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Wildcats excel in Men’s Regional Gymnastics Championship

By Gabe Mielke ’16

During the last weekend of Easter Break, from Friday, April 10 until Sunday, April 12, right before we all came back to school, two fellow Wildcats competed in the USA Men’s Gymnastics Regional Championship. Junior Tim O’Neil competed in Level 10, and Freshman Daniel Matheis competed in Level 9.

Ohio is part of Region 5, one of the ten regions in USA gymnastics. It consists of Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. In order to qualify for Regionals the gymnasts had to make the qualification score in earlier competitions. Those who achieved a high enough score moved on to the Regional Championship in Westfield, IN, a suburb of Indianapolis.

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Daniel Matheis ’18 on the parallel bars

Men’s gymnastics consists of six events: the floor routine, the pommel horse, the rings, the parallel bars, vault, and the horizontal bar. Each gymnast receives a score and ranking in each event, as well as an overall ranking called the All Around ranking based on the entirety of the single event scores.

Danny has been doing gymnastics since he was five years-old, becoming progressively more competitive as he has grown older. He practices five days a week, for a total of sixteen hours a week, at Above the Barre (formerly Thome Ohio Gymnastics) in Berea. He was coached through the preparation for Regionals and most of his gymnastics career by Jeff Vacha, a 2000 graduate of Saint Ignatius.

In terms of performance, both of the Wildcat gymnasts excelled. They each won the distinction of being First Team All-American Academics. In addition, their combined performance won Saint Ignatius the “school” rather than individual state championship.

Tim felt that he could have probably had a better performance, saying, “My performance overall was decent, a little shaky here and there. I’m still trying to get back to full consistency after having a back injury earlier in the season.”

Regardless of the injury, Tim placed 17th All Around out of 90 other gymnasts in his division and qualified to go to Nationals in May.

Danny placed 8th on the parallel bars and 13th All Around out of a total group of ninety-two other gymnasts; he qualified for Nationals as well.

The USA Gymnastics 2015 Men’s Junior Olympic National Championship is May 6 to May 10 in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Both Tim and Danny will compete on one of the days, and if they do well enough they’ll compete again in the National Finals. They both hope to perform to the best of their ability.

Danny says, “I just want to have fun and do as well as I can.”

Senior Anthony Edwards places first in Ohio Chinese Speech Contest

by Matt Koehler ’15

In its first year as a program, the Mandarin Chinese I class has produced a first place champion in the annual Ohio K-12 Chinese Speech Contest. The contest, held by the Confucius Institute at Cleveland State University, contained different pools depending on age. Anthony Edwards ’15 came in first place in the high school division. Competing against students who had been studying the language for over four years, Edwards has only been taking the class since this past August.

According to Edwards, it was his teacher, Mrs. Qiuhui Li, who saw how willing he was to improve and test his Chinese speaking skills, which prompted him to write a proficient speech. “She helped me practice every day for three weeks during a shared free period,” Edwards said.

“In language teaching, we distinguish student’s language proficiency from his or her performance. Anthony’s proficiency level may not be that high yet, but for this five-minute speech, he has been working diligently, preparing and practicing everyday for three weeks,” Li said.

Edwards continued to memorize his speech by reciting it many times a day during Easter Break. “While that sounds difficult and tedious, I really do love it, so it truly became a labor of love,” Edwards said.[pullquote]

I really do love it, so it truly became a labor of love.

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Edwards has always been interested in Eastern cultures and speaking Chinese. “I hope to travel more in my life and definitely make use of language to facilitate travel and cultural learning,” he said.

At the competition, Edwards stood in front of a panel of judges, his competitors, and a full audience to deliver a memorized speech completely in Chinese. Following the speech, Edwards, still speaking in Chinese, was prompted to answer a series of questions that could not contradict what was said in his speech, proving he had a comprehensive understanding of the language.

