Feb 12, 2010 - Detroit Catholic Central High School

Spectrum
Issue 3, February, 12, 2010, Volume 34
detroit catholic central high school
27225 Wixom Road, Novi, MI 48105
Novi City Council proclaims
Shamrock Day
Matt Nick on
Haiti
A Decade of Drive
chronicled in pictures
page 3
page 2
back page
CC is the MHSAA
photo by Krysiak
photo by Thibodeau
6
Jobin Philip
Associate editor `10
CC’s last wrestling State Title was in 1988, over 20 years
ago. With six returning state qualifiers and a strong collection
of senior leadership led by captains Mike Kinville and Doug
Eldridge, this year’s team has depth. Despite having one of the
toughest schedules in the state, both the varsity A and varsity B
teams have continued to dominate all season.
The A team got off to a strong start at the annual assembly
match against the Northville Ponies. With five pins, including
one by #7 ranked Eldridge (140 lbs.) in nine seconds, CC took
the match 54 to 17. Other pins were brought by #3 ranked Kinville (215), #7 ranked sophomore T.J. Fagan (103), #1 ranked
freshman Kenny Bade (103), and #1 ranked returning state
champ Alec Mooradian (119).
The team then went on to win the Goodrich Tournament of
Champions, one of the toughest regular season tournaments in
the state. The Shamrocks truly showed their depth by placing
in 12 of 14 weight classes.
They got some big wins at the 46th Annual CC Invitational,
winning the tournament for the first time since 1988. The competition featured five of the top 10 teams in Division 1, as well
as over 50 ranked wrestlers. Three Shamrocks claimed individual championships: Bade at 103, Mooradian at 119, and #3
ranked junior Justin Melick at 135. These three, along with nine
other placers, helped the team grab first at the tournament. They
beat Rockford, the defending Division 1 state champions.
The grapplers really showed their potential at the CC Super
Duals. They beat Hartland (previously ranked #1 in Division
1) 34 to 21, bumping them down to #3 in Division 1. CC came
in second place at the tournament, losing only to St. Edwards,
an Ohio team ranked #9 in the nation and with 13 straight Ohio
state championships. This is a loss any Shamrock fan can deal
with. Leading the team and going undefeated throughout the
tournament were Kinville, Mooradian, and #3 ranked (112)
sophomore Todd Melick.
The varsity B team’s success includes amazing wins against
several of our Catholic League varsity A squads. Our B team
demolished U of D’s A team 67 to 3, St. Mary’s A team 66 to
7, and Brother Rice’s A team 51 to 24. The B Team studs also
trounced Divine Child’s A team and DeLaSalle’s A team twice
each.
The varsity A team is 20 - 4 as they enter Districts. Of these
few losses, one was to Lowell. They were the Division 2 state
champions last year and have now moved up to Division 1 and
are ranked #1.
Eldridge said, “To beat Lowell, we will all have to wrestle our
best match and continue to work hard in the room like we have
been since last March.”
With a more conditioned team hungry for a rematch, CC is
sure to be ready to face Lowell when it counts at States.
12
Out of 14 wrestlers placed in
the CC Invitational
8
Wrestlers ranked
in the top 10
for Division 1 in
their respective
weight classes
6
Tournaments
won by the
Shamrocks
10
Team matches
won by 30 points
or more
The
Lineup
103 T. J. Fagan
112 K. Bade
119 T. Melick
125 A. Mooradian
130 N. Mason
135 C. Joseph
140 J. Melick
145 D. Eldridge
152 G. Gee
160 A. Erickson
171 B. Bennett
189 M. Trealoute
215 M. Kinville
285 D. Knuth
Video Game
Survey
What is the
best video game
system?
editorial 2
Brett Mizzi
Staff writer `12
PS3 24%
Wii 5%
“It’s the only system I have.”
“It’s the only thing my mother
finds appropriate for my delicate
mind.”
Xbox 68%
“Women think giving birth is
painful. They should try playing
COD on a lagging connection.”
local 3
With six state titles in the past decade, CC’s hockey team has
been the most prolific program in Division 1.
Last year, Kyle Nelson, Tony Thomas, Dan Brown, and NIck
Gatt raised the school’s 13th hockey state championship banner.
This year, the team is looking to add to their dynastic legacy
with a second straight state title.
They know as well as anybody that becoming champions is
a lot more difficult the second time. Senior captain Zack Cisek
explains the challenges they face: “There is a lot of pressure
being defending champs, but we know CC always has a target
on its back, and we just take our season one game at a time.”
So far, the entire team seems to be handling the added pressure well, as they improved their record to 17-1-1, including a
recent weekend trip to Indiana to face off against hockey powerhouse Culver.
Off to one of the best starts CC hockey has ever seen, the
team has won 11 games against opponents ranked in the top ten
in the state. This features back-to-back victories against 3rdranked Catholic League rival St. Mary’s to start their season and
a 6-2 win over 2nd-ranked Livonia Stevenson.
The only real blemish on their near perfect record came
against Culver in a 4-4 tie after they had already defeated the
Eagles 4-2 the day before.
As always, this year’s hockey team has strong senior leadership stemming from their captains, Cisek and Eric Winkler, and
assistant captain Nick Crowley.
The team’s success has been dependent on a strong defense
anchored by their goalie, Cisek, and a high-powered offense led
by Chris Waterstreet.
When asked to name a midseason MVP, Cisek modestly said
that they did not have one because everyone had been playing
so great. But Winkler gives the credit to his buddy in net, saying, “Our most consistent player so far has been Cisek. Every
night he gives his all, and he is a main reason why we are undefeated.”
The first 19 games have had their share of hype, and when
asked what their biggest game thus far has been, Cisek responded, “I’d have to say the outdoor game versus Cranbrook because
of the environment. But every game that we’ve played and every game coming up is big.”
