The Welsh Academy's new building which opened in October. Photo via Nathan Kuczmarski '22.
By Nathan Kuczmarski ’22 and Terry McCafferty ’22
After several months without any COVID-19 cases, a student at The Welsh Academy has tested positive for the virus this past Tuesday. Because of the small size of the school– under 50 students–this single case led to more than 15% of the student body to be quarantined. As previously outlined in guidelines given by the school, this percentage surpassed the threshold required to move students online. In response, the school has followed through on these procedures in a push to maintain safety.
This story is still developing. Please check back for updates.
Though there have been many setbacks in terms of singing, the Saint Ignatius Chorus, against all odds, has been able to assemble together to sing “River in Judea”. The beautiful singing shines brightly as a symbol of hope, hope for a better future. Against all odds, the Chorus, only meeting 2-3 times a week, has been able to assemble this piece for your enjoyment. Kudos to the Chorus and their enthusiastic director, Mr. Croglio.
So you want to stay in person, sports to continue, and other activities to resume?
By Terry McCafferty ‘22
The decision is increasingly in your hands. It has become clear that in recent weeks the Saint Ignatius High School Administration is reevaluating their previous official COVID policy. At the start of the school year, the official position of the school was to move off campus if Cuyahoga County went from Level 3 (red) to Level 4 (purple) on the Ohio Department of Health’s map OR if between 5-10% of students or 15% of staff are quarantined. From interviews conducted by The Eye with Principal Dr. Fior and Head of Discipline Mr. Franzinger, it has become evident that there is an ongoing conversation within the school’s halls of power over whether classes will remain in person regardless of if the county turns purple, which could very well happen as we head into the fall months.
Original school policy which is now apparently “on the table” for discussion according to Dr. Fior.
When Dr. Fior was asked point blank by reporter Nathan Kuczmarski ‘22 if he would stand by the school’s original policy, he did not answer in the affirmative and instead said, “I think we should consider everything on the table.” When pressed on if this should be interpreted as there being a possibility that the school would continue if the county turns purple but the Governor didn’t mandate otherwise, he conceded “there is always a chance.”
Mr. Franzinger went even further in calling into question the original official school policy saying, “Are we beholden to the county’s numbers or more so our own communities numbers? I think we’ve done a great job, so we should for those efforts hopefully be able to stay.”
If the leaders of our school are possibly willing to prioritize internal numbers over county numbers as long as our internal numbers remain low, every individual student’s impact on the future of the school year increases drastically. Every COVID case Saint Ignatius has takes us one step closer to going online.
Therefore, there is no better time than now to double down on our efforts to remain healthy. So far, based on both anecdotal evidence from the principal and our continued low COVID counts, the students and teachers have been doing a relatively good job following the safety guidelines. However, if we want to stay in person, sports to continue, and other activities to resume, we must continue to be persistent about wearing masks, constantly wash hands, and physically distance as much as possible. But that is just the easy part. If we want to really make a difference, we have to lead the way and help others make the same responsible decisions. Don’t be afraid to remind others to follow these rules when they forget.
“Men for others” is more than just a slogan, it is what Ignatian men aspire to be. Dr. Fior mentioned that mask wearing was a clear example of being a “man for others” and was also an “act of charity.” This is our chance. This is your chance. In these fall months, being a man for others isn’t hard. You don’t need to be martyred. You don’t have to give away everything you own to the poor. You don’t have to start a big charity or lead some extensive operation. All you have to do is keep keeping yourself and others safe and be more persistent in encouraging your peers to do the same.
This is our test, our mission is clear. Can our school continue to overcome this enduring challenge of staying healthy into the fall months and holidays? The choice is yours.
Last week, Cuyahoga County was one of just three counties in Ohio placed on the “watchlist” to go from Level 3 “Red” to Level 4 “Purple” on the state’s color-coded coronavirus risk advisory map due to a significant increase in cases within the county.
Map via coronavirus.ohio.gov, last updated 10/22
On the map, each county is given a color of yellow, orange, red, or purple based on its level of coronavirus incidence or the prominence of the virus in the area. On the scale, yellow is the lowest rating while purple represents the most severe exposure incidence within a county.
