2013 Dec Falcon final - Saint Joseph High School

The Falcon
Christmas
on Campus
PAGES
Vol. LVI Number 3
The Student Newspaper of St. Joseph High School
Winter Sport
Season
4-5
PAGES
7-8
December 2013
St. Joe’s welcomes Father James Model U.N. Prepares for Conference
By Lucas Pick
STAFF WRITER
By Greg Burton
Father James DeFillipps was
welcomed to St. Joe’s with cheers
and applause when he celebrated
the back-to-school liturgy on Friday, September 6. In three short
months, he has already become
a vibrant member of the school
community and has taken a leading
role to introduce God into the daily
lives of students.
Father James grew up in Parsippany, where he was called
to religious life at an early age.
After graduating from Delbarton
in Morristown, he went on to attain
multiple degrees in education and
theology from Caldwell College,
Seton Hall, and Farleigh Dickenson
University.
Motivated by love of God and the
Church, he entered the seminary,
worked as a deacon at St. James in
Basking Ridge, and was ordained
into priesthood in 2012. Currently,
he is assigned to St. Ann’s in Raritan, where he serves as chaplain
of the elementary school, teaches
part-time, and energetically heads
the parish’s Youth Ministry.
In August, the Diocese of
Metuchen Vocations Board presented Father James with the opportunity to teach at a local Catholic high school. He explains, “I
quickly volunteered to approach
the administration at St. Joe’s to
see if my working here would be
possible; the rest is history.” As a
strong advocate of all-boys college
prep schools, he enjoys the St. Joe’s
environment: “The atmosphere is
laid back, yet the learning process
In January, the SJHS Model
United Nations delegation will be
going to Hershey, Pennsylvania for
the YMCA Model UN conference.
At the conference, students will participate in a number of committees,
such as Courts, Press, and General
Assembly, all with different roles
and duties as a part of the Model
United Nations.
Excitement and confidence are
high as MUN draws near, and senior
John Selesky IV stated that “Our
delegation this year is really strong.
A lot of our members are strong
master debaters, and this conference
is shaping up to be one of our most
successful.”
With a mix of new and returning
delegates, St. Joe’s has a promising
group for the event in January. The
St. Joseph delegation is comprised
of sixty student delegates, each of
whom will be representing a country, person, or group, depending on
his committee.
With the Model UN conference
quickly approaching, delegates have
submitted their Country Research
Papers and Briefs (in the case of
Courts) in preparation. The Country
Research Papers allow delegates to
assert the position of the country
that they will represent on a variety
of topics and, in the process, to learn
more about the nation they have
been assigned. The Court Briefs
likewise establish the Court Teams’
stances and arguments in the cases
they are going to debate.
Though it is a major part, Mod-
STAFF WRITER
Photo by Neel Jha
Fr. James De Fillipps
is intense.”
Father James has been periodically visiting religion classes and
is now teaching weekly lessons in
Catholicism, Morality, and Ecclesiology. He promotes “discussion
based learning, centered around
the students.” With a firm belief
in starting the day with God, he
also celebrates morning masses in
the Cor Jesu Chapel every other
Thursday. These services have
rapidly increased in popularity.
Father James has several plans
for spiritual and educational enrichment. He hopes to establish masses
for each class, institute Reconciliation services, and hold morning
masses weekly. In the long term,
Father James would like to develop
and teach his own course examining the synoptic gospels: Matthew,
Mark, and Luke.
Overwhelmed by his reception
from both teachers and students,
Father James voices enthusiasm for
his new position: “St. Joe’s is awesome. I look forward every week
to coming and spending time with
the students and staff. It already
feels like home.”
Junior Ring Ceremony
By Stephan Kozub
Falcon Fast Five
By Carter Coudriet
MANAGING EDITOR
Among the many events happening at the school in December
is the annual Junior Ring Ceremony. A long time tradition at St.
Joe’s, this ceremony symbolizes
the camaraderie of the St. Joe’s
community, and also provides a
memento to the current juniors that
will remind them of their connection to their Falcon brothers for the
rest of their lives.
This year’s ceremony, taking
place on Friday, Dec. 6, successfully continued this tradition.
Accompanied by a mass led by
Deacon San Jose with music from
the Music Ministry, the ceremony included short speeches from
school President Mr. Walsh and
Principal Mr. Anderson.
Mr. Walsh gave a brief overview of the history Brothers of the
Sacred Heart and St. Joseph High
School, and reminisced about his
junior ring ceremony, where his
golden ring was only $42 compared to today’s price of several
hundred dollars. Mr. Anderson
also gave a few brief remarks,
reminding the students to not lose
their ring, as it will come to mean
much more to them in their years
after they graduate.
After the speeches, the juniors
were given their rings in a very
symbolic way by alumni of the
school. For those whose fathers
el UN is not just
a way to experience politics on
a smaller scale,
but also a way to
meet people and
develop important abilities that
are always beneficial. Senior Vikas
Munjal, president
of the SJHS MUN
program, stated
Photos by Neel Jha
that “I look for- Delegates prepare for the January conference.
ward to the award
strong team of delegates, who will
ceremony that Sunrepresent not only their assigned
day; however, something I look
country but their school over the
forward to even more is seeing stucourse of a weekend. As stated by
dents develop their public speaking
MUN Vice-President Brian King,
skills and branch out to delegates
“we will certainly make a strong
from other schools”.
impression at the conference this
As in past years, the coming
January”. Whether or not SJHS
Model United Nations conference
brings home awards, it will surely
promises to be a great experience.
be a great time!
The St. Joe’s delegation is sending a
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Photo by Normandy Studio
Juniors received their class
rings.
attended the school, their dads
would award them with the ring.
By distributing the rings in such
a fashion, a relationship between
the past and current generations
of St. Joe’s students is established.
For the juniors, it also serves as
a welcoming gesture to the over
50 year old St. Joe’s community.
This is a bit more significant for
the class of 2015, as they will be
the school’s 50th graduating class.
Fortunately, almost all of the
students were thrilled with how
their rings turned out, whether
they got the generic falcon and
escutcheon design metal ring or
got a golden ring with a football
on the side and a falcon engraved
in the gem. Undoubtedly, the
2013 Junior Ring Ceremony successfully carried on the St. Joe’s
tradition of camaraderie and community.
1. Stacked with members of the
Ultimate Frisbee Club, Dream Team
ran away with this year’s Student
Council Ultimate Frisbee Tournament. Led by senior Andrew Goyer,
Dream Team won its games by an
overall margin of 32-7, defeating
team Team Name in the championship. “Everyone on our team found
a way to contribute, whether by
playing good defense or by being
a water boy,” stated senior Mike
Donato. The tournament raised
about $500 for the Thanksgiving
Food Drive.
2. After months of collections,
Ms. Muratore’s homeroom won
the Thanksgiving Food Drive competition. Raising over $1,200, the
Photo by Mr. Anderson
Fool collection fortress.
Falcon Flock from days gone by.
Advanced Placement Calculus AB
class was headed by seniors Robert
Barrett and Andrew Meisenbacher,
who led in donated funds. The students received a free campus casual
day and free breakfast.
3. Utilizing the first seven periods
of the school day, the senior Student
Council members spent December
5 constructing the Falcon’s Nest.
