The Roundup Edition 1 (October 2012)

The Roundup roundup.brophyprep.org

October 2012 Edition 1

Red&Blue Broncos Balance

Political clubs look to make impact on campus Young Democrats, Teenage Republicans prepare for the upcoming elections

By Logan J. Hall ’14

THE ROUNDUP

In anticipation for the upcoming presidential election, political clubs at Brophy have already started to campaign.

Leading the way for campaigning are the Young Democrats and the Teenage Republicans.

The Young Democrats have started planning a voter registration club and also frequently volunteer at the local Democratic Headquarters.

See CLUBS, Page 2

1st time voters to hit polls Nov. 6

By Nick May ’13

THE ROUNDUP

Photo illustration by Kevin Valenzuela ’13

Political stickers and signs are a common sight around Brophy’s campus these days.

T

hroughout this first semester, Brophy students have become increasingly involved in the upcoming presidential election.

Students slap political stickers on their computers, campaign for candidates and some even prepare to vote for the first time.

As students explore new political ideas, they also expand political boundaries past party lines.

As the campus dives head first into politics, this edition of The Roundup focuses in on the 2012 presidential election and all of the issues surrounding it, and gives students a chance to express their opinions.

Freshmen iPads move tech department foward Page 3

Inside

• Political advertisements, social media affect students See News, Page 3

• Students see past political smear campaigns See News, Page 5

• Staff Editorial: Uninformed opinions are killing democracy See Opinions, Page 6

• Teachers Talk Politics

See Opinions, Page 7

• ‘2016’ offers insight into President Obama’s policies See Entertainment, Page 13

• Politically minded entertainment See Entertainment, Page 15

Castellani committs to UCLA before start of the year Page 12

Voters will hit the polls Nov. 6 to vote in one of the most polarized elections in modern history.

This means some of Brophy’s upper classmen will be able to vote for the first time.

“I’m very excited to vote in this election,” said Dylan Temple ’13, a senior voting for the first time this fall.

This campaign has been called one of the most negative and slandering in recent memory.

“I definitely don’t like the negativity in this election,” said Jack Nudo ’13.

According to the U.S Census Bureau, only about 47 percent of the 18 to 24 year olds voted in the 2008 elections.

See VOTERS, Page 2

Students prep for fall play, “A Few Good Men” Page 13

Award-winning news, photos and opinions online at roundup.brophyprep.org

Page 2 | October 2012

The Roundup

From CLUBS, Page 1 Club president Austin Tymins ’13 has been heavily involved in this year’s election.

He has been volunteering at the Democratic Headquarters and will be voting for the first time this November. Tymins said he is a strong advocate for voting and the voter registration club.

“Voter registration is a realistic way to make a difference in this election and future elections since only about 50 percent of young voters actually vote,” Tymins said.

Tymins and the other club officers are currently working on inviting political speakers to Brophy to talk about their experiences in preparation for the election.

“Election years are a time of high political tension, and hopefully we can capitalize on that by spreading greater political awareness

From VOTERS, Page 1 “I think some people do and early 20s, college aged who do vote can make a huge difference because their population votes in such smaller percentages that the few that are engaged their voice tends to be louder,” said Ms. Kelly Guffey.

Low voter turnout in the 18 to 24 demographic has been commonplace in recent history, except for the 2008 general election, which had one one of the best turn outs ever.

Some people pin low turnout of

throughout the student body,” Tymins said.

As for the Teenage Republicans, club member Alex Becker ’14 said that the club has a solid grasp on campaigning.

“The Teenage Republican club is excited for the upcoming elections, as anyone should be,” Becker said. “We are currently raising awareness about donating to candidate Romney’s campaign throughout the campus.”

The club has already passed out Mitt Romney stickers to the student body along with donating money to the Romney campaign.

But the campaigning for Romney does not stop with stickers, according to club President George Liddy ’14.

“We will be working for Congressman Jeff Flake in his senate race, hopefully weekly, doing phone banking,” Liddy said.

Liddy also said that the club will be working on a mock election on

campus to encourage students to get involved in politics. The club hopes to also have debates with the young democrats, according to Liddy.

As for voter registration, the Teenage Republicans are working hard to make a difference on campus.

The club is working with Arizona Secretary of State, Ken Bennett, along with the Maricopa County Voter Registration Department to set up a school wide voter registration day for seniors.

“The club and I believe that our generation’s voice needs be heard and needs to be an influential part of the democratic process that it so important to our country,” said club Vice President Cal Kendrick ’14.

Editor’s Note: George Liddy ’14 is a contributing sports writer for The Roundup. He took no part in the writing or editing of this article.

18 to 24 year old voters on the voter registration process.

“The easiest way to register to vote is through ServiceArizona.com, which is the website for our Department of Motor Vehicles, and if you scroll about half way down, there is an icon that says ‘register to vote,’” Ms. Guffey said.

The major issue surrounding this election is the economy.

“I think the biggest issue for this election has got to be the economy,” Nudo said.

For others, there are different issues

that concern them more.

“Well, you know immigration especially since we live in a border state. I think it should be one of the top priorities for the candidates to focus on,” Temple said.

Ms. Guffey said that there are issues that can directly impact students lives.

“For young people, I think the price of going to college is huge. Student loan debts and student loan interest rates are not only important now because it can affect your ability to get a home or start a business later on in life,” Ms. Guffey

said.

First time voters tend to be some of the most misinformed or uninformed voters, but Brophy tries to prepare every student to vote in the future.

“I think the Ignatian platform and the Jesuit way of educating students makes people very aware about their environment and what goes on around them,” Ms. Guffey said.

President Barack Obama overwhelming won the 18 to 24 year old demographic and is trying to get a similar turn out from that demographic

this election.

“I like Obama. I liked him in the last election and still do,” Nudo said.

While Obama has lost a substantial amount of the 18 to 24 vote from the last election he still holds a sizeable lead over Romney in that demographic, according to The NewYork Times.

“At this point, I think Romney has my vote. I think we need someone who can help get us out of this bad economic situation. I think that guy is Romney,” Temple said.

Loyola Mall receives summer makeover, trees replace frosh lockers

By P.J. Binsfeld ’15

THE ROUNDUP Loyola Hall got a makeover this summer.

The old lockers are gone and trees have been put in their place.

With brand new trees, planters, new paint on the fences and a new door that leads into first floor Brophy Hall, the area looks brand new.

In hoping to unite the two schools, Brophy College Preparatory and Loyola Academy, Dean

Mr. Pat Higgins said he was eager about the project.

“It gives the Loyola scholars a place to gather,” Mr. Higgins said. “Although the new addition separates the two schools, it gives a place to bring them together.”

Brophy got the funding for the new mall from Mr. and Mrs. Greg Hoyt. Mr. Hoyt helped plan the project with Vice President Mrs. Adria Renke when planning started in the spring.

The Roundup Brophy College Preparatory 4701 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85012 (602) 264-5291 roundup@brophyprep.org Editors in Chief Julian De Ocampo ’13 & Jackson Santy ’13 Managing Editors Brett Mejia ’13 Roan Enright ’13 News Editor Logan J. Hall ’14 Opinion Editor Aakash Jain ’14 Sports Editors P. Erik Meyer ’14 & Michael Moroney ’13 Entertainment Editor Andrew Marini ’13 Photo Editor Kevin Valenzuela ’13 Project Editor Joe Skoog ’13 Staff Michael Ahearne ’14

Jonathan Gornet ’14 Jonathon Macias ’14 Chase Bayless ’15 PJ Binsfeld ’15 Charles Dominguez ’14 Christian Guerithault ’14 John May ’13 Michael Norville ’15 Tanner Nypen ’15 Connor Vanlierribbink ’13 Alec Vick ’15

Hayden Corwin ’15 Phillip Rapa ’14 Jared Balboa ’14 Brendan Bohanon ’14 Gabriel Lopez ’13 Pratap Jayaram ’13 Anchal Jain ‘13

Contributors Dalton Radcliffe ’13 Kyle Scheuring ’15 George A. Liddy ’14 Miles Kent ’13 Ben Liu ’15 Spencer Lund ’13 Calvin DeMore-Mack ’14

Roundup Adviser Mr. Mica Mulloy ’99

Bronco Beat Contributors Alex Gross ’13

Bronco Beat CoAdviser Mr. Steve Smith ’96

The new trees were donated by Mr. Bryan Blake at Whitfill’s Nursery.

The trees themselves had to make quite a journey; they had to go over the roof by crane in order to make it to their planters.

Most students wouldn’t know this as the trees were moved while they were in class.

“This gives a small upgrade to an area that had fallen behind a bit,” Mr. Higgins said. “It has the potential to give students their spot.”

Mr. Higgins was referring to how most students have a certain area where they go during break and lunch.

The new area allows some of the students who hang out in the Great Hall during the summer heat a place go when better weather comes around.

While some students like the new area, other students still want lockers in the area.

“Even though I like the New Loyola Mall, I miss the lockers,” said Chris Marks ’15.

Corrections

The Roundup seeks to correct any printed mistakes in a timely and public manner. Please e-mail corrections to roundup@ brophyprep.org.

Submissions

The Roundup welcomes news, opinions, sports, entertainment and photography submissions and ideas. E-mail roundup@ brophyprep.org or see Mr. Mulloy in Eller Room 331.

Mission Statement The Brophy College Preparatory Roundup exists to inform and entertain the Brophy community by producing a quality product that contains pertinent information about the Brophy community. This newspaper will educate our Brophy community and by doing so provide an understanding of journalism theories and techniques for our staff. We will be ethical, honest, trustworthy and dedicated in our news coverage. We strive to be fair and balanced, yet not afraid to report the truth even when it is unpopular to do so. Our goal is not only to report information, but also to encourage and foster discussion amongst our community. Overall we attempt to do all things for the greater glory of God. The Roundup is a student publication of Brophy College Preparatory. Copyright 2009 Brophy College Preparatory’s The Roundup.

No material may be used without permission from the editors and adviser.

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The Roundup

October 2012 |

Page 3

Freshmen iPads move tech department forward

By Logan J. Hall ’14

THE ROUNDUP

Incoming freshman sat eagerly awaiting the okay to bust open their brand new iPads and learn how to use them Friday, Aug. 10 in the Info Commons.

Instead of Tablet PCs like classes prior to them use, the class of 2016 will be doing their schoolwork on the iPad. Mr. Jim Bopp, assistant principal for technology and instruction, said he is in favor of the iPads, but noted they are simply provided to help students with their learning.

“It’s important to keep in mind that iPads and Tablet PCs are just tools, they’re not an end in themselves,” Mr. Bopp said.

Mr. Bopp said that it is not as important to focus on the iPad itself, but to keep in mind why they are being used.

“We need to keep a focus on what we’re accomplishing with these tools and not get too wrapped up in the tools themselves,” he said.

Many Brophy students have already become more “comfortable to Apple products,” according to Mr. Bopp. iPhones, iPads and Mac computers are popular amongst the student body, so bringing several of the Apple products to the campus only seems like the right thing to do.

As for inappropriate computer use, the odds of getting away with surfing the web or knocking off a few levels on Angry Birds decrease substantially due to the fact the students are always in “Tablet mode.”

“As a teacher and former dean of students, I have unbounded faith in the ability of students to distract themselves from work both in and outside of class if they so choose,” Mr. Bopp said. “I suspect that ICUs

Photo by Alec Vick ’15 Freshmen use their new iPads Sept. 5 in the Info Commons.

Online: Watch a video on how the new iPads impact learning at roundup.brophyprep.org.

will be easier to detect when they happen on the iPad, but I don’t think that’s going to keep students from succumbing to the occasional distraction. The only real solution to ICU is increased maturity.”

Thad Petty ’14, co-president of the Brophy Tech Club, agreed with Mr. Bopp and estimated that it is 90 percent less likely for students to get away with an ICU. Petty has been using the iPad in class since last

December to test it out for the tech department.

He said he enjoys using the iPad and sees many benefits of incorporating them into an academic environment.

“The iPads can do everything that the Tablets did, but the iPads battery can last 10 hours,” Petty said.

“They are also very efficient, they don’t blue screen a lot.”

The Brophy Tech Club will play a role in the

utilization of iPads at Brophy.