As a teacher, Li couldn’t be more proud. “In Chinese, there is a saying, ‘Every minute on stage takes ten years of hard work off stage.’ I think the attitude Anthony has demonstrated as a language student deserves the First Place for sure!” Li said.

Student senate announces “Wild West Night”

By Sam Royer ’15

On Friday, May 8, Student Senate will be hosting Wild West Night, “western-themed night of fun,” set to take place on campus.

According to Student Body President Pat Mulach ’15, senate sort of stumbled upon the idea. “We were brainstorming in December to come up with an event that will usher in the summer a little bit, and we came up with a western night,” Mulach said.

The night, which will run from 7:00 to 10:00pm, will contain a variety of events aimed to supply fun for everyone.

“We will have a mechanical bull for the duration of the night, and the rider with the best time will receive a prize and a bull-riding trophy,” Mulach said. In addition to the bull, the night will include an outdoor three point “western shoot out,” a poker tournament, a Cornhole tournament, and an appearance from Cowboy Jeff among other events.

The usual area girl schools will be invited, but the night will not be a required bring-a-date event.

Pallaki and Mielke elected as student body President and Vice President

By Sam Royer ’15

It’s official, Ignatius students have elected Mitch Pallaki ‘16 and Gabe Mielke ‘16 to serve as President and Vice President respectively of the student body for the 2015-2016 school year.

The results of this year’s election were announced near the end of ninth period today, March 31, meaning Pallaki and Mielke had beat out fellow candidates Stephen Zupan ‘16 and Brock Yoho ‘16.

For the students of Saint Ignatius, Pallaki has shared the following message:

Ignatius Students,

Gabe and I would like to thank all of you who went and voted today during their lunch periods. We would like to thank all those who supported us, and especially Stephen Zupan and Brock Yoho for their hard fought campaign.

Gabe and I are excited for this coming year, and we hope to live up to our promise of ushering in a new age of student involvement. We plan to set up the student suggestion box, and incorporate your ideas into our decisions. Our goal is to have the student body involved in the events that we run, since Senate is about service to the school and community.

We are ready to work, and make next year your best at Ignatius. Thank you again for trusting Gabe and I to lead and represent all of you. We look forward to a great year ahead of us.

Go Cats,

Mitch Pallaki 

Senate Statement: Zupan, Yoho

Men:

First of all, I’d like to thank everyone who voted us on to a preliminary victory. To those who did not, I’d like to explain why you may want to reconsider your choice.

Brock and I have a combined 4 years involvement with Senate, making us the most experienced slate. We’ve helped provide 3 Homecomings, and are looking forward to making our fourth and final one our best yet. In addition to our fall dance, we’ve helped with the Flag Football Tournament, Halloween on Campus, Easter on Campus, and a multitude of other events as well.

Finally, as you may have heard from my speech, our families are rooted in Senate Tradition. My Brother Matthew served as Student Senate President in the 2009-2010 school year, as was my brother Michael during 2013-2014. Brock and I have taken part in the Green Team, SiEnta, Ping-Pong Club, Engineering Society, Male Modeling, various varsity sports, and other clubs and activities as well.

Being better-looking than Derek Zoolander, with our family traditions of strong-leadership, and combined with our personal experience in Senate, Brock and I make an impressive team. This team would do well leading our school, and you can make that happen by taking a few seconds during your lunch to vote Zupan-Yoho.

God Bless, and Go cats

Stephen Zupan and Brock Yoho

Princeton University musical-theater troupe performs at Breen Center

By Patrick Millican ’15

Though its name is a play on the name of Al Gore’s magnum opus (no, not his patent on the Internet), An Inconvenient Sleuth is not insufferably long, nor does it make predictions of twenty-foot rises in sea levels that would be proven laughably false almost immediately. Performed by Princeton’s musical-theater troupe, the Triangle Club, the student-written performance deals with the kidnapping of the mayor of Smalltown, USA, and the subsequent outbreak of crime in the formerly felony-free town. The story focusses on four misfit teenagers, the Treehouse Gang, who fancy themselves part-time detectives and find themselves on the trail of the mayor, who (spoiler alert, which I feel free to give you because the play isn’t coming back) turns out to have kidnapped himself.

