Hunger
lins keeps the
Games,” Katniss Everdeen lives in
reader entranced to find out the
District 12, the poorest district in
survivor of the Hunger Games.
all Panem. Taking the place of her
courtesy
of
Google
free
domain.
“ R u n n i n g
with
Scissors”
By Gabrielle Esparraguera,
Copy Editor
The
memoir “Running
with
Scissors,” by Augusten Burroughs, is not exactly a
delight to read but through humor,
unbelievably serious situations can
be lightened even in the slightest way.
Burroughs shares his family life, saying “My mother began to go crazy.
Not crazy in a let’s paint the kitchen
bright red! Sort of way. But crazy
in a gas oven, toothpaste sandwich,
I am God sort of way” (Burroughs).
As Burroughs himself starts to succumb to insanity that resonates in
the damaging lives around him, he
proves through wit and insight that
even in the darkest situations, pain
may not be alleviated completely but
with humor it is easier to swallow.
By Evan Triandafilou,
Staff Writer
Photo courtesy of Google free domain.
The Green Hornet
Seth Rogen, in the
minds
of
anyone who knows who he is, is a
comedic actor. What with roles in
movies such as Superbad, Pineapple
Express and Observe and Report.
Now Rogen is venturing into a movie genre very new to him, action.
Starring in The Green Hornet
alongside actor Jay Chou, who plays
his partner, Rogen handles the role
well. He has built a career off playing the out of shape guy struggling
to succeed. He adds his quirky, awkward guy style with his funny script
writing to make his great comedy.
A movie portraying loyalty, friendship and heroism, the screeplay is
perfect for the hapless romantic.
Rogen plays Britt Reid, a hapless
guy who has been spoiled by his
rich father, who finds him a disappointment. Britt inherits great
wealth upon his father’s death and
teams up with Kato, his father’s
car mechanic, as they search for
justice and do what they can to
add their own to the streets of L.A.
By: Topher White,
Headline Engineer
The Talon
Photo courtesy of Google free domain.
Entertainment
February 14, 2011
Page 7
Entertainment
The Roomate
Start up your summer playlist!
Photos
courtesy
Feb. 24
of
Google
Free
Domain.
Verizon
Center
Lady Gaga
RFK Stadium Festival
Grounds
March 12
Shamrock Fest
March 20
Lil Wayne
1st MarinerArena
June 4
Kenny
Chesney
FedEx Field
June 15
Katy Perry
Merriweather
Post Pavillion
June 22
July 26
August 2
&3
Photo courtesy of Google Free Domain.
On Friday,
Feb.
4,
The
Roommate
starring
Leighton
Meester, Minka Kelly, Danneel
Harris, Cam Gigandet and Alyson
Michalka premiered in theaters.
The Roommate is a thrilling movie that will have peo-
By Anne Sugrue,
Opinion Editor
M&T Bank
Stadium
U2
Vans Warped
Tour 2011
Merriweather
Post Pavillion
Taylor Swift
Verizon Center
ple jumping out of their seats.
In The Roommate, a new college freshman Rebecca (Leighton
Meester) becomes obsessed with
her new roommate, Sara Matthews
(Minka Kelly). In the beginning,
Rebecca seems like the normal college roommate. As the movie progresses, her psychotic behavior starts
to show through. Rebecca does not
wanting her roommate Sara to go
out or spend time with anyone else.
The simple act of picking someone
up from class becomes scary, as Rebecca picks up Sara at the end of all
her classes. Rebecca’s actions begin
as harmless, but as Sara gets closer
to other people, Rebecca retaliates.
The audience is gripped to the end
as they wait for Sara to put the pieces
together. Will it be too late for Sara to
realize the threat of Rebecca’s behavior? Or will Rebecca be successful in
eliminating all of Rebecca’s friends?
The end is shocking and full
of action. It has the viewer waiting to discover the final outcome.
Explore your city: D.C. edition
By: Gabrielle Esparraguera,
Copy Editor
Visit restaurants where
Adam Richman of Man
vs. Food visited:
Ben’s Chili Bowl, 1213
U Street Northwest,
Washington D.C.,
20009
Check out a play
at the Shakespeare
Theatre
Eat great food and
listen to live poetry
readings in Busboys and Poets
-2021 14th St NW,
Washington D.C
Want to be a spy? Go to the
International Spy Museum!