The club will help fix minor issues with iPads that the technology department does not have time for, as well as assisting freshmen in learning how to use their new devices. The club is also currently developing Brophy’s first ever app.

Freshman Max Sarver ’16 said the iPads are a lot easier than pen and paper and that the apps that he has learned about will make the note taking process much more simplistic.

“We have Notability that helps with writing and assignments, also there’s Dropbox which is like a flashdrive, and finally there’s iBooks where we can put text books on it,” Sarver said.

Another freshman enjoying the new iPads is Jake Peterson ’16.

“Well our backpacks are going to be really light because that’s all we have to carry around,” Peterson said.

Peterson thinks that gaming will be very difficult and that with the new iPads, he will be very focused.

Loaded onto the freshmen iPads are all of the Microsoft office programs as well as Apple’s versions of these products and Notability. Notability will function similarly to OneNote, and will be students’ main source for taking notes.

Students all have iBooks and iTunes University for books, apps, music and videos.

Also included on the iPads are several apps for artistic students including Sketch Book Pro, Garage Band, Photogene and iMovie.

As for Blackboard, the freshman will be using the new Blackboard app, which does not request login each time it is opened.

Teachers have several apps of their own that they will use for individuals subject, such as specific apps for math and science.

Political advertisements appear frequently in students’ lives

By Michael Ahearne ’14

THE ROUNDUP

As political campaigns become increasingly intense, more and more commercials both attacking and defending candidates are appearing not only TV, but on forms of social media such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

Many students enjoy being able to connect and laugh with each other through different forms of social media,

especially Facebook and YouTube.

Students, though, sometimes feel annoyed when something like a video either begins or is interrupted midvideo with a political advertisement.

“It really just irritates me because I don’t care about watching a political ad while I’m trying to watch a music video or something like that. It’s just wasting time,” said Max Ashton ’14.

Other students find the ads distracting from the task at hand.

“I would say I’m most annoyed because

if I want to look up political or research political things, I would actually search it. I don’t want to see it while I’m looking up something,” said Andres Bencomo ’14.

Some students said they are able to understand why politicians would make such videos even if they don’t like them.

“On YouTube, I haven’t seen that many political advertisements as of yet. On TV, it’s just horrendous. There are lies from both parties, but still, at the same time, you have to understand that the

super PACS and political parties are just trying to do what they think is best for themselves,” said Isaac Nieblas ’13.

Students also differ on how they react to these advertisements.

“Usually I stay and watch just to laugh at it, but at the same time, there are some people who assume they are true,” Nieblas said. “I think it takes a special individual to understand that there are those advertisements that are correct, and then there are those that are wrong.”

Earlier this year, most political ads

consisted of candidates for mayors or offices in the state positions.

As this political year has gone on, though, more and more advertisements are focusing on the branches of congress itself, such as the Senate and House of Representatives.

Most recently, advertisements have been promoting or attacking presidential candidates Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.

Student voters feel inspired to stray from parents’ preferences Some seniors buck household alliegence with personal opinion

By Logan J. Hall ’14 & Michael Moroney ’13

THE ROUNDUP

A small group of Brophy students will have the privilege of voting in the 2012 Presidential Election, and some will clash with their parents.

Most students have been politically influenced by their parents’ political leaning towards either the left or the right.

These 18-year-old students will have the chance to make what could be an opposing vote during the election.

“It takes a bit of courage to do something different than your parents, and even more to do

it differently from all extended family as well,” said Austin Tymins ’13.

Some students often feel their parents have imposed biased political views throughout their life.

Now, these students want to make voting decisions with a neutral and balanced point of view.

Some students are second guessing their parents’ allegiance to the GOP, and will be voting for President Barack Obama come November.

Tymins is a prime example of an Obama supporter.

“Both of my parents are registered Republicans though my Dad tends to vote more moderately. I am a registered Democrat and moderate liberal,” Tymins said.

He said he finds it liberating to pave his own political path, but he makes political decisions based on research and information.

“Developing your own opinions can be, and is

Be mindful of what people tell you but don’t accept others’ opinions without exploring the issue for yourself.

—Austin Tymins ’13

often, an extremely satisfying experience,” Tymins said. “Be mindful of what people tell you but don’t accept others’ opinions without exploring the issue for yourself.”

Scott Felix ’13 cannot vote in the November elections because he will be 17 years old, but he has changed his political views since his time at Brophy.

“I did formerly have pretty conservative opinions but years at Brophy have inspired me to look deeper

than the simple approach that I see in a lot of conservative ideals,” Felix said. “My parents do not agree with many of my views but they do respect them and sometimes I receive some support from them.”

Felix said he would vote for Obama if he was old enough because he disagrees with the Republican policies of Mitt Romney.

“I’m very passionate about many social issues, things like immigration and LGBT rights,” he said.

“I also care very much about how the government is spending the money it has, I would much rather have more be spent on education, healthcare, social services than on the military.”

In contrast, some Brophy students disagree with their parents’ decision to vote for the incumbent Democrat nominee Obama. In response, these students are declaring their support for Republican Mitt Romney.

Page 4 | October 2012

The Roundup

Fr. Olivier celebrates 86th birthday with ice cream

By Tanner Nypen ’15

THE ROUNDUP

Fr. Harry “Dutch” Olivier handed out 1,400 ice cream sandwiches Wednesday, Sept. 5 to celebrate his 86th birthday.

With the help of other faculty and staff members, Fr. Olivier passed out ice cream sandwiches to students in the mall at break.

“Everybody was just there, there was no difference between freshman and seniors, everybody was there and it seemed to be, well, what we call a big family,” Fr. Olivier said. “In retrospect, I found that very satisfying.”

Fr. Olivier has been at Brophy for 26 years.

“Oh, I would say this is the most outstanding, you don’t have 1,200 people celebrating with you every day,” Fr. Olivier said of his favorite birthday memories at the school.

The ice cream wasn’t the only celebration Fr. Olivier received though.

“It started in the morning with his department meeting, where they had candles and donuts,” said Mrs. Sue Hornbeck.

The Religious Studies department, Fine Arts department and the Brophy Men’s choir all sung happy birthday to Fr. Olivier.

“We had treats in here, but by that time he was too full of donuts; it was a chocolate donut full of custard crème, which he said was quite delicious.”

Mrs. Hornbeck said.

Photo by Luis Gamez ’15 Fr. Harry Olivier’s 86th birthday was Sept. 5. To celebrate, Fr. Olivier handed out ice cream sandwiches to students in the mall during break.

Oldani introduces showcase assemblies New showcase assemblies introduced to spotlight students

By Logan J. Hall ’14

THE ROUNDUP

This year, students will see a new form of assemblies called showcase assemblies.

These assemblies will be held once a semester and will focus on teams,

clubs and students who would not usually be recognized during rallies.

Director of Student Activities Mr. Tony Oldani is behind the project and has been working with Student Council on putting together these events.

Mr. Oldani said that his idea for these assemblies sprung from the ideals of former Brophy administrator Mr. Jeff Glosser. Mr. Glosser always reminded Mr. Oldani to let the light of Brophy shine on as many

students as possible.

“The idea of it is that we take artists, speech and debate guys and all the other unbelievable talents like robotics and give them a chance to show their stuff to their peers,” Mr. Oldani said.

Mr. Oldani said he did not like the fact that we had huge rallies before football, but didn’t hear about the jazz band festival until the next day.

“We are not highlighting the talents of our kids enough,” Mr. Oldani said.

The assemblies also serve as a way

to get more students to show up at events.

The first assembly will be Nov. 1 and will consist of at least one choral performance, a student band and possibly jazz band. There is also talk of finding a student comedian to perform stand up and even having a student DJ perform a set while photos taken by students are playing on a screen in the background. The rumored event that has brought the most buzz to the campus is having the quiz bowl team

have a trivia contest against the faculty.

The students involved in such activities said they are extremely excited to get recognized.

Tyler Godbehere ’14 is a new member of mock trial who thinks that the new assemblies are a great way to draw attention to the club.

“I think the showcase assemblies are a great way to get the clubs who aren’t recognized as much shown as well as showing the talents of students,” Godbehere said.

Oldani takes helm as activities director, plans new events

By Andrew Marini ’13

The Roundup Mr. Tony Oldani said he believes he has “enormous shoes to fill” as he takes on new role as Brophy’s director of student activities.

Mr. Oldani took over for a period of time last year when Student Council and the Activities Department were in a transition process after the departure of Mr. Jeff Glosser. Now he is at the helm ready to begin an exciting year.

“I believe it is the best job on campus, because your job is essentially figuring out ways for kids

to have fun,” Mr. Oldani said.

A few small changes Mr. Oldani will be trying to institute include becoming closer with Xavier, being more transparent and broadening the attention on different activities that usually go unnoticed.

One of his ways of doing so will be with showcase assemblies, the first one taking place on Nov. 1.

The assemblies will be aimed towards exposing student organizations that go typically unnoticed.

The annual club fair will also took a new spin this year.

The fair will took place over three days this year, Sept. 10-12, with each day having a specific category of clubs aimed at making the process less overwhelming for freshman and more informative for everyone.

A club wiki will also be set up so all students can go online to view club meeting times, and just so everyone will know what’s going on with each club and organization.

“Student Council has been great through the transition, and has adjusted really well,” Mr. Oldani said. “Especially the sophomores who really show that spark for wanting to make

Even Archie reads The Roundup News, Opinions, Sports & Entertainment each month and online roundup.brophyprep.org

memories for their classmates over the next three years.”

Students said they are on board with the new additions.

“He had a big role to fill, but has adjusted to the job perfectly,” said Nate Hoffman ’13. “I think with him Student Council is back to reaching new heights as it did when our current seniors were freshman.”

The next big activity on the agenda was the Back to School dance, which Brophy inherited from Xavier took place on Sept. 7 during Friday Night lights.

Reporters Wanted Attention Writers: The Roundup is looking for you. If you are a writer, photographer or graphic designer and are interested in making an impact in the information the Brophy community reads, email roundup@brophybroncos.org to find out how you can contribute.

The Roundup

October 2012 |

Page 5

West lot provides for surplus parking, passengerless drivers

By P. Erik Meyer ’14

THE ROUNDUP

Good news for students who drive to school: There is now a new place to park when the oncampus lots fill up or your carpool can’t ride with you.

The new west lot is across from Brophy on Central Avenue.

The lot was obtained for by Brophy this year by Mr. John Graham, a Brophy Trustee who owns the land.

“Last year the lot was controlled by Xavier and we had about 10 spaces,” said Dean Mr. Pat Higgins.

The lot has about 50 spaces and allows for drivers without a carpool to park at Brophy legally.

It also serves as an overflow lot when the north, south and auxiliary lots fill up.

“It is basically used for overflow,” Mr. Higgins said. “ If a student shows up without a carpool our prefect will direct them over to the west lot.”

Students have already begun to take advantage of the new spots.

Photo by Calvin Demore-Mack ’14 Brophy implemented a new parking lot giving students without carpools the ability to park near campus. The parking lot was added this 2012-2013 school year across Central Avenue

“This lot provides more parking for students as

kids start getting their licenses early and earlier,”

said Diego Maloney ’14. “Since there is no room at Brophy this is a perfect alternative.”

Although Maloney and his brother Christian Maloney ’16 have used the lot sparingly this year they find it a necessity.

“My brother came late to school and it was the only available space,” Maloney said.

Brophy currently has access to the lot for one year, but that could be renewed in the future, according to Mr. Higgins.

As of right now, there are no plans for the west lot past this year, and the problem of parking at Brophy will remain an issue.

“I would like to,” Mr. Higgins said when asked about the possibility of adding new parking space.

“But no, we will continue to rely on carpools and parent drop off.”

Brophy has offered bus services in the past and added a bus from northeast Scottsdale this year to help students get to school and eliminate the parking problems.

Visit the Dean’s office for more information on parking, permits and bus routes.

Alternative party supporters grow in numbers on campus, nationwide More students and faculty are straying away from Democrat and Republican and registering for alternative parties

By Jackson Santy ’13 & Charles Louis Dominguez ’14

THE ROUNDUP

In the last few weeks, the Democratic and Republican National Conventions have both made headlines.

Politicians, celebrities and voters alike have rallied in support of either Mitt Romney or President Barack Obama.

However, with all the coverage of Republicans and Democrats, little has been publicized about the “other” parties.

