by Gabe Mielke ’16

The Saint Ignatius Father’s Club is hosting a Family Social on Saturday, February 28th before the basketball Cats take on the Benedictine High School Bengals in Sullivan Gymnasium.

The event will start at 6:00 p.m. in the usually quiet Schott Library and runs until the varsity game begins at 7:30 p.m.

The cost to attend is $20.00 for families and $6.00 for individual tickets. This payment gives you access to high-quality reserve seating at a sure to be exciting varsity basketball game, pizza, chips, beverages, Honey Hut ice cream, and a surprise raffle.

If this interests you, registration can be done online at: www.ignatius.edu/BasketballSocial

If you have any questions regarding the social or financial payments, please contact M.J. Kyle at mkyle@ignatius.edu or (216) 651-0222, ext. 219.

by Gabe Mielke ‘16

Wednesday, January 28 was an exciting day for Wildcat High. The inspiring former-NBA basketball player and drug addict turned public speaker, Chris Herren, visited to give a speech on his story and substance abuse. The speech, all a part of the new wellness program, was given to the entire Ignatius community at 1:00pm in Sullivan Gym, and to another audience at 7:00pm in the Breen Center.

Prior to Mr. Herren’s actual speech, the ESPN film, Unguarded, detailing his life-long struggle with drug addiction, was shown. It was a deeply touching account of Herren’s descent into habitual drug abuse and his existential struggle toward rehabilitation.

After the film showing, the man himself, Chris Herren, walked into Sullivan Gymnasium to a round of applause. What followed next surprised many of the audience members. Rather than recount and summarize his story of drug abuse already detailed in the film, Herren proceeded to talk about his experiences in schools since he began travelling the country and speaking to various groups, especially high school students.

Herren discussed and then rebuked the various explanations, excuses, and cop-outs that many high school students use to justify their own recreational use of drugs. He debunked each justification one-by-one, and then concluded, as logically as any philosopher, that the core reason for drug and alcohol abuse among teenagers was that they do not think they can be themselves. After years of experience with teenagers who abuse or have abused drugs, as well as his own experiences with drug addiction, Herren finally came to this conclusion.

“Hurt people hurt people. And sometimes they hurt themselves. People with confidence don’t hurt people. They protect them,” said Herren.

It was a powerful revelation to comprehend for many students. “Mr. Herren was an absolutely incredible speaker. I had already seen the film about him before the assembly yet his speech was a completely different experience. I was completely blown away by everything he said,” recounted Mike Murphy ‘16.

Herren proceeded to talk about education and faith. “The missing component in education is wellness. Why don’t we teach our kids to be the best and healthiest they can be?” asked Herren, after describing a time a principal had given him a 27 minute time limit so that students could return to classes.

He praised us for our commitment to our faith, and stated how it keeps us from the situations that helped lead to his addiction. “My faith has kept me off of heroin for six and a half years. No doubt it could have kept me out of the basements,” Herren said. The “basements” reference where Herren and his friends used to drink alcohol and abuse marijuana in their teenage years.

The main focus of the speech, as said by Herren, was addressing the issue of what he called “Day One.” It is the first day that someone tries illegal drugs or alcohol. It is then that the often mentioned “slippery slope” slithers into effect.

“Most speakers like myself come up and talk about their experiences with hard drugs, heroin and cocaine, but they ignore how it all started, they ignore day one,” Herren said.

This approach was thoroughly praised by both students and staff members, evident through the earth-shaking applause that followed the conclusion of Herren’s speech.

“I thought that Mr. Herren approached the subject of his speech in a completely unexpected way. I know that I really enjoyed his doing it and I think it made the speech more interesting and therefore significantly more effective,” Chris George ‘16 said.

All in all, Mr. Herren’s speech was undeniably both thoroughly appreciated, as well as deeply influential upon the entire community of Saint Ignatius High School. Mr. Herren must be used to this effect upon students, but this writer has never seen 1500 high school men pay that much attention to one speaker for so long. It was incredible.

by Gabe Mielke ‘16

The remodeling and renovation of the school weight room underneath Murphy Gymnasium has finally been completed. The completion comes as a welcome relief for both athletes and health-minded students alike. As with all good things, however, there is indeed a catch.

