avier news - Saint Xavier High School

Avier NEWS
Saint Xavier High School • Louisville, Kentucky
Vol. LXXXV • No. 4 • March 14, 2014
Swim Team’s 50th State Title
26th title in a row, seniors undefeated in 4 years
A
t the beginning of the season,
the Saint Xavier Swimming and
Diving Team hoped to accomplish the
one thing they had yet to do during
their streak of 25 straight State Championships: graduate an undefeated
class.
“It is a great way for our class to
go out,” said senior Tony Palazzo. “To
be the first class to graduate undefeated is special.”
Going into the state meet, not
many people believed that St. X could
pull it off, but they were wrong. The
Tigers won the prelim day (Friday) by
26 points. Going into the final day the
Tigers believed, as they always had,
that they were going to win their 26th
straight and 50th overall.
St. X only won three events, but
their depth was unmatchable. Junior
Heyward Harrison won one event and
placed third in his other. Senior Noah
Johnston won the 500 freestyle and
got fourth in his other event. Senior
Jacob Smith won the 100 butterfly.
Junior Trey Hubbuch got fourth in
the 500 and ninth in the 200 freestyle.
Many other swimmers earned points
for the team by moving up in the rankings. Senior Kyle Brutscher got 7th in
the 50 free and 14th in the 100 free,
gaining points for the Tigers.
“It was an all-around team effort,” said junior Nick Yates. “It is not
just about the swimmers in the meet,
but it is also about the rest of our team
getting up early to stand in line to get
a student section.”
The Tigers record of 26 straight
State Championships is the longest
active streak in the nation (a Hawaii
team has the record for most consecu-
By Andrew Lloyd
Photo by Clay Hoehler
The swim team celebrates after winning the state meet
tive, 29). The team’s 50 state titles is
a record. No other team in the nation
has ever won 50 titles in one sport.
In Coach Larkin’s five years at St.
X, he has only lost one meet, and that
was in his first year against Cincinnati
Saint Xavier. Ever since that meet, the
Tigers have not lost.
“The reason we are so successful is because we have the best coach,
who gets the most potential out of us,”
said junior Matthew McDermott.
During optional workouts from
August until Sept. 30, the Tigers had
at least 50 percent of their team present.
“The team is very dedicated,” junior Ben Madalon said. “You feel obligated to come to workouts because
you do not want to let down your
teammates.”
Behind the leadership of captains J.D. Mundt, Zach Carrico, Jacob Smith, Kyle Brutscher and Noah
Johnston, the Tigers were poised to
make a run at their 26th title. In order to achieve their goal, the Tigers
needed help from their whole team.
Each grade level made an impact. The
juniors are led by All-American Heyward Harrison and Trey Hubbuch,
with major contributions from senior
Jacob Smith, sophomore Clayton
Forde and freshman Keefer Barnum.
When mandatory practice rolled
around, the Tigers came in and worked
hard. After roughly a month of hard
workouts, Coach Larkin began to
loosen them up for the Montgomery
Bell meet on Nov. 16. The meet was a
blowout, with a final score of 225–56
in favor of the Tigers. The team was
off to a strong start, which continued
with a win against Male the following week. The Tigers also beat Eastern and won the Brother Fabius Invitational, which led to the showdown
against the Cincinnati Saint Xavier
Bombers.
Until four years ago, the Tigers
had never beaten their namesake rival
from the north. But in Coach Larkin’s
second season as coach, the Tigers
pulled out the “miracle.” Ever since
then, the Tigers have yet to lose to the
Bombers. The Tigers went into the
meet with a great attitude. Although
they started off slow, they still were
in position to win, thanks to divers George McCracken and Michael
Miller. The Tigers won the much anticipated showdown 167–148.
“It was a huge win for us,” said
Mundt. “That victory proved that we
could compete with anyone.”
The Tigers continued their streak
of perfection, beating Atherton, PRP
and Manual. Unfortunately, the meet
against the Trinity Shamrocks was
cancelled due to weather. The Tigers
won the Jefferson County Invitational, and then turned their attention
to regionals. The first day of regionals was cancelled because Jefferson
County Public Schools cancelled
class that day. That made Saturday a
timed final, to see who went to state.
The Tigers started quickly and
won the first relay. They continued
winning for most of the meet. When
the 200 freestyle relay came up, the
Tigers were heavy favorites, but a
false start disqualified St. X in this
event. The Tigers went on to win the
meet, but the disqualification hurt
them. With their backs against the
wall, the Tigers went into state hungrier than ever, and did not disappoint.
The Tigers won state by a total score
of 361–328, beating out Covington
Catholic’s late surge.
17 Students Earn
8 National Merit Finalists
Scholastic Art Awards E
S
eventeen St. X students were selected as winners in the 2014 Scholastic
Art and Writing Regional competition, including three who each earned a
Gold Key, the highest distinction. The Gold Key winners’ work is automatically entered into national competition. The student artists earned a combined 25
awards and were recognized at a ceremony on Feb. 20. The award winners are:
ight St. X seniors have been named National Merit finalists. They will now
be considered for scholarships offered by corporations and universities/
colleges, which will be announced beginning in April.
Gold Keys
Victor Burklow, Mixed Media; Luke Harwell, Ceramics & Glass; Kevin
Riggs, Ceramics & Glass.
Silver Keys
Eric Bush, Photography; Max Lambert, Ceramics & Glass; Will Ostertag,
Ceramics & Glass; Owen Quinn, four Silver Keys in Ceramics & Glass; Ethan
Torstrick, Mixed Media; James Vessels, Ceramics & Glass; Joseph Vonderheide, two Silver Keys in Ceramics & Glass; Andrew Walker, Drawing.
Honorable Mentions
Logan Bishop, Drawing; Jeremy Burch, Painting; Christopher Miller, Design; Conor O’Daniel, Ceramics & Glass; Luke Harwell, Ceramics & Glass;
Zachary Revers, Ceramics & Glass; Joseph Vonderheide, three Honorable
Mentions in Ceramics & Glass; Adam Williams, Design.
(front row): Ben Fultz, Max Mudd, Stephen Kinny, Sam Bibelhauser;
(back row): Coleman Cox, Paxton Duff, Freddie Weitendorf, Ian Scott
2
NEWS
March 14, 2014
New Faces: Mr. Stephen Ashby
I
By Sam Gray
n the year 2000, Stephen Ashby walked the same halls
and sat in many of the same classrooms that we sit in today. In January of 2014, he returned to his high school alma
mater to teach the current student body.
Before attending St. X, Mr. Ashby attended Our Mother of Sorrows, where one of his classmates was Mr. Eddie
Noe. While a student at St. X, Mr. Ashby worked with the
drama department, building all of the sets for the plays. This
activity led to a scholarship to set up play productions for
the University of Louisville.
Mr. Ashby worked at the Louisville Zoo during high
school and college. Before returning to St. X, he worked as
a safety coordinator overseeing fire and compliance in all Louisville Metro buildings,
and before that he taught for seven years at Presentation Academy. He now teaches
Honors Algebra 2, Honors Geometry and Elements of Calculus at St. X.
“I didn’t realize while I was a student here how many connections St. X has in
the community and in various workplaces,” Mr. Ashby said. “The work ethic I gained
while a student here and the relationships I formed as a student continue to open doors
for me.”
During his free time, Mr. Ashby loves to craft different items in his workshop and
travel around the United States.
Summer Reading Options to Expand
S
tarting this summer, the St. X Summer Reading program will see some changes. In
the past, all books chosen for the program were selected by English teachers. But
now, teachers in a variety of subject areas will participate in choosing books, which
will include fiction, nonfiction, biography, and other types of reading from all subjects.
Under the new system, it should be easier than ever for students to select something they will enjoy reading over the summer break. A list of books will be posted
on Edline beginning in April so that each student can sign up for the book he is most
interested in. When school resumes in August, students who read a particular book will
meet to share their thoughts with a staff or faculty member and with each other.
Listen to announcements in the spring for more details.
Distinguished Musicians
M
ichael Herde (right)
and Anthony Giangarra (left) received the highest rank of Distinguished on
their solo performances at
the KMEA (Kentucky Music Educators Association)
Solo and Ensemble festival
in February.
Andrew Bonacci and
Zac Anderson represented
St. X with distinction in their
All State Ensembles. They went through a challenging audition process and beat out
some stiff competition to win the honor of representing the school.
Students Attend XBSS Retreat
S
even students participated in the Xaverian Brothers Sponsored Schools Student
Retreat March 9–13. Juniors Tommy Sullivan, Griffin Johnson, Michael Lucchese,
Lowell Brown, Patrick Ryan and Jackson Krauser were chosen from a pool of applicants to represent St. X in a five-day leadership retreat held at the Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center in West Hartford, Conn. Additionally, St. X senior Devin Kelly was
selected as a senior leader and Theology teacher Mrs. Cathy Reynolds served as the
faculty representative. The retreat helps students understand the mission and ministry
of the Xaverian Brothers and how we are all called to live out this mission. Each of the
13 Xaverian Brothers Sponsored Schools were represented.
National German Exam Awards
C
ongratulations to those St. X students studying German who were recognized for
their scores on the National German exam administered by the American Association of Teachers of German this past January. Brian Ford and Gabriel Turner received
Gold Awards for scoring in the 90th percentile or higher. They are eligible to compete
further for an opportunity to travel to Germany in the summer of 2014. Silver Awards were earned by Kevin Reilly, Dillon Spencer, and Peyton Raley.
Bronze Awards were earned by Will Marx, Aaron Holsclaw, Joseph Kaninberg, Michael Turner, Patrick Grohmann,
and Brandon Naber.
Additionally, 10 students taking the exam were recognized
with Achievement Awards for their
performance on the exam: Jordan
Gates, Orion Johns, Sean Hynes,
Michael Richards, Stephen Tabler,
Spencer Davis, Oliver Hirn, Rob
Hummel, Charles Nuss and Derek
Gabriel Turner
Brian Ford
Sturgeon.