In the midst of two vigorous campaigns, the viewpoints of third parties can be lost in the spectacle.

While Brophy houses such politicallyminded clubs as Young Democrats and Teenage Republicans, a small sector of independent or third party students remain unrepresented.

Independent voters and parties such as Libertarian and Green remain under the radar on campus.

There does exist however, a collection of students and faculty who are either registered voters or supporters of these parties.

Although Mason Swierenga ’14 is not yet old enough to register, he considers himself an independent.

Swierenga said he believes that “none of the parties have gotten it right” and that they need each other in order to continue the flow of ideas.

“The idea of a party is good because it brings people together, it brings their ideas together, but then it makes their ideas so exclusive that nobody else can present ideas in that platform,” Swierenga said.

“I feel like if I agree with the idea, I can agree with the politician, whoever it is,” Swierenga said.

Third party support is not limited to students.

Faculty members like Mr. Ian Aston are also registered with alternative parties.

Mr. Aston, a registered Libertarian, said he strongly believes in “individual freedom” and that the government should be limited in terms of “the ways it infringes on people.”

“Aristotle writes about politics as being people in a community answering the question ‘how then should we live,’” Mr. Aston said. “I don’t think that that’s a general question I want government dictating on most things.”

“Even though I’m registered as a Libertarian, there’s still the hard piece of feeling like you throw your vote away at times,” Mr. Aston said.

Other students like Colin Marston ’13, a registered Green, strayed away from the Democratic Party because he did not believe in many of its policies.

“I was really tired of the lesser of two evils mentality that pervades a lot in our two party system,” Marston said.

“People say that the only option is this

People say that the only option is their option and that’s not true, you can build a healthy alternative that’s suitable to your ideals...

—Colin Marston ’13

option and that’s not true, you can build a healthy alternative that’s suitable to your ideals and what is realistic, and the Green Party tries to do that,” Marston continued.

The Green Party was originally created as a response to the environmental movement that began in the 1960s during the Nixon administration.

The party advocates for a less aggressive foreign policy, withdrawing from foreign nations in the Middle East, cutting down on executive authority and power, and more of a centralized, local government.

“The presidential candidate that’s running for the Green Party this year is Jill Stein,” Marston said. “Her main platform is ‘The Green New Deal.’”

According to Marston, the “Green New Deal” is a take on FDR’s New Deal from the Great Depression “We’re trying to fashion something new in the democratic process,” Marston said. “We’re trying to give birth to a new faith and a new hope in the democratic processes that has been lost to apathy and all this waste we can see in this campaign.”

“American’s want third party candidates; they want Ron Paul, they want Jill Stein, they want these voices to be heard but they’re not,” Marston said. “It’s a considered effort on the part of elite and electorates to make sure those voices aren’t heard.”

Students see past smear tactics in political advertisements, rhetoric Political candidates’ smear campaigns prove ineffective among Brophy students

By Jack Macias ’14

THE ROUNDUP This upcoming election a portion of the seniors will be able to cast their votes on which presidential candidate they feel best represents this country.

Republican nominee Mitt Romney and Democratic nominee President Barack Obama have launched a number of negative ad campaigns against each other in hopes to sway voters.

Although the ads are intended to persuade voters, both young and old alike, Brophy seniors have differing opinions on the effectiveness of the smear campaigns.

“Campaigns should run on policy, and not smear campaigns,” said Max Sobotka ’13. “If you are going to attack the guy (Romney), do it on what he intends to do, not what he had done in the past.”

While both parties have contributed to the smear campaigns and negative ads, Priority USA ads have been almost completely attack ads, while the Romney backing Restore our Future has only spent about one-third the funds on attack ads.

“I know the points that they are conveying are important to listen to,” said Luke Osselaer ’13.

“I would rather listen to what the candidates have to say themselves than what their opponent has to say about them.”

Romney has faced attacks mainly from Priorities USA Action, a super PAC (political action committee) that supports Obama and has been the leading contributor to the attack ads against Romney.

Obama has faced attacks from the super PACs

Restore our Future and Americans for prosperity, both organizations supporting Romney.

According to The New York Times, Priorities USA Action has spent approximately $22 million on smear campaigns, while Restore our Future has spent approximately $28 million on attack ads, about one-third of their total funds.

In one ad created by Priorities USA Action, the super PAC ties Romney’s interactions with Bain Capital with the death of a worker’s wife, which happened several years after Romney took over.

Although they are sometimes looked down upon, smear campaigns would not be aired or even made if they were proven to be non-effective.

“I do not like negative advertisements, but I do recognize that they are effective. They get our emotions more involved because it is easier to hate a candidate than like one,” said Teenage Republicans President George Liddy ’14.

Even though Romney’s supporters have spent

more than Obama’s on smear campaigns, of the students interviewed, most have seen an almost equal number of ads from each candidate.

“I think that Barrack Obama faces more negative ads because he is the incumbent president and his errors have been more publicized over the past four years,” Liddy said. “However, I think that Mitt Romney will also face negative ads about his time with Bain Capital as the Obama campaign tries to show Romney as a dirty businessman, not a successful one.”

Negative ads about Obama have been focused around the economy and his previous four years as president, but a large portion of attack ads on Romney have been about Bain capital and his taxes.

“The ads have been calling him (Romney) a rich guy and that you shouldn’t trust him, when he has done a lot of great things in his life and they should not be overlooked,” Sobotka said.

Opinions The Roundup | October 2012 Staff Editorial

Uninformed opinions kill democracy (and they’re annoying) The Issue: Political ignorance is rampant and detrimental to the democratic process.

Our Stance: Having an opinion is great, but be prepared to back it up.

W

e all know people who parade around election season espousing a party, whether it be through sophomoric insults against Obama posted on Facebook, unwarranted vitriol towards Romney on Twitter or through repeated statements insisting that “Ron Paul had it right” when they clearly have no idea what his beliefs on many issues are or what the ramifications a libertarian government would carry.

To those people: Please, take a second and think about what you’re saying.

So you think government bailouts killed or saved the economy? Have you even read any of the economic reports analyzing its success? (For the record, the answer is disputed, but The Washington Post reports that the majority of economists think it was a minor success.)

And if you’re going to take a stance on the Israel-

Palestine conflict, at least try to make sure you know where they are on a map.

These are complex issues, and yet so many people are quick to jump onto the party bandwagon on the basis of a catchy slogan or a riveting yet hollow convention speech.

Put down your fists for a second, drop the pundit posturing and say it with me: I have a lot to learn about politics.

Because we all do, really—ourselves included.

And before accusations of hypocrisy towards The Roundup’s running of several political opinions in this month’s issue, take some time to read them.We ran them because they were thoughtful, informative and insightful—something that cannot always be said of the all too frequent Facebook rants calling Obama a communist or Romney a greedy demon.

Don’t think we don’t understand your fever, though. You’re young, you’re passionate and you want a cause to get behind.

That’s awesome. Just be sure to understand that cause.

If you’re going to be that guy who is loaded with political thoughts, you’re going to have to commit to it.

Read the newspaper (check out the rest of this Opinions section and our news coverage, for example), vet your media sources and read some of the wonderful Pulitzer Prize-winning fact-checking resources out there like PolitiFact and FactCheck. org.

Then you’re going to have to hear things out from both sides. Yes, this is going to mean listening to that awful candidate who you previously thought you hated.

Then, if you think you’re ready, you can make your voice heard.

But do it within reason.

Don’t generate ad hominem attacks on candidates.

We at The Roundup have a policy with our editorials wherein we criticize policies and actions, but not people themselves. This ought to apply to many political opinions as well.

Do it with an open mind. Arguing for the sake of arguing is pointless, but arguing for the sake of insight is golden.

As a positive example, remember last year’s valedictorian Bill McDonald ’12? As someone well versed in nearly every political issue, he only chimed in to express his opinion in a fair way and to

correct those who were badly misinformed.

Think of it as a public service; somebody’s gotta tell that guy online that Obama is, in fact, not a Muslim.

Then, when ballot season comes around, you can make an informed opinion instead of voting down party lines and electing less than desirable people whom you know nothing about.

The current system in place is really regimented for the two parties in power, especially here in Arizona, where there are no open primaries.

But that doesn’t mean that elections aren’t a worthwhile opportunity to make informed choices and pick who you truly believe deserves the job.

So next time we see everyone on Facebook, we expect something better than “Obama is from Kenya” or “Romney hates poor people.”

We expect an opportunity to learn.

Staff editorial written by Julian De Ocampo ’13.

Staff editorials represent the view of The Roundup. Share your thoughts by e-mailing roundup@brophybroncos.org or leave comments online at roundup.brophyprep. org.

Education reforms necessary for student, nation’s well-being Education inequality an injustice, major changes needed now There are many things parents wish for their children: happiness, good health and friends, and of course, a quality education.

However, a quality education is something that is hard to come by these days.

Gross inequality of education is plaguing students nationwide.

Being able to attend a private Jesuit school like Brophy, I along with my other classmates have been taught to seek out injustices in the world.

I see an injustice when I pull up the latest statistic on dropout rates or failing test scores.

I see a young man or woman who is being denied the inherent right of an

By Jackson Santy ’13

The Roundup education so that they may perform to the best of their ability for themselves, their families and their country.

While most parents think their children are receiving a quality education, the majority of American students are falling behind their international counterparts.

With high dropout rates and low test scores, our education system is not only showing a bleak future for our nation’s youth, it is showing a bleak future for our economy and the pursuit of the

Question

of the Month

By Jack Macias ’14

THE ROUNDUP

What is your favorite iPad game?

American Dream.

Every year, 1.2 million students drop out of high school, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Nearly 44 percent of these dropouts under age 24 are jobless, and the unemployment rate of high school dropouts older than 25 is more than three times that of college graduates.

These copious dropouts result in $300 billion in lost wages, lost taxes and lost productivity due to the dropouts from the class of 2007.

From kindergarten through college, schools are being forced to cut back numerous programs.

Every child deserves a public education that fosters critical and holistic thought, and provides the breadth and depth of learning necessary to become an active citizen and a constructive member of our society.

Presently, the U.S. public school

system hinders this goal.

Jobs are leaving this country and U.S. employers say that students today lack the basic skills to do even the simplest jobs.

Education is an issue that affects our national strength and security.

If we do not create dramatically new opportunities to educate our youth, our standard of living will decline, our democracy will be at risk and we will continue to fall behind as other countries far surpass us.

Our government needs to cease in its disinvestment in education.

In order to work most efficiently, our schools require efficient resources. This means well paid, quality teachers.

Too many teachers are overworked and underpaid and they, along with their schools, lack sufficient teaching materials.

In order to make improvements to

this flawed system, we must take steps towards massive reform.

One of the foremost steps should be eliminating the gross inequalities in school funding.

Federal policy on education should act predominantly for the provision of equal access to a quality education.

The next step should be repealing the No Child Left Behind Act that was established during the Bush administration.

NCLB suffocates excelling students in our schools and forces out nation’s students to be nothing but average.

Without dramatic changes, the U.S. economy will continue to suffer, crime will go up and our children won’t be able to find a job or afford a house.

Without a quality education, everything parents wish for their children all fades away.

“Mine is Dead Trigger.”

–Luke Highland ’16

“Ski Safari.”

–Miles Bimrose ’16 “RC Plane 2.”

–Jack White ’16

“Flick Soccer.”

–Henry Pearson ’16

Opinions

The Roundup

Page 7 | October 2012

Gun control needed for safety

Gun control obstructs safety

The idea of a government taking away stopping legislation to make it more difficult citizens’ guns may strike some as an inherent for people to acquire weaponry. invasion of liberty.

The need to defend oneself is constantly However, this is simply not true. While there created in binary opposition to those who may be other attacks on freedom threaten certain freedoms. by the government, in this instance Pointing out an amorphous blob it can be good. of “rule-breakers” only perpetuates I will say that yes, anti-gun stereotypes and attitudes that push control advocates are correct people into crime initially. that the government cannot solve Of course, not everyone uses their all problems. But limiting the guns for killing or for self-defense, availability of guns is a necessary and people use this as an analogy to first step in alleviating problems a butter knife. Butter knifes are used such as violence and for eating and not stabbing and

By Joe Skoog ’13 rampant shootings. guns are used for sport not In fact, gun control can shooting people.