That catch manifests itself in the form of new, more strict rules and regulations concerning student use of the weight room.

Among the new rules, the most controversial are the strict lifting times and the no-drop policy for weights. Mr. Eynon has defended both saying, “the time limits for lifting according to sport are designed to maximize the effectiveness of the workout for the athletes by increasing the ability for coaches to coach the athletes.”

In defending the no-drop policy Mr. Eynon stated: “We obviously need to take care of this incredible gift that was given to us, therefore we cannot drop weights on the floor any longer, in addition, if you can correctly perform the exercise with the weight then you should be able to safely lower the weight.”

However, not all lifting enthusiasts exactly think so. Known athlete Valiant Freeman ‘15 declared, “I know why the new rules were put into place, but the weight room just does not have the same feel that it used to.”

On the other hand, some students grudgingly accept the new rules. “Yes, the rules are different and kind of annoying, however, Mr. Eynon is completely right, we really need to take care of the room and these rules are the best way to do it,” Jack Cook ‘16 stated.

No matter your personal opinion on the matter, the effect remains. The new, state-of-the-art lifting equipment paired with the new rules work to usher in a new era of more disciplined, more serious, and thus, more effective lifting from the athletes of Saint Ignatius High School.

The New Weight Room Rules:

A coach must always be present for this room to be used. No unsupervised activity will occur in the weight room. Students who are not part of an interscholastic team may use the room when it is not being used by interscholastic student-athletes. Failure to comply with these rules will result in suspension from the weight room.

NEVER:

1. Drop any equipment onto the floor.

2. Use the room without proper supervision by a coach.

3. Remove anything from inside the weight room.

4. Place or rest equipment on the floor.

5. Place or rest equipment on a bench.

6. Wear spikes, cleats, or school clothes while using this room.

7. Bring any food or liquid other than water into this room.

8. Put iron grip plates on the olympic bar without first loading bumper plates.

9. Use an olympic bar for power lifts inside the rack.

10. Perform dumbbell bench without placing a spare piece of floor underneath your lifting area.

11. Drag equipment on the floor.

12. Touch sound system or other technology unless you are the strength coach or coach in charge.

ALWAYS:

1. Use this room and equipment in a respectful and safe manner.

2. Use proper and safe technique.

3. Return equipment to its proper place.

4. Wear proper athletic attire (athletic shoes, shorts or pants, shirts with sleeves).

5. Clean footwear before entering the room.

6. Use bumper plates when performing olympic lifts on the platform.

7. Secure weights on the bars with collars.

8. Use a spotter.

9. Use equipment for its intended purposes.

by Sam Royer ’15

This Wednesday, January 28, former NBA player Chris Herren will speak in an all school assembly to give students insights on substance abuse from his personal experiences.

Herren, who played for the Denver Nuggets and Boston Celtics, battled substance abuse for many years, ending up in rehab on several occasions. “As Mr. Bradesca has said, to make this more about than just cutting hair, we are having Chris come to speak to the students about making good choices when it comes to drugs and alcohol,” said Mr. Healey ’77, the coordinator Herren’s visit.

Alcohol and drug free since August 2008, Herren has been traveling around the country to speak about the dangers of addiction to a variety of audiences, ranging from schools, rehab centers, military bases, to professional athletes. “He uses his personal experiences as well as the experiences of others to make his points about how we should approach issues relating to drugs and alcohol,” Healey said.

Herren will speak to the Ignatius community at the end of the day, and to a general audience at 7pm in the Breen Center.

by Sam Royer ’15

When the Wildcat card first debuted this past fall, it was announced that seniors would be given the privilege of leaving the campus during the school day to go to the various local businesses. Beginning next week, seniors will be able to officially use this privilege after bringing in a permission form that will be attached to an email set to be sent out in the coming days.

In order to leave school, students will have to sign out of school, either through the Dean of Students office or by using the free app “Kaywa.”

