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Matt Waldeck ’02: The journey of a “storyteller”

by Dominic Gideon ’14

Ambitious, young, and eager to expand his horizons, Matthew Waldeck ‘02 made a leap far from the Ignatius bubble and went 2300 miles away to a tiny liberal arts college in California called Pitzer College. His decision was not sparked by any overwhelming desire to be different, to escape Cleveland, to play college football, or to be able to party in the flashy lights of LA; Mr. Waldeck left to take a leading position in the Entertainment Capital of the World.

His desire to be in show business was likely sparked by the captivating storytelling of his parents, and his lifelong love for movies. Mr. Waldeck doesn’t see a big difference between his parents’ stories and big screen productions. The only distinction, he says, is the medium through which the story is communicated.

“I’ve been an actor, I’ve written, now I’m a producer,” he said. “Really, all it is is storytelling.”

As a child, he remembers spending his weekends endlessly watching narratives unfold through the visual medium. Subconsciously, Mr. Waldeck’s path to a movie career was slowly forming.

The Chagrin Falls native and St. Rita alumnus didn’t have much acting experience in his younger years. In high school the closest he ever came to his current job was making the yearly Spanish class video, which not coincidentally was his favorite time of year.

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“Really, all it is is storytelling.”
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At Ignatius, he knew he wanted to go into entertainment. “There was some inkling,” he said, explaining that he knew intuitively he was destined for a career in film.

“That’s why I chose Pitzer; I just wanted to get close to LA and I would figure it out from there.”

Mr. Franzinger ’02, one of his classmates, wasn’t surprised Mr. Waldeck got into the entertainment business. He remembered Matt Waldeck as a friendly, funny, and quirky guy noting his hard work ethic, spot on Mr. Hennessy impersonation, and yearly “bowl of red” lunch.

Although Mr. Waldeck felt inclined to pursue acting, he dedicated much of his time in high school to athletics, especially football. At Ignatius, he ran track and was an integral part of the 2001 championship team as the starting safety.

“Football was very important to me, especially the camaraderie,” he said.

Mr. Waldeck also developed some useful traits as an athlete, including self-discipline and relentlessness.

He is convinced his education at Ignatius has been crucial to his later success. During his time at 1911 West 30th, Waldeck says he picked up many great life lessons and grew by having the “complete Ignatius experience,” learning formative truths which help him every day in his profession.

One example that stuck out to him was the personal strength he developed as a result of the competition he found at Saint Ignatius.

“You’re a small fish in a big pond,” Mr. Waldeck said. “The sooner you can figure that out about life, the better, because you’ll understand how hard you have to work.”

Two of the teachers he credits with helping him become who he is today are Mr. Dan Corrigan, his football coach who made him work harder than he thought was possible, and Mr. Beach, his English teacher, who gave him the confidence and skills to write, so important for his job.

 

Once in college, Mr. Waldeck jumped on all the acting opportunities he could get. He would search the paper trying to find auditions, then drive to LA to try to hook a job.  He developed a diverse portfolio including appearances in a K Swiss shoes commercial, and a television pilot with Stan Lee from Marvel Comics.

“I had success immediately which sort of spoiled me, because it was a much different ball game when I got out of college,” he said.

After graduating from Pitzer, Mr. Waldeck spent about four years hopping around from one short acting stint to another. He had roles in several short films, a few TV series, and a movie before he decided to try out producing.

“I kinda got burned out on acting,” he said. “Waiting in the breadline for your next job as an actor is not the easiest way to get stability.”

So he went back to Cleveland to work for Tyler Davidson, an independent film producer who has produced seven films including the highly acclaimed, award winning film Take Shelter, as well as Kings of Summer, a Sundance feature filmed in Northeast Ohio, and his upcoming film The Signal, for which Mr. Waldeck was an associate producer.

“Working for him was instrumental. He taught me how to do it,” Mr. Waldeck said of his apprenticeship with Mr. Davidson.

Now Mr. Waldeck has his own company which produces “horror, thriller, sci-fi films.”

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“You’re only limited by your own creativity.”
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Most moviegoers know very little about the job requirements of a producer. Mr. Waldeck says the process is complicated and involves a surprisingly large number of people of the course of the process.

It all starts with someone bringing an idea to a movie company. Some producers begin working with the concept and do what is known as “development.”

“Next you would have to pay a screenwriter or writer director to write a script in hopes of attracting an actor, then that starts to become a package,” he described.

“Then you get a line producer, which is like an accountant. You come up with a budget of how much you can make the movie for. Then they’ll come to a guy like me who I’m a creative producer and also a financier,” he said. “They say we need $3.5 million for this movie. I raise that money and oversee the production to protect my investor’s money. So it’d be a co-production.”

Mr. Waldeck loves what he does.

“It’s a really cool job that I didn’t even know of until later in my career because it’s problem solving and it’s also very creative,” he said. “You’re only limited by your own creativity.”

One aspect he doesn’t like is the distance.

“It took 11 years to get where I am, and I want to get to the point where I don’t need to be in Los Angeles to have motion pictures. I think it would be fantastic, a great source of pride for the city,” Mr. Waldeck said.

