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Science Olympiad travels to the 2020 Fairfax Invitational
by Jason Zhang ’20
The Saint Ignatius Science Olympiad team traveled to Fairfax over the weekend to compete in the 2020 Fairfax Invitational. Despite finishing seventh overall, they saw great individual placements such as a first place in Ornithology, a second place in Sounds of Music, and multiple other placements in the majority of our events. In addition, the team was able to tour Washington DC the day before the competition which made some lasting memories for both teammates and coaches alike.
New law nixes Senior Smoke Day
By Ferenc Somogyi ’21
Our school is different. It’s unique. Some might even call it old-fashioned. And the truth is, they’re right. Saint Ignatius has traditions that can’t be found anywhere else in American high schools. One of the most famous –- or infamous, depending on your perspective –- is Senior Smoke Day.
Senior Smoke Day is almost like a myth on campus. No freshman actually thinks it exists until they see it with their own eyes. And kids from other schools, hearing about it, think Ignatius students are nothing short of crazy for keeping this tradition.
The day has always been controversial. Today, the ramifications of smoking are clear – and this causes many to hesitate even at the idea of havin
g one cigar on one day with teachers and friends at school. But more than the smoking, the day is about camaraderie. It’s been one of the last opportunities for seniors to bond before graduation. Teachers get to take pictures with and witness the last laughs of students they’ve seen grow over four years. Senior Smoke Day is special and different, just like our school.
Whether one personally agrees with it or not, its loss will leave a gap of tradition that must be filled. Ohio state law on tobacco has made Senior Smoke Day obsolete. Mr. Martin, the Assistant Principal for Student Life, emphasizes that the school administration was adhering to state rules to prevent students from legal problems when Senior Smoke Day was annulled. Furthermore, the school administration fully supports the senior class in finding a way to fill the gap the loss of this tradition leaves.
Senior class president Will Sullivan and the rest of the senior class, along with senior class moderators Dr. Fior and Mr. Betz, have been brainstorming new tradition ideas since they found out about the cancellation of Senior Smoke Day. Mr. Martin explains that the school administration is open to helping seniors create their new event.
It’s up to the students to create a lasting new custom that will foster the same end-of-highschool camaraderie as Senior Smoke Day. And though Senior Smoke Day was old-fashioned and unique, something just as significant as it can surely be established.
It’s not very often that students have the chance presented to them to change the traditions of their high school for generations to come. Now is the chance for Saint Ignatius seniors to shine as they truly lead the school in finding a new custom to last for ages to come.
A student’s take the on student lunch options
By Michael Chopra ‘20
Picture this: you come to visit Saint Ignatius High School on a school day as a parent of a prospective student. You are awestruck by the beautiful scenery of the campus, impressed by the wonderful facilities that the school has to offer, and captivated by the amazing faculty and staff that make the school work. Then, in your delightful astonishment, you make your way to the cafeteria in the Rade Dining Hall to see what hearty and exquisite nourishment awaits the hungry student in this Disneyland-esque utopia. You walk into the café, past a sign that designates what a healthy school meal consists of: select amounts of fruits, grains, vegetables and a protein. “Maybe my son will finally eat healthy for once” you say. You are excited to finally get to see the food, so you stride over to the entrée station where you see… macaroni and cheese topped with chicken nuggets… for five dollars.
In general, Americans do not eat a very healthy diet. The very fact that a meal is considered as a hamburger with French fries washed down by a Coke proves that. That’s not a meal; that’s an indulgence. It’s also not very healthy or nutritious, by the way. Also, where are the fruits or vegetables in that?
According to the U.S. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, three-fourths of the population has an eating pattern that is low in vegetables and fruits, and most Americans exceed the recommendations for added sugars and saturated fats. “No! That’s not me!” you say. Perhaps. But eating patterns like that definitely occur in the cafeteria. On a daily basis, it is quite difficult to meet all four categories of fruits, vegetables, grains, and a protein when eating a meal from the cafeteria. That is unless you buy the main line meal, and then a salad, and then a piece of fruit, and then a pint of milk if you want some dairy. All of this will add up to a price of, we’ll say, $10 for a possibly healthy lunch, and this on a daily basis, for a student. Rack up those Wildcards, gentlemen.
To be frank, I don’t think that it should be that expensive for a healthy school lunch, and I also don’t think that one should have to go to four different places just to satisfy all of the recommended meal food groups (I also don’t think that we should have a station designated as the “fry station” on a daily basis). I think that the cafeteria should have at least one, singular meal every day that can be qualified as healthy.
