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New Class in the Theology Department

The Saint Ignatius Theology Department is teaching a new course this year. The Sacraments course, which used to be a quarter-long elective class, is now a semester-long class that all juniors will take. The course is the result of a curriculum created by the U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops. It asks theology departments in Catholic high schools across the country to teach a specific list of courses.

Ignatius students should already know the seven sacraments: Baptism, Reconciliation, Holy Communion, Confirmation, Matrimony, Holy Orders, and Anointing of the Sick. Sacraments are signs of grace, were given to us by Christ, and are meant to help us spiritually. They enable Catholics to be models of Christ for the world.

The new course is being taught by Mr. Baron, Mr. Brennan, and Mr. Corrigan. Mr. Brennan says the course is important to learning about the faith because, “The Sacraments are what identify Catholics as Catholics.” “I like the idea that every student will have a better understanding of the sacraments after taking this class,” Mr. Brennan said.

The Wizard of Oz hits Breen

This season, Saint Ignatius High School will be showcasing the 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz. Mr. Fujimoto is excited to put one of his favorite stories of all time on stage for the last show of his career. He says that he wants to preserve the folklore and heritage that The Wizard of Oz carries:

“Everybody sings Silent Night – 80 year olds, five year olds, everybody knows the song. Not everybody even knows the National Anthem but everybody knows Silent Night. So I was trying to think of some of the responsibilities that older generations have to preserve American Culture and to preserve some things that everybody knows – Wizard of Oz is one of those things. Everybody has seen the Wizard of Oz; everybody knows the story of Dorothy and Toto… My parents passed that whole thing down to me. The Wizard of Oz was sacrosanct. It was always on around Easter time and no matter where we were I would always come here so that we as a family could watch it … I know a lot of people have done it but I look at it as more of a legacy than a show. And I think our show is going to be spectacular.”

The tale of Dorothy and her dog Toto’s journey through magical Land of Oz is a classic story that all ages love and cherish. This version will include professional set designs by Ignatius alums, lovely music by Mr. Roth and Mr. Falcofsky, and a talented cast of Saint Ignatius students as well as girls from area schools and children of faculty members as Munchkins. Mr. Fujimoto does not want to give away anything specific about the show but he assured me that there would be “a few surprises here and there.”  The show opens April 19th with additional performances on the 20th, 26th, and 27th, as well as a matinee performance on the 21st. The Wizard of Oz is going to be an outstanding show that the whole family will enjoy, come support your fellow Wildcats at the Breen Center this April.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: Lessons from WiFi-gate

With respect to last week’s controversy with the administrative Wi-Fi, it is wise to look at the situation with an open mind.  The administration’s view that the students hacked the Wi-Fi and were illegally using the network is understandable.  On the other hand, some students felt justified in their actions because everyone seemed to have the password, and they didn’t know the harm they were causing. These arguments have been the subject of heated debate, and there is something that can be learned by listening to both sides.

If an overwhelming amount of students were on the administrative Wi-Fi, perhaps this is an indicator that something needs to be changed.

Just look at the difference between the two networks.  One difference is ease of access.   To get onto the student BYOT network, a student has to complete forms, get his parents’ signatures, and provide his IP address. After he turns in his forms, the student is given a password to connect his device to the Wi-Fi. Once he is connected the student must set up an account that uses his email as his username, and then he will also have to set up a password. If a student arrives in the morning, he has to type in this username and password, and then he can use the BYOT Wi-Fi throughout the day. This login is only for 24 hours, and the next day he has to login again. Logging in everyday can be irritating because student email addresses are unusually lengthy.   Try typing in [email protected] using the tiny keyboard on a Samsung Galaxy everyday.

Once a student is on the WiFi network, his access to anything on the internet is very limited. The network is heavily filtered so a student can’t go on social media, YouTube, the App Store, iTunes, iMessage, blogs, etc. The restrictions, coupled with the cumbersome  process of getting access to the BYOT Wi-Fi has deterred many students from wanting to be a part of the student network at all.   They would rather use their 3G or 4G network, or, as was proved the case, find a simpler way to get online.