The identity of this vessel, consisting of donated food for the Annual
Food Collection for Food Banks,
is left to the viewer’s interpretation. Common opinions about the
structure’s identity included castle,
fort, and, in one faculty member’s
opinion, garbage. “It was a very fun
experience to work with my friends
on this project,” says Jack Harlan,
Senior Class Representative. “It
was impressive to see the amount
St. Joe’s donates to the community.”
4. Winter sports have begun, and
with them resurface the Falcon
File photo
Flock. After a dormant fall season,
the Falcons’ fan section sets out
to root for what could be another
prolific winter season. Captained
by Flock leader Luke Syslo, the
Falcon Flock aims to participate in
more hockey games in addition to
their regularly potent appearances
at basketball games. “It’s going to
be insane; I’m sure it’s going to be
the most alive it has ever been,”
commented senior Mike Buzy.
5. The date for the 2014 JusticeworX week has been announced.
Falcons will have the opportunity to
join the ladies of Mount St. Mary’s
this summer for a week of service
and bonding in the Appalachian
Mountains of West Virginia. The
trip will occur from August 10 to
August 16. An additional JusticeworX trip to Trenton will also take
place from June 22 to June 28. Anybody with questions should see Ms.
Coudriet.
THE FALCON 2
December 2013
POLL:
What’s your opinion
of school lunch?
81
Photos by Neel Jha
Above and top right: College Bowl
team members practice for a meet
with advisor Mr. Powers.
Right: college Bowl displays its
awards at the Open house.
College Bowl successful
in recent tournaments
By Thomas Morrison
STAFF WRITER
College Bowl, an academic club,
offers talented St. Joe’s students the
opportunity to put their knowledge
to the test in difficult competitions
with other schools. Consisting of
questions called toss-ups, the competitions pull from many different
subjects, including math, science,
literature, language, and more. Mr.
Powers, the moderator of the club,
has built up experience over the
years and looks to another good
season from his players.
With an impressive record of six
county championships and eight
all-subject state championships
alongside their innumerable wins,
this year’s College Bowl team has
much to live up to. The club has
Published by the students of
St. Joseph High School
145 Plainfield Ave.,
Metuchen, NJ 08840
732-549-7600 ext. 261
www.stjoes.org
Volume LVI, No. 3, December 2013
Editor-in-Chief:
Carter Coudriet
Managing Editors:
Stephan Kozub
Kyle Terracciano
Sports Editor:
Brandon Goldy
Associate Editors:
Karanveer Johal
Taras Holovko
Kevin Stephen
Anthony Colucci
Photography
Neel Jha
Peter Coronato
Staff Writers:
Adekunle Balogun
Charlie Butrico
Greg Burton
Max Chadwick
CJ Connett
Carson Coudriet
Sijo Devasia
Michael Drabich
Liam Formisano
John Fresco
Sean Holland
George Ibuna
Trevor Jones
Rohan Mishra
Brendan Moreau
Thomas Morrison
Dylan Oelkers
Luke O’Keefe
Elrod Owusu
Lucas Pick
John Henry Riccardi
Kyle Stenberg
Mohit Varma
Faculty Moderator:
Dr. Robert Longhi, ‘81
Principal:
Mr. John Anderson, ‘70
President:
Mr. Lawrence Walsh, ‘68
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, (732) 548-7088
reached significant success in recent
years, especially in 2012, when St.
Joe’s students took the top three
spots in the state History Bee. One
of them, Alex Frey, then placed first
at nationals and later won the World
History Bee.
Currently, with much recent
success in competitions this year,
the team sees much promise in the
remainder of the season. Captain
Jack Mehr ‘14, who was named
NJ Player of the Year in the spring,
looks to retain his individual title as
well as to lead the team to victory.
He has scored the highest number
of points in any given tournament
that the team has attended the past
few months. The group won their
first competition at MIT and set a
record on November 7 when they
attained the most points ever scored
in a history bowl match at Ridgewood. Greg Burton, another strong
competitor on the team, says, “It’s
looking good for this season; we
have a solid A Team that can contend with everyone in the region.”
The team recently hosted an annual
competition called the GSAC on
December 14 on campus, where 36
teams came to play.
College Bowl is open to any student who feels he is knowledgeable
enough to compete. Students are
encouraged to join College Bowl
because it provides an enjoyable
experience and allows one to learn
and advance academically through
the difficulty and variety of the
questions. The team has a good
season ahead of them and looks to
compete successfully in a fair and
sportsmanlike manner.
32
Students who like
school lunches
Students who do not
like school lunches
Graph by Media Trends
By Charlie Butrico
STAFF WRITER
“It’s mediocre” - Chris Colmen
“I think it’s overpriced for the quality of food we get. Lunch
should either be cheaper or better.” - Tom Comiskey
“I never buy lunch. Ever.” - Enzo Butrico
Senior Retreat: Success or Flop?
By Karanveer Johal
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
On November 5, the Senior
class visited the Diocesan Center
in Piscataway for the class’ annual
retreat.
Planned and led by numerous
seniors, and featuring talks by
Brother Bill and Father James
on the topics “Who? Who are
you? Who are we? Who will we
become?” and by a St. Joseph
alum on the rigors of college, the
retreat was set to be an enjoyable
day spent out of school, or at least
it was so on paper. As the retreat
began, problems had already
begun to occur.
“Students were sitting backto-back! It was nearly impossible
to concentrate!” one senior, who
did not wish to be named, stated.
Another student believed the problems started from those who did
not take the subject matter very
seriously. “Some people did not
want to be there, and made it very
clear they did not.”
Students leaving seats and
groups to talk to friends, acting
obnoxiously and overly loud at
inappropriately times, and throwing items across the room were
only a part of the problem.
After the retreat ended, it was
revealed that a group of students
had trashed much of the bathrooms at the center, and had left
the kitchen a mess.
Vikas Munjal, one of the
seniors at the retreat, claimed,
“The lack of an authority figure, such as Mr. Cabrita or Mr.
Santiago, may have also inclined
students to act out.”
However, though the actions of
a few reflect the profile of many,
one cannot overlook that certain
students rose up against the shenanigans. Seeing the messy cafeteria, seniors took it upon themselves
to leave the room cleaner than
before it was used. Many of the
senior group leaders were able to
control their groups and were able
to achieve much progress during
the retreat.
One of the senior leaders stated,
“There were some people in my
group who I never heard speak
before get really into the talk.”
At the end of the retreat, the
actions of a select few caused
trouble and misfortune for all.
Proper discipline followed for
those that misbehaved, and the
seniºor class was able to move
past this problematic day. Now, it
remains to be seen if next year’s
senior retreat will be better controlled.
Robotics Team Hosts Lego Robot Competition
By John Fresco
STAFF WRITER
The robotics team has big plans
for this year. The team is starting
off by disassembling their robot
from Rebound Rumble to build a
practice robot for those who are new
to the team to gain some experience
with the whole building process.
Even though the season doesn’t
officially start until January, the team
has already done some big things.
The team hosted the Lego Robot
Competition at St. Joe’s for younger
kids aged 8-12. This competition
was a fundraiser to raise money
for parts for the team’s new robot.
The competition was also a practice event for younger teams in
the area who compete in F.I.R.S.T.
Lego League (FLL) and the Junior
F.I.R.S.T. Lego League (JFLL).
For kids in the FLL there were
a total of 37 teams that competed.
Each team competed with their own
Lego Robot that each team built. For
the JFLL teams, they made presen-
tations on how to solve real world
problems to a panel of judges.