Students Recognized in White
House Student Film Festival
F
our students in Mr. Brian Mitchell’s
Digital Filmmaking class submitted
an entry in the 1st annual White House
Student Film Festival. Out of 2,000 entries, the team of Mark Vogt, Jacob Allgeier, Ben Gumbel and Andrew Van
Camp received Honorable Mention for
their film, A New Way to Learn, which examines technology in education, in keeping with the theme of the Film Festival.
View the video by scanning the QR
code at the right with your smart phone
or iPad.
SAT Gets Redesigned
A
ccording to a press release issued by
the College Board, when students
open their SAT test books in spring 2016,
they’ll encounter an SAT that is more focused and useful than ever before. The
full specifications of the exam along with
extensive sample items for each section
will be available on April 16, 2014.
The redesigned SAT will first be
given in spring 2016. The SAT will be offered in print and, at selected locations,
on computer. There will be three sections:
Evidence-Based Reading and Writing,
Math, and the Essay.
The length of the SAT will be about
three hours, with an added 50 minutes for
the Essay. Precise timing will be finalized
after further research.
The exam will once again be scored
on a 400- to 1600-point scale. The Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section
and the Math section will each be scored
on a 200- to 800-point scale. Scores for
the Essay will be reported separately.
Math Focused on Three Key Areas
The exam will focus on three essential areas of math: Problem Solving and
Data Analysis, the Heart of Algebra, and
Passport to Advanced Math. Problem
Solving and Data Analysis is about being quantitatively literate. It includes using ratios, percentages, and proportional
reasoning to solve problems in science,
social science, and career contexts. The
Heart of Algebra focuses on the mastery
of linear equations and systems. Passport to Advanced Math focuses on the
student’s familiarity with more complex
equations and the manipulation they require.
Eight Key Changes
Analysis in Science and in
Social Studies
Students will be asked to apply their
reading, writing, language, and math
skills to answer questions in science, history, and social studies contexts. They
will use these skills—in college, in their
jobs and in their lives—to make sense
of recent discoveries, political developments, global events, and health and environmental issues.
The redesigned SAT will ask students
to apply a deep understanding of the few
things shown by current research to matter most for college readiness and success.
The SAT redesign is centered on eight key
changes.
Relevant Words in Context
The redesigned SAT will focus on
relevant words, the meanings of which
depend on how they’re used. Students
will be asked to interpret the meaning of
words based on the context of the passage
in which they appear. These are words that
students will use throughout their lives—
in high school, college and beyond.
Command of Evidence
When students take the EvidenceBased Reading and Writing section of
the redesigned SAT, they’ll be asked to
demonstrate their ability to interpret,
synthesize, and use evidence found in a
wide range of sources. These include informational graphics and multiparagraph
passages excerpted from literature and literary nonfiction; texts in the humanities,
science, history, and social studies; and
career-related sources.
Essay Analyzing a Source
The focus of the Essay section on
the redesigned SAT will be very different
from the essay on the current SAT. Students will read a passage and explain how
the author builds an argument. They’ll
need to support their claims with evidence
from the passage. This task more closely
mirrors college writing assignments.
Problems Grounded in Real-World
Contexts
Throughout the redesigned SAT, students will engage with questions grounded in the real world, questions directly
related to the work performed in college
and career.
Founding Documents and Great
Global Conversation
America’s founding documents—
e.g., the Declaration of Independence,
the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights
—have inspired a conversation that endures today. Every time students take the
redesigned SAT, they will encounter an
excerpt from one of the Founding Documents or a text from the ongoing Great
Global Conversation about freedom, justice, and human dignity. The redesigned
SAT will inspire deep engagement with
texts that matter and reflect not only what
is important for college and career, but
what is important for citizenship here and
around the world.
No Penalty for Wrong Answers
The redesigned SAT will remove the
penalty for wrong answers. Students will
earn points for the questions they answer
correctly. This move to rights-only scoring encourages students to give the best
answer they have to every problem.
For more information, visit https://
www.collegeboard.org
MINISTRY/SERVICE
3
March 14, 2014
I Was Wrong About Christian Awakening Retreat
W
hen I first heard about the Christian
Awakening Retreat, I was passive.
The only thing people were saying was
that it was the best experience possible at
St. X. I didn‘t have any sense of why or
how it would be, but that‘s what Campus
Ministry kept telling us. Teachers, peers
and counselors were all urging me to go.
The endorsement for the retreat was nonstop. It actually began to annoy me. So
I signed up for the January retreat, but I
looked at it strictly as an opportunity to
get away from school.
I have never been more wrong.
Boarding the bus to Mount St.
Francis, I didn‘t know what to expect.
By Evan Heichelbech
But after listening to some compelling
speeches on the first afternoon by seniors Nick King, Duffy Baker and Joe
Mann, I was beginning to buy into the
hype. I quickly learned that the retreat
doesn’t fall into the “You learn about
God” cliché. The retreat isn’t a mere
escape from school. The retreat isn’t
just a time to make new friends. The retreat is a time to grow with your peers,
senior leaders and adult leaders, in a
search for God in everyday life.
As junior Noah Houk said, “The
retreat helped me realize that I’m surrounded by my brothers every day
when I go to school.”
If you put forth the effort, everlasting
benefits will follow. I found qualities in
myself that I never knew existed. Being
able to open up with others is an opportunity that I never accepted before, but after
going on the retreat, I cherish that opportunity. You’ll learn things about people
that you never expected to find out, and
that is how I fully experienced the retreat—through my fellow classmates.
“I got closer to many people who I
normally wouldn’t have had the opportunity to interact with,” said junior Jackie
Arnold.
My retreat wouldn’t have been such
a special experience without the leader-
Participants in the January Christian Awakening Retreat having an uplifting experience
ship of seniors King, Baker, Mann, Andrew Willet, Kyle Hilbrecht and Matthew
Hamilton. They really opened the eyes
and hearts of myself and my fellow peers.
Special thanks also goes to Mr. John Jefferson, Mr. Bobby Nichols, Mr. Josh Mullin, Mr. Mike Reynolds, Mr. Dan McCue
and Fr. Anthony Vinson.
Now I know why the Christian
Awakening Retreat was so strongly recommended. It truly is an amazing opportunity to reflect on your life with others.
For me, the retreat lived up to its hype and
was life-altering in many ways. I can apply some of the lessons I learned to everyday situations.
Participants in the September Christian Awakening Retreat
Red Cross Blood Drive a Success
T
he Red Cross collected 202 pints of blood at the annual St. X blood
drive, an increase from last year. The event, which is organized by
Theology/Social Studies teacher Mr. Bill Bornschein, concluded Catholic Schools Week.
“Despite our slow opening, we surpassed our goal,” said Mr. Bornschein, referring to a problem with the Red Cross computers that delayed the start of the blood drive. “The Red Cross loves that we had 107
first-time donors, which is fantastic. Each unit of blood is used for three
different people, so with 202 good units taken, that means 606 lives can
be saved.”
4
OPINION
March 14, 2014
In Jurich We Trust Open Weight Room
T
By Will Leffert
en years ago, the University of Louisville hired what they believed to be
the future of the football program: Coach
Bobby Petrino. Coming off successful
NFL and college coaching stints, Petrino
was a perfect fit for the Cardinals. From
2003–06, Petrino led Louisville to a 41–9
record. With an Orange Bowl win in the
2006-07 season, Petrino had transformed
Louisville into a top-notch program in
college football.
Petrino’s success fostered interest
from some of the nation’s most prestigious programs, including powerhouses
like Notre Dame, LSU and Auburn.
Petrino quickly denied the reports, claiming Louisville was his home. Louisville
football was becoming a big-time head
coaching job, but within days of the Orange Bowl victory, Petrino abruptly abandoned Louisville for the NFL to become
head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. His
departure enraged a Louisville fan base
that was in the midst of celebrating a BCS
victory. Petrino left a then NFL-bound
quarterback, Brian Brohm, and a Louisville football team ranked in the top ten.
After just 13 games with the Falcons,
Petrino left for the head coaching job at
the University of Arkansas. At Arkansas
Petrino was extremely successful, but
football was not his problem. Petrino had
an affair with a university student-athlete
coordinator, which ended his career at Arkansas.
The Louisville fan base had been
infuriated with Petrino’s departure from
U of L, so many people were astounded
when he was rehired by U of L this past
January. Many doubt that Petrino is the
best choice for the job. Critics say he is a
bad recruiter and an awful leader for Louisville’s football program, but I disagree.
Through the scandal he reconciled with
his family, and he insists that he is a new
and changed Bobby Petrino.
I am convinced of Petrino because
University of Louisville athletic director
Tom Jurich is convinced. Jurich spent a
rigorous eight hours interviewing Petrino,
in which Jurich spent the first hour detailing everything he did not like about
Petrino. Throughout the grilling, Petrino
stayed and convinced Jurich he was a
changed man.
They say Petrino can’t recruit; however with Louisville’s recruiting class announced on National Signing Day, Petrino’s recruits averaged just below three
stars. The class is also ranked 8th in the
ACC out of 14 teams according to Scout.
com. This is a good class considering the
difficult situation Petrino was in. He was
hired in early January with less than a
month to keep together a Top 25 recruiting class that was being poached by every
college football team in the land, including former head coach Charlie Strong.
Petrino pulled together a solid class that
can successfully lead Louisville into its
first year in the ACC.
Above all, Petrino will win games.
Fans may voice their concerns of his lack
of moral compass, but after he begins to
win, these concerns will quickly fade. In
an ever-changing era in college football,
winning is everything. Sports journalists
and athletic directors all over the country
have criticized Louisville’s hire, but Jurich believes in him.
Jurich has transformed the University of Louisville athletic program into one
of the premier programs in the college
landscape. He has hired great coaches like
Rick Pitino and Charlie Strong, and this
hire is no different. Petrino is a changed
man and a great fit to lead Louisville football into its inaugural season in the ACC.
