the crusader x press - edl · values that have equipped multi- ... father takes the trip every...
TRANSCRIPT
The Crusader
X Press
The Newspaper of Wildwood Catholic High School Winter 2017
Every year we look forward to Catholic Schools Week when
we celebrate all the elements that make Catholic education so
valuable.
The celebration begins on Sunday, Jan. 29 with a special Mass
in St. Ann Church for both Wildwood Catholic High School and
Cape Trinity Catholic School, which encompasses Pre-K through
eighth grade. Students from both schools will participate in the
Mass with readings and bringing the gifts up to the altar.
Monday is Teacher Appreciation Day when students visit and
bring treats to all the teachers in their rooms. On Tuesday, the
Crusader Club, our parent association, will treat the teachers to a
very special lunch.
Wednesday is reserved for the Freshman Retreat and a Faculty
meeting.
And then on Thursday students get to show off what they’ve
learned in our Jeopardy–style Knowledge Bowl that will be held
in the auditorium.
And to conclude the week, there will be a Student Apprecia-
tion Day Breakfast with honored guest Senator Jeff Van Drew
who will make a presentation.
The whole week promises to be another enjoyable and mean-
ingful celebration
of the people and
values that have
equipped multi-
tudes of graduates
to succeed in life.
We want to
thank Art teacher
Mary Walsh for
planning the
events.
By Jonathan Feraco
Once again, Father Yvans
Jazon is journeying to Haiti with even
more participants than last year. This
year’s group will have about 20 people.
The initial trip took place in 2010, in
order to help those suffering from the
disastrous earthquake that killed about
220,000 people, including some of Fa-
ther’s friends and family.
Jan. 12 was the 7th anniversary of the
earthquake.
Father takes the trip every year, back
to his home village where he grew up.
In an interview, he stated, “They are
hungry for help.”
The Haitians lack food, clothing,
shelter, and especially education, some-
thing the group aims to improve.
They do this by supporting an orphan-
age in Haiti, and they help pay for
clothing and education costs.
This group of volunteers, along with
Father, go to help the Haitians rebuild
in any way they can.
While in Haiti, they stay in a private
home, for there are many diseases in
the country.
The trip is Jan. 14 through 21.
They depart from New York, and fly
directly to Port-au-Prince.
During this mission, the volunteers
help anyone in need with supplies and
essentials for living, such as education,
clothing, food, and recreation.
This year, one of the main focuses of
the trip is to provide portable light.
WCHS Travels to Haiti to Do God’s Work
Fr. Yvans with a little friend in Haiti Photo credit: Julie Roche
See “Haiti” page 5
Time Again to Celebrate Catholic Schools
Photo credit: Edward Karapcik
Page 2 WCHS News Winter 2017
Singing and Painting One’s Way to College By Mae Mathis
Talk about college is buzzing through the senior
hallway, which is filled with ambitious young men
and women with different plans for their futures.
Seniors Caroline Inderwies and Fred Spiewak are two
who stand out from the rest. Inderwies plans to pursue
graphic design and Spiewak will study music.
Today, many art students battle the stigma that they are
wasting their money with useless degrees.
Inderwies said, “It would be so much easier to play it
safe, but to try for what makes you happy is more im-
portant.” Ever since she was little, she’s loved “drawing
and creating things.” For her future career, “there are so
many opportunities for graphic design right now because
of social media. It’s growing.”
Spiewak “loves music and wouldn’t enjoy anything
else.” Fred’s music degree will not be useless either. He
plans on using it to “perform and teach.”
Colleges are an investment for the future. Inderwies
and Spiewak must be serious when deciding what school
deserves their talent, time and money.
Inderwies doesn’t just look for a school with an arts
program but how “well-known” it is. Right now,
“Temple, Northeastern, and UNC Charlotte” are on her
list of top schools.
When searching for a music school, Spiewak “looks for
schools with good teachers and reputation.” Fred likes
Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York be-
cause it is “well known and has a great program.
The application process for arts schools is different.
Inderwies explains, “Art programs require a portfolio
which is a lot of work. On
top of writing my college
essay and applying, I have
to constantly be working on
pieces for my portfolio.”
Spiewak explains that he
must take time to audition
for the music schools. Fred
must practice his audition
pieces in order to make a
good impression.
