Saint Ignatius High School: No Place for Hate

November 22, 2018

By Matthew Kelly ‘22

On Wednesday, October 24, the freshmen class gathered in the Sullivan Gymnasium to meet with a representative from the Anti-Defamation League. The Anti-Defamation League, or ADL, is a 105-year-old American organization whose purpose is to secure justice and fair treatment for all citizens, and to put an end to unjust and unfair discrimination against any sect or body of citizens.

The focus of the assembly was to teach the Class of 2022 about microaggressions, which are indirect, subtle, or unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalized group. Microaggressions cover a wide spectrum that includes, but are not limited to, gender, race, and sexual orientation. The freshmen saw a video of a few examples of common microaggressions, and concluded the meeting by each writing a way to actively fight against microaggressions on post-it notes which were to be displayed.

For the past three years, St. Ignatius has been active in an organization known as “No Place for Hate,” which is run by the ADL. Mr. Jason Reed ‘95, former leader the director of diversity inclusion at Saint Ignatius, said, “The purpose of this program is to provide our school community with a framework for combating bias, bigotry, racism and hatred; leading to long-term solutions for creating and maintaining a safe and positive climate where acceptance and respect is the primary goal for all students, faculty and staff.”

From October 23 to 25, students had the opportunity to sign the resolution of respect in the senior lounge. All students who were involved received a “No Place for Hate” sticker and button to show of f their participation. All these efforts, combined with many more, will contribute to St Ignatius continuing to be a welcoming and accepting place for all students.

One student’s SIEntA magic

November 22, 2018

By Terry McCafferty ‘22

For the last few months SIEntA member and potential Wall Street banker, Charlie Cindric ‘20, has been trading stocks day in and day out in the school’s online stock competition. By trading volatility and risky stocks, Cindric took a lot of big risks, particularly by snatching newer companies shortly after their initial public offering (IPO). However, through his impressive decision-making skills and relentless trading, Cindric managed to increase the amount in his portfolio more than 1,000,000%. To put it simply, he bought the stocks low and sold high just hours or even minutes after buying them. Cindric shared these following pieces of insight on his success, investing, his future, and advice for new investors:

What trading tactics and strategies made you so successful in this competition?
The trading strategy that really helped me get an edge in this competition was a short-term investing mindset. I had to take bigger risks investing, but I had to be mindful of the money I was putting into these companies so my gains would not tank if the company did not perform how I would have liked.

In real life, do you invest in companies that are as volatile and unpredictable as the ones you picked for the competition? And if not, what do you invest in?
In real life, I would invest in more stable companies but still take some risks. Long-term investing strategies is a smart way to invest your money to have a better guarantee of profits, but the excess money I get, I would use as play money to take more risks.

What type of career-path do you envision for yourself in the future?
I would like to major in Finance and Accounting, and I can see myself working in an investment bank on Wall Street in the future.

What advice do you have for investors new to the stock market?
The advice I would tell new investors is to do research on a company you might invest. Look at how the company performed on the market in the past, take fewer risks until you understand how the market works, and come to the Investment Sub Committee meetings on Wednesdays.

Next semester SIEnTA will have another competition, and according to Mr. Hess, the moderator, they will be altering the rules slightly in order to give the competitors more time away from the trading pit.

Preseason CYO Power Rankings

November 21, 2018

By Will Shepard ‘19

It’s that time of year again, where all of the average basketball players come out of hibernation in hopes of helping their team win the ultimate prize, a CYO championship. Let’s look at the top teams who will compete for the title. If your team didn’t make this list, send me an email telling me about your team and why you deserve a spot.

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7Saint Angela Merici

This team is full of juniors and also filled with potential. They will try to play an uptempo game with focuses on shooting the ball. They have pretty good size for a Junior team with bigs such as Gabe Fini, 6’1”, and Bryce Seward, 6’. They hope to run their offense around Elliot Rodstrom, who has a great 3 point shooting stroke. Their defense is going to be a problem for them all year as it was last year. Their main focus right now is getting that first win of the year, and after that they hope everything will fall into place. This team could surprise a few people but for right now they rank at the bottom of the power rankings.