Hours Favor Teams
By Sam Lukens
S
t. X has made quite a few positive
changes to the school lately. One
change that is not so positive involves the
new weight room hours and the days that
it is open to the general student population. Unless you are on an athletic team,
the weight room—which was previously
open Monday, Wednesday and Friday
practically right after school—is now
open only on Tuesday and Thursday from
3:30–4:30. If you are lucky, the proctor
may be there by 3:15 and you can start
a workout just 15 minutes later than you
would have started one in the past.
Only athletic teams have specific
schedules and preferred lifting times.
Non-athletes who have no time to join a
non-cut sport and lack the finances to join
a gym outside of school are the victims of
this new system. The weight room used to
be available to any student who wished to
get fit, but it has lost some of its availability. Some students have abandoned workouts at St. X due to inconvenient days and
times. There once was a time when the
weight room was full of non-athletes attempting to become more fit, but this has
recently dwindled.
“Since the gym doesn’t open until
3:30, many of the guys who used to lift
after school decide to go home,” said senior Carlos Moreno Peña. “The students
get bored of waiting every Tuesday and
Thursday and eventually just give up. The
energetic environment that used to surround the place disappeared due to the
disinterest of waiting until 3:30.”
It is truly sad that the lively weight
room I knew as a freshman and sophomore is gone. The diversity is also gone.
Non-athletes no longer feel as enticed to
become more fit. Perhaps this follows a
general trend of the lack of fitness among
teens. However, I think fewer students in
the weight room is also related to the new
hours and the lack of inclusion.
Mr. Joseph Tronzo, Director of
Strength and Conditioning, observed that
during open weight room hours, the vast
majority of the guys in the weight room
are athletes. With the new lifting schedule
he designed, members of teams no longer
need open weight room hours. All sports
have their own lifting schedules, and there
is no reason for them to also need open
weight room hours three days a week for
two hours.
Coach Tronzo also said that he does
not see many non-athletes in the weight
room because most of them have joined
the power lifting team.
These observations are valid, but it is
sad to think of how the weight room has
changed in my four years. It is becoming
only a place for athletes. I am an athlete
myself, but I am very disgruntled about
what has become of the weight room.
Coach Tronzo stated, “Every athlete
has their programs.” Last time I checked,
not every student at St. X high school
is an athlete. Every student should have
equal access to the weight room. Granted, it is not only the school’s fault; it is
also a societal problem that has caused
this change in the weight room. Fewer
teens are concerned with their fitness and
health, and this will continue if nothing is
done to stop it. Making the weight room
more accessible to all students would be a
step in the right direction.
Recycling Lacking, Recent Investigation Says
W
By Braden Tyrer
ith the push in green efforts worldwide in the last few years, St. X has
followed suit, providing recycling bins
for students to dispose of glass, paper and
plastic. However, just how effective are
they? According to a Xavier News investigation, students’ efforts aren’t where they
should be.
In conjunction with the Environmental Club, Xavier News went out to see just
how utilized the recycling facilities are in
the cafeteria. The results were interesting:
Although the red recycling bins are placed
directly next to trash cans, members of the
club consistently found recyclables in the
trash. The problems escalate in the morning when rushed students scramble to
pick up breakfast refuse.
In an email, the Environmental
Club’s Ben Metzger wrote, “There were
many things that were scarcely found
in the recycling bins, like the recyclable
plastic containers in which they serve
cake and PB&Js. Additionally, the plastic
cups with lids that Flik puts a lot of stuff
in (pudding, apple slices, cake, etc.) are
plastic and recyclable, but very few are
recycled, and a lot of students get those.”
Other observers noted breakfast as a
red flag, with the amount of plastic that
XAvier NEWS
Editorial Staff
Xavier News is the student newspaper
of Saint Xavier High School, 1609
Poplar Level Road, Louisville KY
40217. Web: www.saintx.com
Email: [email protected]
All contents Copyright © 2014 by
Saint Xavier High School. All rights
reserved.
Editor-in-Chief
Sam Lukens
Opinion Editor
Seiler Smith
Managing Editor
Braden Tyrer
Design and
Layout
Matthew Hess
Steven Penava
News Editor
Hunter O’Brien
Features Editor
Austin Smith
Sports Editor
Will Leffert
Photo Editor
Clay Hoehler
Faculty Advisor
Mr. Rick
Mattingly
passes through the hands of St. X students.
While the majority of students drink from
Letters to the Editor
Xavier News is interested in
your opinion and response to articles.
Please observe these guidelines:
1. The newspaper reserves the
right to edit material.
2. Letters must not be libelous,
obscene or defamatory.
3. Letters should concentrate on
ideas, problems and solutions affecting the entire school.
4. Name and student number
must accompany the letter.
Letters may be sent to
[email protected]
foam cups at lunch, Flik sells large quantities of milk and juice to the students for
breakfast. When the bell rings, students
all too often toss all of their garbage in
the trash cans on the way to their lockers.
Mr. Rick Mattingly notes that each
morning, while proctoring the cafeteria,
he pulls at least 10 to 20 bottles out of the
trash cans that sit aside the recycling bins,
and those are only the bottles that lay on
the top of the trash.
He adds, “I’ve even seen students
reach over recycling bins to toss plastic
bottles in the trash cans.” Efforts can easily be stepped up.
The Environmental Club and those
proctoring lunches and breakfast would
like to see a revamped recycling effort
school-wide. It’s as simple as dropping
your plastic in a different bin, which
doesn’t take any longer than tossing it in
a trashcan. Plastic containers that hold
milk, juice, water, sports drinks, yogurt
and tea should go in the small red bins
that accompany the trash cans. Plastic
cups that hold fruit and pudding can also
be recycled.
Through just a bit more awareness
and effort, St. X students will be on the
right track, keeping plastic out of landfills and keeping the Green and Gold truly
green.
ACADEMICS
5
March 14, 2014
TheMr.Forbidden
Letter
Kroh’s Lenten Renouncement
D
uring Lent, Mr. Joseph Kroh is
known for his unique project. In
recent interviews with Mr. Kroh, he described it.
“Sometime on one unremembered
night, now long gone,” spoke Mr. Kroh,
“the notion showed up unexpectedly in
the middle of the evening’s reverie while
I spent time considering some weird
thoughts on the subject of writing—no
idle discovery, considering how weird
some of my thoughts concerning writing,
not to mention other stuff, go.
“I decided to choose Lent for the time
when I would give the work, since everyone should give up something for Lent. In
this work, students must give up one of
the letters they most love, since the letter
in question is so useful. I, too, must give
up something: perusing one of my most
beloved vowels.”
Now, some people might be wondering, did some of the conditions or guidelines of this project develop over time?
Quoth Mr. Kroh: “Not much evolution occurred. It is still pretty much just
like the first time the thought presented itself to me—sort of whole cloth, I believe,
with possibly some difference in length
now, since in the beginning it required
possibly too much rigor: three typed
sheets, twelve-point Century type. Now I
only require two sheets, so the project is
slightly shorter.”
Other simple guidelines include, “No
footnotes or works cited unless required
by copyright, should writers need the
By M. Joseph Hess
words of someone else to support their
chosen topic/theme. The work is due one
to two weeks from the time they begin the
effort, depending on when during Lent
they receive the guidelines.”
Given the prohibition concerning the
use of one specific vowel, is it possible
for students to receive letter scores corresponding to 92–100?”
To which Kroh replied, “Of course it
is, unless it isn’t.”
One bold student confronted Mr.
Kroh with something he thought would
bring Mr. Kroh to his knees: “I will bet
you it is impossible to write without using
the letter we must give up plus the letter
‘e.’ It is not possible to get rid of them
both. Do it!”
Mr. Kroh replied, “If I do it, so will
you.”
Then Mr. Kroh composed the following prose in front of the group: “I would
not fish in Mississippi, not for shrimp or
swordfish in its Gulf, nor for trout in its
gloomy ponds. I could troll for fish in
Ohio if I got notions to do so, though I
doubt such fishing is going to occur.
Why? I simply do not hold fond opinions on this sport. Thus, I will not do
it, not in Mississippi nor in Ohio nor Wyoming. I did try it in my childhood, but I
find it is simply too slow until fish show
up, so it is not for yours truly, though I
know chums within our city’s fishing
community who find it thrilling. This is
good, though I will not join in. But I will
sup with vigor on yummy fish!”
Mr. Kroh kept going. “I went on for
fifty more words or so on the subject,” he
recounted. “When I then required the entire group to try it, stunned silence filled
the room. They were not thrilled, I must
confess. I remember I did get some interesting stuff on ghosts, foot-long hotdogs,
plus twins born in October, I think.”
Will the project return to enrich the
lives of current seniors this semester?
“I will neither confirm nor deny the
possibility of the project’s inclusion in
upcoming stuff my seniors might encounter,” replied Mr. Kroh. “It might be just
one of life’s mysteries, like rumors which
swirl from time to time concerning the issue of bow ties.”
Might Mr. Kroh’s neckpieces, should
they be bow ties, signify the coming of
tests or quizzes in senior English courses
in which he is the instructor?
Mr. Kroh isn’t confirming or denying: “Who knows? Remember, students:
Everything is true, unless it isn’t. But if
the work should turn up this spring, why
would I do this to seniors? 1. The project
(if it exists) would provide them opportunities to shine, when they overcome word
problems they must solve. 2. It would involve using English to solve these problems. 3. Students would encounter something rigorous. 4. It wouldn’t be boring
rhetoric, either. No sir! It might even be
fun!”
Quick Recall Buzzes In on State Tournament
A
lthough we have had copious
amounts of wintry precipitation and
many students have been affected by the
lack of a routine, such hiccups have not
hindered the sharpness of the Quick Recall Team. The team has been on a hot
streak this past month, and they look to
go into the State Governor’s Cup Competition and take the title.
The varsity Quick Recall Team participates in a KHSAA (Kentucky High
School Academic Association) league that
runs from September until January, when
the playoffs are held. The league consists
of private high schools near St. X such as
Sacred Heart, Collegiate and Trinity. This
past season our team went undefeated in
regular season play, but then lost in the finals of the league playoffs in a nail-biting
match against St. Francis. This was a very
disappointing loss for the team, as their
expectations were to claim the championship. Now the Tigers look to redeem
themselves, as they have already buzzed
through the district and regional Governor’s Cup competitions, winning both.
