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Tom & Jerry: Mouse-terpiece or Cat-astrophe?

By Brian Keim ‘22

It is a tale as old as time: cat wants to eat mouse, mouse outsmarts cat. For over 80 years this story has been told over and over, taking the duo of Tom and Jerry to the strangest adventures out there, meeting classic characters such as Robin Hood, Willy Wonka, and even Sherlock Holmes. After so many adventures, it would be reasonable to ask where to take them next. Apparently, the answer is to a hotel for a predictable kids’ movie.

The main plot of the movie centers around the iconic duo and their hijinks at the Royal Gate Hotel, where new employee Kayla (who lied her way into her job) enlists the help of Tom to take care of a certain mouse in the hotel. As if this was not enough, the film decides to shoe in so many subplots that none of them have enough time to get the audience invested. Two celebrities plan for their wedding at the hotel, the bride has trouble communicating with her fiance, a hotel employee tries to catch Kayla in her lies, and Kayla falls in love with a hotel bartender; all these plots are thrown at the wall, and none of them really stick. They are not given enough time to be properly fleshed out, so when they are resolved in the end, nothing feels earned. The periods of “emotional conflict” are introduced and then solved within a few minutes.

However, nobody comes to Tom & Jerry for the plot. The hallmark of the franchise is its trademark humor. And this movie’s humor… has its moments. The classic slapstick is back and it works, period. Not all of it is laugh-out-loud hilarious, but most of it deserves a good chuckle and is reminiscent of the duo’s roots. Aside from that, however, very little lands. This movie was clearly made for young children, and the jokes are the most obvious indicator. The script is littered with pop culture references trying (and failing) to be “relatable”, poop jokes, and overall unfunny lines. Some of it works, though. Michael Peña plays Kayla’s manager and has a lot of great lines in the film, but even he comes with a couple of flops. The jokes overall are pretty hit-or-miss, with too many misses.

Overall, this movie was nothing special. It has many tropes of modern kids’ movies such as auto-tuned pop songs littered throughout, a celebrity cast to get parents interested, and references to modern trends. This movie is currently in theaters, and will be available on HBO Max from February 26 until March 26th. I watched it on HBO Max, and was thankful that I did not have to pay for a ticket. If you have a young sibling who wants some cartoons to watch for a while, this movie is a harmless distraction, but there is not a lot here for anyone older (and that’s coming from a 17-year-old who watches Phineas and Ferb on a regular basis).

5/10- unremarkable, but has its moments.

The Melting Pot | Milton Turner ’81

On Campus Classes Cancelled Due to Small Fire

Photo Credit: Cleveland Fire Dept.

By Terry McCafferty ’22

On the morning of Thursday, February 25th, a small fire in the basement of the Saint Ignatius High School caused classes to move online for the day. At 6:58 am, Principal Dr. Fior notified the school saying, “Due to a small but contained fire on campus in the Main Building, on campus classes are cancelled today, Thursday, February 25. Cleveland Fire Department is on the scene. Students stay tuned for details from teachers.”

PHOTO CREDIT: WKYC

In a tweet, the Cleveland Fire Department wrote that the “fire [was] in a utility/storage closet at [Saint Ignatius] at W.30th/Carroll in 4th Battalion.” They also said that the “fire [was] quickly extinguished” and “no injuries [were] reported.” Later on in the day, according to WKYC, Lt. Mike Norman of the Cleveland Fire Department reported that the cause of the fire had been identified as an electrical short that caught cardboard and papers on fire. 

In an additional email, sent at 7:20 to all students, Dr. Fior wrote, “Today, we will conduct classes remotely using the Off Campus schedule. Classes will begin at 8:30. Today is a B day which means periods 6-9 will meet. Our campus will remain closed today until we are given the all-clear by Campus Operations and Campus Security.”

Almost immediately after that email was sent, students began receiving emails from their teachers with Zoom links and further instructions. To some students, who had not been scheduled to attend class until after 11:50 am, this news of class beginning at 8:30 am was less than an exciting development. Within that group, some students, unaware that they were supposed to be in class until they saw the updates when they woke up, missed the beginning of their day, asleep. 

