JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 VOLUME 14, NUMBER 5

Brendan Hallinan and Joe DiSipio ‘14EDITORS

THE senior class can breath a l ittle easier now. Mr. Dougherty

told the Blackfriar Chronicle last month that the senior lounge will remain for the sec-ond semester.

Rumors that the lounge was to become an office had been circulating around the Class of 2014 for the last few weeks of the first semester. Those rumors can now be put to rest.

Dougherty said the plan to convert the lounge into a private office for the Dean of Students would have been too much work to accomplish in the middle of the school year.

An appropriate, private space for the Dean of Students is necessary to conduct personal issues with students. The cur-rent office will not suffice for the future.

The original plan was for the lounge to become the office of the Dean of Students once the second semester began. The plan was nixed because of “the momentum of the year” and the difficulty of transform-ing a room into an office in such a short amount of time.

Also, Mr. Dougherty did not want to take lounge away as some seniors were looking forward to their very first open period in the second semester.

According to Dougherty, a group of seniors was asked

to explore alternatives to the senior lounge earlier this year, but no viable replacements were found.

The future of the senior lounge remains uncertain. According to Mr. Dougherty, the lounge will become the Dean’s office and the lounge

will be relocated. Another possibil ity is that the room becomes a common lounge.

Senior Lounge Staying ... for nowAlthough plans were made and may be made again, the lounge is staying for the Class of 2014

Joe DiSipio ‘14EDITOR IN CHIEF

YOU can find Malvern’s swimmers, with damp heads of hair, quickly

gobbling down breakfast in Stewart on any given Wednesday morning. A 6:15 morning prac-tice will work up your appetite. And this year’s team has had a big appetite for success.

On Thursday Januar y 23rd, the swim team captured their second straight InterAc Championship after many morning practices and hard work. The team, often unher-alded, was led to consecutive undefeated seasons by Coach Jay Schiller and his staff.

After losing last year’s sen-ior duo of Paul Stockett (Purdue) and MP Salinas (USNA), cap-tains Luke Bushner and CJ Schaeffer were tasked leading the team to with continue the winning legacy.”The leadership and talent on the team is ubiq-uitous,” according to Bushner. “Of course our juniors and seniors really stepped up as vet-erans this year and contributed through leading both in and out of the pool.”

He credits the team’s suc-cess to a close-knit, family atmosphere and the seven prac-tices and two lifts the team par-ticipated in each week. Those many hours in the pool and in the gym not only gave swim-mers like Chris Nguyen great abs, but also a family. Together, they swept all competition and defeated every hated InterAc rival.

On Friday February 7th, the O’Neil Center played host to the InterAc Championships for each individual race. All 6 member schools participated in the day-long event. Malvern once again did very well with CJ Schaeffer’s first place fin-ish in 200m Individual Medley and second in 100m backstroke, sophomore Billy Beard’s second place finish in the 100m free-style, and Aaron Salinas’ second place finishes in both 50m free and 100m breaststroke.

Bushner is proud of the strong contributions of the underclassmen like Beard and Salinas. “We have freshman who are capable of stepping up and performing in key relay spots. Our sophomore class [swimmers] are some of the most talented swimmers I’ve seen and they add a lot of our depth.”

The swim team continued their great success with a strong showing at their final meet the Eastern’s Championship on February 22nd. The team trav-elled to LaSalle University to pit their swimmers against the best of the best from all over the East Coast. Taking third, Malvern ranks itself among the best swimmers in the region, if not the country.

The year’s dominance in the lanes is highlighted by the fact that it follows the school’s first ever InterAc Water Polo Championship in the fall. The chlorine crew has really made a splash in helping to will Malvern

RACE FOR THE CLAYWARD !Malvern and Haverford fave off, in the pottery studio

> Arts, PAGE 4

SQUASH TEAM TRIUMPHS AT NATIONALS

Swimming takes second team championshipFriar swimmers remain undefeated for second consecutive year.

Brendan Hallinan ‘14SPORTS EDITOR

THE squash program has struggled since its inception in the early 2000s. The beginning of this year

seemed no different. Seniors Colin Murphy, Brandon Parvesse, Conor Glancy, and Greg Miller quit the team before tryouts began.

The team has never had much success in the Inter-Ac. With the loss of four key sen-ior players, the season seemed like it would be yet another disappointment.

“We all decided that the team wasn’t going anywhere because we’re not competi-tive at all so it would be a pretty big waste of time”, said Murphy.

“The coach is trying to rebuild the pro-gram which is good, but he shouldn’t spend his time trying to make seniors better.”

The sound of four seniors quitting a sport in their final year sounds harsh, but were they acting in the best interest of the program? Miller seemed to believe so.

“If Malvern has any chance at compet-ing with their Inter-ac competitors, they need to focus on the future”, said Miller.

“They need to focus their attention on the young, and start to develop skills at a very early point.”

The juniors and underclassmen had to step up in a big way to salvage the season without any seniors. And did they ever.

The team limped through a brutal Inter Ac schedule, but remained confident.

At the national championships in Philadelphia, they were seeded in the fifth division that featured 15 other schools.

Juniors Mike Lamond, Steve Conduit, and Vince Warzecha dominated through-out the tournament and lead the team to a 4-3 victory over the Hill School in the championship.

Juniors Lamond, Conduit, and Warzecha help Friars overcome early season drama to end season with a victory

CHECK OUT THIS MONTH’S STUDENT OF THE ISSUE!Meet Nick Gabriele Class of 2015

> Friar Life, PAGE 3

BASEBALL STARTS #1 IN STATECan the Friars continue their championship run?

> SPORTS, PAGE 5

ChronicleThe

www.mpfriarslantern.COMBLACKFRIAR

THIS HAPPENS EVERY YEAR FOR THE WINNING FRIARS. ROBINSON

> PAGE 8

FUN IN THE SENIOR LOUNGE HALLINAN

> PAGE 4

SQUASH WITH CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHIES MOYER

THE BLACKFRIAR CHRONICLE2 January-February 2014

EDITORIAL

John Monday ‘14CONTRIBUTOR

ON the Comedy Central television show Tosh.O, there was once a segment called “Is it Racist?” in which comedian Daniel Tosh would show videos with questionably racist

overtones and he would decide whether or not the video was racist.

This game seems to have carried over into everyday life now, with two developments involving sports stars. On social media everyone seems to now be playing the game with two now famous interviews from Jamies Winston and Richard Sherman, with people judging these athletes’ comments for their lack of eloquence and/or respect in post game interviews on the field. Twitter’s tweets were twittering with questionably racist comments coming from all corners of the internet.

Someone had better call in Daniel Tosh.

Jameis Winston and Richard Sherman are both big-time foot-ball players. Winston is the national champion quarterback for Florida State and Sherman is perhaps the greatest cornerback in the National Football League with the champion Seattle Seahawks. Both of these men were shot into a larger spotlight after their postgame interviews in their respective teams’ victories. The two were given more attention than the typical post-game interview because they both conducted the interviews in a unique way. After the national championship, Winston talked about his drive to win the big game and all the adversity he went through in the game.

