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the student newspaper of mount saint joseph high school volume lxxxi issue ii october 2011 the quill two graduates and one former teacher are among `new additions corey koch mr clint felts the mount welcomes back its own quill staff writer the newest addition to the religion department is an msj graduate mr felts after attending st joe mr felts went to college at mount saint mary s since becoming a teacher he has noted how it s interesting to see things from the other side he also said that teachers actually do a lot of work contrary to popular belief he elaborated saying that he works more now than he ever did in high school mr felts currently teaches junior and freshman religion classes mr felts is also a coach on the jv volleyball team when asked about the differences in the school between now and when he graduated mr felts said the feel of the school was the same and that its identity has remained the same it became apparent that music plays a large role in mr felts life he plays guitar in a band and truly enjoys performing he would like to see students afforded more opportunities to play music at st joe he spoke of wanting to revitalize gael house rock to allow students to develop as performers and musicians mr timothy moran another st joe graduate returned to teach this year the head coach of the jv hockey team mr moran is now a depaul teacher his brother was in one of the first depaul graduating classes and he grew to admire the program he likes the idea of learning catered to students needs and he enjoys seeing kids succeed while attending stevenson university mr moran wrote for the student paper there the villager he thoroughly enjoys reading and writing noting some of his favorite authors are james joyce and ernest hemmingway mr moran also coaches 3 teams at msj he is now the head coach of the tier ii hockey team and a coach for the varsity volleyball team he also coaches a 16u team for the howard huskies this past year he coached the jv hockey champion team at msj mr moran was a senior when msj won the 2003 miaa and mshl hockey championships between 2004 and 2011 she has taught in public schools in the area she spoke of her pleasure in coming from where you want to teach but can t to where kids are just so polite she wasted no time displaying how much she enjoys her job here she marveled i just smile all the time and the boys smile back and say good morning it s like heaven ms telisa claiborne amongst the new faculty members this year we have one returning teacher ms claiborne taught here from 2001 to 2004 ms claiborne was in the peace corps from 1994 to 1996 she traveled to antigua in her work with the corps she also said she would recommend the peace corps to anyone since she had such a great experience ms claiborne also travels a lot she made a promise to herself to go outside of the country every year ms claiborne has also run a marathon.

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page 2 policy changes in cafeteria cause questions steward beckham a new year at saint joe means that change has swept through the school once more and made its way to the cafeteria the cafeteria is the central location for the students social scene at mount saint joe the café is where students connect with old friends laugh with present buddies and meet new people to students the lunch room is a crucial place for the saint joe experience this experience may change for underclassmen though new advancements to the cafeteria and cafeteria policy have made some students question the motives of the administration yes the rule on cleaning tables can be frustrating when you re in a rush to study and your table votes you the cleaner also the signs in the front of the kitchen doorways can be in the way but there are benefits to find out some of the expected benefits of the new system i talked to saint joe s director of students mr brian murphy students should be able to arrive to a clean lunch table as well as take a minute to clean up after themselves when they leave states mr murphy with all a new way to eat quill editor-in-chief of the less fortunate people in the world today i expect that students will think about what a privilege it is to eat in such a beautiful cafeteria as they feel good about their contribution in keeping it clean the cafeteria reforms have brought a new complication to student lifestyle at saint joe senior kevin mead says it is teaching real life lessons i think it will help teach underclassmen about responsibility the new rules hold them accountable for their actions and hopefully what they learn in the cafeteria will be applied to all aspects of their lives stated the student body president the changes to the cafeteria system were sparked by multiple faculty complaints about trash pile-ups on the cafeteria tables this made the jobs of the custodial staff a lot more difficult than it had to be the new rules don t allow students to leave the cafeteria without first being responsible for their trash this has been a good advancement the overall cleanliness of the cafeteria has improved substantially the students are responsible for their trash and in doing that show respect for their school however the new changes have sparked debate senior brendan nelson explained to me that the food costs too much and there is not enough food being given out for the price it has been charged brendan is not the only one i have talked to many other upperclassmen who agree that the food prices need to be dropped along with a startling rise in food prices a new payment method is brought to the school starting this year students will be given the opportunity to use a campus debit card to buy lunches the debit card is attached to the school i.d and can be accessed by opening an account in a separate credit union outside of the school this new improvement has yet to make a significant impact but only time will tell the senior class remembers when the cafeteria was brand new meaning that there is a