Along the way, the musical’s writers poke tongue-in-cheek fun at a bevy of pop-culture tropes. Their morning talk-show hosts Katie and Kathy channel the hopped-up effulgence of Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford, while the mayor’s insistence that he made the town crime-free and that without him the city would collapse into Stalingrad-esque ruin, has eerie commonalities with the New York City police department’s recent work-stoppage non-strike to prove how integral has been tough, broken-windows policing since the Giuliani era. Later on, librarians torture the Treehouse Gang by forcing them to identify feminist imagery in the Last of the Mohicans, which should remind any student of the straws at which English teachers frequently grasp in an effort to torture–uh, broaden the horizons of–their students.

If the viewer thought he was in for strictly humorous fluff, An Inconvenient Sleuth left him disappointed. From greed and the profit motive to the conflict over whether the tendency to sin is governed by environment or internal flaws, there was red meat aplenty for the thinking consumer of amateur musicals, which this reviewer does not fancy himself by any means. Counterbalancing this treatment of mature topics was the lighthearted and exceedingly well-crafted libretto, the songs of which proved to be the highlight of the evening’s performance. Outstanding in the score were “Drowning in Sadness,” in which the mayor’s wife begins to fraternize with her poolboys as soon as her husband goes missing; “Chase Scene,” in which a barbershop quartet delivers a very meta narration of the chase scene unfolding behind them; and the cake-taker, “Justice Is Coming,” which involved a line of ten or so male performers dressed in drag as Lady Justice doing a sort of kickline-burlesque routine with concomitantly raunchy lyrics.

This reviewer’s plus-one for the evening, his mother, was floored by how professional the orchestra, singing, and choreography were for a troupe of college kids to have come up with on their own. She, like the reviewer, also particularly liked the closing number, “Everyone Is Guilty,” in which the whole cast celebrated the sinfulness, from venial to mortal, that besets everyone, as well as the moral gray area in which many of our decisions are made. Isn’t that uplifting?

Coffee House 2015 ultimately a success

By Sam Royer ’15

It was a night filled magic tricks, jam sessions, and romantic advice from the Love Guru himself.

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Senior Connor Rechin wows the crowd with his magic tricks.

The second annual Coffee House was a success, and proof that the students of Saint Ignatius High School can do more than produce eleven state championships for football.

With Kevin Gross ‘15 as the MC, the event kicked off with a series of solo numbers by Carl Jakubowski ‘15. With his guitar in hand, Carl successfully tackled songs like Weezer’s “Island in the Sun” and Green Day’s “Time of Your Life.

Followed by Carl, seniors Mike Berry and Charlie Zimmerman took the stand to read “original” poetry.

Next came the always outstanding advice from The Eye’s own Love Guru, Liam Garven ‘15. Garven, who proved to be quick on his feet, accepted questions from the audience and was prompted to explain if the “DM Dive” could be effective when attempting to woo a lady. Garven said the dive “starts the relationship with a bit of a spark,” but that it “has to be bold but not too rash.”

Between Garven and the next act, Magnificat student Bridget Smith took the stage with a rolled up poster board, proceeding to ask boyfriend Kevin Gross ‘15 to attend Magnificat Prom with her (he said yes).

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Patrick Millican ’15 playing “Hot Cross Buns” on his recorder

Following the grand prom-posal, John Ortega ‘16 took his turn at the mic, delivering his interpretation of Denzel Washington’s 2011 University of Pennsylvania commencement speech. Ortega gave the speech with great ease and confidence.

To provide the show with a bit of magic, Connor Rechin ‘15 took the stage. Performing three different magic tricks with two assistants he picked from the audience, Rechin wowed the crowd, becoming a clear evening favorite.