6Saint Joseph and John

This Joe’s and John’s basketball team is looking to play a nice up tempo offense with great ball movement to really open up the 3 point shot. They definitely can accomplish this goal with Eddie Keck running the offense. He will be able to find the open shooters such as Tim Zvoncheck and Graeme Agronin. With a nice mixture of homegrown Strongsville talent, they hope their chemistry works great together.

Graeme, who was their most improved player last season, has been very critical of the so called “super teams of CYO.” When I asked him about this he responded by saying “Our goal this year is to represent the old CYO days when superteams didn’t run rampant with players pulled from all over Northeast Ohio.” It will be fun to see if this team can back up what they are saying and make a run for the title.

5Saint Ignatius (Ranallo)

The top junior team in CYO comes in at number 5. This team can score, play defense, and has the talent to stay with the tough opponents. Varun Ravichandran will look to carry the team as his shooting has been compared to the likes of Steph Curry by scouts. He has a big man down low who can space the floor and hit 3’s in Jacob Shuckerow, who is 6’3”. Another big man they have is rebounder Liam Reilly. He and Dan Kimnach will do anything to get a board over the defenders, often called gritty by their coach.

This team may lack in size outside of Shuckerow, but they say they make it
up with heart, and that’s what you really need. They will play that fast pace, smash- mouth basketball that is so successful for CYO teams. Be on the lookout for this team.

4Saint Bridget

Fast breaks and 3 pointers. That is the Saint Bridget Chargers style of play that works so well for them since they have the best shooting strokes in the league. Led by MVP candidates in Vinnie Riley and Nick “The Panda” Marsick, the Chargers hope to continue their success after a City Championship season last year. This team does not have too much size, but their center, Anthony “Big Body” Labate, is as strong as anyone on the court. A combination of instant scorers in Billy Arroyo and Luke Ols and defensive minded players in Dominic Stavole and Will Shepard fits perfectly in their system.

This team’s weakness is that teams could score on them in the paint almost at will. It will be interesting to see the defensive schemes they come up with to try and stop more physical teams. Labate isn’t worried about this problem saying “We finna yam on some yams.” The team is worried about Labate not showing up because he will most likely be in the weightroom all day. The Chargers will have a successful season with a chance to be the top team.

3Gesu

Arguably the most despised team through- out CYO, Gesu is still the powerhouse they always are, coming off of 2 straight City Championships. Lead by MVP candidate Lucas Tai, this team looks like they are set to win their 3rd straight champion- ship. With Lucas’s dribble moves, he has the ability to create shots for himself and other players on the team such as Claudio Calzado and Dennis Kless, who can hit 3’s at a consistent basis. They have one of the more dominant big men in all of CYO in John Carey, who scores at will in the paint.

Dennis is not afraid of other teams that could be in their way this season saying, “Bernie’s is worthless, we are not scared of either Ignatius team, and I guarantee a 3 peat of the City Championship.” Pay close attention to Gesu and hope that they are not on your schedule.

2Saint Ignatius (Hartman)

Bruise or be bruised. That’s the number two team on this list’s motto because of their perfect mix of beef and speed. This team is one of the most physical teams that you could play, with Seamus Cooney, Grant Abbott, and Mike Mangan’s strength down low in the post. The duo of Jett “The 6 God” Elad and Nigel Drummond is going to be a nightmare for opposing teams as they will have a tough time trying to stop both on fast breaks. Jack “Crazy Egg Roll” Allington will be the point guard and he hopes to take opposing teams ankles. Small Forward Conor “Sosa” Hartman will look to continue his success of clipping nearly every corner 3 pointer.

The only thing slowing this team down is their ability to control their emotions on the court, as technical fouls could be an issue each game. Seamus Cooney was quoted saying “My goal this year is to have a technical foul in every game.” If they can keep their emotions in check, this team could be hosting the trophy up at the end of the year.

1Saint Ignatius (McMahan)

The top team on the list is the Saint Ignatius team led by Aidan Wells and Tommy Eichenberg. This team has the size in bigs such as Eichenberg, Zach McMahan, and Wells. They will be a tough team to try and score inside against as they have the ability to block ever y shot. This team has a shooter in Mike Sarko and Chris Velota will be handling the post in the office. Additionally, with the recent addition of Nathan Hubbard, this team’s front court will be unstoppable.

