2004 November Falcon - Saint Joseph High School

INSIDE SPORTS:
Cross country . . . . . . pg. 4
Vol. XLVII, Number 2
S AINT J OSEPH H.S.
Halloween 2004. . . . . pg. 4
The Student Newspaper of Saint Joseph High School, Metuchen, N.J.
November 2004
Ready, set, give, give thanks
Annual Thanksgiving Food Drive underway
“To see the Council members
working together towards a goal,
especially for those in need, is
nice. The sight of all those food
Each year the Student Counbags packed and waiting to be
cil organizes a Thanksgiving
picked up is enough to remind me
food drive, which attempts to
to be thankful for all
raise more than
that we have. As a
$15,000 in order to
result, the holidays
purchase over 500
are always a little bit
food baskets.
warmer.”
Each basket con“The packing and
tains roughly $30
distribution of food
worth of food. They
each year is especialare then distributed
ly significant for me,”
to several organizaadded Ms. Dwyer,
tions, including the
“because it is the result
Martin House in Trenof everyone’s efforts
ton and the Puerto
—between the monies
Rican Association in
collected and the interPerth Amboy.
ruptions patiently
Each basket is
endured for a month.
filled with the essenIt is a terrific examtial items to enjoy a
great Thanksgiving
Photo by Mike Varco ple of the St. Joe’s
community and what
meal. This includes Student volunteers pack food bags for 500
we stand for—hard
three types of veg- families.
work and fun rolled
etables, stuffing, rice,
a dress down day as well.
together to help those in need.”
cranberry sauce, potatoes, cook“Every year this project is
This year is looking to be a
ies, and a turkey.
one that leaves me with a good
repeat of the last, and that would
The Student Council raises
feeling about our school combe a good thing because the Stuthe funds for this project by passmunity,” said Mr. Bryner, the
dent Council has never failed to
ing out envelopes to first perimoderator of Student Council.
reach their mark of $15,000.
od classes each Monday, WednesBy Anthony Sessa
Staff Writer
day, and Friday. The Food Drive started on October 15 and
ended on November 17. The
Student Council also raised money through the Halloween Dance
on October 29, and sponsored
Grief counselors are here to help
By Brendan Gilmartin
Staff Writer
In the wake of the tragic death
of senior, Eric August, members
of the St. Joe’s community, especially those who were close to
Eric, found themselves dealing
with a variety of emotions. The
Guidance Department and Campus Ministry saw the need to help
students through this difficult time.
On October 7, grief counseling
was provided to juniors and sophomores in periods 3 and 4, respec-
tively. Twenty-four counselors in
total from Bishop Ahr, Mount St.
Mary’s, and Immaculata assisted Mrs. Yannaco, Ms. Palmer,
Deacon Rich, and Mrs. Cunningham in providing support and
comfort to the students.
Students discussed crucial stages
of the grieving process, and then
had small group discussions.
Mrs. Yannaco hoped that, “this
would provide a forum for students to express their emotions
and feelings, and be able to offer
support to one another.”
Mrs. Yannaco also noted that
Eric’s death this year and Michael
Partipilo’s death last year affected the entire school community,
and that a program such as this
especially helps underclassmen
who knew them.
She added that the Guidance
Department anticipates the creation of a loss support group within the next month.
The Guidance Department hopes
that by providing counseling, students will better understand and
cope with the grieving process.
Fall college tour lends
a hand in college decisions
By Michael Barbato
Staff Writer
As the deadline for college applications draws nearer, undecided
seniors look to the Fall College
Tour to help solidify their college
choices.
Deciding on which college to
attend is never a choice that should
be taken lightly, which is why the
Guidance Department devotes their
time and energy to the tour every
year. Their hard work pays off,
however, and year after year stu-
dents who go on the tour report
that they greatly benefited from the
campus tours.
This year’s tour, which took place
on October 22, visited Lehigh University, Moravian College, and
Lafayette College. It was a valuable tool because it gave students
a perspective that they never would
have gotten from brochures alone.
