Volume LXXXI – Issue IV - Mount Saint Joseph High School

The Quill
The Student Newspaper of Mount Saint Joseph High School - Volume LXXXI - Issue IV - March 2012
No Bystanders
Paul Stromberg
Quill Contributer
It is never too late to join
a club. Have you ever thought
of joining No Bystanders? If so,
now is the time; there are many
exciting activities in the works
for the last few months of school.
These invents may include the
group “Invisible Children” coming
to speak at St. Joe, participating
in the “Walk Against Hate” on
May 20, in Philadelphia, and also
more training sessions available
for MSJ students in the future.
But before you join the club
and are able to participate in
these activities, you must first
understand what a bystander is,
and I’m here to tell you that.
A Bystander is a person
who doesn’t use their power,
which is to speak up and stand by
a victim. By being a Bystander
you do not help the situation at
all; in fact, you are making it
worse. Once the Bystander stands
up for the victim and against
the perpetrator, the Bystander
becomes known as an ally, a
person who acts for justice. A
phrase I use is “Bystanders have
the power”, but they only have
the power when they stick up
for justice. If they don’t, the
Bystander becomes just as bad as
the perpetrator.
So now that you know what
a bystander is, use the power that
you have, which is your words,
to stand up for the victim. When
you’re in school, don’t just walk
by a situation where you know
that you can speak up and stop
the injustices that are happening
many times each day. So next
Monday when you are walking
around school up to no good, stop
in the Group Presentation room
at 2:30 p.m. to join Mr. Shearer
and the No Bystanders to help
stop the injustices of the school
community and of the nation.
Photos courtesy of MSJ mom
Ernestine Bridges
Photos taken at MSJ’s annual Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration
page 2
Senioritis
How Do You Want to Leave St. Joe?
Steward Beckham
Quill Editor-in-Chief
We have all heard about the
seasonal state of dysfunction known as
“senioritis”. After college acceptance
letters come in the mail, most seniors
feel a breath of relief, like a new day is
beginning. Yet, we forget that teachers
are still assigning homework and grades
are still being recorded. As we’ve been
going through high school, most of us
are told that we need to do well so we
can get into and enroll in college. So
for four years that is the plan. However,
what about after college has accepted
you? Then what?
That is where senioritis is at
its strongest. You hear a lot of kids say,
“I’ve had senioritis since freshman
year!” Well, this may be true. But the
overall need and want to go to college
suppresses some of those feelings and
allows some people to squeeze out at
least an ounce of effort. But, as a senior,
in the latter half of my last year, that
ounce is few and far between.
A couple years ago, Time maga-
zine wrote an article about combating
senioritis. In the article they stated that
“Early symptoms of the disease—lethargy, lack of focus, difficulty making
decisions---often appear in the fall.
By spring the average, healthy high
school senior may have completely
succumbed.” Succumbed to what? You
guessed it, senioritis. The article continues to state how “the second semester of
the last year of high school is a kind of
waiting room for the next stage of life.”
I couldn’t have said it better. Many questions are rising during
this period of time like, “Why do this
assignment?” or “What’s the point of
this test?” This critical analysis into the
meaning of school has made many put
more effort into discovering an institution’s meaning than actually functioning
inside the classroom. I can’t blame us,
though; after all college has been romanticized and seen as the promise land for
many of my contemporaries. After four
years of a healthy and disciplined high
school life, college is seen as a place to
experience different sides of life and not
hear our parents’ opinions.
The feeling of a second semester senior can be compared to that of an
excited kid waiting in line to ride the
new attraction at a theme park. We all
know that excited feeling, the feeling of
being so close yet still so far away. If
you understand that emotion, than you
can somewhat relate to seniors. Fellow
senior and honors student Bruce Clauser
discussed his concerns about senioritis.
“I still get the homework
done…it’s just harder to be motivated to
do it when I get home,” Clauser stated.
This is not just the case with
Bruce; many seniors are suffering from
this lack of motivation and are searching
for a reason to go on. So what is the solution? Right now, the only advice is to
not fall too far down the rabbit hole. It’s
easier to fail than to pass, and it’s definitely easier to do the dangerous action
over the responsible one. Seniors need to
remember that our journey through Saint
Joe is ending quickly; it’s just a matter
of how we want it to end.
What is Spring Fever?
The Scientific Reasoning Behind a Common Confliction
Adam Kellermann
backgrounds including
dermatologists,
anthropologists,
and many scientists
everywhere have tried
to explain the true
definition of spring
fever; however, the true
definition may never be
discovered but what I
do know is that spring
fever means spring is
right around the corner.
