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Wildcats wow at Tri-C High School Rock Off

by Dylan Welch ’15 and James Zajaczkowski ’15

Staged at the world-renowned Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Tri-C High School Rock-Off began Friday January, 9th and the first night was a blast of good, clean fun for all ages. The night was filled with energy, and the crowd had to be pleased with the diverse sound ranging from light acoustic to hard punk rock.

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Candela’s guitarist, Casey Sobecks

Appropriately, the night was kicked off with a cover of The Beatles’ “Back in the U.S.S.R.” by the band Herman from North Ridgeville. Parts of Pieces, a band out of Walsh Jesuit, followed suit and kept the energy up with a tremendous performance of “War Pigs” by Black Sabbath. Desperate Endeavor from NDCL slowed down the tempo considerably with a friendly acoustic set. To follow, Fladnar & Friends came back with more hard rock. A purely instrumental band, they impressed with heavy doses of guitar riffs and instrument solos.

As the night progressed towards primetime, some Wildcats finally got in on the action. Never Surrender came on and did not disappoint. Holden Szalek ‘15 owned the drums as his band gave arguably one of the strongest performances of the evening. Led by their singer, they had a confident stage presence, and it showed on their rendition of “Heartbreaker” from Pat Benetar. Their set was capped off with an impressive original tune named after the band itself, Never Surrender. Ultimately, they were voted to move onto the next round of the Rock-off and clearly earned it.

Soon after, there was a slight break in the action as National Guard representatives were in attendance and sponsored a push-up contest on stage. Two Wildcats, David Sisson ‘15 and Mitch White ‘15 were brave enough to enter and gave their best shot. Sisson put up a valiant effort and came away as runner-up.

However, they were not the only Wildcat students in attendance as the place seemed to be filled with them by the night’s end, especially with fan favorite Candela soon to follow. Casey Sobecks ‘15 was on guitar and vocals and Rex Larkman ‘15 manned the drum set for what was a superb set. Just before he went on Rex told us, “I’m so stoked. I just ate food. I’m feeling good.” It showed as they had the crowd clapping, cheering, and even swaying along for nearly every song.

Capping off the event, The Blkshrts, a two-person band from Westlake, sent everyone home happy with a great finish. All in all, the Wildcat students participating in the bands and audience added a lot to the awesome event.

List of Bands

Herman
Parts of Pieces
Desperate Endeavor
Fladnar Friends
Never Surrender
The Foolish Souls
Candela
The Blkshrts

 

Artist spotlight: Never Surrender

by Sam Royer ’15

Last week, on January 9, Holden Szalek ‘15 and Paul Kolbus ‘18 left school with a feeling of excitement and anticipation. That night, Holden and Paul, along with their band “Never Surrender,” played the 19th Annual Tri-C High School Rock Off at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. “It’s pretty exciting playing at a venue like the Rock Hall, especially with a ton of people cheering and supporting you. Performing music for anyone always excites me, I get to share my talent with them, just kickin it and ripping off some licks on stage,” Szalek, the drummer of the band, said.

Held at the House of Blues last year, the Rock Off receives about 200 applications a year and chooses 50 to perform. “Live Nation, who sponsors the event, put out applications for any band interested. So we decided to sign up and we got in,” Szalek said.

A Rock Alternative band, Never Surrender’s main influences include the Black Keys and Dream Theater.

The band shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon. “We’re hoping to finish recording an album and put it on a CD pretty soon. We have a song on iTunes but we’re still in the writing process for a few more originals,” Szalek said. Szalek admitted the group spends a lot of time in his basement writing and recording songs as if it were their studio. Past that, they’re looking for more gigs both local and around Ohio. “So far, we’ll probably be playing at Twins-Day in Twinsburg, a bunch of local restaurants, and possibly a few clubs and several cities’ ‘homedays’ events,” Szalek said.

He can see clearly now: Brother Cordero’s journey to the SJ

by Sam Royer ’15

Ad maiorem Dei gloriam. Although the motto of the Society of Jesus, translated from Latin as “for the greater glory of God,” can be found nearly everywhere on campus, its true meaning is easily forgotten. What does it really mean to be a Jesuit?

Perhaps if anyone knows, it’s Brother Ralph Cordero, S.J. This is Cordero’s fourth and likely final year teaching at Ignatius, but before he goes, he agreed to share a little of what he’s learned since joining the Jesuits in 2000.