deep responsibility of taking care of the lunchroom in that class senior student body president kevin mead once again reflects on the impact of the new system and states i thought it was a great idea i have seen how dirty the cafeteria can get in a few short hours and the new rules have made a real impact on its cleanliness like kevin most seniors have been here long enough to understand the reasoning for these rules it is up to the seniors to be good role models for the underclassmen from wash cloths to swipe cards the cafeteria is different but the school still holds tight to its same virtue of respect the best way to exercise this as a student is to follow the new policies in the cafeteria and treat it like it is your home anticipation for the gym builds update on the gym-building process chris harrison as most of the upperclassmen know the mount saint joseph community is getting a new gym renovations to the current memorial gym and replacement of the tennis courts our current memorial gym was built in 1954 and has served the mount saint joseph community well brother bartholomew was the mount s president at the time and it cost $400,000 before the memorial gym we had a home court advantage because the hoops were bolted to the wall when the memorial gym was built it was the biggest gym in baltimore but now with our 56 sports teams we need more space for them the memorial gym has hosted numerous championships dances classes and the mount madness wrestling tournament for 57 years the students are not going to see activity on the building until june 2012 but that all depends on the fundraising after they get started it will take builders fourteen to fifteen months to finish to date we have raised $15.5 million for the gym but we still need 9.5 million more there are five $1 million donors mark teixeira class of 1998 rick berndt class of 1960 vik lancelotta class of 1939 the alumni association and one anonymous donor not from msj when the gym will be built everything near the site but the memorial gym will be obliterated including the tennis courts the msj tennis program will be held off campus until phase 3 of the master plan is started the tennis courts will be moved to a location near the lower field the new gym will include locker quill staff writer rooms and a trophy hallway with all of the championship and hall of fame banners in the memorial gym there will be actual classrooms for health and the current gym will become a practice gym the existing gym will be used for msj s new intramural program as well the new building will have a full-sized basketball court with a practice court off to the side most importantly for the new gym there will be more room for our masses the final phase of the project will be the baseball field the concept is that the current field will be reversed with home plate somewhere out in the current centerfield the hope is that we are going to get bleachers turf field and actual dugouts this phase is not scheduled to happen until the gym is complete and we get the money.

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page 3 inside scoop on applying to college at st joe michael bodley amidst sat scores letters of recommendation personal statements and the applications themselves sleep is a lost cause applying to college is a part-time job and with approaching deadlines now a full-time one many seniors struggle with the difficulty of maintaining a balance between a rigorous course load an active social life and the additional stress of the application process top-tier varsity athletes face the additional challenge of training to continue to compete at a high level while undergoing the recruitment process which can be unrelenting in the pursuit of coveted prospects when asked how his academic and social lives have been impacted by his recruitment phillip lawrence ­ a senior member of the varsity basketball team ­ said i still maintain a 3.5 gpa because grades come first no matter what some compete on the sports field and some compete in the classroom rarer still are the select few getting accepted quill staff writer that do both on the highest level the combination of athletic performance and academic excellence these seniors exhibit distinguish them from other applicants but among ivy league quality colleges and universities everyone has a near perfect score on the sat and a 4.0 un-weighted average since the academic playing field is essentially equal the difference results from life experiences adam gracia a senior cocaptain of the varsity soccer team ­ plans to apply to harvard and princeton when asked how he distinguished himself from other highlyqualified applicants adam described how he used the unique experience of living in guantanamo bay in conjunction with his south american heritage to write his application essay in attempting to keep track of the endless list of forms and their corresponding deadlines seniors may become overwhelmed the guidance center is the glue that holds it all together however guidance exists to guide students through the process not to hold the hands of seniors in high school when asked how he keeps track of the applications brent hartley ­ a senior member of the varsity rugby team ­ emphasized the importance of keeping track of all the applications you re doing and making sure that you ve sent in all the required forms he added the guidance office helps but it s best if you make a personal list to keep it all organized undoubtedly the first semester of senior year often is one of the most stressful times of a high school career but there is a silver lining to the doom and gloom benjamin brigoli ­ a senior active in the asian awareness club ­ said that all the stress will be worth it this time next year when i m where i want to be the getting there is the pain photo taken by ben dean new club promotes common good amoung students chris harrison · · · · · · · · · mr tim breen religion teacher mr kevin shearer guidance counselor mr barry fitzpatrick the mount s principal mr mike o donnell