“The difference between the league
season and Governor’s Cup,” said assistant Quick Recall coach Ms. Eileen Radway, “is that the league season is more of
a warm-up for the Governor’s Cup competition, which encompasses all schools
across the state. The league is simply for
teams close to us.”
The Governor’s Cup is for the varsity
By Austin Smith
team only, which consists of juniors and
seniors. The junior varsity team, consisting of freshmen and sophomores, competes in the fall in the JV Challenge, but
they do not compete in the Governor’s
Cup competition.
The state tournament for the Quick
Recall team in Governor’s Cup, which
is the Tigers’ final competition of the
season, will be held at the Galt House in
downtown Louisville on March 16. The
tournament is in a pool play, double elimi-
nation format.
“We expect to take it all,” said senior
Freddie Weitendorf.
The Quick Recall team is a great way
to get involved at school and is great fun.
One of the team’s favorite moments is
when opposing teams come in for a match
and our team hands out past Governor’s
Cup certificates for scrap paper. The opposing team looks down at the fancy
paper and realizes how serious the St. X
Quick Recall team is.
“It’s an awesome experience,” said
senior Brian Ford. “It shows St. X’s academic strength as a school and how good
of an education the students here are receiving.”
The varsity Quick Recall team practices most school days from September
until their season is finished. It is too late
to join the team this year, but if you would
like to play for the team next year, contact head coach Mr. Ron Newton or Ms.
Radway.
6
TIGER S
March 14
Lampes Win Individual Wrestling State Titles
Photo by Tim Porco
Dominic Lampe
T
By Ethan Mackin
he St. X Wrestling Team closed off
another season and finished strong as
they placed fourth in the state tournament
and won state duals. The team had multiple
individual accomplishments, as Justin and
Dominic Lampe took state in their respctive
weight classes.
The team opened the season with a
dominant victory over North Oldham County and beat Trinity twice in duals along the
way. The team also dominated two major
duals: The Jefferson Invitational and Big
Brother Duals at Moore High School. At
Big Brother Duals, the combined scores of
both St. X and River City were enough to
defeat Fern Creek, North Hardin, Moore and
Scott. The highly anticipated Moeller Super
8 tournament in Cincinnati was cancelled
due to weather, but the team looks forward
to make an impact next year by representing
Photo by Tim Porco
the Green and Gold.
While the team did not win the state
championship, they were a force to be reckoned with in every event across the state
and suffered few losses. In individual accomplishments, Justin and Dominic Lampe
both placed first in state, Austin Cook placed
fifth, Michael Beets and Dallas Miles placed
seventh, and A.J. Bindner placed eighth.
“It was a successful year,” said senior
Chris Mackin. “Our team always had confidence. We would go into every event knowing we had a target on our back.”
And senior Max Korfhage said, jokingly, “It felt really good knowing that we
were sectional dual champions!”
Although the season is finished, the
hard work is not over. The team has already
begun offseason training and is looking forward to reclaiming their title next season.
Justin Lampe
Archery Team Enjoys Ice Tigers on the Rise
By Hunter O’Brien
Successful First Season
T
By Jacob Hayslip
I
n its first year of existence, the
St. X Archery Team has been
a pleasant surprise in the limited
competition it has experienced.
The fledgling program was started after Mr. Greg Cambron’s
Archery Club was a major hit
among the student body; members of the Archery Club who
were interested in being a part of
the Archery Team simply came
out for a tryout, and Mr. Cambron
selected the best 12 archers to
make up the team.
The standard format for an archery
tournament is as follows: Each archer is assigned to a specific lane, and when a whistle
is blown, each archer shoots five arrows at
an initial distance of 10 meters from the target. This process is repeated twice more for
a total of three rounds and 15 arrows. After
the initial three rounds, each archer then executes three more rounds from a distance of
15 meters from the target. The competition
is over after the archer has shot his 30th arrow to complete the sixth round.
The highest score for each shot is 10
points for a bulls-eye; therefore, the highest score an archer can record in one round
is 50 points, and the highest score possible
for a tournament is 300 points. The team
scores are made up of the best 12 archers’
scores, and 3,600 points is the highest team
score possible. In addition, because archery
is a co-ed sport by KHSAA rules, each team
must combine the scores from at least four
boys and four girls to make up a valid team
score. Because of this rule, St. X teams up
with Presentation Academy at tournaments;
Coach Cambron says the pairing was a natural fit, as the head coach of Presentation’s
archery team is a St. X grad.
Aaron Holsclaw and Johnny McNicol
are both juniors on the team, and while neither had ever participated in competitive archery before this year, Holsclaw has grown
up shooting a bow and arrow, while McNicol says he hadn’t picked up a bow before
joining the Archery Club. Both are pleased
with how the team has performed to this
point and are excited to continue improving.
“Considering this is St. X’s first-ever
year having archery as a sport, we have
Photo by Tim Porco
done pretty well,” McNicol explained. “We
have only been to two tournaments [so far],
but have definitely been improving as the
season has gone on.”
Holsclaw pointed out that “most of the
time [early in the season] we weren’t able
to practice due to inclement weather,” and
consequently, the performance this season
“was probably what you would expect from
a first-year sport. We have done alright, given our preparation.” He articulated that the
team could benefit from finding access to
an indoor shooting area for practice, which
would eliminate the uncertainty caused by
the weather at St. X’s outdoor range.
In the regional tournament, St. X placed
eighth out of 14 teams, which is a pretty
impressive feat considering the other 13
schools in the region had been participating
in archery much longer than the Tigers and
had a lot more experience. St. X finished
with a team score of 2,999, which is one
point away from the required 3,000-point
team score to qualify for state competition.
St. X concluded its first season with
a tournament on Feb. 28 at Moore High
School. However, the preparation for next
season has already begun for Coach Cambron, as he has incorporated several modifications that will allow the program to run
more smoothly and effectively in the future.
“It will all be bigger and better, and
more figured out next year,” Coach Cambron stated. He also explained plans he has
next year for Tiger archers to come in before
school and practice at 7 a.m. Coach Cambron said he has learned a lot in his first year
as an archery coach, and he is definitely excited about the program going forward: “All
we have to do is get a bigger team and more
practice. The sky is the limit.”
he St. X Hockey Team finished up their
season on March 1 with a tough loss to
Eastern, but it was the best season the Ice
Tigers have had in the last three years. The
team’s coach, Curtis Overby, also received
the honor of being named Kentucky High
School Hockey League (KHSHL) Coach of
the Year for the second year in a row. Overby is retiring as the Ice Tigers’ head coach
after three years.
The team finished the season ranked
seventh overall and third in their division.
Highlights included two huge wins over rival Eastern. The first win against the Eagles
came in the season opener where the Tigers
started out strong and prevailed 3–1. Junior
Ben Meredith was unstoppable in the game,
giving the Tigers all three of their goals.
The second win against the Eagles was
the toughest the Tigers played all season.
Eastern got off to a dominating start and led
3–1 after the second period. The Ice Tigers
refused to give up and clawed back in the
final minutes to take a 4–3 lead to win the
game.
The hockey team had to battle against
adversity throughout the season. Injuries
were this team’s Achilles’ heel. An MCL
tear left senior Braden Tyrer on the bench
for over six weeks, and senior Michael
Doheny was out for several games due to a
variety of injuries.
Sadly, the Ice Tigers will be losing four
great senior leaders in captains Tyrer and
Owen Quinn, goalie Doheny, and Karsen
Woods. There is a bittersweet feeling among
the seniors.
“It’s been unforgettable,” said Tyrer.
“The hockey players stick together. I’ve
made some great friends and great memories. The ups and downs have taught me so
much. And going out with the C [for captain] on the jersey is really special.”
While the team is losing a great group
of guys this year, the future of the St. X
hockey team looks very bright.
“This team is on the upswing,” says
Tyrer. “We relied on our freshmen this year,
and they came through. They could compete
with any freshman class in the state. Our top
goal scorer returns in junior Ben Meredith,
and sophomore defensive strong man Nick
Franck will be crucial. Pair this with an incoming freshman class that is both beefy in
number and riddled with talent and some
travel experience. Anyone who looks past
these guys is going to get a rude awakening.”
Photo by Clay Hoehler
Owen Quinn takes command
7
SPORTS
4, 2014
Tiger Basketball Ends Flora Wins Individual
Season at 21–9
Bowling State Title
By Ben Gumbel
Photo by Tim Porco
Ashanti Burgess drives it to the basket
T
he 2013-2014 Tiger Basketball season
has been one of the most successful in
recent years. St. X finished the regular season with a 20–7 record, including a 6–1 record in games that went to overtime.
The season started on Dec. 3 with a
14-point win against Central. The Tigers
did not slow down after this, racing out to a
10–1 record to start the season. This streak
was highlighted by overtime wins against
Cincinnati St. Xavier and DeSales, where
senior point guard Robert Shaw scored an
amazing 38 points en route to a victory.
On Jan. 7, in a game against John
Paul College (Australia), Shaw scored his
1,000th career point. He became the first Tiger to achieve this milestone in 14 years. A
four-year varsity player, Shaw was a leader
of the team, averaging just over 17 points in
the regular season.
In the annual St. X-Trinity game at
Freedom Hall on Jan. 10, the Tigers fought
hard, but fell to the Shamrocks 64–56. The
Tigers then entered the LIT with a high
seed, but lost in the second round to eventual champion PRP.
The team ended January with two
thrilling overtime games. On the 23rd they
battled a tough Fairdale team to a 54–52
win. On the 28th, they lost to Eastern 85–80.
On Jan. 31, the Tigers played one of
their most exciting games of the year in a
loss at Ballard. The final score was 91–76,
but the Tigers were in it the whole way. The
score was tied at halftime, and St. X had the
score within single digits late in the fourth
quarter.
