Soccer Wins State 2nd Year in a Row

Looking in
on Brother
James,
page 7
Our favorite classic
Nickelodeon
shows,
page 14
Adapting
to St. X’s
climate
zones,
page 6
Avier NEWS
St. Xavier High School
1609 Poplar Level Road, Louisville KY 40217
December 2008
Soccer Wins State 2nd Year in a Row
Photo by Tim Porco
By Kaleb Ball
The 2008 Saint Xavier Tiger Soccer Team had big shoes to fill coming off a state championship in 2007.
They responded to the pressure well
by winning the 2008 KHSAA state
championship.
Throughout the entire season, the
Tiger soccer team distinguished itself
not only as the top team in the state,
but also as one of the best teams in
the country. Starting the season as the
number-one team in Kentucky and the
number-three team in the nation, according to espn.rise.com, things were
sailing smooth.
Other than a slip-up against a
strong Manual soccer team that beat
the Tigers 1–0 during the regular season, St. X had an exemplary year.
“That defeat really put a fire in
our stomachs to get revenge in the
regional game,” said junior defender
Barrett Metzger.
In district play the Tigers beat
Manual 4–0. St. X beat Manual again
2–0 in the regional championship
game.
A 7–2 final against Fort Thomas
Highlands High School in the state final summarized the dominance of the
Tigers this season. The soccer Tigers
outscored opponents 128 to 10 as they
amassed a 22–1 season.
Captain and reigning Mr. Soccer
Kevin Bick led the team with nine assists this season. Tyler Riggs finished
the season as the team’s top scorer
with 18 goals.
“We knew we were one of the better teams in the state at the beginning
of the season, but coach Schulten did a
good job of keeping us focused on our
goal,” Riggs said. “Our team worked
well together and the final result is a
true testament of our hard work.”
Stewart and Keck Receive Ryken Award
During the all-school Mass on and while he resolves their needs, he
Dec. 3 celebrating the feast of St. also sets a fine example to all of our
Francis Xavier, the 2008 Theodore young men that every position in a
James Ryken Award was presented to school is vital to the entire operation.
St. X teacher Mr. Mike Stewart and The relationships he builds with our
St. X maintenance worker Mr. Charlie young men can be lasting and remind
Keck.
In making the awards, St. X
President Dr. Perry Sangalli cited
Keck for “contributing to the life
of the school without fanfare and
without recognition, exemplifying
the life and charism of the Xaverian Brothers. In the nominations for
this year’s Ryken Award, our first
recipient was described as quiet,
patient, humble and willing to do
Dr. Perry Sangalli, Mr. Mike Stewart, Mr.
‘whatever it takes.’ He works tireCharlie
Keck and Br. Edward Driscoll at the
lessly on projects that most of us
presentation
of the 2008 Ryken Award
are not even aware of but that all
of us need for our work here every
day. He has a great connection with us that we are all teachers, mentors
many of our students, year after year. and examples for our students.”
Staff and students turn to him for help,
Sangalli cited Stewart for “his
commitment to educating the whole
person through his participation in the
school’s community of faith and by
nurturing and supporting members of
the community, whether in the classroom, on the field or in administration. He is described as one who
challenges students, raises them
to a higher level and cares deeply about them as people; models
Christian values through his love
for his family and through his caring interactions with students, regardless of their academic level;
encourages students to participate
in extracurricular activities by
moderating two clubs, and to serve
the greater community through
his active involvement with various causes; keeps his faith and his
keen sense of humor through major health-related challenges; and always maintains a positive energy and
attitude in his classroom.”
The soccer Tigers are back-toback state champions and are 47–1–2
over the last two seasons. The dominance the Tiger soccer team has displayed over the past two seasons will
certainly influence future St. X soccer
players for years to come.
Inside
News, 2
On Campus, 3
Opinion, 4
Issues, 5
Student Life, 6
Profile, 7
Christmas, 8–9
Sports 10–12
U of L vs UK, 13
Entertainment, 14
After School 15
Ministry 16
The staff of the Xavier News
wishes everyone a joyous and
blessed Christmas!
NEWS
December 2008
Uganda Book Drive Finch Named Gatorade
Kentucky Football
Exceeds Goal
By Ryan Barnett
It seemed like an impossible goal.
St. X’s Pax Christi Club set out to collect 15,000 books to send to Uganda.
The drive began October 8 and officially ended December 1. As we go to
press, books are still trickling in, but
by last Friday the drive had more than
doubled the original goal by collecting over 30,000 books.
The Pax Christi International Organization is a non-profit Catholic
peace movement. St. X’s Pax Christi
chapter wanted to help rebuild Ugandan schools through the Schools 4
Schools program that is part of the
Invisible Children organization.
This program seeks to help children
in Northern Uganda receive a quality education. The country’s schools
have been destroyed by war. That’s
why St. X, along with other schools
around the country, has been trying to
collect as many books as possible.
“It feels good to help these kids
out that don’t have the resources
that we are blessed with,” said St. X
student Drew Nelson, who donated
books to the cause.
The original St. X goal of 15,000
books was reached on November
4, after St. X collected a dollar for a
“dress down day” for this cause. The
Pax Christi Club spent the money that
was collected at Half Price Books,
where they were able to buy a lot of
books. St. X also received donated
books from Book and Music Exchange, Carmichael’s Bookstore, The
Book Attic, local grade schools and
several Fantastic Sam’s.
“The entire community effort has
been incredible,” said Pax Christi Club
moderator Dr. Sarah Watson. “No one
can ever doubt the good heart of the
St. X community.”
Player of the Year
Rolandan “Deuce” Finch has been named the 2008–09 Gatorade Kentucky
Football Player of the Year. The award recognizes outstanding athletic excellence and high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character on
and off the field. Finch is now a finalist for the Gatorade National Player of the
Year award, which will be announced later this month.
The 5-foot-10, 200-pound senior running back had rushed for 1,319 yards
and 30 touchdowns on 132 carries going into the 6-A semifinal game against
Trinity. Finch has maintained a 3.28 GPA and has volunteered in the community. He is also a member of the Courier-Journal High School Roundtable.
Martin Wins Art Award
Nick Schenk and Alex Naser-Hall packing a few of the books collected for Uganda
St. X Athletes Commit to Colleges
Fine Arts teacher Mrs. Jennifer Martin was presented with the 2008 Studio Award for Drawing at the
Indiana University Southeast Art Show Opening on
Thursday, November 20. Mrs. Martin is completing
coursework in art for her Masters in Secondary Education at IUS. Two of her pieces, a silkscreen print of her
daughter and a pastel still life of childhood toys, were
chosen for entry in the annual Juried Student Art Show,
which runs through January 12 at the Barr Gallery at
IUS.
St. X Dares to Care
Chase Carraro, Maclin Simpson and David Shearn
Three St. X athletes signed national letters of intent on November 12. All-American Chase Carraro
will play lacrosse for University of Denver. He led St.
X to an undefeated season and a state championship,
earning All-State honors. All-American swimmer
Maclin Simpson committed to Ohio State University.
He has been a member of three KHSAA state championship teams. David Shearn, a member of the 2008
KHSAA state championship golf team, will play for
Bellarmine University.
Bryan Ratterman, a member of the 2008 KHSAA
state championship golf team, will also play for Bellarmine University. At the Regional Tournament in
September, Bryan won the individual title.
Responding with their usual generosity, St. X students, faculty and staff donated 2,491
pounds of food in November for the Dare to Care drive.
Seabold and Stairs Make Kentucky All-State Choir
Bryan Ratterman
Senior Matt Seabold and junior Andrew Stairs were recently admitted into
the Kentucky All-State Choir. They will join approximately 400 of the best
singers in Kentucky to produce a concert in the first week of February.
ON CAMPUS
December 2008
Festival of Faiths Needles and Pins
By Matthew Vories
On November 11, Mr. Ben Kresse’s World Religions classes took part
in the Festival of Faiths, which took
place at the Muhammad Ali Center,
downtown. I was lucky to be part
of such a fun and enlightening experience. The Festival started at ten
o’clock with all of us watching a brief
movie on Muhammad Ali’s life and
all that he had to overcome.
The staff there then gave us a general talk and split us up into groups.
There were also students there from
Photo by Matthew Vories
A speaker from Boquina Faso, Africa
spoke about his life
Collegiate, Saint Francis High School,
and Presentation Academy, and we
formed mixed groups with them. It
was good for us to get out of our comfort zone a little and interact with students we did not know so well. Once
we were acclimated to our groups, we
did a scavenger hunt to learn more
facts about Ali. We reconvened and
discussed our findings.
After that our group listened to
a man from Boquina Faso who told
of his fascinating life. He was taken
from his family and raised Catholic
against his will. Even though some
of his stories were strange, they were
funny and entertaining. He told us that
if he could make it where he is today,
then we can do whatever we put our
minds to.
When he was finished telling his
stories, he played an African djembe
drum for us. The whole group was
singing and some were even dancing.
Then a woman taught our class tai
chi. She had all of us meditating as a
group. It calmed all of us and had us
centered. After that we all gathered as
a group for a final time and departed
back to school.
The trip was eye-opening in terms
of how different cultures view religion. I would encourage anyone who
hasn’t experienced something about
other cultures to do so, because it is
such an enlightening and wonderful
experience.
Environmental Club Sponsored Column
Simple Ways to be Environmentally
Responsible at School
By Ryan Eid
There are several simple ways a
student can be more environmentally
friendly in school. Because the student body spends the majority of the
week in school, the impact would be
tremendous if students followed these
five easy steps.
1. Use both sides of notebook
pages. By using both sides of notebook pages, students can use, on average, 50% less paper a year while taking notes in the classroom.
2. Recycle Recyclable Items
at Lunch. While this may seem like
common sense, one would be very
surprised to see the number of empty
PowerAde and soda bottles that get
thrown in the trash rather than recycled. There are multiple red recycle
bins located next to the trashcans in
the cafeteria. Use them!
3. Bring a Refillable Water Bottle to School. Chances are you have
seen such students as Greg Bousamra
and Michael Grantz with their refillable water bottles. Reusing water bottles is a great way to limit the amount
of waste produced and to save money
as well. Reuse water bottles at lunch or
in the gym to reduce trash produced.
4. Use minimum amounts of paper towels. St. X has already taken
steps to reduce the amount of paper
towels used in the school day by installing Xlerator air dryers in several
restrooms in the school. However,
some restrooms on campus still rely
on conventional paper towels to
dry hands. Try to use the minimum
amount of paper towels after washing your hands. Also, using limited
amounts of water when washing your
hands can reduce the amount of water
used at St. X. Students can do this by
shutting off water between lathering
and rinsing periods.
5. Use Mechanical Pencils. Unlike standard wood pencils, mechanical pencils can be used and reused
by inserting lead into the cap of the
pencil. Using mechanical pencils will
also reduce the wood needed to make
standard pencils. For students familiar
with standardized tests, testing agencies discourage the use of mechanical
pencils on Scantron-style tests in fear
that the lead used will not be #2 lead.
However, the vast majority of refillable lead is #2 lead, and I personally
have used a mechanical pencil on an
ACT with no problems.
Mrs. Hamilton Demonstrates
Acupuncture to Students
By Max Miller
It’s a great stress reducer, it works
well with most injuries and medical
conditions, and there is no medication
involved. Acupuncture is great for alcohol and drug addicts because it can
eliminate detox symptoms.
One or two students from each of
Mr. Huelsman’s classes volunteered
to try acupuncture.
“The needles did not hurt going in,” Ising said. “The acupuncture
made me extremely tired and made
my legs feel heavy. But there was no
pain involved.”
If you would like to try acupuncture, you can find a place online.