religion teacher mr rich sargo social studies teacher mr blake henry health teacher and varsity football coach mrs mary zimmer religion teacher mrs mary abdo religion teacher and campus minister ms thadine coyne religion teacher and director of student activities mrs sharon morgan religion teacher what is no bystanders quill staff writer kind words can be short and easy to speak but their echoes are truly endless blessed mother theresa the no bystanders club was created last year to get students involved in recognizing and speaking out against injustice a group of students and teachers who had previous training at the anti-defamation league national youth leadership forum led the way in creating the first adl mount st joseph chapter these students and teachers include · · · · · · · · kai-li liang 11 brett smoot 11 andrew sisky `11 jeff mathews 11 dagm endalkachew `12 david falvo 12 jalen robinson 12 stephen israel 12 is to create an environment where there are no bystanders to bullying or injustice the organization promotes individual moral responsibility and collective social justice while increasing understanding respect community and peace adl combats bias prejudice discrimination and persecution msj is educating students so that they can lead others by their example doing what is right and fixing what is wrong liberty is the only thing you cannot have unless you are willing to give it to others journalist william allen white said last year more than thirty students were trained by adl s world of difference program this year those students will be training others as st joe s mission states mount saint joseph strives to be a community of growth and learning characterized by enduring personal relationships an emphasis on spiritual formation a challenging academic program and a commitment to justice and peace this is where the adl peers try to make the mount a better place starting at the foundation in the mount saint joseph mission statement i am only one but i am still one i cannot do everything but i can still do something and because i cannot do every thing i will not refuse to do the something that i can do edward everett hale a unitarian minister once said this year juniors danny shea and faisol khan will be attending the national youth leadership missions adl is selling long-sleeved tee shirts in the bookstore with the adl no bystanders emblem on them as well as the five xaverian virtues of humility trust zeal compassion and simplicity the club will also be showing and discussing remember the titans and inviting guest speakers some of these speakers might be a holocaust survivor or a freedom writer mount saint joe is organizing two trips for the club one to martin luther king jr memorial in washington dc and the other to ground zero in new york city msj students also will be reaching out to catholic middle schools and informing them about the anti-defamation league if you want to get involved with the club go see mr shearer in the guidance office the club meets after school on mondays from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m in the group presentation room remember as yoda said do or do not there is no try · as albert einstein once said the world is a dangerous place not because of those who do evil but because of those who look on and do nothing adl s goal

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page 4 unusual earthquake shocks saint joe the power of social media was the true force watching tv and i thought it was wind in my house this appalling turn of events surprised even faculty members like mrs judy byron one of our school librarians i was here at school with mrs wichmann and i noticed shaking in my seat i heard rattling in the glass above and throughout the building stated mrs judy on top of the earth moving people witnessed the power of twitter in major world events the earthquake caused a rate of 5,500 tweets per second causing the world to instantly hear about these surprising events twitter and text messages was the response i got from senior bryan royster when i asked him where he first heard about the earthquake junior avery vernado also stated that he first heard about the earthquake through twitter i was eight hours up the coastline when i read tweets about the calamity twitter has become a news source in itself and has made users indirectly more aware of major events while checking social statuses the earthquake shocked many in the saint joe community if a student didn t feel the shaking then he heard about it on facebook or twitter if anything good came out of the damage of the natural disaster it was displaying to the world how powerful social media has become steward beckham the day had a normal late summer feel i was on my way back from massachusetts when my phone started buzzing with tweets omg i just felt an earthquake was one of the tweets a friend of mine in maryland sent me i thought that s not right how could there be an earthquake in maryland soon i saw tons of tweets and news statuses talking about an earthquake that has surprised east coasters from virginia all the way up to new york it was hard to reach the phones of my relatives in the area because of the cell phone outages and we would have to drive through a hectic new york city to get back home my memory of the day is different from others at saint joe who actually felt the quake senior kenny baquol told me he was working at elvaton in anne arundel county when he felt shaking in the ground i felt the earthquake in my house and i thought it was my dryer got some pizza and then got on twitter and it said earthquake turned on the news it said earthquake stated senior printice mcnair as he remembered the day another senior john magnuson said i was at my house quill staff editor do you love st joe are you interested in politics art sports write for the quill st joe s student newspaper is looking for writers see editor-in-chief steward beckham ms richmond or mr bieniek for more info meetings wednesdays after school in room 116.