“I love Cleveland, it’s a great city. And I think it’s kind of a blank canvas right now and it’s an exciting time to be here.”

He eventually wants to get a movie studio built in Cleveland.

“Albuquerque, Georgia, Bloomington, and Vancouver all have big film markets,” he stated. “I don’t see why Cleveland shouldn’t.”

One potential factor in helping expand the Cleveland film market is the Ohio motion picture tax incentive, in which the state gives 25% of the the movie production’s costs back to the film makers.

This incentive was the basis behind the decision by the makers of the movie Draft Day to switch from the Buffalo Bills to the Browns.

Mr. Waldeck also wants to give Ignatius students more film opportunities by working with Alumni Director Mr. Dan Malone to create a group called the “Industry Cats.”

“The goal will be to integrate you men so you don’t have to go 3000 miles away,” he said. “There’s a lotta lawyers and doctors at Ignatius, and their networks are very powerful and very helpful. I don’t see why we shouldn’t have an equally powerful and helpful network in the entertainment business.”

State of the clubs

by Anthony Ramirez ‘16

Saint Ignatius is fortunate to provide a home for a burgeoning community of student leaders – entrepreneurial souls dedicated to the formation of dynamic, innovative organizations that provide a space for like-minded students to succeed. Students who start clubs should be celebrated, though their ambition may sometimes outlast their organization. The purpose of this column is to provide a status check on clubs born during the course of the 2013-14 school year; may the 2014-15 year be equally productive.

 

Arabic Club— السلام عليكم, or “may peace be upon you, Ignatius.” If you want to learn how to speak and write in the most widely spoken language in the Middle East, stop by at an Arabic Club meeting. You will learn some basic phrases as well as the fundamentals of the Arabic alphabet, of immense importance in a time when  Arab nations are at the center of so many international events.

Since its inception in the second semester of this year, the Arabic Club has garnered over twenty active members, with about a dozen showing up to each meeting to share their knowledge or learn Arabic. The original purpose of the club was an introduction to Arabic, but with an abundance of advanced speakers the club has expanded its purpose to more intense learning.

 

Archery Club— Bullseye! After a challenging, year-long application process, the Archery Club was approved in the second quarter of this year. With thirty active members and and ten to twenty showing up to each meeting it is the largest new club of the year. Teenage boys have flocked in droves to celebrate a sport that is martial in theory but jovial in practice. Archers practice shooting from different distances, and occasionally hold scored tournaments. The members are continuing to improve their bowmanship and the club looks to be shooting straight for years to come.

 

College Experience Club— Looking to travel and find out more about your life after high school? If so, the College Experience Club is right for you. The College Experience Club was formed in the late third quarter this year in collaboration with the college counseling department to provide a way for Ignatius students to visit different colleges around the country. Significant interest has been shown in college travel by many students, although the primary club activities will have to wait until early next year. The College Experience Club is a great way to show colleges your interest, and the moderators expect to see the club thriving in the future.

 

Hydroponics Club— Innovation and creative design in gardening is the core focus of the Hydroponics Club. The club was formed early this year and has seen great results to date. Members construct systems to grow plants hydroponically, which means using indoor agricultural systems in which plants are immersed in water, not soil. The produce is then given to charity. So far, over five pounds of lettuce have been produced while tomatoes and peppers are in the works. Currently the Hydroponics Club has eighteen active members with ten to fifteen showing up to each meeting, but the members expect some growth over the years because of the unique combination of opportunities the club provides. Melding agriculture, engineering, and charity, Hydroponics Club is one of the most innovative clubs you can join at Saint Ignatius.

 

Nerf Club— The Nerf Club, or the self-proclaimed “most prepared club in 25 years,” is a club for those who want to have fun with Nerf guns. The club’s senior staff had dozens of different play styles and games planned by the time of the first meeting, following an extensive review process. The club finally gained official approval in the third quarter following a semester of trying to convince Mr. Hennessey and Mr. Franzinger that it merited school recognition. With twenty-nine members it is around the same size as the Archery Club, which may inspire a fearsome rivalry. The Saint Ignatius Nerf Club (SINC) aspires to provide a natural home for those interested in participating in foam-bullet barrages or learning advanced engineering techniques through modifying (“modding”) NERF technology. The club hopes to have gained momentum following the first official competition on May 17.

The Eye: newspaper, or newsletter?

by Alastair Pearson ’14

Editor-in-Chief

The twelve crinkled pages between your hands have been painstakingly consolidated from hundreds of hours of labor by dozens of skilled staffers and dedicated editors, a team of passionate, professional journalists you should be proud to call your classmates, and whom I have been deeply honored to serve as editor-in-chief.

I do not mean to besmirch their accomplishments when I say that the institution we work for – the Eye – is immensely flawed, nor do I intend to taint the school whose student body we serve when I say that current policy has forced and will force the Eye to exist as a failed caricature in the shadow of its potential self. We are not what you, the students, deserve, and we are not the newspaper that this community’s ideals and the long-term best interests of the school demand.