Acupuncture is worth a shot because
its effects can be greatly beneficial.
However, don’t be disappointed if
this treatment does not work for you,
because it doesn’t work on everybody
to the same degree.
Senior Garrett Ising sat back
and tried to stay calm as St. X nurse
Mrs. Anna Hamilton began sticking
needles in his ears. While Mr. Alan
Huelsman’s World Religions class
watched in awe, five needles were
placed in his ears, and he was told to
sit back and relax.
The class was witnessing a demonstration in acupuncture, which
originated in China over 3,000 years
ago. This type of therapy involves the
insertion of fine needles in specific
parts of the body. Each needle stimulates a nerve directed to a particular
internal organ and/or bodily function.
Acupuncture can be used to cure nearly all types of illness, from headaches
to foot pains.
Mrs. Hamilton has
been a licensed acupuncturist since 1995.
As she explained, “The
insertion of the needles
allows the body the
ability to rid itself of
negative energy so that
the body’s own immune system can help
heal itself when given
the chance.”
According to Mrs.
Hamilton, the positives of acupuncture
Mrs. Hamilton inserts acupuncture needles in Garrett
Ising’s ears
include the following:
Struggles at St. X
Advice to those trying to make sense of high school
By Jack Hewett
Q. As a student, athlete, son,
brother and boyfriend, I often find
myself looking for time to complete
my daily tasks. After practice I
must find time to shower, eat dinner, catch my nightly episode of
SportsCenter, talk to my chatterbox
girlfriend, and most importantly
finish my homework. How can I
possibly find time to do all of this?
A. I know exactly how you feel.
Our lives can become so hectic that we
are left with no time for ourselves and
the things we enjoy. This is why we
must set our priorities. We must have
a numbered list of the things most important to us. I know your girlfriend,
SportsCenter, and Facebook-browsing is important, but homework and
studying should be on the top of your
list. Your girlfriend can always wait a
night, but eventually your homework
grades will catch up to you. Set up
your priorities and go from there.
Q. I was told that a major advantage of an all-boys school is that
you don’t have to be concerned
about your appearance because
girls are not present. So I take the
minimal amount of time to get ready
in the morning in order to arrive at
homeroom in time. Yet, I am always
asked by teachers to button my top
button, tuck my shirt in, pull up my
pants and get a haircut. Is this still
the same school where you don’t
have to fret about your appearance
in front of your peers?
A. How much time do you think
would be required for you to look appropriate by your teacher’s standards?
How much effort would it take to keep
your shirt tucked in all day? I guarantee that if girls attended St. X, you
would be sure to put on your deodorant, apply your babe-magnet cologne,
and look your sharpest every day. I
recommend that you take the extra effort to keep yourself in line and you
won’t find yourself standing in JUG
after school.
OPINION
December 2008
Superior or Superfluous?
It’s more difficult to get an A at St. X than at other local schools
By Nicholas Hemming
Given the current skyrocketing
tuition of Saint Xavier, our parents
expect us to work hard, put school
at the top of our list of priorities and
make near-perfect grades. Why else
would they spend hefty sums of money to send us here when we could go
to a public school for free? The reason
lies in the quality education. There is
no question that St. X has a superior
program, consisting of extraordinary
brotherhood, dynamite athletics and,
most importantly, first-class academics.
But given our great reputation
for superlative academics, why is our
grading system so odd? For example,
what is the purpose of the .5 point system? I can’t tell you how many times
I have heard students complaining
about how they missed getting an A
by less than half a point (myself being one of them). In order to obtain an
A here, you must receive a 91.5%. To
put it into simpler terms, consider this:
in order to receive an A on a 10-point
quiz, you must get 9.15 out of 10. This
means that the only way to receive an
A is to not miss a single point!
Has it always been this difficult to
get an A? “It [the grading system] had
to be redone in the early nineties because the feeling was that the range of
90–100 was too wide for an A,” said
Principal Brother Edward Driscoll.
“Schools that demanded academic
rigor demanded a 94–100. St. X settled on 92–100, which I think does require some rigor given the addition of
the way our teachers grade.”
Another issue that arises from
our anomalous grading system is the
lack of a B–. It’s almost as if someone
cruelly came in and pilfered it at the
sake of many a helpless student trying
to stay out of the C range. Is there a
legitimate problem in inserting a B–
into our grading system?
“I think there is a problem with
the B range,” Driscoll concurs. “And
I do agree that we need to seek a solution.”
The GPA is based solely off of
letter grades. Therefore, students at
other schools at which a 90 is an A,
such as Trinity High School or Mercy
Academy, are at an advantage. However, Brother Ed assures us that we
are in no danger.
“Colleges know who we are,”
Brother Ed said. For example, if a
student with a 2.88 GPA sends a transcript to a college, the college will see
that he goes to St. X and will know
the degree of rigor the GPA represents. What they really look at are the
courses the student has taken.
The real issue involves what we
send to colleges. Do the colleges see
our numerical grades or the letter
grades?
Our counselors send the colleges
we apply to our profile, which consists of our SAT/ACT scores as well
as our letter grades and the schedules
of our classes from freshman year to
senior year. Although our letter grades
are in the profile, our counselors send
an additional information sheet that
includes such things as school facts,
a program of studies and, most importantly, a key indicating the grading
system at St. X.
“We are known as a high achieving school,” explained Ms. Carrie
Foster, college counselor for St. X seniors. “Local schools such as Dayton,
Bellarmine, Kentucky and Vanderbilt
already know who we are.”
Beyond simply sending our grades
and a list of the courses we are taking,
our counselors also send the schools
a list of courses we could possibly be
taking. “This shows the colleges that
you are not slacking in your studies,”
added Foster.
Keeping in mind the fact that
colleges ultimately receive both our
letter and numerical grades, the only
real harm in our unique grading system is parental punishment. However,
the advantage to such a difficult point
system seems to have waned. With our
nation in the critical financial shape it
is in, parents are struggling to make
the extremely pricey tuition payments. In return for their investment,
they expect their sons to gain a topnotch education and have something
to show for it. They demand perfection, or at least all A’s and B’s.
Keeping this in mind, why does
St. X have to make it so complicated
to do so? If a 90% qualified as an A,
where’s the harm? The same can be
said for adding a B– to the system instead of skipping directly from a B to
a C+. It is understood that St. X strives
for academic pre-eminence, but what
is the genuine harm in making it a little less difficult to do so?
Casual Dress for Midterms and Finals
By Sam Nicholson
Have you ever heard the expression “dress for success,” or how about
“you’re only as comfortable as the
clothes you’re in”? In recent years,
new findings have been validating
these old sayings. And local institutions such as Sacred Heart Academy,
Trinity High School and Assumption
High School are taking advantage of
these discoveries by allowing their
students to take midterms and finals
in casual dress. So why isn’t St. X?
From the students’ perspective
it makes perfect sense for several
reasons. First and foremost is the increased comfort level inside a testtaking environment. As senior Ian
XAvier
NEWS
Xavier News is the student newspaper of Saint Xavier High School,
1609 Poplar Level Road, Louisville
KY 40217. Web: www.saintx.com
Busche puts it, “People perform better when they’re comfortable. Take
the ACT, for example, they don’t put
restrictions on what test-takers wear
for a reason.”
Second is conserving time and
energy. On average it takes a St. X
student five minutes to dress to St. X
standards. This is time that could be
well spent memorizing the last few
SAT vocab words for Mr. Yochum’s
midterm or reviewing notes for Mr.
Saurer’s Algebra II midterm.
Also, it does not make sense to
get up in the morning, take off your
sweatpants, throw on a shirt, tie and
khakis, go take a test for a couple of
hours, and then return home and put
on those same sweatpants you had
on just two hours earlier. It would be
Editor-in-Chief
Nicholas Hemming
Managing Editor
Chase Carraro
Opinion Editor
Mark Bryan
E-mail: [email protected]
Issues Editor
Sam Nicholson
All contents copyright © 2008
by Saint Xavier High School. All
rights reserved.
Features Editors
Zach Kamber
Jake Meredith
much more efficient to be allowed to
wear the same outfit all day.
With all of this said, it is hard to
see why the administration would oppose the idea. According to Brother
Ed, the idea has never actually been
proposed. If it were, his main concern
would be separating “casual dress”
from “spirit days,” which are aimed at
recognizing school achievements.
The simple solution to this is already in place. On spirit days, we
wear St. X sponsored shirts only. On
casual dress days, students should be
allowed to wear sweat pants, tennis
shoes and their choice of a shirt and/or
sweatshirt.
Another concern of Brother Ed’s
is that studies have shown that clothes
have an impact on the learning envi-
Staff
Sports Editor
Rolandan Finch
Arts and Leisure Editor
Chris Cox
News Editor
Jeff Franklin
Photo Editor
Ryan Burch
Layout and Design
Tony Williams
Faculty Advisor
Rick Mattingly
ronment. To address this concern, I
suggest that St. X take the initiative to
do its own study on the matter. When
all is said and done, anything can be
reversed, and the administration can
revoke casual dress for exams as easily as they can grant it.
In conclusion, I would like to
urge the SAC to formally propose casual dress for the midterm and final
exams of the 2008/2009 school year.
I believe this will create a more comfortable environment for individual
test-takers. While comfort will not
take you from a C to an A, it will cut
down on test-taking anxiety that most
students, unknowingly, suffer from.
At St. X it is stressed that if a certain
measure can benefit just one student,
it is worth it. So let’s take it!
Letters to the Editor
Xavier News is interested in your
opinion and response to articles. Please
observe these guidelines:
1. The newspaper reserves the right
to edit material.
2. Letters must not be libelous, obscene or defamatory.
3. Letters should concentrate on issues affecting the entire school.
4. Name and student number must
accompany the letter.
Letters may be sent to Xnews@
saintx.com
ISSUES
December 2008
Too Much Homework?
By Rolandan Finch
How much homework is considered too much? Almost every student
at St. X gets homework every night.
Some teachers overload us with homework, and it makes all of us wonder if
is it too much. When we are up until
midnight we know that we are getting
way too much homework.
Experts have both agreed and disagreed with the idea that homework
is good. But most studies say that too
much homework can be counter-productive for students at all levels.
A study by the Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED) found
that girls tend to spend more time on
homework than boys. St. X is an allboy’s school; therefore, homework
becomes frustrating and we give up.
I think we should get more time to do
homework in class; that way we can
go home and study the subject more
rather than just do the homework.
David P. Baker, a professor of
education at Pennsylvania State University, says that homework does little
to improve a student’s academic abilities. He also feels that homework is
doing more bad than good. Around
1900, homework was actually banned
in certain areas because they said that
it was child labor.
Some researchers have come up
with something they call the 10-Minute Rule. The rule states that whatever
After about two
hours of homework,
kids really don’t get
anything out of it.
grade a student is in should be multiplied by ten, and that is the number of
minutes that a typical student in that
grade should spend on homework. For
example, a ninth-grade student should
spend 90 minutes on homework.
Duke University professor Harris
Cooper said that this is a good tactic,
noting that after about two hours of
homework, kids really don’t get anything out of it. Many other researchers disagreed with the 10-Minute Rule
and said that after going through a
seven-hour school day, kids should be
left to just study on their own.
Scientists Jean Piaget and Lev
Vygotsky found that in order to gain
new knowledge we must add to old
knowledge. They said that when kids
are overloaded with homework they
are less likely to finish it all, and if
they don’t understand, they will stop
all together.
These two tested students who
did homework and students who had
an in-class activity instead of homework. The kids who performed the
in-class activity did far better than the
kids who were given homework. This
supports the idea that we should do inclass assignments rather than have a
lot of homework.