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page 5 when the leaves change colors so do the shows alex merritt what s on this fall quill contributor it s that time of year again the leaves make their transition from green to gold school hallways are once again filled with less than enthusiastic students making their way through heaps of homework and tests and best of all the fall t.v season is upon us if there is anything i love most about the fall season it s the start of old and new television sitcoms and dramas favorites return and new shows make their first leap into the competitive world of primetime television a medium which over the years has given us some of the finest examples of creative writing acting and cinematography in the world of media for an hour we can escape reality to the world of television where we can laugh and cry with beloved t.v characters something that no other medium can quite accomplish in this article i want to take the time to share some of the more interesting new shows premiering this fall some already well known some a bit obscure the first show which i would like to talk about is a new supernatural drama called grimm from writer and producer david greenwalt one of the talented writers of the hit shows buffy the vampire slayer and angel the show which premieres in midoctober focuses on a detective who begins to suspect that the disappearances of his neighbors can t be attributed to anything ordinary and he is in fact proven right when he is confronted by a man who tells him that the creatures and occurrences from the grimm fairy tales are more than just legend the menacing creatures of the tales are in fact real and he must save humanity from their destructive power what is currently being described as a fusion of grimm fairy tales the x-files and buffy the vampire slayer this show has already garnered much hype and is set to premiere on nbc in october if mr greenwalt is still as talented as he was when he worked on buffy and angel i am sure this will climb to cult-status another show set to premiere in october and in a similar genre as grimm is the fx thriller american horror story created by prominent television producer ryan murphy this supernatural thriller has a fairly basic premise a family moves into a new home only to discover that it is plagued by evil monsters and that one of their own may not be as alive as originally thought though this does sound a bit clichéd what sets this apart from other shows is its striking visuals seen in screenshots and commercials that have recently surfaced the show looks appropriately creepy with a large ominous-looking house inhabited by pale sunken-eyed suburbanites who may have more than a few deep dark secrets this is definitely one i am looking forward to and one of the most creative looking new dramas set to air its premiere is early october on the fx channel the final show which i feel deserves recognition is the steven spielberg produced terra nova after years of being postponed the fox sci-fi blockbuster is finally making its debut the science fiction spectacle is set years in the future when the human race is quickly being destroyed it is then up to one family to travel back into the prehistoric era to save humanity the fact that this is spielberg produced almost guarantees that it will be a hit overall i d say that this fall holds some of the most exciting and creative new shows that we have seen in a long time as to whether they ll be critical darlings and audience hits or if they ll just crash and burn that is still unknown but we know we can already look forward to an exciting new television season lil wayne releases a new album `set the bar too high jordan taylor if tha carter ii was lil wayne s breakout album and tha carter iii was him cementing his place as one of hip hop s elite tha carter iv may be the beginning of his fall back to earth go to any table during lunch and you ll find that those who believe that lil wayne is the best in the game are the minority hip-hop has changed and rappers such as j cole and drake are bringing back an emphasis on conscious rap taking away the impact that lil wayne s punch-line-fueled lyrics once had in a time where hip hop fans are looking for more substance it seems that wayne refuses to adapt tha carter iv is by no means a bad album and for any rapper but for lil wayne it would ve been considered a great effort unfortunately consumers and fans as well as wayne himself may have set the bar too high tha carter iii was a grammy-award-winning album and tha carter ii is considered to be wayne s best lil wayne new vs old quill staff writer work a prison sentence and numerous album delays only hurt the lead to the album being disadvantaged from the start it should be noted that there are some very good songs on tha carter iv such as nightmares of the bottom and president carter with this album however there is a also a mix of good and bad for every witty the top down its upset line you get something uninspired like what goes around comes around like a hula-hoop tha carter iv is less than you d expect from the self proclaimed best rapper alive but it s still a solid album these feelings reverberated throughout saint joe when asked what he thought about tha carter iv junior devin swann stated it s a good album but it could ve been better senior kyle andrews echoed a similar sentiment when asked about the album it s ok it s not that great below what i thought he could put out if you re listening to tha carter iv the best way to enjoy it is to realize its limitations and appreciate its strengths.