We are subject to a degree of censorship that, even if almost always exerted through passive means like repeated requests to review submissions or implied refusal to publish, has a seriously detrimental impact on the quality of our paper. Let me be clear that this is not in the day-to-day management of the paper, that we suffer mainly because we feel we cannot pursue certain topics or express certain opinions – so we never try in the first place. Thus we cannot satisfy the student body’s yearning for a publication that actually articulates their diverse and heartfelt views, nor do our reporters have the freedom to seek the answers to stories that strike at the core of what it means to be Ignatian.

In practice, this means that though editions of the Eye do not receive prior review – we do not have to submit a copy of the issue for administrative approval before publication – our most important stories are changed due to interference in the editorial process, weakening editorials or undermining coverage. Our moderators are put in the uncomfortable position where they have to choose between censoring and potentially undermining the Eye, or aggravating their employer.

Our inability to effectively voice the concerns of our student readership was put on full display these past few weeks, when the administration rolled out the new mandatory random drug-testing program and we found our efforts to publish our opinion editor’s anti-drug testing editorial abjectly throttled. Dozens of drafts rattled back and forth between editors and the moderators, but we could not produce any version acceptable to the administration, and even after conceding vital components of the essay it was ultimately discarded because of tone.

If the administration hoped to control the message, it was utterly unsuccessful. The editorial, “A Contemptibly Misguided Attempt at Reform,” by Ben Seeley, was published on Scene Magazine’s website and has since obtained over 1300 likes on Facebook while igniting a firestorm throughout Cleveland. Serious publications like the national magazine Reason covered the editorial, and most focused primarily not on the substance of the work – an excellent, well-reasoned argument consisting of ideas commonly voiced around campus – but on the fact that the students could not have their ideas heard.

Because it is intolerable that students would be denied the basic freedom to discuss an event as obviously newsworthy as the implementation of mandatory, randomized drug-testing, an issue which regardless of personal opinion will affect each and every student at an incredibly individualized level.

Your hair will be tested, the contents of your body scrutinized, your future at stake.. And those students who, like Ben Seeley, maintained the conviction that this is the wrong route for our school to choose – regardless of whether they are right – did not have a representative newspaper to which they could turn and expect publication of a reasonable editorial in a reasonable and timely manner. This, too, is intolerable.

We are a private school, and, as was the case with the debate about drug-testing, our administration can choose to hide behind the veil of legality and assert that the fact that the law affirms the permissiveness of its actions also means that those actions are right.

We can continue to accept a status quo where our conscientious, devoted moderators can be made to feel that their professional success is contingent upon the newspaper toeing the school’s line. We can be intellectually lazy, allowing the newspaper to fall into a state of benign neglect where every page is filled with toothless investigations and vacuous press releases. We are faced with a choice between a newspaper and a newsletter.

That essential distinction rests on whether or not our newspaper faces crippling censorship or whether we affirm freedom of speech, which is in turn dependent on whether students make the decisive editorial choices; not teachers, not administrators.

This year, every article in the Eye has been assigned and edited by students, and I firmly believe this has meant a publication that is both more representative and simply better written, more suited to be the public face of a school as renowned as Saint Ignatius and more ready to change with the times. It has resulted in a system that routinely produces articles like the one written by Ben Seeley, which exemplifies the exact kind of eloquent, cogent, independent thought that a Jesuit education is supposed to develop.

The school funds the Eye, and the administration has used this authority during my tenure to delay Eye articles, which has resulted in those articles missing publication; whether intentionally or not, controversial pieces were not printed. This is informal censorship, just as generally deplorable as any other brand.

What I suggest instead is that the administration recuse themselves from the editorial process in every instance except one in which the most basic foundations of the school are being violated, and that students assume the full powers and responsibility that comes with being vested editorial control. If you want this newspaper to reflect the views of the student body, and be more than a once-monthly administrative pamphlet that happens to be written by students, you will support this proposal. Anything less insults the intelligence of our student body, denies the competence of our editors, and betrays that most foundational of Ignatian tenets: being open to growth. Ideas should not be smothered because they are different.

Looking for “morality” in all the wrong places

by Ben Seeley ’14

Last week, the Diocese of Cleveland announced it would be adding a “morality clause” to the contracts of all Catholic school teachers. (Editor’s Note: As employees of a Jesuit school, teachers at Saint Ignatius are not subject to the new contract). The new language prohibits teachers from publicly supporting positons contrary to Church teachings–about abortion or gay marraige, for instance–and from engaging in a whole list of behaviors, including the sending of “improper” tweets, texts, or emails.

The Diocese opens itself to easy criticism. What they fail to consider is that they add further disincentives to entry to a profession featuring a preexisting drawback: a lower salary. If it’s a deeper, more diverse labor force the Diocese wants for its students, placing severe limitations on the job isn’t exactly going to help.

Of course, the prohibited actions aren’t necessarily easy to identify, which is perhaps the reason the Diocese insists on them—as guidelines as a part of a PR move, not mandates intended to undermine teachers’ individual rights. But still, a contract is a contract. Teachers’ jobs are placed in jeopardy for violations as tenuous as sending conceivably distasteful messages in private or engaging in premarital sex.