Additionally, some teachers, planning to come into school, found themselves without their chargers and others without their computers. Adapting, they found other ways to persevere with some even resorting to teaching on Zoom from their phones.

But like in many unfortunate occurrences, this story is not without its heroes. The maintenance staff at Saint Ignatius who discovered the fire, according to the Cleveland Fire Department, closed the door of the closet that the fire was in and pulled the fire alarm, mitigating the damage that the fire was able to do. Their quick action prevented an acute situation from growing far worse and more dangerous. The firefighters, whose quick response was able to prevent any injuries from occurring, also deserve much praise. 

Another unintended positive impact was that the uneaten breakfasts that had been prepared were not put to waste and instead were shared with the West Side Catholic Center across the street. John Litten, the Director of the West Side Catholic Center which has a mission of serving “all who come in need of food, clothing, shelter, advocacy, and a path to self-sufficiency”, thanked the school for the food in a tweet.

This is another unexpected event in a school year that seems at times to be everything but normal.

Please stay tuned for more updates and coverage as this story develops.

Iggy Insight | Jack Slemenda ’21

At the End of the Day, Make Prayer Your Own

By Terry McCafferty ’22

One way to think of Lent is as a journey: an approximately forty day journey from winter to spring, sin to salvation, and darkness to light. Pope Francis recently wrote that it is a journey toward “faith, hope, and love”. It is an opportunity for us to restore our commitment to what is right, rediscover our spirituality, and renew our dedication to the parts of our lives that matter the most. Living through COVID makes these messages more pertinent than ever and this time to recenter ourselves more needed because so many parts of our lives have been thrown off balance and for many people there has been so much darkness, sadness, and loneliness in the past year. 

In his Lenten message for 2021, Pope Francis also wrote that, “Fasting, prayer and almsgiving, as preached by Jesus (Mt 6:1-18), enable and express our conversion.” In other words, it is through fasting, prayer, and almsgiving that we make this journey. Accordingly, for three weeks this column will be focusing on each of the three pillars of Lent. Last week, the focus was on fasting, and this week it will be on prayer. 

Like deciding what we need to free ourselves from during Lent through fasting, deciding how we should make prayer a special part of our lives during this time is also a very personal decision. Each of us has a different relationship with prayer. But this Lent, try to discern what way or ways put you most in touch with God and your inner self. 

Some ways to consider are daily mass, sitting alone in a quiet space, writing in a journal, reading the Bible, praying the rosary, lighting a candle in the Chapel, going on a walk or outside, praying right as you fall asleep, and praying right as you wake up. In the stress of daily life, it can be super easy to forget about taking any time for quiet, reflection, meditation, or prayer. Even during morning prayer and the Examen, it is easy for our minds to wander to other things. But taking the time can bring immense benefit to our lives, especially if you find a way to do it that makes you feel peaceful, connected, loved, fulfilled, and whole in your being. 

When I was in 3rd grade, my teacher, Mrs. Gill (wife of John Gill ‘97 who works at Saint Ignatius), taught my class a way to pray called the ALTAR prayer. It is a structure for unstructured prayer covering five of the main purposes of prayer: adoration, praise, thanksgiving, petition, and repentance. I like this prayer because it can be what it is made out to be, but it still is enough of a guide so that the person praying does not feel lost: 

Altar Prayer: 

  • Adore – adore God (adoration)
  • Love – love God (praise)
  • Thank – thank God (thanksgiving)
  • Ask – ask God (petition)
  • Repent – reflect on your sins and resolve how you intend to become better (repentance)

Prayer can also be incredibly meaningful when it is done with other people and there are many ways on campus to do this. Mass is held every day in St. Mary’s Chapel at 11:20 during the common period. Gonzaga Society prays for the sick on Tuesdays from 7:30-7:45. Ignatians for Life also prays the rosary during 5th period in the Companions Chapel (across from the Admissions Office) every Wednesday. We also have an amazing Campus Ministry team and our Jesuit priests on campus who would both probably be more than happy to help you find more ways to pray if you reach out to them. 

