Issuemay14 2e

Panther-torians!

Good-bye

And the winner is...

Williams checks Murphy’s late three-point attempt.

Senior Quill staffers reflect on the good ‘ole days.

from Rip to Rapunzel and Leashes to Bromance

see Features page 5

see Reflections page 8 and 9

see Senior Awards page 16

Collin Schwiers ‘15 Staff Writer

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he past year has experienced many spectacles in sports, but one of the lesser known feats is by the track team. This year, the Elder track team has won six of the seven meets it competed in prior to the GCL meet.

Led by captains Joe Ratterman, Austin Pitchford, Johnny Reiter, Adam Gardner and Carl Lengerich, the team was ready to compete to make this a season to remember.

This year the team won the GCL championship. Every year the team competes in the GCL South championship along with St. Xavier, La Salle and Moeller.

Throughout this year’s meet, Elder was neck and neck with St. Xavier.

Ultimately, the meet came down to the final race: the 4x400 meter relay. Going into the final race, Elder only had a lead over St. Xavier by one point, so any position behind St. Xavier in the final race would result in second place for the entire meet.

Brady Kraemer, Austin Pitchford, T.J. Ruwan and Nick Pangallo were the

four runners who competed in the 4x400.

The race consisted of slight leads by Elder, until Nick Pangallo was the final leg of the race.

For two hundred meters, St. Xavier was running alongside Nick in a real nail biter of a race. Nick was able to obtain the inside lane going into the final two hundred meters and surpassed the St. Xavier runner on the back stretch. During the final 100 meters, Nick turned on the jets and broke away from every runner that was remotely close to him winning the race by at least 10 meters.

Nick was only the final leg of the race, so don’t consider him the only hero, because it was a joint effort by all four individuals in order to win the race. The four set a track record at La Salle high school with a time of three minutes and 26 seconds.

A few other event winners to name were Jake Upton, Joe Ratterman, Tim Schiller, Jacquon James, T.J. Ruwan, the 4x400 meter relay team, and the 4x100 meter relay team.

T.J. Ruwan was a three time GCL champion in the 300 meter hurdles and was a part of both the 4x100 meter relay and 4x400 meter relay teams. Joe Ratterman was also named GCL South Field Event athlete of the year.

Jake Upton had one of the best meets of his life for high jump with schedule format. Longer classes also creates more interaction the teachers and can potentially create less work outside of class because many teachers decide to use the schedule to their advantage and carry out projects and homework during school.

The majority of the upperclassmen at Seton do not approve of the change in schedule. Many were comfortable with the way things used to be, and do not appreciate having to attend class for hours at a time, but many of the younger students at Seton seemed to have taken a liking to the new agenda.

“It can be long at times but I like it for the most part,” said freshman, Julia Sehlhorst. “Having two hours for every class gives you a lot more time for asking questions and finishing projects.”

While there are many positive attributes to a block schedule format, many Elder students seem set on the idea that the schedule should stay the same. The tediousness of the long classes can be a huge downside.

“If it were up to me, things would stay the same,” said Elder Junior, Jake Seithel, “a lot of kids can’t focus on a class for fifty minutes, how do you expect them to be to pay attention for two hours?”

The negative reactions were also eminent through the teachers and staff of Elder.

Should Elder switch to block scheduling?

Charlie Sehlhorst ‘15 Staff Writer

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ours become days when you have to endure long hours of one thing. Can you imagine sitting through almost two hours of one class at school? That is exactly what happens in a block schedule. As insane as it may seem for many students, tons of schools across the country now use a block format for their schedules, including Elder’s neighboring Seton High School, who switched this year. While the length of the classes may be an issue to some people, others believe that the positives of this type of scheduling outweigh the negatives.

In a block schedule, every day you will pay a visit to three classes rather than seven. Every class is about two hours long and are interchangeable throughout the week.

There are many positive things that can come out of a block schedule. The majority of students at Elder attend college beyond high school. The schedules used in college, while not completely mimicked, are very similar to a block

May 23, 2014

The harriers pose for the photo op while anyone within reach places a hand on the trophy

jumps that were well over the bar he was to jump over. He finished the night with a best jump of 6 feet 2 inches.

Joe Ratterman won the pole vault and attempted a height of 15 feet 3 inches, but was just shy. Tim Schiller won the long jump. The two field event athletes were predicted to win as they have both had phenomenal seasons this past year.

Aside from the champions, there were many individuals whom competed

in the events. A good majority of the runners who had to compete in pre-elimination races qualified for the final heat.

Their qualifications for the final event accounted for many of the team points which helped comprise the winning total.

With multiple GCL champions, and plenty of “back points” as coach Flaherty always says, the entire team is now marked in history as the 2014 GCL champions.

photoshopped by Charlie Sehlhorst

Hurdling toward a championship

Volume 82 Number 9 photo by Brad Murphy

Published by the Students of Elder High School

“As a whole, no I do not think block scheduling would benefit Elder,” said Elder’s Dean of Discipline, Mr. Kurt Ruffing. “I do believe certain academic disciplines such as science could benefit due to the required labs which can be quite lengthy (time). I’m sure there are advantages and disadvantages with having a block schedule; I just don’t see the advantages heavily out-weighing the disadvantages.”

The two main people in charge of the scheduling process at Elder are Vice Principal, Mr. Patrick Tucker and head Principal, Mr. Tom Otten. Rumors have been floating around that Mr. Tucker, Elder’s Academic Assistant Principal, has stated that Elder will absolutely not switch to block scheduling in the future.

To clear up the rumor, I took the topic to him to see what he had to say.

“I would say the characterization that I have no interest in switching to block scheduling is inaccurate,” said Mr. Tucker. “I am interested in examining any idea that might improve the work done at Elder.”

While the rumors may not be quite as dramatic as what others may have been saying, it sounds like Elder’s schedule will remain the same for a while.

Inside The Quill Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2,3 Features . . . . . . . . . . .4,5,6,7,12,13 Senior Reflections . . . . . . . . . . .8,9 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10,11 Arts & Entertainment . . . . . .14,15 Senior Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

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Opinion

Friday May 23, 2014

Arts play important role in society

C**s*r*h*p

Sean Feldman ‘14 Arts & Entertainment editor

Nick Antone ‘14 Co-editor in Chief

The message of the above title will luckily be explained, but without the words in this article containing that explanation, how could one truly know the message that I am trying to convey?

This is censorship ladies and gentleman, and its deadening effects on journalism and the spread of ideas in general is extremely dangerous.

What some Americans have trouble realizing is just how serious censorship is. Citizens here can write blogs, make Youtube videos, write songs, write articles, and make posts freely for all of the world to see- at least most of the world. Freedoms of press and speech are protected under the First Amendment.

Although most countries allow freedoms such as this, many do not.

Take Russia for instance. Members of a controversial, all-female band Pussy Riot (no need to censor that) were thrown in jail under charges of “hooliganism” for speaking out about Vladimir Putin. The group did nothing more than express their disgust at Putin’s policies, and were placed in jail for almost two years. Think if that happened to anyone who opposed Obama in America.

“Journalism is not a crime.” This slogan for Al Jazeera America’s plea to free captured staff in Egypt perfectly sums up the problem. It should be the RIGHT of every human being to have an opinion and to be able to express that opinion through words. If more problems were openly spoken about, maybe, just maybe, they could be worked out through intelligent conversation. By censoring ideas, it keeps the ignorant aloof and the corrupt with the information in power. Some say life’s not fair but where do we cross the line?

The main causes for censorship usually have nothing to do with keeping people’s ears “safe” but rather keeping the truth from being spread. Governments, schools, or any other institutions that are too afraid to let people spread information through word of mouth or written word have a few too many scandals hidden up their sleeves.

This cowardice is representative of the type of selfish people who want to keep the world from progress. The amount of injustices and inequality in the world can be boiled down to the simple fact that information is not free as it should be.

Besides just problems of censorship in terms of inequality around the world, censorships’ hindrance on what can be taught in schools is equally heinous. Books can be banned for simply containing explicit language. People need to realize that many of these novels contain lessons that, although serious or grim, need to be taught. An example of this lies in the fact that many banned books are banned for containing rape scenes. While these scenes may be uncomfortable to read, THAT IS THE POINT- to help the reader empathize with the victim.