When asked what she felt is the
biggest benefit of the annual tours,
Mrs. Yannaco responded, “Students are able to get a feel for the
campus environment firsthand and
decide for themselves which type
of college fits them best. It’s the
best way for a student to see if a
type of college is right for them.”
Undoubtedly, the Fall College
Tour is an important element of the
decision making process for many
seniors.
Although students may not choose
one of the specific colleges that the
tour visits, the day trip provided
several models of college life, ultimately helping the Class of 2005
determine which type of college
they would like to attend next fall.
Photo by Mike Varco
A great crowd for our annual Open House.
Open House hits new high
By Tom Bacsik
Associate Editor
Every year, the annual Open
House is successful and this
year’s was no exception. With
over 500 families in attendance,
the school set an all-time record.
The Open House, which took
place on October 17 from 11:30
a.m. until 2 p.m., served to illustrate the multitude of clubs, activities, and sports offered at St.
Joseph’s in addition to the depth
of the curriculum. This was
accomplished by providing guided tours to prospective families
and by having teachers, coaches, moderators, and students
available for questions.
The tours, guided by teachers
and students, led prospective
students and their families around
campus. The groups saw various sites including the main
building, O’Neill and Woodburn
Halls, the observatory, and the
soccer and baseball fields.
The tours eventually concluded back at the gymnasium,
where the guests were encouraged
to visit the various tables and
receive information about the
academics departments, sports,
clubs and activities.
The cafeteria was open as
well, serving light refreshments
to prospective students and their
families as they mused over
the school information provided
to them in their personalized
packets.
The day’s success can be
attributed largely to the help of
the countless students and faculty who offered their time in
various ways. Mr. Gandy, Director of Admissions and co-coordinator of the Open House with
Ms. Dwyer, could not praise the
volunteers enough for the support. “The success of our Open
House was made possible only
by the remarkable cooperation of
the student volunteers and faculty,” Mr. Gandy said.
It was not only Mr. Gandy
and Ms. Dwyer who were
pleased with the outcome of the
Open House. Parents and students had the opportunity to
submit their comments on the
day’s activities.
Mr. James Kovy, whose son
is currently attending Our Lady
of Peace in Fords, remarked, “It
gave a good impression of what
a student will encounter in his
four years at the school and how
it will prepare him for the future.”
Phon-a-thon great success
By Michael Varco
Staff Writer
The annual Phon-a-Thon was
held in the Cor Jesu Conference
Center on October 25, 26, and 27,
and November 1, 2, and 3. The
event commenced at 6 p.m. and
lasted until 8 p.m.; however, the
phone calls started at approximately 6:30.
The callers, who consisted of
members of the Mothers’ Club,
Fathers’ Club, faculty, Student
Council, and National Honor Society, were put through a training
session for the first thirty minutes,
and then given a list of people to
call.
Prior to the nights of the event,
a letter was mailed to each of the
prospective donors who were to
be called. The phone calls served
as reminders and surveys as to how
much each benefactor would like
to donate.
Every year, St. Joe’s holds a
series of fundraising events in
which alumni and friends are called
on the phone and asked to donate
money.
The contributions are used
towards the Annual Fund, the additional capital needed to maintain the
school’s academic and athletic
facilities. The goal each year is
$300,000. Approximately $120,000
was contributed during each of the
fall and spring events last year.
Mr. Miguel Cabrita, Director
of Institutional Advancement, stated, “I was really excited to see the
final results from the Phon-a-Thon
in the new Conference Center this
year. We received funds totaling
$33,770, which is a tremendous
amount.”
Aside from the Golf Outing,
the Phon-a-Thon is the most successful fundraising event at school.
2
THE FALCON
Astronomy Club witnesses rare transit of Venus
By Joseph Varco
Co-Editor-in-Chief
The planet Venus crossed the
face of the sun on June 8, 2004.
