By JOE ROSALINA ‘17

Over the summer, St. Ignatius added a new class to its list of summer school courses. Summer gym sessions were set up, as the senior and junior classes both were short on PE requirements, causing the logistical problem of trying to get anyone who did not meet the sport exemption into a class period. Thus, many people chose to sign up for one of seven sessions over the summer instead of packing their class schedules during the school year. There were four two week sessions, as well as three sessions spread out at different times. These were taught by four people: Mr. Johnson, Mr. Michals, Mr. Fossa, and Mr. Ganor. Mr. Jim Michals of the PE department, commented that the classes consisted of “pretty much what the freshman did, but some things that I thought would be enjoyable and fun.”

When asked about the curriculum setup and how much freedom teachers were given to do their own activities with classes, he said, “It wasn’t all a hundred percent, but it was close and we pretty much all did the same thing.” This curriculum included a variety of skill and fitness tests over the class period, as well as different sports and activities. Some of the more interesting activities included yoga on four different days, and a bike ride one day to Edgewater Park led by Mr. Nolan. Finally, when asked about whether or not he thought this was a success from both the school’s and the students’ perspectives, Mr. Michals closed with, “Yes. I think from the school’s perspective, they offered a variety of different options. I think the teachers tried to make it enjoyable, and the guys were cooperative and made the best of a bad situation.”

Logistically, this operation did seem to be a success, as the school is yet to have any major issues with students who are currently unable to meet their requirements. A few students also shared what they thought of the classes. Senior David Bauman, who was placed in one of the two week sessions, stated, “I thought it was more efficient and effective than the actual class, but the six hours didn’t go by very quickly.” The two week session, while seeming shorter than the full semester, was placed at a six hour time frame, from 8 AM to 2:30 PM, with an hour built in for lunch. In Mr. Michals’ two week session, this was shortened to forty-five minutes to allow for more time for activities. Another student, who had Mr. Johnson, commented that, “From the standpoint of being in one class it seemed like the focuses of the class were a little different. It looked like we did more actual sports, while they mostly did skill tests.” Whatever the case for the classes, this scenario seemed to play out well for the school, despite causing some students and teachers to lose a small part of their summer.

By ANDREW BENISEK ‘17

There is no one who would deny that Mr. Jim Skerl ‘74 completely changed the way Saint Ignatius High School is viewed by the community. Thus, members of the Saint Ignatius community have taken it upon themselves to continue to build the relationship he had nurtured so well. They are doing this not only by growing the service initiatives he started, but also by building a space for the community dedicated to the lives of two men that truly exemplified what it means to be a Man for Others.

The idea for the project came about in the fall of 2014, when Mr. Skerl’s health was declining at a rapid pace. Considering the monumental footprint he was about to leave behind at Saint Ignatius High School, many alumni and staff members felt he must be honored in a special way. He was presented with some project options, out of which he could chose one to have dedicated in his name. Mr. Skerl, being the humble man he was, did not want to take all the credit for his lifelong dedication to the school. Just as many saw Mr. Skerl as their role model, he had a mentor of his own, Mr. Michael Pennock ’64.

Mr. Pennock, known as “Doc” Pennock, was a theology teacher both at Saint Ignatius and John Carroll. He not only taught and hired Mr. Skerl, but also taught the majority of today’s theology department. “Doc” Pennock is also the author of many of the theology department’s textbooks. It has been said that Mr. Skerl’s inspiration came from “Doc” Pennock, and thus he wanted him to be included in any memorial that was erected in his honor.

The new space will be called the Marian Mall, after both mens’ devotion to The Blessed Mother. The Marian Mall will be a continuation of the current mall, going through Carroll Avenue towards Wasmer Field. The concrete and brick pathway will continue through the fence on the north side of the campus, bend to the right, then continue through luscious greenery leading to a grotto.