Quill Staff Writer
With spring right around the
corner high school students everywhere
are starting to feel the affects of spring
fever. Spring fever as defined by the
New Oxford American dictionary is “a
feeling of restlessness and excitement
felt at the beginning of spring.” To me
spring fever simply means the urge to
get out.
Usually spring fever is just the
feeling and urge to get outside after the
long weekend; however, after a rather
unusual winter without a single snowday, the affects are not as significant.
During the winter the body secretes a
very large amount of melatonin.
Melatonin is a hormone that
determines and governs sleep-wake
cycles. When the spring comes around
there is an increasing amount of
daylight and there is a tissue in the eye
that signals the brain to stop producing
so much of the melatonin hormone.
One of the most common of
all affects of spring fever is a greater
wakefulness as a direct result of the
drop off in melatonin level. Serotonin is
another chemical produced by the body
that serves as a neurotransmitter that is
mood-elevating. A major characteristic
of spring fever is energy boosts and
enthusiasm.
There is absolutely no doubt
that the body’s internal chemistry
changes and differs greatly with the
change in seasons. Spring is a season of
a formal farewell to the flu, which peaks
in winter.
Many experts from all different types of
page 3
Caught on Camera
The Price of Driving Fast in Maryland
Steward Beckham
Quill Editor-In-Chief
While I drove to work on Saturday morning, I saw a speed limit sign.
This was no ordinary speed limit sign,
though; it had something that read “Photo
Enforced” above it. This is not only
apparent in one area; even here locally
on Frederick Avenue there are cameras
monitoring how hard we press on the gas.
According to the Baltimore Sun, Maryland is now the number one “Speed Trap”
state.
“Maryland is also one of the few
states with speed cameras on interstate
highways- seven camera vehicles rotating
among 10 locations,” says Jay Hancock
in an article written for the Baltimore
Sun. For the fiscal year that ended last
year on June 30, Maryland speed cameras
generated $77 million, twice as much as
the state collected in alcohol taxes. In
my household, the letter from the state
government is not very uncommon. When
being caught by a speed camera, a notice
about the fee comes in the mail. In the
notice is a picture of your car and license
plate along with the fee, the date due, and
the date one was caught.
fic regulations we do.
Usually after reading this letter
you hear “They got me!” or “Another
one…on the same
road.” Recently a
website known as
stopbigbrothermd.
org has been making efforts to cut
down on spending
and action to place
more cameras.
Recently reported
on the website
is that delegate
Frank Conaway,
a democrat from
Baltimore City,
sponsored two
bills that want to
exempt “emergency vehicles”
from the speed cameras. However, in the
bill there is no distinction between if the
officer has to be on call or off duty. This
would cause some controversy on whether
off-duty cops should follow the same traf-
Conaway also sponsored legislation that would enforce a new type of
camera regulation,
one which could
issue a $500 fine
for large commercial vehicles.
As you can see,
the topic of speed
cameras is a hot
one in Maryland
politics. According
to the Washington
Post, Maryland
was down 10%
in 2010, which
is the latest year
they had stats for.
There is definitely
a difference in the
level of driving
skill Maryland drivers have compared to
other states.
When I am visited by my cousins
from other states varying from Michigan
to Illinois, the amount of procedures they
had to go through are far less than what
I did to get my license. To obtain my
provisional license I had to go through
driving school, get 6 hours with a professional driving instructor on the road, have
60 hours of driving with my parents in the
car, and a 9-month waiting period after
receiving my permit. Sounds complicated,
doesn’t it? It feels even worse when you
finished your first couple hours of driving
and still have 58 hours to go.
Yes, Maryland state government
is very aggressive about monitoring their
drivers’ speed and punishing the ones who
drive over the limit. Yes, it might take a
couple of $40 fines to realize school zones
are notorious for having cameras set up.
Yes, chances are if you or somebody you
know has a license, the odds are they will
get caught. The best way to avoid such
grievances is to stay knowledgeable about
the speeds you’re driving at, and don’t
drive city or town streets like they’re I-95.
Building the Perfect Prom Date
Is your date perfect?
Jordan Taylor
Quill
Staff Writer
Prom is right around the
corner and we here at The Quill
want to make sure you’re prepared.
You want your prom to be as
memorable as possible and for that
there is one essential thing you
need, a prom date. But you don’t
want just any old date; you want
the perfect date. What are the
criteria for the perfect prom date?
Is your date perfect? Guess you’ll
just have read on to find out.