“Leadership starts at the top.”
This quote is certainly true for the
Robotics team. The team veterans,
such as juniors Kevin Meyer, Joe
Oliveria, and Mark Uszacki and
seniors Eric Christensen, Ryan
Hollander, Matt Hutnick, and Jay
Seleski, look to have a strong season as they use their experience
to teach the new members how to
run things.
Senior Ryan Hollander said,” I
can’t believe this is my last build
with the team. I look to use my
experience to build a great robot.”
Robotics is a very fun and exciting activity at St. Joe’s. Freshman
James Bledsoe said, “It’s definitely
a fun experience. Working on the
bot is one of those things I look
forward to doing.”
Even though the team hasn’t
decided what kind of robot to build,
and won’t know until January, the
team looks to be fine-tuned and running like a well-oiled machine.
Photo by Falcon staff
The F.I.R.S.T. Lego League opening ceremonies at St. Joes, which
included competition for kids ages 8-12.
THE FALCON
November 2012
3
The event that brings the world together
By Max Chadwick
STAFF WRITER
Curling, speed skating, and alpine skiing,
what do all of these sports have in common?
Well, these sports are usually the ones that we
see on television guides and immediately skip
over, but always catch our attention during
one event: the Winter Olympics.
The Olympics is when (almost) all of
the countries in the world put aside their
differences and compete in sporting events
not usually popular among most sports fans.
There are two different Olympics, summer
and winter, with each occurring every four
years. The upcoming Winter Olympics will
be the 23rd Winter Olympics held, and will
take place in Sochi, Russia from February
7-23, 2014.
The majority of these athletes are competing without the luxury of the large salaries that today’s football and hockey players enjoy. Many Olympic athletes train in
between jobs just to make a living and the
Olympics may be their only moment to
showcase their talent in the spotlight.
One big storyline to follow this Olympics will be how 27-year old snowboarder
Shaun White will compete against the sport’s
younger, rising stars. White admits to training less than he did for the Vancouver 2010
Winter Olympic Games, but the two-time
gold medalist in the half pipe is looking to
prove that age is just a number.
Another sport many viewers anticipate is
ice hockey. “I always look forward to seeing
the U.S hockey team compete against teams
like Canada,” said freshman Donald Herman.
Photos by Falcon staff
“It is one of my favorite events to watch.”
The United States is looking to avenge their
loss in the last winter Olympics to Canada
after Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby
scored a heartbreaking game-winning goal in
overtime to win the gold medal for Canada
Typhoon Haiyan Strikes the Philippines
By Liam Formisano
STAFF WRITER
Typhoon Haiyan ravaged the
Philippines this November, affecting a total of nearly 11.5 million
people living in the Pacific archipelago according to United States
Agency for International Development (USAID). Haiyan, known as
Yolanda in the Philippines, was
a tropical cyclone estimated by
CNN to have been approximately
3.5 times more powerful than Hurricane Katrina, which decimated
the New Orleans area in 2005.
The storm crashed into the Philippines in the early morning hours
of Friday, Nov. 8, bringing with
it wind gusts of up to 170 miles
per hour and sustained speeds of
around 147 mph. In addition to
the intense winds, flooding also
played an immense role in the
estimated damage and destruction of up to 1.2 million houses
and buildings in the Philippines.
The storm surge brought on by
the typhoon was recorded at 17
feet tall, and some rainfall totals
Stock Photo/123RF.com
Typhoon Haiyan destroyed countless homes, flooded cities and
towns and left more than 6,000
Filipinos dead, according to latest
reports. Additionally, nearly 1,800
are still missing.
This year’s Olympics promise to be great.
So remember, when you’re sitting home
watching the games, cherish it, and don’t
forget to chant “USA! USA! USA!”
Obamacare Retains
Controversy
By Taras Holovko
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Stock Photo/123RF.com
Laguna de bay, Philippines - November 8, 2013 - Typhoon Haiyan, an
equivalent category 5 hurricane, endangered 25 million Filipinos in
its path as it unleashed its fury.
came in as high as 27 inches. One
month after Haiyan’s landfall, its
death toll had been estimated by
USAID as high as 6,000.
In the aftermath of the disaster,
the survivors found themselves
in desperate need of assistance.
Necessities such as food, water,
and medical supplies were made
scarce by the fierce might of the
storm. The website for the United
Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
reported soon after that, “Water
supply and power are cut; much
of the food stocks and other goods
are destroyed; many health facilities are not functioning and medical supplies are quickly being
exhausted.”
The people of the Philippines
then turned to the global community for assistance.
Many foreign nations and
missionary groups mobilized to
answer the call and provide relief
services to the victims. At first,
though, assistance proved problematic, as access to the affected areas was seriously limited
because the typhoon had wiped
away much of the region’s roads
and infrastructure. Once the runway of the Tacloban City airport
was cleared by a group of US
Marines, air-access was restored
to the devastated region, and the
slow-moving recovery efforts
were finally able to hasten and
unfold as planned (washingtonpost.com).
The people of the Philippines
now find themselves faced with
the immense challenge of rebuilding their destroyed nation. It will
not be easy, but many survivors
remain hopeful of what the future
may bring.
Skiing and snowboarding are just
two of the sports featured at the
Winter Olympics.
When the Patient Protection
and Affordable Care Act, more
commonly known as Obamacare,
was passed by Congress and
signed into law in 2010, it radically reformed the health insurance industry as well as the entire
national health care system.
The act effected numerous
changes that were viewed favorably by the public, including the
introduction of subsidies, mandates, and health insurance marketplaces to foster widespread
coverage and affordability.
However, the most controversial aspect, referred to as the
“individual mandate,” required
that everyone purchase health
insurance or pay a tax as of 2014.
This contentious provision
soon became the crux of partisan divergence in a national
debate: Democrats claimed that
the new law would grant millions
of uninsured people access to
quality health insurance, while
Republicans countermanded by
asserting that everyone’s cost for
insurance would rise.
In 2012, the Supreme Court
ruled the individual mandate constitutional as a part of Congress’
right to tax, thus metaphorically
stamping Obamacare with a judicial seal of approval. Conversely,
the verdict also allowed individual states to opt out of the act’s
Medicaid
extension.
Ever since,
the Affordable
Care Act has
been the center of
national discussion,
facing challenges from
Congress, federal courts, certain
states, and some organizations.
The ACA even survived the
recent government shutdown, as
the act was launched on October
1 this year with insurance marketplaces and a new site, HealthCare.gov, where Americans can
enroll for insurance. Nevertheless, technical difficulties and
a high volume of traffic have
hampered the speed of signing
up online, making it exceedingly
difficult to register as promptly
as was promised.
Despite all the problems,
some advantages accompany the
induction of Obamacare. Fourteen states and the District of
Columbia opened their own sites
for new insurance customers with
relatively more success than the
federal site. Baseline prices for
care have also been elucidated for
consumers in each state.
But even with all the benefits
of the act, much remains to be
addressed, especially for President Obama, who has acknowledged the problems with the
new site and other aspects of
his namesake plan, vowing to
address them.
Iran nuclear crisis: the prospect of peace?
By Kevin Stephen
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
“America will not negotiate
with terrorists.” It’s a phrase that
has been coined time and time
again by federal officials, beginning with President Reagan in the
1980s and, more recently, by members of the Obama Administration.