Get a workout or
have an awesome
date at the Sculpture
Garden Ice Rink!
Buy some unicorn tears in
the Museum of
Unnatural History.
-3233 14th
Street NW,
Washington DC
Meet exotic animals in the National Zoo!
Want to learn about the newspaper?
Or be in your very own newscast?
Check out the Newseum located
right on the National Mall.
Photos courtesy of Google Free Domain.
The Talon
Like cheap concerts and
getting up close to a great
band? 9:30 Club is the
place to be. See a small
band here and in a few
years, you may be able to
say you heard them first.
NEws
March
On Jan.
24, 575
members of the Our Lady of Good
Counsel High School community
joined over 200,000 others, rallying the streets of D.C. in the thirty-seventh annual March for Life.
“The March for Life provides the
vital information needed to take
the pro-life message to Washington and throughout the nation,”
reads the official March website.
The March was created in 1974 to
memorialize and attempt to overturn
the infamous Roe vs. Wade Supreme
Court case in which abortion was legalized. It began with approximately 20,000 people joining together
to raise awareness and declare the
dignity and humanity of every person from the moment of conception.
By Nicole Anastassopoulos,
Student Life Editor
February 14, 2011
Page 8
NEWS
for
Life Our march at school
As a Catholic school, Good Counsel
aims to educate its students about
the pro-life Catholic social teaching, which is the foundation of the
March. Because participating in the
rally is a fun, meaningful way of
celebrating life, Good Counsel has
sent a group of students and staff to
D.C. for many years, a group that
has grown significantly over time.
The March for Life has become a
memorable experience for many
students, something to look forward to in the often dreary month
of January. Senior Becky LoBosco
has participated in the March for all
four years of her high school career.
“It was awesome to see that amount
of people come together to support the cause. Mr. Handler did
such a good job organizing it and
I had a great time,” says LoBosco.
Monday, Jan.
24 was Life
Issues Day at
Our Lady of Good Counsel High
School. This is an annual event organized by Campus Ministry that provides the student body with information on topics that relate to the right
and respect for human life, such as
bullying, adoption and abortion.
While many students traveled
to D.C. to participate in the March
for Life from the Verizon Center to
Union Station, others stayed at school
to participate in a day filled with
guest speakers and group activities.
This year the school had the
By Taylor Prendergast,
Staff Writer
opportunity to hear motivational
speaker Leslie Dean talk about her
loss of a baby due to a past abortion. Other speakers were Mrs.
Janet Ecker and Mr. Donald Dalphonse, who shared personal stories of children they adopted.
Mr. Tony Tamberino, who
helped host the event, was
very satisfied by the outcome.
“I thought it was good. There were
a lot of diverse activities that focused on the respect of life issue and
gave us a lot of ideas on how we can
improve next year,” says Tamberino.
El
Salvador:
Behind
the
Scenes
Everyone donated to the
cause one way
or another. Be it dressing down or participating in Beard Wars, the majority of our student body helped send 24
lucky people to El Salvador. But did
they really know where their money
was going or what the trip was for?
20 students and 4 teachers
made the trip to Central America.
Every student applied for the spot,
went to meetings and seminars
and bonded before leaving on Saturday, January 15. Even with the
tutorials on El Salvador and defining the purpose of mission trips,
we left with half of an idea about
what we would do once we arrived.
Our first day in El Salvador
was spent learning about the culture
and nature of the people. We were
there to help build and construct
not only buildings but relationships
with the citizens of El Salvador.
The second day was spent at
an orphanage outside of San Salvador,
the capital of El Salvador. We played
with children, read to them, painted
and maybe most importantly, shared
laughter, tears and memories with
all the children we interacted with.
The remainder of our week
there was spent at three different
work sites. At Ilobosco, a small,
poor town about an hour and a half
outside of San Salvador, we helped
By Nora Considine,
Managing Editor
to build a two-room house for a family of eight. They are currently living in a shack with a tin roof held up
by various sticks and tree branches.
The house should be completed by
August. Another site was a daycare
where we shared many of the same
experiences we had at the orphanage with the children at the daycare. We played sports, games, jump
roped, did arts and crafts and interacted with the children who came
and went every day. The final site
we could work at was helping another small town to build a daycare.