Inderwies is always
working on improving her-
self “inside and outside the
art room.”
“Ms. Walsh can only teach
me so much, be-
cause just like
anything else, if I
don’t practice on
my own, I can
never improve.
Even just doo-
dling on the top of
my notebook is
practicing.”
If anyone can
overcome this stig-
ma, it is these two
individuals. They possess the talent, courage, and support
system to succeed in these competitive fields.
By Alex Sakena
As a high school
senior, applying to
colleges can be very over-
whelming. I had the grades
for my reach schools, but I
fell short when it came
down to the SAT.
So here are the questions:
Are SAT scores really that
important and should they
affect my chances of getting
into college?
I have never been a good
standardized test taker. I
always found myself sitting
down during those long
tests and sometimes just
staring down at the paper. I
believe these aptitude tests
favor certain types of think-
ers.
This sparks the question
of why some students strug-
gle in school, and yet they
do very well on the SAT.
Then there are the stu-
dents, like me, who do de-
cently well in school, but
could never crack the SAT.
Here is the truth. For top
schools like Harvard, Duke,
and Stanford, a low SAT
score can affect your chanc-
es greatly of being admitted.
This doesn’t necessarily
mean a high SAT score will
guarantee your admission to
those top notch universities,
but it will help.
This also doesn’t mean
you won't get into any
schools with a low SAT
score. Many great schools
such as Wake Forest, New
York University, and Saint
Joseph’s University have
chosen to go “test optional”
for struggling test takers.
Ultimately, SAT scores
will only affect your chanc-
es of being admitted into
America’s top universities.
With schools now going
test optional, people should-
n’t let the SAT discourage
them. If you have the GPA,
extracurricular activities,
and anything else that looks
good on an application,
you're golden for getting
into college.
Artwork by Caroline Inderwies
SATs: Genuine Evaluation or Necessary Evil?
Fred sings his heart out on stage. Photo by: Julie Roche
Page 3 WCHS News Winter 2017
40 Days of Sacrifice: Preparation and Self-Improvement
By William Gloede
Academic Challenge
is frequently men-
tioned on the morning an-
nouncements, but what is it?
"It's a competition among
high schools," said Ms.
Craig Gras, club moderator
and coach. It’s "like Jeop-
ardy but more academically
oriented."
The competition is among
28 teams in 14 schools in
this district, each school
sending two teams.
There is no national com-
petition, but many other dis-
tricts have a similar pro-
gram.
In recent years, Wildwood
Catholic's Academic Chal-
lenge team has "done well,
considering that most of our
students on Academic Chal-
lenge [are involved in other
activities] as well, “last year
coming in 5th in the 25 team
competition.
Overall, Academic Chal-
lenge is a valuable extracur-
ricular experience.
Bring It On: Crusaders Accept the Challenge
Worshipping Differently, Together
By Hanna Grimes
Why do you have
black cross on your fore-
head?, you may be asked
throughout the day. Well,
because it’s Ash Wednes-
day, the first day of Lent.
Lent is exactly 40 days
before Easter. So we Catho-
lics are preparing for Easter
by receiving ashes signify-
ing that we are people of
Christ.
We will have mass March
1 to begin our observance of
Lent. Many people during
these 40 days “give up”
something or even better, try
to do random acts of kind-
ness each day leading up to
Easter.
Are you having trouble
thinking of something to
“give up” or some ideas to
make a positive impact,
here’s some ideas
1. If you feel the need to
gossip about someone, say a
prayer for them instead.
2. Talk to people you nor-
mally don’t talk too.
3. Eat healthier.
4. Take a day off social me-
dia.
5. Call/ Visit your grandpar-
ents .
6. Perform random acts of
kindness during the week.
7. Donate money to an or-
ganization/volunteer more.
8. Forgive mistakes.
9. Smile more .
10. Be you :)
By Dillon Barry
Most of us practice one reli-
gion and celebrate the holidays
with that certain religion. But what
happens when your parents are of two
different religions?
Senior Dan Moses is one of those
people whose parents celebrate two
different faiths. His Dad is a practic-
ing Methodist who sings at his local Methodist Church.
And his mother is Jewish. She helped encouraged Dan and
his twin brother Josh to learn about the faith and to hope-
fully pass it down to their future families as well.