First off, your date has
to be easygoing. No matter how
badly you want everything to go
perfectly, it’s impossible. You
might run late picking her up,
someone might step on her shoe
while you’re dancing, or she might
even get punch spilled on her. No
matter how hard it is, the perfect
prom date will look on the bright
side. She’ll stay positive and try
not to let one or two bad moments
ruin your special night.
Your date must be friendly.
It’s your prom, so of course you’re
going to be there with friends and
classmates. A date that can interact
with your friends and their dates
all night is definitely a good one.
You don’t want to feel like you
have to juggle your friends and
your date all night; there should be
an equal balance.
She must be unselfish. It’s
your prom, not hers; she’s got to
be willing to put your needs and
what you want to do over her own
personal preferences. Maybe that
means dancing to one more song or
maybe that means sitting a couple
songs out; whatever it is, she’s
there for you. This leads me to my
next point.
If she’s your prom date
she has to be there for you. Not
to say that the two of you have
to be conjoined, but you should
primarily spend your time with
each other. If she’s your date
there’s no reason for her to be
dancing with Joe from Homeroom
21 all night. If the last time you
saw her was when you walked into
prom, you probably could’ve made
a better choice.
The final
criterion
for the
perfect
date is
that she
must be
beautiful.
Your
prom date
has to be
beautiful,
whatever that means to you.
It shouldn’t matter what your
classmates think as long as you
know she’s beautiful. That beauty
may be physical or mental, but it
has to be there.
So how does your date
stack up? If she fits these criteria
you’ll more than likely have a
great time at prom. If not, you
should get on finding someone
who does. Good luck.
page 4
A Shoe, or an Obession?
Has the recent anticipation over shoes become too overwhelming?
The Quill Staff 2011-2012
Justice Gray
Quill Staff Writer
Jordans, Nikes, Adidas: a typical
sneaker for some, and an obsession for
others. The term “sneakerhead” can be
used to describe those with an “obsession”
for these shoes, or just a fetish for
collecting them. Recently, however, the
hype surrounding shoes such as the Jordan
Concords and Nike Galaxy Dopes has
taken this obsession to a whole new level.
With their limited quantity and appealing
style to buyers, they have made more
chaos than one could ever imagine. Lines
extending hundreds of feet outside of shoe
stores in malls, trending topics on Twitter,
and news clips informing viewers about
the popularity of these shoes have taken
the public eye. Consumers have been
injured, or even in some cases killed, just
to purchase these shoes.
People have said that the release
of the Jordan Concords far surpasses the
amount of hype surrounding the release
of Apple’s iPhone. The night of the
shoes’ release, rumors even circulated
that a delivery truck containing the shoes
was robbed at gunpoint. All shoe stores’
websites crashed due to heavy traffic
caused by shoe fanatics hoping to purchase
the shoe online and avoid the rush in
stores.
During the release of the Galaxy
Foamposities by Nike, the hype was
not escalated to the level of the Jordan
Concords due to their limited supply.
However, mobs still rushed to get their
hands on the shoe and some even camped
out for days. At the P.G. County House of
Hoops, customers camped out even in the
rain in tents outside of the store.
Are these shoes really worth the
effort and the risk? “I would only even
attempt to buy these shoes if they came
with life insurance. The risk and time
spent trying to get them far outweigh the
reward,” said Junior Matthew Johnson.
Some have made a profit, with
one consumer buying two pairs and selling
one. Bids on Ebay even go as high as
$25,000 for the Galaxy Foamposites. So
you choose; wait hours in line disregarding
possible injury trying to purchase these
shoes, or grab yourself another fashionable
shoe with a far lower risk factor.
Editor-in-Chief:
Steward Beckham
Staff Writers:
Michael Bodley, Justice Gray, Adam Kellermann, Alex Merritt,
Randy Price, Jordan Taylor
Production Staff:
Steward Beckham, Justice Gray, Alex Merritt, Paul Stromberg,
Jordan Taylor
Moderators:
Ms. Richmond, Mr. Bieniek
The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy Review
Another one of Tim Burton’s Masterpiece’s
Alex Merritt
Quill Staff Writer
Without a doubt, many of those
reading this article have in some point of
their life heard of or at least seen a film by
famed director Tim Burton. His signature
style, which mixes the ordinary with
extraordinary and brings the humorously
tragic to the forefront of his films, has left
an indelible mark on American culture in
films, such as Edward Scissorhands and
The Nightmare Before Christmas. I’m a
self-confessed fan of his talent of bizarrely
creating bizarre films and in order to fill
the void between now and the release of
his next film Dark Shadows, I learned that
not only is he an acclaimed filmmaker, but
he is also an author as well. I discovered
a little known book of poetry entitled The
Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy & Other
Stories, a wonderfully macabre book of
poems chronicling the sordid lives of
outrageously deformed children.