This team has it all, and if they play their type of basketball, they have the best chance to make it to the state championship. Defensively minded player Jahadge “Bo” Floyd told me “After the tough loss in the championship game, we are hungrier than last year, we will win it all.” Lots of confidence in this team, and they have the talent to back it up.

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The MVP Race

Patrick Russell
Vinnie Riley
Nathan Hubbard
Lucas Tai
Nick Marsick

Christmas Music: Before or After Thanksgiving?

November 21, 2018

By Daniel Vrablic ‘20

At this time, we are already beginning to see a variety of different Christmas decorations and accessories in stores. We start seeing a lot of Chevy and Ford car commercials that have that magic “christmas jingle” that is played in the background. This jingle presumably is from the sound of shaking shiny, small jingle bells. Lastly, we begin to hear the Christmas music start to be played on 102.1 radio. All of this we see and hear before Thanksgiving is over. Some people embrace this Christmas culture before Thanksgiving and others simply stiff arm the Christmas culture until after. So with this being said, should Christmas music be played before or after Thanksgiving?

First, it is incredibly important to understand the meaning and celebration of Christmas: to celebrate the birth of our savior Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was sent from God to set us free from the bondage of original sin and save us from death. With this in mind, the Christmas songs that we hear played on 102.1 FM embody the spirit to celebrate the very birth of Christ such as Away in a Manger, Mar y Did you Know, the First Noel, and many others. These very songs prepare our hearts for the coming of our Christ, for it says in Luke Chapter 12 to be “dressed servants” waiting for the time of the Lord.

As the various Christmas songs played prepare us for the coming of the time of the Lord, why would anyone want to deny being ready for the coming of the Lord and spread the good news of his birth to others? By enabling others to listen to Christmas music before Thanksgiving, a strong foundation of Christmas spirit is already sparked in early to mid November. This allows for the spreading of Christmas spirit and preparing from the birth of the Lord in which allows us to embrace the light of Christ in which is mirrored from the very shiny jingle bells that encapsulate the various Christmas songs we listen to. For our friend Buddy from Elf says it best: “The best way to spread Christmas Cheer is singing loud for all to hear.” Hopefully we can embrace the wisdom of Buddy and vivaciously spread Christmas spirit around campus at Saint Ignatius High School.

Playlist of The Week: Themeless

November 20, 2018

Welcome back to the fourth edition of Playlist of the Week.

This week’s playlist doesn’t really have a theme. It’s just a collection of 20 songs I’ve been vibing with recently, and feel that some of you may enjoy as well.

Without further ado, here is Playlist of The Week #4

Tracklist:

Everybody’s Falling In Love by *repeat repeat
Cemetery by COIN
Instead of My Room by Charlie Burg
Dying Alone by American Pets
Victoria by Jukebox The Ghost
Preying Mantra by Secondhand Sound
Touch by Dead Poet Society
Freakin’ Out on the Interstate by Briston Maroney
Marceline The Vampire by Steppes
I Only Say I’m Sorry When I’m Wrong Now by Cheekface
Astronaut by Sir Sly
You Fine by Saint Motel
Hella by Cayucas
Can’t Knock The Hustle by Weezer
Money Problems by Max Frost
Ragged Child by Chrome Pony
Pregame by Active Bird Community
Oh, Susquehanna! by Defiance, Ohio
Fast Talk by Houses
Going Down by Coast Modern

Playlist of the Week: Chill

November 12, 2018

Welcome to Playlist of The Week #3: Chill –

The coming weeks are guaranteed to carry quite a bit of stress and anxiety (ha ha, enjoy those Thanksgiving dinner political debates). So to help you counteract impending finals and college decisions, we’ve worked to curate some songs to help chill out.

Without further pomp and circumstance, here is the third edition of Playlist of the Week.