Yet, in the eyes of many American allies, a diplomatic conference in Geneva in late November did just that. Composed of
representatives from each of the
states in the UN Security Council,
the conference temporarily lifted
economic sanctions on Iran, a state
long regarded by the United States
as a backer of state terrorism, in
return for the dismantlement or
retardation of the country’s nuclear
program.
Under the radar of most of
the developed world, the Iranian
government has been mining and
enriching considerable propor-
tions of uranium in underground
nuclear facilities for years. This
potentially pernicious development has worried the country’s
neighbors, especially Israel, a key
American ally in the region; Prime
Minister Netanyahu has warned of
the consequences of crossing the
“red line” of nuclear development
and has threatened military action
against Iran.
Realistically, any sort of nuclear
deployment by Iran would be cataclysmic for the already-suffering
nation because of the inevitable
retaliation by the United States
and other nations. The threat has
remained, however, with nuclear
world war as a likely upshot,
and economic sanctions by the
international community since
the 1990s have not slowed the
country’s progress.
Before the turn of the century,
Iran operated less than 200 nuclear
centrifuges; in 2012, there were
reported to be more than 19,000
machines in the nation’s possession.
The recent conference commenced during this time of international tension, with both western
and Iranian leaders hoping for a
permanent solution to the strongarmed, rogue Iranian government’s
nuclear progression and the resulting anger of the neighboring Israel.
The Geneva talks placed Iran’s
nuclear program under international monitoring and discontinued
new development for six months,
in hopes that the country would
calm its aggression and begin to
contribute to peace and stability in
the Middle East, amidst the turmoil
of countries such as Egypt and
Syria. For many, however, this
hope is utopian.
Even before the negotiations
have been finalized, Hassan Roufani, the new Iranian president, has
asserted Iran’s right to enrich uranium during its period of nuclear
dormancy, an issue that is being
123RF.com
widely debated in Congress. And if
history wishes to repeat itself, the
Iranian government can almost be
expected to underhand the agreement and continue the assembly
of fissile material in covert, underground facilities. Whether or not
the Geneva agreement brings real
peace is a question that only time
will answer.
4
Advent Tree Lighti
THE FALCON December 2013
A H o l i d a y Tr a d i t i o n
for Christ’s coming into the world. This y
was complemented by the St. Matthew’s
and some band members who brought m
beautiful setting of the gymnasium, where
celebrated. Trees, poinsettias, and candle
the space, adding to the striking and ey
atmosphere.
When asked about the event planning, M
Ascolese, director of the music ministry, e
cally replied, “I’ve always looked forw
event. Now I look forward to the prepara
He continued by adding, “I think the tre
went very well this year.”
By Michael Drabich
STAFF WRITER
St. Joe’s has a plethora of traditions involving
members of the school community coming together to
celebrate and participate in an event, but the tradition
that brings about the most joyous and festive feelings
around the holiday season is the Advent Tree Lighting.
This occasion marks the start of the holiday season,
and collectively stirs good-cheer and merry making
in the hearts of the students and faculty. A large tree
in front of the main building is wrapped in lights and
lit, followed by a lovely Advent mass as preparation
A few Christmas traditions around the world
By Mohit Varma
STAFF WRITER
We all are aware of Christians in
America celebrating Christmas with
a tree and Santa Claus on December
25 but as a religion with more than
2.2 billion adherents, something
as simple as a celebration of the
birth of Jesus Christ has taken on
enormously different traditions and
styles around the world. In many
countries, the most important Christmas celebrations do not even take
place on December 25.
In the Coptic Church, Egyptians
celebrate Christmas in a very orthodox way. Rather than celebrating it
on the traditional Christmas Day,
Egyptians recognize the holiday on
January 7, the Epiphany. During the
season of Advent, Egyptians fast,
abstaining from meat, poultry, or
dairy. Egyptians do attend Church
on Christmas Eve like most other
Christians with the meal of bread,
rice, and meat after mass. On Christmas morning, Coptic Christians visit
other people’s houses and take with
them a drink known as the shortbat.
Christmas in Vietnam has a whole
different meaning to it. The people
believe Christmas is actually the
birth of Buddha rather than the
birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas
is the most important of a series
of four major festivals in Vietnam
that includes New Years and a midAutumn festival. Even though the
meaning of the holiday is different, the customs are similar. People
attend a Christmas Eve mass and
then return home to enjoy a proper
meal with their families.
The majority of the population of
India is Hindu with a small minority
A banana tree decorated for Christmas in India.
paahun.blogspot.com
following Christianity
so Christmas is not as
widely celebrated as it
is in the United States.
However, according
to sophomore Karun
Sekhar, the people who
do recognize the holiday decorate mango or
banana trees with ornate
designs made of different materials. Southern
Indians decorate their
homes during this season by placing small clay
123RF.com
lamps on the roofs of A Coptic Christian church in Cairo, Egypt.
their houses as a symbol
of peace and prosperity.
where we should spend time with
Regardless of the different cus- our families. It is a time of giving
toms when celebrating Christmas, thanks, no matter where someone
sophomore Brian Matthew summed lives, or how he or she celebrates
up the solidarity promoted by it it, we should not forget the true
when he said, “Christmas is a time meaning of Christmas.”
A Christmas for Critters
By Dylan Oelkers
STAFF WRITER
In the giving spirit of the Christmas season, Campus Ministry has
organized Christmas for Critters, a
project which is collecting food items
for dogs and cats in shelters.
Every year in the United States,
millions of dogs and cats are relinquished by their owners. When given
up, these pets are either left on the
streets or given to shelters.
According to the Humane Society
of the United States (HSUS), approximately six to eight million dogs and
cats are cared for by homeless shelters. Due to very low adoption rates
of these animals taken in by shelters, over four million are eventually
euthanized.
Those left to live their lives out on
the streets face conditions just as hor-
rible. These pets must
battle harsh weather
conditions, deal with
dangerous roads and
other man-made issues,
and often have a lack
of knowledge on how
to survive on their own.
The ASPCA states
that it is nearly impossible to determine the
current amount of stray
dogs and cats in the United States;
estimates of cats alone range up to
seventy million. Their best hope is
that private citizens or animal control officers rescue them. Even then,
however, they will likely be given to
shelters where they have the chance
of being euthanized.
The amount of time that shelters
hold the animals usually varies from
shelter to shelter, and the reasoning
123rf.com
for each allotted holding time has
to do with the amount of resources
and space.
Thankfully, not all shelters euthanize their pets; however, these shelters
cannot achieve such a task without a
large effort from the community.
Mr. Ascolese is collecting food
items for animals besides dogs and
cats. Students are encouraged to give
what they can to help the animals in
need.
Plans for Winter Break
homework or school the next day is
an undeniable comfort. Sometimes,
STAFF WRITER
after weeks of relentless testing,
essays, and homework, students
As Christmas approaches, we
just need time to unwind.
begin to wonder where we will
However, not everyone is content
spend the much-needed hiatus.
with staying home. Although relaxWhile some people might visit
ation is nice, being trapped inside
relatives, travel, and explore, otherthe house for too long can
wise escaping our small
Winter Break
almost be almost as bad
state, others might be
as being stuck in school
content with simply
Schedule
for too long! Senior Tim
relaxing at home,
Li is planning on visiting
enjoying the company
Dec. 19 – Full Day New York City as well
of their family.
as upstate New York.