Dan stated that, “I celebrate the Jewish faith and have
had my bar mitzvah, but I do attend Christmas Mass and
some other Masses here and there due to my father being a
Methodist, but even though I celebrate the Jewish faith my
father explains to me what he was
taught and about what they believe in
as Methodists.
Dan celebrates both the Passover
and the Easter holiday in his household
and says, “Even though it's two differ-
ent faiths, I enjoy learning about both
and what each one celebrates because
you don't get many parents with two
different faiths, so it's always some-
thing new and interesting each time.’’
Though the parents are of two different faiths they all
support one another and celebrate openly about their reli-
gion.
Dan couldn't be happier about his faith and how he cele-
brates these special religious holidays.
Ah, winter! Ah...who needs it?
By Willis Wareham
I don’t like winter at all. Instead of walking or rid-
ing my bike, I have to look for a ride all the time to avoid
the cold. I try to stay indoors. I don’t even want to get out
of bed on cold mornings in January, February, and
March.
And so...
I’m really looking
forward to spring!
Page 4 WCHS Celebrations Winter 2017
By Limmy Feng
Chinese New Year, known in modern Chinese as the "Spring Festival," is
an important Chinese festival celebrated at the turn of the traditional lunisolar Chi-
nese calendar. Celebrations traditionally run from the evening preceding the first
day, to the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first calendar month. The first
day of the New Year falls on the new moon between Jan. 21 and Feb. 20.
In 2017, the first day of the Chinese New Year is on Jan. 28.
Festival: A great way to start the New Year
February Loves Romance
By Maggie Peters
Did you know approximately 150 million Val-
entine's Day cards are exchanged annually, making Val-
entine's Day the second most popular card-sending holi-
day after Christmas?
Although Valentine’s Day is a
holiday used to celebrate the
ones you love, the legend be-
hind it is a dark one.
According to History.com,
Valentine's Day originated from
the Legend of St. Valentine.
While there are many stories
about St. Valentine, a popular
one is that St. Valentine was a
kind-hearted priest who married
By Rian Lawley
On Feb. 10, the
junior class will
receive their class rings at
the traditional Ring Day
ceremony. This is a big step
for the junior class and an
important milestone for
them and their parents.
During the Ring Day cer-
emony, there is a Mass held
in the auditorium which
young couples against the wishes of Emperor Claudius II.
The Emperor was against men marrying during wartime.
For performing these secret weddings, he was sent to pris-
on. While in jail it is believed he wrote letters to the jailer's
daughter, signing them "from your Valentine."
He was later beheaded for his deeds on Feb.14.
The halls of Wildwood Catholic have brought many cou-
ples together. Sophomore homeroom
and Spanish teacher, Mrs. Victoria
Bolle, met her husband here.
They were in the same grade and at-
tended both junior and senior proms
together.
Their first date was when he asked her
to go see the movie “Kramer vs. Kra-
mer” at the movies.
Mrs. Bolle and her husband later at-
tended the same college, Glassboro
State College, now Rowan University.
Closer to Graduation family and friends can par-
ticipate in and witness them
receive their rings.
Blessing the rings is a
reminder of the strong faith
at this school. As a tradi-
tion, once the students re-
ceive their rings they are
then turned, towards the
pinky, the number of their
graduation year by friends,
family members, or teach-
ers or their choice. They do
this to send them on with
good luck and many bless-
ings on their journey as up-
perclassmen.
By Caitlin McMullan
As the new year rolls along, some may be finding
a way to motivate themselves, but others may
just be marking their calendar yet another day.
After conducting a poll on twitter, I found that 53 per-
cent of the 35 students I asked still use a New Year’s Res-
olution to ring in the new year on the right path.
These resolutions vary from outrageous to motivational.
Victoria Bacino and Bill Bolle in yearbook photos, 1981
Resolve to make the New Year better?
Senior Natalie Montgomery says that she would like to
try to run every day, which would lead to a healthier life-
style.
Some of the outrageous (and pretty far-fetched) like
senior Zack Frame said that he would like to “meet
Drake or Bryson Tiller.”
So after this quick poll, I conclude that it’s not a dead
fad. It’s alive as ever. Whether you believe in this fad or
not, there’s nothing wrong with becoming the person you
yearn to be this new year!
Page 5 WCHS Community Ministry Winter 2017
By Thomas Piro
What makes a Cath-
olic School, Catho-
lic?