The team began February on a fivegame winning streak, with wins over
Waggener (49–41), CAL (87–63), Holy
Cross (72–62) and Fern Creek (77–69). The
streak was highlighted by a thrilling doubleovertime victory at Male on Feb. 7, where
the Tigers would hold on to win 70–67.
The team ended the season on a sour
note, losing two straight games, which included a 71–54 loss to Manual on Senior
Night at home, and a 50–47 loss at Butler.
St. X would look to regain that momentum with a 85–29 blowout victory over
Brown in the first round of the district tournament, hosted by St. X, and set up a rematch with Male in the district final.
The Tigers’ rematch with Male in the
district final would turn out to be just as
exciting as the first matchup. St. X held as
big as a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter,
but a late run by Male forced overtime. It
took some clutch three pointers by Ashanti
Burgess and Lucas Miller to force a second
overtime, but the Tigers would eventually
fall to Male 76–72 in double OT.
The season ended on March 5, with a
frustrating 51–40 loss in the first round of
the 7th Region Tournament vs. Trinity at
Bellarmine’s Knight’s Hall. St. X finished
the season with an overall record of 21–9,
one of the most successful in recent years.
To Ping or to Pong
“P
By Eric Anderson
ing Pong is one of the greatest sports
in the world,” said senior Ryan
Askin. “I love the way the ball sounds, and
the paddle feels cool.”
The Ping Pong Club is loved by many
in the school. The club, moderated by Mr.
Mark Metzger, always accepts new members. They feature a single-elimination tournament each quarter with a separate tournament for each grade level.
“I loved the Ping Pong Club,” said senior John Conway. “I wish I would have
won, but the other players were just too
good. Even with my early exit in the tournament, I still had a great time and enjoyed
playing ping pong with my St. X comrades.”
The tournaments are held in the Viewing Room after school. They usually last
one hour with plenty of time between games
for other activities. However, when you are
playing, the game is serious. The St. X ping
pongers do not like losing, so make sure to
bring your A-game if you plan to win.
Almost as popular as the club itself, the
Ping Pong Club T-shirts draw attention every year.
“Their shirts always have the funniest
mottos,” said senior Jack Crooks. “If I could
only wear one shirt my entire life, I would
be happy with any of the Ping Pong Club
shirts because of the hilarious mottos.”
The shirts are sold for $10. Previous
shirts have included sayings such as, “If
playing Ping Pong is cool, consider me
Miles Davis.” This year, the shirts have
the St. X Ping Pong Club logo on the front
while the back of the shirt features the saying, “The reason Thomas Edison invented
the table.” If you would like to purchase a
shirt, contact Mr. Metzger.
The Ping Pong Club is open to anyone.
Even if you have never played before, you
can show up to the tournaments and put
forth your best effort. The club is all about
having fun while playing the great sport of
ping pong.
By Sam Lukens
F
ollowing three straight 277s in qualifying and a 258 and 298 in the semifinals, freshman Brandon Flora dominated
Boyle County’s Cameron Walker 289–181
in the final of the KHSAA Singles Bowling
Championships. Flora set a state record with
a five-game total of 1,387, and also recorded
the sixth highest six-game total in the nation.
Hard work is no stranger to this champion; he practices every day and has bowled
for 13 years. The championship was a validation of all the work he has put in throughout the years. Winning the individual state
title as a freshman is quite an accomplishment.
Flora says that winning the championship was “different.”
“I wasn’t really expecting to win it as a
freshman,” he said.
St. X is expecting big things from Flora
as he hopes to defend his championship next
year. The sky is the limit for Flora in the
coming years; he has only just started his St.
X career as a student and a bowler.
The bowling team as a whole quali-
fied third out of 16 in the State Tournament
after winning the Regional Championship,
but they suffered a tough loss to Fern Creek
in the first round. Only losing one game in
the regular season and winning the Bulldog
Classic, the team had a banner year. With
only one senior, Alex Underwood, graduating the team looks strong for next season.
Photo by Tim Porco
Team Managers Make
Huge Contributions
By Tommy Sullivan
Y
ou probably opened to the sports section of this newspaper to learn about
your favorite teams around the school. In
the other articles, you’ll read about the athletes and coaches and what they have done
to help their teams. But don’t forget that the
school’s sports teams are made up of more
than athletes and coaches. Student managers
are the backbones of our teams. Let’s take a
look at the winter sports’ managers.
BASKETBALL
Senior Evan Shaheen, junior Jacob
Hayslip, freshman Andy Hayslip and junior
Zach Wheatley manage the varsity basketball team. You can see them on the sidelines
working each game. Shaheen takes stats
while Wheatley spots for him. The Hayslips
work the bench, passing out water bottles
and setting up the white board during timeouts. This gives the coaching staff more
time to focus on the game.
The managers directly contributed to
the win against Seneca on Jan. 24. When
Shaheen exchanged rosters with Seneca,
no player was listed with the number 12
on his jersey. Later in the game, number 12
checked in. Shaheen called the referee over
to let him know, causing Seneca to receive
a technical foul. St. X shot two free throws
and got possession thanks to the superior organization of its managerial team.
These students’ duties cover much
more than game-time activities. Before each
game, they put out the team’s jerseys, camera, white boards, towels, printer, computer,
laundry basket, stools, and “slip knot,” a
rope that the players rub their shoes on for
better traction. For home games, they also
wet mop the court and Windex the backboards. Evan, Jacob, Andy and Zach also
come to team practices, where they run the
clock and dry mop the floors.
Head Coach Kevin Klein calls this
group the best managers in the state. “They
are a well-oiled machine,” he said. Junior
team member Lucas Miller agrees: “The
managers work as hard as the players.”
SWIMMING AND DIVING
Seniors Jeb Schilling and Ben White
manage for the swim and dive team. During
the week, one of them stays at the pool from
3 P.M. to 9 P.M. as an on-duty lifeguard. They
also run errands for head coach Todd Larkin
when needed and record splits at practice.
Before home meets, the duo prepares the
pool by setting up chairs, the touch-pad system, the starting system and the scoreboard.
White announces the meets from the walkway above the pool, while Schilling works
on the pool deck. Both managers make the
meets run successfully.
Schilling also coaches at swim clinics
for kids aged six to 12 on Saturday mornings at St. X. Why does he spend so much
time and effort on the swim program? “I just
love swimming,” he explains. He has been
swimming since he was young, competing
until the end of his freshman year. Becoming a manager allows him to be around the
team and the sport that he loves so much.
Coach Larkin calls Schilling and White
the “team behind the team” and says that
they don’t get a lot of credit for the constant
work that they do.
WRESTLING
Joey Sullivan gets ice for all of the
wrestlers, helps clean the gym and assists
the players in whatever way he can. He decided to manage because his cousin managed when he was in high school and convinced him to manage. His cousin earned
a scholarship to college for managing, and
Joey hopes he can find similar success.
Head Coach Kraeszig says that Sullivan is dependable and always caters to the
needs of the team members, who have a ton
of respect for Joey.
8
SPORTS
March 14, 2014
Iron Tigers 3rd in State Who Will Win the Masters?
T
By Chris Grismer
he St. X Powerlifting Team fought
hard at the state meet, with the varsity and JV teams each finishing third. After a six-year hiatus without a state title,
the team felt it was ready to take back its
crown, and the lifters, coached by Mr.
Christopher Gold, were excited heading
into the state meet on March 8 at North
Bullitt High School.
“We have a bunch of outstanding
seniors,” junior Michael Kinderman said
before the state meet. “I like our chances,
but we will have to give 110 percent.”
Since training began in the second
week of January, the team didn’t have the
opportunity to compete in any meets, due
to weather. That didn’t stop them from
going to practice and honing their craft,
and as they prepared for state, they realized how important it was to work as not
just individuals, but as a team.
“Once you start working out together
and cheering each other on, you really
form a bond with your teammates,” junior
Elton Su said. “We’ve got plenty of potential, but as always, it’s a team effort.”
The JVs began the meet with Tucker
Donlon and Joe Fisher placing first, Will
Thornton placing second, and Matthew
Krieger and Joseph Pastina each placing
third in their respective weight classes.
The varsity team also performed admirably, with senior Cedric Miller being
named the Lightweight Best Lifter. There
were other impressive performances, too.
Hunter Williams finished first, Michael
Beets and Carlos Munoz finished second,
and Evan Heichelbech, Miller, Will Tobbe, and Colin Whelan finished third in
their respective weight classes.
St. X Students
Predict Final Four
By Cole Bollinger
Arizona
(38%)
M
Florida
(48%)
arch Madness is approaching quickly, with only a couple more weeks
left in the regular season. The brackets
haven’t been released yet, but it is never
too early to start speculating on who will
land in Dallas for this year’s Final Four.
This year’s tournament is going to be especially crazy, as many teams could make
a run to Dallas.
“It’s anyone’s game,” said sophomore Nick Wimsatt. “Nothing is guaranteed, and you should watch for the teams
with the most momentum going into the
Louisville
(48%)
Syracuse
(65%)
tournament. Those are the most dangerous teams.”
A poll of 40 St. X students predicted
that Syracuse, Louisville, Florida and
Arizona will be this year year’s Final
Four teams. Some of the crazier picks
in this poll were LSU, Xavier, Arizona
State, Harvard, Louisiana Tech and Indiana. Yes, Indiana; I guess some Hoosiers
haven’t given up just yet.
This is going to be a fun tournament
to watch. Who do you think will be playing in Dallas?
Intramurals: All Play–Play All
A
By Austin Chambers
s March Madness approaches, it
signals that another intramural basketball season is coming to an end. The
year has been filled with great plays and
performances by many of the players who
don’t get their name in the paper. The
championship is still up for grabs, and
teams are chomping at the bit to get a grip
on the trophy.
“Participation this year has been
great,” said Mr. Mike Johnson. “There
have been close to 600 students participate in intramural basketball.”
There also is a new tournament format with two tournament champions in
the freshman and sophomore leagues.
There will be three tournament champions in the junior/senior league.
Freshmen and sophomore leagues
have concluded with Team Eimers winning division 1 and Team Hulsmeyer winning division 2 of the sophomore league.