Because it showed his vulnerability and emotion with his own brand of speaking, that was not without its slang and accent, he was deemed an idiot by the majority of the people watching the interview. It was national news when Dee Dee McCarron, mother of AJ McCarron, star quarterback for Alabama, asked over twitter whether or not she was listening to English, referring to Winston’s interview.

The Richard Sherman fiasco was a bit differ-ent. He yelled and called out 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree and proclaimed himself the best corner in the league. Although he may have come off as unsportsmanlike and petty consid-ering the Seahawks won the game, people on twitter referred to him as a “thug”, a name which obviously carries racism with it.

So in these two instances there are two ath-letes who are put out to pasture for being either too “dimwitted” or “thuggish” in the way they approached their interviews. There is an obvious racial component to both of these labels if one chooses to approach their comments in that way. Racism still exists in this country, no matter what the supreme court says. The N word has slipped in time and again in reaction to stories like this.

But racism is not the overarching problem in these instances. The bigger and more systemic problem is putting things and people into categories and boxes to make them easier to comprehend and

then judge. The internet has made this a much easier practice. With the simple typing of a few letters, a coarse and hateful comment can be made without a second thought. It is instant gratification to have an opinion that crosses one’s mind to be then broadcast to friends and family for reaction (hopefully agreement and praise aka a “like” “favorite” or “retweet). There is a want and a need to

consolidate information so we can get the quick superficial view of a world which in reality is more complicated and diverse than we can pos-sibly fathom in 140 characters. Instead of looking at things in a worldly enlightened perspective, thoughts instead boil down to Winston is an idiot, Sherman is a thug, or in an even more grandiose and hateful sense, black people are idiots and thugs.

Everyone is guilty of putting things into cat-egories because the human mind simply works that way, but the problem of simply casting peo-ple off into easily recognized and dispensable

categories is getting worse. Buzzfeed works to get the internet and “comedy” into little lists that can easily be gobbled up. Entirely separate and simpler lives are lived on Twitter and Instagram. People today can hardly get through a conversation without pull-ing out their phones to revisit that virtual world in which every person, idea, and subject can literally fit in the palm of your hands.

The problem is more systemic than tweets about Jameis

Academic Leadership Team Reveals Year-End Plan

EDITORIAL BOARD

WHEN the Editorial Board met in early January, the topic discussed centered around the whirlwind that happens at the end of the quarter. From five “assessments” in a

day, two papers due the next, it seemed students are buried under piles of work at the end of every quarter. We had planned to air some grievances about the hectic end of quarter woes, to be a voice for the overwhelmed Malvern student.

Our plans have changed drastically since then. The last time any student has faced a real week of school was that final week of the quarter, way back in mid January. In the month since the end of the second quarter, we had 20 days off from school, a reverse C, and one two-hour delay. To put it in perspective, we have had school on 12 days. We were scheduled for 17. Rumors have circulated around school regarding days added to the schedule and the changes made to the end of the year, but now the rumors can be put to rest.

You’d be hard-pressed to find any Malvernian who doesn’t enjoy a snow day. One of the best feelings is waking up and seeing that text from Malvern, knowing you have an extra day to relax. Yet now students barely flinch when they read the text that school is closed, and the second quarter has seemed to be a jumbled mess.

What does all this mean for us as students? For seniors, it’s a relaxing way to get through the harsh days of winter; however, the interruptions and discontinuities caused by the days off have left

some students and teachers with hectic schedules and busy days and nights trying to make up the work and time. AP Exams don’t get pushed back a week because of a little snow on the ground, and students are feeling the harsh reality of trying to get a full AP syllabus in with such few days.

The teachers seem to be more under control. Many, such as Mr. Valyo, don’t have much reason to worry. “I am only a few sections behind last year,” he says. Mr. Roper is also confident. “My class is not as far back as you’d think with all the days off we had.”

“I’ve seen this before,” continues Mr. Roper, discussing past years of lots of snow interrup-tions to the school year. “Teachers and students make adjustments accordingly.” Mr. Valyo is

also optimistic: “I should be able to cover the material needed,” says Mr. Valyo, “unless there are more snow days.”

As difficult as it may be for both teachers and students, they both can work to lighten the load. “It’s lucky,” says Mr. Roper, “that the students and teachers can communicate about what’s fair and doable.” For teachers behind in their lessons, making up the work doesn’t seem to be a problem if the plans are communicated to the students.

With more snow on the horizon, more delays snd snow days may be the case. Mr. Valyo offered his perspective. “The Academic Leadership Team will meet and discuss options for making up days.”

This team, consisting of Head of School Mr. Talbot, Assistant Head of School Mr. Valyo, Upper School Head Mr. Algeo, Middle School Head Mr. Sillup, and Director of 21st Century Learning Mr. Whitney, has weighed the options of finding more time for class days. “We put the students first,” explains Mr. Algeo, “in every decision we make.” The teachers and parents follow.

Using these guidelines, the team looked at removing vacations days, but “issues with absentee rates” would diminish the effect of teaching. Another option was extending the school day, which would have problems with buses and travel.

The plan that currently exists is to change the end of the school year and the exam process. “This would give students five or six extra days of class,” said Algeo.

Experimenting with the new schedule that is planned for next year is also a goal. It would also call for the removal of exams for certain departments, a move that Mr. Roper is taking in stride. “It means not giving a traditional final, and I’m okay with that,” he says.

Problems still exist. Seniors will already be finished by this time and AP exams will have passed. Yet this solution will allow teachers to experiment with alternative assessment techniques such as projects or portfolios functioning as exams and prepare the cur-riculum for the major changes taking place next year.

Even with the icy roads, Malvern is not hitting the brakes on 21st century education.

OPINION

EDITORIAL BOARD

“WE’VE BEEN LOOKING AT THE EXAM PROCESS,

AND IT SIMPLY DOESN’T MAKE SENSE.”

-MR. ALGEO

Is it racist?

THE BIGGER AND MORE SYSTEMIC

PROBLEM IS PUTTING THINGS AND PEOPLE

INTO CATEGORIES AND BOXES TO MAKE

THEM EASIER TO COMPREHEND AND

THEN JUDGE.

After delays and days off school, the plan for the end of the year is at the end of the design process.

When consolidation leads to superficial reactions, labelling is a little too easy.

> PAGE 4

THE BLACKFRIAR CHRONICLE January-February 2014 3

FRIAR LIFE

is a monthly student-run publication at Malvern Preparatory School. Its online affiliate is the Friar’s Lantern (www.mpfriarslantern.com). Editors’ meetings are every day 2 at 7:30 AM. Reporters’ meetings are every day 3 at 7:45 AM in Duffy 118, and are open to any interested student.

Mission StatementThe Blackfriar Chronicle and The Friar’s Lantern are the student run publications of Malvern Prep. The principal goals of the publications are to provide accurate and relevant information to the Malvern community and to offer a forum for intelligent dialogue on all things Malvern. The reporting for these student publications is conducted thoroughly and edited by student leaders to ensure this accuracy to the best of our ability. In order to fairly provide all points of view, contributions from all members of the Malvern community are welcomed and encouraged through letters of opinion, student reporting, and respectful commentary.