Winkler added a different opinion saying, “Our biggest game
so far was the win over Culver. They have been our toughest
opponent, and we played our very best.” Then he added, “Our
biggest game ahead of us is always our next game.”
As the playoffs approach, the coaches are trying to keep the
team focused on the game at hand. Cisek said, “This team has
what it takes as long as we don’t look ahead and we can stay
focused on every game. Our main goal is to repeat.”
Conner Street `10
Gerry Kropf `10
wjr and signing day 4
drive 2010 5
3
4
7
1 9
By
the
numbers
6
4By3 7
the
1numbers
9
13
Team-leading
number of
goals scored
by Davey
Middleton
17
Team-leading
number of
assists by Ryan
Obuchowski
24
Points tallied
up by team
leader Chris
Waterstreet
.908
Zach Cisek’s
save percentage.
1
Ranking in Division 1 in the
Michigan High
School Hockey
Coaches
Association
rankings
0
Number of
losses versus Catholic
League teams
PC Games 3%
“Of course I do. I make `em.”
Phobia `29
Joey Vollman `12
Tiger Woods 6
sports 7
drive collage 8
Editorials
2
Why we are DETROIT CC
Haitians help themselves
Matthew Nicholas `10
Tom Voutsos `10
Our school has been very fortunate to receive honors from the city of Novi in recent
months for hard-earned state championships.
Mayor Landry has stated time and again
that he is proud of the “Novi Catholic Central
Shamrocks.” And most Shamrocks will wonder if I am misquoting the mayor, because
aren’t we Detroit Catholic Central?
However, he made it a point in his speech
at a city council meeting to remind the cross
country team and the football team where we
are currently located -- and that we are not in
Detroit anymore.
It’s true, we are not located in Detroit anymore, and we haven’t been since 1979. And
yet, I looked at my teammates in that city
council room and saw they shared the stroke
of pain that I felt.
Why don’t people understand? We have
been, are, and always will be Detroit Catholic
Central. Locations may change, the people
come and go, but every man who has walked
the halls of CC knows that Detroit is always
Catholic Central’s home. Novi is a fantastic
place for a school and an amazing city. But
make no mistake, Novi is a geographical location. Detroit is our home.
There are two ways to understand why we
are still Detroit CC, even though we are located in Novi. The first everyone can understand; however, it is a little known fact. In
1937, “The Catholic Central High School of
Detroit” appeared as our name on our nonprofit Articles of Incorporation. We call ourselves Detroit CC because it is easier to say.
So by law, our name is Detroit Catholic Central. To call us anything else would be legally
false.
There are other organizations with histories that refer to themselves using Detroit but
are located even farther from “the D” than
‘
February 12, 2009
Novi.
Where are the people who are clamoring
for the Detroit Pistons to drop the Detroit and
call themselves the Auburn Hills Pistons?
When the Lions were located in Pontiac, no
one questioned that they called themselves
the Detroit Lions.
Only those associated with the CC family can understand the second reason we are
called Detroit CC. We have a tradition that is
rooted in Detroit.
The Pistons claim Detroit as their home because of their storied tradition, one that began
on Grand River Avenue in Olympia Stadium
in 1957. The Detroit Lions began their tradition (albeit a losing one) on Six Mile Road
in the University of Detroit Stadium in 1934.
Detroit Catholic Central began its rich tradition (before either the Pistons or the Lions)
on Harper Avenue with 260 boys seated at
their desks in September of 1928.
Understanding Detroit is an integral part
of what it means to understand Catholic Central. It is included in our name because of the
weight the city’s name carries.
Many people will recall Mitch Albom’s
moving article in Sports Illustrated, “The
Courage of Detroit.” Only Detroiters (meaning people of metro-Detroit) could truly understand the depths and magnitude of that article, just as Shamrocks can only understand
the meaning of Detroit in front of CC. The
resilience, the hard work, and the professionalism that traditionally describe Detroit, also
describe Catholic Central.
If something has a name, why do we insist on calling it something else? Once again,
Novi is fine, and the city is great. I don’t purposely misstate your name, nor do my CC
brethren. I implore others to correctly state
our school’s name as well.
Take the poorest nation in the Western
Hemisphere, already plagued by civil unrest and military interventions by stronger
world powers, and strike its heart – the capital city – with a severe earthquake. And
then again. And again. And again.
It was as though Richard Wagner himself
had orchestrated the end of the world in this
little corner of the globe known as Haiti.
And to top it all off? Another unforeseen
“aftershock” – mass supplies of food cannot get into the capital because the seaports
and airports have been ruined by the earthquake.
What does this mean for Haiti’s citizens? They have an expression, “grangou
klowox,” to describe the burning feeling of
daily hunger pains. It roughly translates as
“drinking bleach.”
“We have given up on the US and UN
aid,” said Alain Saint-Pierre, head of a
Haitian aid organization. “I have sat in
meetings from eight in the morning until
the afternoon with them talking and doing
nothing.”
That’s not to say that the US and the UN
haven’t been trying to aid Haiti. However,
there is no easy way to get supplies to the
Haitian people.
The earthquake not only demolished
many of the homes in the city, it decimated
the high-security prison, orphanage, and
the National Palace. With thousands of
orphans and criminals flooding the streets
with no where to go, and with the center
of government – the National Palace – in
shambles, many have taken to stealing food
from international aid trucks.
A single truck, carrying nothing except
boxes of food to be delivered, may require
armed guards on the roof and sides just to
protect those who are giving aid.
Food riots have escalated into mass riots.
When starving people find that food trucks
are guarded, they instead break into civilian
homes and steal their rations.
But in all this starvation and madness is
an unexpected source of hope. Haiti and the
Dominican Republic – the Spanish-speaking country that owns the larger half of the
island – have not always seen eye-to-eye.