Written in 1994, the collection
has long been hard to find in mainstream
bookstores and has just now received
a second printing, a move made to
commemorate the fantastic exhibit devoted
to Burton at the Museum of Modern
Art in Manhattan. The book consists of
many poems and drawings by Burton
himself in which he lets his freak flag
fly in full regalia. We are introduced to
such characters as Oyster Boy, the title
character; Robot Boy, the product of
a housewife’s “unholy alliance with a
kitchen appliance,” and the Pin Cushion
Queen whose pins “push through her
spleen,” among others. Each poem is
devoted to an individual tragic yet oddly
humorous child, and are filled with sly
jokes and witty puns. An illustration on
each page accompanies every tale and has
the undeniable rough charm of Burton’s
hand-drawn sketches. Though short in
length, this is a collection which deserves
to be read over and over again as the
unique charm of every poem fails to ever
wear off and the sketches provided are just
as luridly appealing as any one of his films.
Though not especially gifted in
sophisticated prose, Burton is able to grab
the reader in a way which won’t let go until
the collection has been scoured from front
to back. My personal favorite characters
are “Sue, the girl who sniffs glue,” and
“The Boy With Nails in His Eyes,” who
struggles to decorate his Christmas tree
because due to his grisly impairment, is
unable to pull off holiday cheer without
it looking rather strange. Though not for
everyone, the reader with an appetite for
the creative or bizarre or fans of Burton’s
films will find heaps of entertainment and
an example of the author’s signature work
in The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy &
Other Stories.
page 5
Red Tails
Historically Accurate?
Bruce Clauser
Quill Contributor
Red Tails is the new film by
world-renowned, billionaire filmmaker
and entrepreneur, Ernest Hemingway. It
tells the story of Native American fighter
pilots in WWI, and has been praised by
critics for its historical accuracy, memorable characters and moving dramatic
realism. So far it has smashed worldwide
box office records even sailing past James
Cameron’s Avatar and is generally loved
by movie goers and critics alike. How’s
that for an intro? What? You say everything about this intro wrong? Well, that
makes sense considering that everything
in and about the movie was wrong as
well.
This much can be said of producer George Lucas’ long awaited, pet project: It avoids the aggravating Hollywood
strategy of telling an African American
story by way of a mass-marketable white
protagonist, a la the Civil War drama
Glory. It’s actually about the people in the
movie. Despite a worthy fact-based story
and obvious good intentions, Red Tails
suffers from one-dimensional characters,
corny dialogue, and heaps of clichés. The
focus is on a fictional group of men stationed at Ramitelli Airfield. Hard-drinking
squadron leader Marty “Easy” Julian (Nate
Parker) is the by-the-book contrast to his
best friend, the Jedi whiz of the bunch,
Joe “Lightning” Little (David Oyelowo).
Coffee, the chief mechanic, is played by
Andre Royo, one of several supporting
players who worked with director Anthony
Hemingway on The Wire, with Lucas
himself only directing the reshoots. The
two best-known members of the cast are
saddled with cardboard characters. Cuba
Gooding, Jr. plays the calm, pipe-smoking
major who oversees day-to-day operations
at the squadron’s Italian air base. Terrence
Howard is even more one-dimensional as
the colonel who battles for respect and recognition with the top Army brass, some of
whom cannot disguise their racist attitudes.
His part consists almost exclusively of
speeches, rather than dialogue.
written with the intensity of a dramatic
monologue from a TV sitcom. It comes
forced and out of place for a movie about
Tuskegee Airmen. I do not want to criticize
the acting too much in the movie because
the actors are putting in effort to bring out
the best in the characters, but not even Sir
Laurence Oliver could read these lines. The
dialogue is almost as cheesy as the Star
Wars prequels, but that is another matter
entirely. On the opposite end, if you like
action in movies, the action is pretty interesting. The flying sequences are, though
relying too heavily on computer technology and musical enforcement. The CGI
effects are made well, go along with the
story, and portray how dangerous dogfights
are. But that’s about it. The action is the
only driving factor of the movie. To me a
movie should be about the characters and
the story. The action should be included
when it is necessary. While the action was
necessary, the characters and plot fall short
when trying to interest the audience.
That’s another issue; the dialogue.