In fact, quite a fair
amount of people enjoy Dec. 20 – Release Sophomores Nic Carchio
and Reggie Bonsol are
just staying home for
Day Schedule
also planning on visiting
the holidays. Minus
the Big Apple this winter.
the obligatory family
Jan. 6 – Classes Whether they’re going
Christmas party with
for the famous Rockeextended family, some
resume
feller tree or just to walk
people are looking foraround, New York seems
ward to relaxing at home.
to be a popular destination for the
“If I’m not training for track, I’ll
St. Joe’s community this Christmas
just be at home,” said sophomore
season.
August Bratti. Fellow sophomore
Everyone has plans for ChristWilliam Davenport has a similar
mas break, whether they’re just to
break in mind: “I want to stay home
relax at home or to finally get out
and enjoy the oneness of family,
of the house. Whatever it may be,
because after all, isn’t that what
we can all agree that we’re eagerly
Christmas is all about?”
anticipating this Christmas and
The feeling of idling around
are in desperate need of this break
the house, or being wrapped in
to rejuvenate for midterms come
blankets, browsing the Internet
January.
without the overbearing feeling of
By George Ibuna
What do you
Christma
Santa’s Nice List
Carter
Stephan
Kyle T.
Brandon
Karanveer
Taras
Kevin
Anthony
Neel
Peter
Adekunle
Charlie
Greg
Max
CJ
Carson
Sijo
Michael
Liam
John
Sean
George
Trevor
Rohan
Brendan
Thomas
Dylan
Luke
Elrod
Lucas
John Henry
Kyle S.
Mohit
By Sijo Devasia
STAFF WRITER
Daniel Garb ‘14
-Money
Michael Davis ‘15
-FIFA 14
Josh De Castro ‘16
-Jordan Bred 1
Nick DiMarzio ‘17
-PS4
Gil Austri
-X
Jack Malagu
-To neve
rotating schedu
S
Liam Formisano
-Co
Chris Habijan ‘14
-A Girlfriend
Reggie Bonsol ‘16
-Jordan Gamma Blue 11
Manuel Gomez-Be
-An Offi
Christian Holgado ‘14
-3D Printer
George Ibuna ‘
-A Key
Leandro Wong ‘16
-Swag
ing
THE
December
FALCON
2013 November 2012
year’s mass
Bell Choir
music to the
e mass was
es adorned
ye-catching
Mr. Salvatore
enthusiastiward to this
ation too!”
ee lighting
Similar, positive feedback from students reiterated
the event’s success. August Bratti, a student who
attended the event, said,” The tree lighting really put
me in the Christmas spirit! I will definitely make an
effort to come back for next year.”
The St. Joe’s Advent Tree Lighting is always enjoyed
by all and is a great way to get in touch with the Lord
in order to humbly await His arrival during Advent.
Mr. Ascolese stated that the event definitely,” brings
the community together. Many alumni attend each year
and they love it as much as I do.” The occasion truly
encompasses every aspect of the Christmas season
and is a fun event to enjoy with friends and family.
Photo by Tim from Normandy Studio
Students collected toys throughout November.
Cultural Food Fest 2013 a Success
By Sean Holland
STAFF WRITER
On November 21, the cultural clubs
held the annual Food Fest. The Asian,
Umoja, German, Italian, and Irish
clubs came together, bringing with
them the foods of their cultures to
make an evening of food and fun.
The Food Fest, originally a product
of the Asian Cultural Club, has in
recent years also branched out to the
other cultural clubs. In these last few
years, clubs like the Umoja and German have joined in on the festivities.
Boasting a vast amount of diverse tradition contained in the cultural groups
of our school, the Food Fest is truly
a great event for one to experience
the beauty of other cultures without
leaving school. Alongside the fun and
festivities, participants of the Food
Fest also learned about the culinary
traditions of other ethnicities. Ms.
Canciello’s own father, a pastry chef,
even stopped by the school to show
the participants the process of making
an extremely labor-intensive nougat
candy, torrone. This demonstration,
which included the history of the treat
and its cultural significance and gave
an insight to the backgrounds of Italian food and culture, was captivating,
and viewers were enthralled as they
learned about the intricacies of the
Italian dish.
One cannot stress enough the
importance of coming together
through culture and diversity. Nothing
really presents this better than Food
Fest, and this year’s installment was
no different. It was truly an amazing
sight to see so many people connecting
on such a level over the different foods
from different cultures. While the
event was based on fun and food, the
real joys of the afternoon came from
coming together with different people
and learning about and discovering
different cultural traditions.
Photos by Neel Jha
want for
as?
ia ‘17
Xbox One
ue ‘15
er experience
ules again.
Enrico Borromeo ‘17
-Cheetos
Stephen Meseinbacher ‘15
-Assassins Creed 4: Black Flag
o ‘15
oal
era ‘14
ffice Chair
‘16
yboard
Isaac Eason ‘17
-Basketball Jersey
5
5
Matt Lolarga (top right) and other
students enjoy food from various
cultures.
toys for tots
brings joy to lots!
By Elrod Owusu
STAFF WRITER
The Christmas season is
replete with joy, family-gatherings, presents, and prayer.
Unfortunately, there are people
in this world, even in our own
nation, who are deprived of an
enjoyable Christmas. There
are less fortunate
children who don’t
get to revel the
Christmas season
as much as they
would want.
Some of these
children have been
shattered and left
homeless by the
damages of natural disasters such
as hurricanes and
tornados. To combat this adversity
dealt to less fortunate children,
the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve
started the Marine Toys for Tots
Foundation (MTFTF).
The MTFTF is a non-profit
public charity whose mission
is to deliver, through a new toy
at Christmas, a sign of hope to
underprivileged children that
will help them in becoming
responsible, productive, patri-
otic individuals. This foundation has made it possible for
Christmas to be delivered to less
fortunate children. Fortunately,
the MTFTF reached the Saint
Joseph community in the 20122013 school year.
The person determined to fulfill the mission of the MTFTF
at St. Joe’s High was former
Marine, Mr. Scarano. “Toys for Tots is
something that has
made me appreciate things more
in life,” said Mr.
Scarano. “It is sad
that a child would
not be able to enjoy
Christmas.”
Having a lot of
new, unwrapped
toys is integral for
a successful Toys
for Tots program.
In other words, the
success of Toys for Toys at SJHS
depends on the generosity and
support of anyone who is part
of the Saint Joseph community.
Mr. Scarano and others involved
with Toys for Tots at St. Joe’s
have spent the past few weeks
collecting new toys for Toys for
Tots, and look to collect many
more in the coming weeks.
The Success of
Toys for Toys at
SJHS depends on
the generosity
and support of
anyone who is
part of the Saint
Joseph community.
Christmas on Campus Changes Lives
By Adekunle Balogun
STAFF WRITER
On Sunday, December 8, about 35 St. Joe’s
volunteers helped run a “Christmas on Campus” for 60 underprivileged children from New
Brunswick. This event, organized by Campus
Ministry, created a fun-filled environment for
children who otherwise may not have had the
chance to experience something so delightful,
bringing joy their hearts. Their day was carefully
planned to maximize enjoyment.
Br. Bill Cawley, S.C. commented on the event,
“It’s astounding the amount and quality of the
toys. The children coming will be thrilled!”
The children came at 10 a.m., ready to start
their whimsical journey with Santa and his
elves. They began the day with a Christmas
story and then moved on to an arts and crafts
session. Finally, the children ended with
their much-anticipated presents, donated
through the kindness of the St. Joseph
Community.
