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Curriculum updates offer new choices for students

by Andrew Turk ’14

Courses ranging from AP Economics to Computer Science were added to the schedule this year to give students more options to customize their curricula.

Five new courses were incorporated into the course selection. The first, Honors English IV, taught by Mr. Pasko, allows students to choose a course of intermediate difficulty compared with the other regular and AP English classes available to seniors. Students taking Honors English IV will be encouraged to take the AP Literature exam in May.

The next two courses, AP Economics and Entrepreneurial Studies, both taught by Mr. Hess, explore the basics of economics and business. A new course called Cleveland History is being taught by Mr. Wimbiscus, and Computer Science also became an option for students as of this year. The class, taught by Mr. Johnson and Mr. Connor, will teach students how to use Java.

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New courses this year:

  • AP Economics
  • Computer Science: Java
  • Honors English IV
  • Entrepreneurial Studies
  • Cleveland History[/pullquote]

In order to make room for the new courses, several changes were made.

AP English Language, taught by Mr. Hodermarsky and Mr. Beach, is now available to juniors as opposed to only seniors. In order to make way for the new classes, both Reading and Honors Reading were removed from the curriculum.

Science classes have a revised schedule with a standard daily timeframe. Instead of having double periods twice a week, students now sit for fifty-five minute classes every day. The other major science department shift is the promotion of Anatomy and Physiology to an honors course, now referred to as Honors Anatomy and Physiology.

Physical Education has been moved from freshman to sophomore year. Sophomores will now take Physical Education every day for one semester. Computer, which was a freshman year class for all current sophomores, juniors, and seniors, will be taught during sophomore year in order to make room for Freshman Biology.

Mr. Gavin, Dean of Academic Administration, said that most of the changes were made to give students more options in selecting classes, and that more reforms may be on the horizon.

“Next spring there will be an analysis done by a company which specializes in school schedules to provide us with information to help us determine how our school schedule might be improved to meet our current and future curricular needs,” he said.

Ryan Masterson brings financial know-how to Econ class

by Patrick Millican ’15

Mr. Ryan Masterson, a Jesuit Scholastic and new member of the History Department, is the latest addition to the staff of Jesuits at Saint Ignatius.

Mr. Masterson attended Dublin-Scioto High School, a public secondary school north of Columbus, and then pursued postgraduate studies at the University of Chicago. He was an excellent singer specializing in opera, musicals, and Irish folk music, and planned to major in voice and natural science but changed both disciplines to minors after falling ill with a throat ailment.

Mr. Masterson received his MBA in finance and worked in public accounting before attending Xavier University in Cincinnati. While at Xavier, he first encountered the Jesuits working as on-campus educators and mentors, and was moved to pursue the priesthood after he attended a cookout at Xavier’s Jesuit Residence and was surprised by the Jesuits’ laidback and jocular demeanor.

Mr. Masterson had considered the priesthood as a vocation while in high school, but had never seriously considered joining the clergy.

What finally cemented his desire to become a priest, he said, was when he began to take the first hesitating steps towards the novitiate and received a fortune cookie with a fortune that read, “Now would be a good time to begin to think formally about helping others”–an example of what he said was “God’s sense of humor.”

Thirty minutes later, he received a call from the Jesuits accepting him into their order.

Since studying theology and philosophy at Loyola University in Chicago, Mr. Masterson has been putting his finance degree to use helping not-for-profit charities and other organizations that operate in the field of “social entrepreneurship” to balance their books. He said he sees his accounting skills as vital to successful charity work.

“Drive and vision are an important part of what makes an organization like that effective,” he said, “but you can’t do much good if you can’t keep the lights on.”

Mr. Masterson said that Saint Ignatius is more than living up to the hype from his classmates at Xavier who graduated in the Ignatius class of ‘03 (who, in typical Ignatian fashion, were easily identified as graduates by their bookstore-bought school-spirit paraphernalia that they wore everywhere). He will spend this and the next two school years at Saint Ignatius teaching World History to freshmen and Economics to juniors and seniors.

Why you won’t be getting a progress report in the mail this quarter

Mid-quarter progress reports will no longer be mailed to students’ parents, sources inside the school confirm.

Given the access to student grades online, the mailings were said to be “outdated upon receipt.” The school has used online grade reporting for over a decade.

But students who have been nervously watching their mailbox aren’t in the clear. Teachers have been advised to update grade reports over the next few days, and parents will be notified that they should review student grades to check on their son’s progress in classes.