The writing scenes are written to try and
humanize the characters. I see the idea in
trying to humanize these men to connect with the audience, but the scenes are
In general, Red Tails is filled with
bizarre decisions that lead back to director
Anthony Hemingway. A number of scenes
are abandoned before they are fully baked,
and the audience rarely sees a character’s
reaction to a particularly difficult situation.
On the flip side, several scenes, in a movie
that exceeds two hours, are entirely out of
place, and serve only to set up events that
don’t offer much payoff down the line.
Even with training from Yoda, the producer
could not lift this movie from the swamp
it is in right now. If I had to recommend a
better story about the Tuskegee Airmen,
I would recommend the HBO original
film, The Tuskegee Airmen; that film’s
ability to balance heavy thematic material
and entertaining moments makes it a far
superior retelling of the famous Tuskegee
332nd Fighter Group. Or for a better fighter
pilot movie in general, I recommend Top
Gun. If George Lucas was writing a book
and titled it, What Could Have Been Great,
Red Tails would be in between the Star
Wars prequels, with the boring dialogue
and uninteresting characters, and Indiana
Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal
Skull, with the uninspired story and out of
place scenes. With Red Tails, you leave
thinking of what might have been instead
of what is: a missed opportunity.
Hugo
A Fantastic Reminder of the Magic of Cinema
Alex Merritt
Quill Staff Writer
When mention is made of
Martin Scorsese, one hardly thinks
of family friendly fare coming from
the critically adored director behind
The Last Temptation of Christ, one
of Hollywood’s most controversial
films. However, he proved me
and many others wrong during his
latest film Hugo, based upon the
award-winning children’s novel The
Invention of Hugo Cabret. The film,
which takes place in 1930s Paris, is
a visual and imaginative delight and
so creatively reminds us of why we
love going to the movies.
The film centers around
the title character Hugo (Asa
Butterfield), who is an orphan living
in a train station and operating the
vast system of clocks that keeps the
station running. Having been left
alone after the sudden death of his
father, his only reminder of happier
days is a complex and mysterious
automaton, a self-operating machine
that bears the likeness of a human
being. His primary goal in life is
to scavenge missing parts for the
machine to get it running, which
is accomplished by Hugo stealing
toy parts from a toymaker (Ben
Kingsley) who sells his creations
in the train station. When one day
Hugo is caught by the toymaker, his
journal outlining the construction of
the machine is confiscated, as well
as the stolen wires and bolts which
he stole.
Hugo assumes all hope is
lost, until he befriends a young
girl by the name of Isabelle (Chloe
Moretz). She claims to be the
adoptive daughter of the toymaker
and becomes involved with Hugo’s
intricate quest to run the automaton
that he believes holds a secret
message from his father. He is in
the luck when he notices that the
girl wears a key around her neck
that matches the ignition socket for
the machine. He is able to run the
machine and discover the message
within the machine, which turns out
to be a sketch of an iconic scene
from the silent film A Trip to the
Moon created by silent film pioneer
The film sets off
in a complex race for
Hugo and Isabelle to
discover the answer to
the mysterious drawing
while avoiding capture
by the station police
officer (Sacha Baron
Cohen), who has an
extreme dislike towards
children. The film is full
of spectacular imagery
and production design
under the helm of
Scorsese, who expertly
crafts a tale of mystery
and innovation in the city
of Paris. Accompanied
with earnest performances
by all the major players
and a wonderfully vintage
score, Hugo is a feast
for the imagination and
serves as a wonderful
testament to the magic
of film and spellbinding
storytelling.
Georges Melies, a man who many
believe has been killed.
page 6
Love in the Air at the Mount
Popular proposal brings joy and makes history
Mike Singleton
Quill Contributor
Miss Jess Jankoviak may
have thought that receiving a marriage
proposal from chemistry teacher Jason
Ader in the iconic MSJ tower was the
most romantic thing that ever happened
on the campus of Mount St. Joseph High
School. But think again. On May, 6,
1978 Robert Klein, MSJ Class of 69’,
married Patricia Purvis in what may have
been the only wedding ceremony to take
place on the Irvington campus.
“I have the highest regard for
the faculty at Mount St. Joseph High
School and especially the Xaverian
Brothers who are extraordinary
teachers,” said Mr. Klein, a graduate
of the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT). “For me, Mount St.
Joseph was a great place to learn and a
quiet place to think. When it came time
to be married, the Mount seemed like the
perfect spot.”