The whole town gathered to help
us in our efforts. They were receiving no payment for their actions
but were more than willing to help
out in any and every way possible.
The list of activities could go
on and on. We all learned so much on
our trips, not only about the culture
and people of El Salvador but ourselves and our culture as well. In one
of our nightly reflections a student
mentioned a very important thought
that I will close on. As Americans
we have a lot of things that we like,
but the El Salvadorian people have
a few things that they love, and the
love they have is truly the most powerful feeling I have felt in my life..
Photo
Courtesy
More
than
of
Google
Free
Domain.
to
meets
We have all heard
of the Ryken studies program here
at school, but do
we really know what it’s all about?
This program is named after Theodore Ryken, a Xaverian Brother who
dedicated his life to providing immigrant children with a Roman Catholic education. The program assists
students with mild learning disabilities so they can learn more efficiently, depending on their individual
needs. The program should not be
confused for special education; it is
actually a college preparatory system
designed so students can make gradual adjustments into harder classes.
The Ryken Program is quite
competitive to enter. Applicants
need letters of recommendation and
IQ testing, among other academic
documents. Gaining entry into the
program is much more competitive
than gaining entry into Our Lady of
Good Counsel High School, because
only a select group of students are
admitted. Many students that apply
for freshman year are rejected but
can try reapplying sophomore year.
Students in Ryken receive several advantages in the classroom,
such as one-on-one time with
By Emily Espina,
Photo Editor
The Talon
Ryken
the eye
their teachers and the ability to
learn in a smaller group setting.
“Since it’s smaller and more personal I think it has helped me open up in
class discussions. I feel more comfortable in my Ryken classes than
my others and I think that has made
a difference in my studies,” says
junior Debra Mantua, who takes
standard, Ryken and AP classes.
Since the curriculum is
taught at a slower pace than more
advanced classes there seems to be
a misconception within the student
body that makes Ryken synonymous
with unintelligent. That is incorrect.
“It frustrates me when people think
that because most kids in Ryken aren’t
[unintelligent], it just takes them longer to understand things than others,
and that doesn’t mean they aren’t
smart. In my opinion some Ryken
students are the most hardworking
in the school,” Mantua declares.
Many students in the Ryken program
are also in the National Honor Society and mix AP/ IB classes into their
schedule.The goals of the Ryken program completely correspond with
the school mission statement: “In today’s world, the loving, good person,
even alone, can make a difference.”
Opinion
February 14, 2011
Page 9
Opinion
You, me and V. D.
Girls’ great
expectations
This is really going
to break the bank
Valentine’s
Day can be
the
perfect
time to win over the girl of your
dreams but it presents a big challenge to every male in existence.
What gift should I give her?
Should I go with the cliché flowers and chocolates or maybe
a stuffed animal with a card?
Any of these options will suffice, but
if you want to make it something she
will remember forever you need to
get creative and personalize your gift.
My suggestion is if you have
been dating a girl for awhile take
her out to a romantic dinner but get
a reservation! This plan can backfire
if you spend two hours standing in
the lobby of Cheesecake Factory
before being seated, not cool. Next,
if the relationship is semi-serious at
this point, if you have a talent for
guitar playing or something along
those lines this is a good time to
showcase your skills. If you write
a song for a girl and play it for her,
she will be so flattered. Girls simply cannot resist a guy with a guitar.
For those who are completely
against the idea of Valentine’s Day
because it was created by Hallmark as a way from them to boost
their sales, fear not. I have a strategy for you too. However, for this
to work in your favor you have to
be a smooth talker. Tell your girl
that you do not like how materialistic V-Day is and you would rather
By Kevin Tracy,
Staff Writer
Girls Boys
Photo illustration by Abel Gonsalves, Artwork Editor
show her how much you love her
everyday instead of having her importance be exemplified through the
amount of money you spend on her.
This can go one of two
ways; she will either think you
are really sweet and insightful
or she will think you are really
cheap and be very disappointed.
Finally, and this advice may be the
most important, if you are single on
Valentine’s Day you are in luck my
friend. On Valentine’s Day girls are
obsessed with the concept of love
and if alone they will be indulging in
a very dramatic amount of self-pity.
