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.

by Sam Royer ’15

Saint Ignatius is officially a cool school!

This morning, March 5, 2015, Fox 8 News featured a news segment (shot at Ignatius this past Wednesday) detailing why Ignatius lives up to the honorous name of “Cool School of the Week.”

Teachers Ryan Masterson S.J. and Mr. Jerry DeCarlo and students James Norris ‘16 and Kellen Dugan ‘15 were selected to speak on behalf of the school in a two minute video segment.

“In high school you kind of think there would be certain cliques, but really the important thing I took from here is the fact that everyone is your friend. Everyone is here together,” Norris explained, regarding what he loves about Saint Ignatius. Masterson then went on to speak about the abundance of service opportunities featured at Ignatius.

Following the video, Senior Class President Brian Koehler and Mitch Pallaki ‘16 were featured on the live morning show to play a “Coffee Trivia Quiz.” On representing the school live, Koehler said, “It was a really cool experience and I’m glad I was able to represent the school.”

Perhaps the most memorable moment of the segment, and the best way to describe the honor, is Masterson singing: “Welcome to the place where wildcats rule, Saint Ignatius is a cool school!”

by Sam Royer ’15

“The ‘decriminalization’ of cell phone use is upon us,” Principal Bradesca ’88 has declared. After what has seemed like a long year of prohibited cell-phone use, an update in the school policy is being set in place.

“Allowing students to bring their own technology to school for instructional purposes and believing one can simultaneously eliminate the ability of students to communicate electronically with each other and the outside community appears to be increasingly unrealistic thinking,” Bradesca said in a letter shared with the teachers and faculty.

The change, which will allow students to use phones at appropriate times and for appropriate reasons, comes mainly due to Bradesca’s understanding that most students have two devices on any time, mirroring the college experience.

“Students use phones to take pictures of whiteboards, experiments in-progress in labs, to record dialogue in language class, to create and play reflections with video/audio for various classes, as well as quick note-taking and calendaring,” Bradesca said.

Bradesca has suggested that many teachers successfully take a “Ready to Use” position, a technique in which the student’s phone is placed on the right hand corner of his desk, supposedly lessening the temptation to text under the desktop.

Bradesca also acknowledged that the student behavior of any kind can really be boiled down to two words: etiquette and responsibility. “There are times when it is inappropriate to use [phones], and there are times when their use is of no consequence. Specific to cell phones, the overwhelming majority of our faculty and staff allow students to use their phones on a regular basis, both in and out of class,” Bradesca said. “Therefore, a faculty or staff member shall determine when a student is using his device in an unacceptable manner.”

Now, the cell-phone use policy has been updated to read as follows:

The use of cell phones or other electronic devices in a disruptive or unauthorized manner is not permitted. Use of said devices in an unauthorized or inappropriate manner may result in a JUG or confiscation of the device.  Serious offenses of this nature include, but are not limited to:

Use of school or personal electronic devices to perform unethical actions such as
cheating, unauthorized collaboration, or plagiarism (e.g., cell phone texting
answers or taking pictures of exams).

The use of a cell phone or any electronic device whilst walking

The use of a cell phone or any electronic device in a forbidden area, including the
chapel, restrooms, and locker rooms

Students may not use their cell phones to make phone calls unless they do so in
a school office location with an adult present.