In a simple ceremony of
approximately one hundred people,
Mr. Klein, then 27, and Miss Purvis, 24,
remember a quaint chapel decorated in
white flowers with music provided by close
friends and family. In the early 1980s this
free-standing chapel was demolished to
make way for Xavier Hall and other newer
buildings. Today, the new chapel resides in
Xavier Hall while the only remnant of the
old chapel is the centrally located Mount
campus tower itself.
For Mr. Ader and Miss Jankoviak,
the Mount’s Director of Communications
and Events, the MSJ tower with its
prominent cross and soaring presence
proved to be the perfect place to announce
their engagement. Dozens of students
gave them a standing ovation on the lawn
after Mr. Ader ‘popped the question’ on
November 1, 2011.
“I know every teacher hopes to
be remembered for their lessons inside
the classroom, but by proposing to me
at the top of the tower, Mr. Ader will be
remembered for his acts outside of the
classroom as well,” said Miss Jankoviak.
“Mount St. Joseph means a great deal to
both of us and we are very proud
to be a part of its history.”
For Bob Klein, the
Mount’s history of excellence is
well remembered. To this day he
recalls the stalwart presence of
current teacher Mr. Joe Cegelski
leading lectures in the Math
Department. Today, Mr. Klein
is a named shareholder in the
Annapolis based law firm of
Wharton, Levin, Ehrmantraut,
and Klein. He’s been recognized
by his peers as a Maryland
SuperLawyer with particular
expertise in the areas of defense
of products liability, mass tort and
complex commercial matters.
Bob Klein lives with his
wife Trisha in Arnold. They are
members of St. Andrew by the
Bay Catholic Church. They have
three children, Morgan, Patrick,
and Evan.
Mr. Ader and Ms. Jankoviak
Another Season of Intramurals Brings Excitement
The intramural program is into full swing, and is hoping to grow in the future.
Don Washinigton
Quill Contributor
Getting back to the old days, how
it was when our parent were growing up.
Going outside and starting up a game of
football, baseball, basketball, or soccer.
Just for fun and to be around friends. The
intramural program gives the student at
Mount Saint Joe that. The program is has
been run by Mr. Sam Bianco since 2006
and has grown tremendously in the last five
years.
The program started small, with
teams only playing twice a week. Football
was the only sport played in the winter
with about 120 students between ninth and
twelfth grade. In the spring basketball was
three-on-three with twelve teams, and only
40 students.
Mr. Bianco said, “I thought I
wasn’t going to catch on.” Well, he was
wrong.
The intramural program is one
of the largest on campus with “over five
hundred students participating this year”.
Starting in November, football and soccer
are played. Both have two leagues: fresh/
soph and jr./ sr. Football has about two
hundred students and soccer about one
hundred. Faculty help to ref the games. “It
gives me something to do rather then watch
TV or Play video games,” many students
have said.
This current spring the basketball
intramural program has 12 teams with
about 240 students. One student said,
“There’s no pressure. I’m playing for
myself.” Students play just to have to
have a good time and get of the house.
Many students agree that with the lack of
pressure from parents or coaches, they are
able to enjoy play more.
One of Mr. Bianco’s hopes
for his intramural program is for it to
be year round. The program that starts
in November and goes till April would
hopefully start in September. The
construction of the new Athletic Center
would help this goal. During the fall every
space is taken with volleyball inside, and
football and soccer outside; there is no
space for Intramurals. The most popular
sport voted to be played in the fall seems to
be handball.
The growth of the intramural
program is great. The idea that might not
have caught on did, thanks to Mr. Bianco.
The program is one of the most popular on
campus and is growing ever year. This is a
great program to be a part of and is a great
way to get active and be with friends.
page 7
A Real All-Star Weekend
Making the Pro Bowl Relevant
Jordan Taylor
Quill Staff Writer
For years we’ve heard complaints
about the NFL’s Pro Bowl. Fans and
commentators have talked about how
boring and uncompetitive the game is.
Elite players either compete halfheartedly
or skip the game all together. The NFL’s
version of an All-Star weekend in general
is usually disappointing. The recent
excitement of NBA All-Star Weekend got
me thinking: how could the NFL make the
Pro Bowl relevant?
An easy adjustment that could
be made is moving the game back to
behind the Super Bowl. The NFL only
recently instituted this change and it has
been met with backlash because players
on the Super Bowl teams were unable to
play in the Pro Bowl. Though it’s minor,
this swap deprived the Pro Bowl of high
profile players such as Tom Brady, Rob
Gronkowski, Victor Cruz, and eventual
Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning. Even this
slight boost in star power could make the
Pro Bowl more attractive; it’d especially
affect fans in the New England and New
York markets.
Fan involvement is important
with any sporting event; the Pro Bowl is
no exception. With this being said why not
get the fans directly involved in the action?