The freshmen ended with Team Smith
winning division 1 and Team Mishloney
winning division 2.
Junior/Senior league will conclude
Sunday. There will be three crowned
champions. Team Walker is an early favorite for division 1 and Team Bennett/
Gahafer is the favorite to bring home the
championship for division 2.
Many seniors play on the intramural
team, and Tristan Thieneman, a member
of the white team, said, “Intramurals are
a great way to shoot some hoops with
the bros. Intramurals are a great bonding
experience; it’s something I will always
cherish about St. X.”
Although the intramural basketball
season is coming to an end, the intramural
season is not over. There are still numerous opportunities to get involved, gather
a team and pursue victory with all your
might. The forthcoming activities include
a Saturday or Sunday water polo event.
It’s also the first year where there will be
a rescheduled spring flag football event.
Mr. Johnson says new teams can be added, and if you already registered, then you
are in the tournament. There are also two
weekends of Ultimate Frisbee and a potential golf outing.
T
By Paxton Duff
he 2014 Masters tournament, the
most iconic golf tournament in the
world, will be played over 72 holes from
April 10–13, at Augusta National Golf
Club in Augusta, Georgia. This is a mustwatch sporting event on Sunday (the final round), when the drama reverberates
off the mammoth oak trees and creates
a deafening silence. The following players will finish in this exact order, or your
money back.
WD (Withdrawal). Louis Oosthuizen: Louis “Shrek” Oosthuizen, withdrew
from the final three majors in 2013 due to
neck, back, hip and hamstring issues, as
well as the 2013 Honda Classic due to a
cold. The South African is a former major
champion, with arguably the purist golf
swing on earth; there have been tougher
professional athletes, however.
PREDICTION: “Shrek” will have
the outright lead with five holes to play,
but will decide he is too tired and withdraw.
11. Jimmy Walker: Jimmy is not
Hansel from Zoolander, and will never
be, but he is so hot right now. With three
victories in the early season, including
a win at Pebble Beach, Walker is full of
confidence. Walker is this year’s Jason
Dufner, a late bloomer who is breaking
through.
PREDICTION: Walker is the long
shot with the best chance to win, but he
will struggle over the weekend rounds
and fall off the leaders’ pace.
8. Jordan Spieth: The 20-year-old
phenom is the future of American golf,
and will win many majors in years to
come. He displays remarkable maturity
on the golf course.
PREDICTION: No one under 21 has
ever won the Masters. Spieth will win one
eventually, but he lacks the experience at
this point.
5. Rory McIlroy: Rory is exhausted
from daydreaming about Caroline Wozniaki, the tennis star and his new fiancée.
As a result, the two-time major champion
is struggling to focus on his game, and it
won’t change here.
PREDICTION: Rory shoots 70–80,
trying to intentionally miss the cut to
spend time with Caroline. His plan fails,
and he bounces back with a 65 on Saturday to end up finishing fifth.
4. Lee Westwood: The word “choke”
is overused in sports, but Lee has been
known to fall apart at the end. Always.
PREDICTION: Westwood, the Brit,
falls apart on Sunday. Again.
3. Tiger Woods: Tiger’s putter has
betrayed him the last decade at the Masters. He has not won here since 2005 and
will continue to frustrate his fans.
PREDICTION: Despite all the critics
blaming karma, Tiger’s putter will be the
true culprit. The 14-time major champion
will not break his Masters cold streak,
falling to third.
2. Angel Cabrera: Angel seemingly
hibernates for 51 weeks of the year, then
wakes up and leads the Masters. He was
put on planet Earth to go into playoffs in
the Masters, where he won in 2009 and
narrowly lost in 2013.
PREDICTION: Angel will shoot –3
and lose in a playoff to...
1. Jason Day: Jason Day admittedly only brings his “A” game to majors,
where the stakes are the highest. He is
overdue to win at Augusta, where he has
contended nearly every year of his young
career.
PREDICTION: Day will calmly
dispatch Cabrera, taking Australia’s win
streak at the Masters to two. He has the
talent to win multiple Masters.
The College
Recruiting Process
M
By David Rubenstein
any athletes at St. X want to pursue
their sport at the next level. They
want to play in college, but how does one
go from being a high school athlete to a
college athlete?
The process begins with developing a
high level of skill in your respected sport.
From there, the recruiting process begins. The first step is thinking about what
types of schools you would be interested
in. Next, you should see where you fit in
athletically. The earlier you start thinking
and learning about this, the better.
Depending on the sport, the recruiting process can start at different times.
In swimming it is not unusual to begin
receiving letters during your sophomore
and junior year, with phone calls coming
after July 1 the summer after your junior
year.
“Getting my first college letter was
such an awesome experience,” said senior
swimmer Jacob Smith, who has committed to swim at the University of Kentucky.
“Although the process was very stressful,
getting recruited was also extremely fun.
I wish I could do it again.”
Knowing where you fit in academically can also help you get closer to your
decision. You should consider what you
want to major in so you can find a school
that offers a good education along with
the athletics. If you have a low GPA, perhaps Harvard is not an appropriate fit academically.
After developing relationships with
coaches through emails and phone calls,
eventually a coach will invite you on either an official or unofficial visit. Every
NCAA Division 1 athlete is allowed five
official visits, normally to be taken during your senior year. During these visits,
everything is free and you get a great idea
about what the school is like by seeing it
first-hand. You spend your time on the official visit with the athletes on the team
and get to meet the coaches. While on
your visit, which can’t last more than 48
hours, you can ask as many questions as
you want and find out if you fit in well
socially.
After your visits, coaches will expect
a decision. There are fall and spring signing periods, but athletes can commit at
any time.
The recruiting process can be both
fun and stressful. To get ahead, you
should start thinking about whether or not
you want to play your sport in college and
research colleges as early as possible.
9
ARTS
March 14, 2014
St. X Players Take Care of Business
By Michael Portaro
E
veryone knows St. X has one of
the best high school drama programs in Louisville. This month, the
Saint Xavier Players are putting on
another great musical, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. This musical, which premiered in
1961, follows the story of the young,
ambitious J. Pierrepont Finch, who,
with the help of the book How to
Succeed in Business Without Really
Trying, rises from window washer to
chairman of the board of the World
Wide Wicket Company. The original
production won several prestigious
awards, including the Pulitzer Prize
for the best play of 1961.
Lead roles include Joseph Glaser as Finch, Kyle Hilbrecht as J.B.
Biggley, Eli Meyer as Bud Frump and
Alex Underwood as Wally Womper.
Students from Assumption, Mercy,
Presentation and Sacred Heart are
also participating in the musical. Live
music for the production will come
from St. X’s student orchestra, led by
Mr. Matt Yarborough. Senior Michael
Hommrich serves as Dance Captain
and choreographed one of the dance
Alex Underwood (Womper), Joseph Glaser (Finch) and
Kyle Hilbrecht (Biggley)
numbers in the show.
The recent snow days greatly impacted play production and set building. During the final weekend before
the show opened, two National Art
Honor Society members and several
Eli Meyer (Fromp), Houston Hart (Twimble) and
Joseph Glaser (Finch)
cast members came in to assist the set
crew in the painting and finishing of
props and sets.
According to vocal coach Mr.
Stephen Smith, people should really enjoy this show; it will be very
fun and light-hearted. “This show is
what everyone expects a musical to
be,” Mr. Smith said. “There are a lot
of fun songs and dancing and jokes.”
He added that students should expect
cameos from some teachers during
the song “Brotherhood of Man.”
The show opened last weekend,
but there will be three more performances. One will be tonight (March
14) at 7:00 p.m. and there will be two
tomorrow at 2:00 and 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $8.00 for students and senior
citizens and $10.00 for adults.
I expect the musical to be very
entertaining and I encourage everyone
to check it out.
Counterclockwise from center: Joseph Glaser, Ben
Otten, Henry Carnes, Alex Willinger, Cameron
Williams, and Michael Hommrich.
Movies You Should See
T
he 86th Oscars were awarded March
2, with 12 Years a Slave winning best
picture. Gravity impressed with a total of
seven Oscars. The Dallas Buyers Club
won three Oscars, which included wins
for best actor Matthew McConaughey and
best supporting actor Jared Leto. Her won
the Oscar for best original screenplay.
Here is a list of Oscar-nominated
movies that St. X students will be likely
to enjoy.
Captain Phillips. This movie did not
win any Oscars but still deserves a watch.
This suspense-filled thriller is based on a
true story, adding to the thrill. Plus it has
Tom Hanks, so it has to be good.
Tom Hanks
Iron Man 3. Iron Man 3 was nominated for an Oscar for best visual effects
but lost out to Gravity. It is a fast-paced
action flick that will keep you on the edge
of your seat the entire time. You will find
yourself rooting for Tony Stark like never
By Corbett Campbell
American Hustle. Although this
movie didn’t win any Oscars it is a must
see. There is finally a movie about New
Jersey powerbrokers and mafia, what we
have all been waiting for. It also has Louis
C.K. and Jennifer Lawrence in it, which
should be incentive enough.
before in this third installment of the Iron
Man series. Besides, who doesn’t love a
good superhero movie?
The Great Gatsby. This movie won
an Oscar for best costume design. Chances are you read The Great Gatsby at St. X,
or at least you will eventually, so of course
you must see this one. This whimsical tale
captures the wild life of Jay Gatsby as
he seeks the love of a girl named Daisy,
while he deals in corruption.
The Hobbit: the Desolation of
Smaug. Even if you don’t think the Hobbit’s fantasy genre is up your alley, you
can’t deny that this is a solid movie, even
though it lost in the Oscar running for
best visual effects. If you are looking for
a classic adventure-driven plot, this is the
movie for you.
The Great Gatsby
Gravity. I didn’t think they could set
a movie entirely in outer space and keep
it interesting, but they did. Gravity impressed the Oscars with a wide variety of
wins. It is an incredible feat of visual effects that makes for a beautiful movie.