The Roundup help stop crime. While However, butter knifes are many who oppose this stance say that those not bullets, and the lethal nature of a gun is who commit crimes would not respect the something that is not comparable. law in the first place and then be able to use an The common saying is that guns don’t kill illegal firearm against an unarmed person, this people, people kill people. But it is people with view simply takes responsibility for violence guns who kill other people. out of our hands.

Gun control legislation may only be an initial Even if gun control may be difficult, this does step, but it is a necessary one. The ability to get not mean it still should not be pursued. guns, legal or otherwise, is something that must Furthermore, gun control legislation can be changed. allow for a recognition of why guns are Even if making guns illegal is hard, that purchased illegally in the first place and why does not mean that it is intrinsically tied to an people are forced into crime. inability to stop crime from occurring.

Through further government policy-making, Instead, we should promote policies that stop advances can be made to combat both poverty crime, allow for community outreach, and and violence that occur. attempt to create a world where carrying a Advocates also say that people have to be able weapon for self-defense is no longer necessary to defend themselves. for any person.

This argument is simply not a justification for

I have never held or fired a gun; in fact, I have Monitoring the Future study reported that never seen a firearm in person.

73.3 percent of 10th graders and 85.8 percent Nonetheless, I am certain that gun control of 12th graders claimed that the drug is “fairly undermines our safety and sets a dangerous easy” or “very easy” to obtain. precedent for government Clearly, just criminalizing the authority. possession of something does not One of the greatest fallacies of our necessarily prevent people from time is that legislation can solve all acquiring it. of society’s problems.

In essence, gun control just As an extreme example, makes the criminal’s job a lot government cannot simply pass more stress-free, as he can now a law that abolishes poverty and thieve and murder without the reasonably expect to achieve this. threat of his victim fighting back Then why do we assume in self-defense.

By Aakash Jain ’14 that it can make people safer In addition, gun control just by mandating it? legislation opens the door The Roundup First of all, policies that to a plethora of similar restrict or limit the possession of guns help government violations of liberty, such as the criminals.

Patriot Act. People who use guns on innocent people A much more logical solution is to allow obviously have no respect for the law. So how people to defend themselves. can we expect that gun control legislation will The government cannot take care of us all the prevent criminals from getting guns? time and neither can the police.

In fact, gun control simply prevents everyday, Criminals exist, and they are not going away law-abiding civilians who would use them anytime soon. only in self-defense from purchasing firearms.

We can at least give ourselves a fighting Throughout history, criminals have found ways chance by preventing laws that make us easier to circumvent the law, and modern society is targets. no exception.

Ultimately, the idea of gun control presents It may be trite and hackneyed, but the age to us the critical dichotomy of authoritarianism old maxim still holds true: “When guns are and self-determination. outlawed, only outlaws will have guns.”

Do human beings have fundamental freedoms Marijuana possession has been illegal in that can never be taken away, or can the whims the United States since 1937, and yet a 2004 of legislators dictate our lives?

Teachers Talk Politics: The Economy

Economy, tax policies to play significant role in election

By Ms. Kelly Guffey

Special to The Roundup The party conventions and political grandstanding are now behind us.

And that means that general election season is upon us.

Voters are going to be making their final choices about who they believe should lead our country.

The economy is typically the No. 1 voting issue for Americans.

Barack Obama and Mitt Romney have both started outlining their plans for speeding up the economic recovery and creating jobs.

So how does one increase economic performance? Spending.

The only way for the economy to rebound is for more spending to happen.

The downside is that increased spending (by the government) adds to the U.S. national debt, which is currently around $16 trillion.

The best (and fastest way) to speed up the recovery is for consumers to go out and buy things. Consumer spending is approximately 70 percent of the United States’ economic pie.

Consumer spending leads to higher revenues for businesses without the government having to go into a deficit.

In the absence of people spending money on their own, 1) businesses could spend money or 2) the government can incent people and/or businesses by

giving them money or lowering their taxes.

If the federal government decides to cut taxes as a means to fix the economy, the loss of revenue will increase the national debt, so they have to balance the cuts with increases somewhere else.

Our current economy is recovering slowly for several reasons.

First, consumers just aren’t spending as much as they used to because they are unsure about their job prospects.

The unemployment rate is around eight percent, which is still higher than the usual four percent. If you’re afraid you may lose your job next year, you’re probably not going to go out and buy a new car.

Second, the Great Recession caused consumers to increase their personal savings rate, or pay down their personal debt, instead of racking up big credit card bills.

In the long-run this is good for individual consumers, but it slows down spending and thus the economy as a whole.

Third, the economy is going through a structural change. The jobs being cut from the economy (mostly industrial and manufacturing) probably won’t be coming back to the United States and the jobs that are being created are service jobs in healthcare, hospitality, retail and government.

In addition, the United States is starting to see more foreign competition

For more political insights from teachers, see Page 8. in high-end jobs, like pharmaceuticals, information technology and semiconductors.

Most economists agree that the country’s new “normal” unemployment rate will be in the five to six percent range instead of four percent.

Below I have outlined some of the biggest areas of difference between the two presidential candidates along with a basic definition of what the tax entails.

Bush Era Tax Cuts These are “temporary” tax cuts suggested by the George W. Bush administration in 2001 and 2003. They are set to expire at the end of this year unless Congress passes another extension.

Obama: Extend the Bush-era tax cuts for households making $250K or less, so their taxes would stay the same.

Taxes for households $250K or higher would increase to pre-2001 levels (approximately 3.5 percent higher than where they are now).

Romney: Extend the Bush-era tax cuts for all households. He proposes offsetting these by closing tax loopholes, but has yet to say which ones he would

cut. Common loopholes include: tax deductions for home mortgage interest, college tuition, donations to charities and healthcare costs.

Payroll taxes These are deducted directly from workers’ paychecks for Social Security.

The rate was cut from 6.2 percent to 4.2 percent in 2008 and both candidates would like to keep it at the new level.

Investment taxes: When people and businesses earn money through the stock market (as opposed to other jobs) their income is taxed at a much lower level than regular “take-home” pay. For example, if you made $100K this year on your stocks and bonds, you would pay around 15 percent in taxes. If you made $100K income this year for being a professor, you would pay around 25 percent in taxes.

Obama: Raise taxes on investment income to 20 percent.

Romney: Eliminate investment income taxes for people making $100K or less. He would keep the current rate of 15 percent for investors making more than $100K per year or more.

Alternative Minimum Tax The AMT was modified in the 1980s as a way to make sure that higher-income individuals were paying the proper amount of taxes. People with higher incomes have more opportunity to pay

accountants and business managers who can hide their income in tax shelters or shift it to areas where taxes are lower.

If your income is higher than a certain amount (around $300K today) and you have calculated that you owe less in taxes than the AMT amount (around 25 percent today) you have to pay the larger of the two amounts.

Obama: Keep the AMT, but would index it for inflation.

Romney: Get rid of the AMT.

Corporate taxes Obama: Cut the highest rate to 28 percent from the current 35 percent.

Romney: Cut the highest rate to 25 percent.

The information on Obama’s plan is from the 2013 budget proposal his office sent to Congress plus statements from his campaign website.

Romney’s plan is still being ironed out, but most of the data above has come from his campaign website, statements he has made in speeches and newspaper interviews.

Important note The President of the United States can’t create jobs or change taxes. That is a Congressional power. The only thing he can do is suggest a budget to Congress and use his leadership skill to attempt to get it passed with as few changes as possible.

Opinions

Page 8 | October 2012

The Roundup

Teachers Talk Politics: Foreign Policy

Foreign policy differences more style than substance

By Dr. Sam Ewing

Special to The Roundup As the saying goes, “Events are the politician’s worst enemy.”

Plan as you might, events have a way of frustrating even the best laid plans.

Last month, President Barack Obama was reminded of this maxim as riots spread across the Islamic world and threw a wild card into the presidential race.

Until now both sides have been focused almost exclusively on the economy.

Gov. Romney in particular was hoping to make the race a referendum on the president’s handling of the economy.

In part this reflects the reality of our nation and the continuing economic difficulty we face but it is also a realization that the president enjoys strong support for his handling of foreign affairs.

Typically foreign policy is an area of

weakness for Democrats, but president Obama is reaping credit for (among other things) the death of bin Laden and other Al Qaeda leaders.

Nonetheless, one has to admit that the differences between the two on foreign policy are less substantive than you might suppose.

One area where we find at least an apparent difference is in the matter of U.S. relations with Israel and Iranian nuclear weapons.

Romney has adopted a more vocal pro-Israeli stance and taken a hard line against Iran.

By contrast, President Obama has been (perhaps) less confrontational with Iran (relying upon economic sanctions and clandestine operations).

Meanwhile his relationship with the Israeli government has been extremely contentious.

It hit a new low last month when he avoided meeting with the Israeli prime

minister.

This imperfect sympathy with Israel has the potential to swing Jewish votes in the pivotal state of Florida.

It could also lead to difficulties if Israel decided to act on its own to disarm Iran.

Turning next to last month’s Islamic riots, this event revealed another difference between Obama and Romney.

This might once again boil down to style over substance but it could be important to the election nevertheless.

First a little background: A film (generously described as “amateurish”) was posted toYouTube denigrating Islam and the Prophet Muhammad. Motives behind its creation are still unclear but the video became the cause or possibly the pretext for Islamic riots.

The rage found expression primarily against American targets but other western powers were also hit.

Over several days the violence spread from North Africa to the Middle East,

the Asian Subcontinent and finally to Indonesia and even Australia.

Sadly, lives were lost, including the U.S. ambassador to Libya.

In the early hours of the attacks Gov. Romney criticized the U.S. response emanating from the American embassy in Egypt – and by connection, criticized President Obama and his foreign policy.

Without going into all the details, Gov. Romney saw the Tweets coming from the U.S. embassy as confirming a pattern in Obama (as he sees it) to apologize for American values rather than support and defend them.

The Obama administration would later distance itself from the embassy Tweets but it took some hours.

This episode could go one of two ways.

For some the tact and timing of Gov. Romney’s criticism were unfortunate.

He has received heat for not letting events mature before he spoke and possibly making the situation worse.

However, if the Romney campaign can get beyond the question of diplomatic timing, we might well remember this as the day that the notion of Obama as “apologizer in chief ” (long a criticism swirling in Republican circles) made it into the mainstream consciousness attached to demonstrable consequences.

If that criticism takes hold it could weaken Obama’s advantage on foreign policy and give Romney traction with voters in a swing state like Virginia.

It is impossible to know what the next several weeks will bring but foreign policy is likely to be back in the debate no matter what.

And that is probably a very good thing.

In our history, you can count on one hand the number of presidents who had the luxury of serving a term without serious issues of state and foreign affairs.

Even presidents that want the focus to be on domestic politics find that it is almost never “just the economy, stupid.”

Teachers Talk Politics: Energy

Energy independence prominent in candidates’ platforms Ms. Patty Mazier

Special to The Roundup A few weeks from now several upperclassmen will have the opportunity to participate in the selection of the next president of the United States.

Not only should you vote, but you should know what you are voting for.

In the 2008 presidential election, only 49 percent of the voters between the ages of 18-24 even turned out to vote, and who knows how informed they were about the candidates?

The apathy of so many young Americans is disconcerting. Perhaps if they were familiar with the tyranny and corruption that prevails in many countries, they might appreciate the democratic process to which they are privy.

It is an honor to live in a nation where citizens have the opportunity to participate in the election of the president.

However, voters should be equipped with knowledge of each candidate before they vote. The information that follows will inform you on the candidates’ views on energy.

Both candidates are committed to decreasing our dependence on foreign sources of energy.

Romney would like to decrease regulation of fossil fuel to increase domestic production.

In March of this year Mitt Romney travelled to oil fields in North Dakota where he stated,

“President Obama has achieved his goal of making extreme, outdated and stifling. energy more expensive by restricting supply, Obama favors increasing fossil fuel production in increasing regulation and hoping for miraculous the United States, but supports heavy regulations to new technologies to save the day. Instead we should ensure the preservation of the environment and the take advantage of the enormous reserves of oil, coal health of the public. and natural gas; the At the Democratic potential of nuclear; National Convention and the innovation of in September, our private sector.”