However, since international aid can only
trickle in slowly, the people of the Dominican Republic have been generous enough to
orchestrate the single biggest delivery project of aid to the needy in Haiti.
Haitians and Dominicans working together would have been unthinkable before
this disaster. In stark contrast to the UN’s
many member countries, they started solving the problem right away, without waiting
for bureaucracy.
And that is good news for all those who
are still trapped in Port-au-Prince – not just
those still beneath the rubble, but also those
who have escaped and are now facing the
harsh reality that they have little left to support them.
Another good sign? US coast guard
vessels have begun clearing the rubble obstructing Port-au-Prince’s major seaport.
Already, a few aid ships have been able to
dock and unload much larger supplies of aid
from international charities.
“Despite the slowness, aid is flowing,”
said World Vision charity spokesman Steve
Matthews. “Things are happening.”
The Pop Culture Grid
Who Are They?
What is your favorite
video game?
Randall
Hamlin
Call of Duty
Modern Warfare 2
Coach
Hancock
Matt
Lupo
Mark
Breaugh
Call of Duty 7
CoD
MW2
Super Smash Brothers
N64
What do you think is the
best song for karoake?
“A Thousand Miles”
by Vanessa Carlton
“Love Story”
by Taylor Swift
“Don’t Stop Believing”
by Journey
“Single Ladies”
by Beyonce
What was your best
Christmas gift . . .
EVER?!?!
What do you think
Mr. Gismondi is hiding
in his beard?
getting to see
my sister
You don’t want
to know.
In 1989, I got a
Mongoose Scooter.
The 2010
State Wrestling
Championship trophy
I got an iPod one
year before Apple took
over the world.
three baby birds
trampoline
Skittles
photos by Joe Conder
Spectrum Staff
Editors-in-chief
Matthew Thompson
Tom Voutsos
Photographers
Mark Krysiak
Joe Conder
Associate Editor
Business manager
Jobin Philip
Jacob Hostetler
Photographic Editor
Moderator
Anthony Thibodeau
Mr. Petrovich
#1
Congratulations to
Staff Writers
Connor Fitzsimons
Tim Hoffman
Rahul Kodali
Gabe Kowalczyk
Nick McMallen
Brett Mizzi
Matthew Nicholas
Neil Nypaver
Ryan Shinkel
Greg Voutsos
Michael Yurko
“The Band Before Time”
for winning this year’s
Battle of the Bands
Local
Spectrum
3
Novi signs commemorate CC 2009 State Champions
Neil Nypaver `11
Staff writer
As you probably know, we’re State
Champs . . . again.
Can we be stopped?
Two state championships in one semester earns major respect.
When we moved from Redford, our
athletics took a hit.
Local papers were reserving our spot
on the back page in the bottom three
inches.
If you’re like me, you’re tired of
seeing front-page headlines like “Mustangs suffer close defeat 42-0” and
“Novi will avenge loss to [insert noname school here].”
That’s old news.
Since our move to Novi, we have
been working hard in the weight room,
on the athletic field, and in the classroom.
All of us know what we are capable
of achieving; we just have to get over
the obstacles in our way.
Football, hockey, and cross country
showed us that it is possible to be the
best.
You just have to work at it.
We are finally getting our due respect, even if it is a little late.
With our #1 football rank (and with
USA Today ranking of #14 in the nation) and our shiny new trophies, the
whole country once again knows who
the Shamrocks are.
U. S. Representative Thad McCotter `84 on Capitol Hill said, “Madam
Speaker, today I rise to recognize the
Michigan Division 1 State High School
Football champions, the Detroit Catholic Central Shamrocks. On November
27, 2009, the Shamrocks defeated a
fine Sterling Heights Stevenson team
31–21. The victory earned head coach
Tom Mach his 10th State champion-
Senior football captain Niko Palazeti and senior cross country captain Ricky Galindo show off their teams’ signs.
ship in his 34 seasons leading the
Shamrocks.”
More kids are walking around with
big bling rings on their fingers, and it’s
safe to say that there will be more of
them coming.
Catholic Central has finally claimed
Novi as their rightful home, and now
we have our own day to prove it.
The Novi City Council met and decided that December 7th would forever
be remembered as “Shamrock Day.”
Not only do we have trophies, we
will actually get signs -- showing off
our new state titles -- put on designated
streets so that everybody who comes to
Novi knows this is our town.
Also, we will have the same state
title signs put on each entrance to CC,
just in case people didn’t see them
coming into the city.
The actual location of the signs has
yet to be decided. There will be a
meeting to release the details of their
locations, but until that time we just
have to wait.
It is still good to know that we are
being recognized for our hard work.
So in the mean time, let’s go out
there and win some more State Championships!
Let’s go Couga--oh, I mean Shamrocks.
photo by Thibodeau
Yurko sounds off on recent decisions by Michigan’s senators
Michael Yurko ‘10
Staff writer
On Christmas Eve this last December, our
Michigan senators, Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow, both joined a super-majority of the United
States Senate.
They voted to end discussion and proceed to a
vote on the pending health care legislation.
With the help of our two representatives, the
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was
passed.
In order to secure the bill’s passage, each senator had to ensure that all the important parts for
his/her constituency were included. The original
bill just didn’t have enough “pork.”
It lacked such necessities as a
$246 million tax break
for Hollywood to buy
film or an additional $850
million subsidy for the healthcare related AMTRAK.
How could the senate have even considered a bill that needed an essential $500 million for flood prevention or $2 billion to build
a coal plant in Illinois that the Department of
Energy had labeled too “inefficient” to be viable?
The final version of the bill rectified all these
glaring flaws. The final bill cut $460 billion dollars from Medicare, which is so wildly profitable
that the Mayo clinic now refuses to take it.
These cuts paved the way
for $1.4 billion to
dispose of rural
waste and $1.2 billion
for “youth activities.”