At a certain age children can no longer be kept from the real world. The internet is so vast with information that one can search just about anything. Instead of acting like sensitive subjects aren’t known by the youth, why don’t we acknowledge what’s out there and strive to teach good from bad? Schools need to realize that fix a problem, you need to make it known why it’s a problem in the first place.

When it comes down to it, censorship in most cases is useless and harmful. Has censorship done anything positive, though? Well yes. Censorship over the years has showed just how powerful words are. And from personal experience, I can without a doubt say that censorship will never stop a writer from trying to get across his or her message. If you’ve ever been censored from sharing your ideas, keep fighting. The truth will never be hidden.

“Journalism is not a crime.”

A merican culture could not be complete with such staples as Superbowl Sunday, the World Series, and March Madness. Sports are introduced at young ages to children in grade schools and camps and teach them important values such as teamwork, determination, and hard work.

However, support of and exposure to the arts is also extremely important for all people, teaching children the same values which are learned by children who play sports.

According to Fran Smith of Eutopia.org, “Years of research show that (art) is closely linked to almost everything that we as a nation say we want for our children and demand from our schools: academic achievement, social and emotional development, civic engagement, and equitable opportunity.”

The arts help to contribute to the well-roundedness of a person’s life, just as sports and education do.

Recently I returned to my elementary school, St. Bernard’s, to watch my sixth grade cousin in the school’s spring musical. What I observed at St. Bernard’s was simply saddening.

The fifth through eighth grades have been putting on a spring musical at St. Bernard’s for close to fifteen years, with the eighth grade always starring as the lead or named characters.

The musical they chose to perform was called “Rats”, a show with a 35 minute run time which, upon further investigation, is recommended for third graders. The eighth graders were given silly and immature lines to recite, along with songs which were more fit to the third grade demographic which the show was aimed at.

When this kind of material is presented to children who are much more mature than the material is intended for, it is insulting to the children, whether they realize it or not, and also to everyone who attends the performance.

By dumbing down the material and treating the children like third graders rather than fifth through eighth graders, the children receive an improper view of what the arts are; the arts become, in their minds, something which is so out of reach for them to do and be a part of that they are only capable of putting on a little baby show.

I know that the children of St. Bernard’s are capable of much more because I had the chance to attend other elementary schools’ shows such as Our Lady of Victory’s production of The Little Mermaid a few months ago, which was absolutely spectacular.

The few shows I have seen at Our Lady of the Visitation have also proved themselves to be entertaining as well as age appropriate for the performers.

At Elder, we are fortunate enough to have an administration which encourages and acknowledges the arts in addition to our athletics program, whereas at St. Bernard’s, I am ashamed to say that athletics are encouraged and acknowledged instead of the arts.

Arts in schools expose children to ways of discovering and honing their talents and gifts given to them by God, just as athletics do.

To solve this situation, just as athletics are offered as extracurricular, activities such as music, art, dance, and drama must also be offered.

“Rats” proved to be unfit for the age group that produced this show.

The Purple Quill

Co-Editors in Chief: Nick Antone ‘14 and Chris Henkel ‘14

The Purple Quill is published 9 times per academic year by the students enrolled in the Journalism class at Elder High School. Content is determined by the staff and does not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Elder High School’s faculty, administration or student body. Signed editorials and columns reflect the views of the writer. Letters to the editor and guest commentaries are encouraged and must be signed, although anonymity can be granted on a case by case basis.The staff reviews letters to the editor, advertising and guest commentaries and reserves the right to edit and refuse material. Reasons can include length, clarity, libel, obscenity, material disruption of the educational process at Elder High School or violation of copyright laws.

News Editor: (currently vacant)

“Give students the freedom of expression and soon everyone will want it.”

Features Editor: Steven Maurer ‘14 Opinion Editor: Donald Lutz ‘14 Sports Editor: Andrew Cole ‘14 Arts & Entertainment Editor: Sean Feldman ‘14 Back Page Editor: Rawley Cook ‘15

Staff Writers: Peter Aguilera ‘14 Dan Brown ‘14 Will Brueggemeyer ‘15 Rob Ellerhorst ‘15 Nick Rackers ‘15 Alex Reid ‘14 Collin Schweirs ‘15 Charlie Sehlhorst ‘15 Nathan Wuest ‘14 Faculty Advisor Mr. Gary Rogers Faculty Advisor Emeritus Mr. Edward Menkhaus ‘63

Opinion

Friday May 23, 2014

Why human trafficking exists: Stop the demand Sydney Schultz ‘14 Seton High School contributor to The Quill

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uman trafficking is the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person through the use of force, fraud, or coercion to provide labor, services, sexual acts, or body parts. It is the third largest global criminal problem and negatively affects everyone in society.

Human trafficking is modern day slavery. The demand for cheap labor and commercial sex acts are reasons why this organized crime is flourishing around the world. In order to combat this modern day slavery, communities need to raise awareness and increase education about the subject. Most importantly, the only way to truly stop this heinous crime is to stop the demand for it.

As stated by the Polaris Project, which is an organization that helps to put an end to all forms of human trafficking and serves victims of slavery and human trafficking, human trafficking is a market-driven criminal industry that is based on the principles of supply and demand.

What’s shocking about this is that the average ages of entry into prostitution in the United States are just 12 to 14 years old.

Once a victim is trafficked, the trafficker will have complete control over the victim. The victim will often be forced to do things they don’t feel comfortable doing, such as having sex or engaging in other sexual acts, buying illegal drugs, or committing other crimes.

These trafficking victims constantly live in sadness and fear. They experience psychological and emotional abuse which makes it hard for them to ever live a normal life again.

Even though women, men, and children can be trafficked, over the past two decades, there has been an increase in the numbers of men going out to buy sex with young women and children around the globe. According to Dr. Teela Sanders, a senior lecturer at the University of Leeds and the author of Paying for Pleasure: Men Who Buy Sex, nearly one in three men will buy sex at some point in his life.

It is necessary to bring awareness about human trafficking to the men of Elder High School. The Elder community needs to join in helping to put an end to this crime and raise awareness. Elder students need to realize that they are a part

of the solution. Students can help prevent human trafficking by educating themselves on human trafficking and how to notice red flags that might indicate that someone is being trafficked. Some red flags for identifying victims of human trafficking are people who are rarely alone, have an escort at all times when in public, show signs of poor health and hygiene, have few or no personal possessions, are secretive about where they live, show signs of depression, or have a lack of freedom. Men can also discourage others from using pornography, visiting strip clubs, buying a stripper as “entertainment” and other activities that are demeaning to women.

If you suspect someone to be a victim of human trafficking, you should call the National Human Trafficking Hotline number at 1-888-3737-888. To report suspected human trafficking in the Greater Cincinnati Area, the hotline number is 513-800-1863. All calls can remain anonymous.

The female body should not be something that a man can buy or own.

Real men do not pay for sex.

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Nigerian girls kidnapped Charlie Sehlhorst ‘15 Staff Writer

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n Nigeria on April 15, it was reported that over 200 students were taken by gunmen during the middle of the night. They were abducted by Boko Haram militants. Many Nigerian citizens and critics are very unsupportive with the way the Nigerian government has handled the situation. It took them days to officially respond to the events.

Most of the information that has been received regarding how many people were abducted and what was happening to the kids was given by various children who managed to escape. Within a day, most of the girls found a way to escape or were freed but eight girls were still missing. This report was later deemed as false and learned that there are still many more girls in the hands of the Boko Haram.

On May 1, Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, sent out a video looking and acting as if he was under the influence of drugs and announced that he planned on selling the students as “slaves” in the market. After this, parents and Nigerian officials really started to become concerned and have set out to aggressively tackle this problem.

Nigeria is prepared to battle the Boko Haram.

Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan, understands that Nigeria has a problem with security and is asking for the help and support of other countries to help find these students and bring the Boko Haram to justice.

The immediate support of many countries was clear throughout the world, including the support of America and specifically the Obama family.

“This unconscionable act was committed by a terrorist group determined to keep these girls from getting an education – grown men attempting to snuff out the aspirations of young girls,” said First Lady, Michelle Obama. “I want you to know that Barack has directed our government to do everything possible to support the Nigerian government’s efforts to find these girls and bring them home.”

It is frightening for any parent to imagine losing their children. Many countries and people are supporting the cause out of malice for the families of the children.

“In these girls, Barack and I see our own daughters. We see their hopes, their dreams, and we can only imagine the anguish their parents are feeling right now,” Mrs. Obama said.