We are a Jesuit school, and we adhere to the Jesuit philosophy of cura personalis, or “care for the whole person.” Fostering health and wellness for students with the food served in the cafeteria is undoubtedly an aspect of that philosophy. There are many Jesuit schools that apply cura personalis to their lunch programs. Take Creighton Prep, a Jesuit high school in Nebraska, for example. According to their website, they provide “a full lunch menu on a daily basis, complete with a wide variety of fresh, healthy foods and different portion sizes.” And their students can return for seconds if they’d like! Students at Creighton Prep do not have to pay daily for their meals, as the annual fee for their lunches is included in tuition. They are great meals by the way, and some examples of entrees include “steakhouse marinated pork tenderloin” and even a “chipotle black bean burger,” and all meals are served with some form of fruits and vegetables. Now that’s a school
lunch I can get behind.
You might think that I sound particular or strict about the fact that our food isn’t very healthy. But think about it: a student who is taking six to seven classes and involved with sports or extracurricular activities should absolutely be getting quality nutrition from the school they attend, especially here at Ignatius, considering how rigorous classes and outside activities can be.
That being said, I do believe that there are some good food options in the cafeteria such as the great salad bar, the soups, and occasionally the action station. And those cookies in the morning are the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever had! All in all, what I’m offering here is a suggestion for the cafeteria to explore options of offering more nutritious and higher-quality options for both the students and the faculty/staff here who purchase food from the cafeteria. Saint Ignatius is an unbelievably great and unique institution across the board, but when there is a problem or a deficiency with one of its components, it needs to be addressed and acted upon to ensure that all aspects of the school reflect its mission and style.
MOVIE REVIEW: Racing to the Oscars with Ford v Ferrari
By Darien Kulchytsky ‘21
To be honest, I never thought I’d write a movie review. Much less in this era, where movies are either live action or superhero flicks. But going to the theater with my friends the week before Thanksgiving changed all this.
It was a cold Saturday afternoon. After looking at the movies scheduled for the third time, I was distraught at how unfamiliar they were. Ford v Ferrari, Midway, Knives Out, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. At first glance, these movies looked either boring or too long, some both. But finally, I pitched the idea to watch Ford v Ferrari, a movie that I wasn’t too keen on, but it would do. With a run time of 2 hours and 32 minutes, I prepared myself for a snoozer. I mistakenly believed that this movie was only for car fans.
Sitting in the movie theater, I watched the first moments of the movie unfold, with Caroll Shelby (portrayed by Matt Damon) driving the 24 Hours of Le Mans in complete darkness. Now the Le Mans race is an actual event held in June every year, with drivers facing 24 hours on dirt roads at incredibly high speeds. To say it’s dangerous would be sugarcoating it. And to remind you, they are going more than 190 mph, a speed none of us can even begin to comprehend. The movie’s tagline quotation explains it best:
“There’s a point at 7,000 RPMs (revolutions per minute) where everything fades: the machine becomes weightless. It disappears. All that’s left, a body moving through space, and time.”
The movie focuses on Caroll Shelby, owner of Shelby American and 1959 Le Mans winner. He is approached by the automobile company Ford, who asks in his aid in building a car fast enough to beat Ferrari at Le Mans. This idea, proposed by Vice President Lee Iococca, meant to boost car sales at the company. They predicted that if Ford won, people would see the brand as a winner and buy Ford automobiles. And so Caroll Shelby and his automobile company set upon building the world’s fastest car to beat the the most prominent race car brand at the time, Ferrari. In 90 days.
Shelby began with hiring his British racer friend who worked as an auto mechanic, Ken Miles (Christian Bale). The 2 started their race to victory by modifying the original Ford GT40 Mk I (GT = Grand Touring; 40 = height in inches; Mk = Mark). The GT40 had been the car used in previous races at Le Mans, but met little success. Shelby and Miles modified this car, adding new parts and taking out unnecessary functions. After 90 days of tinkering at the Los Angeles International Airport, the Ford GT40 Mk II was created.
The imagery used during the testing of the Mk II created a suspenseful action scene. The variety of perspective shots inside the car and out as well as the audio made the viewer feel as if they were actually in the car. A nail-biting scene shown through expert camera work was the Mark II’s brake failure. With the brakes useless, the Mk II crashed straight into barrels, with pieces of it flying all over. The film made it seem as if Ken Miles had died, displaying footage of his son and wife looking anxiously at the damage. But Miles did live to see another day. This scene really demonstrated the risk of driving at such high speeds and the dangers of being a race car driver.
Other than risky driving, the movie portrayed the strenuous conflict of choosing the perfect driver for the race. Shelby originally chose Ken Miles, but Ford did not approve. Miles was too hot-tempered and headstrong for the Ford PR. He was passionate about his occupation, but was very opinionated. Shelby, convinced of his friend’s racing ability, fought with Ford, confident in Miles’ ability to win. To prove his point, he took Henry Ford II in a 7,000 RPM (190 mph) car ride. Ford II was so baffled at how fast the speed was he began to cry. And so a compromise was made, a promise that Miles would race as long as he won 24 Hours at Daytona. Not surprisingly, he did, stealing the seat for the race at Le Mans.