Most importantly, these cuts enabled Congress to spend $650 million
dollars to subsidize digital television
set-top boxes. Watching more television
is a sure-fire way to attack the obesity epidemic in our country.
Obviously our Michigan legislators
made sure that their votes were contingent
on provisions that help Michigan. Right?
Certainly our representatives, Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin, made sure that Mich-
igan got its proper share of “special” appropriations. Of course they did.
While North Dakota won an extra $650 million in Medicaid reimbursements, and Louisiana
netted $300 million in federal spending, our own
Senator Stabenow won for us a jackpot $21 million in extra Medicare payments to be split with
Connecticut.
To top off Senator Stabenow’s windfall, Senator Levin procured an exemption for Blue Cross
from insurance company excise taxes.
These two deals, along with the $2,250 fine for
not having insurance and the $370 billion in new
taxes, will certainly grease the rusting wheels of
Michigan’s economy.
CC poets and they didn’t even know it
Junior Tim Hoffman takes first place and advances
to the state competition
Alwin David `13
Staff writer
Seniot Alex Macksoud competitively recites his poem.
photo by Conder
On February 1st and 2nd, 55 of our
fellow classmates competed in the Poetry Out Loud contest presented by the
National Endowment for the Arts and
the Poetry Foundation.
This was the first time that Catholic
Central hosted the competition, and it
wasn’t expected to have a big turnout.
But the program turned out to be a
huge success.
All sorts of poems were seen throughout the competition, ranging from classic to formulaic to free verse. This just
goes to show the originality and ingenuity of the students who participated.
But why did we host the Poetry Out
Loud contest this year?
According to English teacher Mr.
Griffin `96, “It is a way for students to
express their creativity. Teachers are trying to broaden the range of creativity in
students.”
Learning and memorizing poetry is
a great way for students to do just that.
They not only broaden their awareness
of poetry; they embrace a new form of
art in their lives.
“It’s more about learning the poem
than memorizing it,” says Mr. Griffin.
“If a student finds a good poem, then
it can stick with him for the rest of his
life.”
The winner of this year’s competition
was Tim Hoffman ’11 with the poem
“Progressive Health” by Carl Dennis.
He will receive $100, and he moves
onto the state level.
Each winner at the state level will
receive $200 and an all-expenses-paid
trip to Washington, DC, to compete in
the National Finals. The state winner’s
school will receive $500 to buy poetry
books.
CC’s second prize winner with $75
was Ryan Dillon ’11 with the poem “A
Supermarket in California” by Allen
Ginsberg.
Lastly, the third prize winner receives
$50. He was Matthew Barnauskas ’11
with the poem “I Am The People, The
Mob” by Carl Sandburg.
Receiving honorable mentions were
John Vinton, Connor Gibney, K.C. Perlberg, Mitchell DeFrain, Scott Czinski,
Matthew Nicholas, and Collin Smalley.
Some other examples of poems recited were, “Kindness” by Usef Komanyaka, “Charge of the Light Brigade” by
Alfred Lord Tennyson, and “Annabelle
Lee” by Edgar Allan Poe.
The judges were Mr. Griffin, Mrs. Valant, and Mr. Jones. There were also two
accuracy judges, Mr. Grewe and Mrs.
Storm, just in case students needed help
after a memory lapse.
The English Department plans for the
program to grow every year. This way
the importance of poetry in our society
can be expanded.
WJR AND SIGNING DAY
4
February 12, 2009
“Live from CC, it’s Paul W. Smith!”
Gabe Kowalczyk `11
Staff writer
The doors opened extra early at CC on Friday, January 29. At 5 o’clock a.m., equipment
and radio trucks pulled up to the gymnasium,
ready for a Shamrock first. The Paul W. Smith
Show was broadcasted live at Catholic Central
in an effort to promote the school as part of
Catholic Schools’ Week. Many people came
up to the school in order to be a part of this
momentous occasion in CC history, and it was
a blast for everyone.
Paul W. interviewed three students in order
to show all of the greater Midwest what
Catholic Central is all about. All-Academic
Tom Voutsos, award winning drum major K.C.
Perlberg, and Matt “Mr. Perfect” Nicholas
were on the air in the morning. They got to
describe some of the notable highlights here at
CC to all of the show’s listeners.
The experience was good for all of the
students involved and watching. The classes
marched in sleepy-eyed to watch the radio
show at work, listening to their school being
praised and lauded over the waves.
They also participated quite a bit. The
students sang the Alma Mater in front of a live
audience. The student body wasn’t the only
part of CC that got to show off music skills
though.
The band was implored to play over the
radio as well, regaling audiences with such
classics as “The School Song” and “Aggie
War Hymn.” Paul W. also talked about the
band’s future exploits to eager audiences,
briefly detailing about the band’s planned trip
to London.
The show focused on things other than the
school’s academic and musical sides. The
three recent state titles were discussed, as
CC has made so many bounds on the athletic
fields in recent months.
Coaches Magni and Mach were interviewed
so they could say a few words about the best
cross country and football teams in the state.
CC alumni were interviewed as well, sharing their past lives at the school and talking a
bit about their lives in the present.
State Speaker of the House Andy Dillon
`80 and Attorney General Mike Cox `80 were
interviewed about their respective high school
and political careers.
Both of these CC grads (who were in Mr.
Magni’s freshmen homeroom) are going to be
running for governor of Michigan.
Paul W. concluded his show by thanking his
generous hosts.
And we appreciate the positive exposure
that Mr. Smith gave our school.
photos by Mr. Barnes
(Clockwise from upper left): Mike Cox `80; Andy Dillon `80; Mr. Magni; Paul W. with Cox and Dillon; K. C. Perlberg `10 and Tom Voutsos `10; and sportscaster Steve Courtney.