Contact: mpfriarslantern1@gmail.com

ChronicleTheBLACKFRIAR

Editors in ChiefJoe DiSipio ‘14

Brian Tatlow ‘14

Managing EditorsPrint: Dan McGlinn ‘14 Online: Matt Lanetti ‘15

Contributing Editors

Friar LifeMike Higgins ‘14

ArtsBilly Bevevino ‘14

SportsBrendan Hallinan ‘14

Beyond MalvernJake Sorensen ‘15

Editorial Board Contributors

Andrew Aprahmian ‘17Justice Bennett ‘16

Tyler Pizzico ‘17Andrew Stetser ‘15

Students who work on high school newspapers and yearbooks:____Get better grades in high school____Earn higher scores on the ACT____Get better grades as college freshmen_X__All of the above

Source: Newspaper Association of America 2008 Research Study

Marine Bio classroom converted into a zooBilly Bevevino ‘14ARTS EDITOR

THIS year the Marine Biology classroom in the basement of Sullivan Hall has stepped up

its game. While in the past there have been a couple of tanks for fish and other species, this year is much dif-ferent. Through the efforts of Dr. Fry, Mr. Buccutti and generous donors, the lab has transformed into a zoo.

In Tom’s River, New Jersey, marine biology students on a field trip caught the first residents of the lab. Crabs and small fish caught that day were placed into a medium sized tank. This tank began what has now has flourished into a lab that contains chameleons, piranhas and even an alligator.

Dr. Fry explained that the spe-cies were specifically chosen based of the legal standards of the State of Pennsylvania. Although many might be surprised to hear that there is a live alligator on Malvern’s campus, owning this reptile and many other dangerous pets is perfectly legal.

The marine biology lab isn’t just for show. Students receive invaluable knowledge by coming face to face with live species. While looking at an organism in a book is one thing, com-ing face to face with one is a whole other experience. Hadid Thomas ‘14 said, “You get to see and interact with live animals, which is pretty cool.”

Having these animals in class eve-ryday is more than just a great edu-cational tool. It is also a huge morale boost for some students. The animals

give Sam Linehauser ‘14 some encour-agement to show up and participate. ”You look forward going into class everyday,” he said.

Though there are already plenty of tanks and animals in the room, expect the lab to grow. With the addition of

an over 200 gallon tank, there are plans to introduce live tilapia to the lab in the coming weeks. Additional animals and tanks that coincide with student’s research projects will also be placed in the classroom soon.

Even if you don’t take a class in the lab, stop by and take a look around the room. You don’t have to be a Marine Biology student to appreciate all the different animals living in the bottom of Sullivan Hall. Panamanian exchange student Jose Aquilar put it simply when asked about why he enjoys the lab so much:“I like the fish.”

If you smell something in the bottom of Sullivan, its probably the animals

FACULTY OF THE ISSUE

Faculty Feature: Dr. Joseph Oechsle

Andrew Stetser ‘15REPORTER

THER E are few classes at Malvern that get the student-designated title of “Hardest

Class I’ve Ever Taken.” Whether it be sophomore year Honors United States History I, junior year Honors British Literature, or any intense AP classes, one name is sure to bring a chill to the spine of graduates: Dr. Joseph Oechsle.

Excuse me. What I meant to say was Reverend Dr. Firefighter Joseph Oechsle.

This is a man known by many at Malvern, not only for his rigorous classwork, his unforgettable catch phrases (“That’s borscht”, “Failed assassination attempt”, etc.,), and his complete rejection of the existence of the clock, but also for the service that he gives to the Malvern, Norristown, and mathematical communities. It was quite an experience interviewing him; however, I soon learned quickly that the man only has one speed: fast. And

it got even harder when he asked me not to use a voice recorder!

AS: Thank you so much for doing this interview, Dr. J. It’s a pleasure to have you as the “Teacher of the Issue.” Now, I don’t know if you know this, but to the students here at Malvern, you’re one of the hard-est teachers at Malvern. What, do you feel, makes your style of teach-ing so hard?Dr. J: Well, let me just say that I used to be hard. Nowadays, any second grader from Norristown can pass my class. But as for my style of teaching,

A student who has never taken one of Dr. J’s classes finds out what the buzz is all about.

STUDENT OF THE ISSUE

Michael McCarthy ‘15REPORTER

NICK Gabriele is a junior who is an Adelphia Society mentor, MECO leader,

and varsity soccer player who truly exemplifies the Malvern spirit. We discussed where he has come from, his experiences at Malvern, and what he hopes for the future.

MM: Tell me about your back-ground. Where did you grow up? Where did you go to school before Malvern?NG: I went to St. Norbert’s from kin-dergarten through eighth grade, and I grew up in Paoli before moving to Phoenixville when I was about ten years old.

MM: You are obviously involved in a variety of activities here at

Malvern. MECO leader, varsity soccer, and Adelphia Society just to name a few. How do you man-age to balance your activities and academics so well?NG: Well I’ve always been a person who tries to get all my school work done as soon as I can. I do work at lunch and ninth period, just studying whenever I can. I try to give 100%

A look inside the mind of a Malvern Renaissance Man

Student Feature: Nick Gabriele

Surprised to hear that there is a

live alligator on Malvern’s campus?

Owning this reptile and many other dangerous pets is perfectly legal.

> PAGE 8

CLYDE CHILLING LIKE A VILLIAN BRIAN TATLOW

> PAGE 7

DR. OECHSLE 2013 MALVERNIAN

NICK GABRIELE DAN MCGLINN

THE BLACKFRIAR CHRONICLE4 January-February 2014

FRIAR LIFE

Dan McGlinn ‘14MANAGING EDITOR

TWO Inter-Ac opponents took to something other than the sports field to compete for a

good cause. On Saturday, January 11, Haverford faced off against Malvern in what will hopefully be a tradition to benefit others: a ceramics bowl-off.

The event took place in Malvern’s Duffy Center, where seven ceramics potters from Malvern and seven from Haverford sat down at the wheels for nearly three hours to throw bowls for Empty Bowls, which directs all pro-ceeds to Bethesda Project.

In the end, the fourteen students successfully made over 160 bowls that were all donated to Malvern’s Empty Bowls that was held nine days later.

“It’s not often that people can make 160 bowls for people to eat out of, and it’s all for a great cause, which is awesome,” said Nick Helber, a Haverford student potter.

The event was the idea of Ms. Plows and the seven Empty Bowls Chairs, six of whom participated in the bowl-off.

The bowl-off was original ly scheduled for December 21, but rescheduled due to snow. Ms. Plows and Haverford ceramics teacher Mr. Kris Nelson helped to make the event possible.

“This is the first time we did this collaborative throwing competition,” says Mr. Nelson. “To have the two schools come together on a productive basis where competition is secondary to the purpose of hunger relief...is refreshing.”

The competition was fierce. The seven students from Malvern (Seniors

Brian Tatlow, Michael Stangis, Conor Glancy, Matthew Jones, Drew Freed, Dan McGlinn, and Colin Hayes) are all experienced potters and were able to put their skills to work. Although the Haverford students put up a good fight and had some impressive techniques, such as throwing off the hump, Malvern edged out Haverford in the bowl count 90-73.

John Matthews, ceramics teacher at Conestoga High School, was the judge for the day. He offered helpful advice to both sides about techniques, forms, processes, and alterations.