Even for those of us who do not believe anyone hears our prayers, the benefits of taking time alone to reflect are immense, and perhaps you will feel a connection, a spark, a voice within you calling you toward something deeper. 

The act of praying is an act of faith. It is an act of feeling as much as thinking. It is an act of listening as much as talking. It can be very hard to hear with all of the things in our lives drowning out the responses to our prayers. But at the end of the day, we have the ability to make prayer our own and to make it so connected to who we are that it can cut through our stress, anger, and pain, and help us become better at living the lives we live.

Hopefully, at least a few of the ideas in these three Lent-themed columns will spark a thought or give you at least a bit of inspiration. To all of our readers who are beginning their Lenten journey this year, many blessings, and may the light of Christ guide your way toward greater fulfillment and renewal.

 

– No. 4 –

____ _______ ____

‘At the End of the Day’ is a weekly column written by Terry McCafferty ‘22. Each week focuses on a different topic often related to politics, faith, culture, or society at large.

The Wildcats Wrap-Up Indoor Track and Field Season

Photo Credit: SIBN

By Matt Kelly ’22

The second and final indoor regular season meet for the Track and Field Cats was on Saturday, February 20, at the Youngstown State High School. As always, joining the top 24 in Division I in the state sends individual and relay teams to indoor state on March 6, and many Cats ran times inside this rank at the meet!

In the 60m, Eric Shyne repeated his 7.57 mark from last weekend for 29th overall. Nick Hille ran 7.64, Edwin Abiak 7.69, and Ryan Kennedy 7.89. Lots of young talent looked very impressive for the Cats.

Kennedy, Hille, and Abiakl also ran in the 4x200m heat one alongside Frankie Pike. In this heat, the current sixth and ninth fastest times were run in the overall state in 1:32.69 and 1:33.41. The Cats followed this elite field in 1:37.00 for fourth in the race, 32nd overall in the state, and 24th in Division I—currently ranked high enough to qualify for the indoor state meet! The other 4×200 team of Shyne, Shane Morrison, Michael Krebs, and David Fofana ran 1:38.19 in heat two, showing the great depth of this sprinting program.

The best race of the night for the distance Cats was the 4x800m relay. Shuffling up the team from last week, the senior squad of Aidan Monroe, Michael Mayer, Joseph Maloney, and Peter Fitzpatrick faced St. Xavier’s team, led by state cross-country runner up Nathan Mountain and fourth at states Conor Bohrer. Monroe led off in 2:01.2 and handed a significant lead to Mayer, who split 2:03.2. At 4:04 for 1600m, the Cats were on pace to crush their previous weeks of 8:25. Joseph Maloney got the baton in second and ran 2:05.2 before passing to Peter at third position. Peter Fitzpatrick and Nathan Mountain chased down first place, but St. Xavier finished in 8:07.85 to the Cat’s 8:10.65. The Saint Ignatius team is now sixth in the state, on the way to states, and slated for the fast heat at SPIRE Institute, a massive improvement from last year’s just-missed state-qualification from the 4×8.

In the open 800, Ben Showman led the Cats in 2:03.12, and Aidan Monroe ran 2:04.51 after his 4×8 split of 2:01. Wildcat runners told Monroe afterward to notify college coaches that he ran pretty well this weekend, going 2:01 for his first half mile and 2:04 for his second-half to maybe catch a college coach’s eye as a kid he thinks is running 4:05 for 1600m.

Sean Uhran finished in 2:06.57, Connor McAndrew nipped at Sean’s heels in 2:06.98, and Christian Wolke ran 2:17.82.

In the 3200m, Matt Kelly ran 9:49 and is currently 23rd in Division I in the state, hopeful that his time holds its spot for one more week.

There is no meeting scheduled for February 27-28 for the Cats, and those running at indoor states have two weeks to prepare for the final meet of indoor.