As seen from Earth, it appeared
as a tiny black dot moving slowly across the sun’s disk. In fact,
Venus appeared to be about three
percent the size of the sun. The
last time this rare event took place
was in 1882.
Before the sun rose in the early hours of June 8, the St. Joe’s
Astronomy Club gathered on the
track and prepared for the transit.
The reason for the time of viewing was that from New Jersey, the
transit was only visible at sunrise.
As the sun rose, the members
began observing and photographing
the event. A telescope with a homemade solar filter was used, and
the image of the transit was projected onto a plate.
Mr. Minisclaco, Mrs. Dellatacoma, Mr. Hicken, and Mr. Trojanowski joined Mr. Ernst, the
Astronomy Club moderator, and
members of the club to witness
November 2004
EDITORIAL
The grieving process
By Joseph Lombardi
Co-Editor-in-Chief
Photo by Kevin Ciampi
Venus crosses the sun.
the event.
Mr. Ernst stated, “We all considered ourselves very special to
have observed this rare and amazing event. The transit of Venus is
even rarer than the passage of Halley’s Comet, so it represents a
milestone in every astronomy
enthusiast’s life.”
Mike Varco, Vice President of
the club noted, “It was a really
amazing event. It’s something I’ll
never forget.”
The reason the event is so rare
is that Earth and Venus have to
line up on the exact same plane. In
other words, the Sun, Venus, and
Earth must all be in a perfectly
straight line. The next transit of
Venus will occur on June 6, 2012.
After that, however, this rare event
will not occur again until 2117.
As I look through the St. Joe’s
advertisements neatly displayed
on a table at the annual Open
House, it is clear that our school
offers to incoming students a
strong education in the sciences,
humanities, and languages. I can
recall the occasion four years
ago when I stood looking at the
very same flyer as a prospective
St. Joe’s student.
However, looking back upon
my time here, I realize that this
school and community have given me far more than just a typical high school education. As a
student at St. Joe’s, I have learned
valuable life lessons, some pleasant and others not. I learned how
to cope with the loss of teachers, classmates, and even dear
friends.
I was in Mrs. Dellatacoma’s
second period, freshmen religion
class when I heard news of the
September 11 tragedy. That was
my first encounter with death as
a member of the St. Joe’s community.
Later that year, our worlds
were turned upside down once
again when Mrs. Noble suddenly died of complications from a
brain aneurysm. It was hard to
imagine that as a freshman, I
would be attending two memorial services honoring three St.
Joe’s alumni, and a teacher, respectively.
As juniors and again as seniors,
the Class of 2005 has experienced the death of two classmates: Michael Partipilo and Eric
August. These were perhaps the
most profound for us, at least for
me, because they were boys with
whom we had grown into young
men. They were classmates with
whom we had shared many memories and occasions, both happy
and sad. For many of us, the
impact of their lives and deaths
will never be forgotten.
The St. Joseph community,
specifically the senior class, has
experienced great tragedies, which
have seemed unbearable at times.
However, I believe that it is our
shared sense of camaraderie and
brotherhood that has helped the
students to transcend these difficult
times. It is our ability to find
comfort in one another within
our tightly knit community that
has proven St. Joseph High School
to be resilient time and time again.
I will never forget what I
learned at St. Joe’s, but perhaps
more importantly I will never
forget with whom I learned those
lessons.
CAMPUS MINISTRY
Photo by Mike Varco
SNHS inductees with moderator, Ms. Ana Rocci
Spanish National Honor Society
holds emblematic induction
By Joe Runkle
Associate Editor
The Spanish National Honor
Society, also known as “La
Sociedad Honoria Hispanica,”
will hold its induction ceremony
on Monday, November 22 from
7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Cor Jesu
Conference Center.
The purpose of the Society is
“to recognize high achievement
in Spanish by high school students
and to promote a continuity of
interest in Hispanic studies,”
according to its constitution.