Literally all you have to do at this
point is show them some attention,
tell them you think they are prettyand
maybe construct a last minute card.
Voila, you have just gotten yourself
a potential date for Friday night.
Valentine’s Day
brings out mixed
feelings in women and girls. The majority of women
think Valentine’s Day is a special
and romantic day. It seems more important to young women than it is to
married women who are in a serious relationship. But no matter what
girls all look forward to the chocolates, stuffed animals and roses.
“It’s a sweet idea if you have
a
boyfriend
or
girlfriend,”
says senior Sara Shapiro. Many teenagers would agree. The
day is special to girls because it is
romantic and they feel wanted and
loved. “You don’t want to pressure guys because then it’s fake,”
says senior Gabrielle Esparraguera
If you do not want to spend a lot
of money by taking your girlfriend
By Maggie Sugre,
Staff Writer
out to dinner, then instead make her
a small meal and stay in and watch a
movie. Girls love when guys are creative even if the gift is inexpensive.
Although this holiday is usually regarded as romantic, to many single
girls it can be just as special without the romance. Many teenage
girls that are single spend it with
their friends just watching movies
and hanging out. Some girls may
feel sorry for themselves, but there
is no need to because everyone is
special whether you are with your
boyfriend, family, or close friends..
For married couples, Valentine’s
Day is more of a stress- free day and
a time to appreciate each other. To
Mrs. Mary Ellen Morrisey, a math
teacher at Our Lady of Good Counsel who has been married for many
years, the holiday is “a nice time
to say I love you.” Many people
in relationships have traditions or
special things they do on the holiday. Many husbands take the lead
and get chocolates or cook dinner.
Valentine’s Day can be a hectic
day. Men worry about what to buy
women and women worry about if
they will have a date or not. Men,
any heartfelt gift, no matter how big
or how small, will be appreciated.
Women, go out with your friends
and do not stress about a date do
not stress about a date, go out with
your friends. Take the time to appreciate your family and friends.
Four letters, one big Top 10 solo ideas onV-day
p r o b l e m
The Acquired
Immune
Deficiency Syndrome more commonly
known as AIDS is a pandemic that
has infected millions of lives across
the world. Today, Good Counsel
is giving its donations to help support people with HIV and AIDS.
The Human Immune Deficiency
Virus, HIV, works by inserting itself
into the blood stream through bodily
fluids. Once the blood cells are infected they either begin to multiply
or stay dormant throughout the body.
People can go years without knowBy Abel Gonsalves,
Artwork Editor
ing they have the disease because the
virus stays aloof and people do not
show signs until they become active.
HIV infects the immune system and causes it to become weak.
Once the immune system has been
weakened it allows for other infectious diseases to take over the
body. When HIV is untreated and
it can progress rapidly into AIDS.
Since HIV is commonly spread
through sexual contact and tainted
needles, best protection is offered by
practicing safe sex and using sterile needles, since there is no cure.
By Nora Considine,
Managing Editor
1. Hang out
with family;
show them
your love!
2. Cook yourself a nice dinner!
Who says you can’t pamper yourself?
3. Ladies, get a mani-pedi! Feel
pretty!
4. Fellas, grab some friends and pull
out the video games!
5. Wear your pajamas all day long.
Forget about your worries and just
relax.
The Talon
6. Go skiing with some friends at
Liberty or White Tail!
7. Who says you can’t buy yourself
some flowers or jewelry? Go get it!
8. Everyone loves Chinese food, so
order some carry out and play board
games with some friends!
9. Who says single people aren’t
happy people? Go watch a funny
movie and laugh it up!
10. Make it a personal day, like a
second birthday. Enjoy being with
yourself! You have to love yourself
before you can love someone else.
Athletics
February 14, 2011
Page 10
Athletics
Super
Bowl
In a matchup of two high
powered
offenses and two physical defenses,
the Green Bay Packers defeated
the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25.
After a game full of twists
and turns, the Packers won
their first Super Bowl title
since 1996 and the Steelers lost
their second Super Bowl in an
NFL record eight appearances.
The last game of the professional football season started and
both teams’ defenses were unyielding throughout the first 11
minutes. The Packers and Steelers
traded possessions as no offense
could seem to get the upper hand.