Championship athletes sign-on to play at the collegiate level
left to right:
Michael Kinville
Central Michigan University
Football
Giovanni Sturla
Spring Arbor University
Soccer
Niko Palazeti
Michigan State University
Football
Butch Herzog
Hillsdalle College
Football
Joe Snyder
Hillsdalle College
Football
Nick Bolig
Athletic Director Mr. Babicz proudly poses with six of Catholic Central’s finest student-athletes who will continue their athletic careers at the collegiate level.
Family and friends attended the signing ceremony, which was held in the Catholic Central Media Center.
photo by Krysiak
Northwood University
Football
cc drive themes
Cars
2001
Rock
Bands
Major
League
Sports
2002
2003
Movies
2004
TV Shows
2005
The Drive
Spectrum
Catching up with Father Drive
Father D. recalls past Drive experiences
Greg Voutsos `11
Staff witer
The Drive has many exciting moments: the assemblies,
the skits, the hallway and homeroom decorations, the
magic box, the quota prizes, and finding out the number
of free days.
But how did it all begin?
The Drive goes back in time. Before the decorations
. . . before the skits . . . and before the free days . . . to
just selling drive tickets. There weren’t frills back then.
There was just selling Drive tickets.
In 1953, the administration decided it needed another
fundraiser. It first started as a turkey drive during Thanksgiving week. They also tried a magazine drive in 1954
and 1955, but it was quickly shut down.
The first official Drive started in 1956 under Fr. Barnard Regan+. A book of tickets consisted of
twenty-five tickets costing 50 cents
each.
The grand prize was chosen
by a guessing game. At the bottom of each ticket, the buyer
had to write down the number of gallons of gas Shell
Oil Company sold in the
month of December.
The answer had to be
within three gallons of
the total.
The first Drive only
brought in $13,000, which
was below the quota of
$15,000. That Drive lasted
for two weeks.
As the years went on, the
Drive was molded into its present
day form. Several years later, Fr.
Gibbons shortened the Drive to one
week.
Fr. Moffatt changed the price of each
ticket to one dollar, and a full book consisted of fifteen tickets.
The actual spirit of Drive
started to gain momentum in
the late seventies under Fr.
Mizzi and Fr. Clemens.
Mrs. Stella Clefman, who
owned Kerns Department
Store, was the first to
introduce hallway
decorations.
Skits were performed live (before the modern screenplays of today). Before the grand prize of cash, there were
three cars as the grand prizes.
The one year that was different from all the others was
in 1962. Fr. Kewolf canceled the Drive! Everyone was
disappointed in the decision. Fr. Donoher said, “It was the
worst winter at CC. The spirit was missing and different.”
The biggest aspect and jaw-dropping thing about the
Drive is the grand total of money the school brings in at
the end of the Drive all in a matter of one week.
Each year the amount of money raised steadily increased. Fr. Donoher said, “The best memories of
the Drive were reaching the milestones of $100,000,
$200,000, and $300,000.”
Every student, alumnus, and faculty that has walked the
CC hallways never forgets the camaraderie during Drive.
There is nothing like it.
This year’s Drive brings much anticipation with its
hallway decorations, the skits, and how much
money we are going to raise.
Last year’s record-breaking total of
$331,289.13 is an amazing feat, especially in this economy.
The sky is the limit for the young
Shamrock salesmen, and as Fr.
Donoher always said, “Sell! Sell!
Sell!”
“
The first official
Drive started in
1956.
”
5
Where does the
Drive money go?
Gabe Kowalczyk
Staff writer `11
The Drive is the best time of
the year here at CC.
What more could you want?
No schoolwork, plenty of assemblies, skits, free days, and a
spirit amongst the students that
isn’t seen anywhere else.
All of this excitement revolves
around a little green thing called
money.
The money grants us free
days and bragging rights while
saving us from slip n’ slides and
barbers’ electric razors.
Mrs. Sharkey tells us every
year: It’s all about the money.
Well, last year the students
managed to raise an amazing
$331,289.13, garnering us 13
days off and a new bar to jump
over for this year.
We enjoyed our hard-earned
free days, given to us from Fr.
Ranaletti with no questions
asked.
But where did all that money
go?
The money earned from the
Drive goes into a major fund.
Every year the students raise
inordinate amounts of money
that go right back into the
school.
We were wondering how that
money seemingly disappears
without a trace.
Hard work went into selling those Drive tickets and our
reward is those days off.
That money has got to be
pretty important if it gets us
three-day weekends until the end
of the year.
After some inquiring, it turns
out that the free days aren’t the
only break we get from selling
tickets like mad.
The Drive money benefits all
areas of the school, both academics and athletics alike.
It lowers costs, too, which is
what you, the student, should be
primarily concerned with.
If we didn’t have the Drive to
offset school costs, your tuition
would be a lot higher. This
money provides a break where
you really need it, your wallet.
Mr. Michael Wilson from
the business office said that the
money is put into one big pot, a
general fund used for everyone.
“The Drive earnings are a
benefit to everyone, a general income that keeps tuitions low and
teacher salaries from sinking,”
said Mr. Wilson.
So while you think you’re
paying money every year to
not attend class on Fridays, you
should realize that you would be
paying a whole lot more if you
were going to school.
The Drive is important for
a number of reasons, but the
school, and ultimately you, rely
on the money brought in by this
CC tradition.
photo by Thibodeau
Phobia ready to be top salesman . . . again
Phobia `29
Staff writer
After seeing the ridiculous sight of Fr.
Ranalletti and Mr. Hayes dressed up as Mario
and Luigi, I, Phobia, had a strong urge to
play a video game.
So, of course, the 1st place I looked was
CC’s lost and found, my favorite table of free
stuff.
As I went through the miscellaneous piles
of junk full of theology books, broken iPods,
car keys, and Social Justice journals, I came
across a CD labeled: “CC THE GAME.”