It’s a school filled with
disciples of Christ. On Dec.
15, our junior class showed
their discipleship by partici-
pating in their retreat.
The theme was Casting
your Nets. The goal was to
show them that being a dis-
ciple of Christ is not weird
or abnormal but a way to
spread the Gospel and live a
life dedicated to Christ.
Emma McCoy said the
retreat “was fun” and she
“learned a lot about” her-
self. She found the witness
talks to be “cool.”
Irving Fenonchio
“enjoyed the retreat.” He
found the small group dis-
cussions to be the highlight
of the day because it was a
place “to talk about our
faith.”
The Retreat
was run by Anthony Fucci,
Jessica Sherwen, Katie
McCann, Janice
Schumann, and seniors Mae
Mathis, Maggie Peters, Fred
Spiewak and me.
Students began the day
with a prayer service fol-
lowed by breaking into two
groups. One group went into
a living room setting and
talked about how life is
challenging and
that we can lose our focus
on our goal in life.
Then they all thought of
who their safety nets are in
their lives and prayed for
them.
The other group stayed in
the chapel and talked about
the mercy of God.
They watched a few
scenes from “Finding
Nemo” to show, in a mod-
ern way, God’s love for us
and how he would do any-
thing for his children as
Marlin the clownfish did.
After participating in
these activities, three senior
retreat leaders gave witness
talks about how faith is im-
portant in their lives.
Then they had small
group discussions to finish
the day.
The retreat was held at the
Marianist Retreat House in
Cape May Point.
Fucci and Sherwen have
been facilitating retreats for
over 15 years and this is
their second for Wildwood
Catholic.
Fucci loves seeing the
“transformation” from the
beginning of the retreat to
the end.
Sherwen loves to watch
students experience that
“click” and then “apply
their faith to real life.”
“Haiti” from page 1
The group is to bring 1,750 solar lights to provide for
three villages and six schools.
They also plan to bring 1000 soccer balls, for in Haiti,
soccer, or football as they call it, is the fastest way to a
child’s heart. In an interview with Father, he stated if a
Haitian child were hungry and was offered food or a soc-
cer ball, they’d choose the soccer ball.
When asked about what it’s like to see the face of a
happy Haitian child, Father stated that he, “sees the face
of Jesus Christ in everyone of them.”
It’s because the Haitians are always happy, no matter
what situation they live in.
Photo credit: Katie McCann
A Day of Reflection for Juniors
Fr. Joseph Wallace during last year’s trip to Haiti Photo credit: Julie Roche
“Love is not patronizing and charity isn't about pity, it is about love.
Charity and love are the same -- with charity you give love, so don't
just give money but reach out your hand instead.” ― St. Mother Teresa
Page 6 WCHS Sports Winter 2017
Girls still in it to win it
By Dominic Lopresti
Another exciting
season is in the works for
WCHS girls basketball.
The team is led by seniors
and captains Caitlin McMul-
lan, Mary Gomez, and Lau-
ren Moretti.
The team looks to take its
season one game at a time
and avoid looking too far
into the future but have goals
set.
McMullan says that the
team should “compete for
Cape Atlantic League cham-
pionship and win the confer-
ence.”
Though the end of the sea-
son is far away since it ends
in March, there is a whole
lot of basketball to be played
until then including the all
important Middle Matchup
on Jan. 27.
The Crusaders look to
make a statement this game
and stun the Middle Town-
ship team as they look to
stay in good form throughout
the rigorous season.
Though the end of the sea-
son may be in March, it may
seem to go by quickly for
By Alex Sakena
The Boys Basketball
Team is looking to have a
tremendous season.
After last year’s loss in
the first round of the CAL
tournament and falling to
Gill St. Bernard in the South
Jersey semi-final game,
Catholic craves winning
both the CAL and South
Jersey championships this
year.
With increased talent
coming in, both senior
captains, Ryan Legler
and Trey Smith, are on
the same page with the
expectations of this sea-
son. Smith says, “Every
year we always have two
goals we want to accom-
plish: winning a CAL
Title, as well as a South
Jersey Title.”
Legler adds to that by
noting “the ex-
pectations are
higher this season
because of the
talent we have.”
