“Senioritis” is a condition which is associated with many illustrious rumors. In reality, many of the rumors are simply not based in fact. Take for example, the claim that senior year is your easiest year. This is false. Although the workload is indeed simple enough for a fourth grader, senioritis victims have sudden realizations of priorities, and consistently choose to do things more important than schoolwork, such as rewatching entire seasons of Breaking Bad on Netflix from the minute they get home until 2 A.M.
Catholic schools gather to support pro-life issues
by Dominic Gideon ‘14
This past Thursday, twenty-five Ignatius students joined about 270 other Catholic high school students to take part in the Respect Life Day downtown. The day comprised of mass at the cathedral, a march down the streets of Cleveland to Public Square, and then finally a rally with high school speakers to talk about pro-life issues. The event was organized by Catholic Schools for Peace and Justice, a social justice networking organization in the Cleveland Catholic Diocese. 
The most impactful part of the day for the students was the rally when their peers went up on an impromptu platform next to the Moses Cleveland statue and spoke out on a wide range of pro-life topics. There were speeches on abortion, disabilities, the death penalty, and other social issues on which the Church takes a stance. “The rally was a great experience for all of us,” said David Mooney ‘15. “It really helped us see how important [these issues are].”
The speakers were a varied group of people who all “brought their own insights,” as Mooney said, giving students different lenses and perspectives to see the topics. There were also some students who brought very personal ties to the topics on which they spoke. Josh Foreman, a fully blind student from Holy Name, talked about his life and his positivity toward his disability. Another student, Lake Catholic junior Connor Robinson, gave an emotional speech on suicide. Robinson’s speech was a powerful witness on the topic and reflected on the recent death of his brother, Michael.
These powerful messages enlightened, inspired, and moved many high schoolers, giving them a reason to be glad they took part in the event aside from taking a day off of school.
Gov’t shutdown alters Hiking Retreat
by Dominic Gideon ‘14
On October 1st the US government, embroiled in partisan tension over the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), shut down, suspending many national services and programs. This shutdown has affected countless people around the country, including many Ignatius parents and alumni. It’s now affecting the school itself, keeping the Senior Hiking Retreat– set for today– from going on its usual trail through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
The retreat will not be able to be in the park because the paychecks of park rangers from national parks all around the county have been suspended as a result of Congress’s stalemate. Other officers have been assigned to fine anybody who is found in the parks without the rangers present.
Both the government and many citizens are feeling the effects of national park shutdowns. According to USA today, the government is losing about $450,000 in visitor fees per day because of the temporary park closure and local economies have missed out on roughly $76,000. And while the parks feel the adverse effect monetarily, runners, hikers, and nature enthusiasts are also losing out. In addition to the Senior Hiking Retreat, the Towpath Marathon, set for Sunday, is also hindered because of the inaccessibility of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The main difference between the two is that the retreat will still go on.
“That Buckeye trail that goes through the Cuyahoga Valley Recreational Area is awesome, but we’ll just have to adapt,” Mr. DeVenney, the retreat leader, said.
And so they did.
After discovering the news that the retreat could not proceed as planned, Mr. DeVinney looked around to other possible sites to hike with the boys and found a good substitute– Brecksville Reservation in the Cleveland Metroparks.
Although Mr. DeVenney doesn’t like it quite as much as the original trail, he still thinks it’s a nice place for the retreat and likes how “it’s more secluded” than the Buckeye trail.
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“The purpose of the retreat will still be there; to spend some time in nature…God’s creation.”
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Furthermore, there will be no fundamental changes in the one day getaway. “The purpose of the retreat will still be there; [that is] to spend some time in nature, you know, God’s creation,” DeVenney said.
But there was one thing about the change which DeVenney was sincerely disappointed about. “Instead of eating at the Winking Lizard, which is the best place ever because they have the big Ed burger,” DeVenney said, “we will be going to Simon’s restaurant in Brecksville.”
Fortunately for Mr. DeVenney and his 9 senior hikers, they were able to keep their retreat on schedule and integrally the same; that still, however, is just a short term fix to the problems created by the government shutdown.
“If Congress would actually do things for the good of the American people we’d be OK,” said Mr. DeVenney, “but instead they’re very selfish and think too politically.”
Wild cat comes to campus
Brendan O’Donnell ‘16
A feral cat has been spotted on campus at Saint Ignatius around the chapel parking lot. The cat has frequented campus for the last two to three weeks, although the exact date of the cat’s arrival is unknown.
The feline initially appeared thin and scrawny, but now looks much healthier, which may be due to the ready availability of food on campus.
Mr. Peter Hendler, director of Plant Services, said that feral cats are nothing new at Saint Ignatius. “I’ve seen a few cats around here,” he said. “We’ve always had them.”
However, this cat is the first one that has been widely noticed by the campus community, enough to cause the school to take notice of it.
Mr. Hendler said that the school administration has no plans to impede feline access to campus.
“They’re living free and wild,” he said. “It keeps the mice population down too.”