Thursday, Governor Mike DeWine updated the map and displayed Cuyahoga County remained in red. Despite this positive conclusion, to begin his press conference, DeWine noted there were a record 3,590 new coronavirus cases on Thursday signaling the fight against purple is not yet over for Cuyahoga County and others. As a result, many Saint Ignatius students and teachers still wait in anticipation to see if the school will close if the county does turn purple.
In emails to students and parents at the beginning of the year, Principal Dr. Anthony Fior outlined the administration’s policy based on various levels of incidence as shown in the illustration.
Saint Ignatius health advisory system given at the beginning of the year
Additionally, Dr. Fior noted that if the school’s “internal number of students in quarantine are between 5-10% or if [the school’s] staff numbers rise above 15%,” then the school would shift to its Off Campus Schedule.
The Off Campus Schedule would entail students returning to their homes and being instructed virtually through live lectures on Zoom, pre-recorded videos, or other comparable methods.
This decision to go online if the county changes to purple, however, was made in a time of relatively high uncertainty of how going back to school would play out. Now, being eight weeks into the school year, Saint Ignatius has shown it can pass with few students testing positive for the coronavirus, although this does not guarantee these numbers capture every case.
Saint Ignatius coronavirus cases as of October 28
According to Dr. Fior, 4 students tested positive for the coronavirus in the last week and a total of 28 are quarantined–less than 2% of the total student population. Knowing this, some question whether a shift to virtual learning would truly be necessary or if it would just initiate unneeded difficulties into the lives of students.
Junior Dominic Wilson was one advocate for this as he contended: “I believe that in person learning is the best course of action at this point in time for Saint Ignatius, due to the low numbers of cases that we have been experiencing, so long as we maintain our level of vigilance in dealing with this virus.”
Not all students feel this way, however. As noted in an article showing the perspective of a distanced learner, an estimated 70 students opted to learn online and have been doing so since the beginning of the year. Since then, cases in Ohio have risen dramatically so it is without a doubt that many students are reconsidering their choice to join classes in-person.
Following a question of whether the previous given coronavirus policy would be followed, Dr. Fior responded: “I think one of the things that we have to remind ourselves is we’ve learned a lot about the virus from where we were in March. We knew more in the summer than we did last March. We know more now in October than we did in August when we made our original plans. We know that schools are not super-spreaders.”
Such a reply hints a change to policy could be possible given the new information the school has learned throughout the year. Dr. Fior was not definitive in such a decision, however, as he noted “we constantly consult with our medical team, the Diocese of Cleveland, other private schools, we are in dialogue with other principals, and we look at our internal numbers.”
Upon further questioning, Dr. Fior added that the administration was also awaiting the governor’s message to choose a course of action. A clear direction is unlikely to come from Columbus, however. In a press briefing yesterday, Governor DeWine told reporters “we will not issue any orders tomorrow about the closure of schools,” signaling that the decision will be up to schools just as it has been.
In explaining this logic, DeWine highlighted the importance of looking at local levels and “zip codes” of coronavirus infection to inform decisions. This task is no easy one for Saint Ignatius, though, as its students come from over 95 cities across Northeast Ohio. Nonetheless, the data proving internal spread can stay low is a solid indicator of whether school should remain in-person.
In general, Dr. Fior expressed a cautious interest in remaining on campus as he said “I do not want to be the principal who tells the soccer team or the cross country team that you’re in the middle of the playoffs and guess what guys you can’t compete?” Despite that desire, he still held that the ultimate goal was to “protect, and look out for the health and wellbeing of our community as best we can,” displaying an internal conflict to do what is best.
To hammer in safety, Dr. Fior pushed for steady and even increased vigilance when it comes to the wearing of masks as he called doing so “an act of charity” and asked for “gentle reminders” to be given to those who may forget to adhere to protocols. He said this was especially important now as cases are rising and it is ultimately the “small act of wearing a mask” that has allowed Ignatians to stay on campus up until now.
Despite these precautions, the future remains uncertain and it could take just one event or action to change the course of the rest of the school year. Nonetheless, based on the interview with Dr. Fior and other communications from the school, the current plan of action is to make a shift to virtual learning if the county goes purple, but a policy change is also always possible.