Obama told the Romney believes audience, “In the that “fracking” should last year alone, have been kept in the oil imports were —Ms. Patty Mazier hands of the state to cut by one million regulate, because barrels a day. And regulation by the today, the United federal agencies States of America has slowed its is less dependent development. on foreign oil than Romney’s energy policy is based on less at any time in the last two decades. We’ve opened governmental control of private companies to millions of new acres for oil and gas exploration in increase national supplies of energy. He is dedicated the last three years, and we’ll open more.” to decreasing regulations and streamlining the Although Obama supports the national permit process for fossil fuels. production of fossil fuel, he has repeatedly asked Although Romney will back some basic research Congress to cut the tax breaks for the oil and gas in alternative energy, he is more committed to industry which would save American taxpayers $4 funding clean coal technology. billion per year.

Romney stated, “In place of real energy, Obama His administration has heavily invested in has focused on an imaginary world where renewable energy. Energy from wind, solar and government-subsidized windmills and solar panels geothermal sources has doubled in the last four could power the economy.” years.

He considers the environmental laws to be In March of this year Obama stated, “We can’t

Voters should be equipped with knowledge of each candidate before they vote.

have an energy strategy for the last century that traps us in the past. We need an energy strategy for the future—an all of the above strategy for the 21st century that develops every source of American made energy.”

In conclusion, no matter who wins the election our nation will move towards energy independence.

Romney would concentrate on decreasing federal regulations and streamlining permits to maximize national production of fossil fuels.

Although he would fund basic research in alternative energy, he would not subsidize the production of renewable energy to the extent of the Obama Administration.

On the other hand, Obama favors increasing national production, but not by decreasing regulation and speeding up permits.

Obama would continue to closely monitor the oil, gas and coal industry, and try to eliminate their tax breaks. In addition, he would promote a clean energy economy and subsidize renewable energy production.

This is a just glimpse of the candidates’ views on energy. Continue to research how the candidates feel about all of the issues our country faces.

Watch the debates in October. Arrive at the polling booth in November as a literate citizen of the United States.

For the complete bibliography of this article, please visit roundup.brophyprep.org.

What do you think? Let us know Letters to the Editor and Online Commenting Policies The Roundup provides an open forum for public comments, criticism and debate. Submit letters to the editor to roundup@brophyprep.org or to Mr. Mulloy in room E331. Letters must not exceed 300 words and must include your full name and a phone number or E-mail address. All letters will be verified with the author before printed.

The Roundup reserves the right to edit letters for grammar, style, context and inappropriate content. Letters will be printed as space allows.

The Roundup values your opinion, and in keeping with our mission “to encourage and foster discussion amongst our community,” we welcome you to comment on current issues and our content online.

Comments containing obscene, suggestive, vulgar, profane (including implied profanity), threatening, disrespectful, or defamatory language will not be published. Attacks on groups or individuals based on race, gender, sexual orientation, or creed will be rejected.

All comments are reviewed by The Roundup editors and/or adviser prior to approval. The Roundup reserves the right to track IP addresses of persons posting comments. The Roundup reserves the right to edit comments based on inappropriate content, style, grammar and context. The views expressed in comments are solely the authors’ and do not reflect the views of The Roundup or Brophy College Preparatory.

October: P. Erik Meyer ’14

The Roundup Staff Member of the Month

Sports The Roundup | October 2012

Return of the

Red Army Student section name change more than just free t-shirts

By P. Erik Meyer ’14

THE ROUNDUP

“W

here’s your red? Where’s your red? Where’s your red?”

That is what students can expect to hear from the Red Army if they are wearing anything but red to a Brophy event this year.

Director of Student Activities Mr. Tony Oldani along with the Student Council rebranded the Brophy student section from “Game Day” back to the Red Army, a title it held until the 2000’s.

“Huge, it’s huge,” said head football coach Mr. Scooter Molander, when asked about the impact of the crowd. “I can’t emphasize that enough, I love the return of the Red Army.”

Thus far the rebranding appears to be a success.

“The entire stands being in red, Mr. Oldani going back to that is brilliant,” Mr. Molander said.

“Game Day was nice, the Red Army is awesome.”

The Red Army has come out in force this year.

For the Santa Margarita game Aug. 25 there were 8,000 people in attendance, according to an Arizona Republic report.

“It makes a huge difference not only knowing that we are supported, but the other team sees that,” Mr. Molander said. “It’s not just that there is a bunch of people in the stands. The other team and the other coaches know that there is a reason that there are people in the stands, that they love and are proud of their school, that we are a family, a community and that is a beautiful thing.”

Mr. Oldani said part of the reason for the

Red Army shirts for sale in Varsity Shop The Varsity Shop helped to hand out close to 1,500 Red Army t-shirts this year to every student, faculty member, administrator and Loyola Academy student.

The Red Army shirts are on sale in the Varsity Shop for about $5, which is how much the shop purchases them for.

“We sold them to parents and Xavier students at cost so we didn’t make any money on the shirts,” Mr. Tony Oldani said. “Now the Varsity Shop has six or seven different lines of Red Army things. It has blown up nicely and is a rallying point for the year for a lot of people.” change to the Red Army was to spread school spirit to more than just sports.

“We just wanted to move away from the Game Day theme we had the last few years because in large part I felt it limited what we could be excited about,” Mr. Oldani said. “It tended to make all activities sports centered instead of campus centered.”

To make the move official every student, faculty and staff and even maintenance member received a “Red Army” shirt to start the year.

Campus-wide effort The change was more in-depth than just handing out t-shirts to the entire school though.

“It was comfortable to me, when I thought of the spirit of this place, that is what I most identified with,” Mr. Oldani said about the entire rebrand of the Brophy student section. “Part of it was trying to merge both something old and traditional with the school that the alumni would be aware of with something new that the current students could grab onto and make their own.”

According to Mr. Oldani, the Game Day theme was more focused around the freshmen whereas the Red Army is campus wide.

“We wanted to magnify it this year so instead of giving the freshmen shirts we decided to give the shirts to everybody, every faculty member, every staff member, every Loyola kid and every student on campus,” Mr. Oldani said.

So far the Red Army has traveled even to a game 45 minutes away from Brophy at Boulder Creek.

“I just went to the Wednesday night away football game,” Mr. Oldani said. “We had packed bleachers, all the kids in their red army shirts. Fast-forward that to the Santa Margarita game and we had one of the biggest tailgates I’ve ever seen in my 17 years here, every kid was in their Red Army shirt.”

Students take the lead Although the Red Army was reintroduced by administration and Student Council, students have taken the lead from there.

“The easiest physical manifestation of it is, don’t show up to a football game right now in anything but a red shirt because spontaneously the students will start the ‘where’s your red chant,’” Mr. Oldani said. “For me, that was very cool the first time I heard them doing that because students had taken ownership of wearing red to the games.”

The hope is for the Red Army not to just show up

at season openers or big games but for all games, no matter the importance.

“You could tell at the Santa Margarita game when the No. 2 team in the nation comes in and we barely lose to them, so it definitely has had an impact,” said Taylor Wood ’15. “We are hoping to continue that trend throughout the year not just for the big games like Santa Margarita and St. Mary’s but for all the games.

Mr. Oldani said he hopes that students take the Red Army not just to football games but to all student events to support their classmates.

“We are planning a Red Army tailgate for one of the nights of the play, so that when the actors look out into the audience there are all the kids in their Red Army shirts supporting their classmates,” Mr. Oldani said. “It’s important that everybody experiences as much of this place as possible, that’s the goal for the Red Army this year.

According to Mr. Oldani, the Red Army shirts will most likely be handed out to everyone every year but change in the shirt’s style and content remains to be seen.

“There is something cool about a guy 10 years from now getting the same Red Army shirt that you got and that you go to the football game and it is the exactly like everybody else’s,” Mr. Oldani said. “It’s been really cool the way the campus has embraced it.”

The future of the shirt itself is not the main concern for the Red Army though.

“The Red Army has been rejuvenated from last year, we’re a lot louder, a lot more enthusiastic and it has been more difficult for other teams to win when we’re at home,” Wood said.

Photo by Dalton Radcliffe ’13 Brophy’s Red Army cheers at the football season opener Aug. 22 at Mountain Ridge High School. Mr. Tony Oldani helped bring the Red Army back this year.

The Roundup

Page 10 | October 2012

Football squad tackles 3 games in 10 days Football begins 2012 with win over Mountain Ridge Brophy 34 Mountain Ridge 14

The Broncos rushed the ball efficiently against the Mountain Lion defense as Marche Dennard ’13 ran for 203 yards and two touchdowns and also caught a touchdown pass.

However, a fumble by Dennard with less than three minutes remaining gave the ball back to Red Mountain at Brophy’s 20 yard line.

The Bronco defense held Red Mountain until the Mountain Lions scored on a fourth down and six passing touchdown after Brophy missed two tackles short of the goal line. This gave Red Mountain a two point advantage with 21 seconds left.

By Michael Moroney ’13 THE ROUNDUP

The Brophy Broncos captured a 34-14 win Wednesday, Aug. 22 in the first game of the season with a fast offensive start and a strong finish against the Mountain Ridge Mountain Lions.

Looming storm clouds did not hinder the Bronco offense as they scored 21 points in the first 10 minutes. The Mountain Lions could not recover as they went on to only score 14 points the whole game.

“I’m proud of our guys, they responded when they needed to,” said head coach Mr. Scooter Molander.

“Certainly we got out to a big lead.”

Conner Martinez ’13 halted a Mountain Ridge drive early in the fourth quarter with an interception at Brophy’s own four-yard line. Devon Allen ’13 put the game virtually out of reach with a 70-yard touchdown catch from a Tyler Bruggman ’13 pass that was thrown slightly behind him.

Broncos battle throughout, come up short against No. 2 team in the nation Brophy 14 Santa Margarita 27

By P. Erik Meyer ’14/THE ROUNDUP

The Broncos challenged one of the top teams in the nation for much of the game Saturday, Aug. 25, but in the end they just couldn’t hold on to secure their second win in four days.

“Our guys believed until the end, our coaching staff believed until the end,” Mr. Molander said. “I’m proud of our coaches and I’m proud of our players.

Broncos bounce back with high scoring victory over O’Connor Brophy 56 Sandra Day O’Connor 22

By P. Erik Meyer ’14 &Christian Guerithault ’14/ THE ROUNDUP

Photo by Dalton Radcliffe ’13 Matt Klein ’13 jumps for a catch Aug. 25 against Santa Margarita (Calif.).

Did I want a different outcome? Heck yes. Would I like to play this game again?

You bet, but we’re going to be better for it.”

The Broncos struck first during the game that was nationally televised on ESPN2 off of an Allen end around run for a touchdown early in the second quarter.

The Broncos struggled to get the running game going all night, which allowed the defense to focus in on Allen and Bruggman.

“We’ve been working hard and getting a lot of reps together,” Bruggman said of his communication with his receivers.

“I missed too many throws, didn’t execute as well as I needed to.”

Football shakes off loss to beat Boulder Creek

Brophy 35 Boulder Creek 14

By George Liddy ’14/THE ROUNDUP

The Broncos had a close game on their hands Friday, Aug. 31 against Boulder Creek in Anthem until the third quarter when they pulled away to seal the victory.

It was a bounce-back win for the Broncos–finishing their 10 day, three game challenge at 2-1.

Brophy struck early with a quarterback keeper for six yards by Bruggman.

Phil Mourikes ’14 made the extra point to make the score 7-0 halfway through the first quarter.

“The team did not play a great game,” Mr. Molander said. He gave credit to Boulder Creek for “having a good game plan against us” and added that the team

had “improvements in the running game except for some costly penalties.”

Broncos upset in shootout against Red Mountain Brophy 31 Red Mountain 33

By Michael Moroney ’13 THE ROUNDUP

A late fumble led to a Red Mountain touchdown with just more than 20 seconds remaining Friday, Sept. 7 at Phoenix College and gave the Mountain Lions a 33-31 victory over Brophy.

“I give credit to Red Mountain, they had a good game plan and they played well,” Mr. Molander said. “They deserved to win.”

One week after the Red Mountain loss, the team held their heads high after a 56-22 win over Sandra Day O’Connor.