The teachers aren’t forced to sign the contract, but failure to do so is a virtual guarantee of unemployment. And with today’s job market, the risk carried by a failure to comply is too daunting to consider. Resultingly, the teachers are coerced into a loss of liberties they didn’t sign up for. That’s unfair.

All of this comes in light of a new papacy that has stated outright its intention to turn its sights on revitalizing the Church, and not necessarily on adherence to Catholic expectations of an individual’s personal life. The belief of Catholics may be that something like homosexual marriage is wrong, but that doesn’t mean a crusade against gay marriage should be the priority. But that’s how it seems to have become for the Church, and Francis won’t stand for it.

The reality of the situation is such that the Church isn’t doing so well in places like the U.S. and Western Europe. So does the Diocese think a dictatorial overstep like this is the solution? Is focusing on the Church’s nuances, and not the Church itself, really imperative, or even recommended?

What’s perhaps most unsettling is the doors the “morality clause” opens for future breaches of liberty. For example, though I’m not someone in favor of drug testing teachers, would that not seem a logical next step for the school with the new clause? If it’s expected, and explicitly outlawed, that some teachers will be violating Diocesan policy, it should be no further misstep to act on that suspicion.

At the end of the day, the people all just fall victim to organizations bigger than themselves and submit to that victimization. The cycle continues, and we drift, wearily but together, into the pathway of our bosses and their prescriptions. Silenced are our voices and rendered futile our intentions, but fear not: for we have leaders to lead us back to the light.

Like it or not, drug testing policy jives with law

by John Selby ‘15

The implementation of random drug-testing as a key component of the Student Wellness Initiative announced on April 29 has been a source of significant controversy inside and outside of the Saint Ignatius community.

The discussion has evolved both inside the school community through debates in Morality class, and through explicit and sometimes negative student reactions expressed in written form such as Ben Seeley’s ’14 recent opinion article published online in Scene Magazine. At the heart of the debate has been the definition of privacy and the degree to which the drug testing program is sanctioned by law.

The 4th Amendment to the Constitution in the Bill of Rights guarantees “the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects,” against unreasonablesearches and seizures. While this Amendment protects citizens against unjustified, warrantless incursions by the police, the Court has also extended the 4th Amendment to protect the rights of students from unreasonable searches by public school officials. But the Court has also upheld the right of public schools to combat drug abuse through random drug testing of students.

In 2002 the Supreme Court ruled in Pottawatomie County v. Earls that all students involved in extracurricular activities could be randomly drug tested.

But what of Saint Ignatius’ plan to test all students?

“There are no legal ramifications [with random drug testing] as we are a private institution,” said Principal Bradesca.

As a private school, Saint Ignatius is not bound by the same constitutional restrictions that public schools are.

That’s an opinion that finds support among some of the student body.

“Since we are private institution, I do not feel that my right to privacy as an American citizen is being violated,” said AP Government student Harrison Klee ’15. “The administration is trying to better our community as a whole, and the compassion they are showing for students is reason on its own to not feel like some ‘right’ is being violated.”

But even if their legal rights are not being violated, some students argue that a higher ethical question is raised by the Wellness Initiative.

“As much as I agree with the safety precaution reasoning for the testing, I would argue that they may cross the line of our right to privacy,” said an anonymous student. “The testing is another restrictive, organizational structure in our lives. The greatest teacher is failure and experience. Instead of making their own moral decision on whether or not they choose to use such substances, now the school may force students into that decision out of fear of ‘getting caught’.”

Students in the mandatory government classes are instructed in the values that the American republic was built on, including the right to privacy. The possibility exists that a “disconnect” may become apparent for students in government class or other history classes that discuss the legacy of the United States Constitution.

A stranger is using scissors to take a solid chunk of hair from every student’s scalp to determine the results for something that the student may never have been involved in to begin with. Private institution or not, students may grow to feel that their privacy has been lost.

“I understand why some may feel a ‘disconnect’ on some level,” said an anonymous AP Government student. “In class, we have learned about the core constitutional values the Founding Fathers used to build this nation, including the right to privacy, so I think [drug testing] is complete hypocrisy on the school’s part because it entails the complete opposite of what we learn in class.”

According to Mr. Bradesca, however, the response from the community outside of actual enrolled students has been positive.

On the day the program was announced, Mr. Bradesca received over 75 emails, “thanking the school for being bold enough to take this next step.”

Students sound off on the school’s new wellness policy

Confidential and Beneficial

The worst fears of many students having materialized a few weeks ago, few conversations can avoid the Wellness Initiative, and fewer proponents of the policy walk the Saint Ignatius halls. However, reflection indicates that this program’s merits outweigh the drawbacks.

First of all, this Wellness Initiative is not punitive: Positive-testers will not have to deal with the stress of punishments. The emphasis of the Wellness Initiative is strictly the health of the student body.

Secondly, the hair test is quick, efficient, and harmless. Tracking further than most others, the test should act as an incentive to stop using, a universally positive effect. Plus, the implementation isn’t occurring until fall: anyone using has time to “weed” off of the substance.

Secondly is confidentiality of the results: two counselors, the parents, and the user will be aware of the test results. Moreover, positivetesters need not worry about being treated differently in class or on the field, empowering the user to dedicate energy towards fixing his problem, without having to worry about discrimination.