Here at Saint Xavier, if each
teacher limited homework to assignments that took no longer than 15
minutes per day, then even if a student
had homework in seven subjects he
could get it done in under two hours.
Still, in-class assignments where students can ask questions on the spot
and figure out the answer seems to be
the best solution.
The Camo Controversy
that students aren’t getting into trouble or representing St. X in a negative
way.
St. X has already produced a short
Many remember the night of Ocdiscussion segment during WSTX
tober 1. Some remember it for the
at the beginning of the school year
amazing, although one-sided, soccer
that talked about good sportsmangame between St. X and Trinity, in
ship, such as cheering for St. X and
which St. X easily handled Trinity
not against the opponent. Brother Ed
4–0. However, others remember the
brought up the example of the “Gold
night for drastically different reasons.
Rush” theme, saying that the theme
Camo-Night might not stand out to
“concentrated more on St. X than the
many in the St. X community, but
other team.”
the actions and responses by both the
This is one of the major issues that
students and the faculty might have
the administration has with themes;
a major effect on theme nights in the
they need to show our school pride
future.
more than anything else. The UniverTheme nights were put under a
sity of Louisville had its own “Black
microscope this year after one speOut” game that was quite a hit because
cific theme was deemed unfavorable
it allowed
after the fact. For the
One
poorly
chosen
theme
should
not
cause
the students
PRP baseball game last
spring, the students de- the administration to think that every theme to come out
and show
cided to have a “Redis
in
some
way
making
fun
of
another
school
their school
neck Night.”
or another group of people.
spirit while
I realize that stualso displaydents went too far on
ing
their
school
pride
by
wearing
their
the
themes
they
suggest
should
show
one end of the spectrum by using an
inappropriate theme; however, the ad- their passion and school spirit. So for school colors. However, I don’t think
ministration should not make an ex- all those students who think they have that many St. X students will be as
ample out of the whole student body, great ideas for themes, notify SAC to upbeat about wearing basically their
spirit day uniforms when they are tryespecially considering that most of get your ideas heard.
However, to get themes passed, ing to have fun and be creative.
the people involved were seniors last
This is a major question that is
SAC needs to inform the administrayear and have since graduated.
One poorly chosen theme should tion prior to the day of the game so going to have to be addressed in the
not cause the administration to think that the theme night can get approved. near future. But what is pivotal is that
that every theme is in some way mak- This was the main reason for the cam- there needs to be a common ground
ing fun of another school or another ouflage theme being banned. The met at by the students as well as the
administration might have appeared faculty. Nothing good can come out of
group of people.
Camo-Night was not intended to to be overly strict, but they just want this discussion if one side or the other
make fun of anyone. If anything, it what is best for the school as well as displays stubbornness to the other’s
was a way to support the troops while the students. They want to make sure point of view.
By Mark Bryan
also showing our school spirit and
creativity. I tried to be a devil’s advocate and think of ways people could
misconstrue camouflage as a way of
making fun of Trinity or some other
group of people, but I came up with
nothing.
Theme nights have been a way for
St. X students to break from the ultra-conservative attire they don during
the school day. The outfits bring out
the personalities of the students that
are held in during the school day.
St. X Principal Brother Edward
Driscoll feels that theme nights are
positive experiences “as long as they
are in good taste.” He feels that the
Student Activities Council should
be the voice of the students, and that
What
Happened
to the
WSTX
Clips?
By Chase Carraro
Do you remember the days when
a humorous clip would be featured at
the end of two or three WSTX broadcasts a week? This year there have
been almost no clips. This is hard to
imagine because just last year many
students and faculty looked forward
to “The Office Mondays” and “Family
Guy Fridays.”
“Family Guy Fridays were
straight,” exclaimed senior Roy
Brown. “I’m always so tired during
WSTX announcements, but I was always up to watch some Family Guy.”
The popular T.V. show The Office, which had a clip featured on
Mondays of last year, may have been
even more popular with the school.
“I always have a case of the Mondays,” senior Eric Bivins said. “But
when they started showing clips of my
Last year many
students and faculty
looked forward to “The
Office Mondays” and
“Family Guy Fridays.”
favorite show, it changed my life.”
So where did the clips go?
WSTX coordinator Mr. Brian
Mitchell said that WSTX discontinued clips primarily because appropriate clips were hard to find. He also
mentioned that clips are something
that he and the WSTX staff would
have to find on their own time, so that
was also making it difficult to show
them weekly.
A solution to the problem could
be jumping off of the theme train and
simply showing funny clips whether
they are from the Internet, movies or
a TV show.
“It’s a great idea for WSTX to play
random clips instead of themes,” said
senior Craig Thomas. “Then you’ll
just never know what you’re gonna
get or what clip you’ll see next.”
Whatever the reason, WSTX clips
are sorely missed by many students
and faculty members. Maybe WSTX
could assign a position as “clip finder”
or ask students outside of their staff to
bring in clips.
But I know I speak for a majority
of the St. X student body when I say,
“Bring the clips back!”
STUDENT LIFE
December 2008
Surviving the St. X Climate Zones
How do you dress for school when one classroom is frigid and another has tropical heat?
Photo illustration by Ryan F. Burch
By John Reagan
To anyone who has spent at least
one day at St. X, it is evident that
the temperature fluctuates greatly
throughout the school. It is not uncommon to start the day in a classroom with subzero temperatures only
to go to your next class where it feels
like the sun has taken up residence in
the back of the room. Here are some
places in the school to watch out for
and some tips to help you survive the
year.
Cafeteria
With all of the students crammed
into this area and the heat produced
from the cooking, the temperature in
the cafeteria is always set very low.
“Every day I get something hot to
eat,” says senior Rudy Recktenwald,
“but by the time I get back to my seat
my sandwich has ice forming on it
and my drink is frozen solid. It’s a serious problem.” One solution to this
problem is to map out routes to and
from the lunch line that do not pass by
the vents, so you can keep your food
from flash freezing.
Flaget Hall
When stepping into Flaget Hall
one feels like he has passed through
a portal to the North Pole. The rooms
on both floors of this building are always at subzero temperatures. Sitting
Flaget Hall
for 45 minutes in these conditions can
be harmful to your health. To overcome this problem it is recommended
that you wear at least a sweater, but to
ensure protection as well as comfort it
is also wise to wear a long-sleeve shirt
under your dress shirt.
Bottom of the T
Across from Flaget Hall there are
several classrooms that have a very
different climate zone. The English
rooms on the bottom floor and some
of the Spanish rooms on the second
floor are located in a tropical zone.
“Sometimes I feel like I’m going to
Fives On My Seat
is up for grabs. Finally, and most imBy Ryan Burch
portant, make sure someone hears you
say “Fives.” If no one hears you, then
Have you ever wanted to go grab you have no proof of ever claiming
something from the Tiger Den in the Fives on your seat and cannot argue
middle of your lunch, but you could when your seat is taken.
not afford to lose your seat? Looking
“As a big guy, I always make sure
around the cafeteria, you see a num- I have a seat,” commented senior Jusber of people just waiting for you to tin Nagler. “Now that I call Fives, I
get up. You know that the instant you never have to worry about my seat bemove, your seat will belong to some- ing taken.”
one else. There is only one way to
Some people even take the Fives
make sure you do not become a vic- Rule to the next level. It is not untim of this horrid
common to hear,
The Fives Rule gives you “Fives, no chalcrime.
The
Fives a five-minute time period lenge.” When “no
in which you can leave challenge” is addRule is very simyour
seat and no one is ed onto the end, it
ple and gives a
allowed to take it.
window of time
ensures that your
for you to leave
seat is safe. If you
your seat without having to worry do not call “no challenge,” then after
about it being taken. When you want you get up you are vulnerable to be
to get up without losing your seat, challenged for your seat. A challenge
there is an easy solution.
includes a best-of-three game of PaFirst, before you move from your per, Rock, Scissors. The winner of
seat you must say, “Fives on my seat,” this is the new owner of that seat.
or just “Fives.” This gives you a fiveThe moral of the story here is that
minute time period in which you can if you do not want to lose your seat,
leave your seat and no one is allowed simply call Fives. It prevents much
to take it. Next, you must return with- bickering and hostility among friends.
in the next five minutes or your chair Do the right thing: call Fives.
have a heat stroke and die,” said senior Matt McGee about taking classes
in these rooms. “And that would have
a seriously negative effect on my
school work.”
In an attempt to counteract these
conditions, some find it helpful to
wear a short-sleeve shirt made of light
material. However, with the freezing
environments waiting for you elsewhere in the school, it is a smart idea
to keep a sweater in your locker. If you
do not have a sweater, a long-sleeve
shirt made of heavy material will do.
This way you can roll up the sleeves
in the hot zones and lengthen them in
the arctic climates.
Overpass
This is arguably the worst environment on St. X’s property. With
temperatures ranging from heat so intense it could fry an egg, to cold so severe that it is the only place known to
man to reach absolute zero, students
must take extreme caution when making the trek through this pass. The heat
gets so intense in there sometimes that
it is rumored that a student once tried
to pass through and was vaporized in
the process (no such happening has
been confirmed or denied by the administration). Sadly, the only recommendation I can give is to stay clear
of the second-story overpass because
any gear needed to survive the journey
is forbidden by the St. X dress code.
The going can get rough in confines of this school but do not lose
faith. In order to survive you must
adapt to the changing climates and
know the area you are going into. In
the worst of times, look to your brothers for support and overcome the
situation. For like the great Winston
Churchill once said, “Victory at all
costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road
may be; for without victory there is
no survival.” Use these tips to your
advantage, St. X, and you too can be
victorious over the ever-changing environment of this school.
Tutors Ease
the Pain
Does the thought of your parents checking Edline keep you awake at night? Relax,
there’s an easy solution.
By Anthony Marti
If you find yourself struggling in
a difficult class, don’t rush to schedule a meeting with Mr. Spohn or Mr.
White to drop a class right away;
there’s still hope. There are people on
campus who want to help you; these
people are called tutors.
Working with a tutor is a great
way to get that edge in catching up
with any class. From pre-calculus
to Chinese, there is a tutor for every
subject offered at St. X. All you have
to do is schedule a meeting with your
counselor and tell him or her which
class you are struggling with.
“Getting a tutor is so simple,”
comments senior Chris Yared, “It’s
like finding the answer to the Riemann hypothesis. I mean, a caveman
could do it.”
Your counselor will most likely
try to find you a tutor you already
know; this allows for you to get past
the greetings and dive right into your
textbook. But if you’re not familiar
with any of the tutors listed, your
counselor can always assign you to
one you are not acquainted with.
The best part is that you and your
new tutor will work out a schedule
that works for both of you. After you
have your schedule down, you and
your tutor can meet in the Guidance
Office, which is a quiet place for you
to concentrate on your subject. Student tutors are free because they get
service hours for helping you, so it’s a
win-win situation for everyone.
Some people think that getting
tutored is not cool, but it doesn’t matter what people say about getting tutored because it takes a smart person
to realize that he needs some help and
a responsible man to actually go do
something about it.
PROFILE
December 2008
A Telescopic View of
Brother James
By Ryan Eid
As a student at St. X, chances are
you have come in contact with Brother James. You may have had him as
a substitute teacher or witnessed him
in his neat white hat keeping the campus tidy. Wherever they encounter
him, students enjoy spending time
with Brother James. As a substitute,
Brother James is always willing to offer brain teasers, such as the infamous
ladder problem—an advanced mathematical problem involving concepts
of trig and calculus.
Originally from Somerville, Massachusetts, Brother James has taught
at seven Xavarian sponsored schools,
from Brooklyn, New York to Los Angles, California. I had the privilege to
interview Brother James and to learn
more about who he is.
one played every sport.