“There is a relationship between the rim and the foot,” he commented to the eager fourteen students wait-ing on the results. “You’re not getting enough out of your feet...let the foot express itself.”

Judged on quantity and quality, simply having more bowls was neces-sarily enough to put Malvern over the edge. Haverford had an impressive array of bowls, which were amazing

additions to the Empty Bowls event. The biggest factor for Malvern was the different forms and altering by using different shapes and textures. “The risk-taking with form happens more [with Malvern].” In his final thoughts, Matthews noted that “the numbers-game” is what put the decision in Malvern’s favor.

“It was good to come away with a win,” said Malvern senior team cap-tain Colin Hayes. “We had a fun time, and hopefully we can continue this in the future.”

Haverford col laborates with Agnes Irwin to host an Empty Bowls event every other year, and Malvern hosts one each year. Next year the bowl-off will be at Haverford to sup-port their event, and we wish both teams the best of luck.

Malvern defeats Haverford in first annual Bowl-OffPotters compete to claim the Clayward Cup and glory for Malvern.

HAVERFORD TEACHER KRIS NELSON WATCHES THE COMPETITION PLOWS

Jake Sorensen ‘15NEWS EDITOR

THOUGH the snow days make it feel like it was a year ago, what happened last month in

Mr. Roper’s Honors Brit. Lit. would shock anyone who’s gone through his class. If you weren’t aware, Mr. Roper teaches quite possibly THEE most rigorous and difficult course in Malvern Prep, featuring such good-ies as daily reading quizzes and oral 1-word pass-or-fail vocabulary tests. This ritualistic approach of quizzing is only interrupted by the infamous presentations that require a tuxedo to get full credit in.

What had been ingrained to our junoir class’s mind, however, was about to be injected with 21st century learning.

We had been given the premise

before the Christmas break. Basically, we would reenact Chaucer’s famous Canterbury Tales by basically walking around the campus telling stories. In a week before it actually took place, it would become an entirely new beast. With our classes input, we changed it to a modern setting, with characters like the parson and the miller being shoved aside for the italian car sales-man and the metrosexual. I could already tell that hilarity would ensue from that point on.

I bet some are you already think-ing, “What is going on here? Who thought that Mr. Roper’s class was supposed to be fun?!”. Well, if it wasn’t clear enough, this departure from the usual struggle was meant to make us

more involved with the English cur-riculum of the class. It seemed that some higher ups wanted us to have a bit of fun with Ol’ Chaucer. And you know what? We did.

The first day out showed us that our class was capable of writing hilari-ous stories. Each and every tale was ridiculous in some form or another. My personal favorite was the trio that went as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tupac Shakur, and... someone I don’t really remember. The best part was hearing Tupac constantly yell “F*** the police!” and then later “Yes! F*** the Po-po!”. It was also funny to see Mr. Roper glance over at Mr. Valeyo (who followed pur group both days) for every expletive used.

People who went the second day definitely upped the ante in their sto-ries. There was more absurdity, more hilarity, and, of course more swearing. One notable story was the gold-medal winning Fisherman’s Tale, featuring former Malvern Teacher Mr. Riviollo as the man-fish. This was the day I went, where I told my awesome story of a Soviet WWII veteran in a Russian accent. When I heard some people ask if that was my real accent, I began to worry whether I had been actually talking enough at Malvern.

I can honestly say that the Chaucer Walk was so the most fun thing we’ve done in Mr. Roper’s class. I’m well aware of how forced upon it was. I’m well aware of how unpredictable it was. And I’m still aware of how bizarre the whole thing was. But, even with its style that was radically different to what Mr. Roper did, I’m pretty sure that he’s gonna do this next year. I guarantee it.

Canterbury Pilgrimage takes detour to MalvernJake Soresen offers his tale from the trail

WHO THOUGHT THAT MR. ROPER’S CLASS

WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FUN?

Winston or Richard Sherman, it is universal; universal in that people cannot handle emotion and truth. Truth comes from seeing the whole picture of a story and understanding why people do things, not just a vague understanding of something.

The fact that Richard Sherman is a Stanford graduate and had to work his way out from the streets to get where he is, and that professional athletes, especially professional football players, experience a lot of emotion through the course of a game, is a much harder thought to handle than “he is a thug.” Also the fact that Jameis Winston and his lack of eloquence might come from a college sports phenomena in which the student athletes are simply passed through the system so they can be stars, is ignored when casting a sim-ple judgement.

So while racism can be at the core of a hasty comment, the bigger problem here seems to be ignorance and the simplicity in which to dis-seminate ignorance, not a few racists. The majority of people who judged Sherman and Winston were not funda-mentally racist, but rather too quick to judge based on a medium and culture which caters to those snap decisions.

The lesson to be learned from all of this is that the mind is a terrible thing to waste. There is a great wealth of information and creativity on the internet. One can only hope the world learns to use it with the right frame of mind and purpose, rather than abuse it.

P.S. To stay to topic and defend Winston and Sherman more, to any-one who would criticize someone’s

English prowess after his team just won a national championship or the NFC championship, there is some-thing seriously wrong with you. There is simply an attitude and excitement that comes from victory. Sorry to all of the editors and English majors out there, I hope the poor ignant masses ne’r upset you agein!

SHARE YOUR OPINION ON STORIES

AND SEE WHAT WE COULDN’T FIT IN PRINT AT

mpfriarslantern.com

> IS IT RACIST, 2

At the beginning the season, this would have seemed like an impossible feat for the team. But the team stuck together and maintained a positive and confident attitude, at the guidance of the junior players.

When asked about his senior depleted team at the onset of the sea-son, Coah Khan said, “I always look at the glass as half full. I’m not going to sit around and cry about it. We have

some great young players that are get-ting an opportunity to play. We’re try-ing to build a winning program for the next three to five years.”

And with a national championship this year, it seems the team is well on their way to becoming a force in the Inter Ac over the next couple years.

>SQUASH, 1

THE BLACKFRIAR CHRONICLE January-February 2014 5

SPORTSATHLETE OF THE ISSUE

Athlete of the Issue: Kevin McGeary ‘14

Brendan Hallinan ‘14SPORTS EDITOR

WHEN it comes to accom-plished Malvern athletes, senior Kevin McGeary is

at the top of the list. McGeary starts on three varsity teams: golf, hockey, and lacrosse.

This past fall, McGeary was an inte-gral part of the golf’s team champi-onship season. He played in the 5th spot and was a first team All Inter Ac selection.

This winter season, McGeary is cap-taining the hockey team. The team is 12-5 overall and is in third place. He has been a four year starter for the Friars.

In the spring, he will play a huge role as one of nine senior leaders on the lacrosse team. McGeary is one of the few lacrosse player who has been on the varsity team since freshman year. He and his fellow Friars will be look-ing to repeat as Inter Ac champions this spring.

This upcoming fall, McGeary will be playing lacrosse for the University of Pennsylvania and will be studying in the Wharton School of Business.

BH: Out of the three varsity sports you play, which is your favorite?KM: My favorite sport is lacrosse, but the others are close.

BH: What has been your fondest ath-letic memory for each team?KM: My fondest moment in lacrosse is the Inter-Ac championship we won last year. For golf it is the Inter-Ac championship we won this year. For hockey it is the winter classic game we got to play in at Citizens Bank Park last year.