Interested, I took the game, along with a
few bonus prizes that I had “found” on the
table.
On the way to a computer, I heard Maestro
out in the hallway saying, “Yes, my preciouses.” Didn’t that cat retire, like, 20 years go?
What’s he still doing around here?
Then, I passed a few giddy frosh who were
oddly aroused by posters of Ms. Pac Man.
Although the signs may be misleading, the
library is the one place where students are
allowed to play games and go on facebook.
So I went to a library computer, entered
my username (29phobiaz) and password
(beatrice) and popped in the game.
Once the game started, I was shocked. The
graphics were better than any Xbox 360 or
PS3 game, and the soundtrack was filled with
classic CC songs like “Hey, Baby,” “Livin’
On a Prayer,” and “Party in the USA.”
The first thing I had to do was create
my character. The game asked me to pick
a grade for my character. I looked at the
strengths and weaknesses of each and went
with seniors since their only weakness was
severe laziness due to senioritis.
Then I dressed up my character in a
football helmet, senior sweater, and banana
hammock. I picked the helmet for safety, the
sweater for warmth, and the banana hammock for mobility (and style, of course).
Next, I had to pick a level.
There were plenty to choose from: Boys’
Bowl, Finals, The Drive, Hockey Playoffs,
Spring Break, and more. Although I was
curious about the Spring Break level, I went
with The Drive, since it was that time of the
year.
Now I could finally start the game. It
gave me two options: “sell drive tickets” or
“proceed to school.” I picked “proceed to
school” since I was already sandbagging it
in the actual Drive and I wanted to see what
happens in the game.
Suddenly, I saw what was either an oompa
loompa or Ms. Ana flying from the top of the
screen trying to attack my character.
It was Ms. Ana.
After beating her in a grueling round of
chess, I was able to advance.
Then as I moved my character down the
hall, I saw a beastly figure charging towards
me and punching students into paralysis. It
was Mr. Grewe.
I didn’t know what to do, so I just started
pressing random buttons and was able to
avoid his punch of paralysis and throw a
sheet of paper at him.
Mr. Grewe stopped his charge, took the
sheet of paper, and began grading it. Apparently, the paper was an essay, which meant I
now had plenty of time to get away.
I moved my character to the gym, where
the Drive assembly seemed to be going on.
I was just in time for the card drawing to
see who would get their money back. The
drawing picked my two cards. At first I
thought I was about to get some kind of
bonus points for the game, but then I realized
I chose not to sell tickets at the beginning.
The speakers started blasting “ZEROOO”
very loudly, the screen went blank, and the
words “Game Over” appeared on the screen.
Lesson learned. No more sandbagging.
Top Ten Rejected
Drive Themes
1. What’s this homeroom assembly
about?
2. Reasons why the hockey/golf
team isn’t in school
3. Creative names for failed stimulus
packages
4. What students actually do in the
Student Council room
5. Diets Rosie O’Donnell has tried
and failed
6. Karoake bars teachers hang at
7. Places to find Mr. Alpiner during
class
8. Ways Coach Anderson can scare
you
9. Obnoxious school student sections
10. Eating establishments where seniors hang out until 8:45 on snowy
days
through the decade
Olympics
2006
Music
2007
College
U.S. Cities
Sports
2008
2009
Video
Games
2010
Features
6
February 12, 2009
Shamrocks stand up for littlest brothers and sisters
Nick McNallen `12
Staff writer
This past January 22nd saw hundreds of
thousands braving the dreary weather and parading through the streets of Washington, D.C.
in the March for Life.
An estimated 400,000 is by no means a
small crowd, but even twice that would be a
meager representation of those whose lives
they were standing up for: fifty million unborn children. Fifty million babies have been
aborted, and that’s only since abortion was
legalized in 1973, after the infamous Roe v.
Wade Supreme Court Case.
Ever since, the Pro-Life movement has taken it upon itself to annually protest abortion
on the anniversary of the Supreme Court decision.
Still, consistency and sheer volume of attendance haven’t done much to make an impression on most news networks; the event is
essentially disregarded by the media.
Accompanied by Mr. Klesko and Mr. Michalik, about 30 of our own Shamrocks were
happy to forfeit a day of school for the cause
and headed down to the Capital.
Though unified in the cause, each student
had his own motivation and reasoning for coming. Some, being adopted, were living proof of
alternatives to abortion; other students felt the
obligation to go and stand up for their Catholic
beliefs.
Freshman Michael Zabik explained, ”My
family is very Pro-Life. We always have been
since my grandmother began protesting Roe v
Wade. I’ll carry on the fight.”
Senior Joey Amato said, “I know that the
child in the womb is a life and that killing it is
wrong on many levels. It’s just natural to defend human life at all stages.”
In addition to the March itself, students attended Mass at the Basilica of the National
Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and listened to speakers address the issues they had
travelled so far to protest.
Zabik commented, “It was really powerful,
just the love and dedication of everyone who
showed up.”
Amato added, “It was truly overwhelming.
It was great to see that many people together
for a single cause.”
Shamrocks prepare to march for life in D. C.
photo by Zabik
What was he thinking?
athletes must
“knowThe that
their
popularity rests
not only on their
ability but on
their
private
lives as well.
”
Comic relief:
Babicz’s hair
Ryan Shinkel `12
Staff writer
In recent weeks I have compiled certain evidence of a shocking school conspiracy that reaches all the way to the administration.
It began three weeks ago as I was flashing
through old photos of past students. I came upon
the class of 1993.
That’s when I noticed an irregularity. There
was no picture of our own Athletic Director and
unofficial “mascot,” Mr. Aaron Babicz.
I dug further into the archives, and to my
amazement there was not one high school photo
of Babicz in ANY yearbook.