How does Saint Xavier measure
up to the seven other Xavarian schools
you have spent time at?
Well, that’s an easy question. St.
X is far away above them all. It’s extraordinary here. It has a fabulous administration, a great faculty, and the
students are really wonderful people.
What subjects did you teach when
the motion of planets and where they
will be in the future and what determines their motion and all that sort of
thing. It’s a mathematical approach to
the movement of the planets.
Have you ever seen any rare astronomical sight in your lifetime?
I’ve seen the northern lights, the
aurora borealis. It was really spectacular. It was a cold night in the far
north, there was no moon and the sky
them something about the universe,
and that is interesting, but I don’t see
anything spectacular happening.
Where have you been in your
travels?
When I was in California teaching high school, for the first time in
my life I was earning a salary, so I
would save up my nickels and dimes
to travel in the summertime. I had the
opportunity to travel to quite a few
When did you become a Brother
and what made you choose religious
life?
I had two uncles who were Xavarian Brothers; one was Brother Gilbert,
the other was Brother Samuel. So the
Xavarian Brothers were always a part
of our family. When I was a freshman
in high school I went to what was
called a Junior Aid, a high school for
Brothers. I spent my last three years
of high school at St. Joseph’s Junior
Aid.
So you knew in high school that
you wanted to be a Brother?
I was ready to try it out, but I really didn’t know. It wasn’t written in
stone when I went that I was going to
become a Brother. Only 50% [of the
kids] last. The others decide when
they grow up that it is not for them.
What made you decide during
your time at St. Joseph’s that you indeed wanted to become a Brother?
I think it was because of my family connection with the Brothers, and
I had the Brothers in 6th, 7th and 8th
grade. I admired these people and
their way of life, what they did, and it
seemed to be a happy existence.
What extracurriculars were you
involved with in high school?
Lucky for me I went to a high
school where everyone played every
sport. There was no such thing as not
playing a sport. There were only 65
boys in the high school, so in the fall
we played football, in the winter we
played basketball and in the spring we
played baseball. So yes, I played all
those sports, but that’s because every-
you were a teacher?
Well, in the old days, you taught
everything. I don’t know any Greek;
I’ve never taught Greek [laughs]. I’ve
taught physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology and modern European history. I even taught Latin, but not very
much because my field is very much
scientific. I’ve concentrated in that.
I’ve had you as a substitute numerous times, and I see you subbing a
lot. Has anyone ever solved the ladder
problem?
One boy came very close but
he didn’t give me his data. He asked
me if the answer was correct, but he
didn’t have it correct to the degree of
accuracy I asked for. Although I did
not think I was being too strict.
I see you with your telescope
sometimes. What interests you about
astrology or astronomy?
Not astrology, celestial mechanics. I’m not a believer in astrology at
all. I don’t think the stars determine
our fate, but I enjoy celestial mechanics. I like to play Galileo—studying
was just filled with stars, and I witnessed the aurora. That is something
you can’t describe in words; it’s just
magnificent to see it.
In 1969 we landed on the moon.
What was your reaction to it?
I didn’t get too excited about it.
I mean, you knew they were going to
go there; they were talking about it
for a couple years before it ever happened. So I was curious and it was interesting, but I don’t think I jumped
up and down like the people at the
NASA space center did. They were
screaming and shouting and lighting
their cigars. I didn’t feel that way.
President Bush set a goal to land
on planet Mars in 2020. What are
your feelings about this?
Well, Mars is very cold. I don’t
think there is any doubt that there is
no life, as we know it, on Mars. I think
we could go to Mars, and it should be
an interesting trip, and we would learn
a lot about it, but I don’t think they will
find anything extraordinary. I think
the chemical composition will tell
places. I’ve been to Italy, Turkey,
Egypt, Greece, England and France.
One time I bought an old car for
$64—I tore the insides out and put a
plywood plank on the inside with a
thin mattress and sleeping bag—and
I traveled through Newfoundland and
the North. I slept in my car and lived
on peanuts and bread, and it didn’t
cost me anything! That was a fun trip
because it felt like you were going
somewhere no one has ever gone before.
What’s your opinion on Project X
and all the construction on campus?
I think it’s fabulous. Each day I
go out there and I’m really impressed
by the layout and the job the architect
did, and it is just beyond my imagination.
We have no school in the world
that the alumni has given so much to
make a showcase. That’s why I decided to retire here in Louisville. I
like the people, I like St. X, I like the
students, I like the school, I think the
alumni are fabulous.
It’s a joy; I really enjoy it here.
8
MERRY CH
December
Christmas on TV
By Josh Lord
Among the many traditions of the
Holiday Season are the annual Christmas specials and episodes of classic TV
shows. Even though these shows are
available on DVD, they still bring the
networks great ratings. Here are some
classics to look forward to during the upcoming holidays.
A Charlie Brown
Christmas has been
on since 1965. It follows the story of the
unpopular
Charlie
Brown directing the
Christmas play and
forgetting about what
Christmas means. At
the end, Linus gives a
speech that will give
you goose bumps.
The special will air
on ABC sometime
around Christmas.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is
another classic TV special that debuted
in 1964. The special follows another
misfit, Rudolph, who is ashamed of his
red nose. Rudolph and his elf friend
Hermes, who wants to be a dentist, are
caught running away from the Bumble.
The episode will air about a week or two
before Christmas on CBS.
Trashy v
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
has been shown since 1966 and follows
the plot of the evil Grinch’s attempt to
steal Christmas from the Who’s. He
steals the gifts but realizes that he is doing the wrong thing, so his heart grows
three times its normal size. The episode
will air on TBS a couple of times as well
as on ABC and ABC Family.
The “escape from
Christmas” episode
is the Seinfeld classic
about Festivus, “the
holiday for the rest
of us.” The episode
features great situations like Kramer going back to work after
years on strike, as well
as George running
away from Festivus.
The episode airs on
TBS typically on December 23, Festivus
Day.
So what can you
watch on Christmas
day to get away from seasonal shows?
Well, five NBA games will air throughout the day, beginning at noon and going
straight through the day. It will feature
matchups like San Antonio-Phoenix and
Boston-Los Angeles Lakers.
So whether you are looking to get
into the holiday spirit or get away from
it, there are many options for both.
Everybody’s favorite holiday season
is finally here. This season of cheer has
been anxiously waiting to capture its annual spotlight as Christmas decorations
explode into almost every store. These
decorations have found their way to the
homes of thousands of local Christmas
lovers, turning any dull house into a
winter wonderland.
One can react to these remodeled
houses with a statement such as, “Wow,
that’s beautiful” or a question such as,
“What were they thinking?” I’m here to
tell you exactly what type of house receives which reaction.
The most important component of
any Christmas-decoration-clad home is
definitely the lights. Choosing between
the classic string type or modern weblike lights is meaningless, because each
kind gets the job done perfectly.
On the other hand, choosing where
to place these lights can potentially
cause a problem. Stick to the trees and
bushes. Line the roof with a nice set of
icicle lights for a final touch, but don’t
go any further. Placing lights anywhere
and everywhere else comes off as overly abundant. No one likes living next
ter needs to bring down an arms dealer
named “The Jackal,” who is selling arms
to two different factions of a civil war in
an African nation. You must bring The
Jackal down so that the warring factions
won’t be
able
to
fight any
more.
T h e
g a m e
features
many different locales and
beautiful
scenery
as well as
powerful
guns and
big explosions. The game was released
on October 21 for PC, Playstation 3 and
Xbox 360 and sells for about $60.
Another good game is Gears of War
2. This game begins six months after the
detonation of the Lightmass Bomb at
the end of Gears of War. The bomb destroyed most of the Locust hordes, but
after two cities collapse into the ground,
the COG believe that the Locusts have
returned. The main objective of the
story is to defend Jacinto Plateau, and
to do that you must fight an all-out war
against the Locusts. The game features
the third-person over-the-shoulder point
of view, amazing graphics, audio that
will blow your speakers out, the classic
chainsaw and an upgraded multiplayer
mode. Gears of War 2 was released on
October 26 exclusively for Xbox 360
and retails for about $60.
Fallout 3 is first-person shooter that
is set in the year 2277. It is about a man
who needs to search for his father who
ventures out into a post-apocalyptic
world for an unknown reason. Something that sets this game apart from other games is that Fallout 3 involves item
decay. The longer you hold your weapons and items, the more they will wear
and eventually become useless. Another unique feature is that you can create your own weapons or modify them
drastically. This adds a unique experience because you have the potential of
creating a great weapon that will protect
you and your allies from all enemies.
The game was released on October 28
for Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and PC and
costs about $60.
With these games already on the
market, this Christmas cannot go wrong.
Any of these games are sure to fill your
holiday season with happiness. Do not
let the somewhat steep prices deter you
from enjoying the pixilated exhilaration
that these games provide. Just remember to ask your parents nicely.
Is your house the neighborhood showplace a
By Jake Meredith
door to the Griswolds from National
Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
Next up is choosing whether to use
multi-colored or white lights. Choosing all-white lights gives off that “pure”
Christmas vibe, while choosing all
multi-colored lights gives off a vibe of
fun Christmas spirit. Mixing white and
colored lights is acceptable, but only to
Top Games for Christmas Top (an
By Alex Pierce
Every year, kids around the world
are faced with a difficult question: what
should I ask my parents to give me for
Christmas? Well, look no further, because here is the definitive and complete guide to the must-have games this
holiday season.
The first game you need to consider
asking for is Guitar Hero: World Tour.
This game came out on October 26 and
is for Xbox 360, Playstation 2, Playstation 3 and Wii. This new version of the
popular Guitar Hero series now features
a 3/4 size guitar with a touchpad below
the normal fret buttons for slide riffs or
even solos. The game also includes a
drumset and a microphone for a more
realistic band experience. The drums
are a little bit more realistic than Rock
Band’s drumset because Guitar Hero’s
drumset has two raised pads that are exclusively for cymbals, just like a normal
drumset. The game also features an excellent multiplayer mode and also has
a new create-a-song feature that allows
you to bring any song you have in your
head to fruition. Guitar Hero: World
Tour costs about $200 for the entire
band bundle package.
The next game is Far Cry 2. This
game is set in Africa and your charac-
By T. J. Walker
With Christmas right around the
corner, I am sure at your house, parties,
or cruising in your car you have already
heard a plethora of Christmas songs.
Some are good, some are bad, but what
are the five best and worst holiday
songs? I have done my research to compile my top five and bottom five Christmas songs of all time, starting with the
worst.
THE BOTTOM 5
5. “Jingle Bells”
Many of you might say this is a
classic, and it is, but it is easily the most
over-played and over-sung Christmas
song in the world, probably because it
is the easiest. In fact, this song is too
simple. Plus jingle bells are outdated.
4. “Here Comes Santa Claus”
This song baffles me; some of the
lyrics just leave me guessing. First off,
where is Santa Claus Lane? Once you
get in bed, why do you have to cover
your head? About every 15 seconds you
hear “here comes Santa Claus,” which
is a bit much. This song sends a good
message and is full of Christmas cheer,
but it’s obnoxious.
3. “Feliz Navidad”
A beautiful snow-white Christmas
HRISTMAS!
r 2008
vs Classy
at Christmas or its biggest embarrassment?
an extent. Three or four bushes shining
brightly with white lights can be complemented by two or three trees glowing
with multiple colors.
It is never all right to combine both
multi-colored and white lights on one
object. If a house is to be taken seriously, each tree or bush must be one or
the other.