BH: Exactly how many varsity let-ters have you racked up in your four years?KM: I will have 10 by the end of lacrosse season, but currently have 9 letters.

BH: What are your expectations for the lacrosse team this year?KM: I am really excited for this lacrosse season. I think we have a lot of talent and if we work hard we could hopefully win a championship.

BH: Will you try to pursue golf and/or hockey at Penn or will you focus solely on lacrosse?KM: I would love to continue play-ing golf and hockey next year, but it would be too difficult with lacrosse and school.

BH: Which professional athlete would you compare yourself to?KM: I could not think of any hockey or lacrosse players to compare myself to, but a golfer came to mind. Tiger is my favorite golfer and I am not saying I am like him with my talent levels, but we are both very confident in ourselves and sometimes overconfident.

Tri-sport athlete gears up for spring lacrosse seasonMike Higgins ‘14FRIAR LIFE EDITOR

AFTER capturing their third straight Inter-Ac title last season, the Friars find them-

selves right back at the top of the rank-ings to start the 2014 campaign after being projected as the best team in Pennsylvania by Maxpreps.

It’s certainly hard to argue with that ranking as Malvern’s dominant pitching staff from last year is nearly exactly the same as the one who helped the Friars to a 27-9 record a year ago. Senior Gardner Nutter and junior Chris Butera will once again look to lead the team to victory from the top of the pitcher’s mound. Nutter compiled a 7-0 record last year and Butera added a remarkable 8-1 record as only a sophomore.

Senior shortstop Matt Maul who is headed to St. Joe’s said, “With pretty much all of our pitchers returning and a solid defense to back them up, we should have a good shot at the 4-peat for the Inter-Ac title.”

W h i le Inter -Ac M V P Joe Poduslenko and catcher Steve Robinson have graduated, Malvern will still have some serious pop at the plate to supplement the strong arms on the team. Third baseman Mark Gentilotti committed to Delaware to play baseball in the off season, and he certainly looks poised to have a break out year.

Also returning is the closer Tony Gruenling, a Babson signee, who said, “As a team our goal is to win the Inter-Ac and with the number of guys returning and the talent coming up, we should be able to do it again.”

The confidence of the team is definitely high, yet the squad isn’t get-ting ahead of themselves. Maul said, “We’re going to take it one game at a time, but we know we can score runs and that combined with our pitching and defense should help us to another successful season.”

Other than the always intense Inter-Ac season, some other exciting parts of the upcoming year are the Friars are heading down to Myrtle Beach, SC in late March to play five

games over a long weekend. Also the team got a few sets of new Adidas uni-forms after Coach Hilliard negotiated a deal to outfit the team in all Adidas gear this past fall.

The entire team is absolutely ready to break out the mitts and get the season underway with the first scrimmages scheduled for the mid-dle of March. Now they only have to hope Mother Nature will cooperate, so they can get back to preparing to compete for their 4th straight Inter-Ac Championship.

#1 in PA is synonymous with Friar BaseballLooking for their 4th consecutive Inter-Ac championship, the Friars start the season ranked #1

Brendan O’Connor ‘15REPORTER

THE Lacrosse team h a d u n p r e c e -dented success last

year en route to an Inter-Ac championship. However, their heartbreaking loss to Haverford at the Inter-Ac invi-tational has left them with a chip on their shoulder.

In addition to their Inter-Ac rivals, Spring-Ford, Salesianum, Avon Grove, La Salle, Central Bucks East, The Hill School, St. Augustine’s Prep, Strath Haven, and Conestoga are on the schedule. We open the season with by traveling to Maryland for games against Loyola Blakefield and St. Mary’s.

This team offers a mix of old and new faces as they look to build on last year’s success. At goalie, senior Carson Cocco (committed to Quinnipiac) will start. He was undefeated in his three starts last season. The defense will fea-ture two-time First Team All Inter-Ac Greg Pelton (Duke), Chris Isenberg (Penn State), Ryder Harkins (Loyola), and junior Mike Mulqueen (Penn).

The midfield will include Kevin McGeary (Penn), Tripp Traynor

(Penn State), Drew Schantz (Notre Dame), and face-off specialist Charles Kelly (North Carolina). Named to First Team All Inter-Ac last

year, Ryan Hilburn (Boston University) is the leading return-

ing scorer, and seeks to lead a talented group of attackmen including senior Conor Glancy (Army), and sophomores Adam

Goldner and Kyle Anderson, who transferred from Downingtown East last year.

In Coach McEvoy’s second season, the schedule has gotten stronger. With the season coming closer, they seem to be ready for any competition .

Lacrosse looks to repeat as Inter-Ac champsTeam looks to seniors for leadership to victory

Mills leads concussion forum

Heads get together to talk about heads

Joe DiSipio ‘14EDITOR IN CHIEF

AS the football world focused on its annual showcase, the NFL playoffs, the Sports

Medicine department discussed an issue of grave importance.

On January 8th, before a small crowd in the Duffy Center, head Athletic Trainer Bill Mills led a forum centered on concussions. Along with Dr. Kevin Walsh and learning special-ist Ms. Brenda Eaton, Mr. Mills helped the audience to better understand con-cussions, their symptoms, and their treatment.

Dr. Kevin Walsh has been the ath-letic program’s team doctor for about 12 years. Walsh offered the perspec-tive of a medical professional on the traumatic injuries. He explained the protocol for identifying and treat-ing concussions as established by the Fourth International Conference on Concussions, held in Zurich in 2012.

Dr. Walsh is only one mem-ber of the Concussion Team, which

is rounded out by Mr. Mills, Mrs. McGettigan, Mrs. Cox, Dr. Sayers, and Ms. Eaton. These are the corps of advocates for students who suffered concussions. They treat, monitor, and aid any student who have experienced this traumatic injury.

“The future is now.” Mr. Mills was also proud to announce that along with working with Ms. Eaton and the Chester County Intermediate Unit, Malvern will soon become the Malvern Prep Sports Medicine and Research Center. As Mills pursues his doctorate, he will push one step closer to being on the forefront of concus-sion treatment and education.

Partnered with CHOP and the University of North Carolina, Mills will guide research done by Malvern students to benefit the study of con-cussions. One such research study will soon begin with the use of g-force monitors placed inside the helmets of lacrosse and football players. Mr. Mills and his team will study patterns of head trauma in practices and games.

Though the crowd was small on January 8th, the Concussion Management forum was a huge step in the groundbreaking developments to come as Malvern moves to the fore-front in the field of concussion treat-ment and research. .

MCGEARY CELEBRATES THE GOLF’S TEAM INTER AC TITLE MR. DUDA

THE BLACKFRIAR CHRONICLE6 January-February 2014

TECHNOLOGY

SPORTS

Patrick Ferraiolo ‘17REPORTER

“I HAVE never seen a team choke like that in the Super Bowl,” said NFL analyst

Mike Ditka. He was, of course, talking about

the performance of the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl against the Seattle Seahawks. With everyone expecting a very close and exciting game in Metlife Stadium, people were very shocked to find one of the biggest Super Bowl blowouts.