No injuries after bus carrying JV football team catches fire
by Kevin Malloy ’15
Updated with photos 10/2/13 9:25 PM
Early this week, a bus carrying the JV football team caught fire while headed back to Cleveland. No one was injured, and the extent of equipment damage is being determined.
On Monday, September 30th, the JV football ‘Cats headed to Erie, Pennsylvania, to take on Strong Vincent. About an hour into the trip home, one of the busses experienced a tire blowout, creating sparks that ignited the back of the bus on fire. After the bus pulled over, the players and coaches were able to quickly evacuate without any injuries.
The State Highway Patrol and fire department arrived at the scene shortly thereafter and were able to subdue the fire. The entire team was crammed onto the one remaining bus for the rest of the ride home.
Most people at the scene assumed that all the equipment and personal items on the bus were damaged beyond repair. However, the silver lining of the situation is that everything was returned the next day, slightly charred but in better condition than expected. The equipment is being sent away for a cleaning and will be assessed upon return. Until then, the team will not be able to practice.
Sam Brick ’16 gave his account of the incident to the Eye on Tuesday:
Wildcat Golfers cruise past field in sectional tournament
by Pat McGuire ’14
On Monday, Coach Brian Becker’s Varsity golf team tied the Saint Ignatius all time record in an 18 hole match this past Tuesday at Legacy Golf Course. Led by two stellar performances by Mike Vallee ’16 (70) and PJ Mailk ’14 (71) the ‘Cats defeated a formidable section that included St. Edward who finished in second place, 16 strokes behind at 306. Other notable Wildcats included Kevin Duncan ’15 (74), Harrison Vonderau ’16 (74), and Jack Coyne ’14 (85).
These golfers tied the all time record for lowest round set by a team which was set by a team including Beau Titsworth, Kyle Kimeck, Matt Gerard, and Andrew Bailey; who were very talented in their own right. The ‘Cats shot an impressive 289 on a Legacy course which was approximately 6,050 yards long, featuring 11 par-4s and 4 par-5s.
Coach Brian Becker reiterated that he has long believed in the talent of this team as they started somewhat slowly earlier in the season but now have caught fire. Becker says that he hopes this team is peaking at exactly the right time: the playoffs. The Wildcat golfers took their first meaningful step toward qualifying for the state tournament and are rapidly gaining momentum at the right time.
Rebuilding a Winner: WINDIANS
While Brian Hoyer winning his first two starts has been momentous, all the rage around campus recently has been about the Cleveland Indians. After rolling during a 10-game winning streak to conclude the season, the “Windians” found themselves with the top wild card spot in the 2013 playoffs. After a tiebreaker matchup between the Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays had the Rays emerge victorious, a one game playoff was set with the Tribe hosting Tampa, the winner facing the Boston Red Sox in the ALDS. Cleveland is expected to start rookie Danny Salazar (2-3, 3.12 ERA) against the Rays’ Alex Cobb (11-3, 2.76) in a game that could feature many pitching changes with both teams in the top half of the MLB in runs.
The return of the rally?
by Timothy Domzalski ’14
The fall sports rally broke with tradition by opting for a shortened program focusing on heightened student interaction with the festivities, marked by a tug-of-war between faculty and freshmen that ended in disaster for the teachers, and theatrical performances by ringleaders Tom Horan and Jack Hyland.
The new rally format was the brainchild of the Student and Student Affairs Committee, headed by Jack J. Hyland and representatives including Ricky Benninger, Keegan Holland, Jack Napoli, and Tom Horan.
Horan said the committee had begun planning changes to the rally format during summer break, spurred by a desire to introduce vitality to the seasonal celebrations.
“We thought the rallies had become insignificant,” Horan said.
He and other committee members wanted to move away from the video-rally routine of the past, although he said the videos have not been permanently blacklisted.
The tug of war concluding the rally was a departure from tradition characterized by its irreverence. Horan said he intentionally selected unintimidating faculty team members to “get the students pumped” with the “shock factor” of a chance at victory.
Horan also said he would like to thank Burton Horan justified his decision to create an “all-star line-up” of Mr. Laco, Mr. Corrigan, and Brother Cordero as “legitimate” due to the inclusion of younger teachers Mr. Crew and Mr. Galloway.
The freshmen team, however, was improvised.
Although he said he had hoped to choose “average freshmen” at random, Horan said that after he saw “freshman jumping up and down,” he refused to “kill the vibe” and accepted 6’ 10” Malique Burton as the team’s anchor. Burton stunned the crowd after he pulled the freshmen to a dominant victory over the teachers.
Horan also said he would like to thank Burton for “his participation, which ramped up the students.”
For future rallies, Horan said the Student and Student Affairs Committee is “mulling over options” and would like to continue shaking up the routine. He said he hopes to continue to take a starring role.
“I would love to continue emceeing the rallies,” Horan said.
Horan said that the SSA Committee “wanted students to expect changes” including reforms targeted towards student spirit, the student section at athletic events, new cheers, as demonstrated during the rally.