The Broncos came out firing against O’Connor scoring 21 points in the first quarter followed by another 21 in the second quarter.

“It was exactly what we needed, we put 42 points up in the first half,” Mr. Molander said. “I’m so proud of our second unit, they got a touchdown there late, and we ran out the clock.”

The second unit played the majority of the fourth quarter and scored a late touchdown thanks to 41 rushing yards and an 18-yard touchdown reception by Will Edwards ’14.

Starting running back Dennard finished the game with 187 yards and three touchdowns.

“Basically the line blocked their butts off for me,” Dennard said.

Sports Online: Read complete game articles and analysis, and see more photos at roundup.brophyprep.org

Under Armour sponsorship provides athletes with cutting-edge uniforms

By Jonathan M. Gornet ’14

THE ROUNDUP As the Brophy Broncos walked onto the field during the Aug. 5 game against Santa Margarita on national TV, their bright red jerseys flashed, the same way that the Brophy Red Army flashed from the stands.

It was the new jerseys that the Brophy football players were wearing, that were was offered to Brophy from Under Armour.

It was a “nice opportunity,” said Mr. Frank Antonioli, who is the equipment manager for the varsity team.

“I think it’s a nice opportunity for Brophy athletes to be recognized by a company like Under Armour with their status quality, not every school is given this opportunity so it says an awful lot about the athletic program that Brophy has,” Mr. Antonioli said.

Under Armour approached Brophy as part of a deal with Universal Athletics, another company that Brophy buys a lot of equipment from.

“We buy a lot of equipment through Universal Athletics and Universal Athletics deals a lot with

Under Armour,” Mr. Antonioli said. “So between Universal Athletics and Under Armour, they approached us and we had a deal that you might be interested in a good discount on a quality uniform with the stipulation that we wear Under Armour products on the field for the football program.”

Before Under Armour though, Russell was the Brophy sponsor.

“We were going to wear new uniforms through Russell,” said Athletic Director Mr. John Chambers. “We got better uniforms through Under Armour, so it was a better deal for what we would have gotten from Russell.”

The choice they made is something exciting for the student body.

“Under Armour is a good product and the kids are excited about having that sponsorship and I do think it’s good for the school,” Mr. Antonioli said.

As for the football team, they love the new uniforms and how they are customized.

“They feel great and they were custom made for our own sizes so we got to pick out our size and everything,” said Dominick Olmedo ’13. “They feel great this year; look great as a team.”

Photo by Dalton Radcliffe ’13 The football team, seen here against Santa Margarita (Calif.) Aug. 25, sports new Under Armour uniforms this year.

But being too customized can take away Brophy traditions as well.

“We try to stay away from personalizing them to where you want to be one as a team and not

individuals on the team, so we try to make them as generic as possible to not ruin the tradition that we have here at Brophy,” Olmedo said.

The Roundup

October 2012 |

Page 11

Golf team prepares for tough season, another run at state Team returns championship players from last year, focuses on improving ‘little things’

By P. Erik Meyer ’14

THE ROUNDUP This year’s Brophy golf team returns all players who played in the 2011 state championship and is looking to repeat with another state title.

“I think the expectations are high considering that we won state last year and all of the guys who played at state have come back,” said Mr. Jon Shores, head coach of the golf team. “From a team perspective the expectations are high and we need to guard against that because we don’t want to be too confident going into the season.”

The team has a lineup of players and at times egos can run high.

“As far as team improvement goes, we are all very arrogant at times and when it comes to the team we need to improve in looking out for each other whether it be at home or at the golf course,” said Andy MacMillan ’14. “There are numerous things we need to work on to build our relationships.”

Mr. Shores said that the team also has some talent that was not present last year.

“We have four new players; Taylor Hawfield ’13 was able to make his

way onto the team, so he will be a good team guy, he brings a lot of energy to the team,” Mr. Shores said. “We have a couple of freshman who made it, Michael Feagles ’16 and Chip Getz ’16, hopefully this will be a great year of experience for them.”

The coach said golfers on the team have great talent but need to limit the mental mistakes.

“We obviously know what we’re doing but it’s going to be important for all the guys to remain grounded,” Mr. Shores said. “Just doing the little things correctly, most of our guys are very good players so it’s just a matter of cutting down on mental errors.”

Other teams across the state have talent similar to Brophy’s and the team will be tested.

“Every tournament is going to be difficult to win, we have a good team coming back, we have a lot of good players,” MacMillan said. “We have the team, we have the talent to do it but at the same time everybody else does, there are a lot of teams that have just as much talent if not more and it will be a tough battle.”

The weekend of Sept. 1 was the Brophy Golf Invitational.

“The Brophy Invitational probably has the strongest field we will face,” Mr. Shores said. “It will be a good test for us because Hamilton, Desert Vista and some of the better teams will be there, this will be a good chance for us to see how we do.”

Every tournament is going to be difficult to win, we have a good team coming back, we have a lot of good players. We have the team, we have the talent to do it but at the same time everybody else does, there are a lot of teams that have just as much talent if not more and it will be a tough battle.

—Andy MacMillan ’14

According to MacMillan, the team won by 21 strokes.

The team will wrap up the season with the state tournament Oct. 29 and 30.

“We are going to have to play good golf if we hope to repeat, obviously I think we are going to have a good chance,” Mr. Shores said. “The boys are going to have to work hard and not be overconfident.”

Photo by Anthony Fischetti ’13 Tyler Kertson’13 drives the ball Saturday, Sept. 1 from the first tee at The Grey Hawk Golf Club during the Brophy Invitational Tournament.

Veteran group mixes with underclassmen on cross country squad

By Michael Moroney ’13

THE ROUNDUP The 2012 Brophy cross country team has been running since July 16, when the squad started meeting at 6 a.m. to beat the blistering Arizona heat.

This year’s team loses four of its top six runners from last year’s team that finished fourth overall in Arizona Division I. However, the team does return three runners that competed in the 2011 state meet, including Jack Rubenzer ’13, Marco Ruiz ’13 and Ben Sacks ’14.

“I was very happy with the team’s performance in 2011,” said head coach Mr. Mike Keahon ’73. “The team finished in fourth place out of 25 teams that qualified for the cross country state championship.”

Rubenzer finished first on the team and 19th overall in the state with a time of 16:40.5 in 5 kilometers.

“Personally, I’m hoping to finish as well in the state as I did last year,” Rubenzer said. “But as a

team I think we can end with a state championship.”

Ruiz is considered the team leader for 2012 after he finished fifth on the team at state in 2011.

“Veteran senior runner Marco Ruiz is our definite team leader,” Mr. Keahon said. “Marco stepped up to that role years ago and we are expecting him to have an outstanding cross country and track season.”

Mr. Keahon also said that Duke Burr ’15 is the “big surprise” for this season after he ran more than 500 miles this summer.

Fellow underclassmen Jake Ghelfi ’14, Ryan Opila ’14 and Steven Casillas ’15 are expected to be top runners, according to Mr. Keahon.

Ghelfi will replace his older brother Brock Ghelfi ’12 in the team’s top seven.

The Broncos started their 2012 season with the Sole Sports Invitational in Scottsdale Saturday, Sept. 1. Rubenzer finished fourth overall with a time of 15:49.5, while Ruiz placed 22nd, Burr was 29th, and Ghelfi was 32nd.

Other significant races include Queen Creek’s Desert Twilight evening race Friday, Sept. 28 and the Saturday, Oct. 13 Doug Conley Invitational.

Photo by Spencer Lund ’13 The Cross Country team practices by running down Central Avenue Sept. 11.

Swim team eyes 25th state ring, individual titles with veteran core

By Michael Norville ’15 & Alec Vick ’15

THE ROUNDUP A new season begins for the Brophy swim team after a 24th straight state title win last year.

Swimmers are excited for another potential title this season, said swimming coach Mr. Pat O’Neill.

The team started off its season at a dual meet against Hamilton, Thursday, Aug. 30 at the Phoenix Swim Club.

The Broncos won the meet against Hamilton with

a score of 107-73, without their diving team able to perform.

However, Brophy Athletic Director Mr. John Chambers said the team recently had to forfeit three swim matches, including this win.

“Brophy forfeited three swim matches, one with Hamilton, one with Red Mountain and one with Desert Vista, due to an ineligible swimmer,” he said.

Mr. Chambers added the forfeited matches should not impact power rankings because dual meets do not impact how swimmers qualify for the state tournament.

Mr. O’Neill said there are several swimmers on the team that really worked hard in the off season.

Mr. O’Neill also said the team has a chance at state title with a couple relays and individuals that show great potential.

“We are really trying to get some of the alumni swimmers and divers and coaches involved with us a little bit; because 25 years, it’s just, it’s very exciting,” Mr. O’Neill said.

“We would like to see as many people as we can at the swim meets. Go Brophy,” said Brophy senior and swim captain Theodore Decker ’13.

The team brings back nine out of their 18 state swimmers, but they also lose nine.

The Broncos also have many goals in mind going into the season, like having a Brophy swimmer win every event at state, and getting a couple state records in their as well.

“We are aiming to break all the relay records at state, and hopefully have three to four swimmers in finals at state,” said Brophy senior and swim captain Luke Williams ’13.

The Roundup

Page 12 | October 2012

Castellani commits to UCLA, prepares for PAC 12 baseball

By Christian Guerithault ’14

THE ROUNDUP Ryan Castellani ’14 started for the varsity baseball team last year as a sophomore and has committed to University of California, Los Angeles, where he will join an elite group of athletes.

Castellani will be one of the varsity baseball team leaders as a junior this year; he is one of the few juniors that can say they verbally committed to college.

“Right before school started, I committed, and I was pretty much set on where I wanted to go,” Castellani said. “I just want to be a part of it, UCLA is an awesome school, I love it in California.”

Castellani played right field last year and pitched some innings as a relief pitcher. This year he is going to play outfield, pitcher and possibly some first base.

“He’s done a remarkably good job in terms of conducting himself as a member of the baseball program and as a student athlete here at Brophy,” said Brophy’s head baseball coach Mr. Tom Succow. “His prowess with us last year was as a hitter, at the end of the season he was on the mound for us and contributed. This year he’s going to have a larger contribution on the mound.”

Last year, Castellani hit nine home runs. He also pitched anywhere from five to eight innings in a start.

Castellani’s fast ball has been clocked at 90-94 mph, and his strengths are not limited to pitching speed.

“I think his number one strength is his competitiveness. I think he is a tremendous competitor on the field, whether he is on the mound, whether he’s playing defense, or whether he’s hitting, and I think that sets him apart from other baseball players,” Mr. Succow said. “I think every day he got a little better.”

Castellani was not sure if he would get a lot of playing time last year as a sophomore. But some space cleared up and he was given the opportunity

Photo by Andrew Bender ’13 Ryan Castellani ’14 celebrates May 15 after hitting a homerun against Chaparral. Brophy’s baseball team finished the 2012 season 23-10 as the state Division 1 runner up. The Broncos lost to Chaparral in the state title game.

to play.

“We had some seniors not come out and play, and right field was open and coach Succow gave me the opportunity to start there and we just went with it the whole season,” Castellani said.

“Without coach Succow I wouldn’t be in the position I am because he was the one who gave me the opportunity to actually be able to play.”

Next for Castellani is college, where he will get the opportunity to really impress some professional

scouts.

Becoming a professional major league athlete does not seem far out of reach for Castellani.

“If things continue in the next two years the way they have in the last few months, he’s a kid that might be a first round or a second round draft pick, and he may never see college because he’s offered too much money in the draft,” Mr. Succow said.

Castellani said if that situation arises it could be a hard call to make.

“From what I’ve heard, the draft is possibly an option, but I guess it really all depends on what round and where I would go in the draft, that would be a really tough decision, but it would be a really good problem to have,” he said.

Many colleges showed interest in Castellani including Arizona State, Arizona, UCLA, USC, Oregon, Santa Clara, Stanford and Oklahoma State.

“Really whatever happens with me I’ll be happy but as long as I’m playing baseball I’m good,” Castellani said.

Decker earns captain honors in fourth year on varsity swim team

By Connor Bradshaw Van Lier Ribbink ’13

THE ROUNDUP T.J. Decker ’13 is commonly seen walking with a confident swagger and an outfit with color combos and patterns never seen before.