“The only question that really matters: Who are you?”
After much preparation, race day came: June 18, 1966. Ford was ready to face its rival, Ferrari, by entering 3 drivers into the race, including Miles. At the start of the race, Miles had a faulty door that would not close, losing critical race time and leaving him close to last. But as the race continued to the next day, Ford got lucky as Ferrari experienced brake failure, eliminating them from the race. Thanks to Ferrari, Miles was in the lead. But an order by VP Leo Beebe changed the results of the race, prompting all three Ford cars to finish at the same time for a glorious photo finish. Miles eventually relented, and all three cars crossed the finish line at the same time. Unfortunately, on a technicality, Miles was awarded 2nd place, while the other two Ford racers took 1st and 3rd.
The unfairness of life is demonstrated through Miles’ loss, but an acceptance is seen in his reaction, an acceptance of the unfairness of life. You can’t always win. Miles was able to take the experience of doing what he loved, driving, from the race, not 2nd. A particularly unexpected ending to a movie that I thought would be the triumph of victory. The movie then went on to display a scene 2 months after the race. Miles is testing a new race car, the J-Bar, and, unfortunately, experiences brake failure, resulting in his death! Just when I thought the movie had finished surprising me, it shocked me with that bombshell! But this goes on to prove my original point. Ford v Ferrari is not only a “race car movie,” but much more. It is one of friendship, love, competition and endurance. Go see this astonishing film. You won’t regret it.
What’s on your Christmas playlist?
Nice
1. Feliz Navidad
2. Baby It’s Cold Outside
3. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
4. It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
5. You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch
5. It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
7. Jingle Bell Rock
7. Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree
9. Silent Night
9. (There’s No Place Like) Home for the Holidays 9. Jingle Bells
9. Deck the Halls
Naughty
1. The Chimpmuk Song
2. All I Want for Christmas (Is My Two Front Teeth) 2. Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer
4. All I Want for Christmas is You
4. I Want a Hippopatamus for Christmas
6. Santa Baby
7. Away in a Manger
7. Blue Christmas
7. Feliz Navidad
7. Frosty the Snowman
11. Do You Hear What I Hear?
11. Mele Kelekimaka
Alley Cats Update
By Bobby Gerome ‘21
The bowling team is coming off of a season in which they sent a player to the state tournament for just the second time in program history. This season, they hope to do the same. Although this year’s 18 man squad will be young, the team has a lot of potential, and can go far. Leading the team are co-captains Alex Madeja and Noah Virant. These two have been great leaders for the Wildcats so far, and will continue to show the ropes to a team of mostly underclassmen. They have also been fantastic bowlers in their three year tenure with the Wildcat program and will improve on what they have already accomplished.
Joining Madeja and Virant are multiple talented juniors that add strength and depth to the roster. These juniors are Dylan Huss, Ryan Wallenhorst, Ben Gehrlein, and Andrew Fornadel. Finalizing the varsity lineup this year are sophomores Alex Vacca, Colin Trahm, and Sean Ward, who won the title of most improved player last year. The JV lineup will also be fun to watch this season. Some notable names on the JV lineup are Robby Shepherd, and Larry McGarry. With all of the youth and talent they have, the Alley Cats have the potential to be great this year, and for years to come.
Veteran swim team poised for big year
By Bobby Gerome ‘21
Coming off of an impressive season last year, the Aqua Cats will be an impressive team to watch this year. The promising roster is loaded with lots of returning juniors and seniors who can take this team a long way. The talent all starts with the eleven seniors who have been extraordinary in the past. Leading the way are Cormac Nolan and John Soeder, who both had remarkable seasons last year. Other seniors to look out for are Kian Charmichael, Cameron Marcie, Brian Johnson, Daymyen Haywood, Robert Gavigan, Jack Johannessen, Luke Slabe, and John Zaky. In their time at Ignatius, the junior class has opened the eyes of many Wildcat fans.
Two juniors who are on a different level are Tyler Hong and Joe Richmond, who are two of the anchors in several events. Other successful juniors are Kartar Vig, Michael Bednar, Thomas Metz, Zach Toothman, Will Van de Walle, Will Trenta, Damon Durrah, and Brice Cerar. Two divers who will also make a huge impact on the program this year are senior Noah Keim and junior Will Claus. The swimming and diving team this year is stacked with lots of returning juniors and seniors who have had experience swimming at districts, and the state meet. The talent the team possesses this year will help the Aqua Cats go far this year.
