Home Blog Page 96

The “other” NFL: Speech and Debate

by John Berner ‘14

Saint Ignatius Speech and Debate has a promising year ahead. Those who immediately associate “NFL” with football should know that the National Forensics League hosts interscholastic tournaments in speech and debate events throughout the year, culminating in state and national championships.

Competitors have been known to go on to become leaders in business, medicine, law, theater, film, and government. The NFL can boast such distinguished and diverse alumni as Jon Belushi, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Brad Pitt, and Stephen Colbert.

The team, helmed by veteran coaches Mr. Fujimoto and Mr. Buzzelli, has over the years produced two Tonynominated Broadway actors, a senior editor at Marvel, the current President of the Ohio Speakers Bureau, and numerous other accomplished graduates.

This year, seniors include the reigning policy debate state champions Kevin Pucci and Sean Lavelle, plus state qualifiers Adam Calogeras and John Berner. An optimistic yield of victories seems ahead as both newcomers and veterans alike prepare for the 2013 Speech and Debate season.

Ploughmen plow through summer

by Antonio Zodda ’14

School may have been out but the Ploughmen stayed hard at work in maintaining their garden this summer. Club members made the drive to campus to regularly water, weed, and harvest the crops. Due to a hefty yield, the Ploughmen were able to make several trips to both St. Herman’s House of Hospitality and the West Side Catholic Center for donations.

This year’s harvest has been the most bountiful in the club’s history, and the harvest is still increasing. This season’s specialty crops included lunchbox peppers, purple green beans, heirloom Swiss chard and black cherry tomatoes,a Ploughmen favorite.

Due to a recently acquired grant, the club is now in possession of three new compost tumbler bins, designed to expedite the composting process. Current sources of compost include a daily delivery of food scraps from the cafeteria, fall foliage from the on-campus trees, and the occasional batch of spent grains from Great Lakes Brewery. The group hopes to make composting a significantly more widespread effort across campus in the coming years.

Two new rooftop bee colonies, which replaced those lost during Hurricane Sandy, were able to settle over the summer and begin the long and arduous process of honey-making.

To what extent these bees have succeeded will be determined when the Ploughmen extract their honey early this fall.

Keith Kozak, SJ ’97 Hears the Call

by Dominic Gideon ’14

Alumni Column

There are 290,000 fewer priests today than the million clergymen who served in 1973, showing that most young Catholic men today don’t look at priesthood as a seriously as in the past. But a select few, like Mr. Keith Kozak, SJ ‘97, have answered the call to religious vocation against cultural currents.

Growing up in Brooklyn, a southern suburb of Cleveland, and attending St. Thomas More, Mr. Kozak was involved in his parish ministry early on as an altar server and lector. He became comfortable with and accustomed to the Church, and young Keith Kozak started to ponder the possibility of living the life of a priest.

While at Saint Ignatius, his involvement with the Church intensified as he combined his love for music with his faith, joining the Ignatius choir and learning to play church organs at St. Thomas More. Kozak loved the arts and so also become involved in band and theatre — finding many ways to share and grow his artistic abilities.

During his high school career, his inclination toward the priesthood grew along with his musical talents. “While I was at Ignatius, I thought about it a lot,” Mr. Kozak said. “I felt like I had the calling, and I felt that was what I was called to do.”

Yet although he felt a definitive call to the priesthood, he was nervous to take up God’s plan. “I wasn’t sure that’s what I wanted even though I was positive that’s what God wanted from me,” Mr. Kozak said.

While discerning his priestly vocation he was influenced by his teacher and preacher Fr. Larry Ober. Having Fr. Ober for two classes at Ignatius as well as witnessing him preside at mass, Mr. Kozak was inspired by his doubly impactful example as a great priest and educator.

Mr. Kozak noticed Fr. Ober’s joy in both settings. “That’s where Jesus spoke to me: through [Father’s] teaching both on the altar and in the classroom,” he said.

Although Kozak felt a strong call to the priesthood, he decided to hold the call and pursue his musical vocation. He went on to Catholic University in Washington D.C. and majored in Music Education.