Almost as important as the lights
are the various trinkets associated with
Christmas time. One can never go
wrong with wreaths, bows, mistletoe or
reasonably sized wooden or plastic replicas of snowmen, Santa and reindeer.
Tying red bows around trees and placing a wreath on every visible window
shows a respectable care for the season.
Small figurines of cherished Christmas
mascots and some mistletoe hanging
from the doorway almost always draws
a smile.
Having gigantic blowup snow
globes or Santas is just too much. Oversized nativity scenes equipped with
spotlights oftentimes raise eyebrows.
These humongous decorations are better
shrunken down to their normal size and
kept inside a house where they belong.
Christmas is a very special season
that results in many special emotions. If
you keep these emotions in mind while
decorating your house, you can’t go
wrong. Getting caught up in the commercial aspects of Christmas causes us
to forget what it’s really all about and
become sloppy with our decorations.
Bigger is not always better, and more is
not always merrier. Stick to decorating
the way you feel Christmas should be
perceived.
9
The Top Five
Christmas Movies
By Brennan Lockhart
When you think about Christmas,
some specific things come to mind:
food, presents and snow days. However, as a movie connoisseur, I find that
Christmas is also a time for great movies. So, as we approach the holiday season, I think we should take a look at my
top five Christmas movies of all time.
5. Starting off the list is the remake
of How the Grinch Stole Christmas
starring Jim Carrey. The Grinch is an
outcast living on the outskirts of Whoville. As the Grinch tries to destroy
Christmas, he is suddenly changed by
the people of Whoville, especially Cindy Lu-Who, and he learns to love all
things Christmas. This is a movie with
a message!
4. Coming in at number four is The
Santa Clause starring Tim Allen. Allen
plays a man named Scott Calvin. Scott
is a non-believer but soon must change
his ways when Santa falls off of his roof
and Scott must take over the reins for
Santa. Scott is certain it is a dream until
he begins to really look the part: his hair
turns white, including a new beard, and
he gains weight extremely fast. This is
one of the funnier Christmas movies of
all time.
3. Number three goes to the leg-
endary tale of Ralphie in A Christmas
Story. The movie is seen through the
eyes of a young Ralphie and his neverending campaign with his parents to get
the Red Ryder, carbine action, 200-shot,
range model BB gun. His parents tease
him with the old, “No, you’ll shoot your
eye out” line, but Ralphie isn’t buying
it. He eventually gets his wish and even
defeats the evil bully of the school.
2. Number two is devoted to the entire Home Alone series. In the original,
the McAlisters leave Kevin alone for the
holidays. Kevin uses his wits to evade
the two thieves that are after him. His
incredible traps throughout his house includes a staple gun that shoots through
the mail-slot in the door to paint cans
on the steps. But Kevin still finds ways
to celebrate the holidays, and its hilarity
and cleverness make this movie one of
the greatest of all time.
1. The top spot on the countdown
goes to the classic A Miracle on 34th
Street. Although an oldie, it still sends
an important message to millions of
people throughout the world. Santa is in
fact, real. The movie is about one man
who claims to be ol’ Kris Kringle in the
flesh. Everyone thinks that he is crazy
except for a little girl named Susan
and Santa’s lawyer, Mr. Gailey. If you
haven’t seen this movie, it’s a definite
Christmas must.
nd Bottom) 5 Christmas Songs
morning is the perfect visual for any
Christmas fan, but when I hear this song
I get the complete opposite of that utopia. I imagine a hot, sultry afternoon.
Plus, when you can’t understand half
the words, that’s a turnoff.
2. “All I want for Christmas is My
Two Front Teeth”
Many of our Christmas lists might
be too long and expectations are too
high, but come on, to only want two
front teeth? Whistling is great and everything, but you can figure out how
to whistle any part of the year, not just
Christmas. This song is just ridiculous,
and you truly feel sorry for the child in
this song. But the real sorry thing is this
song itself.
1. “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa
Claus” and “Santa Baby”
Wow, both these songs are terrible,
but for different reasons. “I Saw Mommy
Kissing Santa Claus” is just awkward.
First Mommy kisses Santa Claus and
then she tickles him? If this happened
to anyone I know he would turn back
upstairs and go to bed, not write a song
about it. Also why would it be laughable if Dad saw this? Although it is supposed to be the kid’s Dad, I don’t think
it would be very funny; things could get
ugly on such a lovely holiday .
“Santa Baby” pretty much speaks
for itself. It is about a bratty girl with
a screechy voice. This song is the complete opposite of what Christmas is
about, and I don’t get why it gets any air
time. Oh, by the way, stop calling Santa
pet names; he’s married.
THE TOP 5
5. “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer”
Every student at St. X has grown up
to this song, and rightfully so. This song
has a very strong message and is very
catchy. This song is tantamount to the
movie “Rudy”—a true underdog story.
Anything is possible; you never know
what whacky thing about you might
eventually save the day.
4. “O, Holy Night” and “Mary
Did You Know”
On Christmas Eve, whether you’re
traveling or just spending time with the
family, these songs have a dazzling effect on you. I truly believe these are the
best songs on Christmas Eve; they are
mystifying and relaxing. These songs
are very powerful, and when you hear
them you just feel happy.
3. “Have Yourself a Merry Little
Christmas”
Another soothing classic, this song
pretty much sums up everyone’s Christmas dreams—forgetting about the troubles of the past year and hoping that the
new year will result in peace. Although
it’s unlikely to not have troubles for a
year, when you hear this song your troubles seem to disappear for about three
minutes. A merry little Christmas is
sought after by just about everyone.
2. The Little Drummer Boy
“Pa rum pum pum pum.” We could
all do a little more “Pa rum pum pum
pumming.” This magical song is very
old, and the song talks about the first
magnificent Christmas morning in which
our savior was born. A young boy was
there, and he was being shown up by the
three kings. The poor child had nothing to give but the talent he possessed
of playing his drum. It is said that the
baby Jesus smiled at the child; the message is that even little things can have
a huge impact on anybody. The song is
telling us all to give our best shot, do
what we do best. This song helps make
Christmas what it is. I believe this is the
Christmas classic song of all time, but
just falls short in my top five overall.
1. The Christmas Shoes
Although not as popular as the others on my list, this is one of the most
touching songs in the world. Senior
John Ackerman says, “I choke up every
time I hear it.”
Although a lot of guys won’t admit
to that, all of us fight back tears when
hearing this song. It touches everything
on the Christmas palette: family, giving,
believing and loving. Although the song
seems sad, I believe it can be heard as
an immaculate song about love and happiness.
If everyone was like the people in
this song, Christmas would be an everyday thing. That is why this song is the
number-one Christmas song of all time.
SPORTS
10
December 2008
Cross Country is State Runner Up
Photo by Tim Porco
By Matt Gallagher
The St. X Cross Country team
began the season with a rocky start.
“The beginning of the season was
disappointing, to say the least, with
losses to Trinity and a shocking defeat
by Butler,” said senior Matt Soergel.
However, Soergel went on to say that
these disappointing races “sparked a
determination in the team that led to
several victories.”
Not only did the beginning of the
season serve as a wake-up call for
the team, but the team’s top performers were established. Led by Jackson
Carnes and Thomas Mann, St. X continued to get impressive finishes at
each race. The year was full of growth
and promise for the future as St. X accrued first-place finishes in the Franklin County, South Oldham and St.
Henry Invitationals. Heading into the
Regional meet, the Tigers were on a
roll and were ready to run their best
race.
At Regionals, the Tigers took first
place and had four runners in the top
ten: Carnes (1st), Mann (2nd), Matt
Hillenbrand (5th) and Ian McCaslin
(6th). The strong finish at Regionals
set the stage for the State Meet.
“Running in the State Meet is an
indescribable feeling,” Soergel commented before the State Meet. “Our
practices started back in June, and the
Thomas Mann (left) and Jackson Carnes (right) led the Tigers to a 2nd-place finish in the State Meet
feeling of all that hard work coming
together at once is overwhelming.”
The Class 3-A State Championship took place on a rainy, frigid day
at the Kentucky Horse Park, but the
Tigers were not going to let the horrible weather conditions prevent them
from running a great race. St. X finished 2nd overall to become StateRunner Up, while Carnes finished 3rd
and Mann came in 5th.
Not only did the team finish the
season on a great note, but four of the
team’s top runners were named to the
All State Team. Carnes and Mann
were recognized as First Team All
State, and McCaslin and Hillenbrand
earned All State Honorable Mention.
With eight of this year’s top-ten
runners returning next year, the Tigers
will be a force to be reckoned with.
Hockey Tigers Tiger Wrestling
Starts Strong
Unstoppable
Team is undefeated in its
first 5 games, including a
big win over Trinity
By Kaelin Dyar
The Ice Tigers have started the
season just as strongly as expected.
The team dominated Eastern with a
score of 5–0, and the Tiger offense
proved itself once again against Lafayette of Lexington with a 7–2 win.
Next on the list was Fern Creek. The
Tigers skated away with a 4–0 win,
thanks to sophomore Alex Senn and
junior Jack Porco, who each had a
pair of goals.
With an undefeated record, the
team headed into a tough week, facing
Henry Clay and Trinity. After tremendous play by the offense and a solid
showing by goalie Nick Nuss, the
Tigers won 4–1 against Henry Clay.
Playing up to St. X’s standards, the
hockey team had amazed all their opponents by outscoring them 20–3.
Students eagerly anticipated the
next opponent, Trinity. “The Penalty
Box will be packed!” said fan Craig
Thomas. “I can’t wait!”
The Tigers proved to be the better
team, defeating the Shamrocks 5–2.
Senior captain Will Shrader led the
onslaught with two goals. Trinity appeared tired after the constant pounding of the puck by the St. X offense
and the hard knocks of the defense.
The team will see Trinity again
later in the season. “We’re a freight
train and we can’t be stopped,” said
senior Cory Gettelfinger. “There’s no
way we’re losing.”
The Tigers hope to reach the playoffs with an undefeated record and are
well on their way to doing so.
By Gary Hermann
The St. X Wrestling team made
a strong statement when it opened its
season on November 25, against North
Oldham High School. The Tigers put
up a dominating score of 66–19.
Junior Tyler Thornton tied the
school record for quickest pin at nine
seconds into the first period. “It’s
weird to be mentioned with the great
St. X wrestlers who hold school records,” Thornton said afterward.
That same weekend the Tigers
traveled to Union County for the
Union County Duals. The Tigers went
up against strong out-of-state competition, facing three teams from Illinois,
gaining experience against top teams.
The rosters for the Tigers’ first
match were set at the Green and Gold
Scrimmage on November 22. That
was the first wrestle-off of the season. The Tigers hold wrestle-offs every week during practice to set up the
week’s roster.
Coach Jim Kraeszig said of the
team so far, “We are making some
mistakes right now, but they are mistakes that can be fixed. Our attitude
and effort will determine how far we
can go this season.”
Looking ahead, the Tigers will
be traveling to face more strong outof-state competition at Floyd Central,
Mater Dei in Evansville, Indiana and
Edgewood in Trenton, Ohio.
After those meets St. X will return
to in-state competition at the County
Tournament on January 9 and 10. The
Regional Duals are on January 17.
With a good showing, the Tigers can
qualify for the State Duals January 31.
Among the teams the Tigers will be
facing at the Regional Duals is rival
Trinity.
The Regional Tournament will be
at Moore High School on February
14, and the State Tournament will be
at the Frankfort Civic Center, February 19–21.
SPORTS
11
December 2008
Football Has Near-Perfect Season
By Sammy Taylor
The St. X Football Team had
a spectacular season in which they
were ranked number-one in the Courier-Journal’s Litkenhous Ratings
and number 16 in the nation by USA
Today. Going into the state semifinal match against Trinity last Friday
night, the Tigers were averaging 53.2
points per game and only allowing
opponents an average of 4.3 points.