The Charity Chronicles: Service is about the people

The school year is well underway and the Class of 2016 has just hit the streets of Cleveland for its first week of Sophomore Service. Lead by Mr. McLaughlin ‘85, the Sophomore Service program has been a great example of what our schools stands for. Students, including myself, have now started spending 2 ½ hours each week at locations such as the Cleveland Food Bank, Dunbar Elementary School, and Metro Hospital.

After having completed one week of Sophomore Service, I can already tell how much this program means to people. I was nervous about meeting strange new people, but I saw how thankful and welcoming people were after I met them. The generous volunteers at the West Side Catholic Center were thrilled to have more volunteers and made us feel welcome right away. It was very evident how much this program means to people.

Hoyer-Mania!

by Timothy Domzalski ’14

You have seen the game. You have seen him throw the pig-skin. And no doubt you have talked or heard about him in your classes. Brian Hoyer ’04, Saint Ignatius grad, and current Browns quarterback, has led the Browns to its first victory of the season against the Minnesota Vikings 31-27, throwing three touchdowns, as well as being the first Browns quarterback to throw over 300 yards (321 to be exact) in his debut start. Doubtless since we all go to Saint Ignatius we must adore him, right?

Well this reporter was sent forth to find out how Ignatius really feels about him.

One optimistic student, Luke Patterson ‘14, said, “He is the Browns’ most valuable player, and he deserves more than what he has.”

A more reserved Peter Heidar ‘15 thought, “He did well, except he did throw three interceptions.”

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“It was refreshing to see a quarterback of professional calibre.”

Christopher Bunder ‘14[/pullquote] Christopher Bunder ‘14 stated, “It was refreshing to see a quarterback of professional calibre, who looks relaxed in the pocket and in control of the offense.” Yet he described his overall feelings as “cautiously optimistic.”

One Junior was so excited he could only blurt out  “FOOTBALL!”

Another student said he was “livid over having too much homework and could not see the game.”

A student who wished to remain anonymous, surely in fear of massive waves of threatening e-mails said, “Well I’m not a Browns fan so I don’t really care (about the most important thing to happen this year for Ignatius).”

Hoyer may have thrown three interceptions, but he got Cleveland a win and what more can Cleveland ask for.

The real star of the game however, may have been Cleveland Browns punter/holder Spencer Lanning who was the first player with a punt, extra point, and touchdown pass in one game since 1968. So, lets hear it for Spencer.

Ignatius romps McDowell, 49-10

by Patrick McGuire ’14

The storyline for the Wildcats in week 4 was how would junior quarterback Christian Klink be able to step in to the starting role after starting John Thomas ’14 went down with a shoulder injury. The Wildcats faced an Erie McDowell team who gave Mentor problems in week 1, leading them 16-0 after the first quarter.

The Trojans of McDowell ran an offense called the Wing T which is an extremely run-heavy offense that focuses on misdirection.  Their offense set up on almost every single play with three running backs in the backfield behind their quarterback Jake Tarsovich.  McDowell came out early and put up 7 points quickly when the Trojan quarterback hooked up with Jamie Szymczak on a 34 yard pass which led to a rushing touchdown by QB Jake Tarasovich. This would be the only real offense that the Trojans would show Saturday night.  Senior Enzo Cannata would then help out his junior quarterback with a 33 yard sprint to the end zone to tie up the score at 7-7.

Then, with 9:18 remaining in the first half, Klink would hit Jack Hyland ’14 across the middle, and the senior receiver was off to the races, breaking a 78 yard touchdown to give the ‘Cats the 14-7 lead. After a Trojan field goal, the Wildcats would march 80 yards down the field and punch the ball into the end zone with 48 seconds left on a 4 yard TD run again by Cannata.

Heading into halftime, the Wildcats had all the momentum. In the third quarter, Cannata punched in his 3rd touchdown of the evening on a 2 yard run. Then, Klink connected with Senior Michael Siragusa on a spectacular pitch-and-catch in the back left corner of the end zone to put the score to 35-10. Then came the special teams.

The Wildcat special teams units put together two touchdowns in the 4th quarter to put the game away for the ‘Cats.  First, Tyree Spearman fumbled the Cory Griffith punt on his own 8 yard line, and Nick Malarik recovered it in the end zone to increase the Cats’ lead to 42-10.  Just over 2 minutes later, Lawrence Birchler single-handedly blocked and then recovered the ball in the end zone for the ‘Cats’ final score.