Within the last four minutes
of the first quarter, the Packers struck first when quarterback
Aaron Rodgers connected with
Jordy Nelson on a 29-yard touchdown pass. Then, just 24 seconds
later, Packers defensive back Nate
Collins intercepted a Ben Roethlisberger pass and returned it 37
yards for the touchdown. After
one quarter the Packers were up
14-0 on the struggling Steelers.
By the start of the second quarter,
the Steelers were scrambling for
XLV:
Steelers
sent
By Brett Buccheri,
Sports Editor
Falcons
points. Pittsburgh finally got on the
scoreboard via a 33-yard field goal
by kicker Shaun Suisham. Despite
the points for Pittsburgh, Green
Bay obtained a moral victory for
simply holding them to a field goal.
Seconds before the two minute
warning, Rodgers hit Greg Jennings
soar
The bleachers
are packed, the
mats are out, all
that seems to be missing from Our
Lady of Good Counsel’s wrestling
match against rival school Gonzaga is a movie-like intro song to
bring out the wrestlers. Shane Arechiga, senior, warms up while listening to his iPod on the practice
mats while brothers Kyle and Stephen Snyder, both on Good Counsels varsity team, step out for a little
friendly one on one competition.
The Snyder brothers may appear
to be the same size and age from
a simple glance on the bleachers, but many spectators were
shocked after reading the roster to
find that Kyle is a freshman and
his brother Stephen is a senior.
When I asked Kyle after the match
how it feels to have his older
brother on the team he said, “it’s
good, he pushes you hard in practice and it makes both of us better.”
The brotherly support and competition must pay off; Stephen is ranked
number one in state and his brother
Kyle fourteenth in the nation. After the
first and second period with the score
tied 1-1, the boys forfeit the match.
Next up on the mat is freshman Adam Whitesell, ranked
By Mary C. Oakey,
Staff
Writer
Image courtesy of Google free domain.
high
fourteenth in the state, vs. Jake
Houser on Gonzaga’s team.
The boys spring into action determined to pin the other to
the ground first and the stands
go
crazy
with
excitement.
Finishing off the match with a score
of 28-6, Spencer Neff then takes his
place on the mat against Andrew
Iscaro and after beating his opponent scores 12 more points for GC.
Jhared Simmons then heads out to
the mat and flips opponent Nick
Von Utter to the ground, erupting the crowd in another outburst
as he scores 6 more points for GC.
Shane Arechiga, senior and ranked
number two in state, doesn’t waste
any time as soon as his match begins. After a few quick maneuvers
he pins his opponent in 47 seconds
and scores another 6 points for GC.
Philip Robilotto brings it home
for the team scoring 6 points in
the last match against Gonzaga.
“I think we did a really good
job today,” says Coach Skylar Saar at the end of the match.
Fans are ecstatic and the players
proud as they leave the gym the
final score GC 58, Gonzaga 16.
on a 21-yard touchdown pass to propel the Packers to a 21-3 lead. The
Steelers, however, were not going
down without a fight. Roethlisberger
threw an eight-yard touchdown pass
to Hines Ward to cap an impressive drive and cut the deficit to 11
as the Packers led 21-10 at halftime.
above
Packing
In a quiet third quarter, the only
score came from Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall
who had an eight yard touchdown scamper. After three quarters the Packers still led 21-17.
The fourth quarter was a demonstration of how much the Packers
wanted to win the title. Early in the
quarter, Rodgers tossed an eight
yard touchdown pass to Jennings.
However, minutes later Roethlisberger connected with Mike Wallace on a 25-yard touchdown pass.
Wide receiver Antwaan Randle
El then ran for two yards to complete a successful two point conversion. Packers then led 28-25.
After a late field goal and a stop on
fourth down and five, the Packers had
won the Super Bowl. The game was
full of excitement and had a dramatic
finish that came down to last minute.
The Super Bowl is the mark of the
best teams in football, but the end of
the season. Teams are now preparing
to win the title next season and as for
the Packers, a repeat performance.
the
Eagles
Photo courtesy of Mr. Joey Cabigas.
Shane Arechiga, senior, about to pin Gonzaga opponet JP Turner to the mat.