Location, location, location. The most important part of success in business. The Ohio City Plaza Project takes this to heart with its construction of a 10-story mixed use development. According to Homa Bash, a reporter for News 5 Cleveland, the new complex will include “250 apartments and 75,000 square feet of retail space.” The best part: it’s within walking distance from the West Side Market, Ohio City restaurants, and the RTA Red Line Station, making the area very convenient for future residents.
The project is being built across the street from the West Side Market, where a strip mall called Market Plaza used to exist. Construction has already begun, with the concrete frame for the elevator visible from Saint Ignatius. It is important to note that the whole building will be constructed with wood. When completed, the complex will be the tallest mass timber building in the US.
The official name for the project is “INTRO”. The idea is to introduce something new to the historic Ohio City, and create housing and businesses easily accessible to downtown life. According to WKYC Studios, the complex will even feature a new apartment concept called the “micro-apartment.” This type of housing is small, efficient and modern, bound to attract the younger generation of business workers.
So how does this impact Ignatius? Well, for one, it will definitely mean more traffic on Lorain and West 25th Street (yay!). That being said, the people traffic on the sidewalks multiply in tandem with the new apartments. A concrete pro of the complex will be the new food options and a small park for passersby. Most importantly, it will add modernity to the beautiful Ohio City, and will hopefully boost its popularity. The project will be completed in 2022, so look out for the rising structure as you cross the street!
But Deeper Analysis of the Results Flash Warning Signs for the Incumbent President
In keeping with school tradition, the student-led publication of Saint Ignatius High School hosted a mock election for students to participate in this fall. Lasting from Tuesday to Friday on the week before Election Day in America, the mock election gave students the opportunity to make their voices heard. While in past years
, mock elections have been conducted with in-person voting in places such as the cafeteria, this year students cast their ballots using a secure Google Form which was emailed to all students twice throughout the voting period. The Eye also hung posters around campus with QR codes linking to their online ballot.
578 total votes were cast in this mock election, more votes than the 394 cast in 2012, the 461 votes cast in the 2016 primary, and the 316 votes cast in the 2020 primary which concluded on the last day of in-person learning last spring prior to the first COVID shutdown. In addition to being a fun school tradition, the mock election reveals much about not only the views of current Saint Ignatius High school students, but trends over the years, possible outcomes of the actual elections, and more. As The Eye’s team continues to process the results, additional discoveries will continue to be shared with readers in future features. This article will mainly feature the results and their implications for the actual election tomorrow.
OHIO SUPREME COURT RESULTS:
The only race that will appear on the ballot across the entire state of Ohio this November, other than the presidential election, are two races for the Ohio Supreme Court. The Supreme Court of the State of Ohio is the highest court in the state, with final authority over interpretations of Ohio law and the Ohio Constitution. The court has seven members, a chief justice and six associate justices, each serving six-year terms.
This fall, two seats will be decided upon by Ohio voters. In the mock election’s first incredibly close Ohio Supreme Court race, four votes made the difference for Republican Candidate Sharon L. Kennedy who bested Democratic Candidate John P. O’Donnell with 183 votes to 179 vote, a 1.0% margin. Additionally, in the even closer second Ohio Supreme Court race, Republican Candidate Judi French bested Democratic Candidate Jennifer Brunner with 180 votes to 178 votes, a two vote, 0.6% margin. In both of these races, in accordance with the official Ohio ballot, party affiliation didn’t appear next to the candidates’ names, which all but certainly was a key factor in how close the results were.
CONGRESSIONAL RESULTS:
Map of the mock election congressional results.
Along with the Ohio Supreme Court, this year students voted on various Congressional races based on which District they reside in. Here are those results:
In House District Four, incumbent Republican Candidate Jim Jordan bested Democratic Candidate Shannon Freshour with 6 votes to 1 vote, a 71.4% margin.
In House District Seven, incumbent Republican Candidate Bob Gibbs bested Democratic Candidate Quentin Potter with 20 votes to 10 votes, a 33.3% margin.
In House District Nine, Republican Candidate Rob Weber bested incumbent Democratic Candidate Marcy Kaptur with 42 votes to 28 votes, a 20% margin.