The following morning I asked the secretaries
about these irregularities.
Everyone seemed to have an inconvenient appointment they had just remembered. Even the
Tim Hoffman `11
Staff writer
Unless you have been living under a
rock for the past few months, you have
heard the background of Tiger Woods’
colossal downfall from glory. In a few
short weeks, his reputation in the eyes of
nearly the entire world was permanently
tarnished.
And he is not alone. There have been
many circumstances where antics off the
field have caused athletes to lose their
splendor in the public eye. Another classic example of this is Michael Phelps. Although he will go down in history as one
of the greatest Olympians of all time,
Michael Phelps lost much of
his allure after pictures
of him with illegal
drugs were released to the
public. And
the
list
goes on
and on.
However,
usual senior snitches were seemingly scared stiff
when I approached them.
The trail had turned cold.
I had given up on this mystery until five days
ago. I had noticed that the door to the elder Mr.
Babicz’s office was accidently left open.
I was just about to shut it when I noticed his
scrapbook collection lying on a desk. I peered
upon the title “The Awkward Years.”
I opened it and saw a photo of a youthful Aaron
Babicz in his varsity football gear without a helmet. Aaron Babicz not only had hair, but it was
orange!
I was stunned. But my instincts kicked in as I
heard the elder’s squeaky shoes in the hall.
I grabbed the photo from the book and was
halfway out the exit when I heard, “Hey! You
shouldn’t be in here.”
I was on my way to join the rest of my homeroom as I heard an all-too-familiar voice.
“Stop! Where do you think you’re going?”
“I’m guessing . . . to your office.”
“That’s correct, Mr. Shink,” said Mr. Hayes.
I did the usual routine of blindfolding my eyes
should athletes be facing such criticism for
these actions?
There is no doubt that the things they did
were wrong, but isn’t it a private matter?
We liked Tiger Woods for his golfing
ability, not for the way he lived his life. We
applauded Phelps for his dominance in the
pool, not his moral standards.
There are certainly many people who
would agree with this sentiment. People
like this believe that Woods and others in
situations similar to his ought to be looked
at objectively based on their skill in their
respective sports rather than subjectively
ridiculed for those things which take place
in their private lives.
In all honesty, this seems like a legitimate
argument. Businessmen become successful
because of their ability in the workforce.
Why should it be any different for athletes?
The only difference between a CEO and a
quarterback is their vocation, right?
First of all, look at how athletes are portrayed in Western culture.
They are being used as advertisements for many more things than just
the brand of shoe they wear on the court
or the club they swing. They advertise
for cars, cereals, razors, you name it.
and being led through his office to the secret
chamber.
Mr. Hayes yelled, “Where do you come off
thinking that you’re a senior? You are a sophomore, just a level above a freshman. You haven’t
earned your comfort zone yet. What are you?
Outta of your mind?”
I was keen enough to only backtalk twice, earning me a Saturday detention, a chance to get inside an almost abandoned CC.
After my sentence was up on Saturday, I “accidently” found my way into the athletic office.
I searched but found no evidence. Just as I was
about to leave, Mr. Aaron Babicz himself walked
into the room.
“Shink, what are you doing here?”
I opted for honesty this time.
I showed him the photo and asked, “What’s
this?”
He didn’t speak. He just picked up Mrs. Johnson’s desk and threw it at me, missing by inches.
He smashed the hallway door down and bolted
out. I chased him all the way to the top of the
gym.
All these advertisements represent personal decisions that have in many cases no connection with an athlete’s sport. The athlete
must know that his popularity rests not only
on his ability but on his private life as well.
And let’s not forget the most important
reason why sports stars will be continually
critiqued for their actions off the field. Athletes, through the nature of their jobs, will
become heroes for many people. Fans watch
with fervent devotion to these sports figures.
Through all this attention, the athletes become heroes to look up to. This is especially
true for children.
Their devotion to a favorite player is unyielding. And, of course, they want to be
just like them when they grow up.
In that sense, it should come as no surprise that when an athlete fails to be a positive role model, public opinion of him will
be lessened.
Athletes are more than people who have
the job of playing a sport. In the end, they
have a job of presenting themselves in a
manner that society will appreciate. The
sport is merely the outlet by which the public knows them.
I yelled out, “It’s over, Aaron. You might as
well tell the truth. There’s nowhere else to go.
What’s with the orange hair?”
“Alright, Shink, alright,” he confessed. “I was
born orange. Everyone in my family was born orange. Every Babicz has had orange hair and gone
to Brother Rice. My father afterwards realized
what he was doing was wrong. So he shaved his
head and began to work here. The day I was born,
he swore I was to be the first Babicz to go blue.
He didn’t think I would have to shave my head.
But when they wanted me to work here, they told
me I would have to shave my head to eventually
become Athletic Director.
You see, even though I have orange hair, I
bleed blue.”
“See, was that so hard?”
“No, it wasn’t. It felt good. But you know
what this means, right?”
“No, what?”
“We can’t let anyone know about this. So if
your little Spectrum prints anything about it,
you’re gonna have to shave your head, too.”
Sports
Spectrum
7
Shamrocks ball it up
Young and hungry, defensive-minded ‘Rocks
look to make a repeat run in the postseason
Tom Voutsos `10
Co-editor-in-chief
Playoffs are around the corner, and the basketball team is ready to make its perennial run.
“We are really ready to go for playoffs. There
is a lot of young talent on this team, and everyone is hungry,” said senior captain Jeff Janer.
This year’s team features one of the youngest
lineups that CC has ever seen.
Two underclassmen, Shea Kettner and Kyle
Cooper, are the leading scorers.
The starting lineup features four underclassmen. They are Matt Doneth `12, Brandon Tammaro `11, Cooper, and Kettner.
The lone senior starter is Brandon Hess, who
is also a captain. What the underclassmen lack
in experience, they make up for with their intensity.