“Education is the key component into that,” Mr. Kozak said. “I always knew I wanted to teach or do something with education,” he said, which made the Jesuits an even more attractive profession for him.

In 2010– after his undergraduate, masters, and five years of working– Mr. Kozak finally stopped holding off God’s call to the priesthood and joined the Jesuits. Since then he has finished his novitiate and is now a Jesuit Scholastic in first studies at St. Louis University.

The next stage is regency, where he does teaching work for a few years; then theology, where he returns to his studies; next is ordination; and finally tertianship, which wraps up the formation process, ending in final vows. This would mean Mr. Kozak (now 33) would finish in his 40’s.

But that doesn’t discourage him at all. “Jesuit formation is a time of grace, prayer, there is lots of joy, and a whole lot of fun,” Mr. Kozak said. “A wise Jesuit once told me that formation is not a means to an end… You must enjoy the process of formation and not look ahead or think of this as something that has to happen to get to the end result of ordination.”

Even though the process takes a while, Mr. Kozak doesn’t regret entering sooner. He thinks of his time before becoming a scholastic as invaluable experience that will help him in his Jesuit mission. He likes that guys come into the Jesuits with previous experiences.

“They bring to the society their own unique views and energy,” Mr. Kozak said.

He has enjoyed formation so far, and lives with 25 other men while keeping himself busy throughout the day. “My normal day has time for prayer, daily Mass, community service, classes, and homework along with dinner and community time with the other Jesuit scholastics that I live with,” Mr. Kozak said.

The one problem with his experience in the order, Mr. Kozak said, is his lack of influence on where he ends up and the distance from home. He would like to be back in Cleveland, but that’s all dependent on where the Superior General wants him. But regardless of the place he’s called to serve, Mr. Kozak will be doing what matters most: serving others for the Greater Glory of God.

Rebuilding a Winner: Tribe clinches playoff berth, Hoyer and Browns roll

Absolute elation.  Pure, unrestrained excitement!  That’s exactly what I felt today after seeing the scores of the Browns and Indians games go final.  Right now, that is the vibe all around the great city of Cleveland as both the Browns and the Indians secured huge victories today.  We’re certainly not used to feeling this way about our teams, but I have a feeling that we will have to get used to it!!  As the Tribe moves on to postseason ball and the Brian Hoyer-led Browns continue to improve (not to mention the vastly improved Cavs starting up training camp soon), there will indeed be no shortage of thrilling Cleveland sports action.

Continue

Three things that will make Ignatius a better place

by Benjamin Seeley ‘14
Opinion Editor

Happy as I am with the recent changes made around campus, I’d be remiss to let it stop there when so much remains waiting to be fixed. Not that Ignatius is in desperate need of sweeping reforms or anything like that, but the addition of boat shoes to the school dress code or devices to the classrooms just isn’t enough. So let’s go further.

Before I get into what’s needing reform, I’ll take the moment to comment on the new direction the Opinion page seeks to take this year. It’s the general consensus here at The Eye that our paper ought to have a voice, and not one that’s political. Far more deeply, we want to establish our paper as one that works to best serve the students, and not one that caves in to the satisfaction and stagnation of obsequity, because ultimately, that’s the most dangerous of destinations.

So without further ado, let’s get to the (metaphorical, and not hostile) punch. Here’s what ought to be fixed:

1. All-student emails should be restored to all students and faculty.

While not everyone necessarily knows that they’ve been stripped of their virtual right to speak to the school, you have been. So be angry. The school (following a certain incident involving a certain member of the Class of 2016 who pointed out certain Church doctrines and their ramifications on a certain smoky, school-sanctioned tradition) decided to unilaterally—and quietly—remove the ability for students to send emails via the all-school network, in so doing silencing the voices of those hoping to make announcements for clubs, concerns, etc. (Though, let me say now, that the upcoming advent of the Haiku forum rectifies this almost totally. I’m winking at you, administration . . .)