Can we blame students for wanting to be on a network that doesn’t have the restrictions or annoyances associated with the BYOT network?  Not really. When it comes to technology, students want to use their devices with no restrictions. However, what students want is not always what is right. Even if the password was made readily available, students should not have been on a network that they weren’t supposed to be on. The administrative network is exclusively for the administration, and students violated the technology code in the student handbook.  Students did not know that being on the admin network was overloading the system, and that the overload was causing problems.

The question now is: what good can come out of this? The milk has been spilled, and what is done is done. The announcement from Mr. Hennessy pretty much scared every student who was on the administrative Wi-Fi, and it’s safe to say that it won’t happen again. But can changes be made to the student network to make it more appealing to student use? Can students be trusted to have more internet privileges like Twitter and YouTube? Because of the advances in technology, especially with the advances of the smartphone and tablets, the administration has tough decisions to make with setting technology policies, and also adapting to what students use technology for.  Students may have to be patient for a while until a better Wi-Fi system or school policy is put in place.

Entrepreneur club sells bricks?!

by Ryan Linker ’14

“Wait… you’re selling bricks? Why?” This is a common question members of the Saint Ignatius Entrepreneur Academy (SIENTA) get, and rightfully so. Why are these students trying to sell bricks? Well in order to raise money, the club members wanted to sell something original that they knew would fly off the shelves. The moderator, Mr. Hess, suggested that they sell the abundance of bricks that are piled all around campus (yes, these are the bricks that Mr. Hennessy uses to burden Saturday jug miscreants). Nobody on campus, not even Mr. Hennessy, knew just how important these bricks are.

The bricks were manufactured by the Robinson Clay Products Co. of Akron, Ohio. They were used for street surfacing at the 1893 Chicago World’s fair. The Chicago World’s Fair was a six-month-long fair celebrating the 400th anniversary of Columbus arriving in America, and it also was where Edison’s invention of electricity was first made public to the world. The bricks reflect the celebration in a way of their own. Stamped into the bricks is a picture of Christopher Columbus discovering the “New World.” For their design, the bricks won the award for the best brick at the fair.

The bricks that were not used were brought to Cleveland and used to pave West 30th Street, which happens to be the road from which our beloved mall is formed. In the recent remodeling of the mall, the majority of the bricks were replaced and stacked around campus or thrown away. Luckily SIENTA got to market these unusual pieces of history.

The club has sold around 80 bricks and has made over $1600 dollars in revenue. All the bricks are lacquered and feature metal plaques on them that say, “Your own personal piece of West 30th.” With the bricks only being $20 and readily available at the bookstore, owning a special piece of your school’s and country’s history has never been so easy!

All-Americans swimming under the radar

It’s no secret that Saint Ignatius High School’s athletic teams feature many elite athletes. What is not so widely known is just how exceptional some of the swimmers who wear the blue and gold are. Coach Jeff Ridler’s swim squad is led by four upperclassmen who have each earned All-American status multiple times. Meet senior co-captains Derek Hren (a 6-time All-American entering this season) and Charlie Pophal (3-time All-American), as well as juniors Nathan Christian (5-time All-American) and Peter Simcox (4-time All-American). All-Americans, named after each season, are the country’s top one hundred swimmers in an individual or relay event.

These All-Americans also made names for themselves at last year’s State Meet in several events. Derek Hren, a North Carolina State recruit, placed second in both the 200 yard individual medley and 100 yard breastroke. Simcox was 11th in the 100 yard butterfly, while Christian and Pophal finished 2nd and 15th, respectively, in the 50 yard freestyle race. Hren, Pophal, Christian, and Simcox also combined on three formidable teams: the 200 yard free relay, 400 yard free relay, and 200 yard medley relay, that each finished in the top six at last year’s State Meet. This season pool and meet-records have been a common theme for these four this season. The swimmers set four meet records at the Northeast Classic in Akron and several pool records at Strongsville. At the Cleveland State Sectional this past weekend, these four swimmers set meet records in both the 200 meter freestyle relay and 200 meter medley relay. Hren’s 100 meter breastroke time was also a meet record.