The Wildcat’s offense exploded in the second half for 28 unanswered points to put away the Erie McDowell Trojans 49-10 in the first varsity start by Christian Klink, as the Wildcats improve their record to 3-1.

Saint Ignatius will take on Paramus Catholic this Saturday, 2 P.M. at Byers Field for their homecoming game.

Rebuilding a Winner: Man of the Hour

Against all the odds and the expectations of essentially every analyst that had anything to say about the matter, Saint Ignatius alumnus Brian Hoyer ’04 has led your Cleveland Browns to a HUGE comeback victory, 31-27, over the Minnesota Vikings in Minneapolis.  All of the talk surrounding this game and the Browns was negative going into today, and expectations were extremely low, especially for QB Hoyer and the offense.  In wake of the Trent Richardson trade, it seemed that nobody had any confidence in the Browns winning this one- even the Plain Dealer staff picked unanimously against the Browns.

However, Hoyer and the Browns went about their business anyway and refused to give up hope.  They were rewarded for this attitude, as the Browns found themselves leading 24-17 at the half.  Those 24 points included two touchdown passes from Hoyer, a 47-yarder to dynamic WR Josh Gordon in his first game back from suspension, and a 19-yarder to playmaking TE Jordan Cameron.  Overall in the first half, Hoyer was 14 of 23 for 174 yards, two TDs, and one interception.  Social media was exploding throughout the first half, as people were absolutely stunned by Hoyer’s poised and confident play.  In the second half, though, Hoyer and the offense struggled, as the Vikings dialed up the pass rush and forced turnovers, including two more interceptions from Hoyer.  QB Christian Ponder and the Vikings offense were able to move the ball more effectively in the second half as well, and took the lead with 10:47 to go in the 4th on the strength of a 30-yard field goal by All-Pro kicker Blair Walsh.  At that point, the Browns’ chances of getting the upset victory looked very grim, as the offense had a very hard time getting anything going.

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…seeing an Ignatius graduate lead the hometown Browns to a victory isn’t half-bad.

[/pullquote]The running game was basically nonexistent, putting more pressure on Hoyer and the wide receivers to put points on the board; in turn, the Vikings were able to focus almost exclusively on defending the pass and rushing Hoyer with all kinds of blitzes.  Nevertheless, the defense kept the Browns in the game, forcing the Vikings to punt on their two possessions following the field goal.  Then, with 3:21 left on the clock, Hoyer, poised as ever, led an improbable drive down the field.  Completions to Cameron and Gordon got the Browns to the 7-yard line, and on 3rd and goal, Hoyer floated a beautiful throw over the Vikings defender to Cameron to give the Browns a 31-27 lead with 51 seconds remaining in the ballgame.  Ponder and Minnesota were stifled once more by the Browns defense on the last drive of the game, with DT Desmond Bryant sacking Ponder to end it and clinch the Browns’ first win of the season.  Hoyer finished the miraculous day 30-54 for 321 passing yards, 3 TDs, and 3 INTs.

Though the Browns clearly still have flaws that need to be addressed, and though it’s unlikely that this win will spark a playoff run, seeing an Ignatius graduate lead the hometown Browns to a victory isn’t half-bad. There could be more where that came from, as well- Coach Rob Chudzinski made a point of saying in the past week that Brandon Weeden’s starting job was by no means assured.  There was speculation that, if Hoyer played well in his start, he could very well take the starting gig from Weeden.  I think it’s safe to say that at the very least, Brian has given Coach Chud and his staff reason to at least consider naming him starter for good after his performance today.  It’s important to remember that the last time Chud was on the Browns’ coaching staff (2007-2008 as offensive coordinator), then-starting QB Charlie Frye was replaced early in the 2007 season by Derek Anderson, who would go on to lead the Browns to 10 wins and have himself a Pro Bowl season.  It’s very feasible, especially after such a remarkable performance, to think that Brian Hoyer could very well have just convinced Coach Chud to make the same move that the coaching staff made then.

Regardless of what happens, though, Hoyer has made his mark on the Browns and on the fan base to be sure.  It’s not every day you get to see the Browns win in such thrilling fashion (or win AT ALL), and to see a former Wildcat lead them to this thrilling victory makes it that much more special.  This win, and Hoyer’s huge part in it, is the talk of the town and a headline all across the country.

Not a bad day to be a Browns fan at Wildcat High, huh?

Hometown boy, Brian Hoyer ’04 leads Browns to first win of season

by Pat McGuire ’14

Question marks were everywhere.  Who is at Quarterback? Do we have a running back?