While I certainly understand the reasons behind removing the all-student email, I think one of two alternatives should have taken place: the students should have been alerted of their disenfranchisement, or there should have been a statement issued warning students (with the threat of severe punishment) against sending any future unnecessary all-school emails. It’s the least that could have been done.

2. Less emphasis should be placed on the correction of trivial violations of school policy.

Yes, it’s nice to be awakened by the sound of Mr. Hennessy’s megaphone just after first period, as he mockingly turns around students hoping to take a shortcut down Loyola’s front stairs; it really does make my Monday mornings.

But aren’t there grosser, more pressing matters to attend to? I mean, aren’t there better things the Dean could be doing with his time than waiting to pounce on students unknowingly violating a rule as venial as it is esoteric? I think not. I think the school community would be best served if handbook-enforcers were to correct students performing actual moral transgressions. But that’s just me.

3. The administration should be more open and transparent with its students.

Obviously, I don’t believe all administrative knowledge should be available to the students, but I think that the school should be significantly more willing to have a dialogue. Grave as it may be to admit and discuss, there have been serious issues that have impacted Ignatius in the past few years. But rather than discuss these matters with the students directly, letters to parents have become the standard mode of promulgation. While these affairs were perhaps awkward conversations to have with students, that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have been had at all. Because when that conversation is foregone entirely, assumptions are made and fears solidified.

And I don’t want that to be the Ignatius I know.

OUR TAKE: Promote CAT, but not at the expense of other clubs

The ban on extracurricular meetings Thursday from 3:00 to 3:30 to facilitate attendance at Christian Action Team meetings is a well-intentioned but mistaken policy that shackles student organizations.

Although the policy tries to promote service, the effect has been to slash the days when clubs can meet, forcing students to triage their extracurricular involvement at the expense of their personal goals. CAT meetings, vital to our school’s volunteering ethic, should be voluntary. The option to meet on Thursday should be restored.

Student-led clubs serve a dual purpose in that they provide a needed space for self-discovery, and that they are talent incubators in which success demonstrates ability and passion. Colleges pore over extracurricular resumes, looking for leadership, achievement, and commitment.

They want to see students who are curious, dynamic, who act to realize their dreams. A student’s life outside of class is more indicative of his capabilities than how he performs on Scantron sheets and research papers. Blank spaces on the resume turn colleges off, and multi-dimensional CVs indicate students with ability.

Ignoring the importance of clubs would doom a prep school like Ignatius, and the school has not made that mistake before. There are 61 organizations on the website, with recent additions not yet online—ample ways to engage. But with only three days to meet, the reality is that suddenly shrinking clubs will go extinct.

The narrow window between 3:00 and 3:30 is when the vast majority of clubs choose to meet, before rides arrive, sports begin and attendance plummets. Clubs meet on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and-—historically—-Thursday. Meeting Friday, just like meeting after 3:30, is impractical, given the insurmountable desire of faculty moderators and students to return home for the weekend.

And because of the ban, managing extracurricular commitments has become impractical as well, especially for the type of high-achieving, highly-involved student who suffers most without the Thursday meeting slot.

Mondays are for Vista, Green Team, Debate, Support Our Troops, and more. Tuesdays are for Junior Council on World Affairs, Aeronautics Club, History Club—the list is endless, a tribute to the diversity and enthusiasm of the student body.

Crammed into three days, students must select the clubs they guess might be fulfilling for them. The Grad at Grad states that a Jesuit high school alumnus will be Open to Growth. Ignatius students now must grow within the shrunken ceiling of three meeting days.

CAT was given priority for understandable reasons. The school values service. That ethic is infused into the student experience here, from the CAT programs to Sophomore Service to the many clubs that incorporate service outside of CAT, such as Green Team, Heroes Club, Support Our Troops, Relay for Life, and S.A.D.D. In preventing other clubs from occupying the half-hour Thursday slot, the motivation was to promote service in CAT programs, in itself a noble goal.