In House District Eleven, incumbent Democratic Candidate Marcia Fudge bested Republican Candidate Laverne Gore with 38 votes to 32 votes, a 8.6% margin.
In House District Thirteen, Republican Candidate Christina Hagan bested incumbent Democratic Candidate Tim Ryan with 6 votes to 1 votes, a 71.4% margin.
In House District Fourteen, incumbent Republican Candidate David Joyce bested Democratic Candidate Hillary O’Connor Mueri with 44 votes to 14 votes, a 51.8% margin.
Lastly, in House District Sixteen, incumbent Republican and graduate of Saint Ignatius High School Candidate Anthony Gonzalez bested Democratic Candidate Aaron Godfrey with 83 votes to 26 votes, a 52.2% margin.
The Congressional races were all but a clean sweep for Republicans with incumbent Marcia Fudge being the only Democrat to win. If all of the votes in all of these individual races are tallied, the Republican candidates collectively beat the Democratic candidates by 233 votes to 188 votes, a 32.7% margin.
PRESIDENTIAL RESULTS:
Four years ago, Saint Ignatius students picked Donald Trump to be the next president of the United States over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by a 30.4% margin. The electoral college followed suit and Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th president. After four years of Donald Trump’s presidency, Saint Ignatius has voted again, this time with an entirely new student body deciding whether to reelect President Trump or elect one of his challengers.
Joe Biden, former Vice President and Senator from Delaware won the nomination of the Democratic Party, beating Sen. Bernie Sanders and a pack of more than 20 other candidates. In that primary election, Saint Ignatius students voting in the Democratic primary chose Sanders over Biden by a mere two votes. Yet after winning the nomination, Sanders quickly endorsed Biden and has been working to get him elected ever since to the relief of some and the chagrin of others. Other presidential candidates set to appear on the Ohio ballot, who have been largely ignored throughout the campaign, include Howie Hawkins of the Green Party and Jo Jorgensen of the Libertarian Party. Also included on the mock election ballot was an option to cast a vote for a write-in candidate.
The results of the presidential election are as follows:
In eight place, write-in candidates with one vote, 0.17% of the total votes cast including Alejandro Dure, Chester Stone, John Mullen, Mike Bloomberg, and Nolan Manger. In seventh place, write-in candidate Andrew Yang with 2 votes, 0.3% of the total votes. In sixth place, write-in candidate Junior Braeden Pentz with 4 votes, 0.7% of the total votes.
In fifth place, Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins with 9 votes, 1.6% of the total votes. In fourth place, Libertarian Party candidate Jo Jorgensen with 17 votes, 2.9% of the total votes. In third place, the only write-in candidate to surpass 1% with 21 votes, 3.6% of the total votes, write-in candidate Kanye West.
In second place, with 188 votes, 32.5% of the total votes, 20 zip codes, the majority of independent voters, and the majority of seniors registered to vote, the runner up in this mock election: Democratic Party candidate Joe Biden.
In first place, the winner who carried all four classes of students, and prevailed in more than 40 zip codes, with 330 votes, 57.1% of the total vote cast: the incumbent Republican Party candidate Donald Trump.
RESULT BREAKDOWNS:
When the results are broken down by class, the trend that has been noticed in every presidential mock election starting in 2012 clearly held true in 2020. The freshman class were the most conservative voters and the seniors were the most liberal. There are various theories behind why this trend has always held true including that as students grow they begin making more judgements for themselves, as opposed to deferring to their parents. Another theory is that an education at Saint Ignatius gradually makes students less conservative politically.
Trump won all four classes of students, which is good news for those wishing to see him win reelection. In 2016, after winning all four classes of students at Saint Ignatius by bigger margins than seen in this mock election, he went on to win the state of Ohio by around 8%. That differs from the last time a D
emocrat won the state of Ohio, in 2012, when Barack Obama won the vote of the senior class over Mitt Romney. If the senior class continues their perfect record of predicting the president, Trump will win the state of Ohio and potentially the election.