The Marian Mall is meant to be tranquil place for the members of the Saint Ignatius and Ohio City communities to reflect and pray. The main feature will be a grotto in front of the Jesuit Residence. The grotto will include a statue of the Virgin Mary standing inside of a water feature. Behind the statue will be a backlit pane of stained glass. This stained glass is original to the campus and has been stored in the basement of the Jesuit Residence since St. Mary’s Church was torn down to build the Clavius Center. On the wall of the grotto, the corporal works of mercy will be stamped into bronze plates. But perhaps the most meaningful part of the grotto will be an arch of size 13 footprints, made from an exact cast of Mr. Skerl’s feet.

The footprints will invite students and community members to follow in the footsteps of Mr. Skerl and regularly pray to Our Mother, Mary. Beneath the grotto, Student Senate will be burying a time capsule filled with relics from Saint Ignatius.

The Marian Mall will help us to remember both Mr. Skerl and Dr. Pennock in a way that is befitting of their importance to Saint Ignatius.

The Marian Mall is on track to be completed in November. There will be two dedications for the grotto, the first of which will be this fall. This will be a small gathering including a blessing and dedication. A much larger scale dedication will occur in the spring once all of the landscaping is completed and the space is considered completely finished.

“The Marian Mall will help us to remember both Mr. Skerl and Dr. Pennock in a way that is befitting of their importance to Saint Ignatius,” said Mr. Healey. “Like Mary, they were humble servants of the Lord, and both men were devoted to the Mother of God in the spirit of St. Ignatius himself. This Mall ensures that the memory and legacy of the two greatest religious educators in the history of our beloved Alma Mater will not only live, but will continue to grow as each new generation of Ignatians develop their own relationship with and devotion to Our Lady.”

This project will truly be an excellent way to honor the lives of the two men who dedicated their lives to Saint Ignatius and to the betterment of their community. The Marian Mall will serve as a constant reminder of what these men stood for, and will be the carrier of their legacies for years to come.

By TOMMY NAPOLI ‘17

Over the summer, the Breen Center hosted Comedy Central’s The Daily Show during the Republican National Convention. Originally scheduled for one week of preparation and another for broadcasting, the event took an extra week of setup and cleanup making it about a four week period. The show brought about 120 members of staff, and on the day before broadcasting began, around 175 people were working at the Breen.

Hosting the event brought about quite a few changes to the campus, many of which were beneficial and permanent. The Daily Show required a special flooring for tv cameras that would have caused damage to our stage floor if installed on top. Because of the requirements, the old stage floor was removed undamaged, and the brand new stage floor was installed courtesy of The Daily Show. Mr. Thomas, director of the Breen Center, stated that “now there’s a lot of supplies for the drama program to built sets for plays and musicals.” Additionally, since their connectivity demands were very strong, they installed a much better system that makes wireless access around the building easier and faster.

A number of less permanent changes also transformed the building. For example, the band room housed 64 cubicles equipped with phones and computers for staff members, and the chorus room had 32 more. The Thomas Room acted as a workshop for the writers. They would watch clips on a television and brainstorm ideas for the live broadcasting period. Trevor Noah even used one of the dressing rooms as his personal office.

Overall, the event was a huge success since the school was able to accommodate The Daily Show’s needs very well. It’s another impressive accomplishment for the school to be proud of. Mr. Thomas said that “it was just exciting to see all the things going on at campus and for them to be just really shocked that a high school would have a facility that could host a major tv show like this.” It’s important to remember that this wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work and dedication of the Saint Ignatius faculty and staff, as well.

If timing didn’t work out as perfectly as it did, the hosting of this event would not have been possible. There were no students displaced from normal activities because it was during the summer. If it had been a few weeks earlier, the timing would have conflicted with the SEP program. A few weeks later and it would’ve conflicted with band camp and the school year starting up.

Because Saint Ignatius was able to accommodate The Daily Show so well, there is potential for our hosting events of similar scale in the future. When a show as well known as The Daily Show uses these facilities, word will spread and others might seek to book it down the road. According to Mr. Thomas, the Breen Center would love to do something like this again, but time is still the most limiting factor.