But that policy overlooks the fact that the selfless ethic of service is deeply ingrained into the multihued spectrum of Saint Ignatius clubs. Students serve how they choose, through their own free will, whether they voluntarily go to CAT meetings, or whether they dedicate themselves to recycling, donating blood or Science Olympiad. The school should restore the status quo before the ban. Students come from different backgrounds, with different goals and different means of serving, and Saint Ignatius must recognize that reality.

Wildcats dominated physically by Paramus Catholic

by Pat McGuire ’14

At Saturday afternoon’s homecoming game, the Paramus Catholic Paladins were just too much for an injury-plagued Wildcat team. Christian Klink was thrown into the fire starting only his second career varsity start against the fourth best team in the nation. Needless to say the Wildcats had their backs against the wall from the start.

Paramus Catholic started quickly putting up 13 points early in the first quarter off a wildcat three-and-out as well as a fumble in their own territory. The Wildcat offense then would respond with a touchdown of their own and head into half tied 16-7.

The second half was a different story. Paramus ran over the ‘Cats in the second half with an overall barage by the Paladins. Jabrill Peppers caught a touchdown in the 3rd quarter to put the Paladins . But then Paramus would put the nail in the coffin with a 95 years pick six, and they then piled on another touchdown on the board. The final score from Byers was 44-10 as the Paramus Catholic Paladins defeated the injury-plagued Wildcats.

The Wildcats had 3 turnovers (2 fumbles, 1 int.), but Nick Fabian was the bright spot for the Cats with 165 receiving yards and a touchdown. Fabian recorded the most receiving yards by a wildcat since 2008 and Robby Paris, but it wasn’t enough as saint Ignatius falls to 3-2. The ‘Cats will face Lawrence Central from Indiana Saturday at Byers.

Amid changes to disciplinary code, school drops award for “correct deportment”

by Samuel Royer ’15

With one stroke of the pen, Principal Daniel Bradesca ‘88 has eliminated the Correct Deportment Award. The change was announced at the start of the school year.

The Correct Deportment Award had been given to seniors who, after four years of attending Saint Ignatius, reached graduation without receiving a single jug. The removal of this award reinforces Mr. Bradesca’s message to students that it is okay to fail. “Failure is necessary if growth is to be realized. By accepting this, we must also accept the fact that jugs are not to be viewed as a death sentence. Jugs happen. They happen to the best of students. Jugs exist to help the student learn from his mistakes,” said Mr. Bradesca. [pullquote]

Jugs happen. They happen to the best of students. Jugs exist to help the student learn from his mistakes,” said Mr. Bradesca.

[/pullquote]

Of particular frustration to Mr. Bradesca was the fact that the award was given out to many seniors who, although they never received an official jug, probably should have. Instead, often they received private punishment from their teachers. The result was an award that put its emphasis on the wrong metric for measuring behavior. “I have recently experienced students reduced to tears when informed that a bad decision had prevented them from receiving a Correct Deportment Award. The award was what was important to them. That is a problem.”

Despite there no longer being an award for a perfect disciplinary record, Associate Dean of Students, Mr. Ryan Franzinger ‘02 still urges students to make it a goal to not get a jug. “People are perfectly capable of doing that. It’s a good goal. I presented that at orientation – an emphasis on how you act. It’s the Christian code of ethics,” he said.

With an updated dress code and a new cell phone and technology policy, Mr. Bradesca hopes that the rules can be easier to follow for students and easier to enforce for teachers. He admits, “In the past, ambiguities in the rules often caused students to test the waters of acceptability and teachers often acquiesced because they were either unclear or were too frustrated to find clarity.” Even so, Mr. Bradesca acknowledges the possibility that with the new rules students may still choose to break the rules. With the discontinuation of the award and new guidelines, Mr. Bradesca and the administration hope for more consistent enforcement of the rules.

Mr. Franzinger advises students who have trouble inside the classroom to cooperate with their teacher and wait until after class to object if they need to. He warns that if a student is sent to the Dean of Students Office, it almost always results in the student receiving an automatic five jugs. “One thing that I don’t think kids understand is that when they’re told to do something or told not to do something and they don’t listen to their teacher, the situation quickly escalates,” he says.