The people of Nigeria will continue to roll on and try to bring the children the justice they deserve, and the support will continue to come from other countries.

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Features

Summer time fun Rawley Cook ‘15 Back Page Editor

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ummer is nearly here, and students at Elder can barely contain their excitement.

Summer is a time that kids are free from the stress of school, but what do they spend their time doing? Let’s take a look at some of the best summer activities.

Fishing Fishing is a classic summer time activity. Whether it’s in a pond in your backyard or at a real lake, there are few things more relaxing than sitting in the cool summer sun with a line in the water and not a care in the world. Junior Louis Faillace, an avid fisherman, said he is greatly looking forward to this.

“Some of the best memories of my summers have been sitting lakeside with my friends fishing and just messing around. It’s great to not have to worry about school and just have fun and hopefully catch some big fish in the process,” said Faillace.

Swimming Swimming is obviously one of the

Some of the best memories of my summers have been sitting lakeside with my friends fishing and just messing around.

great summer pastimes. When the hot summer sun hits Cincinnati, there’s nothing better than taking a dip in a nice pool. It doesn’t matter if it’s a local swimming pool or the swimming pool at a friend’s house, messing around in the pool with your friends is one of the best parts of summer. Junior Michael Klopp said that the great thing about swimming is there are a bunch of things you can do in a pool.

“Pool basketball is one of my favorite things to do at the pool, but my friends and I will also play pool baseball, or just mess around doing tricks on the diving board.

It doesn’t really matter what we do, just playing around in the pool in the summer always means it will be a great time,” said Klopp.

Boating Boating is becoming more and more popular around these parts, with people taking visits to the likes of Norris Lake or Lake Cumberland. It’s a great way to spend a day, out on a boat cruising through the waters on a beautiful summer day. That’s not all you can do though; there is wakeboarding, water skiing, and, a favorite among Elder students, tubing. Evan Deller, a frequent visitor to Norris Lake, says he wouldn’t want to spend his summers anywhere else.

“The best part about summer is a get to spend a bunch of time at my lake house down in Norris. I love just being

Friday May 23, 2014

Putin continues controversy

Louis Faillace shows off the form that often nets him the catch of the day.

out on the water, no matter what I am doing. It’s also a lot of fun when I get to bring my friends down and show them how to wakeboard and other fun things on the water,” said Deller.

These are just a few of the great summer pastimes, and there are millions of great ways to spend your summer. The best thing about all the activities though, is doing them without the stress of school, which makes them that much more enjoyable.

Will Brueggemeyer ‘15 Staff Writer Vladimir Putin, Russia’s controversial president, has recently passed a number of questionable laws.

Along with crisis in the Ukraine, Putin’s recent actions have hurt Russia’s reputation with the rest of the world, as well as within his country.

However, he doesn’t seem to care.

It all started with Russia’s anti-gay propaganda law passed almost a year ago.

While it doesn’t explicitly mention homosexuality, it targets “non-traditional sexual relations,” and its main usage has been for materials they found pro-homosexual.

The passage of these laws brought a great deal of worldwide attention to the situation of homosexuals in Russia, and caused a great deal of controversy.

Now, Putin has taken it up a notch with a series of new laws that seem a little totalitarian in nature. Most of these new laws deal with restricting free speech, from “homosexual propaganda” to profanity to internet restrictions.

Putin’s most recent law passed limits the usage of swearing in books, films, and music. Any film that contains bad language will not be able to be shown at theaters, and any physical media with swearing will have to be in a protective bag that says “contains obscene language.”

Individuals caught using foul language will be fined. Average citizens will be

Friday May 23,, 2014 charged roughly 70 dollars, officials 40 dollars, and businesses up to 1400. The law will go into effect as soon as July 1.

While this law was intended to “clean up” Russia, it will hardly be seen as such.

Many critics call it just another step in Putin’s attempts to limit freedom of expression.

Also notable is the passage of a bill that will allow the government to place restrictions on Russian websites and gather data of users’ personal information. This is kind of ironic, coming from the person who initially caused the internet to spread throughout Russia.

All of these somewhat Orwellian reforms bring up the question of Russia’s future. Putin undoubtedly has ties to the former USSR, seeing as he was a high-ranking official in the KGB before the dissolution of the Soviet Union. We can only hope Putin isn’t thinking of reuniting the old regime.

Putin enjoying an average Sunday afternoon.

Features

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Williams and Murphy honored as tops in the class of 2014 Nick Rackers ‘15 Staff Writer

A t the 2014 Elderfest Mass, the top 20 ranked seniors in the class of 2014 were commended for their academic achievements. Among those students were valedictorian JT Williams and salutatorian Michael Murphy, who have joined the ranks of exemplary scholars of Elder High School’s history. In an interview, JT and Michael shared their thoughts on Elder and their college plans.

“What does it mean to you to be Elder’s salutatorian?”

Michael: “I am proud and honored to be my class’ salutatorian. It is a privilege to be recognized for the last four years of hard work and to help represent Elder’s academics.”

“What does it mean to be Elder’s valedictorian?”

JT: “I am very proud to be this years’ valedictorian. I feel honored to be able to speak to our class this year at graduation.”

“Do you think that sometimes Elder’s academic excellence is overlooked in favor of its athletic accomplishments? If so, what do you think about that?”

Michael: “I think Elder has a rich history in both athletics and academics.

While Elder is most renowned for The Pit and the excellent tradition of the many sports here, I don’t think that takes anything away from academics. Each aspect has its place in the school.”

JT: “I suppose Elder’s academic excellence is sometimes overlooked in favor of its athletic accomplishments.

Elder has obviously achieved many accomplishments in both areas. However, I think that what makes Elder special is not its athletic or academic accomplishments, but its tradition and sense of community.”

“What college are you going to and what do you plan on studying?

What career do you have in mind?”

Michael: “I am attending the University of Cincinnati and plan to study Industrial Management with a minor in Spanish. After college, I hope to start my own business.”

JT: “I will be attending Washington and Lee University and studying economics. I am not really sure what I want to do career wise, but possibly business analytics or economic policy.”

The Top of the Class: JT Williams and Michael Murphy.

“As a graduating senior, is there any advice you have for the underclassmen?”

Michael: “Take advantage of your remaining time here at Elder. Don’t miss an opportunity to get involved in a sport, club, or whatever you like because you’ll be graduating before you know it.”

JT: “My piece of advice to underclassmen is to enjoy every minute of your time at Elder. As everyone else has told you it flies by. I would also advise people to do what makes them happy and not what other people want them to do. I would suggest not choosing a major or career based on money, but on what truly interests you.”

Features

Best excuses for absences/tardiness

3D printing promises change for the future Robert Ellerhorst ‘15 Staff Writer

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n May 9th, Cincinnati got a big dose of the 3D Printing phenomenon when the downtown public library opened up a printer to the public to try out for free.

If you’ve never heard of 3D printing before, many are calling it “the future” and saying “the next big thing is here”.

Instead of spraying toner on paper like a normal printer, the 3D printer actually creates layer upon layer of material that eventually take the form of the object you are printing.

Currently printing is only restricted to small objects to the public, but other people are thinking big. American designers are working on 3D printed cars, while China is creating 3D printed houses, and England has even 3D printed a hamburger.

The limits are seemingly endless as to what the printer could potentially create. Printers currently can create items out of resin, wood, plastic, metal, and many different objects have been created using the revolutionary technology.

A few examples of the amazing things that have already been produced with 3D Printers include: clothing, shoes, guitars, wheelchair ramps, custom music boxes, custom jewelry, fighter jet parts, and even actual earth soil.

One of the most amazing things 3D printing can do it can even create flesh and bones for people who need them to survive.

Recently a 14-month old’s life was saved when a 3D printed heart was created for him, and a man created a prosthetic hand for his son using the printer, as opposed to surgery that could have cost thousands of dollars.

There has been much debate about the pros and cons of 3D printing, with solid arguments made for both sides.

The pro side of 3D printing is that manufacturing would cost much less than traditional manufacturing labor, with less materials being used as a result. There have also been reports that printing would cause a revolution in medicine, with patients being able to print their own medication from their own homes.

Another awesome part of 3D printing is that you can customize pretty much whatever you want to print. It’s

Friday May 23,, 2014

sort of like how you can go on the Nike website and customize your own pair of shoes, only with the printer it can be anything you want in any style you want.