Tracklist:

Unchained Melody by Norah Jones
Drunk on Halloween by Wallows
Bitter by Chappel Roan
Coastline by Lady Legs
SLOW DANCING IN THE DARK by Joji
Anthem by Greta Van Fleet
I Saw Red by OWEL
Life is Beautiful by Lil Peep
Come Back to Earth by Mac Miller
Stolen Dance by Milky Chance
Different Now by Chastity Belt
Sky Is a Bed by The Humble Cheaters
Do the Math by Wax Fang
Back When by Prelow
Age Of Man by Greta Van Fleet
Self Care by Mac Miller
Neon Gravestones by Twenty One Pilots
Magic In The Hamptons (feat. Lil Yachty) by Social House, ft. Lil Yachty
Water, Pt. 2 by Arvid
Sideways by Space Camp

Playlist of the Week: Spooky SZN

October 30, 2018

I’m back for another week of music…

This week’s playlist follows the theme of Halloween. I’ve included some Halloween classics such as the “Ghostbusters” theme, as well as some others that may not always come to mind as Halloween songs.

Full Tracklist

This is Halloween – Pop Version by Marilyn Manson
Ghostbusters by Ray Parker, Jr.
(Don’t Fear) The Reaper by Blue Öyster Cult
Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead by Harold Arlen
Creep by Radiohead
Scarecrow by Beck
Eyes Of The Night by Starlight Mints
Rampage by Kavinsky
The Devil & Me by The Brad Pitt Light Orchestra
Stabbing In The Dark by Ice Nine Kills
Creeping Death by Metallica
Square Hammer by Ghost
Black Magic Woman by Fleetwood Mac
The Addams Family Theme by Vic Mizzy & His Orchestra
Thriller by Michael Jackson
Monster Mash by Bobby “Boris” Pickett
Werewolves Of London by Warren Zevon
Highway to Hell by AC/DC
Black Magic Woman by Santana
Bad Moon Rising by Creedence Clearwater Revival
The Time Warp by Richard O’Brien
People Are Strange by The Doors
Dead Man’s Party by Oingo Boingo
Spooky by Classics IV
(Ghost) Riders In The Sky by Johnny Cash
Cirice by Ghost
If You Have Ghosts by Ghost
Absolution by Ghost
Monstrance Clock by Ghost
Mummy Dust by Ghost

Bolded selections are some of my personal recommendations.

Movie Review: Halloween

October 27, 2018

By Alex Gehrlein ’19

It’s that time of the year again, depending on when this comes out, and as the movie reviewer, I’m obligated to tell you about a horror movie. The first horror movie I ever saw was Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers. I was nine, over at a friends house, and scared out of my mind. From that moment forward I’ve had a connection to the Halloween franchise. I’ve seen every film in the franchise and would hold it above any other slasher giant. And seeing the promotional materials for this film, I have to admit I was excited. I cannot stand Rob Zombie’s remakes, and have been waiting a while for a competent, well thought out, modern take on the classic material.

And this movie was certainly competent. You can’t expect too much out of a horror movie these days, but even then there is a certain standard that should be reached for (think Oculus, or Get Out). The film’s greatest strength is in the cinematography, which was genuinely impressive at times. A long take, no holds barred walk through the suburbs weaving in and out of people’s houses certainly comes to mind, but even the way that the more bland close-ups and establishing shots are put together serve to add an extra layer to the film’s visual horror.

This film was certainly modern. The main characters of the first act are a pair of podcasters investigating the Myers murders. The characters are more reflective of today’s youth, not falling in to the tired cliches that plague many slasher films of Halloween’s era. You won’t find the clumsy “let’s all split up and look for clues” kind of logic that previous films would have done, but instead see an accurate reaction to the events as if a real person were put in that situation. This is the result of films like Scream, a much better movie, which lampooned these tropes to the point where no horror movie trying to be anything above mediocre would attempt them.

Where this film slips up is the planning; it is not well thought out. McBride and Green have written one of the worst scripts in the Halloween franchise, and that’s saying something. It was a genuinely surreal experience to see such a well shot film have dialogue this bad. Take this gem for example (slight spoilers):

Allyson Strode: Everyone in my family, like, turns into a nutcase this time of year.

Vicky: I mean, your grandmother is Laurie Strode. She was almost murdered.

Oscar: Wasn’t it her brother who murdered all those babysitters?

Allyson Strode: No. He was not her brother, that’s something that people made up.

Trust me, it doesn’t get worse when you hear them say it. The first third of this movie is so bad because this script is allowed to run wild without being reigned in by growing tension. I’m not saying the dialogue in John Carpenter’s original was perfect, but it was balanced properly with the right amount of short glimpses, heavy breathing, and dark shadows we’ve come to associate with the franchise.