As an optometrist, Cordero was first exposed to the Jesuits after being asked by a Franciscan nun at his home parish, Sacred Heart Chapel in Lorain, to work the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) program. “I had no idea at that time what RCIA even stood for,” Cordero admitted. After agreeing to help with the program, he immediately became stunned by the idea that adults wanted to share this faith that he had simply grown up with. After several years of working the program, the same nun came to him and recommended the Jesuits.

“That was my first ever hearing. I went to see the Jesuit vocation director and it was funny because I had done a retreat about a month before that and he was the director of the retreat. I took that as a sign from God that I should really look into this group,” Cordero said.

Cordero said he felt he related to Ignatius’s story when he starts to notice a difference between serving the queen and serving God. “When I was working at the parish and RCIA, there was something so life-giving that I couldn’t ignore. That difference led me to seek religious life and realize that I felt called to this way of life. I realized this is what’s bringing so much life into me,” Cordero said.

Now, fifteen years since entering the Jesuits, Cordero said the most challenging part of being a Jesuit is “going to a place for four years, developing relationships, and then being called to go somewhere else.”

“Even though it’ll be hard to leave here, it has its graces. You get to experience something new, but at the expense of having to leave relationships behind that you have come to treasure,” Cordero said. Of Ignatius, Cordero said, “I’ve never been in a school that had so much tradition and history.”

Cordero feels that if it weren’t for the Jesuits, he might have missed out on a lot. “I would have never found out that I enjoy teaching. They tell you to be open to growth and open to working with teenagers in a high school and I thought ‘oh my goodness I don’t know if I can do that.’ It didn’t take long for me to find out how much I enjoy teaching. It led me to pursue a masters in math at John Carroll,” Cordero said.

Beyond discovering his love for teaching, Cordero has been able to satisfy his desire to learn through travel. “They say, ‘join the Jesuits, see the world.’ There’s a lot of truth to it. We have a long formation just because we are men that are sent out into the world. The world is our seminary,” Cordero said. Cordero has been missioned to places such as Peru, Israel, El Salvador, and most recently the Dominican Republic. “It’s of so much value to be able to meet all the different cultures. That has been very enriching,” Cordero said.

Ultimately, the three biggest lessons Cordero has learned being a Jesuit are to stay prayerful (“I can always sense that when I get away from prayer, I don’t function as well as compared to when I have prayer in my life.”), to always grow (“We always have to be growing in our religious and intellectual competence. Those five characteristics of the Grad at Grad, they apply to everyone, not just the graduate.”), and to always find the best interpretation (“I have found that when I hear someone speak, I immediately make a judgement or give it a bad interpretation. Ignatius says find the best interpretation, rather than making a judgement.”).

Cordero’s ultimate message the world is: “seek your passions, that’s where God lies.” In order to properly accomplish that, Cordero believes one must spend a substantial amount of time in reflection. “Ignatius said the examine was the most important prayer of the day. Step back and reflect and step into silence and realize how God is in your life and how you were there. That’s when you start tapping into your deep passions. And that’s where God is going to reside – in your deep passions,” Cordero said.

The unknown MVP: Joe Mertens ‘15

by Gabe Mielke ‘16

Most Ignatius students only experience the football during their freshman year and/or through watching the games from the stands. Of those that did play freshman year most quit after the first season because they had gotten very little playing time. Have you ever wondered what it would have been like if you had continued playing football after freshmen year? Well, this is probably a good indication of what it would have been like. This is the story that you won’t see on ESPN or in the Plain Dealer’s High School Sports Section. You won’t hear this player’s name reverently whispered in the halls as he walks by. The student section never chants his name. Heck, you might not even know that he is on the football team.

This is the story of “Sloppy Joe” Mertens.

Joseph Mertens ‘15 came from rather unusual beginnings as far as his football career was concerned. Joe came into freshman football double session practices without ever having played a game of organized football in his life. No prior football experience. None at all. That is nearly unheard of here at the traditional football powerhouse known as Ignatius. Ignatius football is known to actually discourage many CYO and grade school football players from playing because of the increase in the level of competition.

However this common deterrent could not scare Joe Mertens away from the field. From the beginning Joe admitted that he did not really expect to get much playing time. He admits, “For me it was more about getting into shape, having fun, and being a part of something greater than myself.”