Yet the results by class are not entirely positive for the president. Registered seniors, the students actually casting votes in this election, voted for Biden over Trump by 25 votes to 22 votes. If Trump was unable to win registered seniors in a predominantly white, upper-middle class, all-male school, he may not be on track to win in Ohio as a first glance at the results may lead one to believe.
RESULTS BY PARTY AFFILIATION:
The results broken down by party affiliation reveal more about the probable outcomes of the presidential election in the state of Ohio. While the Republican vote predictably went overwhelmingly in favor of Trump, 10 Republicans or about 3.6% did vote for Biden. This is a sign that a select group never-Trump Republican voter does continue to exist. It is possible that the president’s constant attempts to appeal to the conservative base or his coronavirus response may be alienating more moderate Republicans. It is also possible that these voters are unable to support Trump because they see him as morally-unfit or lacking in the character needed to be president, but they still consider themselves Republicans.
Half of Independent voters picked Biden while 38% chose Trump. Additionally, only one Democrat voted for Trump in the entire election. 40% of Libertarians picked Trump over their own party’s candidate, Jo Jorgenson and an astounding 80% of Green Party members favored Biden over their own candidate, Howie Hawkins.
OTHER RESULTS:
Here are our additional maps, charts, and graphs (will populate throughout the day):
CONCLUSION:
As The Eye continues to process the results, we will continue to publish more content breaking it all down for our readers. Until then, thank you for reading this article and thank you to all the students who voted in the mock election. Thank you for caring about the future of our nation and our world.
Jerick McKinnon RB (49ers): With Raheem Mostert out again and Tevin Coleman not fully healthy, McKinnon is planned to carry the ball for the majority of the game. His numbers as starter: 16.7 points against the Giants and 22.7 points against the Eagles.
Boston Scott RB (Eagles): The Eagles have lost another big weapon in starting RB Miles Sanders. Boston Scott is the next man up and has a favorable matchup against the Giants on Thursday. However, don’t plan on holding Scott for long, as Sanders has only a minor knee injury and could be back as soon as next week.
Ryan Tannehill QB (Titans): Tannehill has been nothing short of amazing through these first six weeks, averaging 23.5 fantasy points. The only concern with Tannehill is his matchup this week against one of, if not the best, defense in the Pittsburgh Steelers. Other than that he is a lock in QB going forward or a solid asset for trades.
Mike Williams WR (Chargers): Mike Williams is the Chargers number two target and a deep threat. Two weeks ago, Williams had a 27.9 fantasy point week with five receptions for 109 yards and two touchdowns. Lead receiver Keenan Allen did go out early in that game but Williams is a more than capable receiver to put up consistent points.
Tee Higgins WR (Bengals): Higgins is one of many solid receivers in the Cincinnati offense and is mainly used as a deep threat for Joe Burrow. Higgins is averaging 11.6 points and offers a solid flex play in deeper leagues.
With the state tournament just around the corner, the golf cats have high hopes. Even with a shortened schedule, the team has played phenomenally this season. The team recently tied a school record by winning their eleventh tournament of the year. This elite group of young golfers have proven they have what it takes to be state champs. Most significant for the team are Bradley Chill Jr. ’24, Connor Maliki ’23, and Nick Pieson ’23, demonstrating expertise on the green, and serving as key pieces on the team. Senior Nick Longano has served his team well in the past four years, and looks to cap off his Wildcat career with a state championship. Then there’s Topher Reed, who set the school record last year with a season average of 71.2 strokes; he has only continued his stardom this year. The Ohio State commit will be crucial to the team’s success in the tournament. The team has played a fantastic season leading up to the state championship, and hope to continue this trend. If the team keeps playing the way they have been this season, there is no doubt in my mind they can bring home some hardware. “This is one of the best high school golf teams I have ever seen and I have total faith in my guys going into this tournament,” said head coach PJ Myers ‘99.
When the results are broken down by class, the trend that has been noticed in every presidential mock election starting in 2012 clearly held true in 2020. The freshman class were the most conservative voters and the seniors were the most liberal. There are various theories behind why this trend has always held true including that as students grow they begin making more judgements for themselves, as opposed to deferring to their parents. Another theory is that an education at Saint Ignatius gradually makes students less conservative politically. 
CONCLUSION: 