Both Legler and
Smith take their
captain responsi-
Crusaders Look to Shoot their Way to the CAL Title
Photo credit: Austin Thompson
bilities seri-
ously and
look to lead
by example.
Smith
states, “Good
leaders must
lead by ex-
ample be-
cause by
walking your
talk, you start to become a
person others want to fol-
low. And that when leaders
say one thing, but then do
another, people begin to
lose their trust, which is a
critical element of a pro-
ductive leader.”
Legler uses his captain
responsibilities to make
sure his teammates “learn
and accept the Wildwood
Catholic way. [They] do
things differently than
many other programs.
[They] adopt a family at-
mosphere.” He will also
make sure everyone will
work their hardest and
“leave it all out on the
court.”
Along with Smith and
Legler, juniors Caleb
Fields, Charles Fields and
freshman Taj Thweatt
round out the team’s start-
ing lineup. Junior Matthew
Capozzoli, transfer
Marquel Matthews, and
freshman Jahlil White pro-
vide depth to the team.
Check wildwoodcatho-
lic.org for the final stand-
ings.
Photo credit: Austin Thompson
senior Caitlin McMullan as she looks to reach the exclu-
sive 1,000 Point Club. McMullan will attend Goldey-
Beacom college, while senior Lauren Moretti is current-
ly being recruited by colleges.
Page 7 WCHS Sports Winter 2017
By Alicia Forrest
The basketball
players of Wildwood
Catholic showed off
their talent on the court at
the Boardwalk Classic
Tournament Dec. 26-31.
These athletes finished
off this six day tourna-
ment with a 2-1 record
for the boy’s team, and a
3-0 record for the girl’s
team.
The girl’s victory
meant a lot, to both the
team and their coach, as
they remember a former
Wildwood Catholic bas-
ketball player, Genny
Farnan, who recently
passed away due to can-
cer.
Captain and senior,
Caitlin McMullan said,
“it was a really special
win because we won it
for Genny Farnan, who
was a really successful
basketball player. We
kept her spirit with us
while we played and got
the job done.”
While our players
dominated the courts,
several Wildwood Catho-
lic students volunteered
at the concession stands
which took place at the
tournament.
The reasoning behind
the Boardwalk Classic is
to help raise scholarship
money for graduating
seniors. Since the Board-
walk Classic is the larg-
est basketball tournament
in the country, a lot of
scholarship money is
raised.
Crusaders with the Win
(and the Trophy to prove i t ! )
Where’s our Mascot?
By Hennessey Barry
Two years ago our last mascot, Hayden Garra-
brant, graduated from the halls of Wildwood Catholic. So
it’s been two years since our enthusiastic, committed mas-
cot, The Crusader, rallied the fans at our basketball
games, and we want him back.
Cheer Coach Carin Vey said, “The mascot promotes
better spirit and energy to the boys’ and girls’ basketball
games and the team.”
The cheer team agrees, especially
senior Maggie Peters who says, “the
mascot brings a greater atmosphere to
the gym.”
The Crusader adds to our school
spirit and without him it’s been a little
dull.
The cheerleaders also state, “the
mascot brought a new life to the cheer
squad.”
The mascot fired up the crowd with
energy, getting everyone laughing and
cheering on the team. The mascot is
the true example of school spirit.
If you are interested in becoming the mascot, sign up in
the Wildwood Catholic Business Office. There are no spe-
cific qualifications to be the mascot, just get up and show
your school spirit.
Hip, Hip, Hooray!
By: Dillon Barry
People think cheerleading is not hard to do and
anyone can do it, but in reality it is physically
demanding and can cause serious injuries.
While most of us are watching the game and cheering
for our team, people barely notice the hard work the
cheerleaders actually put in, considering they practice six
hours a week.
Senior Co-Captain Hennessey
Barry states that practices consist of
“sidelines, complex stunts and rou-
tine dances. Practices can last as
long as an hour or two at the
WCHS gymnasium.”
‘’Even though cheerleading may
not seem dangerous, there have
been incidents where people would
get kicked right in the nose, but we
always get right back up and con-
tinue!’’ says Hennessey.
People may not consider cheerlead-
ing a sport but the cheerleaders dis-
agree. Hennessey said, ‘’We have as much passion and
dedication as the other sports teams in the school. We do
physical activities and sweat as much as people that do
sports as well.``
The cheerleaders hope to see many fans at the basket-
ball games cheering on Wildwood Catholic.