The Upsides to a Full Return to School This Spring

By Peter Karim ‘23

On March 15, as we all know, Saint Ignatius will be returning to a full schedule, leaving behind the half-day schedule we have had for the majority of this year. With COVID taking over our lives for the past year, it is a sigh of relief to return back to a full day schedule that we are used to. Even though we will return fully, many still question if it is a safe decision.  

One of the main reasons returning to a full schedule March 15 is a good decision is because the COVID-19 cases in the school have gone down consistently in the past month at Ignatius and will continue to go down now that teachers will have been vaccinated. Dr. Fior does not want to put Ignatius in danger and is making all of his decisions in the best interest of the school. All of the necessary precautions that need to be taken have been taken. Masks are being worn, desks are wiped down, students are socially distanced, etc. and there is no reason to believe that implementing a full schedule would put students at any greater risk than students practicing sports or doing other activities away from school. 

Data from the “Peek of the Week” sent out every Friday from the office of Principal Dr. Fior.

Finally, Ignatius really just needs to get acclimated to a full schedule once again. It has been over a year since Ignatius students have had a full day schedule and freshmen have not even experienced a full day of classes on campus. In my case and in the case of many students, we have become used to being able to sleep in consistently every other day.  Having the last couple of months of school being kind of normal will allow students to start smoothly next year.  

A full day schedule will also allow students and staff to work out any difficulties that might arise for once again, a smoother start next year. This full day schedule will also allow students to catch up with their friends on the other side of the alphabet and give seniors a partially normal end to their high school careers.

Overall, there are many benefits to having a full day schedule and no large concerns to not having it. The school should be safe and in the worst case scenario, Zoom classes are still an option. Additionally, if parents are deeply worried about their children’s health, they have the prerogative to keep them online. In the end, a full day schedule will benefit the school and that is why full return on March 15th was the right decision.  

SIHS Forum Seeks a Better Political Dialogue on Campus

By John Luke Eicher ‘23

Logo of the SIHS Forum.

The Eye recently interviewed Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of the Forum Raymond Yeh ‘21 to see what he loves about the only non-partisan political discussion-centered club at Saint Ignatius: the Saint Ignatius High School Forum. When asked about the inspiration for the club, Yeh spoke about how for his AP Seminar Individual Written Assignment he wrote about the negative effects of social media and the 24-hour news cycle and how they had not only harmed the American political discussion but the whole of American society. 

As any dutiful researcher does, he found a solution: a “depolarizing space”. The goal of such a place would be bringing people together, teaching others to understand people complexly. They may disagree less than before coming, but agreement is not the point; the hope is all see each other’s views. When asked about the logistics of starting a club that may be fraught with discord, Yeh said that in the first meetings there were often imbalances between the political beliefs, so he, along with Co-Founders Michael Sarkis ‘21 and Sanat Subhash ‘21, would have to defend positions they disagreed with to avoid “pile-ons”, drowning out the arguments of a smaller group. 

Yeh stressed how at no meeting has there ever been a “winner” or “loser”, as crowning someone would defeat the point of the group. Although the pandemic has been tough on the club, they kept in touch online, and on return to school they continued meeting. Since then, they have collected a “great group of politically-minded people who gather together in diplomatic fashion for the sake of seeking realistic compromises, with which everyone can walk away pleased.” 

Yeh concluded the interview saying “My request to your readers is this: Take the time to educate yourself on the pressing political issues plaguing our society, Formulate your own opinions don’t just regurgitate the talking points of the talking heads on Fox or CNN. Visit the Forum at some point in your career at Ignatius, speak up for the things you believe in. Thomas Jefferson once said ‘all Tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.’ Seek to be heard only after listening, seek to be understood only after understanding, seek to question only if you are prepared to be questioned. Find those who disagree with you, and talk with them, question everything.” 

The Forum meets in LH 323 and on Zoom every Monday after school.

Interview conducted by John Luke Eicher on 2/20/2021.