The Seattle Seahawks dominated the entire game from opening kickoff to the last snap. To start the game, Broncos veteran quarterback, Peyton Manning, jogged his way to the 16 yard line and participate maybe his last game ever. It all went downhill from there.

Following a safety on the very first play, the Broncos defense failed to stop the Seahawks offense, giving them back to back field goals for a 8-0 lead. After that, the broncos offense did absolutely nothing with the ball, giving momentum and the ball to the Seahawks to start the second quarter.

Walking down the field, a touch-down drive was concluded by a Marshawn Lynch rushing touchdown, giving Seattle a 15-0 lead. On the next Denver drive, manning seemed to settle down and finally started

to move the ball and get in scoring position. But, fate wasn’t with them. With Manning winding up to fire a pass to wide open receiver Wes wel-ker, the pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage, and gave the Seahawks linebacker, Malcolm Smith, who was later named Super Bowl MVP, an easy interception, which was returned for a touchdown.

All hope was lost. Walking into halftime down 22-0, the Broncos needed the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history in order to win. But this was Seattle’s day in the sun, and the second half started with a Percy harvin kick return for a touchdown.

With a now unconquerable 29-0 lead facing the Broncos, you could might as well given the trophy to Seattle right then and there. After that, the rest of the game was trivial. The Broncos did score in the 4th quar-ter, but at that point it was all about personal stats. Despite a poor effort, Peyton Manning did have a record for the most completions by a quarterback in the Super Bowl. Other notable Broncos was wide receiver Demaryius Thomas for the most catches in Super Bowl history.

Now the big question for Denver is this: Will Peyton Manning be quar-terback next year or will he retire? Not having the opportunity to ride off in the sunset with a Super Bowl victory, like Ray Lewis last year, there have

been questions on Peyton’s leadership and athletic ability at his old age.

But, these quest ions wil l be

answered later. For now we will just bask in the glory of the great Seattle victory. They earned this victory and for the first time in the history of the franchise, they are Super Bowl champs.

The final score of this Super Bowl: Seattle 43 Denver 8

Congratulations to the Seattle Seahawks for an magnificent perfor-mance in the biggest televised game of the year, holding the best offense team in the history of the NFL to only 8 points. The team proved that they can play anyone and defeat anyone. Having the best defense in the NFL, along with rising offensive stars leaves no question of whether they will be in the playoffs next year. I expect this team to be Super Bowl contenders for a very long time.

Like this Super Bowl has proven: Offense draws crowds, but defense wins championships.

Seattle secures 1st Super BowlNew York (and New Jersey) host the annual classic

Pat Ferraiolo ‘17REPORTER

AS the days get longer, and the temperature rises, America’s National Pastime will be back in the world again in just a few weeks.

The wait is finally over! Order will be restored in the world once the umpires say ‘play ball’.

But, recently, in the past few years, watching a Phillies game has been anything but baseball. At one point, they were not a team, just 9 people running around a field. Not living up to their expectations in the last few seasons, it as seemed as if the city has given up on team that they cheered only three years ago. With this year being an important one, lets take a look back at what the Phillies have done to prepare for the next 162 games.

While the field was covered by snow in the off-season, the front office had an excellent opportunity to really improve the team. But this year, GM Ruben Amaro Jr. and his staff completely wiffed in free agent signings. With numerous amounts of possi-ble free agents to offer a contract to, all the Phillies could muster are two battered, old, and worn out veterans to an already aging team. I didn’t know that Ruben mostly scouted at Nursing Homes for Old Men. The two ‘baseball players’ are Marlon Byrd and Bobby Abreu. Neither of these players have had a decent year since President Bush was

in office. With all the talented free agents the Phillies could have attempted to pick up, all they could accomplish were two barely functionable veterans. Also, this team is already the Nursing Home of Baseball, having one of the oldest rosters in the league. This line up includes short-stop Jimmy Rollins, catcher Carlos Ruiz, First Baseman Ryan Howard, and lets not forget the ageless wonder, second baseman Chase Utley.

Despite all of this, the Phillies still have ‘High Hopes’ for this upcoming season. When asked about this seasons expectations, manager Ryne Sandberg stated, “We have a great team of veteran players who have certainly been around the game for quite some time. With this team, I believe that we can make a run and make the playoffs.”

Now, the Phillies aren’t the worst team in the world, but you might have spent too much time at the bar if you say that the Phillies are postseason potential. I think Ryne Sandberg is wishful thinking. In my opinion, I believe that they will barely have a winning record and miss the playoffs but 12-20 games. Anything more than 85 wins is a miracle. But, come April, who knows what will happen. They

have been underdogs before. For example, the 1993 Phil’s

were projected to only win 58 games, and they went all

the way to the World Series that year.

Even though it is tough to watch Phillies game these

days, I think we can all agree that baseball brings people together. No

matter what is going on in the world, whether it be war, a bad economy, National

Debt, terrorism, or any other national disaster that no one should go through, people always find their way to the ballpark to watch baseball. There’s a reason why baseball is called America’s National Pastime.

So when your watching Ryan Howard strike out, or Jimmy Rollins make a bad throw, just be glad you’re watching the game. It could be a lot worse.

Phillies have ‘High Hopes’ for new seasonPat Ferraiolo thinks realistically about chances for the 2014 Phillies team

Jake Sorensen ‘15NEWS EDITOR

WHEN many people think of the popular photo editing program Adobe

Photoshop, they think of anything from the manipulation of images to make images look nicer to creating (sometimes painfully obvious) fake photos. However, what few people know is that it is possible to design and make f inish-ing touches to 3D models inside of the program itself. While new updates to the program are usually smaller things such as bugs or the rare inclu-sion of minor fea-tures, the addition of support for 3D printers marks a significant change for users, Adobe, and the future of 3D printing alike.

Currently, one of the only ways to be able to manipulate and print a 3D model is to use much more com-plicated CAD programs. There is a smaller percentage of people that know how to use CAD programs

such as AutoCAD than Photoshop. As a result, the inclusion of 3D print-ing tools in Photoshop will allow 3D printing to be much more accessible to the common user.

Despite the fact that Photoshop itself is mainly geared towards pro-fessionals, Adobe expects 3D print-ing within the applicat ion to be

relatively easy. The redesigned toolset in Photoshop is simple enough so that newer users can eas i ly pick up and use tools to ed it premade designs. However, Photoshop is stil l powerful enough so that more advanced users can make full use of all of what

3D printing has to offer. In addition, Photoshop also generates support structures for the model automati-cally, to ensure that the printer will produce complete and accurate results in the long term. Finally, Photoshop will also be able to support different materials, such as different metals, ceramics, and sandstone. Currently, many commercial and consumer 3D printers only support printing using ABS plastic, due to the fact that it rela-tively cheap to obtain and has the best results. While there aren’t a lot of 3D printers that support other materials, the support for other materials will hopefully encourage companies that create 3D printers to expand their sup-port as well.

This is also a big step for Adobe as well. The inclusion of 3D printing to Photoshop shows that Adobe is will-ing to embrace newer, more promis-ing technologies. Conversely, this also shows that more and more companies are starting to see 3D printing more as a viable piece of technology rather than something of a gimmick. With companies such as Adobe starting to increase support for 3D printing, along with the actual cost of 3D print-ing going down, we will most likely start to see 3D printers become as accessible as regular printers.

