by Dominic Gideon ’14

What would it be like to do algebraic equations in Mr. Skerl’s room? Or walk out of Morality class and be looking down into the library? Or actually enjoy a summer reading book?

Well within the next several years students may find out what those will truly be like.

New Summer Reading Program to be implemented for 2013-2014

Friday, at the faculty in-service, it was announced that the school is implementing an innovative summer reading program that may gain much popularity compared to the traditional style. Also in the discussion phase is a plan to alter the placement of department locations on campus.

Created by English Department Chair Mr. Strauss and a committee of faculty members, this program alters the traditional way summer reading is assigned.   Rather than having Departments assign a book to all students in a grade level, individual teachers will sponsor a book, creating a long list of possible summer reading options for students.   Students then will be able to choose a book that interests them from this list.    According to Mr. Strauss, “[The faculty, staff, and administration] will have the opportunity in the fall to meet with the students, discuss the book, and assess whether the students completed the reading or not.” The book leader can also set up Haiku pages or send emails to their students to interact with the students before meeting up with them.

This new program will certainly create interest among students. Rather than being forced to read specific books, they will have the ability to choose the most attractive book out of a vast variety. This program will represent many different interests, for example those who like math and science. “There are guys in the school who are math and science minded guys who definitely would be interested in the book a math teacher would pick,” said Math Department Chair Mr. Sabol.

This program will not only make students more inclined to read, but will help them connect with teachers in a way other than in the classroom. “I think that’s one of the goals of the program too,” Mr. Sabol said. “To help students realize that for one thing, your teacher has a lot more to them than what they teach in class and they have interests that don’t always come out in class.”

Department locations may change

Another change being discussed is the possibility of changing the location of departments on our campus.   There are a couple reasons for considering a department switch, the first being to maximize classroom space. The theology department, for example, is very cramped. “We definitely need more classrooms,” said Mr. McLaughlin, the head of the theology department. “We have twelve people in our department and only have seven classrooms on our floor; and we’ve got two teachers currently who are teaching at the basement of the chapel, so there’s a lot of overlapping.”

Principal Bradesca is a big proponent of the department switches. “The idea is that if you make classrooms more utilitarian,” he said, “then more teachers and students can use them; and as a result, scheduling becomes easier.” A good way to do that is to switch the departments around.

A key piece of the classroom puzzle is the Loyola Hall renovation, although it may take about five to ten years until this big task will be undertaken. As one of the oldest buildings on campus, Loyola Hall will likely be gutted–floors and all–before being reconfigured to suit school needs.

Another idea to fix the problem with classroom availability is to create a few classrooms in some of the recently acquired buildings on West 32nd Street, including the church. Although the old San Juan Bautista Church is a landmark, the school plans on renovating the building while keeping the exterior completely intact. While its future use has not been determined, this could be another piece to the classroom space puzzle.

The other reason for the department swap is to start some interdepartmental collaboration. Relocating departments could place math classes closer to science classes and humanities courses closer together as well. Mr. Sabol likes the idea. “It’d be nice to see collaboration between the [math and science] departments,” he said. “We don’t look at each other as a resource enough.”

With the exception of the History and English collaboration in the Streicher Program, the school does not do too well integrating different classes. “Ever since I’ve been here people have been talking about how we’re too departmentalized,” said Mr. Bradesca. A big change in department location would encourage more collaboration, which Mr. Bradesca has been pushing for since he became principal.

But even with the great advantages of the switch, it will be hard for many of the teachers to move out of the classrooms in which they’ve been so accustomed to working. Teachers like Mr. Howard or Mr. Evans would have a hard transfer with their classrooms adorned many years worth of artifacts. Many other teachers will have a difficult transition, like Mr. McLaughlin. “[Loyola Hall] has been our home,” he said, “[but] ultimately what matters most is that the students have a strong, meaningful experience in the classroom.”

These plans aren’t 100% certain; and if they do occur the teachers who would be affected will have some time until the changes would happen. The reading program, however, will definitely go into effect this summer.

by Pat Millican ’15

Since returning from Christmas break, many students may have noticed the slight uptick in the prices of many items at the Wildcat Café in the amount of about five or ten cents. Judging by the resultant hunger strikes and violent rioting over the new food prices, The Eye thought it would be best to have an interview with Mr. Pietravoia, the director of the cafeteria, in order to put the students’ anxieties to bed.

As the man in charge of procuring and pricing our food, Mr. Pietravoia’s conundrum is this: Being a school whose lunches are subsidized under the Federal Lunch Program, Ignatius is legally obligated to conform to federal standards on not only portion size and content, but also pricing, when it comes to the food its cafeteria serves. Therefore, because the government mandates that all items must be sold at at least thirty-eight per cent above wholesale price as a means of ensuring that cafeterias break even with regard to profits (another requirement of the program), the cafeteria had to fall in line by raising prices on some items, especially the specialty burgers, which are now going for about a quarter more. This mandate, contrary to what one might expect as gas prices are rising, is the only reason for the price hike midway through the year. This is the first time in the seventeen years Mr. Pietravoia has worked here such a measure had to be implemented. An audit in January was the impetus for the increase.

Furthermore, Mr. Pietravoia takes pride in the self-sufficiency of our cafeteria. He made a point of explaining that the costs the cafeteria incurs—-repairs, new equipment such as the forthcoming addition of the salad bar, gas, electricity, and retirement and health care for its employees-—are covered entirely by the cafeteria’s patrons. This is an astonishing feat when one considers that the cafeteria spends only forty-two per cent of its revenue on labor. Simply put, says Mr. Pietravoia, “You guys are supporting your food services and giving back to the neighborhood by paying to employ people who live near school.”

Mr. Petravoia asserted there would be no more increases this year save a second Dust Bowl or an epidemic of vaccine-resistant cowpox, and that any future hikes would occur at the beginning of next school year. A final word of advice from the cafeteria director on how to beat the system and pay less for lunch? “Get the whole lunch; it’s the most economical.”