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page 6 september 11th memorial turns despair into repair adam kellermann building for the future quill editor september 11th 2001 is a date that will forever be etched in the minds of each and every one of us just as a generation before us remembers where they were when they heard about the assassination of j.f.k we now remember the exact moment we learned of the attack of the twin towers to ensure that future generations never forget the sheer terror of that day the idea of a memorial on the site of the former world trade center site was conceived a contest was held in search of the design that best expressed the emotions of that day in their memorial plaza design winning architects michael arad and peter walker capture the profound impact september 11th had on the city of new york city and the united states the 32-acre memorial plaza is located at ground zero in lower manhattan in new york city dedicated on the 10th anniversary of september 11th the plaza has two artificial waterfall pools that rest at the footprints of the twin towers the water flows down into a reflecting pool and eventually down a square whole in the center of the fountains the cascading water creates a soothing relaxing sound in juxtaposition to the jarring sites sounds and emotions of 9/11 around the 170-foot fountains are the names of all of the victims of the terrorist attacks etched in bronze parapets more thing under construction at the twin towers site the underground museum to be completed in 2012 is being completed as well the museum at its lowest point is 70 um space around the memorial plaza will be four new world trade center buildings the first world trade center designed by david childs at its roof will be 1,368 feet the height of the original north tower and the top of the antenna spire will be 1,776 feet the height of the antenna spire 1,776 feet is a very familiar year in 1776 the colonies signed the declaration of independence so this height just reminds the world that we are free the 9/11 site including the memorial plaza museum and four towers is projected to be completed by 2020 it appears to me that arad and walker were spot-on with their design of the memorial plaza after watching all of the news covering on tv and reading about that day i am making it a priority of mine to visit the site during my youngadult life in my opinion it is an american s duty to ensure that we never forget source 2011 ground zero now [video retrieved september 24 2011 from http www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/08/30/us/sept-11-reckoning ground-zero.html than four hundred white oak trees will eventually surround the two fountains the 9/11 memorial isn t the only feet underground where the twin towers foundations stood the fountain s structure will be visible from the underground muse the quill staff 2011-2012 editor-in-chief steward beckham sophomore editor adam kellermann staff writers chris harrison randy price alex merritt corey koch michael bodley jordan taylor production staff adam kellermann steward beckham chris harrison charlie rusk moderators ms richmond mr bieniek

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colin curley s legacy lives on as gaels walk to prevent suicide adam kellermann in the darkness no more quill editor on october 8 2011 i along with 208 people participated in the out of the darkness community walk at howard community college the walk benefited the american foundation for suicide prevention the team i walked for was cmc for life with cmc standing for colin michael curley colin my second cousin and a 2002 graduate of the mount lost his battle with depression in 2006 team cmc was made up of family friends msj faculty and mount men while at the mount colin was an avid soccer and lacrosse player in addition to being a great student upon departure from high school he went to st mary s college in southern maryland through his junior year he returned home to receive treatment for his depression in 2005 after attending umbc for his senior year he returned to msj in the spring of 2006 to fulfill his dream to coach lacrosse colin s family has become very strong advocates for suicide prevention raising thousands of dollars for the american foundation for suicide prevention out of the darkness is just one of many walks in the month of october that benefit various causes such as breast and pancreatic cancers walking in these events is not only a great way to spread awareness for a cause but also to honor a loved one and raise money for further advocacy awareness and research several students faculty and staff plan to participate in the late october susan g komen race for the cure to honor ms judy kraft who lost her battle with breast cancer last school year there is a cause for everyone and we all know someone who could benefit from our advocacy you don t need to wait until next year to get involved and build awareness because organizations accept donations year-round colin s mother donna says the more i become involved with the afsp [american foundation for suicide prevention the more i realize how much things need to change in our society to support good mental health and prevent the loss of life from a treatable illness together we will make a difference every life matters source http www.outofthedarkness.org