Walkin’ the Walk: East side Seniors mark four year journey with annual pilgrimage
by Tommy Gruber ‘14
Tradition is an important part of life at Saint Ignatius. However, one tradition has been overlooked. For the past four years, several students St. Ann’s Parish (now Communion of Saints) have been involved in a wild tradition: a seven mile walk back to their homes in beautiful Cleveland Heights. Jacob Rossi ‘14 came up with this tradition in the summer of their freshman year, and made the first trip with classmates Dominic Gideon, Ben Lamb, Mike Kowalski, Josh Brower, and Jeff Foerg after a freshman football practice. Participation has flagged in the years following that first, fateful journey. But Gideon has made up for it by continuing the tradition.
For the first three years, the group walked across the Carnegie Bridge, observing the sights and sounds of downtown, and stopping to feast at Hot Sauce Williams on Carnegie Avenue. This year, however, Gideon and Lamb were the only ones able to make the pilgrimage. They decided not to walk, but to run, and finish strong in their homegrown tradition. Although they did not have their annual feast of gourmet fried chicken from Hot Sauce Williams, the trip created a sense of closure for Gideon.
Gideon told of serious discussions of Cleveland with his chaps, to stories of listening to the city’s locals, such as “Dolla Bill,” talk about their own experiences. Some may wonder why they do this. “It really helps my gluteus maximus,” Gideon answered the hypothetical pessimist. “And I get a chance to see the beautiful, safe streets of Cleveland.”
Gideon wishes to keep this tradition alive, and is calling out to all Communion of Saints alumni to continue the tradition. The walk only takes about two-and-a-half hours, but the memories of the eventful journeys last much longer.
Zupan promises a year of changes. Can he deliver?
by Alastair Pearson ’14
During the 2012-2013 school year, President Michael Zupan ‘14 won election on a campaign of change. He said he would transform life on campus. The Ignatius POLITICAT series will check his claims and post updates on his term throughout the year. Our first article focuses on Zupan’s agenda and what he wants to accomplish.
Student body president Michael Zupan said that he plans to implement a wide-ranging agenda during the 2013-14 school year that will include the replacement of the winter dance and the revival of a schoolwide survey on race relations.
Promise #1: Winter dance out, spring dance in
“There will be no winter dance,” Zupan said. “The winter dance itself is fun, but the lack of attendance is not as fun. It has kind of a stigma.”
The dance may be replaced with another activitywhich could be a spring dance- the night of this year’s restructured Class Competition, which he said will be planned further ahead to avoid last year’s logistical scrambling.
“It won’t be a dress-up affair,” Zupan said. “It will be a night time event. We want people to go home and shower. More details on that to come.”
Two of Zupan’s colleagues in Senate said that the president made the right choice in moving away from the winter formal.
“I think it’s an effective thing,” Thomas Horan ‘14 said. “It kinda pushes out something that’s been dying and decaying.”
Pat Meidenbauer ‘14 said that he will miss the dances, but he respects Zupan’s decision and has high expectations for the term.
“He works hard,” Meidenbauer said. “Our biggest project of the year is homecoming, and he’s handling it well.”
Promise #2: Check progress on race relations with a new student survey
The race-relations attitude survey was last conducted in 2009-10 when Zupan’s older brother Matt was the student body president, and will be implemented by the Student Senate Campus Climate committee under the leadership of Vincent Hwang.
Zupan said that the aim of the survey would be to see if there had been any notable changes in views about race at Ignatius since the last implementation of the survey.
Promise #3: Promote school spirit and increase attendance at school events
Spirit is also at the forefront of his agenda. The Student Senate Spirit Committee, under first-year senate member Jack J. Hyland, has been given extra funding to promote attendance and engagement at student events. “During the winter, we’re going to stress at-
tendance,” Zupan said. “Hopefully to increase the attendance at the winter sports.”
He also said he would work for more interactive rallies, building on the fall sports rally in which Hyland led raucous cheers, and Tom Horan conducted a question-and-answer session with Mr. Eynon followed by a tug of war between faculty and freshmen that ended in a surprise freshmen victory.
Zupan said the new rally format exemplified his commitment to spirit.
“We want better involvement by the students,” he said.
Promise #4: Invest wisely
The expanded funding for school spirit is built on an augmented senate budget. Only 89% of last years budget was spent. The resulting windfall means there is extra cash on hand for student activities.
The president said he does not believe fiscal responsibility in the senate will be a concern, citing the guidance of the faculty liaisons. “Mr. Kelley is very sure we waste nothing,” Zupan said. “In fact, starting this year–last year–Carlos [Pozuelo] was the only president to get it it not down to zero but nearer to zero.”
Zupan said that the lower balance last year was due to a donation to a bone marrow fund, and that the senate rarely makes unprofitable investments.
He said the beach party last year at winter formal was one of the few exceptions, which helped to contribute to the decision to move forward with eliminating the winter dance in favor of the new spring dance.
Promise #5: If it ain’t broke don’t fix it
Zupan said he aims to continue some aspects of business as usual, citing his commitment to Christmas on Campus, Easter and Halloween service events, and annual Student Senate T-shirt sales.
But, he said, make no mistake: this year will not be business as usual.
“Buckle up,” Zupan said.