All of these accolades are preceded by months of grueling practices. As Peter Simcox put it, “It [being an All-American] pays off for all the hard work I’ve done, so knowing that I’m being awarded for the countless hours I’ve put in is something awesome… If you’re an All-American it shows that you’ve worked extremely hard to get to that spot, and it just means a lot.” Swimmers, most of whom are in the pool year round, have over 20 hours each week of practices and lifting sessions, not to mention meets that can last all day. Derek Hren emphasized, “Most people think we don’t lift or they don’t know how many yards we do in water. Some people do think it is a rough schedule for us, but most think it’s easy, as if we just float around and stuff, but we do work!”

“It is tough and the training is lots of work, but I’d say when you’re finished you’re going to miss it mostly because of all these hours we rack up doing this and seeing the results. That’s the one thing about swimming, that if you put in the work you’ll see the results,” said Pophal. “There are a lot of hard workers on this team.”

Of course, having four elite swimmers on one team is a huge benefit in practice as well, creating an abundance of competition and mutual respect. “It’s an honor to be swimming with those guys and they help push me to my limits all the time, every practice,” said Simcox. “They’re great guys. They’re my closest friends… They’re hard-working, smart, funny guys.”

As Hren described it, “It’s pretty special to have those three guys in the pool next to me. We have a good time competing with each other and we all make ourselves stronger through one another. We have fun and joke around with everyone even though practice gets pretty rough at times”

“Added Pophal, it’s extremely challenging and a lot of long hours, but I would say it’s definitely worth it because you can bond with these kids. These kids will be your best friends for the rest of your life, mostly because you’ve kind of been through hell and back with them.”

The Wildcats will continue their postseason this weekend in the District Meet at Bowling Green State University. If all goes well, all of the hard work will result in more memorable performances at the 2013 State Meet in Canton.

RESTAURANT REVIEW: West Side Market Cafe

West Side Market Cafe
Price $$$ (approx. $10 or less)
Rating 4 out of 5

The West Side Market may be under inspection and cleaning for an unknown amount of time, but fear not. It will take more than that to stop your Food Critic from critiquing WSM food. Despite the tragic closing of the WSM, the West Side Market Cafe along with the fiercely independent Produce Building remains open.

Not a vegetable man myself, I went to the WSM Cafe. Upon first entering the Cafe, I was immersed in the history of the WSM, surrounded on all walls by historic pictures of the Market. After being welcomed by this nostalgic atmosphere, I was greeted by a friendly waitress who offered me a seat wherever I wanted, creating a very casual atmosphere. Given a menu upon sitting down I got to pick from any number of appetizing dishes ranging from the safe buys of the Turkey Club ($9) or the Walleye Po-Boy ($10) to the more daring meals like the Korean BBQ Pulled Pork ($9) or the Wild Mushroom Grilled Cheese ($8).

Being a traditionalist I decided to go with the Cafe’s classic Westside Market Burger whose ingredients include an Ohio beef burger, a savory bacon onion spread, nutty-flavored fontina cheese, freshly sliced tomato, arugula (a pepper tasting green), and a pungent, grainy mustard spread. Served with this Burger (and all sandwiches) were crisp browned potato chips, all of this served on a platter for $8.

The burger was titillating from the first bite. It started out with a strong dose of mustard, was balanced by the sweet onion and cheese (although at times the mustard got the better of the two), and both were complemented by the dry, slightly hard bun and the juicy tomato slice. The burger itself, although nothing extraordinary, was complemented by other ingredients like the arugula to make the sandwich stand out. The potato chips were homemade, offering a twist to the regular chip, as these had a pungent flavor and were far harder. However, t`2hey weren’t particularly good by themselves, but with a little ketchup to lessen the crunchiness they became quite enjoyable. Despite being overwhelmed by by the overpowering flavor of the mustard seed, not only was my stomach satisfied, but so were my taste buds.