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page 8 coach henry offers information of the football team s progress jordan taylor coach henry says quill staff writer during homeroom a couple weeks ago i walked to the gym in the opposite direction of seemingly everyone else on campus i walked down the stairs through the football locker room and into the office of head varsity coach blake henry the man who many students are intimidated by greeted me with a smile and a handshake easing any anxiety i had coming in coach henry who is in his second full year at the mount has been hard at work revitalizing our football program he has high expectations for his players when asked what his expectations were for the season he responded confidently expectations are that there s enough talent to beat everyone on the schedule as long as we play hard and execute coach has confidence in his players noting that in his second year guys are working harder team chemistry is better and they have a better understanding of the offense and the last year s varsity football players now seniors relax in between plays defense when asked about the team s transition coach s sentiments were echoed by seniors angelo deshields and bryan royster angelo said that effort leadership and camaraderie are all improved from last year bryan stated the team is more serious there s more of a desire to win instead of just play my conversation with coach henry wasn t just limited to this year s team however when asked what advice he d offer to anyone looking to play varsity football next year coach had this to say make a commitment to offseason weight training and let me know that you re interested if you re not a studentathlete but you re just looking to lead a healthier lifestyle coach suggest eating breakfast daily staying away from sweets and fried foods and having at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day though his role as head football coach hasn t changed coach henry s other duties at the mount have last year he taught freshman and sophomore religion but he now teaches freshman health and p.e in addition to weight training i concluded my interview by asking the coach if he had anything to add i love being a part of the mount st joe community its great seeing students at the games take coach s words to heart and go out and support the football team athletic responsibilities help students become more disciplined in the classroom randy price understanding student athletes and doing something more important than playing a sport there are many student athletes in college but only a select few become professional athletes just about all student athletes go pro in something other than a professional sport although you may think the general student body gsr on college campuses is higher you would be sadly mistaken the general student body graduation percentage is nearly 20 percent lower than the student athletes basketball has been improving for a long time the gsr for basketball is 66 percent which is a 9 percent gain from quill staff writer people from all around the world learn on a daily basis some more than others in the united states a lot of people go to college that being said a lot would like to go to college but don t have the means then there is the student athlete playing a sport gives us a chance to attend college that otherwise would be impossible today you see a lot of high-profile college athletes in the news for ncaa infractions this is becoming a trend that i m sure the hard-working student athletes are not pleased with since 2003 the gsr also known as the graduation success rate has risen to 79 percent which is the highest rate ever in division i sports now that we have the gsr cleared up it is time to focus on the point of student athletes graduating period some of these players come from situations where they are expected to just play ball yet some then end up beating the odds junior varsity players from last fall there is also a significant need 2003 i bring this particular sport up because you see a lot of one and done players four out of the last five nba number-one picks were in their freshmen year of college at the time examples include greg oden derrick rose john wall and kyrie irving the fifth blake griffin was a sophomore while there is a premium on good athletes for pro teams in society for well-educated individuals how would i describe a student athlete in two words i would say myron rolle if you don t know his story google him that is the epitome of what a student athlete should be.

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