Because he had these three things in mind when playing Joe was never really discouraged by not getting a lot of playing time. “I soon came to realize that my place on the team wasn’t going to be out there playing on the field in games.” Joe said in a recent interview, “It would be on the scout team playing against the starting offense to help them prepare for the game.”

Joe has stuck with that role since the beginning of freshman football and has embraced it as his career has progressed. Joe said, “I know most kids are kind of frustrated playing on the scout team week after week, but I actually enjoy it. I get to work against some of the best players in the area and help make them better players themselves.”

Joe named off some of his most memorable opponents during his time on the practice squad: “Definitely Mike Cray, Steve Franco, and Jimmy Byrne as the top three. They were a tough bunch of guys and put me on the ground a lot.” As a defensive lineman Joe naturally spent most of his time going head-to-head with offensive linemen in the trenches.Since many kids are discouraged from playing on the scout team, and often cite that it would be a waste of time, I asked of Joe what he got out of playing on the practice squad. Joe deliberately stated, “More than anything else, it has made me more of a man, toughened me up. The scout team has taught me that life will knock you on the ground sometimes, you just need to get up, shake it off, and play the next play because other people — your teammates — are counting on you.”

Joe is often praised by his teammates for not only his tenacity and perseverance but his ef for t and positive attitude about ever ything. Jack Cook ‘16 had this to say about him:

“Mertens is an incredibly hard worker, he shows up every day and puts forth as much effort as he can. He was my vote for the defensive scout team MVP and I’ll be very surprised if he does not get the award.”

I asked Joe if he had any pre-game rituals or superstitions. In the true fashion of a team superstar, he responded, “I do two things to remind myself where I’m from and what I’m playing for, the first is always bring my Wildcat Prowl Towel to the stadium with me. I don’t wear it during the game, just keep it in my bag. Second, I say a silent prayer in the locker room before the game for the entire team so no one gets injured.”

Gladiator Games reach new level of epic with addition of bumper balls

by Conor McConville ‘17

Based on events in the television show American Gladiator, the Gladiator Games are an annual event held by the Latin Club. The Games consist of three events: the obstacle course, where students run through a few different obstacles while being pelted with tennis balls and giant exercise balls; the joust, where students try to knock teachers off the platform and vice-versa; and powerball, in which students try to get rugby balls into a garbage can while teachers try to knock them down with a blocking pad.

The routine was amended this year in order to increase student participation and enjoyment. the bumper balls section saw the addition of bumper balls, which had been bought by the Latin department earlier in the year. The obstacles in the obstacle course, however, remained the same and included scaling stacked mats, running through hurdles, running up and down a ramp, and being hit with a steady barrage of tennis and exercise balls.

The joust, too, escaped major alterations, except that this year it was student-versusstudent rather than student-versus-teacher.

However, powerball was replaced with bumperball, an event in which students, in bumper-balls, try to to knock over bowling pins which are defended by teachers in bumperballs of their own. The event seemed to be a big step up from powerball with both the students and teachers enjoying it much more because it enabled the teachers and students to slam into one another with a strength they ordinarily couldn’t.

While most participants agreed that the event was a worthy addition to the usual itinerary, strategies for bumper ball differed. Some groups tried immediately to knock the bowling pins over, while others immediately tried to the knock the Latin teachers over, a pointless effort because both Mr. Arbeznik and Mr. Masterson levelled anyone in their way. No matter what strategy a team pursued, everyone had a great time, and the Gladiator Games achieved another year of success.

Student Senate gearing up for another busy semester

by Daniel Klein ‘15

With so many different events going on this year, the Student Senate has been very busy.

According to Student Body Vice President Danny Ertle, they are currently in the process of collecting 1500 toys for the neighborhood kids, developing the new wildcat card, and planning prom. The lives of Student Senate members are often consumed by the workload. Danny stated, “95% of our days include something we must do for Senate, but with that being said, we’re more than happy to do anything that will benefit our classmates and the school.”

One of the goals of President Pat Mulach and Vice President Danny Ertle is to get students more involved in school decisions. To that end, they have already given students the option to pick both the homecoming and prom themes. Danny stated, “since much of what we do directly impacts the students, we want them to have as much say as possible.”