This movie goes in the wrong direction, bringing it to the point of comedy in some scenes, and what’s worse is that the comedy is some of the best stuff in the movie (probably because it’s written by Danny McBride, who you might know from Pineapple Express), but it isn’t what’s best for a Halloween movie. That’s what the writers don’t seem to understand, is that the worst stuff in the entire franchise is when sloppy attempts to bring in humor kill the tone of the movie (see Halloween: Resurrection).
If you like Halloween as a franchise, see this movie. If you like Carpenter’s Halloween as a film, be cautious.

6/10

Playlist of the Week: “Almost, Maine”

October 26, 2018

Welcome to the first installment of “Playlist of the Week”. A (hopefully) weekly collection of songs you might like to listen to.

This past weekend was host to the Saint Ignatius Harlequins’ fall production of Almost, Maine. A show filled with laughs, tears, and raw emotion, Almost, Maine set a new standard for Mr. Hoover’s era as director of the drama program.

Didn’t get the chance to experience the show? Within the next physical issue of The Eye will be a review to catch you up on what you missed. But in the meantime, give the playlist a listen or two.

This week’s Playlist of the Week is a collection of songs used throughout the production. Hopefully, it will take you away to a place where life is a little bit different: a place that’s almost.

Also shout out to the entire cast, crew, mentors, and any others involved with the production for putting on such a great show!

Full Tracklist:

Brothers Under the Bridge by Martin Simpson
Song for Dax by Dylan Ryche
Glory Days by Bruce Springsteen; Friends in Low Places by Garth Brooks
Swept Away (Sentimental Version) by the Avett Brothers
Rest Your Way Home by Lance Allen
Marry Me by the O’Neill Brothers Group (acoustic)
Lyin Eyes by Martin Tallstrom
Oh Darling by Stephen Bennet
Dancing in the Dark by Eddie Burman
My Arms Were Always Always Around You by Peter Bradley Adams
Follow You Down by Gin Blossoms
Tubthumping by Chumbawamba
Mmmbop by Hanson
Come to Me by the Goo Goo Dolls
No Expectations by The Rolling Stones
Home by Edward Sharp & The Magnetic Zeros
There She Goes by Sixpence None the Richer
You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go by Miley Cyrus
Ho Hey by the Lumineers
Sweetest Thing – The Singles Mix by U2
Furr by Blitzen Trapper
Woman by John Lennon
I and Love and You by the Avett Brothers
Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash
Unchained Melody by Norah Jones
What’s the World Coming To by Fleetwood Mac
Buckets of Rain by Fistful of Mercy

Album Review: From the Fires by Greta Van Fleet

October 8, 2018

by Noah Virant ’20

The sounds of Led Zeppelin, Rush, and more of the classic rock greats are back, embodied by three brothers and a friend from high school – all under the age of 23. Three Kiszka brothers – Josh (vocals), Jake (guitar), and Sam (bass) – and Danny Wagner (drums) all hail from Frankenmuth, Michigan. As they began to find their footing in the local music scene, they embraced their early influences such as Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, John Bonham, Eric Clapton, and more.

From the Fires is technically Greta Van Fleet’s second album, as they released the album Black Smoke Rising which is no longer available. The EP contains eight tracks, of which two are covers: Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come” and Fairport Convention’s “Meet on the Ledge” both being tasteful covers of their originals. The other six tracks were written by the band, four of which coming from Black Smoke Rising.

The band’s sound varies throughout the EP, mostly due to each member wanting to play a little bit of their style. With songs that come with a hard rocking sound like “Talk on the Street” or the blues-rock “Flower Power.” But the two tracks that immediately catch the attention of listeners, “Highway Tune” and “Black Smoke Rising,” are where the influence of Robert Plant and Led Zeppelin truly shine in Josh. The former is the kind of song you’d hear blasting from a 60’s Ford Mustang cruising through the Geneva-on-the-Lake strip (go check that place out some time next summer), while “Black Smoke Rising” brings a vibe similar to a late summer bonfire.

Overall, this EP is a must listen for anyone who enjoys the sound of classic rock, especially if you’ve lost some faith in the future of rock.

Heads Up: Greta Van Fleet’s debut studio album Anthem of the Peaceful Army is slated for release on October 19th of this year.

Saint Ignatius Eye