Newest Photoshop update allows 3D PrintingA big step for Adobe software has potential for 3D printing

MORE COMPANIES ARE STARTING TO SEE 3D PRINTING MORE

AS A VIABLE PIECE OF TECHNOLOGY RATHER THAN SOMETHING OF

A GIMMICK.

NEW SEMESTER, NEW SCHEDULE.REPORTERS MEETINGS ARE NOW

DAY 3, 7:45 AM, DUFFY 118IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO GET INVOLVED THIS YEAR!

WE NEED FRIAR LIFE, SPORTS, AND LOCAL NEWS REPORTERS. JOIN IN.

THE BLACKFRIAR CHRONICLE January-February 2014 7

I use the style of teaching that was taught to me by the Jesuits. It’s all based on the concept of Ratio Studiorum.

AS: I’ve never heard of that. What is the Ratio Studiorum, and how does it relate to your style of teaching?Dr. J: You can learn al l about the Ratio Studiorum and my style of teaching. All you have to do is read my doctoral dissertation on it.(Upon some research, I learned that the Ratio insists on teaching a few well-related subjects taught thoroughly, with frequent repetition, as opposed to a variety of subjects taught simultaneously.)

AS: Where did you get your degree?Dr. J: Which one?AS: You have more than one degree?!Dr. J: I have many degrees. I got my doctorate at Princeton. I spent time at St. Charles’s Seminary. When I was younger, I was sent to Rome for sixth months, and studied to become a priest at the Pontifical Roman Seminary at the Basilica of St. John Lateran. I also have my BA in Philosophy, my MS in Computer Science, and an MA in both Mathematics and Theology. Some people collect baseball cards; the Yankees collect World Series; I collect degrees.

AS: You spent a lot of time at learning at many different schools, but when did you start teaching at Malvern?Dr. J: I accidentally came to Malvern thirty-five years ago. I guess you could say that the judge issued me the “life sentence.”

AS: How’d you “accidentally” come to Malvern?Dr. J: Well, thirty-five years ago, one of the the-ology teachers left Malvern, and somehow that same day my resume appeared on Father Duffy’s desk.

AS: So you started out as a theology teacher?

How’d you get into teaching math?Dr. J: I taught Church history and theology of marriage and college SAT prep my first year. I added German I and II, Moral Theology in place of CH, and pre calc in my second year. Pre calc became AP calc in my third year with Theology of Death and Dying and German III and IV. Then Latin replaced German and all kinds of Math replaced Latin. I also taught Logic for my first four years, and later Intro to Philosophy and Comparative Religions. I became all math about six or seven years ago, and all AP Stats, AB, and BC and Diff Eq more recently.

AS: Is it true that you write for the AP exams?Dr. J: In 1992, the College Board recognized me as a teacher, and approached me to be a part of their grading team. Then, in 2000, I was asked to be on the writing team for the AP Statistics exam. And that entails much more than just writing. When you’re apart of the College Board process, you also travel a lot. I’ve been to places like the Bronx and Kentucky, teaching students and also teachers about Statistics and how to teach it.

AS: Where do you get all this time to do things like this?Dr. J: I’m a Norristonian; we make time for everything.

AS: So you have a lot of pride in Norristown? Why do you have such pride?Dr. J: A couple of years into teaching, a lot of the “Chestertonians” were giving me a lot grief for being from Norristown. They were saying that only “criminals and scum” come from Norristown. After those experiences, I developed more pride in my community.

AS: And you’re a Norristown firefighter, correct?Dr. J: No. I’m technically a Norriton fire fighter.

The Norriton fire company does, however, assist Norristown. And I’ve have been a firefighter since 1976.

AS: How’d you get started with them?Dr. J: That was another coincidence. When I was younger, I lived behind a firehouse, and one night there was a fire. I heard the engines going off, so I ran down to the fire house to see what was going on. Then one of the firefighters asked me, “Can you drive stick?” Apparently that night

they had no drivers on hand at the time. I had no idea how to drive stick at the time, but that night I taught myself. The rest is history.

AS: Do you have any fond or notable experiences work-ing for the Norriton fire

department?Dr. J: I have many, but I’ll share one with you that I thought was pretty funny. So a couple of years back, there was a fire at the Norristown Hospital. At the time, the hospital used to own a piggery, and somehow the silo had caught on fire. So as we arrived, we were wondering how the heck we were going to be able to put this fire out. I climbed up the ladder and into the silo to see what was going on, and the odor was one of the most horrible smells I’ve ever experienced. Instead of having grain in the silo, they filled it with cow crap. Then, somehow, the door closed behind me, and I was locked in. I was yelling into the walkie-talkie, “Get me out of here!” (now I probably had a wider vocabulary at the time). Eventually, they got me out. We were still thinking how to put out the fire. Then were realized that the only way we would be able to safely put this out would be to shovel all the “contents” out. So we each took turns shoveling. Now, at one point, it was my turn to shovel; however, when I was climbing up the silo, the shoveler must not have gotten the “memo”. So as I was climbing up the ladder, the brilliant man

threw his load off the silo, and I got a shovel full of flaming cow crap right on my face.

AS: You’ve been at Malvern for a long time. What do you think was your favorite part about it?Dr. J: Without a doubt, it’s Father Duffy. His character and persona made him a man for oth-ers. He always knew the right thing to do at the right time. He changed, saved, and made Malvern what it is today. He was, in my mind, the greatest thing to ever happen to Malvern, and it was a true honor to be able to say that I knew the man.AS: He seems like a great man.Dr. J: If you met him, you would know that instantly.

AS: Now I just have one more question before we wrap this interview up. The big thing in Malvern nowadays is 21st Century Education. How do you feel about all the changes that are happening in education today.(There was a moment of silence.)Dr. J: What we need is the best of what has made Malvern a very good school for many people, and a well-piloted addition of new techniques and technologies.

Dr. J. is definitely one of the most interesting teachers at Malvern. But all of this is not his only impact on the Malvern experience. This year, I’ll be going to Peru on my service trip, but it wasn’t Father Flynn, Mr. Stewart, or even Mr. Legner who gave me and all juniors this opportunity. Believe it or not, Dr. J. started the Christian pro-gram at Malvern. He ran it for twenty-three years, and originally took trips to Appalachia. While on one trip, he drove the fire engine of the Ivanhoe VA volunteer fire department, even though he had no idea where he was going.

So next time you see Reverend Dr. Firefighter Joseph Oechsle around, ask him about about life, Norristown, the Yankees, math, etc. But don’t blink, because if you do, you might miss his response!

I’M A NORRISTONIAN; WE MAKE TIME FOR

EVERYTHING.-DR. J.

>DR. J. 3

Joe Martin ‘15 & Matt Lanetti ‘15

RIDING on their success from last year, Malvern’s robotics team “1168” is ready to go. Last year’s challenge of climb-ing pyramids and shooting frisbees was certainly difficult,

but it was no match to the combined effort of Malvern and Villa.

In 2013, 1168 won numerous trophies for their unique and creative design. 1168 was one of two teams on the east coast suc-cessful in building a robot that could climb to the peak of an 8 foot tall pyramid.