Being able to touch a group of children
like this and make such a difference in
their lives brings joy to St. Joe’s annually.
When discussing Christmas on Campus,
August Bratti said, “It is a wonderful
thing to make Christmas better for everyone,” highlighting how it truly is a blessing to be a part of such a life-changing
moment in someone’s life.
Christmas on Campus is a magnificent
opportunity to affect the lives of these children in
a way that they will carry this memory with them
forever; through the help of Campus Ministry
and the St. Joseph High School student body, we
have been able to do just that this December as
well as in past years. The engaging activities,
aid of the volunteers, and the presents that we
offer to this project as a community have surely
made an impact on the children.
Christmas is a delightful time of the year that
we are blessed enough to spend with our loved
ones. When asked about the season, Joseph
Arriola said, “It’s a wonderful time to connect
with family and friends!”
Christmas is a beautiful time of the year that
everyone should be able to enjoy, regardless of
one’s background, so spreading the Christmas
fever is a noble thing to do. In the words of senior
Jay Selesky, “Who doesn’t like Christmas?”
Photos by Tim from Normandy Studios
St. Joe’s hosted a fun-filled day for underprivileged children from New Brunswick.
THE FALCON 6
December 2013
Rotating Schedule Puts a 180° Spin on Daily Routines
By Kyle Terracciano
MANAGING EDITOR
Along with the conclusion of
Thanksgiving weekend came the
first of two more weeks of rotating
schedule. Just like back in October, periods 1-3 and 7-8 change
positions every day during this
week. While some find the positives in having class times change
every day, many students find the
stress simply adds up.
There are certainly many reasons
that the rotating schedule has such
a bad reputation. For starters, the
day is very hectic and unplanned.
Since the classes change every
day, a student might not be able
to study during break or study hall
for a class he usually has later in
the day. If a senior took Social
Photo courtesy of Br. Paul
“Im so confused without a
rotating schedule.” – A sarcastic snippet from the 1992
Yearbook.
Action or 8th period study hall
for the purpose of leaving early,
Many teachers finding
Remind 101 useful
By Luke O’Keefe
STAFF WRITER
Many moderators of St. Joe’s
clubs and activities have adopted
Remind101 as a new means of communicating with students. This free
service provides a safe way for
teachers to text message updates
and reminders to
members of their
clubs.
All communication through Remind101 is limited
to one-way messages. Teachers
may send students reminders, but
students are not able to reply. Personal information is kept private;
neither students nor teachers can
see each other’s phone numbers.
Some of Remind101’s users
include Dr. Ellis for Student Safety Ambassadors and the Katch a
Kure committee, Ms. McNamara
for Science National Honor Society
and Model United Nations members, Ms. Backlund for Freshman
Cup volunteers, Br. Bill for Student Leaders, Br. Kevin for his
Algebra I class,
and Ms. Schnier
for college-bound
seniors.
With reminders being sent via
text message, students are better
informed, clubs are more active,
and morning announcements are
less redundant. Expect to see more
of Remind101 as other teachers
come to appreciate its benefits.
the senior would not be able to do
so 80% of the time. “The rotating
schedule is really confusing at
times. It makes it so difficult to
concentrate and the October week
made transitioning to high school
that much harder,” freshman Tyler
Catania said.
In addition to causing mayhem
for the students, some teachers
are feeling the chaos as well.
The rotating schedule can leave
teachers scrambled, causing confusion about what subject they are
teaching the next period. Also,
the schedule could interfere with
classes that are planned to be
eighth period or to run into the
break period.
“It gives the teachers an unmanageable schedule. The teachers
may have five periods in a row to
work, which is not fair. It gives
the teachers a difficult day, it gives
the students a difficult day, and it
doesn’t serve any purpose to start
with,” Br. Paul Joseph, S.C. said.
Brother Paul mentioned that in
the 1990-91 school year, rotating
schedule was implemented and
that everyone was relieved when
the standard schedule returned in
the following year.
Although there are those who
see only disadvantages to the rotating schedule, there are those who
see the helpful side as well. One
advantage of the new format would
be that students which are more
alert at different times can experience a different class at that time.
“I like the rotating schedule
because I get to reach different
types of students at different times
of the day,” Ms. Uler said.
Also, teachers could even be
more alert at different times of
the day, so a student could benefit
from meeting with a teacher at
various times. Sometimes, following the same routine everyday can
simply get boring, and the rotating
schedule helps keep everybody on
their toes. “Overall, what becomes
routine can sometimes become
boring so the variety of a rotating
schedule prevents a routine from
becoming a rut,” Dr. Gubernat said.
Without a doubt, many people
have mixed views on the rotating
schedule that’s been used recently.
However, like it or not, “Rotate
Periods Week” will return to St.
Joe’s on March 17. Could this year
be the last for a standard schedule?
CHESS TEAM
Chess Team Strikes Down Manalapan
in First Match of the Season
By Rohan Mishra
STAFF WRITER
On November 20, our Chess
Team brought down Manalapan
High School with victories by
three of its five varsity players.
Of the five boards for Varsity
matches, two were won, one was
drawn, and one match was lost.
A win earns the team one point,
while a draw earns the team a half
point. The winner is declared by
whichever team has the greatest
amount of points by the end of
the game.
Senior Terence Coelho, captain of the team, drew his match.
The wins were scored by Tyler
“Torch” Vitale (who managed
to beat a high-ranking 1900) and
Thomas Bender.
Micheal O’Nesey lost his
match due to a touch move. In
chess if a piece is touched by a
player then it must be moved,
otherwise penalties may follow.
The remaining draw was scored
by Philip Daquina.
Coelho, when asked about the
match, said, “For the last three
years Manalapan has beaten us,
so this year’s win was a big one
for us. We expect big things to
come.”
The team also won its game on
Wednesday, December 4, against
Rutgers Prep with a 4.5 – 0.5
win. The team’s toughest match
is predicted to be against Princeton High School, ranked first
in the “Shore League.” Overall,
the team is looking forward to
a great season, what may be its
strongest season yet.
Students who are interested
may still join Chess; the team is
looking for players.
Season Greetings
from the Staff of
The Falcon
November 2012
THE FALCON
7
FALCON SPORTS
Jack of All, Master of Some
By Brandon Goldy
SPORTS EDITOR
Have you ever wondered who
gets the football field ready every
week and how it happens? Well,
Dr. Longhi does, and now he may
be able to sleep a little more soundly by having some answers.
Mr. Jeremiah Smith, St. Joe’s
resident celebrity lookalike (Jack
Nicholson), wise sage and athletic
director extraordinaire is the man
behind the well-kept and well-prepared football field. Throughout the
season, while students are enjoying
the rigors of academic life, Mr.
Smith boldly departs from his athletic department office and begins
his labor of love, getting the football
field ready.
A great leader always has a plan
and Mr. Smith attacks field prep
with the organization of a trauma
surgeon. It takes about 1 full day of
work (we are talking 24 hours) and
this occurs usually over two days
(you do the math). The day before
the game the grass is cut and the
field is lined. Mr. Smith checks that
the programs for this week’s game
are complete and Mr. Miniscalco
is all set with his audio equipment.