After Rechin’s magical performance, Ignatius band Homemade Mashed Potatoes, Biscuits, and Cream played a set of four songs, including a cover of Young the Giant’s “Cough Syrup” and their original song “Flashlight.” The band, talented both in their guitar playing and vocals, consisted of John Bryden ‘18, Brock Hausmann ‘18, and lead singer Michael FitzGerald ‘18.

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Homemade Mashed Potatoes, Biscuits, and Cream performs. The band features freshmen John Bryden, Brock Hausmann, and Michael FitzGerald

A highlight of the night was senior Patrick Millican’s rendition of “Hot Cross Buns” on his recorder. Millican prefaced his performance with a shoutout to fellow seniors Charlie Zimmerman and Connor Rechin, who had allegedly told Millican they could accompany him on stage. “I honestly don’t even own a recorder,” Zimmerman later admitted.

Following a spontaneous performance of “Call Me Maybe” from a Magnificat student, and sophomore Vinny Camma’s Matt Barr cover, the evening closed with a much anticipated performance from Pending Generation, featuring Liam Garven ‘15 and Rex Larkman ‘15. The band, which formed before the students began at Ignatius, reunited to sing their famous original song “Love is Just a Word,” as well as a few covers.

With the combination of the performances and the free coffee and cookies, the show brought smiles to the audience and performers alike.

Student Senate Statement: Pallaki, Mielke

Men of Ignatius,

We would like to begin by thanking all of you who took the initiative, and the minute out of your day, to cast your vote. Also, we would like to congratulate the slate of Stephen Zupan and Brock Yoho on advancing into the next round, and wish them luck for Tuesday’s election.  We would like to commend Carter Spearry and Paul Warns on their well-run campaign and hard work this past week.

For this coming election on Tuesday, which will determine the student body president and vice president for the upcoming year, we would like to stress a couple of ideas that we hope to embody when in office. As we mentioned in our speech and impromptu response, we hope to bring in a new age of student involvement. We feel that Senate is meant to be of service to you, the students, and to the entire school community, as a result, your input is much appreciated in helping us with the events that we run. That is why we want to set up a suggestion box to facilitate this conversation between the Student Senate and the student body.

Next, we want to emphasize that we are the right men for the job. Both of us, through our past senate experience have a strong understanding of what leading Senate will be like, and know the work that goes into each of the events. We are ready and willing to do this work, and put forth our best effort in all that we do this coming year. Rather than taking this position and sitting idly by, we, as men of action, are planning on applying ourselves with firm dedication in getting the job done.

The final thing, we would like to focus on, is that we are here as a team. We hope to use each other’s skills to the fullest in all that we do for you. Our teamwork, and interest in what is best for this school, is why we are confident that we can honestly represent each and every one of you next year.

Again, we want to thank you for your support on Friday, with all the votes cast, and we hope you continue to show your dedication to a voice in student government. We hope that you keep in mind, the dedication that we have to this school as a whole, and the willingness we have to working hard in order to make this school the best that it can be for each and every one of us.

Finally, don’t forget to get out there during your lunch period and vote Pallaki-Mielke. We are qualified individuals and know what it will take to lead this great community. Let us represent you for this coming year, because we plan to work the hardest and strive to achieve the best for this incredible school.  Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Mitchell Pallaki and Gabe Mielke

New Valedictorian selection process remains this year

By Sam Royer ’15

Although the selection of valedictorian has traditionally been based on the highest GPA, the school has decided for a second year to go beyond tradition and follow a different process.

“Though a student’s GPA was a consideration, it was not supposed to be the only consideration,” Mr. Gavin ‘77 said.

According to Gavin, a committee was formed to determine a new selection process using the Graduate at Graduation document as a guide. With the document in mind, the hope is to find a valedictorian that would most represent the “well-rounded person the grad at grad espouses,” Gavin explained.

Based on GPA, the top 5% of the senior class is invited by the committee to become a candidate for valedictorian. The applicants are then asked to complete a questionnaire which is presented anonymously to the committee for review.