Soccer Cats gain momentum in crucial victory vs Twinsburg

by Patrick McGuire ’14

Just when you think the Wildcats are starting to lose momentum and fade, they come back and prove you wrong. Coming off three straight draws to formidable opponents like St. Edward, Masillon Jackson, and University School, frustration was mounting for the ‘Cats.

The Wildcats struggled to pass the ball with the efficiency typical in a Mike McLaughlin run offense, but the defense has held its own for the ‘Cats. Coach McLaughlin has been able to fall back on strong defensemen like Matt Nigro and David Sisson as well as superb goal keeping by Mikal Outcalt to weather the storm.

Against Twinsburg, the ‘Cats came out and played their trademark offense– physical and hard-nosed, striking early in the first half with two goals: one by Cole Brownsberger and the other on a penalty kick by freshman Stephen Milhoan.  These two goals set the tone for the rest of the match as the Wildcat defense with keeper Mikal Outcalt were able to blank the Twinsburg attack.

The ‘Cats would tack on another goal in the second half as senior co-skipper Matty Ivancic netted the third of the night for the ‘Cats, and that would be enough to hold off the Tigers of Twinsburg. The Wildcats defeated the Tigers by a score of 3-0, adding to the impressive resume of keeper Mikal Outcalt. With this shutout, Outcalt adds his sixth “clean-sheet” (i.e. shutout) of the season, which is impressive in its own right.

Coach McLaughlin and the ‘Cats gained a much needed victory in terms of momentum as they will take on a very difficult, perennial contender in Olentangy Liberty. Though Coach McLaughlin knows that this team has to take the season one match at a time, this is a crucial match not only for momentum but confidence. If the Wildcats defeat Olentangy liberty, they would have two quality victories over impressive opponents when they head into a difficult stretch, playing two teams from Washington D.C. and then finishing the season against Gahanna Lincoln.

Against Twinsburg, this Wildcat soccer team took the first step toward greatness, snapping the recent funk that they were in as they head into the final stretch of the season.

Prime J.I.M.E: Senior Bash exceeds expectations

by Tommy Gruber ‘14

Once again, the Class of 2014 was at the center of a brilliant plan for fun weekend activities. “The Dance of the Century” some called it. Others said it was the “Shindig of the Decade.” On Sunday, September 15th, Saint Joseph Academy hosted what was more commonly referred to as the “Senior Bash.”

Yes, I am talking about the event from those fliers you saw posted across the Senior Lounge. So what was this “The Bash”, you ask? It was an event held at the convenient time of 2-5 P.M. on a Sunday afternoon in gorgeous West Park, Ohio. People from Saint Joseph Academy, Saint Ignatius, Magnificat, and St. Edward were in attendance. (Thus, the name: J-I-
M-E. Clever, eh?)

“This won’t be an awkward dance!” some defended.

“Who wouldn’t want to spend his precious Sunday afternoon at a run down gym in West Park with his buddies from St. Ed’s?” No one, that’s who.

The event included such heart pounding activities as the board game Life, karaoke, and the ever rare Monopoly. With a monumental crowd of definitely over 27 people, this event caused noise complaints throughout the already siren-ridden town of West Park.

The most amazing thing about “The Bash” though is that no one foresaw such a gigantic crowd coming to this event. The Saint Ignatius senior class sold a record low zero tickets at school.

For reasons that remain mysterious, some people had great confidence and optimism in “The Bash” from the beginning. Senior Vice President Dominic Gideon ‘14 said “I hope we get at least 30 tickets at school. It’s an opportunity to branch out to new friends. Also, there will be a plentiful amount of the opposite gender.”

Other seniors were more circumspect. Gideon’s superior, Senior class President Keegan Holland ‘14, hypothesized that no one would go.

Well, the senior class sure showed him! Despite the bad vibes and jive talkin’ spat by President Holland, “The Bash” was a fantastic success, with attendees numbering literally in the severals.

1...959697...145Page 96 of 145

Instagram

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