Decker isn’t just a stylish kid, but also captain of a swim team looking to make history this year.

Brophy swimming is well known for simply winning and of course for their streak of 24 straight state titles. Now Decker finds himself captain of this winning tradition.

The water has been Decker’s second

home throughout his life.

“I have been swimming with the same club, Arizona Marlins, since I was three years old. Competitively since the age of eight,” Decker said in an e-mail interview.

Practicing every day all year round has given Decker bountiful experience in the water, enough experience to land him on the Brophy state team three years in a row. Since freshman year, Decker has swam in the 100-yard breaststroke and the 200-yard individual medleys and according to teammates is the best breast stroker on the team.

“T.J. is committed, focused and driven

on one goal, win. He lets nothing get in his way and this is what has lead him to be the number one breast stroker,” said co-captain Luke Williams’13.

Although his three years in Brophy swim has delivered success, this year is special because Decker is now captain of the Brophy squad and they could not be more pleased with their leader.

“Decker is a leader because he knows how to put people before himself, especially the underclassmen on the team,” Williams said about fellow captain.

However Decker is modest about his leadership role.

Out of Left Field

“Being the captain of this family is a great privilege. I will do as much as I can to keep the legacy growing and I want to thank all the swimmers on my team for giving me this opportunity,” Decker said. Decker said winning the team’s 25th straight state title is a definite, which is easy to believe being the last time the team lost was when Ronald Reagan was in office. Brophy all together has a total of 35 rings.

Decker’s leadership is testament to the seasons winning start.

“We have only had two meets so far and I feel great in the water. I am piling on multiple miles a day in practice and I

By Nick May ’13

The Roundup

Mark Sanchez or Tim Tebow?

The Avengers or Batman?

Doritos Locos Tacos, Love it? Hate it?

Your song of the Summer?

Oliver Shanks ’13 Soccer

Tim Tebow

Batman

Love it

“Hey Jude”- The Beatles

Michael Westra ’13 Baseball

Mark Sanchez

Avengers

I hate it. It’s trash.

“The Code”- Juicy J

Tucker Wells ’13 Swimming

Tim Tebow

Batman

Delicious when you’re hungry.

“This Plane”- Wiz Khalifa

Hudson Blake ’13 Tennis

Tim Tebow

Batman

Haven’t tried it.

“Some Nights”- fun.

am confident this will pay off in the end.”

The goal for the season that Decker has set for his team isn’t just winning state, but achieving a top spot in the national ranking.

“We have some nice competition around the Valley. There might be a few teams who could get close to half of our score,” Decker said.

Another goal the captain set was to see Brophy swim get more support from the student body.

“We had a great showing at our first home meet, and I hope to see more of that,” he said. “We are on the path to do what no one else has done.”

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Entertainment The Roundup | October 2012

Fall play poised for

‘A Few Good Men’

Photo by Roan Enright ’13 Chase Frank ’13 and Kieran Martin ’13 rehearse a tense scene Tuesday, Sept. 18 for Brophy’s upcoming fall play “A Few Good Men.”

By Andrew Marini ’13

THE ROUNDUP Brophy/Xavier Theatre will light up the Black Box Theatre with Aaron Sorkin’s “A Few Good Men” this fall.

The play will take place Oct. 31 as well as Nov. 1, 3, 7, 8 and 10 at 7p.m.

Senior Kasey Caruso ’13 will star in the production.

Most will know the title from the 1992

film directed by Rob Reiner, which featured Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson and Demi Moore.

Aaron Sorkin’s screenplay is the same in both the play as well as the film.

Sorkin is known more recently for his screenplay in “The Social Network” and “Moneyball” both of which are Academy Award nominees.

The plot circulates around the court martial of two U.S marines charged

with murder, and the case their lawyer must present showing what the abuse of power can do especially in the military.

It will be Mrs. Dorthy Dunnion’s first ever repeated play as director, but is one she feels will appeal to both the student actors, as well as the students who will be seeing it. Brophy first put on the play in 2005.

“I wanted to use a play that was appropriate in both size and dramatic

effect so I chose one of my favorites,” Mrs. Dunnion said.

The cast is headlined by Caruso, who is playing Lt. Daniel Kaffee, Alexander Khan ’13 who will play Capt. Jack Ross and Chase Frank ’13 who will play Col. Nathan Jessup.

Jackson Santy ’13 and Michael San Roman ’13 will be the student directors.

“This is a talented group of kids,”

Caruso said. “We are all really excited to come together and put on an excellent performance for everyone.”

Mrs. Dunnion said she expects the play to be “terrific.”

“One of the things best about this play is, although treating a sore subject about abuse of power, is that it is thoroughly entertaining,” Mrs. Dunnion said.

Tickets will be sold for $7 the week of Oct. 30.

‘2016’ provides insight into President Obama’s policies, role models

By P. Erik Meyer ‘14

THE ROUNDUP “2016: Obama’s America” – narrated by Dinesh D’Souza 7.5 out of 10 The documentary “2016: Obama’s America” is a captivating film that aims to show what President Barack Obama will do if elected for four more years.

Parts of “2016” might go over the average American’s head, but for a typical Brophy student, this movie should provide insight into who President Obama is.

Remember that this review is simply that, a review and that is intended to be non-biased, despite the far right tilt of the film.

The movie hints that before the 2008 election, few Americans knew who Barack Obama was, but his powerful speeches and promises of hope and change persuaded many that he was the man for the job.

D’Souza makes the bold claim that most likely people voted for Obama simply because of race and that they wanted to tell their grandchildren that they voted for the first African American President of the United States.

“2016” hinted at the fact that these first four years, Obama coasted through his presidency and

did just enough to try to earn another term. If he is re-elected then he would really start to implement his true policies and beliefs.

By the end of the film, we understand why Obama plans to reduce America’s nuclear weapons stash from 5,000 to 1,500 through D’Souza’s comparisons between his role models and decisions.

We understand why Obama chose to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and supported Argentina in the conflict with Britain over the Falkland Islands.

An interesting moment in the film is when D’Souza discusses a moment when Obama mentioned to Russian President Vladimir Putin that he will “have more flexibility after his election.”

D’Souza emphasizes that this quote proves that

Obama has bigger plans for the future if re-elected.

The film overall is quite biased as D’Souza is a clear conservative.

The timing of the release is interesting and certainly strategic with the election around the corner. The average Brophy student should enjoy the film no matter if they are a Republican or Democratic as it forces viewers to move past boiler plate talking points and dig deeper into politics.

As with most things political these days though, it is likely going to polarize viewers.

Depending on your political view, the film should enhance your belief that Obama is the man for the job or re-enforce the fact that we need a new president.

The Roundup

Page 14 | October 2012

Advanced ceramics class aims to mold better artists

By Michael Ahearne ’14 & Tanner Nypen ’15

THE ROUNDUP Mr. Marc Kelly ’87 will teach one of Brophy’s newest classes this year, Advanced Ceramics.

“It’s been a class which I have been developing for four or five years now, trying to somehow make and work it so that it can work in the schedule, and there has been a large demand over the last few years.This year was no different.

Everybody seemed to want to get in the class, so it was offered, and it filled up immediately,” Mr. Kelly said.

Mr. Kelly said from day one this class meant business.

“On the first day of class, I told them that we would be doing a lot of work,” he said.

The class will consist of activities different and more complex than a normal ceramics class.

Students will be working on the wheel, pouring clay molds and making more precise, larger pieces of art.

Mr. Kelly is also planning on assigning a few large projects together throughout the year, such as a public mural.

“I am trying to develop a public mural, a public art commission, for the class so the class will design a mural for a public

art space,” Mr. Kelly said.

This could even be on campus.

There is a variety of students in the class, from students just taking the class for fun, to those seriously wanting to become better.

“Some guys got into the class because they thought it was kind of an easy blow off class, and some of them are still in it,” Mr. Kelly said. “Other guys I think got in the class because they were very concerned about becoming better artists, better ceramists.”

“I can use two or three guys as examples. Tim Kempton (’13), I think, has become a very good ceramicist. Andrew Curtis (’13) is also a very good ceramicist. They’re both throwing on the wheel. Ben Bush (’13) is a good ceramicist. There are a bunch of guys here who are really good, and they are getting better,” Mr. Kelly said.

Kempton said he likes the tangible elements of the class.

“It’s hands on, you actually get to make things that you can keep for a while and put to use other than just looking at,” Kempton said. “You can make pots, I eat my cereal out of one of my pots that I made last year. You can pretty much make anything you want. Ceramics, I would definitely recommend it.”

Photo by Roan Enright ’13 Michael Spina ’13 spins a pot on the pottery wheel in his Advanced Ceramics class Sept 19.

Politically minded entertainment invites students into political universe Students who watch political entertainment often seek more information

By Julian De Ocampo ’13

THE ROUNDUP As the presidential political race heats up, students are not only flocking to mainstream news outlets, but to political entertainment as well.

Aside from the traditional forms of satire – political cartoons, late night talk shows – the influence of Comedy Central, a channel largely focused on young adult humor, has grown rapidly over the past decade thanks in part to the wonder duo of Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart, two mock pundits who are the voice of politics itself for many young adults.

Two years ago in a stunning display of power, the two comedians attracted crowds of thousands to Washington D.C. for a mock rally meant to parody the political grandstanding of conservative pundit Glenn Beck.

But what sort of impact is their humor making on the way Brophy students perceive politics?

According to AP Government and Economics

teacher Ms. Kelly Guffey, the impact is at least partially positive because it incites interest in politics.

“The good thing about these shows is that you have to understand what’s going on with the government in order to understand their jokes,” Ms. Guffey said. “Students who watch these shows regularly are more likely to go find more ‘legitimate’ news sources elsewhere to find out if it’s true.”

Ms. Guffey’s claim is supported by a 2007 study by the Pew Research Center, which found that viewers of satirical political comedy shows like “The Colbert Report” were some of the most politically knowledgeable citizens polled.

Ms. Guffey also said that while these shows are “decent places to start getting political news,” they are similar to political cartoons and should not be regarded as legitimate news sources.

As for what constitutes a legitimate source, Ms. Guffey said she prefers newspapers and radio stories because “the most important stories for people to know about don’t come with explosions.

Television news has been dumbed down to cater to Americans who spend most of their time surfing the Internet looking at funny cat videos.”

Jim Welty ’14, a self-proclaimed avid fan

of Colbert and Stewart, is an example of Ms. Guffey’s idea that students who tune in for the humor often seek out political information. He also follows the political season on CNN and NBC. And while Welty said he believes “entertainment has a large influence over how we perceive the world and build value,” he also noted that Colbert and Stewart should not be the basis for political opinions.

“Unbiased truth,” Welty said, should inform these opinions.

Philip Rapa ’14 said the appeal of political entertainment is based in its ability to communicate political issues in a relatable manner.

“Brophy students are affected by politically minded television because it is so relatable, so personable. That makes it believable,” Rapa said.

Rapa is an occasional viewer of Colbert and Stewart, and he noted that while they make “some good points,” they are “drowned in comedy.”

And, of course, Colbert and Stewart themselves have maintained that the comedy comes first for them, as it does for many of their viewers.

“When political elections draw near, I definitely look for them more to see the other candidate made fun of so I can feel better about mine,” Rapa said.

Jon Stewart with his award at the 63rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, September 18, 2011, at Nokia Theatre, L.A. Live, in Los Angeles, California.

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times/MCT)

Rapper Macklemore garners more attention through live shows

By Alec Vick ’15

THE ROUNDUP The styles of the rising star Macklemore are coming to Club Red in Tempe Oct. 28, as he continues his multi-continental tour of 2012.

The Seattle-born superstar sings an interesting brand of hip hop that many look forward to hearing.

He occasionally sings of his life’s

experiences, but mixes humor into many of his songs.

“I think that he is a great artist. He sends a better message than most rappers do,” said Joey Underwood ’15.

Even with the large range of vocalists and musicians in this day’s music industry, Macklemore is certainly a diamond in the rough.

Hearing Macklemore in the early stages of his rapidly rising career would

be the best time to see him in action.

Tickets are $20, a low price for any concert one should attend, and will be sold online, through his Facebook page and his website.

Macklemore’s latest hit, “Thrift Shop,” which he released Aug. 29, quickly rose to ninth on the current hip hop most purchased list on iTunes in less than 24 hours.