Brian Hoyer ’04 was able to answer those question in leading the Browns to their first win of the 2013 campaign.

Hoyer, the third string QB at the beginning of the season was favored over Jason Campbell after Brandon Weeden came down with a thumb injury.  Head Coach Rob Chudzinski, a Saint John’s Jesuit High School graduate, had enough faith in the mobility and accuracy of Hoyer going into only his second career start.

Hoyer ’04 showed to his head coach that he could handle the adversity going into a difficult atmosphere in Minnesota without any running game to speak of due to the mid-week trade of Trent Richardson.

Hoyer began the game quickly for the Browns with two passing touchdowns in the first half, connecting with WR Josh Gordon on his first touchdown as a Cleveland Brown for 47 yards. In the second quarter, Hoyer would find his tight end, Jordan Cameron in the back left corner of the end zone on a 19 yard touchdown pass, giving the Browns a 14-7 lead.  The Browns and Vikings would head into halftime with the Browns leading 24-17.

The second half was a different story. The Vikings defense were able to make the necessary adjustments to put even more pressure on the Browns offense. The Viking defense was able to take advantage of a mediocre (at best) Cleveland running attack, as well as a shaky offensive line. Hoyer and the Browns struggled to put together any offense until the very end of the game.

Starting on his own 45 yard line with 3:21 seconds remaining in the game, Hoyer engineered a two and a half minute drive that culminated in his third touchdown pass of the game. Hoyer led the Browns down the field without running a single running play, dodging Viking blitzes on every play until he was able to hit Cameron in the end zone with only a mere 51 seconds remaining in the game.

The Vikings would try to mount a come back, but the Browns defense sacked the Vikings Quarterback Christian Ponder as time expired, giving Brian Hoyer ’04 his first victory as starting Quarterback of his hometown Cleveland Browns.

Hoyer finished the game completing 30 of his 54 passing attempts for 321 yards and 3 touchdowns as well as 3 interceptions.

Congratulations go out to Saint Ignatius alumnus Brina Hoyer ’04 on his first win as starting Quarterback for the Cleveland Browns!

Hear McGuire’s interview about Hoyer with Coach Kyle:

Let’s EAT proves to be a success

by Jack Eckman ’15

With over 40 Avalon Foodservice vendors to choose from, students and faculty alike were able to get their fair share of food to sample, rate, and enjoy. All in all, Let’s EAT was a great success according to organizers and tasters.

Mr. Jim Hendrickson, V.P. of Sales and Marketing at Avalon, proudly announced, “The vendors were shocked at the participation from the students and faculty. They were told to prepare for 1700, and I have no doubt in my mind that 1700 people participated.”

2013-09-20 11.18.45
Chef Jim Cox provided live demos on the Rade stage.

The vendors, featuring the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s Ohio Proud Program, the National Dairy Council, and the NFL’s Fuel up to Play 60 program, offered healthy, natural foods that were well received by everyone in attendance. One student, Bryce Boron ’15, excitedly said, “It greatly exceeded my expectations.  I thought it would be something like the Spanish and French Food Day, but this was much better.”

It was very apparent that the students and faculty enjoyed the plethora of tasty samples, but so did the vendors. They had as much fun hearing the praise for the food as the young men had eating the food.  No guarantees were made for the future, but Mr. Hendrickson said that as long as the vendors enjoyed the day, there is a chance it will be back next year.  The students hope that is the case as they long for round two of food sampling heaven.

Rebuilding a Winner: The Browns did what?

By now, all of you have probably heard of a slightly significant trade the Browns made with the Indianapolis Colts Wednesday at roughly 6:20 PM.  In this viciously criticized trade, the Browns shipped starting running back and the 2012 NFL Draft’s 3rd overall pick, Trent Richardson, to the Colts in exchange for their 1st round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.  Many of you have probably lost a lot of faith in the Browns’ front office on account of this trade, and it’s hard to blame you.  Essentially, the message Browns president Joe Banner and GM Michael Lombardi are sending is that this is yet another lost season, and we will have to wait yet another year (or more) to see true progress.   Really? that’s what Browns fans have been given every 2-3 years since the team returned in 1999.  “Yeah, sorry guys, but we’re not quite there yet.  Just wait until next year though!!!!”  Right.  Nothing gets me more excited than the phrase “Just wait till next year.”  However, I am here to tell you that from a business/personnel standpoint (obviously not from a loyalty to the fans/PR standpoint) this move actually makes a lot of sense.

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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