The cons of 3D printing include the unemployment that could result from the advancements made. China could be a huge loser due to its dependency on cheap manufacturing jobs. Construction workers could be in jeopardy due to 3D printing actual buildings, and it could finish off the farming industry due to its ability to print food items. Another bad side of 3D printing would be that it would be almost impossible to determine whether an a printed copyright item was counterfeit or not, like with the Nike shoes it would be impossible to determine whether they were real or not.

One of the biggest talked about cons of 3D printing is the potential production of 3D printed firearms, and the effect that they could have.

Recently downloadable blueprints surfaced on the internet for a working plastic gun that could simply be created using the printer. Over one hundred thousand downloads of the blueprints were made before they were taken down, and recently a man in Japan was arrested for possessing five 3D printed guns, two of which could shoot actual bullets.

Since 3D printed guns are made of plastic, new laws have been passed to prevent them from slipping past security, including one law that modernizes the Undetectable Firearms Act, requiring the guns to have a metal strip to make them visible to metal detectors.

I think that the early criticisms that 3D printing should just be expected; if some new technology we’re not used to is suddenly thrust into our faces then of course we’re going to be skeptical about it.

As time goes by, I think, we will see how truly amazing the printer really is and soon enough we will all have our own 3D printer, just like we have our normal printer on our desktop.

Eventually the printer will become a normal part of everyday life and we will fall in love all

Nate Wuest and Alex Reid ‘14 Staff Writers

Mrs. Weil, Mrs. Coffaro, and student office worker Matthew Listerman provided us with some of the funnier excuses they have heard this year and in recent years. The top excuses, in no order are listed below.

“Had to wait for clothes to dry.”

“I’m not even going to make an excuse for him.”

“Wanted to stop at McDonalds before school.”

“Severe foot rash.”

“Got out of bed, got dressed, sat on bed, fell asleep.”

“Thought it was Sunday.”

“Thought there was a 2-hour delay.” (in April) “Sun burnt.”

“Lied to parents about no school.”

T

hroughout the years here at Elder, there have been many great excuses for either absences or tardiness. We have had the chance to talk to some of the office workers here at Elder High School to hear some of the best excuses they have experienced. Mr. Ruffing even told us one story that involved two students who called and said they were in a car accident, but that it was not bad and they would be into school soon. However, the students did not arrive until around 10 o’clock. When asked where they were, they both gave different stories that did not match up. Mr. Ruffing had them come together to get to the bottom of this. One of the students had said they were getting gas at a gas station on Glenway, but the other said they were getting gas on Delhi Pike.

“It was just funny seeing them argue with each other on what their story was,” Mr. Ruffing said.

2014’s Master of the tardy slip, Mark Wandstrat.

photo by Nathan Wuest

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over again with the next big thing that comes out.

Make plans to head to the public library downtown sometime soon, and check out the next amazing thing technology has to offer, and something that eventually will become a normal of our lives somewhere down the road.

Crashing Elderfest for the arrest. by Nathan Bischoff ‘14

Features

Friday May 23,, 2014

Are the Clippers sailing off to Cincinnati?

Steven Maurer ‘14 Features Editor

T

here have been some rumblings recently about the Clippers leaving Los Angeles after the controversy with their owner, Mr. Sterling. Some locals have even been hoping for the Clips to come to The Queen City.

There is a big market for basketball here in Cincinnati. The Cincinnati Bearcats and the Xavier Musketeers draw huge crowds for their games, and the Crosstown Shootout is one of the best rivalries in all college basketball. High school games are also big draws, and multiple players from the area have gone on to play in the pros, including Lance Stephenson and David West, who both play for the Indiana Pacers.

Johnathan Reiter, who wrote an article on this topic for the Quill earlier this school year, said that he thinks that having a team here would be great.

“I think we could. We already have US Bank Arena. We could also split cost between two counties and put a new arena off the Kings Island exit in Mason,” he said. When I asked Reiter if he would go to a game, he said, “I would go to at least one game a year in the nosebleeds, just to see how the team’s doing.”

One of the criticisms against having pro basketball downtown is the current arena situation. Both US Bank Arena and the Cincinnati Gardens are outdated, and renovating either would be costly and lengthy. Even with a renovation, US Bank can’t hold more than 15,000 fans, which is 5,000 less than the average NBA arena capacity.

While researching for this article, I had the opportunity to talk to Wildman Walker, a local radio host on Class X Radio who used to have season tickets for the Cincinnati Royals, the city’s only professional basketball team. He talked about some of his best memories from them.

“I had really good seats, from 1969 to 1972 I was in like the fourth row on the sideline, and I was up close watching these guys. I got to see the best players in the world at the time. I saw Pete Maravich, The Big O, of course, Willis Reed, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Walt Frazier, Elgin Baylor, I saw all those guys from back in the day,” Wildman said. “Unfortunately, the last two years that I went to Royals games,

there was hardly anybody there because of management. Bob Cousy, the coach, and the general manager basically just came in here to ruin the franchise, and they succeeded, because they went out of here in March of 1972.”

Wildman also talked about why the Royals were never really successful.

“The problem with the Royals, when they came here and even when they left, they never had a center. We played in a division with the Celtics, and every year, we had to go up against Russell. We had nobody that could really defend Russell.

I mean, we could score, but defending some of those guys, we just didn’t have a center that could go up against and shut down the Celtics. They had some great battles out there. One time in the late 60’s, they were averaging 6-7,000 fans a game. That’s a lot of people. If you get 6,000 at the Gardens, for any event, it sounds like there’s 15,000 in there. So it wasn’t like the fans didn’t go out to see

7 them play. When they started dismantling the franchise, they traded Oscar, and then they traded Jerry Lucas, and you could see the end was near. The last game that was played there, there was like 2,000 people,” he said.

Wildman shared one of his favorite memories from the team as well.

“I attended the last game that the Royals played (at home)-they won-but the last game they ever played was at old Cleveland Arena against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and I went up for that game,” Wildman remembered. “And after the game, because Nate Archibald scored 45 points, he didn’t wanna wait around for the plane, and he asked me and my buddy if he could ride home with us. So we drove Nate Archibald all the way back to Cincinnati, and dropped him off at the airport.”

The Royals were a big draw, averaging 4,478 fans per game throughout their tenure here, which is pretty good for the 1960’s. Cincinnati would be able to enjoy an NBA team, and we would have the opportunity to see players like Chris Paul, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Dwight Howard every other night.

The Clippers wouldn’t move to Cincinnati. Although they have to share a court with the Lakers, the team is worth more than $500 million, which is in the top half of the league in net worth. Los Angeles has been kind to them, and their recent success has brought even more revenue. Although it would be amazing to have professional basketball here in Cincinnati, we may never see it again.

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Senior Reflections

It was a good run Andrew Cole ‘14 Sports Editor

I

sat there with my parents that August evening with 260 other students and their parents. My eyes were focused on the numerous speakers that came up and spoke on Elder’s behalf, giving us tips and what we should expect in our next four years. I watched as Tom Otten slowly walked up to the podium in his purple suit jacket and he started to speak.

He said, “Your son is coming into Elder a boy, but he will leave a man.” He went on to say, “One of the few things Elder can’t offer is time, and this will be the fastest four years of your life, but get involved and do something with the time you have, because it will move fast.”

He was right.

I sit here entrenched in my thoughts about Elder and all I can think about is going back instead of just looking forward.

This was the best four years of my life and it’s hard to believe that it’s come to an end.

When they said senior year would be the best, and they were right again. I somehow made it through Lifestyles without ripping my hair out and was one of the few that didn’t lose their dignity to Coach Nie’s Pre-Calc class. School this year was more of a place to hang out; everything was on cruise control and got to chill with my friends all year before we all leave for the next challenge. I thank all my teachers for putting up with my extremely vulgar sarcastic comments and not just teaching, but instilling values in me that I can use for the

rest of my life.

When I think about the memories I made here at Elder, sports obviously comes to mind. I remember the 9-0 Lancers my freshman year – once in a blue moon they toss together a good football team – they thought they could win a game in The Pit for the first time in 15+ years. They had us.

They were winning by at least 20 towards the end of the third quarter, until junior Ian Gunn snagged a pick-six commencing one of the greatest comebacks in football I’ve ever seen. It ended with an overtime kick by then freshman Matt Murray. I remember how we got the screw on a time-out call by Miami Central right before the field goal that could have won us the game. I remember beating the soon-to-be state champions Moeller in the regular season junior year, and the insane Colerain playoff game which we were five feet away in a kick from winning. My friends and I got to lead the cheering section against X and I remember Chris Schroer and company tearing apart defenses.