Photo by: Austin Thompson
The first ever Genny Farnan Bracket Trophy Photo credit: Caitlin McMullan
Page 8 WCHS Family Winter 2017
S po tl ight on Exc el l e nt Educa t ors
By Dominic Lopresti
“The greatest gift I've
ever received was the
gift of reading.” An Albright
College graduate and a teach-
er since 1967, Craig Gras had
taught at Holy Spirit and
Wildwood Catholic. Gras has
been teaching here since
2000.
Gras has been collecting
information the average per-
son would think of as useless
or odd.
She competes in competi-
tions based on her knowledge
and also is the coach of the
academic challenge team at
Wildwood Catholic. Gras
enjoys coaching the team
because it not only challeng-
es her but she walks away
knowing more than when she
arrived at an academic chal-
lenge event.
She began collecting this
knowledge when she was
young as her father also gath-
ered info that is obscure or
odd.
But what does Gras credit
all her knowledge to? Read-
ing! Gras grew up without a
TV until she was 14 and
would spend her nights read-
ing. She believes this gave
her the knowledge and the
spark of curiosity to go out
and learn more as she went
on to get a master’s degree in
History.
She also believes that
“Catcher and the Rye” is the
book that everyone should
read once in their lifetime.
She stands by the fact that
this book has stood the test of
time and earned a read by all
high school students.
Though she can't name any
specific book that is her fa-
vorite she did say her favorite
author is Jane Austen.
By Caitlin McMullan
Just three short
years ago, Ms.
Kane was just like any
ordinary teacher. Arriv-
ing just before the stu-
dents and leaving at
about the same time as
her co-workers.
Now, fast forward
three years and she is
arriving at school at 7:30
a.m. and not leaving until
9:30 p.m. most nights.
This just goes to show
the dedication and love
Kane has for her job and
for Wildwood Catholic.
After going to high
school here and then
working at WCHS for all
but ten years of her
teaching career, Kane
says that she
“fiercely believes in
the mission of
WCHS” and that is
one of the reasons
that her transition
from teacher to Aca-
demic Dean went so
smoothly.
Although she loves
being Dean because of
the interaction she gets to
have all day long with
students, parents, and
faculty, Kane would not
leave teaching behind.
Right now, she teaches
college level French and
History to students.
When Kane is not at
WCHS doing office
work, conducting meet-
ings, or looking out for
her students, she enjoys
traveling and attending
various sporting events.
If she is not in her office
after school, you can al-
ways find her at the field,
court, track or pool that
the sporting event of the
day is being held.
Mrs. Gras: The “secret” of her success Ms. Kane: Fiercely dedicated to WCHS
By Tahtiyana Camba
Junior Emma
McCoy spends
much of her time either tak-
ing photographs. McCoy
loves how much a picture
can capture the beauty of
scene. "A picture says
1,000 words," truly describes
McCoy’s view of photog-
raphy.
When she steps outside
her room the world becomes
her canvas, from the banis-
ters and shimmering win-
dows of her home, to ice
rinks with her friends.
McCoy said,
“Photography is an amazing
Emma McCoy, Photographer art and it's
really a part
of my life. I
love it.”
Right: an example of how McCoy
captures the feeling
of a moment
Mrs. Kane in her office helping student Tommy Piro on a tablet
Photo by Joey Catanoso
Mrs. Gras in the Doherty Room Photo credit: Dominic Lopresti
Don't worry when you are not recognized, but strive to be
worthy of recognition. Abraham Lincoln
Page 9 WCHS Family Winter 2017
By Casey Manera
The average high school students are drowning
in grades, college applications, and scholarship opportuni-
ties, and they often fail to pull away from their school
work and learn about new cultures, religions, and people.
Here at Catholic we have the opportunity to meet peo-
ple from other cultures right here in our very own school.
Our Chinese students are ones who ultimately dove
straight into an alien world. I have been curious as to how
these incredible individuals happen to find our miniscule
Catholic school and how they like it compared to the cha-
otic and overcrowded schools in their countries.
One student who favors our calm and quiet atmosphere
is Jingbin Zhu, more commonly known as Ben.
He told me how “it was up to [him]” to study abroad
and explore the world. He had the opportunity to go to
other countries to study, but he was “interested in study-
ing America” and becoming more accustomed to our cul-
ture.