All 25 inductees have met very
stringent requirements for admission into the Spanish National
Honor Society. Mrs. Rocci, moderator, noted, “(Inductees) have
to maintain an ‘A’ average throughout their Spanish career.”
Additionally, members had to
submit an essay stating why they
wished to join the Society and
how they would contribute to
Spanish culture.
Published by the students of St. Joseph High School
145 Plainfield Ave., Metuchen, NJ 08840
Volume XLVII, No. 2 • November 2004
Editors-in-Chief: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joe Varco, Joe Lombardi
Managing Editor:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dan Beck
Associate Editors: . . . . . . . . . . . Josh Esteban, Tom Bacsik, Joe Runkle
Sports Editor: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brian Green
Photography:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mike Varco
Staff Writers: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mike Barbato, Brendan Gilmartin
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bryan Gregus, Robin Lapitan, Matt Minnella
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Casey Naiduk, Stephen Polansky, Matt Roth
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peter Russell, Mike Scheller, Anthony Sessa
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jerry Sullivan, Jake Torrenzano, Jude Wierzbicki
Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mr. George Milligan
Faculty Adviser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dr. Martine Gubernat
The Falcon welcomes articles from students, parents and faculty members for consideration for publication. All articles are subject to editing. The opinions expressed
in The Falcon do not necessarily represent the opinions of faculty or administration. Opinions expressed in any column except those of the editors are not necessarily those of the editors.
Graphics and Printing by Media Trends,
Metuchen, NJ (732) 225-4555
The St. Joe’s chapter of the Society is titled “El Cid” after Rodrigo Diáz de Vivar, the legendary
eleventh century Spanish commander with the same nickname.
Each inductee at the ceremony
will have to recite from memory
a part of the epic poem about the
famous hero’s accomplishments
called “La Poema del Cid,” in
front of parents and faculty guests.
Officers for the National Spanish Honor Society were selected
earlier this year. Gary Price was
chosen president, while the students elected Kabir Bindra as vice
president and Vicente Velez as
secretary. All three officers have
to come to St. Joe’s one day before
induction to help prepare for the
ceremony that will recognize the
hard work and dedication demonstrated by the Society’s inductees.
Mrs. Rocci commented, “The
ceremony is very symbolic and
touching.”
An eventful year begins
By Jude Wierzbicki
Staff Writer
Campus Ministry has already
begun its numerous, year-long
activities. Prior to the start of classes, over 112 students volunteered
precious summer hours to the Freshman Fusion and Mentor programs.
These programs ensure that freshmen are prepared for the transition into high school by addressing questions and problems they
might encounter throughout the
year.
Campus Ministry has also started its Good Samaritan Collections. Beginning in October, the
group collected baby items such
as clothes, diapers, and toys for
local family shelters. The November collection took place the week
of November. 8.
Items ranging from batteries to
beef jerky to suntan lotion were
collected for the 3rd Battalion
112th Field Artillery based in New
Jersey, which is currently serving
in Iraq. (The soldiers will be away
from family and friends this Christmas season.)
According to Ms. Palmer, Direc-
tor of Campus Ministry, the success
of the program starts with the St.
Joe’s community “…sympathizing with the soldiers. Our students
are politically aware and regardless
of their views on the situation in
Iraq, they care about these troops
who are so far from home.”
Campus Ministry also has a
number of overnight activities
planned. The Senior Spirituality
Overnight will take place from
Nov. 16-17 at the Brothers of the
Sacred Heart facilities in Belvidere.
The Junior Spirituality Overnight
is scheduled from Nov. 30-Dec. 1.
Both events will allow students
to learn more about themselves
and their relationships with others. Cardboard City, which seeks
to increase social awareness and
raise money for the Student Council Food Drive, will take place on
Tuesday, Nov. 23 from 9 p.m. until
8 a.m. Wednesday morning.
Campus Ministry once again is
very active this school year. Additionally, Ms. Palmer looks forward to working with everyone
to build on the success that has
always made Campus Ministry
an integral part of the school.