Photo by Tim Porco
ity intercepted a St. X pass with 1:41
remaining in the game, the Rocks ran
out the clock rather than tempt fate
against a Tiger team that wouldn’t
stop fighting.
Brent Sweeney scored the first
TD for the Tigers on a Matt Brutscher
pass. In the second half, Brutscher hit
Stephen Goodwin for a three-yard TD
run, and then Brutscher scored on a
four-yard run. Deuce Finch ran for a
total of 80 yards. Wyatt Gray added
three extra points.
Following are highlights from the
second half of the season.
10/24: St. X 57, PRP 6
Senior Deuce Finch scored four
times as the Tigers routed the Panthers. Brian Buehner had two rushing
touchdowns of his own, including an
86-yarder. St. X was up by 31 at halftime, and it only got worse for PRP in
the second half.
But after being crushed by the
Tigers 30–6 earlier in the season, the
Shamrocks defeated St. X 28–21 in
the rematch, scoring four touchdowns
in the first half to St. X’s one. In the
second half, the Tigers roared back
and shut the Rocks down, not allowing another Trinity point while scoring two touchdowns. But when Trin-
10/31: St. X 36, Central 13
Central put up the most points
against St. X all year—a whopping
13! Saint Xavier received good rushing efforts from Finch and Jermiah
Neal. Together they accounted for
more than 230 yards and four touchdowns. This was the smallest winning
margin that St. X had all season.
11/08: St. X 56, Covington
Catholic 0
Traveling to Covington on a Saturday afternoon did not affect the Tigers. On this day the defense delivered
one of their five shutouts of the season. St. X got stellar quarterback play
from Brutscher and backup Buehner,
each of whom ran and passed for a
touchdown.
11/14: St. X 72, Nelson Co. 7
Everyone got in on the action in
the first playoff game. It was a very
cold night, but that did not influence
the Tigers’ play. Senior cornerback
Zach Kamber got everything started
with a 10-yard fumble return with
only two minutes off the clock in the
first quarter. Finch had another four
touchdowns on the ground as the Tigers rolled.
11/21: St. X 48, PRP 6
In their first home playoff game,
St. X did not disappoint. Some thought
that the second meeting between these
two teams would be closer than the
first. They were wrong. Finch had a
remarkable game, rushing for 198
yards on 17 carries and five touchdowns. Gray kicked two field goals
from 35 and 41 yards out. The Tiger
defense played superior again, not allowing an offensive touchdown for
the Panthers.
11/28: St. X 53, Manual 0
Two of Manual’s three losses
came courtesy of Saint Xavier. A lot
like the first meeting between these
two teams, the Tiger D held Manual
scoreless while St. X did plenty of
scoring of its own. The Tigers were
led by tailbacks Finch, who had three
touchdowns, and junior Michael Montano, who added two more.
Photo by Tim Porco
New Coach, New Hopes for Basketball Team
By Chris Cox
The fall sports season is coming
to a close and the dog days of winter are upon us, which can only mean
one thing: time for basketball season.
However, this year has a new buzz
around the basketball team with the arrival of a new coach, Mr. Kevin Klein.
The team will also have a new look
from head to toe, getting new travel
gear and custom shoes this year.
Coach Klein, who spent the last
two seasons at Waggener, has brought
intensity and passion to the job since
day one. Intense conditioning programs, 6:00 a.m. before-school practices and up-tempo scrimmages have
become routine for this year’s squad.
The team will rely heavily on the
lone returning seniors Brian Gunter
and Dalton O’Brien. Senior Nick
Jones will also be joining the team this
year after helping the soccer team to
back-to-back State Championships.
However, with only three seniors,
the team will need to have considerable contributions from underclassmen. Juniors Patrick Butcher and
Nick Spalding will have to step up if
the team is to improve on their 6–19
record from a year ago. Jones and
sophomore point guard Michael Ising
will be looked upon to lead the uptempo, attacking style of offense that
Klein hopes to play.
The team will rarely hold a size
advantage over its opponents, but
Gunter and O’Brien are more than capable of holding their own in the post,
and the team will look to out-hustle
their opponents and force them into
submission. Offensively, the Tigers
will look to spread the ball out and
draw their defenders away from the
basket. Defensively they plan on suffocating ball handlers and swarming
to every loose ball.
“We plan on being more uptempo this year,” O’Brien said, “and
we hope to be the toughest and most
conditioned team on the court on a
nightly basis.”
The Tigers opened their season
with hard-fought 65–57 loss to Eastern. They followed that up with their
first home game, a disappointing 60–
56 defeat against Fern Creek. But two
nights later they defeated St. Henry
74–61.
The key match-ups on this year’s
schedule include a meeting with
Madisonville North Hopkins and UK
commit Jon Hood over Christmas
break in Lexington, at Manual on Jan
23, against Trinity at Freedom Hall
on Jan. 30, and a Feb. 6 home game
against Male that could have big district implications. The Tigers look
to have a new sense of home-court
advantage this year, as they wait for
the finishing of the new Brother John
Wills, CFX Sports Activities Center.
Gunter had no predictions to give,
but he did have this to say of his team:
“This year’s team plays well together,
and I think we have a chance to sneak
up on some teams. I don’t know what
this season will hold for us, but I can
guarantee that you will not see us back
down from anyone this year.”
This year’s team hopes to establish St. Xavier as a force to be reckoned with in the Kentucky basketball
landscape under the new direction
of Coach Klein, and the future looks
bright for the young and talent-rich
Basketball Tigers.
Photo by Tim Porco
SPORTS
12
December 2008
Dodge, Duck, Dip
Dive and Dodge!
New Arena About to Open
St. X needs intramural dodgeball
By Tyler Riggs
What is one of the things freshmen enjoy the most while they are
in school at St. X? No, I am not talking about lunch; playing dodgeball is
what’s on everyone’s mind. In most
grade schools, kids are not allowed
to play dodgeball because the physical education (P.E.) teachers say it is
a liability for the school or too dangerous of a sport. Fortunately, at St. X we
are allowed to play this fun, entertaining and energetic sport when we are
freshmen in P.E. class.
Everyday when St. X P.E. teachers tell their students that they are
playing dodgeball in class, guys celebrate and cannot wait to play. Kids are
full of energy and have a blast playing
it. So why can we only play this exciting sport freshman year and not in an
intramural program?
This question has come up before
but has always been rejected by feeble excuses. Two of the main reasons
given as to why St. X can’t have intramural dodgeball are because one, it is
too dangerous and guys could possibly get hurt, and two, we don’t have a
place to play intramural dodgeball because the main gym is occupied with
intramural basketball.
This problem will be resolved
with the opening of the new basketball
arena. With the new arena, free space
in the main gym will become available to allow St. X students to start a
new league of intramural dodgeball.
Next year, intramural basketball will
be played in the new arena, not in the
main gym.
The answer to the other excuse
about dodgeball being too dangerous is simple to address. How come
freshmen are allowed to play dodgeball in P.E. class and we never have
to worry about anyone getting hurt?
Letting freshmen play in P.E. class
but not letting the rest of the school
play in intramurals is ridiculous. The
possibility of someone being injured
in intramural dodgeball is no greater
than in freshmen P.E. dodgeball. Besides that, this argument just doesn’t
hold up when you consider how much
more dangerous other sports are.
Dodgeball is a blast, and almost
every teenage guy loves to play the
sport. The idea of having intramural
dodgeball comes up every year by students who want to know why we can’t
have a league. The excuses given as to
why we can’t have a league have been
eliminated, and many students want
to play. Dodgeball is a great sport because nearly everyone can play it with
little or no skill.
By having an intramural dodgeball
league, many students could become
more involved at St. X, enjoy one
more activity provided by the school,
and have a greater opportunity to meet
new people through the league. The
intramural dodgeball league could be
set up just like intramural basketball
with different leagues for each class
and a tournament at the end. This is
a great idea, and many students at St.
X would love this and definitely sign
up to play.
Intramural Update
By Luke Newman
Intramural sports are an excellent
way to have a good time while also
playing the sports you love. If you
aren’t good enough to be on the official St. X team, and you’re interested
in having fun (as I think most people
are), intramurals are a great option.
“Intramural sports are great,” says
junior Austin Jones. “They are a good
opportunity to be competitive and
have fun with your friends.”
Well said, Austin. However, it
doesn’t take a scholar like Austin to
tell you this. Everyone has fun when it
comes to intramural sports, and there
will be several opportunities to participate after the Christmas break.
The billiards tournament will be
held in the winter, and, in the spring,
students can compete in cornhole
and ultimate Frisbee. The basketball
league play also begins in the winter
following the holiday break.
The tennis tournament was held
in early October. Freshman/sophomore kickball was played on the turf
fields on November 2. The flag-football tournaments were held earlier
this month, while soccer was played
in November. Teams and individuals
competed in a golf tournament in October.
Many students are already anticipating the start of intramural basketball, by far St. X’s most popular intramural sport. Junior Shane Stewart has
high hopes for his club.
“My team losing would be the
equivalent of the University of Kentucky basketball team losing to some
military institute from Virginia,” he
said. “It just wouldn’t happen. Oh,
wait; that’s a bad example!”
By Bryan Just
With basketball season finally
here, Saint Xavier is putting the finishing touches on the final athletics phase of Project X. The recently
added tennis courts, football and track
stadium, and baseball field have taken
the school to new heights and given
St. X recognition as one of the finest
high schools in the nation. Now, the
school is completing this process with
the new Brother John Wills, C.F.X.
Sports Activities Center.
The arena has taken shape over
the past months and is expected to be
finished by the end of December. The
first public event that will be held in
the arena is the basketball team’s ninth
game of the season, against South
Oldham, on January 20. Excitement
for the opening is spreading through
players, staff and students.
Senior leader and basketball team
captain Brian Gunter said, “I just
can’t wait to get in there, throw down
the first dunk and win some games in
front of the school.”
School support should increase as
many will be eager to see sharp-shooters Dalton O’ Brien, Nick Spalding
and Patrick Butcher, along with the
Tigers’ tenacious defense and physical play of the post. And the good
news is more people will be able to
attend games because “The new arena
will effectively double the capacity of
our current gym,” said St. X athletic
director Mr. Alan Donhoff.
The new arena will also house a
bigger campus store, new athletic offices and a new ticket office. In addition, the arena will be used for the
intramural basketball tournament and
various volleyball tournaments.
Playoff or BCS?
By Lee Duggins
No championship series has more
controversy, hype or anticipation than
the Bowl Championship Series in college football.
But throughout the past couple of
years, many have argued about a new
way of deciding the national championship in college football. Many
claim that the BCS (Bowl Championship Series) is an unfair way to decide
who should play for the title due to
the fact that it allows no margin of error in the regular season. Many teams
who slip up, or have one bad game,
may be denied the opportunity to play
for the national championship.
One solution that people have
come up with is a 16-team playoff. It
would comprise all the major conference champions, conference champions from smaller conferences, and
four to six at-large bid teams. Many
contend that this format would allow
teams who deserve to play for the title, but who slipped up in the season, a
chance to play for the national championship.
In my opinion, this would be a
step in the wrong direction for college
football.
Although there are many flaws in
the BCS, there would be more negative effects in a playoff-type format.
One major negative effect that a playoff format would have is that it would
kill the anticipation of the regular season. One of the reasons that college
football is so hyped is that every game
counts. One game can force you to
give up a possible spot in the national
championship game.
College football is like a 17-week
March Madness frenzy. Every week
brings hyped-up games that could
change the race for the national championship. If we were to switch to a
playoff-style championship, all that
hype and anticipation would be killed.