Zhu had the option to study anywhere in
the U.S. He could have studied amongst
the hustle and bustle in New York City
or amongst the fame hungry, burnt-out
actors in Los Angeles.
But he was trying to escape the mass
population, to become an individual ra-
ther than just another face in the crowd.
So he chose our school because of its small size and
quiet nature. While talking to him, I discovered how mea-
sly our six-hour school day is compared to their ten-hour
school day in China.
Back in China Zhu’s day began at 7 a.m. and ended at
5:20 p.m. However, two hours a day were reserved for
lunch and a nap if needed. Also there was a 10-minute
break between classes to provide students with a small
break. Students stay on campus from Sunday evening to
Thursday and are given Friday through Saturday off.
Zhu is very content in our small resort town. He said
though he misses his friends and the food back in China,
he is happy here in America with our great steaks and
burgers.
By Hennessey Barry
Ever wonder what
it’s like to have a sibling
sharing the same age, birth-
day and life together?
Being a twin myself and
the stories I have to tell, I
decided to interview sets of
twins in Wildwood Catho-
lic and get the scoop on
their lives. There are stu-
dents who have twins in
Wildwood Catholic: Dan
and Josh Moses, Cameron
and Carson Denham, Alicia
and Brendan Forrest, Cole
and Neil McIntyre, Dillon
Barry and me.
Dan, Cameron, and Ali-
cia all go to Wildwood
Catholic, while their other
halves attend different
schools.
Alicia Forrest states,
“Growing up with a twin,
we shared a lot of stuff, but
not anymore.” Being a twin
is a lot different when
you’re older. There are dif-
ferent stages of being a
twin, for example, you still
share the same birthday,
but your mom isn’t dress-
ing you up in matching
clothes anymore.
When I asked the stu-
dents about what it’s like
having a twin, Cameron
Denham states, “I only
know what it’s like being a
Colliding Cultures
Twins Dillon and Hennessey Barry, both journal-
ism students. Photo credit: Colleen Hughes
WC’s Dynamic Duos
Zhu’s Math class in China. Photo Credit: Math teacher Yuanxian Chen
twin, I don’t know what it
would feel like to not have
one.” I agree with this
statement, I wouldn’t know
what it would be like not to
have a second half, that’s
all I ever known.
Twins who are very hard
to tell apart since they are
practically the same per-
son, are Cole and
Neil. When I asked
about what their
favorite thing
about being a twin
is, they both stated,
“we can mess with
people.” One per-
son might think
they are talking to
Cole,
when in reality, they are
talking to Neil. They both
agree they wouldn’t change
it for the world.
Being a twin can be both
a blessing and a curse. You
will always have them by
your side, even when you
don’t want them there.
Photo credit: Dominic Lopresti
Page 10 WCHS Opinion Winter 2017
C a n ’ t an y o n e w ri te an y m o r e?
By Rian Lawley
Believe it or not,
some students do not
know how to write or even
understand cursive hand-
writing even when it should
be a basic necessity. This is
not just a problem here, but
all around the United States.
When I was a second grader,
we had to learn cursive. Af-
ter that, up until 6th grade, I
had to write in cursive on
tests, quizzes, and home-
work.
The Iowa Tests of Basic
Skills and PSAT's have a
statement on the back of the
test packet stating that you
will not cheat. You have to
write out the paragraph. This
used to require cursive writ-
ing. Many of my classmates
did not know how to write in
cursive and I had also strug-
gled since I had not written
in cursive for over three
years.
The next year the packet
read that you may write it in
print or cursive.
Senior Casey Manera said,
"The test makers are catch-
ing up the time and accept-
ing the fact that kids nowa-
days can't write in cursive."
This should come as a sur-
prise to many for whom
learning cursive in grade
school was mandatory.
People should learn to
write in cursive for their sig-
natures for credit cards and
checks and licenses. But it
seems cursive handwriting is
slowly fading away.
It’s good to be a senior By Jonathan Freaco
Just how good is it
to be a senior and
enjoy the privileges that
come with it? We all look
forward to our senior year
of high school as the last
big hoorah, and trust me, it
comes with many privileg-
es. Privileges are chosen by
having the seniors write
down their ideas on what
they would enjoy. They’re
reviewed and approved by
Ms. Kane. If acceptable, she
will consent to it.