If you’ve ever seen the show Pros vs. Joes
you’ll probably understand this concept.
The NFL should have an open competition
between current or retired players and fans
who think they could play better. Fans, for
example, could try to out-kick Matt Stover,
Building off of my last point, the
Pro Bowl should have more events than
just the game. The NFL’s All Star Weekend
should feel like such instead of just a
two-hand touch exhibition the Sunday
before the Super Bowl. The NFL should
add events on the Friday and Saturday
throw against Ed Reed, or tackle Jerome
Bettis to win prizes. Another alternative
would be a tournament where fans team up
with their favorite players and go against
Pro/Joe teams. This would be a very
rewarding experience for the chosen fans
and be entertaining for viewers at home.
before the Pro Bowl. Potential events
could be a relay race between the NFL’s
fastest players, combine-style events but
with professional players (bench press,
40 yard dash, etc.), a quarterback-wide
Receiver skills challenge, and a celebrity/
legends football game. The NBA has the
Slam Dunk Contest and the MLB has the
Homerun Derby, so why can’t the NFL
create a signature event? The NFL could
also add other things to the Pro Bowl like a
surprise musical guest or use the event as a
platform to make exclusive announcements
like the location of the next Super Bowl or
to hand out end-of-the-year awards, such as
MVP and Rookie of The Year. The addition
of these various events would hopefully
elevate the performances of the players in
the actual Pro Bowl and create greater fan
interest, making the Pro Bowl a can’t-miss
event.
NFL Commissioner Rodger
Godell said that changes needed to be
made to the Pro Bowl structure or the
game might be eliminated all together. By
tweaking the All-Star experience the NFL
can not only raise the level of prestige
and excitement of the game, but it can
also raise fan interest, creating a better
experience overall for everyone.
NFL Draft Preview
The Colts’ “Lucky” Day ?
Justice Gray
of a QB.
Quill Staff Writer
With the Rams sitting at the
number two pick, their situation appears
to be just as much of a dilemma. Quarterback Sam Bradford was drafted just
With the 2012 NFL Draft
quickly approaching (April 26-28), a
number of storylines seem to develop to
make this draft even more enticing. With
the release of four-time AP NFL MVP
Peyton Manning, the Colts seem poised
to draft QB Andrew Luck (Stanford),
ironically being called by some “the
best quarterback prospect since Peyton
Manning”. The departure of Manning has
been discussed throughout the off-season
due to his roster bonus due on March 8th.
The day before, however, the 13-year
marriage between the franchise and their
prestigious QB ended. The Colts have
officially entered a rebuilding stage and
Andrew Luck seems to be the perfect
player to build around. The release of
Manning will also have an effect on the
rest of the draft. Where he lands in free
agency could ultimately decide who the
number two QB prospect, Robert Griffin
III, is drafted by. Rumored teams to be
interested in Manning are the New York
Jets, Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals,
and an abundance of other teams that are
close to championship contention in need
two years ago when the Rams sat at the
number one spot in the 2010 draft. He
was brought in by the team in hopes to
be the player who would save the franchise. Instead, he has been injury prone,
with an ankle injury keeping him out six
games in 2011 allowing him to throw a
mere six touchdowns. Robert Griffin III
is projected to be drafted at this number
two spot by a multitude of draft experts,
but by whom? With Bradford’s contract
totaling $78 million over six years and
$50 million in guaranteed money, it is
doubtful that the Rams will actually
decide to have two QBs on payroll with
such large contracts. With teams in need
of a quarterback like the Redskins and
Browns, they are slated to make a move
to take this pick in order to secure a
chance at the coveted quarterback Griffin
III.
A number of other prospects,
such as Justin Blackmon (WR, Oklahoma
State), Trent Richardson (RB, Alabama),
and Matt Kalil (OT, USC), look to make
this year’s draft an interesting one. As
for the home team Baltimore Ravens,
they have major needs in the secondary,
linebacker position, and slight needs at
TE and RB due to the inconsistency of
their current tight ends and the need for
a backup to Pro-Bowl running back Ray
Rice due to Ricky Williams’ retirement
this offseason. This year’s NFL Draft
looks be unpredictable, just as the NFL
is; just take for example the underdog
Giants winning the Super Bowl this year.