Overall, I highly recommend this unique mom-&-pop diner-styled restaurant. The West Side Market Cafe is perfect for an after-school lunch (open til 4:00 Mon & Wed and 6:00 on Fri), or a before-school breakfast (opening at 7:00 Mon-Thurs and 6:00 Fri) with an equally appetizing and affordable breakfast menu that includes basic breakfasts like the 2 egg, homefries and toast for $3.50, a variety of omelettes, and the exotic smoked salmon and Eggs breakfast, for $9. A friend to your wallet, all their meals are $10 or less. The Cafe is situated on the Lorain side, identifiable by the clearly displayed West Side Market Cafe sign.

THE BOX OFFICE: Looking back at 2012 as the Oscar’s Approach

It’s astonishing to me how no one has yet realized how completely stacked 2012 was with movies. Now it’s still too early to be able to compare 2012 to all the history of cinema. Yet, while I recall all the movies that were truly great this year, I keep getting reminded of another and another. There are almost too many phenomenal movies to count and as the Oscar’s approach it’s good to discuss those films lucky enough to be nominated for this significant honor. At the same time I should put a spotlight on some more unknown but nonetheless noteworthy films that can be rewarding to viewers who look a little further.

Starting with the big Oscar films- Lincoln is going to win best film. Scratch that, it’s going to sweep everything. It’s a safe historical piece for the Oscar voters who have been known to give the prestigious Movie of the Year award to a period film. It makes sense; Lincoln was well made by one of the prestigious Steven Spielberg and featured a jaw-dropping, perfect performance by the unfairly amazing Daniel Day-Lewis. Others claim Zero Dark Thirty will win. This makes sense as well. Tightly directed, a great performance by Jessica Chastain, and making a great political point all justify Zero Dark Thirty’s nominations. But it just didn’t have the unknown, independent stature of The Hurt Locker to allow it to win it this year.

Other big films at the Oscar’s include: Argo (well directed but a cliché), Beasts of the Southern Wild (see this and give it a chance), Django Unchained (the most fun you can possibly have in a theater), Les Miserables (long, yes, but c’mon you cried admit it), Life of Pi (rich with special effects and providing a beautiful philosophical point), and Silver Linings Playbook (which was well acted all around but the plot was too “meh”). I also want to give a shout out to my favorite movie of the year, Moonrise Kingdom, which deserves everything and was snubbed.

While many films made in the past 100 years haven’t been nominated for Oscar’s and are still classics (every Stanley Kubrick film ever), the extra name boost by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is what keeps movies afloat. Filmmaking is a competitive business not just production-wise but in being remembered. Hollywood is a very fickle place, and it can be hoped that students at St. Ignatius will be able to keep such artistic visions in our hearts to withstand the test of time.

The next generation of gaming at Ignatius

By MICHAEL MAZUR ‘14 and JAKE WOOMER ‘14

In 2005, the Xbox 360 was released and began the seventh generation of gaming. Since then, the PS3 and Wii stepped in to introduce new ideas and change gaming as a whole. Gaming has been closely tied to the internet and gamers have grown in number through the exploding popularity of smartphones. By this time, games have become mainstream and this popularity has reached Ignatius students around the school. With a lot of information about next generation gaming already known, we can look at the rumors of the next next generation and see how gaming will be changing for the world and more importantly for Ignatius students.

To have a look into the future of gaming, it’s best to see what is already known. Of course, we’ll be seeing a lot of the Wii U in 2013 with it’s big titles including Pikmin 3, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, Resident Evil: Revelations, and Bayonetta 2. Nintendo has also mentioned that they would like to begin taking full advantage of the gamepad by having software that uses the NFC sensor. It’s likely Microsoft will reveal a concept shown at CES called Illumiroom. This concept consists of using a projector to expand the display beyond your television which gives you a sense of immersion by utilizing your peripheral vision. Of course, it’s great to analyze what we do know, but with announcements from big names in gaming right around the corner, rumors are causing quite a buzz.