The Student Senate has also been working on a few new exciting initiatives, the biggest of which has been the Wild Cat Card. The Wildcat Card will now give students the opportunity to go off campus and eat at various restaurants in the area. Students will also receive discounts at certain restaurants as a way of further incentivizing use of the card.

Next semester, one of Student Senate’s largest projects will be planning prom; it is always a long and arduous project that consumes a lot of time.

Another of their big projects will be finding fun ways of bringing the student body together, including the return of last year’s Casino Night. But students should expect new events as well.

“Our goals in the beginning were to get the student body involved, carry on some of the traditional projects that we do, but also attempt to bring some new ideas to the table,” says Ertle.

Moving hearts and furniture: The Saint Bernard Movers

by Colin Kelley ‘17

For over a decade, St. Ignatius students have traveled all over Northeast Ohio moving furniture and other items for people in our community as members of the CAT program, the St. Bernard Movers.

The Movers depart from the Arrupe House at 3:20 each Monday and pick up the items from a donation center or directly from a house. The Movers then bring these items either to a home or back to St. Ignatius. “We usually are helping people in transition homes move their furniture,” explained Movers leader Mr. Kosko ‘10.

Generally, the Movers assist friends of Ignatius in the Ohio City neighborhood, Labre friends transitioning into a home, or anyone else who has contacted them or a partnered service organization. They also help move boxes for the Christmas Food Drive and move the supplies for the Arrupe Christmas Party. Anyone interested in donating furniture or any other items can contact Mr. Kosko by email or one of the organizations that partner with the Movers, such as the May Dugan Center or CARE Alliance.

Led by alumni volunteers, Mr. Kosko ‘10 and Mr. Nguyen ‘08, the Movers have completed 13 moves this school year. The Movers have averaged 25-30 moves a year totaling between 250 and 300 moves over the past ten years. Students from all grade levels are invited to participate in the Movers. “We have had a lot of freshmen this year,” Mr. Kosco ‘10 said concerning student involvement this year.

The St. Bernard Movers provides a great opportunity to get involved at Ignatius, whether you are a freshman trying to get involved in service for the first time or even a senior CAT leader looking for one more rewarding service experience. With the weight room closed, there is no better time to join the Movers and keep the muscles huge with the couch-press and single chair-leg deadlift.

We’re cramming…we hope you like cramming too

by Owen Miklos ‘16

The week before finals is a stressful time for both teachers and students alike. Whichever category you fall under, there is going to be a fair amount of cramming that takes place.

Teachers, more often than not, find themselves behind on their lesson plans and calculate that they could probably fit a month’s worth of coursework in four days should everything pan out, all the while cursing the off-days they took in the waning moments of September.

On the other hand, students, when asked about their studying techniques, will often outline their strict regimens involving ingenious timing blocks and dietary supplements, only to end up pulling out their books the day of the final.

It’s curious how varied the student body’s response to the question of cramming was. Those simply hoping for a passing grade were very forthright about their studying tactics, saying, simply, that no such tactics existed. They were better off, they said, doing things “their way” than opening up the book that’s been gathering dust in their locker since August.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, those fighting it out for class valedictorian were also very upfront—they admitted that the chances of them studying several days in advance were slim. They instead opted to rely on what they had learned from the past few months. At most, they would look over their notes a couple days before the final. “My grades have typically gone up after finals so the material must stay in my head until then,” notes Andrew Zawie ’16.

Then there are the rest of us: With our lofty and proudly proclaimed intentions of multiday course review, online Quizlet sessions, and group collaboration, the true American legacy of last-minute cramming is nowhere more prevalent than in the storied halls of Saint Ignatius—salvaging passing grades without study aids since 1886. And the flagbearer? Our own Nick Serio ’16.

While the rest of his sophomore APUSH brethren paced out their identifications—short essays for vocabulary terms—for Mr. Pecot ’91 over week-long spans, Serio, after a week’s worth of procrastinating and selfreassuring pep talks, with mere hours left on the turnitin.com clock, opened up his laptop and his copy of The American Pageant over the backseat of his ride into school and started grinding out his essays. Somehow he managed, while his classmates looked on in disbelief. “That kid was operating on a different level,” his classmate, Geoff Allman ’16, stated. “I think he got a better grade than me, too.”