10
STUDENT LIFE
March 14, 2014
Kentucky Kingdom Returns! Financial Independence
By Austin Cundiff
K
entucky Kingdom is making a return. Ed Hart, the owner from 1990
to 1997, the park’s most successful years,
repurchased the park in late 2012. Hopefully, through Hart’s leadership, the park
and the state will see increased tourism
and business from the return of our local
amusement park. Kentucky Kingdom is
scheduled to reopen this May.
Along with the
reopening, Kentucky
Kingdom is coming back with many
new rides and installments. The most noticeable installation
being built is the steel
roller coaster, the
Lightning Run; stretching to 100 feet with
an 80-degree vertical drop, this is sure to
be a roller coaster to remember.
The other important change is the
doubling of size of the water park, which
is adding a Speed Slide and Wikiwiki Wai
Slide Complex. The Speed Slide complex
will be composed of two body slides, one
with a 121-foot drop and the other with
a 66-foot drop. The Wikiwiki Wai Slide
Complex will feature three raft slides.
Other notable additions to the park
are Fearfall, a 130-foot drop tower ride, a
5D Cinema and a new Bumper Cars ride.
With this restored and welcomed addition to our city also come more jobs. In
early January, the company hosted a job
fair, seeking to fill 1,000 seasonal job positions. They received over 7,000 applications. A likely reason for such an overwhelming response is that Hart released
a statement saying that summer workers
would be paid $8.50 to $10 an hour. Nevertheless, do not be
disheartened if you
are still looking for
a fun summer job;
Kentucky Kingdom
will reopen for applications in the near future, as they are currently going through
the applications already sent to them.
The cost for a season pass will be
$59.95 and general admission is $44.95
for adults and $34.95 for children, with
$8 parking. Hart’s company, Themeparks
LLC, had planned to invest $120 million
in the park: $50 million for opening the
park and $70 million for gradual investment.
Kentucky Kingdom has had a long
history here, since the late 1980s, and
its return is sure to incite nostalgia in the
people of Louisville, and the surrounding
area. This summer is going to be great.
Wooden vs.
Mechanical Pencils
A
By Lucas Baker
li vs. Frazier. Nike vs. Adidas. Tupac
vs. Biggie. St. X vs. Trinity. Sleep
vs. homework. There have been countless
great rivalries throughout human history;
however, none have been greater than the
most debated rivalry of all time: wooden
pencils vs. mechanical pencils.
Whether for math, science or standardized testing, every St. X student will
inevitably be required to arm himself with
a pencil in preparation for battle. Nevertheless, it is not as simple as it may sound.
Each student will be forced to face the
ultimate challenge of choosing nature or
machine. Fear not: With the assistance
of a few upperclassmen and experienced
teachers, I am here to help you make this
crucial decision.
Since the beginning of the industrial
age, humans have held the wooden pencil close to their hearts. Great men have
always trusted this dependable, simple
piece of wood encapsulating sturdy
graphite. Many fans of the wooden pencil love everything about the intellectual
instrument, from the classic hexagonal
shape to the efficient pink eraser.
“I just love the musk of a freshly
sharpened wooden pencil,” said junior
Liam Friel. “So classic, so choice. You
just can’t beat it.”
Agreeing, junior Joseph Glaser said,
“Well, I’m a traditionalist, so there really
is no other choice. It gets the job done, and
with the convenience of pencil sharpeners
in every classroom, it’s like you have infinite lead. Who can turn that down?”
Known as a loyal expounder of a specific wooden pencil, English teacher and
ACT/SAT coach Mr. Jed Hilbert has no
use for its counterpart. “Wooden pencils
are by far superior to mechanical,” Mr.
Hilbert declares, “And when I say wooden pencils, I mean, of course, the Mirado
Black Warrior. It instills confidence that a
cheap, plastic, mechanical pencil cannot
reproduce. It’s a warrior!”
In the other corner sits the modern
and technologically advanced mechanical pencil. With a constant supply of fresh
lead being pumped through a complex
spring system, the mechanical pencil ensures one will be prepared when emergency strikes.
Senior Duffy Baker switched to
mechanical pencils for several reasons.
“I used to always get stabbed in the leg
when I would put my wooden pencils in
my pocket,” said Baker. “However, when
my friend let me borrow his mechanical
pencil one day, I was amazed at the incredible retractability function of the lead.
I haven’t used a wooden pencil since.”
Junior Ben Gornet has his own history with the mechanical pencil. “People
always complain about the thin lead in
mechanical pencils,” he said, “but I know
the secret to durable lead: 0.9mm lead.
Once you find a mechanical pencil with
this type of lead, your life will be smooth
sailing.”
With strong opinions on both sides,
you really can’t go wrong. As long as
you follow the above advice, you will
ultimately find more confidence and success in each math problem, SAT bubble
or doodle. Once you build confidence in
your abilities, you can always take the ultimate jump into ink, as English teacher
Mr. Aaron Abell did, boldly.
“Pencils!” Mr. Abell said, incredulously, “What is this, 1850?!”
By Seiler Smith
P
arty hard, spend more and work less.
Our culture is continually telling us
to be crazier, live in the moment, do what
you love and be happy. It says nothing
about working a job, earning money or
saving for your future. So where do we
get our spending money? For many guys
in this school, it comes out of our parents’
wallets.
Since many of us are involved in
extra-curricular activities, it is nearly impossible to hold down a job during the
school year, but that should not stop us
from learning how to properly manage
our finances. If our parents are willing to
give us money every weekend for whatever reason, then that is their right, but it
is not helping us learn what the true value
of a dollar is or how to manage finances.
What will happen when that cash flow
gets severed? If all we have to do in our
four years here is ask for more money and
receive it, college will be a rude, violent
revelation.
Even if your parents are financing
your life and lifestyle, you can still learn
the value of a dollar. If a job is not an option for you right now, then ask your parents for an allowance. They may require
you to do some chores, but that is no different than a job, and you probably will
be making more than $7.25 an hour. The
allowance will provide you with money
and force you to be responsible with your
spending choices. You cannot spend your
whole allowance on Friday and then ask
your parents for more on Saturday.
Another thing you could do is try
to make money with side jobs. Yes,
they almost always deal with hard labor
(shoveling snow, cutting grass, cleaning
cars, etc.), but they do make you a good
amount of money if you are willing to put
in the work. When your parents see the
hard work that you are putting into trying
to make money, they will be more likely
to help you out every now and then. You
will get the best of both worlds.
We, as teens, are always talking about
how we want more independence. The
easiest way to gain independence is to be
financially independent. Even if you do
not have a job, a good first step in that direction is getting your own bank account.
Most parents will allow their children to
have their own bank account, even if it is
a joint account connected to their own. It
will allow you a better place to save your
money than a change jar or underneath a
mattress.
College is not far away, even for
freshmen. If you are going to have to
pay your own bills in college, then you
should figure out what, per month, you
will be paying. For example, every month
I pay $90 for car insurance, $50–$80 for
gas, $10 for my phone bill (I do not have
a smart phone, which is roughly $60 a
month) and around $100 in spending
money, be it food, clothes, gifts or anything else. I make around $600 a month
right now, so if I spend a lot in a month,
say $280, then I am still saving $320.
Knowing how much you will be spending in college helps you know what kind
of job you need to find and the hours you
will need, and it will help eliminate any
“surprises” in your finances your freshman year.
Money is important, and our general
ignorance on the subject of personal finances should be changed. I believe that
at least one business class should be mandatory at St. X. It would be immensely
beneficial to many students, and for those
who already know how to deal with their
money, it would be an easy “A,” which
also is great for any student.
Spring Break 2014
By John-Logan Bisig
S
pring Break. It’s only two words, but
it means a whole lot more than that
to many teenagers in America right now.
Some will stay home, some will travel
with their sports teams, some will travel
with family or friends. But everyone is
looking forward to some fun before the
final few weeks of school
For those planning to travel, a popular spot is Seaside, Florida. “My main job
as a teenager is being an athlete on the
St. X swim team,” says sophomore John
Cromer. “But once a year I take a week
off from my hard work in order to rekindle the flame in my heart that is Seaside.”
Another popular Spring Break destination is Destin, Florida. According to
junior Lowell Brown, “I get that feeling
there that I get when my crush replies on
Snapchat.”
A favorite place among seniors is
Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.
Some cities in Arizona, like Scottsdale,
are also great destinations.
Staying at home on Spring Break can
be just as fun as going somewhere out of
town. Sophomore Clay Corley says, “I
usually invite some bros over and play
Mario Kart Double Dash races on my
Game Cube. It’s always lots of fun until
one of my friends loses his grip on Yoshi
Runway and my mom has to ask him to
leave.”
A lot of guys who stay home during
Spring Break just get together with other
friends to hang out and have some fun.
If you want to go out somewhere with
friends, you could try the new indoor
trampoline place called Sky Zone, which
has great reviews.
You can go on a retreat at the Abbey
of Gethsemani with some buddies to get
closer to your spiritual side. You can always catch up on your sleep and get ready
for the final quarter of school. There are
also many great movies in theaters now;
you can see one of the films that won or
was nominated for an Oscar.
There are many options, whether you
are staying town or leaving. It is mainly
about having a great time with friends and
family.
11
ON CAMPUS
March 14, 2014
Aviation Club Takes Flight
D
By Clay Hoehler
o you have an interest in aviation? If
so, this is the club for you. As moderator Mr. Charles Moore said, “This club
is for people who are interested in flying
and things that fly.”
The Aviation Club was started this
year by junior Thomas (T.O.) Eifler and
Mr. Moore. Eifler is one of the few students at St. X who has a pilot’s license,
and Mr. Moore was a 20-year Navy aviator, so naturally these two would start
such a club.
During their meetings, the club has
presentations about different aspects of
aviation, guest speakers and flight simulators. A plan is in the making to visit the
UPS terminal at Standiford Field with a
tour led by Captain Rob Powers, a former
Navy pilot and current UPS pilot. Captain Powers also recently presented to the
group about his career as a Navy and UPS
pilot.