An intangible, albeit significant, facet of the initiative lies within the intentions of the crusaders of the program. While some argue that the program is unnecessary, try to argue with Mr. Bradesca’s words as he talked about his personal run-ins with the consequences of drugs on his family or the love that Mr. Nolan expressed for all Saint Ignatius students.

The base goal behind this Wellness Initiative is to save lives. Even if it saves the life of one classmate, isn’t that worth it?

While the protesters might outweigh the advocates now, the tables will turn in the future. Twenty-two years from now, when those few users who quit junior year to pass tests are alive and well at their twenty-year reunion, they will be grateful. Maybe not next week or next month, but when it’s all said and done, there will be more than a few kids who will have this Wellness Initiative, along with Mr. Bradesca, to thank.

Kellen Dugan ‘15

An Irresponsible Waste

The Wellness initiative is costly, unnecessary, and promotes irresponsibility.

The cost of this program is about $60,000 a year. Granted, that may ultimately not be a decisive factor considering the tens of millions stored in the endowment fund, but what would this money support if it did not go to the Wellness Initiative? Perhaps it could fund new workout equipment, more Smart Boards, improved infrastructure for the school’s service programs, or even lowered tuition. My personal belief is that most students would much rather see $60,000 go towards any of those far more constructive options than the Wellness Initiative.

Is it really necessary to test the entire school randomly? I am not against a drug testing program for our high school, but I believe that it should only be administered with probable cause; not randomly. If our nation’s law enforcement must have probable cause to investigate someone, should our Wellness Initiative not be held to same standard?

In a place where responsibility is instilled in students, we must ask why the school is taking personal responsibility away from both students and parents. A student should be in charge of his own personal well-being, and there is little added incentive not to do drugs if he realizes there will be no disciplinary action taken in the drug test. Crucially, students will also know what drugs the test doesn’t detect.

This program absolves parents of one of their core responsibilities: making sure their son does not abuse substances. The school faces a slippery slope of increased responsibility for student well-being while parents are slowly disenfranchised. What will happen when a student graduates and loses the leniency of the Wellness Initiative, and must face the harsh scrutiny of the legal system?

The Wellness Initiative is not properly designed for St. Ignatius High School.

Bradford Horton ‘15

No Drugs on This Campus

Many students and alumni will be annoyed by the new drug testing policy being enacted next school year, but it is clearly a step forward for our school. The leaders of several of the best schools in the state have come to the conclusion that this new policy is ethically right, that they are responsible for the wellbeing of their students, and that this policy is the best course of action to protect those students. The Saint Ignatius High School Administration is improving the school’s health as a community, and safe guarding its collective reputation by imposing drug tests.

Both faith and reason indicate that using drugs is harmful and should be avoided. This is the result of their capacity to inflict physical harm or disrupt the user’s sense of true reality, a clear deviation from Catholic doctrine. Saint Ignatius has decided that it wants its students to be free from the deleterious effects of these substances, and has taken up the burden of making sure they are. Saint Ignatius students are to become good men, acting with their own free will, not as slaves beholden to substance.

Hand-in-hand with drug testing walks the school’s renewed reputation as a clean, neat place of learning, which colleges and future employers alike will look favorably upon. They will know that the student or employee they want to bring in will be dramatically less likely to have the undesirable habit of chemical dependency, which can only be advantageous to students in the future and now as they begin their lives as young adults.

Though controversy stems from the widely held opinion that this policy is an infringement of student rights, most students are unaffected by the issue. In a few years, more schools will likely adopt similar policies, lending further credence to the route that the school has taken. Saint Ignatius is leading the charge into a brighter, more ethically sound type of education, one that other schools would be wise to follow.

Anthony Ramirez ‘16

Misguided Hypocrisy

On April 29, the school administration revealed its new non-punitive drug testing “wellness program.” The program, which arose after concerns over the local heroin epidemic, involves test kits priced at about $40 per student that can identify usage of non-synthetic drugs in the body, excepting alcohol.

The fact that these tests cannot detect alcohol is a primary cause for concern with the program. There are certainly kids at the school who do use drugs, and the likelihood is that the majority of drug users abuse marijuana. Alcohol, however, is likely the most abused substance, given its legality and presence in many homes, and its abuse is therefore a more pressing issue at school than many of the drugs that can be detected by the list.

By only targeting drug users, it is possible that some people will abuse alcohol instead of drugs such as marijuana. Alcohol, while certainly less dangerous than hard drugs such as heroin, has been shown by studies to be more harmful to the developing brain than marijuana. The relative ease with which it can be obtained means that large quantities can be cheaply purchased, which increases the chance of large-scale abuse.

Another fundamental problem with the drug testing is that it only applies to students, not teachers or administrators. If the school wants the students to be “men for others,” it should treat them like men. Therefore, it should also drug test its employees, so that the students are not hypocritically isolated as the only people in the school who are prevented from abusing drugs.

An additional issue is cost. At $40 per test, and an average of 1.5 tests per student, the program would cost $90,000, which could be spent on preventative measures like drug education.