The Cruel Reality

This special love I From the heart of Steven Maurer ‘14 Elder High School, it’s time for me to leave these sacred halls. I can’t believe that it’s been four school years already.

Through my best and my worst, Elder has been a constant factor in my life.

Elder has taught me how to strive for the higher things.

One of my favorite memories from my Elder career was beating LaSalle earlier this year in basketball. We were down by more than 20 points late in the game, and the Lancers thought they had the win in the bag, and their fans were leaving, sure of a victory. The boys fought back, though, and regained the lead; Elder pulled it out and won, 62-58.

The team pulled a win from the jaws of defeat, and never gave up. With the support of Elder Nation, they clawed and fought their way back.

That support from the Elder Nation shows me what it means to be a Panther.

I may graduate and leave Elder, but Elder will always be here to support us. I can

Patty’s journey Chris Henkel ‘14 Co-editor in Chief Moderator’s note: Co-editor in Chief Chris Henkel chose to focus his senior “reflection” on the senior year and life-changing experiences of his classmate and friend, Josh Patty.

J ust over a month ago, on April 21st, 2014, Elder senior Josh Patty turned six

Lee Lutz ‘14 Opinion Editor

T

he reality is finally sinking in that my days at Elder High School are coming to an end. All the seniors want school to be over and are ready for summer but not everyone has really taken the time to face the fact that we will not be coming back for another school year at this fine establishment. We are lucky enough to get four years at this utopia, but sadly enough it must come to an end.

The emotions of a senior leaving Elder are hard to describe. On one hand you are ready to go to college and get on with your life, but on the other you don’t really want to leave. These four years at Elder have, by far, been the best four of my life. The lessons, values, friends, and experiences that have come from this place are irreplaceable and priceless.

Despite not being able to physically attend Elder I feel like I will never truly leave this place. The phrase “Tradition Never Graduates” is something that gets thrown around a lot here at Elder. I never really thought too much about it until this last month of school, and what I came up with is you can take the man out of Elder but you can’t take Elder out of the man.

The ideas that I have formed over my four years will always be a part of me.

No matter what I do with the rest of my life I will always have the memories and traditions passed on to me through Elder High School.

Elder is the greatest place on Earth; that much I know. And if any of you underclassmen think you can’t wait to get out of here and go to college I will refer you to the good words of Billy Madison: “Don’t you say that. Don’t you ever say that. Stay here. Stay here as long as you can. For the love of God, cherish

There were the times pre-gaming for football and basketball games with the boys that I will remember for the rest of my life.

Those types of memories along with the rowdy Tuesday night Oak Hills’ basketball games are what Elder and its sports teams are all about. We don’t always have the best talent, but we find ways to win.

That’s what we do here.

But it’s not the sports teams that make Elder so great. It’s what goes with it.

It’s Elder- a word that only a student and their family can understand. We can’t explain it, we just live it. There’s so much more than a high school and its sports teams. It’s a community. Although we live “in” Cincinnati, we live “through” Elder.

Elder is finite in a sense of schooling, but it is infinite in a sense of place. This is where we can come back when we finally hit the real world. Everyone graduates from Elder. They just don’t forget where they came from.

Thank you all for reading my articles this year in The Quill. It was a good run here at Elder, and I’ll be back soon enough.

Friday May 23, 2014

it. You have to cherish it.” For the love of God guys cherish it, because one day in the not so distant future it’s going to be you who is about the graduate.

Have as much fun as you can while you’re here, create memories, and embrace the culture of this school. Do whatever you can to make your time here last as long as you can. Hell, fail all your classes, repeat a year, despite the lectures and possible a** kicking from your parents I’m sure it’ll be worth it. The bottom line is do what you got to do to make your time last, because it will run out.

I’m graduating at the end of the month and it’s blowing my mind. So seize the day, don’t let opportunities pass you by, give as much back to this school as you can, and never stop striving for the higher things. Altiora, gentlemen.

months old. His is a story fit for a newspaper; a 17-year old with mountains ahead of him almost loses his life, leaving so many loved ones, and so many of his years unseen.

It was a week before the start of his last season of high school swimming, this year as a senior captain. Pre-season conditioning was almost over, and they would hit the water at UC in just a week. At Elder that week the team would meet and get physically ready for the upcoming winter in the pool.

The team warmed up with laps around the field, and different stretches and exercises got them going. After doing different workouts, and running steps in the pit, Josh led the guys up to the weight room. Jump training followed lifting, and the plyometric workouts had them going.

An exercise called rock star hops was the last thing Josh remembers.

“Some people said I asked my coach if I could sit down, but he said he didn’t remember that. I just fell where I was at and collapsed,” Patty recalled.

“Then, just lights out.”

He was in bad shape the first time I saw him.

Josh was on the ground, his heart stopped. He was dead.

From what he remembers being told, he had no pulse for one minute and 40 seconds. Coach John Book was there, and was the first one at his side. He told someone to go get help, and called 911 himself. If his coach would’ve hesitated to call for just seconds; the outcome could’ve been different.

Elder’s Athletic trainer Aimee Bruketa was in her office in the field house unusually late that Monday night, because the soccer team was practicing on the turf for the state tournament, and happened to be in her

office just by luck.

“I checked his pulse three or four times – I was getting nothing,” said Bruketa.

The fact that Aimee was there to assess the situation, and to take the first steps so that when the paramedics got there they could get right to what they needed to do, was another reason Josh is still here today.

The paramedics arrived within five minutes, just as…

“I helped them roll him over, and then got out of their way so they could work.

They worked on him for a while,” Bruketa said.

Josh was rushed to University Hospital and upon arrival was placed in a 48 hour induced coma to preserve his bodily functions, and put on ice – his body temperature brought down to 92 degrees.

“They did blood work and a bunch of different tests,” Josh recalls. (He was told by his mom what happened while he was out) Once he woke up, they just kept testing to find out what was wrong with this 17 year-old swimmer and tennis player.

“They did a CT scan, MRI’s – a bunch of those, and an EKG scan, which I thought was the craziest.”

Still all that is known is that Josh suffered from sudden cardiac death. Of the people this happens to – only eight percent survive.

Open heart surgery was avoided, and a defibrillator was surgically placed in his chest, connecting to his heart and ensuring

Senior Reflections

Friday May 23, 2014

I have for you, Elder always come back and be welcomed by the students and teachers at this wonderful institution.

I’m a big fan of Breaking Bad, and in the show’s final episode, as the camera panned out, the song ‘Baby Blue’ by Badfinger played during the final seconds of the episode and through the credits.

While its popularity is solely because of the show, some of the lyrics perfectly portray my feelings toward leaving Elder.

Guess that’s all I have to say Except the feeling just grows stronger every day Just one thing before I go Take good care, baby, let me know, let it grow The special love you have for me, my Dixie, dear.

My feeling for Elder grows stronger every day, and I am so sad to be leaving.

I hope that I’ve left a good mark on Elder, as it has left a good mark on me.

he’ll stick around.

“I don’t really remember much from the hospital, it all was just sitting in that same room. People were always visiting, trying to see what was going on.”

He was released after 12 days, and now, about six months after he came home for the first time in his second life – he prepares with his friends to embark on the trip of a life time.

“If you get two lives, you might as well enjoy them both.” This is my favorite Patty quote, and the one I remember when people ask how he’s doing.

On June 1, Josh along with four friends will leave for two and a half weeks, driving from Cincinnati to a first stop in Northern California, hiking the untouched coast of Gold Bluff’s beach, and Redwood National Forest. He will venture then to Lake Tahoe, Yosemite National Park, Sequoia and King’s Canyon National Park, Zion National Park, and everything we find in between.

“I realized that you gotta take advantage of every day you got because, one day you could just drop dead. So many loose ends, so many gaps to fill,” Patty said.

“Maybe God kept me here to fill those gaps.”

Thanks to Patty, there are now AED’s in the weight room and the Schaeper Center as well. Josh recently attended the Cincinnati Firefighters Banquet recently to honor the men and women who save his, and many other lives.

In his new life he got to lead a Kairos, and tell his story. Also, in the time he was given, he decided to build a tree house with his friends.

If there’s one thing to get out of high school, it’s a friend.