The club holds a meeting every other
Tuesday in room 136. The Tiger Aviators
are always open to new members and suggestions for future events.
New eBooks in
the Media Center
MySchool Dining
The Flik Menu App
By Steven Penava
H
ave you ever wondered what we’re having for lunch each day, any
given day of the week?
With the recent initiative
of school-wide iPads and
other devices, this question
has never been easier to answer. A newly-released app
that is being used by Flik,
MySchool Dining, is a very
easy-to-use tool to access
lunch menus for each day
of the week, several days in
advance.
In order to utilize this
app, navigate to the App
Store. Type “myschool dining” and select “iPhone
only” in the navigation bar
(this app was originally developed for the iPhone, but
it also works well on iPads;
iOS 7 is recommended). If
you’re using an Android
phone or tablet, search for
the same title in the Google Play store.
Once downloaded, simply open the app and enter “Saint Xavier” in the search box.
Select the first result and navigate through the days with the buttons on the bottom of
the screen. You are then able to scroll through all the items in each line, including the
Soup of the Day.
Menus are posted days and sometimes weeks in advance, so you can decide what
you want for lunch while you’re in homeroom that morning, or even the night before.
Then, when you get to the lunchroom, you can go straight to the line of your choice
without wasting time to see what a given line is serving on a particular day.
I find this app to be extremely useful. It makes it much easier to decide what I’m
going to eat for lunch so I can arrive at the lunch room and start eating much faster.
These are just a few of the new eBooks that can be accessed with no cost
to St. X students and faculty:
• Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
(fantasy)
• The Cold, Cold Ground by Adrian McKinty (forensic novel)
• I Hear Sirens by Adrian McKinty (forensic novel)
• See No Evil by Anne Schraff (forensic novel)
• Caleb’s Wars by David L. Dudley (historical fiction)
• The Nazi Hunters by Neal Bascomb (historical fiction)
• Prisoner B-3087 by Alan Gratz (historical fiction)
• Shadow of Doubt by Norah McClintoch (mystery)
• Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup (nonfiction)
• Bronxwood by Coe Booth (realistic fiction and sequel to Tyrell)
• Endangered by Eliot Schrefer (realistic fiction)
he final
• Guitar Notes by Mary Amato (realistic fiction)
weeks of school
• Quarantine #1: The Loners by Lex Thomas (realistic, survival fiction)
are
closing
in fast. For seniors,
• Trapped by Michael Northup (realistic, survival fiction)
the
struggle
to stay focused has been real
• Vietnam Series by Chris Lynch (realistic fiction)
ever since stepping through the doors of
• Crackback by John Coy (sports fiction)
Avoi
By Cameron Fry
ding
Seni
T
or S
lide
HOW TO CHECK OUT AN eBOOK
Check out an eBook by following these simple steps for students (the faculty has already been sent their usernames and passwords):
Student User name: your last name and then the first two initials of your
first name, followed by the graduation year. (Example: John Smith, whose student number is 09123 and graduating in 2017, would be smithjo17) It is NOT
case sensitive.
Student Password: first three letters of last name followed by the last three
digits of your student number (Smi123). This time, it is case sensitive and the
first initial is capitalized.
• go to the Edline page (if you do not have an Edline page type http://
stxavierfac.follettdestiny.com in your browser)
• click or tap on library resources (underneath left-hand photo in Edline)
• click or tap on Library Database (Destiny)
• click or tap on Saint Xavier High School
• click or tap on login in the upper right hand corner
• type in your user name and password (use the instructions above)
• click or tap on Follet Shelf on the left hand side
• tap on eBook you would like to check out (books with a green tab and
infinity mark are unlimited copies, all other books are single copies)
• click or tap on open
• click or tap on blue checkout bar (current checkout is for 5 days)
To see Follett eBooks you have checked out, click or tap on the “book bag”
icon at the top of the page. You can return your book early from your “book
bag” by clicking on the blue arrow button below the eBook photo.
St. X back in August.
Now that several seniors have been
accepted to their dream colleges, they are
all asking each other the same question:
What’s the point in even trying for the rest
of the year?
First off, let’s identify the issue that
is known as the “senior slide” or “senioritis”: the complete lack of motivation to do
anything academically with the knowledge that you will be done with high
school in just a few months.
“The senior slide is too real,” confirms senior Robert Jarrett.
If you’ve been accepted to your desired college, there is an even higher
chance of being infected with senioritis.
This isn’t necessarily exclusive to seniors
though; some freshmen can be diagnosed
with this mindset from the day they walk
in for orientation.
It’s important to know that colleges
do still care about your grades. St. X
will send your transcripts throughout the
year and colleges will continue to look at
them. While you might be getting by with
B’s and C’s, it’s important to keep up with
your efforts on homework, tests, quizzes,
etc. to ensure that those grades don’t fall
to D’s and F’s.
“Uhhhh…
wait. What?” said
senior Cedric Miller, voicing his
concern that colleges will, in fact, keep
up with his scholastic efforts.
Check your Edline and stay on top
of things. It’s not as bad as it sounds. So
what else can help you stay active in the
St. X community? Do something you
haven’t done before. You could go watch
the tennis team play, join one of our several clubs, get involved in the many service activities, go to prom, or try introducing yourself to new people. There are
a lot of guys at St. X, and there’s a good
chance you haven’t met everyone in your
class.
Most importantly, make your last few
weeks of high school count. If you’ve
made it to your senior year, the last three
years of your life have been filled with
hard work, sleepless nights, determination and stress. Do you really want all of
that to be concluded with a lazy attitude?
Don’t shrug off the last classes you
will share with your friends and teachers;
make them memorable. Don’t become
a victim of senior slide’s harmful grasp.
Finish out the year strong and enjoy the
last summer you’ll have with all of your
brothers from the past four years.
12
ON CAMPUS
March 14, 2014
A Wave of Color in the Halls
By Gus Young
T
he blandly monochromatic sea of khaki that once flooded the hallways of St. X has seen a recent revitalization of color. Perhaps inspired by
recent renovations that have added color to the school hallways themselves, some students are ditching the traditional khaki trousers, instead
opting for more vibrant options than the historically similar colors worn by students.
Several students have been spotted wearing yellow trousers with green sweaters (or vice versa), using the new color options to reflect their
school spirit. Many students opt for the colorful pants to avoid the long-popular tan khakis, but others contend that the colored, cotton fabrics tend
to be more comfortable than polyester khakis.
The trend toward more colorful trousers was noted in a 2012 National Public Radio show, in which the fashion director of Esquire magazine noted that some businessmen were turning to brighter, preppy colors to avoid the “monotony of the work suit.” He also referred to the
trend toward more colorful clothes as “a new kind of confidence that was kind of a peacock-ish embracing of color.” But he also noted that
the wearing of “look-at-me” clothing was already starting to recede.
Whatever the reason, the halls of St. X have become more colorful, as some students opt for different choices when choosing what they’ll wear.
St. X Water Fountains
A Spouting Good Time
T
By Evan Shaheen
hey are marvels of plumbing so necessary to our school day that without them, we wonder, “How could I go on without them?” A
sparkling oasis of hydration so plentiful it makes even the most used water bottles turn and run in fear. They are the Saint Xavier
High School water fountains. At Xavier News, we understand the necessity of the water fountain; therefore, we tested every fountain in
the school and gave each one a ranking so you can be an informed consumer. (Note: the maintenance staff are doing their best to keep
every fountain working perfectly, but some have parts that are no longer made, so those fountains are being systematically replaced.)
18. Wrestling Locker Room water
fountain: The worst. All the buttons
are missing and it does not work.
17. Second floor across from
Flaget Hall: This fountain had inconsistent water flow, and is not always
cold. Good for lefties (only the buttons on the left work).
16. Hoeck Building, first floor:
While this fountain is in a seemingly
convenient location, it has produced
consistently warm water. If you are
looking for good water pressure, however, this is the fountain for you.
15. IMC: The IMC fountain was
great back in 2012; however, after its
replacement fountain was installed,
students and teachers saw a rapid rise
in the water fountain’s temperature.
14. Art Room: This fountain has
decent temperature and pressure, but
not enough of these qualities to impress us.
13. Second floor main hallway
next to the “T” entrance: These fountains have had varying temperatures
all year. Their location is convenient,
but water pressure and temperature
seem to be ongoing issues.
12. First floor “T” across from
Flaget Hall: Not much better than its
The best water fountains at St. X!
second-floor counterpart. Bad temperature and poor buttons as well.
11. Main academic building, first
floor between lobby doors and Student Services: Very inconsistent temperature, but great pressure and water
flow earned it significant points.
10. Cafeteria hallway: Can be
cold but usually not. People typically
congregate here, so you may have to
fight your way through a crowd.
9. Weight Room: A unique fountain. When there isn’t a lot of traffic
in the weight room, the water can be
high quality, but it loses its high quality when it is being used a lot.
8. Pool area: Bad location during
school and inconsistent water temperature. Its unique button system allowed it to move higher in our list.
7. Driscoll Building outside auditorium: The newest fountain in the
school, put in with funds from SAC.
A great addition; but, as senior Eric
Anderson noted, “It is too low to the
ground.”
6. Hoeck Building, second floor:
Poor button use but decent tempera-
ture. It’s also in a great location, right
off of the main building.
5. P.E. Locker Room: While this
fountain has been inconsistent in the
temperature category recently, it has
shown that it is in it for the long haul,
providing cold water for many years.
4. Wills Center: Some of the newest fountains in the school, they provide consistently good water, but the
time it takes for the water to cool as
well as a deteriorating spout hurt this
fountain in the standings.
3. Next to room 200: This fountain has made it through tough times
with the new renovation; however, it
has shown solid temperature and water pressure.
2. Hallway behind the Band
Room: While this fountain started out
the year with very poor water pressure, that problem has been fixed, and
this is undoubtedly the coldest water
in the school. It would have been rated first except for its somewhat hidden location,.
1. First-floor hallway across from
103: Combining perfect water pressure with satisfying, ice-cold temperatures, the Xavier News team rates
this fountain as the best.