Privileges change from
year to year. Some of this
year’s include: early dismis-
sal during Enrichment peri-
od, at least one dress down
day per month, the ability to
leave school if they have a
substitute teacher for last
mod, or they can eat
breakfast in the cafete-
ria first mod if there is a
substitute teacher.
Senior privileges will
always be hit or miss
with everyone, some
privileges are not ac-
ceptable, such as facial
hair, sweatshirts, and
knee socks rather than
tights for the girls. But
many seniors are more
than pleased with the
privileges they are
granted.
Senior Dillon Barry
said, “I think they’re
awesome!” However,
although he enjoys the
privileges he was grant-
ed, he would also enjoy
Seniors enjoy the annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Dress Down Day. Photo credit: Edward Karapcik
1613 Route 47, Rio Grande, 600-1114
being able to go to A&LP,
a nice corner deli across the
street. Former students used
to be permitted and to Bar-
ry, “it seemed like a lot of
fun,” since he wants to
“mix it up” with a lunch
outside of school.
During school hours, the
school is responsible for the
students, so if the students
go to A&LP, there is a pos-
sibility it could lead to trou-
ble. So the administrators
feel it’s necessary for all
students to eat in the cafete-
ria and not allow them out-
side of school for lunch.
As a junior, I know the
desire for senior year and
all that comes with it. I tru-
ly believe that having privi-
leges as a senior is much
needed and appreciated.
Another senior, Dominic
Lopresti, states that the
privileges “make senior
year worth it.”
Although I’m uncertain
about the privileges my
class will be granted next
year, I’m very enthusiastic
to enjoy what so many sen-
iors before us have en-
joyed.
The Crusader X Press
1500 Central Avenue North Wildwood, NJ 08260
Editor-in-Chief: Mrs. Carolyn Miller
Managing Editor: Dr. Carolyn Mee
Staff Reporters: Tahtiyana Camba’18
Jonathan Feraco ‘18
William Gloede ‘18
Willis Wareham ‘18
Dillon Barry ‘17
Hennessey Barry ‘17
Joseph Catanoso ‘17
Alexa Davis ‘17
Limmy Feng ‘17
Alicia Forrest ‘17
Hanna Grimes ‘17
Rian Lawley ‘17
Dominic Lopresti ‘17
Casey Manera ‘17
Mae Mathis ‘17
Caitlin McMullan ‘17
Mary Kate Monichetti ‘17
Maggie Peters ‘17
Thomas Piro ‘17
Alex Sakena ‘17
C re a t i ve C r u s a d e rs c o m p i l e d b y M a e M a t h i s
Page 11 WCHS The Arts Winter 2017
“Dopey Makes It Rain”
by Fred Spiewak ‘17
"Life in Paint"
by Olaf Feria ‘17
By Alexa Davis
Godspell will bring the
audience through the
gospels of Matthew, Mark,
Luke and John through the
characters who represent them.
Art teacher and director Ms.
Mary Walsh selected it be-
cause if its “religious content.”
Father Wallace asked about
the idea of doing the play and
they applied for the rights of
the 2012 revised version.
Walsh is excited for the play-
ing saying “I think the kids are
going to do a great job, with
the scenes and clothing you
can do it however you want, so
ours will be the Atlantic City
Boardwalk and the costumes
will be a mix of Victorian and
modern streetwear.”
Play rehearsals begin on Jan.
12, and will be based around
basketball, Mock Trial and
other school activities so that
students will be free to join in
the play.
There is almost always a
practice on Sunday dedicated
mostly to choreography. Jessi-
ca Donahue a former WCHS
student, is the choreographer
while music is done by An-
drew Hink.
There’s no cost for the sets
because they are made mostly
by Mr. Rich Bishoff, using all
found materials.
Thankfully sets pieces were
“Godspell,” our spring play is “sent from heaven above.”
Mary Walsh stands amid a plethora of costumes.
Photo credit: Alexa Davis
donated by those who produced a movie in the area
last year.
Costumes are both handmade and bought., but if a
costume is needed it will either be created by Mrs.
Linda Bischoff or bought.
Thanks to help and dedication of Walsh and
members of the WCHS family, the play will be as
amazing as ever.
Make sure you come out to see the play in our
auditorium.