And that’s what I found in my best friend, Josh Patty. If there is one thing I can wake up and be thankful for it’s that he is still alive, and he has the chance to see the wonders and the beauty of the world with me and our friends, and hold his baby nephew, and hug his mother. And that is all that matters.

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“How do you go on…”

Sean Feldman ‘14 Arts and Entertainment Editor

O

The worst thing about Elder is that they make you leave after four years.

Mr. Ploehs loves to say, “There are two kinds of people in this world: Those who went to Elder, and those who wish they went to Elder.” I recently realized how lucky I have been to attend Elder, and how proud I am to be joining the numerous alumni who have walked these halls, some of who have gone on to great things like FOX News, the NFL, Cincinnati businesses, and so much more.

I hope that every student from now on who walks these halls takes care of this sacred place. I hope they realize how lucky they are to call themselves Elder Panthers. I hope the teachers always see the light in a student’s eyes. I hope that my fellow seniors will stay close, and remember their roots. I hope that when I come back to Elder, the spirit will have grown even stronger, and that our school will be even better than I left it.

Don’t cry because it’s over; smile because it happened. Altiora, my friends.

An honest reflection

Nick Antone ‘14 Co-editor in Chief

I

could start this reflection by rattling off clichés like “this was the best four years of my life” or “I will miss my brothers,” but I will refrain. If this isn’t the first senior reflection that you’ve read in this edition you’re probably grateful.

What I will say is that in the past four years I’ve truly found out who I am and the type of person I long to be. Whether or not going to Elder has anything to do with that is a serious question that I ponder quite frequently. Regardless, I’ve observed a lot just from walking these halls for the past four years.

In all honesty I am not sad to leave Elder in the least bit. Sure, I’ve met some great people here that I never thought I would cross paths with, but this only means I’m bound to meet even more wonderful people as my life continues.

Maybe this is why I have a hard time relating to the notion around here of having to keep the Elder name at the center of everything one does post-graduation; this school is a mere snap shot of my life not some higher power to constantly be worshipped .

Furthermore, I can’t leave this school without openly making known my disgust towards the high level of conformity that is infecting the student body.

There’s a “love it or leave it” mentality that seems to have swept over the majority of people- the reaction towards my fel-

ne of my absolute favorite quotes from one of my absolute favorite authors, J.R.R. Tolkien, sums up how I feel about the end of my senior year: “How do you go on, when in your heart you begin to understand there is no going back?”

Starting at Elder, all I wanted was to “go back”. High School was a big and scary thing and I would have given anything to go back to elementary school, where I was top dog as an eighth grader and where I was comfortable.

High School was such a major jolt in my life because I was not used to being a part of something so big, something as big as Elder.

The sheer number of people was enough to get me feeling uncomfortable; my eighth grade class consisted of twenty-two students, whereas my incoming freshman class consisted of two hundred eighty.

Getting settled in and comfortable at Elder took all of my Freshman and Sophomore years. By that time I had a group of friends, I had found my niche in the music department, and the campus itself was a familiar, comfortable, place where I could feel at home.

But just as I began to feel comfortable at Elder, I was a junior in high school, and I only had two more years to get the most out of my time at Elder.

You try and try to take advantage of every little moment you have here, just as you try to savor every last morsel of your favorite food, or every minute of your favorite movie, or every note of your favorite song, before it is gone, over, finished.

At one point, I just had to accept that my time at Elder was indeed coming to a low co-editor’s article was the epitome of that mentality. So I guess if there’s one wish I have upon my departure it’s to tone it down with this conformity and embrace a little bit of individuality here and there. Believe it or not, it’s okay to think about things on your own before making decisions, and it makes life a hell of a lot easier.

What’s extremely mind-boggling to me is the fact that this will be my last article for the Quill. Maybe that’s why I didn’t turn in on time (sorry Mr. Rogers).

If there’s anything I will remember most from school it will be how my love for writing took a new direction when I started writing for this paper last year. At times the work seemed monotonous, but nonetheless, it was an amazing and unique experience. I truly hope that some of my words struck a chord with a few students and maybe even inspired a few to write themselves. I’ve always seen writing as a beautiful thing for two reasons: 1. literally ANYTHING can and

close, and had to accept that there was no use in trying to slow down time.

The advice that I will give to underclassmen should sound very familiar: If you find that you are struggling to fit in or make friends, always remember to be yourself, and getting involved in organizations with Elder is a surefire way to have a fulfilling high-school experience.

As my time at Elder comes to its close, it will certainly be hard to move on and start fresh at a new school in the fall, but this change has always been inevitable, I just never expected it to go so quickly. I am now asking myself the question “How do I go on?”, when just four years ago I was asking myself, “How I could go back?” will be written about. 2. Humans will never run of words to describe all of those subjects. Although I can’t say I see myself writing for a newspaper or anything like that in the future, I will never forget the true power of the pen and plan on always writing about al l that I observe.

Like I stated before, graduation is not an end but a beginning. Next year I will be attending the University of Northern Kentucky, and where life takes me from there is yet to be determined.

This doesn’t bother me at all like it used to; I’m not one to be opposed to a little change every now and then. All I can hope is that I somehow change the world before I leave it. How I will go about this is something that I need to truly figure out, but I know it’ll come to me one day.

So here’s to progression and making a difference- who’s with me?

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Sports

Friday May 23, 2014

48 miles later Peter Aguilera ’14 Staff Writer

N

earing the end of my eighth grade year, I had no clue where I’d be heading for high school. I had considered a few different campuses, but Elder was a school completely foreign to me.

Friends of mine had boasted about the school’s history and a couple of seniors at that time claimed that attending Elder was the greatest decision they had ever made. Thus, I decided to shadow and investigate the legend for myself.

Being one of the last days of the school year my visit as a shadow was not the most eventful. However, when I strolled into the cafeteria for “Y” lunch, the decision to attend Elder became a no brainer. Sloppy fries were the main course that day, which, after nine years of public school, where the most beautiful lunch item I had ever witnessed.

Four years later I must say it was definitely a bit of risk making such a significant decision based on a lunch menu.

Nonetheless, it turned out to be the right one.

At first glance one could easily assume that athletics and other extracurricular activities are the core of this school, but a semester with any of Elder’s teachers unveil the true cornerstone of Elder High School; the faculty.

There is no doubt that the respect for our school’s tradition, discipline, commitment, and unbreakable work ethic of Elder’s student body derive from its dedicated staff.

As a senior I could easily list eighteen or nineteen faculty and staff mem-

Robert Ellerhorst ‘15 Staff Writer

bers who have had a drastic influence on my perspective, though four in particular have stood out the most. Day after day I have been amazed by the passion and zeal with which Mr. Roger Rosen, Mr. Jason Ahlers, Mrs. Julie Brandel and Mr. Michael Boeing handle their classes with.

I can honestly say that my experience at this school would not have been anywhere near as memorable without them.

Moving forward, I urge every Panther to make the most of his time at this great school, as you get what you put into it. I, and just about just about every alumnus who has ever walked the legendary halls of Elder will agree; four years at Elder High School fly by way to fast.

Have you ever had an interest in being a world famous writer?

Has journalism ever struck you as an interesting career choice? Have you ever wanted your work to be read all over Elder High School? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you’re in luck, because Elder is currently enrolling for its journalism class for the 2014-2015 school year.

Just reading this newspaper write now proves that this class can help you get your name out there and eventually make a name for yourself in the journalism field.

This class is something that all aspiring writers should consider taking, because not only do you get to choose what you write about, but you will get all sorts of feedback on how to improve your writing.

I sat down with our very own Mr. Rogers and asked him why he personally felt that this class was worth taking; “If you’re interested in writing, this class gives the practice of writing every

day. The class has developed into a class where you really work. It’s more like a job. With many journalistic jobs today you write online or on a blog because that’s where the market is heading.

There’s no other class at Elder where your writing can be seen by anyone in the world. We go on online every two weeks. Our print issue gets seen by thousands. It’s a big deal to write for The Quill. It’s the oldest continuously run high school newspaper in Cincinnati.”

“Writing for a deadline is one thing, and it is different that writing a research paper. You need to learn how to get accurate quotes, learn to paraphrase people, and learn how to write a good lead, because people will decide in three seconds whether they will read your story or not. The lead quote is like a thesis statement, but it has to be more compelling, and cause people to read your story.

Another thing you can learn online is how to do your own digital images, how to do upload polls, and add features to your stories to make them as interactive as what you find online every day.