“The young guys are great. Really energetic,”
said senior Sam Landry, who has provided a defensive presence off the bench.
Defense has also been a hallmark of this
year’s team. Defense wins championships, and
the Shamrocks play end to end basketball.
They proved it by beating highly ranked
DeLasalle and Orchard Lake St. Mary’s.
Last week featured a close loss to U of D,
which could have given the Shamrocks the Central Division title. But they still have a shot at it.
Jeff Janer checks out his pass options
However, the Shamrocks had a strong finish
to the week, defeating Brother Rice.
With under two minutes remaining, Janer and TamThe Shamrocks began with a quick start, opening maro each put in a lay-up to ice the game.
the game with a nice lead. The pumpkins answered,
A great team effort held dynamo Kavonte Martinbut they just weren’t good enough.
Manley to under ten points.
Sophomore forward Matt Doneth has given defenses headaches with his inside-outside abilities.
photos by Krysiak
Domination in the cold: winter sports heat up
Aquamen led by
captains Small and
Thibodeau
Louis Walters `11
Staff writer
Currently, the swim team is
3-3 in dual meets, with wins
over Lahser, Cranbrook, and
Grosse Pointe North.
They also took first place at
the Schack Invitational.
The swimmers recently
traveled to South Bend for
a meet (organized by Coach
Shannon Dunworth) with
four different schools from Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota,
and Indiana. Despite coming
in 3rd, going to the meet was
still worth the experience.
“We ran through the Notre
Dame football locker room
and hit the ‘play like a champion today’ sign,” said junior
Gabe Kowalczyk.
Maybe that worked, because then they went out and
crushed GP North.
At North’s pool, Joe Brinkman `11, Tony Thibodeau `10,
Brady Small `10, and Nick
Baldus `11 really gave the
CC fans, who outnumbered
the North fans, something to
cheer about.
The biggest meet of the
year was last night against U
of D. Thanks to Mr. Small, the
team gave away 3 PS3s and a
bunch of iPods.
The swim team now has
their sights set for Catholic
Leagues. “The team is really
going to show up and we will
make a run at it just like last
year,” said freestyler Justin
Wenzel. “I really feel like we
have a shot at the title this
year.”
The team also hopes to
break many of the school records this year. Thibodeau is
shooting for the 200 free relay
record, Small hopes to break
the freestyle records, and
Brinkman is eyeing the 200
individual medley record.
The swimmers are currently ranked 10th in the state.
Brinkman has already qualified for the state meet in the
backstroke and the 200 individual medley.
Small, Thibodeau, Sean
Ryan `11, and Baldus are all
expected to qualify for states.
Ski team faces
tough schedule
Bowlers lead
Catholic League
Gabe Kowalczyk `11
Staff writer
Rahul Kodali `12
Staff writer
This year’s Catholic Central ski team is led on the
slopes by captains Kyle Tarter
`10 and Jimmy DiMilia `10.
The skiers practice every
day at Mount Brighton from
4 to 6 p.m.
The team has had quite
the schedule, culminating in
meets against Okemos, Birmingham Groves, and Brother Rice.
The team recently captured 2nd place at Catholic
Leagues, just missing 1st by a
margin of three points.
Now that the Catholic
League has been taken care
of, the ski team has its sights
set on states.
“It’s been an exciting year,
and we hope to amp up that
excitement at states,” said
senior skier Mike Spillane.
“The team will do well, not
to mention the multiple allstate titles we are going to
capture.”
Plenty of skiers have their
eyes set on this title, Damon
Rottermond, Tarter, Dimelia,
and Spillane to name a few.
Damon Rottermond, the
sophomore skiing prodigy,
received an all-state title at
the 2009 state championship
meet, and is expecting a repeat performance, plus some.
The JV team has performed
well at their meets with 1st
place finishes by Jack Frost
`10 and Evan Hicks `12, providing CC definite promise
for the future, as the seniors
finish up their season.
The varsity team is coached
by Tom Gable, and the team
will be skiing again at states
on February 22nd at Boyne
Highlands.
The CC bowling squad has
dominated its competition,
knocking off #1 Troy High
School and finishing in the
top five in all of their tournaments this year. They started
their dominance at the Divine Child Invitational. They
cruised past most of their opponents and finished in 2nd
place.
The bowlers finished in the
top 10 in the state last year.
This was the best finish in
CC’s bowling history.
“We are favored to go deep
in states, and I believe that we
have a great shot at winning,”
said two-time varsity letter
winner Eric Pavlov `11 (with
a 205 average).
The bowlers continued their
great play, finishing 3rd at the
Farmington Hills Invitational,
which showcased many of the
top teams in the state.
“We did great at Farmington, topping many of the best
teams,” commented Jeff Conflitti `12 (199). “If we put in
a lot of hard work, we should
have a great run at states and
possibly win a state championship”.
Leading the Shamrock
bowlers are captains Scott
Kujawa `11 and Nicholas
Carvalho `10.
“Scott and Nick are great
bowlers. They both have
put in a lot of hard work this
year,” said assistant coach Mr.
Bedard.
Kujawa is tied with Pavlov
for the highest average on the
team with a 205. Carvalho is
only one pin back with a 204
average.
The bowlers started their
league play in early January
by disposing U of D 17-13.
They added another victory
to their record with a 21-9
win over Bishop Foley. After
defeating these two Catholic
League teams, they faced one
of the best bowling teams in
the state, De La Salle. They
were edged out by the Pilots.
But the Shamrocks didn’t
let this loss hurt their confidence as they crushed Catholic League rivals Divine Child
and Brother Rice by a combined score of 52-8.
CC is now 4-1 and leading
the Catholic League.
8
A DECADE OF DRIVE IN PICTURES
February 12, 2009
A DECADE OF DRIVE