Overall, while well-intentioned, the drug testing initiative seeks to do more than the school can, while treating students like children.

Brendan O’Donnell ‘16

No Harm, No Punishment

In the weeks that followed Principal Bradesca’s incendiary announcement regarding next year’s compulsory drug testing, there has been no other topic that’s been discussed more – by students, faculty, and families all the same. Rumors were flying that key facts were still being concealed, and it seems that everyone feels that the basic civil liberty of privacy is at risk. After all, what right does the school have to know about its students’ personal affairs?

But if those affairs are obviously harmful, what right wouldn’t the school have?

There’s nothing furtive about Operation: Weed Out – a misnomer generated in turn by misinformed members of the student body. No punishments will be handed out, no one is having their body violated (unless you’re really, really self-conscious about your hair), and the people that see the results are solely confined to a very limited number of people. And, for the majority of the St. Ignatius student body, all this will be a matter of going through the motions – if you’re drug-free, you should have nothing to worry about.

For that percentage of the Ignatius student body who are active drug-users – to echo Principal Bradesca’s words – this program has been implemented to help you, not punish you. No one is branding you with your test results, shaming you into compliance. Nothing of the sort is going to happen. The program has been diluted of anything that would cause any student any discomfort. Even the method of the testing is innocuous: a strand or two of hair is the only cost. For the most part, this is an operation that will be happening behind the scenes. Sure, everyone has to get tested at some point, but it won’t be broadcasted publicly, and it won’t hinder anyone’s daily activities.

Everyone knows what side of the fence they’re on here. No one can hide their results from the test (and I mean that in the least ominous way possible). There will not be any surprises, and the results of the program can only be beneficial.

Owen Miklos ‘16

Legal Doesn’t Mean Moral

I recall this year going to the chapel to commemorate Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision to make abortions legal. This school intends to recognize this day as a travesty; a horribly misguided decision; a bad law. Ignatius would argue that legality doesn’t mean right, as noted in the Supreme Court’s decision on abortion.

Yes, this school has the legal justification to institute a mandatory drug test, but does that make their actions right? The intentions of the Wellness program are good, as prevention of drug use is important, but the school relies solely on legality to affirm their “Wellness Program”.

The form of testing this school would like to perform has proven ineffective. Marsha Rosenbaum, PhD, concluded in writing for the ACLU that, “the only formal study to claim a reduction in drug use was based on a snapshot of six schools and was suspended by the federal government for lack of sound methodology.”

Even a study performed by the Department of Education in 2007-08 concluded that testing offered, “no effect on illegal substance use, whether it was tested for or not.” Practically, the means this school will employ will, according to research, fail to meet their desired ends. As should be the case for any policy, failure of that basic test means the program should not be explored.

With only a legal justification, and no pragmatic foundation, this school would be ineffectively attacking the “problem” they see as so rampant. Instead of instituting something so drastic, perhaps a Wellness week dedicated to providing information about drug abuse could be effective, or hiring a counselor specializing in the dangers of substance abuse, all for the purpose of preventative education.

Or, most significantly, find a way to get parents more involved than just faxing over a failed drug test to them. If Ignatius wants to help its students, it must be willing to remove the veil of legality that obscures the few merits of their good-willed, perfunctory policy.

Zach Fechter ‘15

Gay students see campus culture slowly shifting in right direction

by Brandon Borges ‘15

Saint Ignatius High School prides itself on the diversity of its student body in race, financial background, and geographical origin. The campus culture celebrates an ethic of diversity – but this characteristic may be markedly changed in respect to acceptance of different sexual orientations. As our society moves towards the acceptance of gays, lesbians, and transgendered people, so too does this school. The question remains as to how accepting Saint Ignatius is of gay students right now.

“I would say that, in general, Saint Ignatius makes homosexuals feel accepted,” said one anonymous gay student, “mostly because the teachers and staff enforce it.”

However, what students do under the watchful eyes of teachers is not necessarily indicative of how they behave among themselves.

“This is a very macho-thinking school,” said Myles Lundberg ‘15, “but it should be noted that just because I am gay, I am not attracted to you.”

“Because the environment isn’t perfect, there are many students who do not feel comfortable identifying as gay or bisexual,” said Mr. McManamon, facilitator of Campus Life, which seeks to “build acceptance, provide information, and encourage communication.”

“It’s a huge leap for a young person in high school to first know that God loves them, that they are created in the image and likeness of God,” McManamon said.[pullquote]

It’s a huge leap for a young person in high school to first know that God loves them, that they are created in the image and likeness of God.” – Mr. McManamon

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“It is open to everyone Thursdays at 6th period,” said Lundberg, a member of Campus Life. “You can get passes from Mr. McManamon and Mrs. Reagan. You don’t have to be gay.”

When it comes to the Catholic aspect of homosexuality, an anonymous student said that sometimes students can warp or misinterpret what they hear in theology class.

“The teachers, before they talk about topics regarding homosexuality, they preface it by saying that being gay isn’t a sin, it’s just the actions. And that is good and all, but not every student learning it takes it that way. A few take it as a reason to justify hatred. I don’t really associate with those people, so I don’t care, but it’s just stupid,” he said.