Mr. Santiago produces and stars in play
By Casey Naiduk
Staff Writer
Mr. Carl Santiago was the executive producer and star in the musical To Whom It May Concern at St.
Andrew’s Episcopal Church in
New Providence.
The show was presented on the
third and fourth Friday and Sunday in October and took place at
8 pm for Friday night performances
and 4 pm for Sunday afternoon
performances.
To Whom It May Concern was
written by Carol Hall and was first
introduced to the public in 1985 off-
Broadway. The play made its New
Jersey debut at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Metuchen. Mr.
Santiago saw the show about 15
years ago as part of Seton Hall’s
“Theatre-in-the-Round” Summer
Series, and drew inspiration to
produce.
The musical consists of fourteen
characters, seven men and seven
women. Mr. Santiago portrayed
a priest, while the other thirteen
actors played characters of the
church. The show is unique
because characters never interact
with one another, but use songs
and monologues about life expe-
riences to interact solely with the
audience.
Mr. Santiago, who also sings
and leads the bass section of the
choir every Sunday during mass
at St. Andrew’s, said that producing another play is not foreseeable in the near future, but may
be a possibility. “It’s more work
than I realized, but it’s all worth it
in the end,” he said.
Acting, however, is most definitely in his future. He said he
has always and will always perform, comically adding, “I act in
five shows daily here at St. Joe’s
in room 104.”
November 2004
THE FALCON
3
Fall play an expected success
By Daniel Beck
Managing Editor
“Imagine a house full of happiness, a place where there is no
responsibility and where all the
members are isolated from each
other and only concerned with his
or her own world,” said Mr. Craig
Martin, the Drama Moderator and
Assistant Director to this year’s
fall production of Moss Hart’s and
George S. Kaufman’s comedy,
You Can’t Take it with You.
The aforementioned description is that of the home of Martin Vanderhof. The house, full of
playwrights, dancers, firework
inventors, and other sorts of unique
characters, is a “haven for eccentricity” as Mr. Anthony Mangan,
the Set Designer and Technical
Manager, explained. “They are
constantly attracting new members to the house and are willing
to welcome these visitors with
open arms.”
This year’s fall production
exhibits a plethora of talented
seniors including Jonathan Kan-
itra as Mr. Kirby and Matt Mancuso as Martin Vanderhof. Among
the talented juniors are Francois
Suhr as Ed, Phil Campos as Mr.
DePinna, Ryan McDaid as Tony
Kirby, and Michael Basti as the
Russian, Boris Kolenkhov. The
actors are accompanied by a group
Baime as Mrs. Kirby.
Many adults contributed to the
success of the fall production,
making it a memorable and captivating experience. Mrs. Anne
Curto continued as the play’s Director for her ninth straight year. Mr.
Mangan assisted Mr. Steve
Schweer with the management of the set and
tech affairs. Mr.
Thomas Seeland aided the production as
Sound Manager. Mrs.
Annette DeLuca
enhanced the play as
Costume and Prop
Designer, and Mr.
Bobby Duncan made
The Drama Club performs for the
the set come alive with
students and faculty.
his artwork.
of talented young women travelThe SJHS Theater Company
ing from such schools as John F.
will present You Can’t Take it with
Kennedy, Mount Saint Mary AcadYou on November 11, 12, and 13
emy, Mother Seton, and Bishop
at 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday,
Ahr. Some of the leading actressNovember 14 at 3:30 p.m. Tickes are: Roxanne Guarino playing
ets cost $10 for seniors and stuthe part of Penelope Sycamore,
dents and $15 for adults. It is
Danielle Velez as Essie, Chelsea
expected to be a truly unforgetKosty as Rheba, and Samantha
table production!
Photo by Mr. Mulligan
Leo Club inducts eleven new members.