The Talon
ATHLETICS
Page 11
FEBRUARY 14, 2011
ATHLETICS
Barn - burner on
On Jan.
13,
Our
Lady
of
Good Counsel’s Varsity Hockey team
played Landon’s Junior Varsity Hockey team at the Rockville Ice Arena.
After having moved down a
league, Good Counsel has been the
team to beat this season. With the
highly anticipated DeMatha game
on the horizon, Good Counsel had
to keep their spirit high and not
overlook a potential loss to Landon.
The game was intense. The Good
Counsel teams fell behind 2-0, but
they were able to catch up to Landon
and stay tied till the third period.
Julia Mitchell, team manager for 4 years, comments, “Sitting in the box makes a person
an official, which means they
can’t cheer. It was extremely hard
not to cheer during that game.”
As a manager for Good Counsel’s varsity hockey team, Mitchell’s job is to record goals, penalties, and assists for the team. She
and other team managers stand in
a closed off box next to the rink.
They are to record the events of the
game honestly, so they must not
show preference toward either team.
By the third and final period,
the teams were tied at 6-6. In the
last ten seconds of the game, LandBy Gabrielle Esparraguera,
Copy Editor
Underwater
ice
on scored the winning goal. The
game ended with a score of 7-6.
Although the team lost, Julia Mitchell, Team Manager for 4
years, says, “The game stayed really
even the whole time. At the end of
each period we were matching in
shots on goal, penalties and goals. “
Good Counsel’s effort came up
just a little short in the end, but the
team showed good sportsmanship
throughout the game. The players represented the Good Counsel community in a positive light
all the way to the final second.
Senior Sean
sets national
Senior Sean
Sutton set a national record in the 300
meter dash during the Virginia Tech
Invitational on Jan. 28 and 29. Sutton was also the Montgomery county track and field athlete of the week
the week of the meet. Sutton set the
record of 34.35 seconds which is
By Mark Hinken,
Staff Writer
Sutton
record
the fastest time ever recorded for a
Montgomery county athlete and the
forty-sixth fastest time recorded in
the Dyestat national database. The
good counsel community would
like to congratulate Sean on his
achievement and wish him and the
rest of the track and field team the
best in their upcoming competitions.
Image coutesy Google Free Domain.
Rivalry
On Tuesday lin what the biggest challenge was
Jan. 8, Our for him coming into big meets like
Lady of Good this he said “trying to relax and enCounsel High School was able to joy the meet but also swimming
pull off a victory at the Georgetown your fastest and not worrying about
Prep swim meet. This year’s swim the pressure of who you’re racteam is very strong and seemed ing or what time you want to go”.
pretty confident going into this im- All the swimmers on the team
portant rivalry
seemed to hanmeet. It was a
dle the presterrific Senior
sure very well
Night for the
and have fun
Good Counsel
while trying to
swim team as
do the best they
the boys prepossible could
vailed with a
in their events.
score of 95-90
After the meet
and the girls
when the high
won 115-75.
of winning was
Senior Moistill in the
ra James said Mr. Yore and the GC swim team pose for a postair, it hit the
that before ev- meet picture.
seniors that
Photo
courtesy
of
Noreen
Schwartz.
ery meet the
this was their
team does “a big team cheer” to last big meet at Georgetown Prep.
get them excited and pumped up. As their senior night was comEven though the races are indi- ing to a close, senior Karen Gragvidual the team seemed extremely nani said “it doesn’t feel like
supportive of each member. Evan you’ll never be back here again”.
Garfield, junior, said that they cheer For the seniors the time has
each other on throughout the events. flown by, but Good Counsel’s
When asking senior Joey Dev- team still has a promising future.
By Paige Malengo,
Entertainment Editor
Photo Courtesy of Chris Colbert
Photo Courtesy of Google Free Domain
Running endurance on
WCAC
leaderboards
At the Private School Invitational
on
Feb. 5, 2011, Our Lady of Good
Counsel High School’s indoor
track team ranked third in both
the women and men’s categories.
Good Counsel’s strong performance shone through in the Boys
4x800 Meter Relay, in which junior Allen Meringolo sustained
a steady lead for the school.
In the midst of these successes,
By Olivia Jackson,
Copy Editor
The Talon
senior Taylor Prendergast said
that a challenge has been getting the seniors on the team organized as “one leadership unit.”