“Students will be able to scan a QR code when they leave school,” Senior Class President Brian Koehler ’15 said. The QR codes can be found in the atrium, by the main building doors, near Principal Bradesca’s office, or near the Dean of Students’ office.

“You can scan it, type in your student ID, and then it automatically goes to a spreadsheet saying when you signed out,” Koehler said. Students will also be required to sign in at each business and upon returning to school.

“We just really hope that seniors take advantage of the card and visit from businesses that they might not normally go to,” Koehler said.

by Sam Royer ’15

Ad maiorem Dei gloriam. Although the motto of the Society of Jesus, translated from Latin as “for the greater glory of God,” can be found nearly everywhere on campus, its true meaning is easily forgotten. What does it really mean to be a Jesuit?

Perhaps if anyone knows, it’s Brother Ralph Cordero, S.J. This is Cordero’s fourth and likely final year teaching at Ignatius, but before he goes, he agreed to share a little of what he’s learned since joining the Jesuits in 2000.

As an optometrist, Cordero was first exposed to the Jesuits after being asked by a Franciscan nun at his home parish, Sacred Heart Chapel in Lorain, to work the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) program. “I had no idea at that time what RCIA even stood for,” Cordero admitted. After agreeing to help with the program, he immediately became stunned by the idea that adults wanted to share this faith that he had simply grown up with. After several years of working the program, the same nun came to him and recommended the Jesuits.

“That was my first ever hearing. I went to see the Jesuit vocation director and it was funny because I had done a retreat about a month before that and he was the director of the retreat. I took that as a sign from God that I should really look into this group,” Cordero said.

Cordero said he felt he related to Ignatius’s story when he starts to notice a difference between serving the queen and serving God. “When I was working at the parish and RCIA, there was something so life-giving that I couldn’t ignore. That difference led me to seek religious life and realize that I felt called to this way of life. I realized this is what’s bringing so much life into me,” Cordero said.

Now, fifteen years since entering the Jesuits, Cordero said the most challenging part of being a Jesuit is “going to a place for four years, developing relationships, and then being called to go somewhere else.”

“Even though it’ll be hard to leave here, it has its graces. You get to experience something new, but at the expense of having to leave relationships behind that you have come to treasure,” Cordero said. Of Ignatius, Cordero said, “I’ve never been in a school that had so much tradition and history.”

Cordero feels that if it weren’t for the Jesuits, he might have missed out on a lot. “I would have never found out that I enjoy teaching. They tell you to be open to growth and open to working with teenagers in a high school and I thought ‘oh my goodness I don’t know if I can do that.’ It didn’t take long for me to find out how much I enjoy teaching. It led me to pursue a masters in math at John Carroll,” Cordero said.

Beyond discovering his love for teaching, Cordero has been able to satisfy his desire to learn through travel. “They say, ‘join the Jesuits, see the world.’ There’s a lot of truth to it. We have a long formation just because we are men that are sent out into the world. The world is our seminary,” Cordero said. Cordero has been missioned to places such as Peru, Israel, El Salvador, and most recently the Dominican Republic. “It’s of so much value to be able to meet all the different cultures. That has been very enriching,” Cordero said.

Ultimately, the three biggest lessons Cordero has learned being a Jesuit are to stay prayerful (“I can always sense that when I get away from prayer, I don’t function as well as compared to when I have prayer in my life.”), to always grow (“We always have to be growing in our religious and intellectual competence. Those five characteristics of the Grad at Grad, they apply to everyone, not just the graduate.”), and to always find the best interpretation (“I have found that when I hear someone speak, I immediately make a judgement or give it a bad interpretation. Ignatius says find the best interpretation, rather than making a judgement.”).

Cordero’s ultimate message the world is: “seek your passions, that’s where God lies.” In order to properly accomplish that, Cordero believes one must spend a substantial amount of time in reflection. “Ignatius said the examine was the most important prayer of the day. Step back and reflect and step into silence and realize how God is in your life and how you were there. That’s when you start tapping into your deep passions. And that’s where God is going to reside – in your deep passions,” Cordero said.