Each year, the rules to the ever-changing games are rather complex. However they do tend to be based on a simple premise. “The competitions always find a new way to challenge us, but we can take it,” says Brian Sayers ‘15.

This year’s challenge doesn’t involve a pyramid, which is disap-pointing considering 1168 excelled with last year’s pyramid. Rather, it involves launching 28 inch balls through goal posts. On a basket-ball court sized arena, robots will attempt to shoot 2-foot diameter exercise balls through different sized goals. Extra points are scored if the teams of robots use assists and passes throughout the game.

At the start of each 2 ½ minute match, robots will be given a 10 second autonomous period, where they are not controlled by human team members, but by preprogrammed code. Goals made in this short period will earn additional points. Other ways of scoring points include passing a ball over a 6 foot tall truss that spans the arena at its midpoint, and placing balls in metal frames located in

the corners of the arena.

The league Malvern com-petes in is known as FIRST robotics. FIRST robotics has turned engineering into a sport-ing event, through nearly 3,000 competing teams throughout the world. The competition itself is truly a sight to see. Teams have matching uniforms and various types of chants to cheer on their robots. Despite all the colors and chants, the thing that sticks out the most about the competition is the sportsmanship displayed by all teams. When 1168 climbed to the top of the pyramid, the entire gym erupted with cheers for the Friarbot. It is very different than the “win at all costs” mentality that comes with many sports.

Although the idea of robots competing in sport is rather unique, Malvern and Villa’s combined team of 1168 is unique in itself. Entirely student run, 1168 is managed by the upperclass students who have experience with the program. Scheduling, engi-neering, budget, and responsibilities are all defined and assigned by the students themselves.

“Our robotics program is truly student run,” says Mr. Quinn, Malvern’s robotics mentor, “The mentors take pride in not touching

the robot or coming up with ideas, it really is up to the students.”

“As a junior now, I, and the other upperclassmen, have a responsibility to teach the new students,” said Sayers

If you are interested in joining robotics, speak Tom Allen ‘14, Robotics CEO, or to Mr. Quinn.

Robotics Team is ready for 2014 challengeStudent-run team of Malvern and Villa Maria students prepares for games, goals, engineering, and sportsmanship

ARENA FOR THE 2014 ROBOTICS CHALLENGE

THE BLACKFRIAR CHRONICLE8 January-February 2014

focus to whatever I’m doing at that time. When I’m at home I focus on my work, and when I’m on the pitch I just focus on soccer.

MM: You have been on the varsity soccer team since freshman year. When did you first start playing soccer and why do you love play-ing it?NG: I first started playing club soc-cer for TEYSA, Tredyffrin Easttown Youth Soccer Association, when I was about seven or eight, and I’ve played for them ever since. When I got older, I started playing on FC Europa, which the premier soccer team within TEYSA. Actually, when I was about ten or eleven, I had to decide between hockey and soccer and I decided soc-cer was what I loved more. In soccer terms, I’m not the most “technical” player. For example, I don’t have the greatest foot skills but I just enjoy being a defender and winning tackles, the 50/50 balls, and putting my body on the line for the team.

MM: What would you say has been the highlight of your high school years so far? What are you most looking forward to next year?

NG: The highlight for me thus far has definitely been MECO. I was just the ultimate experience. I wouldn’t say it was “life changing”, but it definitely was eye opening. It just made me real-ize how much I love this place. SAVI was a real highlight as well. A couple months ago I went to San Diego, California to Saint Augustine’s Prep where I spent a weekend with students from all the other Augustinian schools in North America. It was great to meet all those really great people and share some of our Augustinian traditions with each other and discuss the core values we share.

I am most looking forward to just being as involved as possible in Malvern. I want to make the most out of my experience here. Thats why I decided to do the play this year, I want to take it all in. However, in particular I am looking forward to leading the next three MECOs. I really can’t wait to share that awesome experience with our classmates.

MM: A few weeks ago, four large posters which detail the plan for the future of our campus were put on display. What are your thoughts on the building proposals as well

as the move to a 21st century institution?NG: I think innovation is always a good thing. I mean, we are a college prep school. The more tools and expo-sure that Malvern students have can only help us. However, I do tend to respond better to more “traditional” methods of learning. I’m more of a traditional note taker, listener to lec-tures, and problem solver at home. I’m not really into collaboration or group work, and that is something that I know I have to get better at. It’s hard to always be a team player.

However I think the new buildings can only help us as students. I like Malvern’s vision in which Malvern seems to be a pioneer in this type of thing. Once we set the example, I think a lot of other schools will follow.

MM: If you had to describe your Malvern experience in one word, what would it be and why?NG: The word would be shaping. This is because Malvern has instilled the Augustinian virtues in me and these virtues have made me who I am today and will help me become the person I want to become in the future.

JIM CANUSO ‘17REPORTER

MALVERN’S own freshman rap sensat ion, Bernard Williams is new here, but

he is definitely making a name for him-self. I wanted to take a look at what rap music means to him and what kind of progress he is making with his skills.

Rap is more than simply talking in

rhythm. It has a unique form of diffi-culty that makes it comparable to other highly regarded kinds of music. “Rap is hard because you have to express yourself from the heart and you can’t just make up any random words, unless you’re just freestyling just for fun,” said Bernard. In rap, you have to account for so many things when writing a song, he noted. Do these words go together rhythmically? Am I truly expressing myself from the heart? Does the rap go well with the beat?” And much more.

Every rapper needs a motivation.

“Basically, I just found it is as a way to express myself through music rather than just talking it out when I’m talk-ing to somebody,” said Williams. Part of that motivation, however, involves human inspiration. I asked Bernard who his biggest inspirat ion was. “That’s actually a hard one, because while I’m a Lil Wayne fan, I’m leaning towards Meek Mill now. I just find that Meek sort of like talks to me more so than Lil Wayne. Mostly because I’m from Philly and Meek is too. I see what he means in his raps and that’s where there’s a sort of connection.”

Bernard is making good progress

with his rap. He mentioned his upcom-ing mixtape named “My City.” Look for it sometime in February or March.

If you want to learn more about Bernard’s work, you can follow him on Instagram (@thefreshestprince___) and Soundcloud (Nardy Nard 1).

ARISTS OF THE ISSUE

Artist of the Issue: Bernard Williams ‘17

to a hopeful Heyward Cup victory. With two championships this year already some credit must be given to Jay Schiller and his staff.

Mr. Schiller, who also serves as a Health teacher, has always been a great motivator. He encourages a fierce competitiveness in his classes with an emphasis on having fun and playing with class.

Schiller pushes his guys to work hard, as obvious through the team’s rigorous practice schedule and work-outs. He has said that he is extremely proud of the team’s unwavering efforts and unity. Always fired up to talk about the water sports, Coach Schiller also knows how to have fun as seen in the picture above.

Though the pool sports are done for the year, you can still admire their success. Tw banners now hang in the O’Neil Aquatic Center, two banners that let anyone who jumps in that pool that Friars are the champs.

>SWIMMING, 1 >GABRIELE, 3

BERNARD WILLIAMS

WHITE FLAG Ricky Walsh ‘14

FRIAR CROSSWORD