MLB and NBA Expansion Poll Results

By Jack Hille ‘21

After the COVID-19 pandemic raged around the world almost every part of the American economy was absolutely devastated. Not even the professional sports we know and love were spared from impact. All of the major leagues (NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, etc.) lost significant money in revenue and are scrambling to make some of it back. Both the MLB and NBA have laid out an option for two expansion teams to be added. Talk of adding teams in both leagues was just beginning in the years before 2020, but with the pandemic taking a large amount of income away, the talks between cities and leagues have started to ramp up dramatically. Saint Ignatius students were asked in an open poll published by The Eye which cities they would like to see get a professional sports franchise. 50 students in total responded to the poll which was conducted in a non-scientific manner and therefore may not be fully representative of the entire student body.

For the MLB, the Saint Ignatius community gave the most votes to adding teams in Nashville, TN (37% of votes) and Las Vegas, NV (34.8% of votes). Both of these cities are being heavily talked about by those in the MLB. Both Vegas and Nashville have football and hockey teams with great fanbases so why wouldn’t a baseball team be a good fit?

For the NBA, the Ignatius community, along with the majority of the country, overwhelmingly supports basketball returning to Seattle, WA (66% of votes). The Seattle Supersonics were relocated to Oklahoma City and changed their name to the Thunder in 2008, and since then people from Seattle and the rest of the country have been begging for basketball to return to Washington. In second place, Pittsburgh, PA (34% of votes). Pittsburgh is home to the Penguins (NHL), Pirates (MLB), and the Steelers (NFL). Pittsburgh has proven to be a great sports town and the only thing that seems to be missing is a basketball team. 

It will be fun to watch these discussions of expansion teams develop as time goes on and see if the Wildcat community’s hopes come true.

Two Tough Losses Wrap Up the Regular Basketball Season

By Kurt Pickering ’21

The Wildcats came into the weekend standing tall with a nine-game winning streak under their belt. After taking the number two seed in the playoffs and taking the number three spot in the most recent Northeast Ohio Rankings, Saint Ignatius was in dire need of finishing strong. Cam Joyce’s squad had a target on their back with two solid teams on back-to-back nights looking to give the Wildcats their first loss in a while.

The first team on Saint Ignatius’ path to a ten-game winning streak was the Massillon Jackson Polar Bears. Led by senior guard Kevin James, the Polar Bears were extremely versatile offensively. Their sharpshooting backcourt contrasted the recent success from the Wildcat big men. With two high double-digit games in back-to-back games, Will Yontek has been red hot.

Captain Henry Raynor started with a bang after the long trip down south. With his co-captain Yontek’s outstanding performance, Raynor knew if he stepped it up, the bigs would be unstoppable. After a beautiful sequence and lob pass from junior Jon Effertz, the Hillsdale Charger commit soared up and slammed it down hard. With 2:50 left in the first, the boys in blue held a 10-5 lead.

The second quarter came quick, and Coach Joyce’s Wildcats held the lead. Still looking to pad their lead, Yontek and Effertz each splashed in some threes. About halfway through the quarter, the Cats maintained the charge that they had held all game long. Some mental errors proved costly and began a detrimental shift in momentum for Saint Ignatius. With about four minutes left in half and a score of 22-16, the drought started in Jackson Township. In the second half of the quarter, each team only scored one bucket.

Each team needed a spark to set them up for a long second half, but only one team would get the jolt they needed. With a 24-18 lead to begin the third, Coach Cam’s boys zoned in on defense. Unfortunately, after a few minutes passed, the Wildcats were outscored as the Polar Bears controlled a 9-6 run. That run grew in bunches as senior Ben Sullivan didn’t skip a beat from behind the Polar Bears arc. Midway through the quarter, Sullivan fired up a dot from deep and tied the game at 28 for the first time since each team shared ten in the opening quarter. On the next possession, Skeriotis put the previous three on instant replay with a similar trifecta to give Jackson their first lead of the night. Raynor scored some more inside, and Effertz did his fair share to snatch back the advantage and ultimately close the quarter with a one-point 36-35 lead.