LEO Club Induction
By Roseller Lapitan
Staff Writer
To summarize what the Leo
Club is and what it stands for
is relatively easy. All one has
to do is closely examine the
name of the club. Upon further observation, the name Leo
is really an acronym for “Leadership, Experience, and Organization.” These qualities are
the essence of what the Leo
Club is all about, and on October 5, eleven new members
that possess and uphold these
vital qualities were inducted
into the club.
The ceremony was held in
the Conference Center and was
conducted by the club’s sponsor, the Metuchen Metro Lions
Club. Although the ceremony
lasted only an hour, the new
members of the group saw it
as just the first step in their
pursuit of helping the community. The president of the
club, Joshua Esteban, summed
it up by saying “It was a memorable occasion and hopefully the start of a successful year.”
The Leo Club will be working closely with the Lions Club,
whose primary purpose is community service, especially for
the blind. Upcoming community projects include collecting used eyeglasses, and assisting the Metuchen Metro Lions
Club with a dinner dance.
Mr. Milligan, the moderator
of the club, is optimistic about
the club’s future and its newly inducted members. He said,
“We really have a great group
of young guys and, with them,
I feel the club will move forward towards helping the community.”
Tech Update
Portable memory devices
solve storage dilemmas
Photo by Mr. Walsh
Fall Honors Convocation 2004
recognizes academic achievement
By Joshua Esteban
Associate Editor
The Fall Honors Convocation,
an event that recognized students’
academic achievements in the 20032004 school year, was held on
Wednesday, Oct. 20, at 7 p.m. Over
seven hundred students and family members attended the ceremony, which was held in the gymnasium.
Mr. Fischer, Dean of Studies,
announced the honorees, while Mr.
Walsh, Principal, presented the
awards to the students.
The 239 award recipients were
placed into 12 categories, each
based on grade level and G.P.A.
Seniors, juniors, and sophomores
who attained Honor Roll, a G.P.A.
of 3.8 through 4.0, and students
who received High Honor Roll, a
G.P.A. of 4.0 through 4.4, for at
least three quarters received a certificate for their achievement.
Those who achieved the Principal’s List, a G.P.A. of 4.4 or greater
for three out of four quarters, received
a special certificate of recognition.
Award recipients who attained
the Principal’s List for all four quarters received a special pin emblazoned with the school escutcheon
along with a special certificate of
recognition.
Special awards from the College Board were given to seniors
based on their performance on the
PSATs. Twelve seniors were recognized as Commended Students of
the National Merit Program. They
earned scores that placed them in the
top 5 percent of the nation’s 2005
graduating class. Three seniors
received an award from the National Hispanic Recognition Program.
Sophomore Michael Varco was
presented with the Thomas “Pops”
V. Ryan Memorial Scholarship. He
was chosen due to his increased
success during his freshman year
in English along with his characteristics that exemplified Mr. Ryan’s
love of scholarship and life. In addition to the award, a $500 scholarship was given for Michael’s 20042005 tuition.
Mr. Walsh concluded the ceremony by congratulating both students and parents for their achievements and encouraging the award
recipients to continue their academic excellence.
Mr. Fischer, coordinator of the
event, said “The Fall Honors Convocation was an evening for students to be rewarded for their academic achievements. We honored
the students’ consistency and diligence as well as their parents’ support and sacrifice.”
By Stephen Polansky
Staff Writer
St. Joe’s offers a variety of
computer-related classes ranging from desktop publishing
to computer animation in an
effort to enrich the computing
skills of its students.
One downside to the everincreasing level of technology
in the classes are the large files
these programs generate. The
average Macromedia Flash file
or Microsoft Publisher file can
be upwards of 3Mb while a
floppy disk is only capable of
holding 1.38Mb.
To combat the low storage
capacity of a floppy disk, many
students have been turning to
a relatively new device: the
USB flash memory drive.
These devices, also known
as memory sticks or key drives, had a slow start but are
now a 1.4 billion dollar industry and are expected to double
in the next few years, according to Gartner Dataquest. In
addition to holding more data
than a floppy
disk, these drives are generally extremely robust and
are not susceptible to
magnetic damage.