There is more responsibility on
the seniors this year than in the
previous, when there were more
available to provide organization.
For the upcoming outdoor track season, Prendergast testifies that Good
Counsel “has pretty good standings”
and should expect high placements.
ATHLETICS
February 14, 2011
Page 12
ATHLETICS
Another
Good
vs.
DeMatha
On Friday,
Feb. 4, 2011,
the DeMatha
Stags took a
trip to Olney to face the Our Lady
of Good Counsel High School boys
basketball team in a rematch that resulted with a DeMatha victory 59-44.
The last time the two teams
faced this season, Good Counsel
almost pulled off a road victory
to beat the number one Stags, but
lost a close game 40-44. This time,
Good Counsel did anything they
could to try and pull out a victory.
“If we win this game, it could
turn our season around as we head
into the playoffs,” said junior guard
Marlon Beck the day before the
game. “It’s our biggest game of
the year, and we come to play every game, but this is always our
biggest game during the season.”
Beck led the team with 11 points,
5 assists and 3 steals, but his efforts didn’t equate to a Falcon vic-
By Sean Sutton,
Distribution Manager
tory. Good Counsel came out strong,
with both teams trading the lead
back and forth for most of the game.
At halftime the Falcons held the
Image courtesy of Google free domain.
lead at 23-22. However, when the
fourth quarter started, things started to sway in DeMatha’s direction.
“We let the game slip out of our
hands,” senior guard Benjamin Harvey stated after the game. “We had
the game, but we just didn’t finish.”
Road-running
On Feb. 4,
the
Lady
Falcons added another win to their record over
Elizabeth Seton High School, defeating the Roadrunners on their home
court. This important game was an
obstacle the Lady Falcons were
focused on overcoming all week.
By: Mark Hinkel,
Staff Writer
Images courtesy of Google free domain.
Coach Tom Splaine said, “There
are 18 league games and they
are all just as important as any
of the others. They are tough,
they just played two top teams in
the area and played them close.”
Coach Splaine and his players all knew going into the
game what the plan was.
“We have to execute our three
cornerstones which are defense,
from
Counsel
showdown
F
A
L
C
O
B
N
A
Falcons
S
K
E
T
B
A
L
L
Harvey had five points, two rebounds, one assist and three steals.
A big momentum swing midway through the fourth quarter allowed a 12-2 run which put Good
Counsel at a disadvantage to get
the win. They resorted to shooting long range shots and intentional fouls to come back into the
game but it wasn’t quite enough.
DeMatha’s BeeJay Anya had a
tremendously good game with 17
points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocks.
He was a big presence on the court
and contributed a lot to his team.
Harvey commented on Anya’s performance saying, “He was a dominant force in the paint. He had a great
game, but we should’ve played better. If we play DeMatha again in the
playoffs, I know we can beat them.”
Great effort was shown on both
sides of the court in a long, hard 48
minute battle but DeMatha pulled
out a tough win against the Falcons.
the
rebounding and ball movement,”
said team member Bianca Hood.
Splaine agreed with Hood saying, “We need to improve defensively and on the boards.”
The Lady Falcons executed many
of these necessities in a physical and
challenging contest. The game was
full of ups and downs for both teams
a 33-19 Good Counsel lead. The
second half was a constant battle
with both teams trading baskets and
turnovers. The game was a physical
contest which ended Good Counsel
on top 62 – 47. Although the win
improves an already stellar record
the girls realize they still have a lot
of work to do in order to reach the
including a 5-0 run for Seton followed by an injury to its point guard.
After the injury the Roadrunners
seemed to have lost their spark
and the Falcons clawed back to
end the first quarter with the lead
13-11. The second quarter was
the best defensively and offensively for the Falcons who went on
an 8-0 run early and pulled away.
The Falcon’s adjustments and substitutions made a large difference
this quarter and left the Falcons with
WCAC finals.
Senior leader Gillian Abshire commented, “We played
pretty well but still need more
work on our defense and not giving up fouls,” as well as, “works
on our boxing out and defense.”
Splaine also commented, “At
this level it’s not about drawing
up the perfect play but about who
does the little things the best.”
When it came to Seton, the Falcons did the little things well.
The Talon