“There have been many Purple Quill writers who have gone on to do big things. There’s Joel Beall. He writes a fantasy sports column for Fox Sports and is an Elder graduate. There’s also TJ Lasita, who was a Purple Quill editor in 2001-2002, who is now working in the front office of the Arizona Diamondbacks. We also have Ben Klayer ‘12, a poet who has his own book published, Over the Hills, as well as Sam Kwiatowski ‘13, who gets paid to write a blog about UC football.”

Departing Quill writer Andrew Cole told me that this class really helped him develop his writing and boost his grades

Sports

Friday May 23, 2014 up, “It opened me up to a different style of writing that I like a lot better than a regular essay format. The atmosphere of the class is kind of laid back as long as you get your assignments done, and it really boosts your GPA.” What has this Journalism class taught you about writing and why would you recommend this class to an underclassman?

Our former news editor Nick Rackers said that Journalism would be a good class for those who love to write, “This class has allowed me to exercise my talent for writing. I’ve been told by teachers I’m a good writer and this class allows me to show it. Elder goes by pretty fast, so if you want to take journalism in college this would be really good experience.”

In my own words, this class has taught me something that you can’t learn anywhere else at Elder. It has taught me what it’s like to have a real life job and

11

the expectation it requires.

At the beginning of the school year Mr. Rogers made all of us sign a contract that we will get our articles done by certain dates and made the class seem more like a job than a normal class. At first I was kind of skeptical of the contract because I wasn’t used to a class with these kind of commitments, but as time went on, I really enjoyed the class and getting to write for The Purple Quill, and getting to show off my writing skills to the rest of the school.

If you’ve ever thought about writing as a career, or wanted to get some feedback for your writing skills, seriously consider signing up for the journalism course for the 2014-2015 school year and get in on the fun of this awesome class!

The Fastest Panther Dan Brown ‘14 Assistant Sports Editor

M ost high school kids favor the sports that are played on a field, diamond, or court.

Not Elder Senior Lance Wagner.

He prefers the race track and there is a reason for that.

“Racing has always been in my blood,” says Wagner, referring to his Grandfather, who started going races in the 1940’s. Among his favorites were the Indy 500 and the Hoosier 100. That’s not where the history ends, though. In the ‘70’s his father, Troy, owned a Sprint car.

A Sprint Car is similar to an Indy car, but it has a covered wing on top of it where the driver sits. Troy not only owned the Sprint Car, but he also drove it. However, after realizing how tough the competition was, he hired a driver.

Years later, he decided the car cost too much money and he decided to sell it.

Even though his father sold the Sprint Car it would not end his racing hobby. That is when Lance began to get into the driver’s seat.

For Lance, his love for race started at an early age.

“I grew up watching NASCAR and INDY car races, it is just something I always loved.” He started watching those races at an early age and grew up wit-

nessing racing legends such as Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson.

That lead to him worshipping Jeff Gordon for a long period of time and even dressing like him for Halloween.

Lance’s racing career began in 2011 when he got his own race car. He got a go-kart that has 28 horsepower and can reach 80 mph. Its official name is the Arrow X1E. That is known as a top-end go-kart in this sport.

The Go-Kart is also known as the “Touch and Go” because it is meant to be easier to work on than other types of GoKarts.

He races at G&J Kartway in Camden, Ohio for most of the season.

Racing greats Sam Hornish Jr., and Tony Stewart have raced there. Danica Patrick has raced there as well. Also on the schedule are tracks in Circleville, Ohio and New Castle, Indiana. He races in the Ohio Valley Carting Association. Anyone in the area can join it.

To join, all one has to do is sign a few papers and pay the fees. No racing experience is needed, but they don’t provide anyone with a go-kart. The racer has to provide that himself.

Lance did all of that and he was ready to race, but he had to get a few more things first. These things included a racing fire suit, helmet, gloves, neck brace, and racing shoes. Those are the essentials needed in order to race.

Despite, the elite-ness of the go-kart Lance’s career didn’t start off too well.

“There were a number of mechani-

Lance Wagner stands next to this year’s sprint car that has propelled him to fifth in the current standings despite an early accident.

cal problems,” said Wagner. Wheels came off, the engine had to be rebuilt, and the wheel camber was not correct.

There was also a steep learning curve. The series he is in would be equivalent to a NASCAR driver going straight to the Sprint Cup Series without any experience in the lower levels of racing. It was a tough league to start out in and Lance struggled a bit at first.

“Some guys I was racing against had been racing for 20 years,” said Wagner.

That is tough competition for a first-time racer.

His first full year didn’t end too well. He finished ninth in points out of twelve. He was realizing that it was a lot harder that he thought it would be.

“It was proof that just anybody can’t get in a race car and win…It’s not just making left turns.”

That offseason there would be changes. They got a new engine and a new chassis in hopes of making a faster go-kart.

It turns out those changes would work because they finished sixth in points that next year. Those weren’t the only factors to better results. The experience was the best thing to come out of years one and two.

This year didn’t get off to a great start, either. In the first race, a piece to tune the carburetor fell off and the engine

was flooded with fuel. Then, in the second race he got into a bad wreck on the first lap. It flattened the front bumper, but Lance was okay.

Despite a slow start, Lance would bounce back. He finished second in the third race and that would jumpstart his career.

He currently sits fifth in the standings, and that is amazing considering that awful start.

This is just the beginning of Wagner’s career and he already has high hopes for his future and has set some lofty goals.

“I hope to be like AJ Foyt and Mario Andretti and win the Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500,” said Wagner, referring to the only drivers in history to win both the biggest NASCAR and Indy car races.

As for now, Wagner says that he is the fastest panther at Elder. If you don’t think so, then he will gladly race you.

“Any time, any place, anywhere, and any car,” says Wagner with a smirk.

12

Sports

Friday May 23, 2014

Panthers take GCL Rawley Cook ‘15 Back Page Editor

F or the first time since 2006, the Elder Panthers are taking home the GCL Baseball Championship.

The Panthers won the GCL with a 7-2 conference record, with an overall record of 18-6. The Panthers closed out the conference season with a 1-0 victory over the LaSalle Lancers. They ended the season with series wins over each GCL South school, only falling to Moeller once and also to St. Xavier once.

Junior Shane Smith pitched a gem in the title-clinching game, going the first five innings without giving up a hit. In the sixth inning, the Lancers managed to get two hits, but the game was called before the inning could be finished. This was a fitting end to a spectacular season for Smith, who was recently named CoGCL Player of the Year.

This wasn’t a one man team though, in fact, every starter for the Panthers was named to either First or Second Team All-GCL. This was a team in every sense of the word. Junior catcher Sam Hauer said it was probably the key reason the team was able to have the success they did.

“This year, we were a great team.

We were all in it together with the same goal in mind and we were all willing to do whatever it took to accomplish our goal,” said Hauer, “From the starters to

guys who didn’t get to see the field much, everyone was always cheering each other on and picking each other up whenever we needed it. I think our togetherness was one of the biggest reasons we were able to accomplish our goal.” Hauer also added that this team wouldn’t have been such a close group without the help of the senior leadership.

Though the Panthers have achieved their goal of winning the GCL Title, they aren’t stopping there. “Now that we have won GCL, the next stop is to make a deep playoff run,” said Hauer. “And hopefully that playoff run ends with a state ring.”

The Panthers took a celebratory slide on the tarp after winning the GCL on a rainy Saturday.

Sports

Friday May 23, 2014

13

Nick Rackers ‘15 Staff Writer

T

o the horror of underclassmen, school starts again in three months.

The start of the new school year will be bitter, but no one can deny the sweetness of the start of the 2014 fall sports season.

Runners, football players, soccer players, and golfers alike will all be itching to compete again and the spectators will be eager to watch them. With the graduation of the seniors a few months prior, the returning athletes have big shoes to fill, but they don’t have a lack of talent either.

Cross Country After three months of early summer morning runs, the Purple Pack will be ready when they step on the starting line at the first meet. With the graduation of seniors such as Jonathan Reiter and Adam Gardner, the current juniors look to fill their spots as team leaders.

Coach Spencer has a good idea of who will be leading the Pack. “Well I’d say based on track performance and last year, Michael Huschart; he’s run 10:02 on the track, and Eric Huff. Eric has got his mile down to about 4:36, I believe. I hope they can lead the team to maybe be State qualifiers. Since we only lost by four points last year, that should be good motivation for us this year. I think they are pretty steady performers for us. They were pretty much top five runners all year and we expect them to do the same this year, but maybe a little further up,” said Coach Spencer.