The selection is then cut down for a final round in which the remaining three to five applicants must give a short speech to the committee.

“The speech helps the committee understand the oral presentation skills of a candidate and his ability to craft an engaging speech,” Gavin said.

Student reaction to the selection process has been mixed.

“I would say that the selection process is a good reflection of the school and its mission. The valedictorian should should be at least a good example of the school’s final product, someone that exemplifies the grad at grad,” said Kellen Dugan ‘15, a candidate himself.

On the contrary, Matt Koehler ‘15, another candidate, said he felt the valedictorian should be the student with the highest GPA, admitting the new process makes it “kind of competitive.”

Regardless, the committee will select a valedictorian based on the new process in the coming weeks in time for graduation on Sunday, May 31.

Ice ‘Cats season in review

by Brendan DeVenney ’17

A lot of times after coming off a championship season, it’s hard to repeat and start right where you left off.

That was not the case for the 2014-2015 Saint Ignatius Varsity Ice ‘Cats.

Going into the season, it was all about “repeat” with the veteran group, as there were a lot of returning juniors and seniors from the 2014 State Championship team.

After getting a lot of national attention with 2014 OHSAA Division 1 State Final Hockey Game, where Coach O’Rourke’s Wildcats went three periods and seven overtime periods tied 1-1 with Sylvania Northview, only to be declared co-State Champions, there was a lot of pressure going into the season for this group.

I think it’s safe to say that they met all expectations, though. This year’s Varsity Ice ‘Cats were perfect throughout the entire season.

They learned their mistakes and setbacks in the beginning of the season, and after they perfected those, they went on a tear the rest of the year.

And it’s not like they had an easy schedule. The team traveled to Culver, Indiana for the annual Cornfield Cup where they played teams from the Midwest region. They came out with an impressive 3-1 record.

The Eagles’ Classic, played at the end of December, always bring tough competition to the ice for Saint Ignatius, but the Wildcats proved flawless with a 3-0-1 weekend at Winterhurst.

A special moment that Saint Ignatius was able to be apart of was on New Year’s Day in Toledo. The Wildcats hit the ice to take on Jesuit brother school, Saint John’s Jesuit, in the Toledo Walleye Winterfest outdoors at Fifth Third Field. The Ice ‘Cats started the new year on a high note with a 2-1 win over the Titans.

And after that win, the Wildcats just could not be stopped.

Coach O’Rourke got his team to peak at the right time. And peak they did as the Wildcats, led by Matty Geither, Jack Mazanec, Aidan Spellacy, and Brady Wells, among others, went on a 17-0 winning streak entering the playoffs.

That winning streak included a 4-0 record in the inaugural Cleveland Jesuit Classic, two wins in back-to-back weekends versus Saint Edward, winning 3-0 and 5-2, and their second consecutive Cleveland Cup title, which is only the second ever in Great Lakes Hockey League History. (The GLHL was established in 2013.)

But in every good team, and in this case you may say great team, there’s always flaws that only a good team can pick out and use to their advantage.

After cruising through the Brooklyn District Quarterfinal and Brooklyn District Semifinal, the Wildcats met up in the District Championship with rival Saint Edward with a State Tournament berth on the line.

Let’s just say that the Eagles broke down the Wildcats and never looked back en route to a 3-2 win over Saint Ignatius to capture their District Title and end the Ice ‘Cats season.

Even though we might not be heading down to Nationwide Arena for a State Championship, you can’t look past at the fact on how good this team was throughout the entire season. They stayed composed and focused and didn’t let anything get them rattled. There was nothing that they couldn’t handle in the regular season. This year’s team is one that people around the area and the state will never forget.

The 2014-2015 Saint Ignatius Varsity Hockey team finished the season with a record of 32-4-3, and went undefeated in Great Lakes Hockey League play with a record of 13-0.

Congrats to Coach Pat O’Rouke and his club on a phenomenal season! Let’s just say that next year, there is some unfinished business out on that ice!

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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