In about half of his songs, Macklemore

relates his struggles through life and overcoming obstacles to achieve the success he has garnered.

This is expressed in the lyrics of his song “The Otherside” where he says, “Lookin’ in the mirror like I can’t believe what I’ve become. Swore I was goin’ to be someone and growing up everyone always does. We sell our dreams and our potential to escape through that

buzz. Just keep me up, keep me up.

Hollywood here we come.”

This is what makes him great; he shows that we are all humans where the obstacles we face can easily bring us down but we must fight.

That it is much harder to overcome them to succumb to them, but the reward is greater in the end to follow the brighter path.

broncobeat.brophyprep.org | OCTOBER 2012 »The Art of Pop

September owned by Taylor Swift, Ellie Goulding, more 5. “Some Nights” – fun.

6 out of 10

By Julian De Ocampo ’13

THE ROUNDUP Pop music is the study of music as a science.

Think about it for a second – it’s the art of formulas, the quest to methodically discover the perfect keys and chords to achieve the desired result. It is a controlled experiment using precision to distill emotion.

“All art aspires to the condition of Top 40 bubblegum pop,” venerable indie-pop musician Stephin Merritt of The Magnetic Fields once wrote in his essay “The Formulist Manifesto.”

“We the formulists (with a sigh of relief) renounce the deluded striving of moderns for self-expression through novelty. We accept all foregoing and contemporary expression as a set of templates.”

Merritt rode this mantra into critical acclaim during the late 90s, when the blithe, self-aware pop of The Magnetic Fields found its way into car stereos and Walkmans of the country.

And while it is easy to dismiss contemporary pop music under this criteria – it is derivative, it is shallow, it is formulaic – it is also possible to analyze and interpret the application of the formula as the highest form of art.

This column, “The Art of Pop,” is an attempt to track the progress of the ever-changing record industry as it soldiers forward, tinkering with the formulas that fill our car stereos until it creates populist gold.

Each month, I will examine the top five songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart through the lens of a critic, thoughtfully analyzing the songs that nearly everybody has an opinion on.

Surging with bombast, this song nearly throws all good taste out the window with its made-for-Broadway vocal harmonies, overblown finishing guitar solo and tacky spoken word and auto tune breakdowns.

But once the dust settles, a daring (if not garish) pop song is left standing in the rubble. fun. are the latest in a string of bands plucked by major labels and morphed into trendy yet accessible symbols of streamlined indie aesthetics.

But look past the big budget music video, the horn-rimmed glasses and the prerequisite rock credentials, and you’re left with a fairly decent if not overstuffed bunch of drama geeks.

In other words, they’re harmless: oozing with style to spare, but no substance to match.

4. “One More Night” – Maroon 5 3 out of 10 It is with fitting irony that the album from which this prosaic attempt at cross-over reggae pop is culled from is named “Overexposed.”

As of late, Maroon 5 have claimed their title as most overexposed band of contemporary times. Too many lifeless singles in too short of a time have created an oversaturation of the market.

“One More Night” ambles along with a predictably standard reggae rhythm that is severely crippled by Adam Levine’s relentlessly repetitive melodies and stale vocal inflections.

At least “Moves Like Jagger” had that hook; this song and the equally mindnumbing “Pay phone” are the worst type of pop song – utterly boring.

through “Whistle,” a breezy, sexuallycharged made-for-summer jam that holds fails lyrically, but passes musically.

The guitars and rhythm are too cheerful too truly hate, but the crude lyrics of this song are the most thinly veiled innuendos since Katy Perry’s “Peacock” and enforce the idea that Flo Rida’s greatest feat is managing to continually insult the intelligence of the average American.

1. “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”—Taylor Swift 6.5 out of 10

Taylor Swift performs at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, on Sunday, February 12, 2012. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/ MCT)

3. “Lights” – Ellie Goulding 8.5 out of 10 The past year has been particularly kind to female British artists like Ellie Goulding.

With Adele’s personal crooning on one end of the spectrum and Jessie J’s artificial commercial aspirations on the other, Goulding falls somewhere in the middle and consequentially seems to be the most balanced and talented British songstress on the pop charts.

“Lights” is most reminiscent of La Roux’s 2009 single “Bulletproof,” a delightful electro-pop song that was unabashedly danceable without feeling corporate.

Goulding’s voice seems restrained, but paradoxically betrays a nakedness hidden just underneath. Similarly, the rest of the

track is restrained enough to never feel overbearing, but immense enough to feel like a blockbuster electronic smash.

2. “Whistle” – Flo Rida 2.5 out of 10 Oh, whistling, how I loved you.

I thought it was awesome when Peter Bjorn and John used you on “Young Folks” all those years ago. Then “Pumped Up Kicks” came out and I didn’t mind you being on the radio.

Then “Moves Like Jagger” happened, and I started to grow worried.Whistling was cute, quirky even, but I wasn’t sure if I liked the direction it was going.

Well, here it is, everyone: the death knell of whistling.

Flo Rida, easily one of my most despised contemporary artists, has managed to ruin the very act of whistling

Let’s face it, if there’s one demographic that pop music is made to pander to, it’s teenagers.

But for every song that successfully conveys the free spirited freewheeling of adolescence (e.g. “Teenage Dream”), you have a number of songs threatening to cross the threshold into whiny preciousness.

Taylor Swift’s latest single all too often jumps into the latter category, but it jumps so wholeheartedly that the result is a single too sugary to dismiss completely.

The valley girl diction, spoken-word bridge and made-for-radio guitars may be too much for some, but Swift also supplies enough personality and charm to redeem a single that would be rendered limp at the hands of, say, Avril Lavigne.

Stacked up against her previous catalogue, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” is too childish and inconsequential to stand out.

Nonetheless, Swift remains a formidable pop princess even when she drops the country shtick and tackles corporate pop.

Frank Ocean’s ‘Channel Orange’ offers heartfelt summer soundtrack

By Charles Louis Dominguez ’14

THE ROUNDUP Frank Ocean – Channel Orange 8.5 out of 10 The hip-hop world was dealt a much-needed surprise this summer when Odd Future’s resident crooner, Frank Ocean, announced his first love was a man.

This is certainly a brave action in a genre that has traditionally been dominated by feelings of male chauvinism, homophobia and an extreme admiration for all things machismo.

Ocean’s latest album, “Channel Orange,” received an early iTunes release just days after this story broke.

Riding off the buzz of his recent announcement, “Channel Orange” has become one of the most talked-about releases of this year, reaching its peak at No. 2 on the Billboard top 200.

“Channel Orange” is a relentless tribute to the music Ocean is so clearly inspired by that still manages to provide a new sound for the modern R&B genre.

Riddled with the subtleties that made his previous effort, “NostalgiaULTRA,” so enjoyable, “Channel Orange” explores new ground, with Ocean touching on a variety of genres, sounds and emotions.

While tracks like “Thinkin’ Bout You” and “Pilot Jones” find Frank Ocean in his usual, soulful form, the album is haunted by a more experimental sound with songs like the 10-minute epic “Pyramids.”

Songs off of “Channel Orange” feel intricately composed, giving the listener the opportunity to dissect each layer of instrumentation.

The diversity of topics touched upon by “Channel Orange” keeps the album interesting and allows for Ocean’s songwriting to take center-stage.

While “Golden Girl,” a CD exclusive, is a feel-good song that projects the vibes of a lazy, romanticized summer, songs like “Super Rich Kids” tackle the issues of loss, addiction and excess.

Even more variety is added to the album by its colorful guest spots.

With tracks featuring Odd Future comrade Earl Sweatshirt, John Mayer, Andre 3000 and production assistance from N*E*R*D’s Pharrel, Frank Ocean has very clearly established himself as a force in modern R&B.

Although his latest release seems to improve upon last year’s “NostalgiaULTRA” in every conceivable way, it comes off less fun to listen to.

While thematically it’s certainly a more consistent album, I can’t help but miss the fun, playful energy that made “NostalgiaULTRA” such a gem.

“Channel Orange” operates better as a whole, packaged product, but ends up offering fewer tracks that are worth returning to outside of a fulllisten.

Ocean is an evidently talented songsmith, having carefully crafted an album that manages to keep the listener tapping their foot and excited for the next track.

And really, what more can you ask for out of a summer album?

Page 16 | October 2012

The Roundup

Xavier

Gator

By Jackson Santy ’13

THE ROUNDUP

Sara Green ’13 Given the upcoming election and the heated debates between the two presidential candidates, who’s your favorite Power Ranger?

The red one obviously.

So I hear you’re joining the wrestling team?

Yes, I’m a pro wrestler.

What a coincidence!

You’re trying out too?

No, I’m trying out for the cheer team.

I can’t tell if you’re joking or not.

Have you ever seen the “Karate Kid”?

Yes. Do you feel your life is based on it?

Yes. Mine too.

Figures.

I guess I should have asked you this before I started bombarding you with these probing questions,

By Connor Bradshaw Van Lier Ribbink ’13

THE ROUNDUP

Zap Reader Ever found yourself in utter shock and fear at break when your buddy reminds you that an article must be read for your Gospel’s in Action class next period and you have no idea what to do?

Zap Reader is your solution.

Zap Reader is a solution to reading large masses of text in record time.

Simply visit www.zapreader.com and click “reader,” then copy the words from your source and paste your text into the box and click “Zap It!” Next you have to select the words per minute you will be reading.

I suggest around 800 words a minute if you’re crunched for time.

A setting around 300 words per minute is a much more managable pace.

When you are ready to go, brace yourself and hit play. Words will flash one at a time at a record pace and knowledge will be chucked into your brain with tremendous force.

Now the trick is to actually remember what you just read. Practice makes perfect, and once you get the hang of this hit Internet phenomenon you’ll rely on it whenever you realize you

but what is your name?

Sara Green, I’m a senior.

What’s your favorite wrestling move?

The pose I do after I win.

Do you have any preferred victory dances?

The Cabbage Patch.

Could you show me?

You just go like this (begins dancing).

That was entrancing. With joining the wrestling team, are you afraid of getting ring worm?

I don’t even know what that is.

You’ll learn soon enough. Will you wear a mask and have a clever nickname?

Like Nacho Libre? Yes, yes I will.

How much are you putting up on bench these days?

500 pounds.

Do you want to ask me any questions?

What’s your favorite color?

I think that’s a bit too probing of a question, we did just meet.

What’s your favorite color?

Blue.

Words from the Wise ...

“My phone just auto corrected ‘thing’ to ‘Rhonda.’”

-Joe Skoog ’13

“Do you know where I can get some good spandex?”

-Jordan Bruner ’13

“Taylor Swift looks into my soul.”

-Ms. Elizabeth Clarke

“Deacon Stickney, do you drive a Mercedes? I think I passed you on the highway.”

–Student

“No. If I had a Mercedes, I would have passed you!”

-Deacon Joe Stickney

“Swag!”

-Mr. Ron Douglas

“Please nobody quote me in The Roundup for what I’m about to say.”

“Did Mr. Douglas just say ‘swag?’”

-Mr. Tim Broyles

-Jackson Santy ’13

Have you heard any wise words lately? Send them to The Roundup at roundup@brophybroncos.org

The Artist’s Corner

didn’t read that one article you thought wouldn’t ever matter.

It will be a student’s best friend and your source of reading anything lighting speed.

Virtual Bubble Wrap If you get homework done right after school then ignore the website above and tune in to this one: “Virtual Bubble Wrap” is the perfect website for those who have nothing to procrastinate and have too much time on their hands.

Designed to give you that pure childhood joy when a box comes filled with bubble wrap just waiting to be stomped, “Virtual Bubble Wrap” is a site made to give you this same joy on a computer screen.

This website provides hours of fun; however, those hours will certainly end and you will crave to step away from the computer to hop on some real bubble wrap.

The good news is “Virtual Bubble Wrap” has you covered!

You can actually purchase boxes of bubble wrap off this site and have it sent to your house within days.

Above, photograph by Joe Trog ’13 Bottom left, silk screen by Ian Poblete ’13 Bottom right, scratch board by Alex Keating ’14

BLAM collaboration coming soon Starting in the November edition, BLAM (Brophy Literary Art Magazine) will take over the curation of The Artist’s Corner. Email your artwork to blam@brophyprep.org.