On game day, Mr. Smith is the
first to arrive and begins when most
Falcon football players are still
sleeping, around 6:30 am. First, he
reverently raises old glory on the
flagpole. He puts the down markers out, the pads on the goal posts
and the yard markers in the respective positions. Next, he sets up the
scoreboard, organizes a classroom
for, and vouchers to pay, the officials. Before fans arrive, Mr. Smith
cones out the Brother’s residence
parking so no one parks in any of
their parking spots with special
attention to Brother Matt’s and
Brother John’s spot (the students
understand).
As game time gets close, Mr.
Smith can be found handling the
admissions, joking with parents
and keeping people loose. Once
the game starts, Mr. Smith watches
the game and encourages the play-
Photo by Pete Coronato
Mr. Smith maintains nearly every component of the field.
ers. Mr. Smith is one of St. Joe’s
greatest fans and supporter of all
students. He treats us all as if we
were his own sons and the football
field as if it were his own backyard.
Post-game, Mr. Smith undoes
everything he did; making sure it is
all put away and securely stored for
next time. He is usually the last to
leave the facility however, proving
it is a true labor of love, Mr. Smith
notes, “Well worth it, especially
following a victory.” Track Team
Welcomes
New Head
Coach
By John Henry Riccardi
STAFF WRITER
Photo by Normandy Studio
Bowling team looks to improve.
The Falcon’s welcome a new
track coach, Jonathan Salamon,
who has high hopes for the upcoming season. He is a graduate of
Rutgers University-Camden with a
Bachelors Degree in Political Science and Economics. Currently, he
attends graduate school part time at
Rutgers University-Newark where
he is seeking a Masters Degree in
Global Affairs.
On top of that, Salamon is also
a soldier serving in the US Army
National Guard assigned to the 2nd
Modular Training Battalion, 254th
Regiment which is responsible for
conducting training for the Officer
Candidate School and which will
soon host soldiers of the Albanian
National Army to conduct training for both their Commissioned
Officers and Non-Commissioned
Officers.
When he is not educating himself, training soldiers, or coaching
track stars, Coach Salamon works
as the chief coordinator of the Pennington Ewing Athletic Club in
West Trenton, NJ. Although it
doesn’t seem feasible for him to
have hobbies, they include trail
running at Washington’s Crossing
State Park and Baldpate Mountain
Reserve and conducting strength
training and conditioning programs.
Coach Salamon stated “In my
Bowling Team Plans to Strike Again
By Carson Coudriet
SPORTS WRITER
After coming in third place in
the GMCs last year and achieving a ranked status in the state of
New Jersey, the Falcons’ Bowling Team is looking to improve
even further this year. Despite
losing three of last year’s starters,
team captain Chris Broderick is
pleased with his team’s performance thus far. “We’ve had a great
start, going undefeated in our first
three matches,” said Broderick.
Just recently, the bowling team
improved to 3-0 by defeating JFK
handily, winning all three games
and the total pin count. The team
was led by a strong performance
from Chris Quigley, who scored a
mind-boggling 230 points in one
of the games.
The current roster for the team
consists of captains Chris Broderick and Matt Loda, Rob Kostakos, Chris Quigley, Nick Lurie,
and Ryan “Pizza Boy” Broderick,
younger brother of Chris Broderick. The team has exceeded all
expectations this year, even after
losing the majority of their starters
from last year. “We really want to
show that even with losing five
seniors, we can still win matches,” said Pizza Boy. Fortunately,
it seems that the team is doing
exactly that. After starting off 3-0
with commanding victories against
Carteret, Colonia, and JFK, St.
Joe’s has proven to the rest of the
division that they did not lose any
of their swagger in the transition
from last year’s third place season
to this year’s season.
Although the team lost quite
a few players from last year,
matching or even improving on
last year’s third place performance
in the GMCs is definitely a possibility and is on the minds of the
entire team. They have the utmost
confidence in themselves, fully
believing that they can go all the
way. If the team can pull off this
potential championship, they will
add yet another title to their banner
hanging in the gymnasium, further
solidifying them as yet another St.
Joe’s athletic powerhouse.
Photos by Pete Coronato
New Coach Salamon (top) and
jumping Coach Finn (right)
first year as the head coach for Saint
Joe’s Track & Field, I intend to
reinvigorate a program that has a
deep tradition of developing some
of the finest athletes that have been
seen throughout New Jersey. With
the past traditions in mind, this
season should challenge the young
men of Saint Joseph High School
and push them towards their limits,
both physically and mentally. Without a doubt, my own experiences
from being a St. Joe’s track athlete
gives me an advantage at being
the new head coach because this
is a program that I believe in and I
am grateful to be able to contribute
back to.”
Salamon further noted his goals
for this upcoming season, “There
are three goals of mine for the 20132014 Winter Track & Field Season:
(1) Field a team that matches or
exceeds the accomplishments of
the 2012-2013 season, (2) Draw
out members of the class of 2017
to meet the challenge of becoming
a member of this elite program, and
(3) send a 4x400m Relay Team to
the Meet of Champions.”
Coach Salamon replaced Tom
Friscia as head track coach, who
was a talented college runner able
to bring real perspective to the
up and coming talent at St. Joe’s.
The Falcons are fortunate to have
another coach who is able to run
right along with the track team
and provide the intensive training
needed to succeed. “To improve
the team from the previous year, the
current team will undergo a strict
training program designed to retain
the athletes who have the strength,
courage, and determination to carry
on the tradition of Saint Joseph
Track & Field,” stated Salamon.
“This program will not be for the
faint of heart, but if you can show
me that you have the wherewithal
to meet the standard, there will be a
place for you in Saint Joseph High
School history.”
If you are excited about this
upcoming season for Saint Joseph’s
track and field team, then you
should be looking forward to a
great season under the new coach.
FALL SPORTS WRAP-UP
By CJ Connett
STAFF WRITER
Flag Football
Flag Football truly exemplifies
brotherhood at St. Joe’s. The ranking order of the Junior/Senior Conference in the Eastern Division was
as follows: Cheng Dynasty (7-1),
Meve Steisenbachers (4-3), L.P.P.
(2-4), Speakers Going Hammer
(1-5), and Walter Kings (0-5). The
Western Division standings in order
were as follows: Lightsout (5-2-1),
Cougars (6-1), Dirty Mike and The
Boys (3-2-1), Haters Gonna Hate
(2-4), and B52s (0-5). Joes Bowl
XIV was an intense defensive matchup between Cheng Dynasty and
Lightsout. Cheng Dynasty became
the third team to win back-to-back
Joes Bowls with their 28-0 win over
Lightsout.
Soccer
Flag Football
Photo by Pete Coronato
The Falcons had a surprising soccer team this year. The team held the
ninth seed in the NJSIAA championship tournament and managed to
reach the quarterfinals ultimately
losing to Pingry 4-0. The end result
Soccer
Photo by Neel Jha
was the team finishing at .500 with
a record of 10-10. Midfielder Peter
Dresch was named All Division and
All Conference. The Junior Varsity
team finished their season with an
outstanding record of 12-4-1.
Cross-Country
The cross-country team at Saint
Joe’s finished their season recording
five wins and four losses in dual
meets. During the GMC championship and NJSIAA championship the
team placed 6th and 13th respectively. The Falcons have a young
team with great potential for the
following years. Dylan Tyrell was
ranked fourth in the sophomore class
within the state and is projected to
be number one in the 2014 season.
Senior Brandon D’Sousa was named
all conference placing sixth in the
GMC championship while setting
his personal best time of 16:21 in
the 5000 meter.