Mr. McManamon said that he believes Catholicism does not exclude gay people.

“Catholic teaching around issues of homosexuality differentiates between orientation and activity. No one outside of marriage, straight or gay, is permitted to engage in sexual activity. So in a sense, there is no difference in that regard,” he said.

“The Church does still have some language that is somewhat hurtful in regard to homosexual beings, but for the most part, the rules apply equally to all. However, there are instances, even in the classroom, in which homosexual activity is discussed in a far sterner light than heterosexual activity,” McManamon said. “In our Campus Life group, we pray at the beginning of every meeting, we sometimes discuss the challenges students in the group face being gay and Catholic, and it is a healthy dynamic.”

The students quoted in this article said they were optimistic about what the future holds for attitudes toward different sexual orientations at Saint Ignatius. Lundberg said he believes that Saint Ignatius will “become more tolerant, just as the church will.”

“Well, you look in the past and you see all the hate on homosexuals and what the world thought of them at the time, and you look at today’s society, where you can say you are gay and people will be proud of you, like Jason Collins, it’s very obvious the school and world are becoming more accepting,” said an anonymous student.

“I believe we have to continually discuss the issue,” said Mr. McManamon. “I believe educational programming for faculty and staff, as well as for students, is critical, and the newly created Diversity Committee is looking to do just that. I would love to see a day when this is a non-issue, when anyone in the Saint Ignatius community could be fully who they are in terms of their sexuality, without worry of retribution, mocking, or job loss. We’re getting there, and we’re going to keep working on the issue.”

While Saint Ignatius can improve in terms of how it discusses homosexuality in and outside of the classroom, McManamon affirms that it is has become a much more tolerant school.

“We’re at a great school,” said Mr. McManamon, “and it’s amazing to me how few problems most gay or bisexual students face here.”

How do we get New Teachers?

by Brian Sabath ‘17

Plans are already underway for next school year as the 2013-14 school year comes to a close. Every year at Ignatius, teachers come and go, but the hiring process remains an enigma in the minds of most students.

The process begins with the most crucial phase: getting the word out. Posts on Twitter and Facebook are used to engage and inform potential candidates about open positions, in addition to more traditional ways of communicating job openings, such as ads in The Plain Dealer for those who are out of the social-media loop.

The next step in the process happens here at Saint Ignatius. The head of the relevant department meets with the other teachers in his or her department and discusses what “big questions” they would like to ask the candidates for the position.

The potential future Ignatius teachers then email their résumé to the Human Resources department. Once the school has made initial decisions about which applicants possess necessary qualifications, they contact those candidates and schedule an interview with them.

Then comes the vital stress test: prospective teachers are required to teach a lesson to a group of randomly chosen students. The students provide their feedback on how they think that the candidate performed while teaching a lesson. And so, in a small but meaningful way, Ignatius students play a role when it comes to teacher hiring.

The committee hiring the candidates is then asked to rank the individuals applying for the job. The committee of teachers winnows down the playing field to three candidates who are referred to Mr. Ptak, the Dean of Teachers, and Principal Bradesca, with whom the candidates have a formal interview.

“I look for what would make that person perfect for Ignatius. This goes beyond years of teaching experience and whether they’re a graduate or not,” Principal Bradesca said.

Contrary to much popular belief, Ignatius alumni are not given a “leg-up” or held to a lower standard than the other candidates. Principal Bradesca assures that the playing field is all even when teachers apply for a job here.

The hiring process can be biting and grueling. Something to reflect upon when sitting in a teacher’s class – they had to work hard to get here, the same as you, while displaying the character needed to succeed. Faith, for them as the student body, plays a vital role.

“There are two things that will push me over the edge and cause me to hire someone here,” Bradesca said. “First one is that they demonstrate an energy and love for kids; second, they need to demonstrate a love for Christ.”

President-elect Mulach is ready to “work hard, play hard”

By John Selby ‘15

When Pat Mulach ’15 walked confidently to the podium to address over 1,000 students, he proclaimed that he and his colleague Danny Ertle ’15 were the men for job after emphatically reciting the refrain to Aloe Blacc’s hit single “I’m The Man.”

The student body evidently agreed that Mulach was in fact the man for the job, as they elected him President of the student body and Ertle as his vice president. The Mulach-Ertle tandem, running a campaign characterized by slogans like “Slow Animals, Fast Government,” are and have been a dynamic combination since they first set foot on the grounds of our famed alma mater.

“Freshman year we really got to know each other well in Bro Co’s class – shoutout to the man himself, Brother Cordero – and have been best friends since,” said Ertle. “Sophomore year we gained a ton of experience and realized we worked well together.”

Ertle also adds that it was a “natural transition” to this year’s campaign since Pat had served as Sophomore class president and he himself had served as vice president.

Mulach, a St. Christopher grad, and Ertle, a Ruffing Montessori grad, have both had extensive involvement in Student Senate and agreed that they wanted to continue their involvement as leaders together for the 2014-2015 school year.

The campaign was a “ton of work” according to President Mulach. “From creating posters to crafting the speech, Danny and I put a lot of time and effort into the whole ordeal.”