One way or another, whether it is the
BCS format or playoff format, teams
are going to be left out of the race.
The best way to keep college
football entertaining to is to keep the
BCS in place so that every week of
the entire season matters—not like
in college basketball, where only one
month matters.
UofL vs. UK
13
December 2008
CARDS Spells
Success
17.7 assists per game and only 9.7
By Jeff Franklin
turnovers per game. That is nearly a
2/1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Kentucky
On January 4, 2009, the epic ri- is averaging 15.5 assists and 23 turnvalry game known as the “Battle for overs per game. That is a 0.7 assist-tothe Bluegrass” between the Univer- turnover ratio, giving the clear edge to
sity of Louisville Cardinals and Uni- Louisville.
Next we have Rebounds. Though
versity of Kentucky Wildcats men’s
basketball teams will take place in Coach Rick Pitino has not been happy
Freedom Hall. While both teams may with the Cards’ performance on the
claim dominance over the other, I am boards thus far, the Cards show nugoing to break this game down into merous threats with names like Samufive things that will spell out victory els, Clark, Williams, Jennings and
Goode crashing the boards.
on game day.
Kentucky’s only threat for reThe first aspect is Chemistry.
With nine returning members from bounding is Patrick Patterson, who
the Elite 8 team last season, Louisville the Cards hope to make a non-factor
has what it takes to play as a team to with their own solid post-play.
The fourth aspect is Defense. Anywin key games. Louisville’s starting lineup consists of four out of five one who has watched a team coached
players who have all played together by Pitino knows that he is all about
for more than two years, and the new playing good defense. The Cards average 8.3 steals
per game, led by
Terrence Williams with 11,
followed by Andre McGee and
Preston Knowles
with five and
four steals respectively
for
the season. The
Cardinal players
understand that
they must play
defense if they
want to see the
floor at all.
Kentucky
averages
7.2
steals per game,
mostly attributed
to Jodie Meeks.
As long as the
Cards don’t start
throwing away
turnovers to guys
like Meeks, they
Terrence Williams
should have an
addition to the lineup, Samardo Sam- edge as far as defense in concerned.
Last but certainly not least is
uels, is not what you would call inexperienced. Coming out of St. Benedict Shooting. Louisville’s best shooter of
Prep, Samuels averaged 24.2 points last season, Jerry Smith, is back and
and 10.7 rebounds per game. His 6′8″ ready to reclaim his title as the team’s
240-pound body-frame makes him a best shooter. Senior Will Scott comes
presence to be reckoned with in the off the Louisville bench as a shooter
post and a preseason candidate for and will do just that when entered into
“freshman of the year” honors. His a game. The 2008–09 newly extended
first two games in particular, in which 20ʹ9ʺ three-point line should have no
he scored 18 and 24 points respec- effect on the game’s true shooters but
tively, proves that this “diaper dandy” a larger effect on the “wannabes.”
can hold his own with the rest of the Close-range shots from Samuels will
keep the Cards in big game situations
closely knit starting lineup.
Kentucky has had its struggles to and allow the Cards to incorporate
find a solid point guard, resorting to their tenacious press defense.
So when all five aspects are taken
junior college and freshman recruits
to fill the hole. The UK team chemis- into account—Chemistry, Assists, Rebounds, Defense and Shooting—the
try, as of now, is nearly nonexistent.
The second aspect is Assists. This clear winner on January 4 will be the
season the Cardinals are averaging C-A-R-D-S!
Young Cats Look
to Grow
By Zach Kamber
The University of Kentucky Wildcat basketball team got off to another
slow start in year two of the Billy Gillispie era. After two easy exhibition
wins, the Wildcats started off 0–2 with
losses to Virginia Military Institute
and number-one ranked North Carolina. They bounced back with wins
over Delaware State and Longwood
before heading to Las Vegas for the
Las Vegas Invitational. The Cats won
both of their games in the LVI, beating Kansas State and West Virginia.
Here is a look at the major contributors this year:
FRONTCOURT
Patrick Patterson: Kentucky’s success lies on the shoulders of Patterson
and how far he can take the team, but
the All-American got off to a slower
start than most expected, scoring just
eight points in a season-opening loss
to VMI. “P-Pat” has since picked up
his play and is currently averaging 16
points, nine rebounds and two blocks
per game. He had 19 points and 11 rebounds against UNC, and had a double-double in each of UK’s games in
Las Vegas while being named to the
All-Tournament team.
Perry Stevenson: The junior big
man is off to a solid start this season,
averaging six points, 5.3 rebounds,
and 2.7 blocks per game. He has season highs of 20 points and 14 rebounds
along with seven blocks.
Josh Harrelson: The Junior College transfer is providing solid depth
for the Wildcats frontcourt, averaging
five points and 4.7 rebounds per game.
He was named to the All-Tournament
team in Las Vegas after scoring 12
points and grabbing 10 rebounds
against West Virginia.
Darius Miller: Last season’s
Kentucky high school Mr. Basketball is off to a solid start as UK’s
only freshman in the starting lineup
at this point in the season. He has
put up eight points and four rebounds per game, while also playing stingy defense.
“Razor” Ramon Harris: Kentucky’s defensive specialist from a
year ago is back this season. Harris, who splits time with freshman
Miller, has continued his excellent
defensive play from last season.
He is averaging 1.3 steals per game
along with nine points and three rebounds.
A.J. Stewart: It has been a tough
two years in Lexington for the
sophomore. Stewart was in coach
Gillispie’s “dog house” during the
off-season, and has seen little action
so far this season, but Stewart is a
world-class athlete who can be a great
player if he gets his head on straight.
BACKCOURT
Jodie Meeks: After an injuryplagued sophomore season, everyone
knew that Meeks would be back to his
old ways of scoring, but nobody expected it to be like this. Meeks is currently averaging 25.5 points per game,
and has already had games of 39 and
37 points this year. Meeks was named
the tournament MVP in Las Vegas as
he willed UK to a two-point victory
over KSU in its first-round game.
Deandre Liggins: The 5-Star
freshman from Chicago has many
UK fans excited with his play early in
the season. He has only modest stats
(four points, three assists), but he is a
winner plain and simple. After backing up Michael Porter for 5 1/2 games
and refusing to go in during the second half of the Kansas State game,
Liggins’ star finally began to shine
against WVU. He led UK from a 10point halftime deficit to an 11-point
win while playing 18 minutes in the
second half. Look for Liggins to continue to eventually become the starting point guard for the Wildcats.
Kevin Galloway: The 6ʹ7ʺ junior
college transfer has yet to live up to
the hype he received before arriving
on campus. After leading the entire
country in assists for junior college
players, many fans believed he would
give UK the point guard they were
searching for, but Galloway is having
trouble adjusting to his third coaching
system in as many years. Watch out
for Galloway when he gets a grasp
on Billy G’s system, because he is a
match-up nightmare for other teams
with his size and skill set.
Patrick Patterson
ENTERTAINMENT
14
December 2008
New Movies to See Over Christmas Break
Bedtime Stories
The Day the Earth
Stood Still
Opening December 25. Starring:
Adam Sandler. This new comedy has
Sandler as Skeeter Bronson, a hotel
handyman whose life is changed forever when the bedtime stories he tells
his niece and nephew start to mysteriously come true. He attempts to take
advantage of the phenomenon, putting
his own aspirations into one crazy tale
after another, but the kids’ unexpected
contributions turn Skeeter’s life upside down. Rated PG
Opening December 12. Starring: Keanu
Reeves, Jennifer Connelly and Jaden Smith.
Reeves portrays Klaatu, an alien whose arrival
on our planet triggers a global phenomenon.
As governments and scientists race to unravel
the mystery behind the visitor’s appearance,
Connelly and her young stepson get caught
up in his mission. This movie looks to be a
great remake, and since it comes out today you
should go see it. Rated PG-13
By Michael Medley
Valkyrie
Opening December 26. Starring:
Tom Cruise, Bill Nighy and Kenneth
Branagh. This movie is set in Germany, in a country in the grips of evil,
in a police state where every move is
being watched, in a world where justice and honor have been subverted. A
group of men hidden inside the highest reaches of power decide to take
action. Cruise stars in this suspense
film, based on the true story of Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg (Cruise)
and the daring plot to eliminate one
of the most evil tyrants the world has
ever known: Hitler. Rated PG-13
Yes Man
Opening December 19. Starring: Jim Carey
and Zooey Deschanel. Carey’s newest comedy is
about Carl Allen (Carey), a guy whose life is going
nowhere until he signs up for a self-help program
based on one simple covenant: say yes to everything. Saying yes to everything begins to transform Carl’s life in amazing and unexpected ways,
including getting him promoted at work and opening the door to a new romance. But his willingness
to embrace every opportunity might just become
too much of a good thing. Rated PG-13
Classic Nick Shows
Admit it: you still like to watch Nickelodeon when no one is around
By Alec Jury
and Jack Porco
Remember coming home from
grade school every day and immediately tuning in to one of the many
amazing Nickelodeon shows? We
have comprised a brief list of the top
10 Nick shows of the ’90s, which will
hopefully bring back some pleasant
memories of your childhood.
“Watching these shows influenced my life tremendously,” said junior Shane Stewart. “They molded me
into the person I am today.”
1. Rugrats
Rugrats was one of our favorite
Nickelodeon shows and was the longest running show on Nickelodeon
(14 years). It was about four babies
who were always plotting to escape
their playpen and go on an adventure.
Tommy Pickles, Phil and Lil DeVille,
and Chuckie Finster were the babies,
and Tommy was their leader. Tommy’s cousin, Angelica, constantly
spoiled their fun. Most people agree
that when Dil and Kimmy joined the
cast, the show quickly plummeted.
2. Legends of the Hidden
Temple
The Legends of the Hidden Temple was a game show in which six
teams (one boy and one girl per team)
competed in physical challenges and
quizzes to win prizes. It won an award
for Best Game Show Special in 1995.
The team names included Red Jaguars, Blue Barracudas, Orange Iguanas, Silver Snakes, Green Monkeys
and Purple Parrots.
3. All That
All That is a classic in Nickelodeon history. It was a sketch comedy-variety show that featured hilarious skits
about everything you can imagine.
Some of the more notable cast members included Lori Beth Denberg, Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell.
4. Are You Afraid of the
Dark?
This is without a doubt one of the
greatest shows ever made, and it was
one of the best Nickelodeon shows of
the ’90s. The show revolved around
a group of teenagers who referred to
themselves as “The Midnight Society.” Every week, at a secret location
in the woods, one member would tell
a scary story to the group. The show
was bone chilling to most kids and
gave everyone a good scare.
5. Doug
Doug was a show about a sixthgrader named Doug Funnie and his
daily life. He wrote in his journal every day and sometimes daydreamed
about his super-hero self, “Quailman.”
His best friend’s name was Skeeter,
who also doubled as “Silver Skeeter.”
Doug had a secret crush on Patti Mayonnaise, who was best known for inviting Doug over for liver and onions.
Doug’s dog, Porkchop, helped Doug
in several sticky situations.
6. Kenan and Kel
Kenan and Kel was a hilarious
show on Nickelodeon. This show
aired from 1996 until 2000. The main
characters were Kenan Rockmore and
Kel Kimble, fun-loving teenagers who
couldn’t stay out of trouble. Kenan
worked at the local grocery store and
was a constant nuisance to his parents
and his manager. Kel hung out at the
store with Kenan, and he loved orange
soda. Kel frequently annoyed Kenan,
yet they were best friends.