These reusable devices can
store any type of computer files,
and are both platform independent, meaning they can be used
on any type of computer, and
hot swappable, meaning that
they can be connected and disconnected while the computer
is on.
Due to soaring interest, prices
have come down to an affordable rate. Dell, one of the leading retailers for these products
now offers a 64Mb unit, which
equates to about 45 floppy disks,
for approximately $30.
As technology progresses, it
places increasing demands on
its storage mediums. The adoption of USB flash drives is just
one way students are embracing the future of technology.
BR. MIKE’S MOVIE REVIEWS
By Jake Torrenzano
Staff Writer
Alright guys, new movies mean new
reviews. Listen up because I saw some
pretty good movies this month that I recommend you see and some you would probably rather watch paint dry than see. Ok,
let’s get going!
The Forgotten ★ 1/2
This movie was a total disaster. I didn’t like it at all and it only seemed to get
worse. It started out pretty interesting but
the plot just seemed to plop. It was about
this lady who thought her son died in plane
crash when he supposedly never really
existed. The movie starts off well and kept
me interested, but then it got weird. Aliens
come into the movie, for what reason, I
have no idea. Brother started staring at the
milk duds stuck to the floor and couldn’t
stand the end of this movie. See this, and
you too will be bored out of your mind.
Friday Night Lights ★★★ 1/2
This is one of the best movies Broth-
er has seen in a while. It’s not only a
great movie, but a great story that it
revolves around. The acting is just superb
and it most certainly is one of the best
sports movies I’ve seen in a while. It
chronicles a high school football team
from Texas. The movie revolves around
their 1988 season and their road to winning the state championship. The realism and impact that each one of these
characters has is absolutely incredible.
Hey! Go see this movie and you won’t
regret it!
Cellular ★★★
Now I’ll admit this looked lame in the
previews, but after seeing it, it was definitely a cool movie. There was a lot of
action and it was filled with suspense. It’s
about these guys who take a biology teacher
(at least it wasn’t an American History
teacher) and put her in an attic above a
room filled with these killers. She manages to call this guy who is a total hippy
jerk. Anyway, this call from her changes how
the guy is. The entire movie kept me on
the edge. An overall great thriller.
4
THE FALCON
S AINT J OSEPH H.S.
FALCON SPORTS
November 2004
I don’t think we’re
in Metuchen
anymore, Toto....
SOCCER WRAP-UP
A season thus far
By Jerry Sullivan
Staff Writer
With a current record of 12-9-1,
the varsity soccer team has yet to
exercise their level of talent through
their play. Following last season’s
success, the team had a big act to
follow this year. Despite the team’s
ups-and-downs, they upset secondseeded St. Augustine in an exciting
and intense game that ended in a
shootout after a double overtime.
The team hopes to carry this momentum to the state finals.
Although the team members have
faced an unusual number of back
strains, the season has been relatively injury free. Play has not been
outstanding, but two key players on
the squad, junior Sean
Gilmartin and senior Roberto Garzon, have played consistently well.
The biggest game thus
far was against East
Brunswick. The team came
back to tie, scoring four goals
in the second half of the
game. When asked what was
needed to return to last
Photo by Mike Varco
year’s prestige, Coach
O’Boyle said, “We need to St. Joe’s dribbles to the goal.
produce the level of play
about the underclassmen, whose play
that this team is capable of based
has been nothing short of superb.
upon our abilities. The way our record
Fan base for this year’s program has
stands, we will have to take the toughbeen mediocre over all, leaving but
est route to get there.”
one question remaining, “Where’s
As the varsity team continues to
the rest of The Flock?”
find their way, one can not forget
CROSS COUNTRY
X-country team races to the finish
in the Catholic Conference Championships because Old Bridge and
CBA again have very strong teams.”