Mulach had high praise for his running mate.

“Danny was fantastic during the entire campaign for he played a key role in making sure the speech flowed smoothly and creating new posters,” he said. “We are still waiting to celebrate at Applebee’s half-priced apps.”

Mulach believes that the decisive factor in a tight campaign against the Dugan-Eckman and Schumacher-Raddell slates was the emphasis they put on making sure students got to the polls during lunch periods.

Mulach said he credits the get out the vote effort with getting him elected. “This was especially vital for the second round of elections as the number of voters significantly rose,” he said.

Mulach and Ertle both have freshman brothers who Pat says helped, “spread a good word” among the underclassmen.

“We’re so grateful and honored to be chosen for these positions,” said Ertle. “We really look forward to the upcoming year and promise to work our hardest to make next year reach its full potential.”

President Mulach says he looks forward to creating some “ill” student sections next year and enjoying the perquisites of office. “I haven’t put much thought into titles yet, but Geoff DiMassa would definitely be a fan of ‘Mr. President’ as he shouts it throughout the halls whenever he see me.”

Mulach summarized his goals for next year in the following statement:

Ignatius Students,
Danny and I would like to truly thank you guys for the support during this year’s campaign. Thank you to everyone who voted both in the slate election and the class officers election. As “King” Zupan clutches onto his final week in office, I want to give you guys a heads up on what you can expect next year.

The Student Senate next year will be ultra-receptive to you, the students. I will add a student suggestion box outside of the senate office so that you guys can drop off ideas for events such as homecoming and student section themes. We really want to incorporate the student body’s ideas into senate next year, and to accomplish this we need student participation.

Thank you again to all who voted and I am looking forward to a fantastic year. Thank you for trusting Danny and I to run the show next year. We promise to do everything we can to make the next school year your best at Ignatius.

Go cats,
Pat Mulach

Are AP students taught for the test or challenged to learn?

by Parviz Kanga ‘15

“Teaching for the test,” specifically the Advanced Placement tests, is a common expression that refers to those AP courses that are supposedly taught with a greater focus on receiving a five on the AP test than actually covering the subject with a desirable depth. Some students believe that the teachers of AP courses are  pressured to conform to the content of the AP tests, although the consequences of such behavior aren’t necessarily negative.

“With some exceptions, I think that teachers do teach to the AP test. But I think that it’s a comprehensive enough curriculum that it doesn’t exclude other material we need in any meaningful way,” said Andrew Beddow ‘14, who took four AP classes and five exams this year.

The belief that Saint Ignatius teachers stick to the test doesn’t seem widely held among the faculty. While such course-teaching methodologies may exist at other schools, Saint Ignatius AP instructors themselves assert that most advanced-placement courses at St. Ignatius are not, in fact, “taught for the test.” On the contrary, an unrepresentative sample of AP teachers concluded that instructors in advanced classes are generally in favor of the AP tests and do not feel restricted.

Mr. Beach, AP English Language teacher, stated that he feels no such pressure to teach his students only what will appear on his class’s AP exam. Speaking on behalf of both AP Language and AP Literature he stated that both AP exams are, in fact, “skill tests.”

As a result, Beach feels that there are no unnecessary restrictions or guidelines that need to be followed. Rather, preparation throughout the year involves a simple, two-step process: analyze complicated texts and learn to articulate that analysis.

Mr. Sabol, the AP Calculus AB instructor at Saint Ignatius, also does not feel restricted. While there are certainly more specific topics that need to be covered in calculus than in AP Literature, Mr. Sabol sees both the AP Calculus AB and BC tests as accurate assessments of critical thinking, stating that “in every case there is an assessment in mind. It provides the class with a goal.”

In fact, Sabol sees the two AP Calculus exams as exemplary tests of their kind.

“We haven’t seen a standardized test better than this,” he said.

Mr. Howard, teacher of AP US Government, shared a view a little different from either Mr. Beach’s or Mr. Sabol’s. Mr. Howard is positive and believes that the AP US Government exam provides a much needed structure to the very extensive topic of US government. He does admit, however, that the AP exam provides him less time to teach certain topics, such as social welfare.

Meanwhile, Mr. Hawkins, AP Chemistry teacher, also felt that there was a slight lack in flexibility as well as time which kept him from covering topics such as organic chemistry and nuclear chemistry. Evidently lukewarm with respect to AP tests, he thinks that the AP exam is only “OK.”

Taken collectively, AP teachers at our school do not seem pressured by the AP exams and most do not feel that their courses are “taught for the test.” No matter the subject–English, math, science, or government–teachers have a positive attitude towards the exams.

While more extensive and far reaching subjects such as Chemistry and US Government may feel the pressures of time because of the AP exams, teachers conclude that those problems are inevitable and structure is needed to keep such classes on course.

AP student senior Bronson Hausmann, who took four AP classes and seven tests in 2014, said that his personal experience indicates that teachers are willing to include material not listed on the AP curriculum if they believe it necessary.

“I personally have had instances where non-curricular material was covered for the sake of understanding the subject,” Hausmann said. “This is most likely not always the case, however.”

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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