Fast-forward a year, and here we are again—big tests and college applications loom ahead, and Nick Serio’s not worried in the least. In between furiously filling out his MacNotes for his AP Language class the period before, Serio admitted, “I’m used to cramming because it seems like that’s what I’m always doing.”

No suprise: O’Rourke promises yet another title for the IceCats facing tough schedule

by Brendan DeVenney ‘17

The 2014-2015 Varsity Hockey team is entering a season with great expectations and great promise, but with chemistry-building to do. After coming off a season that saw them make history in a way they may not have wanted to, all eyes will be on them to see how they will respond.

There are a lot of returning seniors on this year’s team, many of whom made their name last year and contributed a lot, especially in the 2014 OHSAA Division 1 State Hockey Championship Game, where the Wildcats tied Sylvania Northview 1-1 after seven overtimes to be crowned co-State Champions. Wesley Deacon ‘16 and Dylan McKeon ‘16 will be the promising junior goalies this year, after having standout seasons last year. Cage Cramer looks for a standout season as a defender, and Kevin Yarcusko ‘15 will also be an important man on the ice in his final season with the team.

Head Coach Pat O’Rourke always looks for strong leadership with his teams, and that, he says, is definitely found in his captains, who are arguably some of the best in the state of Ohio; senior forward Jack Wiegandt, senior forward Ethan Whitney, junior forward Aidan Spellacy, senior forward Jack Mazanec, and senior forward Matty Geither. Leading by example, they are Coach O’Rourke’s go-to guys on the ice this year. Joe Mertens is central figure on and off the field for the Saint Ignatius Wildcats.

There are also promising younger players on this years team who had standout seasons on junior varsity last year.

The schedule is another tough one this year, as they have the usual Great Lakes Hockey League matchups to take care of, which are always competitive, especially the two Saint Edward games. The Wildcats head to Culver Military Academy in Culver, Indiana this year to compete in the Culver Tournament versus some of the best teams in the region, such as Glenbrook North from Northbrook, Illinois and Shattuck Saint Mary’s out of Fairbault, Minnesota. On January 1, 2015, the Varsity Wildcats face Saint John’s Jesuit in an outdoor game at Fifth-Third Field, home of the Detroit Tigers’ AAA-affiliate Toledo Mud Hens, which is part of the Toledo Walleye Winterfest. And they also host a Martin Luther King, Jr. Weekend tournament at Brooklyn Ice Arena versus some of the top teams in the region as well, such as Saint Rita’s out of Chicago, Illinois, Findlay, and Culver Military Academy. Bottom line: a very tough schedule awaits the Ice Cats.

Even after coming off a season like last year, it doesn’t mess with the returning players, according to Coach O’Rourke.

They’ve stayed focus all throughout their preseason practices and games that they have already played. This is a team that is expected to compete hard in every game. The returning players are well aware that everyone is expecting a lot out of this team that made national headlines last year, and are focused and ready for the challenges ahead. As far as their tough schedule goes, they want to play a demanding and challenging schedule. They wouldn’t have it any other way.

It’s going to be an exciting season for the 2014-2015 Varsity Ice ‘Cats, and their goal once again is a state championship.

AlleyCats rolling to states

by Parvis Kanga ‘15

The St. Ignatius bowling team has started strong this year, winning its first two matches against Central Catholic and Brecksville. With confidence at an all-time high, the team is eager to make states this year and improve on last year’s eight and two record. Senior bowler Garret Forst is especially optimistic about the team’s chances. “We have a very good chance of going to states this year,” he stated.

Garret Forst, one of the five varsity bowlers lead by Captain Gianni Schaeffer, is an accurate representation of the bowling team’s general attitude. Drinking blueberry coffee while he bowls, Garrett is always very calm and relaxed, as are his other team mates. This is partly due to the strong sense of solidarity that has developed amongst the bowlers over the years.

Unfortunately, the bowling team is not very well known, and few people actually come to watch the matches. They compete nearly every week on saturdays at either Buckeye Lanes or Cloverleaf Lanes. Competitions are often very exciting and competitive, and the casual spectator will find accommodations at both bowling locations to be quite sufficient.

In light of this, Garret remains optimistic and encourages others to come and watch the games. “Its a very exciting environment,” he stated, “and we really would appreciate it if people came and supported us.”

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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