Br. Richard feels that Jack
The St. Joe’s cross-country team
Fitzhenry and Ryan Kappy
rounded out the fall season with
are a “One, Two punch.” He
a 5-3 record.
is counting on new runners
“We did okay in duel meets,
from the soccer team as well
but the upcoming GMC will be
as current cross-country runa good indicator of our team’s
ners to stay with the sport
ability. Hopefully we can place
through the winter. “Keep
in the top five,” Mr. Trojanowski
plugging, keep running the
stated. Old Bridge, East
race, and train for a purpose,”
Brunswick, and Spotswood have
are Brother Richard’s mottested St. Joe’s this season with
tos.
extremely strong teams.
The winter outlook appears
Edward Tessalone, Kevin
promising. Mr. TrojanowsCarpenter, Michael Fanelli,
ki hopes to get his key athletes
Michael Wardenski, and Matt
back and to place third or
Revolinski led the varsity team
better in the counties.
with their key performances and
Although he does not know
leading spirit. Mr. Trojanowswhat to expect from rivals
ki complimented these five runOld Bridge and Piscataway,
ners, “Their attendance is rock
the team will have to earn
solid and they keep making
Photo by Mike Varco
every victory.
progress; we need more people
St. Joe’s runners lead the pack.
like them.”
Photos by Mike Varco
Brother Richard is also pleased.
He stated, “The freshmen are coachable, and in nice spirits, but we
might have to settle for second place
By Michael Scheller
Staff Writer
WINTER SPORTS PREVIEW
FLAG FOOTBALL ENDS SEASON
By Brian Green
Sports Editor
and Matt Minella
Staff Writer
Swimming
All eyes will be on the St. Joe’s
swim team this season after last
year’s dominating run. Following
one of the most successful seasons for a New Jersey high school
athletic team in history, the team
has great expectations for this season. The question is can it top last
year’s perfect 14-0 record, twenty-first state title, and twenty-sixth
consecutive GMC county championship. Bobby Savulich will
power the team as they face off
against tough in-state and out-ofstate competition. Having proven
themselves as one of the best swim
teams in the nation, the team will
strive for another state title.
Winter Track
The winter track team is optimistic about the upcoming sea-
son. Coach Trojanowski commented that although the team is
not as strong as previous teams,
he is confident that they will still
be able to hold their own. Eddie
Tessalone, Earl Watson, Mike
Fanelli, and Kevin Carpenter will
lead the squad this year. The team
aims to improve upon last year’s
3-1 dual meet record. Season
goals include stronger showings
in the Greater Middlesex County Individual Championships and
the GMC Indoor Relay Championship, where they placed fourth
last winter.
Bowling
Coming off a successful 15-5
record and an impressive victory in the GMC Championships,
the bowling team hopes to live
up to its traditionally strong reputation. The team is not as deep as
last year, but still has the potential for a great season. Ryan Batty, Hugh Drumm, and John Baginsky will carry the team this year.
With the graduation of many
seniors, the team will also depend
on younger bowlers to step up as
it strives to defend its county title.
Basketball
Following last year’s 16-10 season and a trip to the GMC semifinals, the Falcons are preparing for
a new season. Under the leadership of Andrew Bynum, Kenny
Widgeon, and Sean Baptiste, the
team has set a goal of making a
deep impact in the state tournament
this year. The coaching staff is very
optimistic this season, due in part
to the team’s ball handling, leadership, and size.
Hockey
After a rough 6-13-2 season,
the Falcons will look to make this
upcoming season better than the
last. The team will rely on seniors
Mike Pace, Chris Pitoscia, and Sean
Stevens for leadership this season.
The team’s goal this year is to be
competitive in the Central Red
Division. They also hope to be a
contender for the McInnis Cup.
Photo by Mike Varco
The road to Joe’s Bowl V came to an exciting finish with the finals of both the Freshmen-Sophomore
and Junior-Senior conferences.
“This season has been extremely competitive,”
said Coach Yunker. “There has been a lot of good,
high-skill football and superlative officiating.”
It was another exciting season which concluded
in a “good, competitive final in both conferences,”
said Coach Yunker.