So for the time being, the Indianapolis
Colts are on the clock as we await the
number pick selection to be announced
by Rodger Goodell on April 26.
page 8
An Interesting Year For the NBA
Quill Staff Writer examines the NBA during a post-lockout season
Randolph Price
Quill Staff Writer
The NBA lockout season has
left Western and Eastern Conference
teams in a very tough situation. Every
team must play 66 games in a very
condensed time period. This affects
teams that are longer in the tooth - The
Spurs are the exception; without the
services of Manu Ginobili for most of
the season and an aging cast, they have
performed very well. The Western
Conference is wide open for the first
time in a very long time. You would
expect the aforementioned Spurs and
the Lakers to contend. Oklahoma City
Thunder are thee single elite team in
the west. The Western Conference has
a bunch of teams like the Trailblazers,
Nuggets, Clippers, and Mavericks
that are second tier to the Thunder,
but are very capable teams with prior
experience. Most of them would most
likely be a high seed in the weaker
East. Unlike the very balanced West,
the good teams in the east are few
and far between. Unlike the Western
Conference, I’m very sure who will
come out of this bracket. The Miami
Heat led by Dwayne Wade and Lebron
James will make it back to The Finals.
My only question about this team is
that Lebron James is intimidated by
the big shot. Maybe they should sign
Gilbert Arenas; then they will have their
closer. King James is not the answer
in the fourth quarter, PERIOD. As we
witnessed in the Finals last year, if
you keep Wade and James from the
lane they are very ineffective players.
The Chicago Bulls signed Richard Rip
Hamilton – This is a good move to
solidify their team. But I’m not sold on
them against the Heat, but if they get
past that Dream Team they have my
vote for NBA Champions.
MVP: Kevin Durant
Six Man: James Harden
Rookie of the Year: Kyrie
Irving
PREDICTIONS FOR EAST
Champions: Miami Heat
PREDICTIONS FOR WEST
Champions: Oklahoma City
Thunder
2012 Champions: Oklahoma
City Thunder
This Year in The Slam Dunk Contest
MSJ’s Feelings Towards The NBA Slam Dunk Contest
Justice Gray
Quill Staff Writer
One of the festivities of NBA
All-Star Weekend is the Slam Dunk
Contest. While the tradition continued
this year during All-Star weekend, the
product let down many viewers and
fans of the event for years. Contestants
Paul George, Chase Buddinger, Derrick
Williams, and winner Jeremy Evans are
unknown to a lot of NBA fans. Their
unpopularity among fans did not help
the fact that their dunks came across as
“bland” and “unoriginal”. Combined
with Derrick Williams’ assortment of
misses, the event became all the more
painful for fans to watch. The dunk
contest did have its “bright spots”,
however.
“I liked the glow in the dark
dunk by Paul George and Jeremy
Evans’ dunk over Kevin Hart,” said
MSJ student Juwan Gray. The tributes
players did to their respective teams’
greats did seem to make the contest a
little more interesting, but overall still
disappointing.
Remember when you actually
enjoyed watching the slam dunk
contest? As far back as when Michael
Jordan won back-to-back in ‘87 and
‘88, or when Vince Carter shook the
arena when he stuck his arm in the rim
in 2000? How about when Julius Erving
began to leave fans disappointed and
wanting a change to occur in order to
save the contest’s popularity.
Junior Matthew Johnson
proposes the argument that “Just about
everyone wants to see LeBron James
came across in ‘76 and performed the
first ever “free-throw line dunk” the
NBA had ever seen? These are the
memories forever imprinted in the
minds of fans worldwide. Recently,
however, the contest has more and more
in it”. LeBron has said that he would
enter years ago, but has failed to live
up to his word. Since the NBA has been
unsuccessful in obtaining the Miami
superstar for the event, I went around
and asked: Who would you like to see in
next year’s slam dunk contest?
Juniors Matthew Johnson and
Tyler Thompson-Copeland
both responded with some of the NBA’s
crowd favorites. “Put KD (Kevin
Durant) in, Derrick Rose, etc. They
[The NBA] need the best of the best to
entertain the fans,” responded Johnson.
Thompson-Copeland replied
with a list containing “Blake Griffin,
Russell Westbrook, and Andre
Iguodala”. Both students seem to agree
that the NBA needs to entice superstar
players to join the contest, not only for
the “star-power” and talent it would
possess, but also for the mere fact that
more fans would be more interested
in tuning in. Some of the NBA’s best
PGs in John Wall, Rajon Rondo, Deron
Williams, Kyrie Irving and Tony Parker
were all able to compete in the Skills
Challenge, so it only seems fair that
the most athletic and talented dunkers
participate in the Slam Dunk Contest.
With all that being said, hopefully the
NBA will be able to regain the attention
of fans for next year’s dunk contest in
some type of way.