Football
The Falcon football team stole the
spotlight this year amongst the fall
sports. The varsity team managed
Football
Photo by Mr. Stolzenberg
to finish with a 9-1 record and go
undefeated in the division. In the
third season of the program, the team
along with rookie Head Coach Casey
Ransone, was able to bring home
the first Divisional Championship
in St. Joe’s history. The team’s only
loss was to Saint Augustine Prep in
the first round of the state playoffs.
THE FALCON 8
December 2013
BASKETBALL
St. Joseph High School
Falcon Sports
SWIMMING PREVIEW
Swimmers’ Commitment to Pay Off
By Brendan Moreau
STAFF WRITER
Coach Steve Whittington (’92)
and his GMC and state powerhouse
swimming team kicked off their
2013 campaign with a win over
South Brunswick. A GMC win
for Whittington is nothing new for
his falcon swimmers as they look
to extend their streak to 36 GMC
championships in a row.
Coach Whittington was a very
accomplished swimmer at St. Joe’s.
He was a two time All-American
and won a total of three state championships in his high school career.
After his time at St. Joe’s, he went
on to have another successful swimming career at Rutgers University.
Whittington eventually returned to
his alma mater in 1997, where he
has since led the Falcons to five
state championships as well as 14
GMC titles.
He also hopes to add to his collection of state championship rings
this year. St. Joe’s last state championship dates back to 2006. To
have a state championship caliber
season, it all starts with the seniors.
“The seniors are the leaders, as
well as the heart and soul of our
team,” said junior swimmer Brett
Fitzgerald. Some notable seniors
that could lead St. Joe’s to a state
title are Joe Baron, Brendan King,
Brendan Lawyer and many more.
Swimming is one of the most
grueling sports at St. Joe’s. The
The Falcons are coming of a 30-6 record season.
Basketball Looking
Towards Historic Season
By Anthony Colucci
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Photo by staff
main reason is that the team practices from 5:00 to 7:00 a.m. daily.
That type of sacrifice and dedication speaks volumes of why we
have won 35 consecutive GMC
titles.
After speaking to some of the
swimmers, they say a challenger to
St. Joe’s in the GMC this year could
very well be the one and only East
Brunswick Bears. St. Joe’s will
meet East Brunswick early in the
season, which will be a huge test
for both squads to start off the year.
WINTER TRACK
High Hopes on the Track
By Trevor Jones
STAFF WRITER
The Falcons plan for a big winter
season on the track with the help of
their returning runners. The team
has revenge on their mind from
last years close 3-point end of the
season finish, behind the defending
champs, the Old Bridge Knights. All the runners think their chances are good going into the season if
they can find some new emerging
stars to replace last years stellar
Senior class. Faces like Ben Ghiano and
Lamont Higgins are going to be
hard to replace, but with runners
like Jack Malague returning to the
Oval, the team should be able to
hit the ground running. Jack shared
his thoughts going into the season:
“We suffered some tough losses
through graduation, but I think the
team will be able to step up and fill
Photo by staff
With arguably the state’s best
starting lineup that includes three
of the top ten players in New Jersey,
St. Joe’s basketball is primed to
continue their recent success and
domination over the Greater Middlesex Conference in the upcoming
season.
The Falcons are coming off a
30-6 record and second straight
Tournament of Champions berth,
where they lost 65-49 to Roselle
Catholic in the finals. Along with a
second straight Non-Public A title,
2013 was highlighted with a trilogy
of meetings with Red Division foe
East Brunswick. After being swept
in the regular season series by the
Bears, the Falcons collected their
fourth straight GMC crown in a
legendary two overtime 66-63 rout
of East Brunswick in the county
championship.
“Last season was the most excitement I’ve ever had in my basketball career,” said jack-of-all-trades
guard Marques Townes about his
first year in the Green and White.
“I really didn’t expect to go to the
TOCs having such a new team, but
when you put all the talent on our
team together, we can do some big
things, and this year, we are.”
Coming off such a decorated
season, St. Joe’s will indeed make
a statement within the state. Ranked
13th in MaxPreps.com’s preseason
rankings, the Falcons return three
starters and Division I recruits, center Karl Towns (Kentucky), combo
guard Wade Baldwin (Vanderbilt),
and Townes (Undecided). Also
returning is another Division I
player, Raven Owen (Canisius),
who is expected to build off his
first season at St. Joe’s, where he
provided key minutes as the sixth
man last season.
With additions, come subtractions; St. Joe’s is losing senior
leadership and experience with the
graduations of two starters and fouryear lettermen, point guard Jimbo
Long and forward James Ziemba.
This talented St. Joe’s squad
will be tasked with a schedule that
could solidify them in the national
spectrum. The Falcons will be challenged with anticipated matchups
with Dematha Catholic (MD),
Archbishop Wood High School
(PA), Pace Academy (NC), and
MaxPreps.com’s number one team
in the nation, Montverde Academy
(FL), to complement an already
strong out-of-conference schedule
within the state.
On December 20, the Falcons
will meet East Brunswick on opening night for the second year in a
row, when they visit the Bear Den
for a long awaited rematch.
HOCKEY
Falcon Hockey Team Young and Eager
By Kyle Stenberg
STAFF WRITER
the empty roles.” Jack has lettered twice and has
competed in Varsity races all three
of his years on the team, so he
surely knows how hard work will
lead the Falcons back towards the
top of the conference. A fellow Junior runner, Mike
Columbus, also had only positive
thoughts to say : “I think we have
the potential to do well this season
especially with Coach Salamon
always making sure we’re in a position to succeed, we should be able
to regroup and get right back into
the heat of competition.” Jonathan Salamon, the team’s
new head coach, replaced Thomas
Friscia who left after last year’s
season. Coach Friscia had a great
run with the program, and led the
Falcons to consistent top finishes
in the county. Overall, the future is looking
bright for the group, and if everything goes according to plan, the
Falcon winter track team should
have no trouble making rising
through the ranks of the GMC.
Photos by Pete Coronato
Track members Horn and Guddemi during practice.
Coming off the most successful
season in St. Joseph history, the ice
hockey team is striving for a repeat
performance of 2012. Last year, the
Falcons established themselves as
a powerhouse in the State of New
Jersey by beating schools including
Don Bosco, Hun and Ridge. In
addition, they took care of business
by dominating the Greater Middlesex Conference, a goal of all athletic
teams of St. Joseph.
The hockey team will look to
continue their domination over the
county (they beat South Brunswick
in the GMC Final last year) and
outside the conference. In the marquee game of the early season, the
Falcons travel to Delbarton on Dec.
10. The game against the Green
Wave will be played at Aspen Ice
in Randolph, NJ.
Delbarton, who graduated many
talented skaters, will be a tough test
but as Louis Ferrera adds, “We are
looking forward to this match-up.
We are confident.” The six seniors
look to use their experience to top
the county and to prove themselves
as a strong force in the state. Senior
Captain Felipe Rodriguez says, “We
have a young team, and plenty of
potential. I look forward to starting our season and getting right
into action.”
The goal throughout the hockey
program is to finish the year on top
and to overcome any obstacle in
the way. Building a strong Junior
Varsity program has helped the varsity team have loads of success in
recent seasons. The season opened
on Dec. 5 against a talented Colonia
squad and the Falcon Hockey Team,
ranked ninth in the state of New
Jersey, look to improve each week!
Photo by Kyle Stenberg
The hockey team looks to continue their domination over the
county.