Even though Sony and Microsoft haven’t officially confirmed their next-gen consoles, rumors and possible leaks have been flooding the internet. One rumor that is sure to gain a great deal of interest in the gaming world is the possible unveiling of the next Xbox at E3 2013. Sony hasn’t given any hints on whether they’ll reveal the next Playstation around the same time as Microsoft but they do plan on revealing something Playstation related on Feb 20th. One of their rumors is that they will be supporting 4k televisions. Several developers have been hinting at what games will look like on their new engines as well, but this can only be speculation and it is unsure if they are running them on the consoles or high end PCs. With how frequent rumors and leaks have been coming out about these consoles, it’s safe to say that at least some of these rumors will become reality soon.

The future of gaming is approaching fast. Sony is expected to announce their new console and Microsoft is supposedly following suit. After a generation dedicated to advancing who is playing by means of online connectivity and how people are playing through the introduction of motion controls, games will be stepping up their immersion through what we see when playing. After the rumors of the next PS console having support for 4k TVs, Microsoft’s Illumiroom proof of concept, and small ideas turning into big projects like the Oculus Rift, the next generation of gaming seems to be all about immersion and how we perceive our games.

PHATTY WHIP: Peter Mahoney ’14 gives student driving a bad name

Peter Mahoney has a record of bad driving. But a speeding ticket and a recent car crash involving a favorite teacher still hasn’t deterred him from getting on the road in his 2001 GMC Yukon.

Right before winter break, Pete got his first speeding ticket, in a school zone. Because this was such a serious speeding ticket, Mahoney was ordered to go to the Cleveland Heights Municipal Court. After arriving for his hearing, he was told to go to the juvenile court, right down the street. Pete was surprised when he couldn’t get into his car. This was the first time he found out that he can’t lock his car in the cold because the locks literally freeze up. Talk about a bad day to find that out. Luckily for Pete, the police department was able to unlock his car, and 25 minutes later the judge slapped Peter with a $125 fine.

Peter’s streak of bad luck continued when he was involved in a minor car accident. Even worse, the car he hit belonged to Spanish teacher Ms. Raphaela Barnes. “I was driving home from school, trying to get over while traffic was almost stopped, and as I went over I hit her,” Mahoney said. According to Mahoney, Mrs. Barnes was “really nice about it.” Her had little damage. Peter’s, however, had a dented bumper and a damaged hood. A modest $1,250 fix, something his parents aren’t too proud about.

Fortunately for Peter, Mrs. Barnes didn’t JUG him, and his parents are still letting him drive his 2001 GMC Yukon. Even if his car doesn’t have seat belts in the backseat, and he has to listen to the radio because his CD player doesn’t work, Mahoney still takes pride in his whip. As for his pride in driving, Peter didn’t even want to comment.

Class Competition to culminate in epic clash of classes on May 17th

Tired of reminiscing about your elementary school years? Sick to your stomach over fond memories of the S.E.P. talent show? Can’t stop regretting your poor performance at Lumberjack Day? Mourn no more!

Coming to campus this May, from the ingenious and prolific mind of Mr. Hess, is the 2013 Class Competition Field Day. This exciting early dismissal schedule will feature a variety of nonconventional games and activities, from charades to soccer, from running to rubik’s cubes, from Shakespeare monologue competitions to extreme corn hole (How this is an improvement on regular cornhole we can only speculate). Have an appetite? Take part in a pie, hotdog, or flapjack eating contest! Hate eggs? participate in the always exciting egg-drop competition!

All winners will be awarded with points for their respective classes. Mark your calendars, for May 17th will be a day to remember.

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About The Eye

The Eye is the student-led publication of Saint Ignatius High School.

Editors-in-Chief: Kelly Coleman '23, Young Kim '23 & Aidan Oliss '23