The final quarter started with a tug of war battle. An and-one for the Polar Bears tied the game up at 38 until three-point sniper Skeriotis dropped in his third deep ball of the night. The Wildcats lost the momentum but continued to fight, but turnovers delayed the comeback until zeros were on the clock.

The first half was all Wildcats, and the second half was all Polar Bears. Raynor led the Cats in scoring with 17, and Skeriotis played a reverse card and threw 17 of his own at the Wildcats. The 57-46 loss snapped the nine-game winning streak for the Wildcats and lowered the team’s confidence with an important game the next night.

With a quick turnaround, the Wildcats traveled far in the opposite direction to Mentor to battle against the number one ranked team in all of Ohio, the Mentor Cardinals. This year’s scarlet and gray group has been nothing short of perfect. With a standing 18-0 record, averaging 88 points per game, and 40 rebounds per game, this team is remarkable. The Cardinals have a three-headed monster with three senior superstars on their team. Between Steven Key II, Jonah Waag, and none other than Luke Chicone, Mentor is a heavy favorite for the state title. Although the team succeeds with excellent team chemistry, Chicone is a whole separate headline. Not only is he averaging 24 points per game with performances over 30 and even 40 points in a game, but he is also a McDonald’s All American nominee, a Northeast Ohio Player of the Year nominee, and a candidate for the Mr. Ohio Basketball title.

Coach Joyce knew that his boys were coming off a tough loss, but determination has taken this Jesuit basketball team a long way this year with no sense of stopping now. The game started with miscommunication and an easy layup for Waag. Effertz tried to respond as he battled his way inside, worked to the free-throw line, and dropped them both. Neither team had their way from three-point land as each team started the game 0 for 4. Kyle Culler ended the drought with two three-balls from straight away to give the Cards a 9-4 lead. The run kept on plowing for Mentor until the 6’10 C.J. Yarian tested the water with a three of his own and hit it. Looking to score again, Key contributed for the first time of the night with an and-one. Little and Effertz took advantage of the final two possessions, scoring each to close the quarter trailing 16-11.

Waag started the second quarter with two trips to the free-throw line, perfect on both attempts. Raynor got inside after creating excellent positioning and scored for the Wildcats’ first point of the quarter. Culler answered with his third triple of the game. The give-and-take battle continued with a mid-range jumper from the Freshman Phenom. Off the bench, Alex Garcia rained in a three-pointer. Key and Chincone answered with four quick points. Hunting to keep it a close game, Little scored once again. Mentor still maintained the 30-20 lead midway through the quarter. Chicone had a hunger to achieve as he hit a three, and a smooth layup on back-to-back possessions took the Cardinals up by 14 to close the half.

The Wildcats suffered eight turnovers in the first half and needed a quick turnaround. Waag didn’t let that happen as he splashed in a three. On the offensive end for the Wildcats, their fourth charge of the game was called against them. With a 20 point lead, Mentor had this game in the palm of their hands. Yontek scored on a layup, trying to get the momentum rolling. Waag threw up a brick wall to Saint Ignatius’ hopes as he connected on his second three of the quarter. Little and Yarian each scored again but still trailed 44-27. With all of the McDonald’s All American attention, Culler received a beauty of a pass from Chicone and hit the three. Steven Key tacked on a three of his own to jump ahead even more. Effertz was unable to get going with two missed threes, and the offense seemed to fall apart for the Cats. The quarter ended with an inbound play executed as Chicone floated a lob up for Sean Collins.

The fourth began out of reach for the Wildcats and in need of a miracle. Yontek kicked off the quarter with two free throws. The Cardinals had the 52-28 lead and spent the quarter playing like a sink as they drained the clock. With minutes left in the game, there was little scoring all from the free-throw line. The game came to a close with no excitement in the third quarter and a final score of 58-33.

The tough weekend for the Wildcats is no testament to their season. Their regular-season record concluded at 14-6 with a solid winning streak proving this team can make a run into the playoffs. Coach Joyce and the Cats will play the winner of Parma and Twinsburg this Saturday, February 27th. Be sure to tune in on the SIBN as the blue and gold hunt for a ring in Columbus.

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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