7. Rocket Power
Rocket Power was an extreme
show that made every kid want to go
out and hop on a skateboard. Otto,
Reggie, Twister and Sam, or “Squid,”
lived on the ocean shores of California and got into some sort of extreme
sporting predicament in each show.
The show featured many other hilarious and entertaining characters in-
cluding Raymundo, Otto and Reggie’s
laid-back surfer dad, and Tito the wise
Hawaiian surfer, who was best friends
with Raymundo.
8. Hey Arnold
Hey Arnold was an amazing show
about a fourth-grader named Arnold,
or “Football Head,” who lived with
his grandparents in a boarding house
in the inner city with a lot of other
funny characters. In each episode Arnold was either faced with a predicament of his own, or helped one of his
friends with one of their problems.
9. Double Dare
Double Dare was a game show in
which families answered trivia questions and competed in sloppy physical challenges, such as catching pies
in oversized pants and finding flags
in giant noses and giant PB&J sandwiches. The course was called the
“slopstical course.”
10. Rocko’s Modern Life
Rocko’s Modern Life was about
the adventures of a wallaby who migrated from Australia to America. He
lived in a city called O-Town, and his
best friend was a cow named Heffer.
In America, he was faced with various problems and challenges involving his pals, who tried to teach him
what it means to be a good friend. The
Chokey Chicken was their favorite
hangout/restaurant.
AFTER SCHOOL
15
December 2008
Ski and Snowboard
Club Prepares to
Hit the Slopes
By Alex Scott
If you love skiing or snowboarding, this club is for you. For freshmen
this is a great way to get involved all
four years of high school. Anyone can
make friends in this club because it is
so much fun.
The club goes to Paoli Peaks in
Indiana, usually after Christmas on
Saturdays when the weather is cold
enough to make good snow.
There will be no coach bus to take
the club to Paoli this year; instead, the
club will be using a school bus, which
will be free.
There are many different types
of passes. The most popular is the
five-session pass that can be used
on Fridays or Saturdays. This pass is
$179.00 and includes rental and lessons.
Another popular pass is the unlimited pass. With rental it is $419.00,
but without rental it is $259.00. The
passes can be bought online through
St. X on Paoli’s Website. To buy the
passes online go to the Ski and Snowboard page on Edline and follow the
directions under “Paoli Season Pass
Instructions.”
The club is also taking a Spring
Break trip to the Canadian Rockies.
The resort is called Banff Lake Louise
Sunshine. Visit the Ski and Snowboard
club page on Edline to view its beauty. The club members will be there for
six nights and five days shredding up
the Canadian Mountains.
An Inside
Look at
eXpress
Photo by Kerry Miller
By Kerry Miller
Chess Team
Beats Rocks
So where’s their pep rally?
By Nolan Bryant
Saint Xavier is well known for its
incredible achievements in the classroom and in athletics. There is a long
history of success in almost every
sport, and these sports are awarded
with general notoriety through the St.
X media. However, there exists one
group of students who also yearn for
attention—a team that only wishes for
respect from their peers: the Chess
team.
The Chess team thinks they can
change the way they are looked upon
by winning state. They already made
waves by beating archrival Trinity in
early November.
“We’re just like any other team
in the school,” says junior co-captain
David Casi, “but we don’t get the kind
of recognition for our victories as the
others. Sometimes we feel left out.”
Casi and fellow junior Dome
Stine lead the five-man group. Casi’s
brother, Paul, was the best player on
last year’s team before graduating.
“Losing Paul was pretty tough,”
says Stine. “We still think we can take
state without him, though.”
If not this year, the chess team
should be a serious contender next
year. They have four juniors with senior Kenton Jetton.
Only time will tell whether or
not this group of guys will break the
“chess team stereotype,” but for now
they’re just focusing on one thing:
taking state.
“If we do that, the respect should
come with it,” Casi said.
eXpress, Saint Xavier’s traveling
theatre group for upperclassmen, was
formed a decade ago by Ms. Rebecca Reisert, serving as somewhat of a
filler between seasonal productions.
When Reisert took a leave of absence
to write her book, however, the chair
was left open for Mr. Michael Reynolds to direct, as he has been doing for
the past seven years.
“I don’t see myself as a leader,”
Reynolds says. “I’m more of a supporter.”
Consisting of 27 members who
are split into two troupes, the Green
cast and the Gold cast, eXpress is
made up not only of St. X students but
also young women from surrounding
sister schools Presentation, Mercy and
Sacred Heart. Each year, eXpress is
open for anyone to join, whether it be
a new members such as senior Chris
Remmel or an established member
like Bobby Nichols, who, like most of
the cast, has been participating in eXpress for three years, graduating from
Groundlings after his freshman year.
At present, eXpress has been
traveling throughout the community
performing various plays and skits
that have called for a vast amount
of improvisation. The cast, however,
moves through their productions so
fluidly that while the actors’ involvement demands on-the-spot wit, it’s almost as if the cast has been practicing
a solid routine for weeks.
Before a recent performance at
the Newburg Boys and Girls Club, the
scene was one of mayhem. It was difficult to believe that the content would
appeal to an audience consisting of
such a diverse age group—whom, by
the way, were hyped up on Skittles and
Twizzlers. Reynolds was surrounded
by a group of teenagers wearing Tshirts advertising eXpress, all of them
talking to him simultaneously in an
unrecognizable drama dialect, re-inventing aspects of the skits, filling in
and subtracting parts while hurriedly
scratching notes into binders.
Inside the gymnasium, children
rushed into seats, making sure to find
an excellent spot. As the eXpress
members stood before their gradeschool audience, Nichols and Colleen
Niehoff stepped forward. The room
erupted in silence. eXpress had captured the attention of every youngster
in the room.
Before the first production, Happy
the Unhappy Elf, each eXpress member gave a fluid introduction ranging
from favorite foods to the name of
a pet; the actual performance hadn’t
even started and eXpress already had
their audience laughing. The two productions that were performed were
kid-friendly, but provided enough wit
and humor to have the adults in the
audience laughing with the children.
The second production, The Boy
Who Laughed at Santa Claus, even
inserted bits of do’s and don’ts pertaining to social etiquette and table
manners.
Not only is eXpress providing
entertainment, the traveling theatre is
slyly (and possibly unintentionally)
acting as a pseudo charm school. As
the players took a bow, the audience
of 30-something kids broke into applause.
Exiting into the main room, Reynolds left his team of improv-savvy
students with final constructive criticisms and overall appraisal. Without
the theatre full of adults and the costumes with the accompanying sets,
the young people standing in front of
him were simply that: students, doing
what they love.
MINISTRY
16
December 2008
Camping with God
Seniors Experience Wilderness Retreat
By Rudy Recktenwald
For some people, finding God in
prayer or contemplation can be difficult. If I just described you, then
maybe you should consider going on
the Senior Wilderness Retreat this upcoming spring. The seniors who traveled to Red River Gorge in October
found God in the peace and beauty of
nature. With the towering cliffs, starfilled nights and forests that went on
for miles, it was hard not to find God.
I know; I was there.
Fourteen seniors, along with Mr.
Brian Mitchell, Mr. Doug Hudson and
Mr. Mark Metzger, attended the threeday, two-night retreat. The retreat began with splitting into groups of two
and setting up tents. The ground was
hard and the nights were cold, but it
was worth it. We cooked our own
food for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Thanks to grill masters Chris Cox,
Tommy Klapheke, Mr. Mitchell and
Mr. Metzger, we were never short on
energy for the long hikes.
You are filled with awe before
you even enter the gorge. We had to
drive through a tunnel dug through a
mountain that was only slightly larger
than our hallways here at school. Mr.
Mitchell’s superb bus driving abilities
got us through safely. Our first halfmile hike led us to a narrow wooden
bridge over the river, which swayed
back and forth when we walked
across it. We were lucky to have an
absolutely cloudless sky on the first
night. The number of stars that were
visible was unbelievable, and it was a
sight we won’t soon forget.
Getting to sleep on the first night
was difficult—not just because it was
cold and uncomfortable, but because
Mr. Hudson had just scared the life
out of us with his ghost stories around
the campfire. However, on the second
night, getting to sleep was a breeze.
During the course of the second
day we hiked for miles. One of the
many sights we saw was the majesty
of Grey’s Arch: a massive arch carved
out of a cliff by millions of years of
wind erosion. The night ended with all
of us sitting on a massive cliff watching the sunset. We were then given
the letters we wrote to ourselves during our Christian Awakening Retreat.
The combination of that moment and
Chris Cox’s inspiring prayer before
dinner that night made the retreat for
me. (The two-hour long game of manhunt was fun, too!)
The next morning was kicked off
with a delicious cereal breakfast and
an hour-long game of football that
should go down in the history books.
Why Mr. Hudson never played starting linebacker for a professional football team, I’ll never know. We then
set off on a morning march through
the woods that ended on the edge of
a cliff where we prayed and heard inspirational stories about finding God
in the wilderness.
Luckily, the rain held off long
enough for us to pack up our tents.
The final hike took place in the cold
and rain, but that didn’t make it any
less enjoyable. We stopped at a small
waterfall where we blessed a bowl full
of stones in the water. We were then
each given a stone that had a word engraved on it that held special meaning
to us. Later, we climbed on a rock arch
that passed over the river and had our
pictures taken. We then marched back
to the bus and headed to the nearest
McDonald’s before returning home.
Overall, the retreat was an amazing experience. It was extremely fun
and at the same time very moving. It
had the advantage of being more relaxed and less structured than the other retreats. I made many new friends
and I believe it helped me grow closer
to God. I recommend it to every St. X
student.
St. X Students Participate in Project Warm Blitz
By Tony Williams
As the winter approaches and temperatures drop, the underprivileged
people of the Louisville area struggle
to keep their houses warm. Unable to
Photo by Alex Naser-Hall
Greg Bousamra, Kiernan Heine, and
Tony Williams measured tape to attach
window insulation.
afford insulation and pay the resulting
high heating cost, these people need
our help. Since 1982, people have
volunteered their time to help winterize homes for needy citizens of the
Louisville Metro area.
Louisville Gas and Electric
(LG&E), the City of Louisville and
Jefferson County have funded Project Warm for the past 20 years. Other
companies and individual have also
helped sponsor the program throughout the years. Their donations are
used to obtain the materials necessary
to winterize the homes, and low-income volunteers can earn free winterization materials by helping winterize
the homes of the elderly and disabled
who receive free winterization.
Over 200 St. Xavier students
volunteered their time to the Project
Warm Energy Saving Blitz on November 1, 8 and 15. They plugged
air leaks to decrease energy costs of
elderly or disabled homeowners. Volunteers installed interior plastic covers over windows to stop cold air from
seeping into the house. They also
blocked any cold air that could have
seeped through attics or around doors.
These measures seem small, but they
drastically decrease the homeowner’s
utility bill.
I partook in the Project Warm
Blitz on both November 8 and 15. One
of the homes I helped insulate was off
Bardstown Road, not far from St. X.
This made me realize that poverty is
not a concentrated problem. Rather,
it is spread out, and underprivileged
people may be living right next door
without you knowing it.
The other dwelling was a mobile home. As we drove up to it, the
first thing I noticed was a car covered
with Marines decals. Once inside the
house, I saw photos of family members in Marine uniforms, and I was
saddened to think that someone who
had risked his life to serve our country
is now confined to living in a mobile
home.
Project Warm is a really eyeopening experience, and I recommend
that everyone participate in at least
one Blitz. Unlike many other service
projects, Project Warm is neither boring nor physically exhausting; it is
just enlightening. Project Warm is a
good way to earn service hours, gain
knowledge of insulation and acquire a
better understanding of poverty.
Senior Zach Cahalan covered a window
with plastic