Football After losing seniors such as Chris Schroer, Austin Cipriani, and Dustin Applegate, the varsity football team will have to rebuild during the summer to get ready for the 2014 season. After finishing

Football players Brad Murphy and Kyle Orloff..

all photos by Nick Rackers

Rising stars are set to shine in the 2014 fall sports season

Runners Eric Huff and Michael Huschart

with an 8-2 record in 2013, the pressure is on to continue the success, but the team has a vital core group of players. The team will be led by lineman Brad Murphy and linebacker Kyle Orloff.

Head coach Ramsey said, “I think our two captains Kyle Orloff and Brad Murphy will be very important to our success. We will be a pretty young and inexperienced team and will need their leadership. Both of these guys have started since their sophomore year.”

He also added, “Both players have been very productive for us. Kyle was first team GCL and honorable mention all-city.”

Soccer Even without seniors such as Sam Maciejewski, Josh Enginger, and Kory Hammann, Elder’s varsity soccer team will still be a force to be reckoned with in the next season.

Soccer player Sam Nick Pangallo.

Maciejewski explained, “I can’t really say with any certainty who will be the captains for next year. It is not my place to say, it is all up to the coaches. They look for a player(s) who will not only be leaders on the field, but also off.

However, I will say that Nick Pangallo does possess these qualities and was a consistent starter who added a lot to our team. Also, this year there is a possibility for a junior captain seeing as there were only three juniors on the team.”

It is true that the next varsity team will have a lot of young blood, along with young talent. “Joey Sabato, a potential GCL player of the year candidate and a junior, will be our best threat offensively. His quickness and low center of gravity make

him one of the hardest to defend in the whole city. Stephan Deutenberg, also a junior to be, will be returning from a terrible break in his arm last year that ended his season early. A team that underestimates his size will be greatly mistaken. Lastly, two other notable underclassmen, Lukas Deutenberg and Jake Helpinstein will greatly impact the squad. With seniors that started in front of them, they are sure to fill those spots nicely and add a little flavor to the mix,” said Maciejewski, a captain during the 2013 season.

Golf Too often overlooked in favor of the cross country, soccer, and especially football, golf deserves more recognition. With a skilled group of golfers, Elder varsity golf should hopefully have a successful 2014 season. The team will be led by captain senior Josh Rhoads.

Varsity B Coach Rogers said of Rhoads, “Josh has been on varsity since sophomore year with varying success. Last year he finished in the top seven of a B tournament at Windy Knoll, shooting a 75, but later in the season his results were mixed. I am now the caddy master at Western Hills Country Club and I can attest that Josh has been practicing very intensely this spring as I see him playing and at the driving range several times a week.”

The varsity team will be packed with additional talent as well. “The leader for this year’s team is expected to be Kurt Fortman.

Kurt has been on varsity since freshman year and Golf team captain last year as a Josh Rhoads sophomore, he had the lowest average on the team. Two other juniors next year who played all last year in the top five and are expected to have a fine averages are Mark Burger and Drew Schramm. Next fall, seniors Ernie Macke, Jeff Linneman and Aaron Held will also be counted on for good scores as leaders on the team with the most varsity experience,” added Coach Rogers.

Even though it is a whole summer away, the 2014 fall sports season will without a doubt be filled with talented athletes in cross country, football, soccer, and golf.

14

Arts & Entertainment

A generation rejoices Collin Schwiers ‘15

Staff Writer

For anyone stuck in the early 2000’s, you may officially rejoice because the apex of your childhood gaming is being remade. Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, the games that my generation grew up with are now being remade into Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.

For 11 years, fans of the Pokémon games have waited for Ruby and Sapphire to be remade. The majority of Pokémon players were born in the mid1990’s, so those gamers grew up with the games released between the original Pokémon Red and Blue up through Ruby and Sapphire.

Tommy Becker, Will Brueggemeyer and I are all excited to hear the news that the game of our childhood is being remade. Noah Mastruserio told me that he still had his original Pokémon Sapphire team saved because “It was just too nostalgic to delete”.

Tommy Becker (quite possibly the biggest Pokémon fan I know) has been staying up to date on all of the latest news concerning the game and is curious to know about the rumors surrounding the game.

For those of you who haven’t played the most recent generation of Pokémon, you wouldn’t know about the Pokémon mega evolutions. Mega evolutions are a final evolution form in which the

Pokémon holds a stone and the stone is activated during battle to improve the strength of the Pokémon.

One of the most controversial aspects of the new game will be whether or not the three starting Pokémon will mega evolve. Blaziken, the fire starter, already received a mega evolution in Pokémon X and Y, so the most likely answer is that the Pokémon will mega evolve, so we must wait and see.

Another aspect called into question will be whether or not new areas are going to be added to the map as was the case with the remakes of Gold and Silver.

No matter what the game turns out to be, millions of Pokémon fans will be anticipating its release and will be a hot topic in the gaming world for quite some time. Pokémon is a timeless game, but it is held in higher esteem when the game is one that the original generation of Pokémon fans grew up with.

Friday May 23, 2014

Gearing up for Battlefront

Peter Aguilera ’14 Staff Writer In October of 2012, a new era of science fiction juggernaut and marketing goldmine, Star Wars, was promised by Disney. With a buyout offer worth over four-billion dollars, Disney’s targets were rights to new Star Wars film productions. Accordingly, they also acquired the assets of video game publisher and former developer, LucasArts.

Responsible for a plethora of revolutionary titles such as Maniac Mansion, Star Wars: Tie Fighter, and Outlaws; LucasArts also developed a boatload of platinum hits including Star Wars: Republic Commando, Knights of the Old Republic, and, most notably, the Star Wars Battlefront series.

However, the titles being developed

by LucasArts at the time didn’t align with Disney’s business interests; resulting in the historic and radically innovative game developer being shut down in 2013.

Initially, Star Wars gamers were outraged with Disney as they had been awaiting the newly announced title Star Wars: 1313, and anticipating an installment in the Star Wars Battlefront series for almost eight years. Many skeptics pounced on the opportunity to doubt Disney’s command of the Star

Friday May 23, 2014 Wars franchise.

With the video game industry’s premier showcase event, E3, just around the corner, video game publisher Electronic Arts bought the rights to produce new Star Wars titles.

During EA’s press conference that June, President Frank Gibeau left E3’s audience roaring with a brief twenty second teaser revealing a new Battlefront.

Featuring a crashed snow speeder and the unmistakable stomp of an AT-AT on what appeared to be planet Hoth; the teaser also announced that EA’s top first person shooter developer, DICE, would be in charge of the project.

This was still a relief to fans of the Battlefront series since it closely resembled DICE’s Battlefield series. DICE had also recently released three best sellers in the Battlefield saga.

Following the trailer, EA did not release any more immediate news on Battlefront; though that didn’t stop hype from flooding through the Star Wars community; particularly the younger generations who had grown up with the first two games.

All seemed well and promising until DICE’s highly anticipated Battlefield 4

Arts & Entertainment hit the market.

Intended to be the foundation of DICE’s success on the next generation of consoles, the game turned out to be a flop. Countless issues hindered many of the game’s key features such as audio malfunctions, incorrect spawn locations, and flat out game crashes. These problems are enough to leave any Battlefront fan slightly nauseous; especially since many of these complications are still present six months later.

While skeptical fans are deeming these issues to be red flags, others have adopted the more optimistic mindset that Battlefield 4’s losses are Battlefront’s gains. Hopes are that encountering these complications now will ensure that Battlefront will play more smoothly as it is set run on the same engine as Battlefield 4.

Apart from this controversy surrounding EA, Star Wars gamers are unanimously awaiting their press conference at E3 after many of gaming’s major news networks recently reported rumors of it featuring Star Wars Battlefront gameplay.

15

It has been a long nine-year wait for Battlefront fans and the force seems to be strong with the upcoming E3 show. June should indicate whether or not this coveted franchise can pull EA out the line of fire.

Jar Jar Binks, Han Solo and a Clone Trooper outside the Los Angeles Convention Center.

The switch to Windows 8 And why it isn’t such a big deal Will Brueggemeyer ‘15 Staff Writer

E

arlier this month, Mr. Fuell announced that all student tablets will be upgraded to Windows 8. This caused quite the outrage, with many students questioning the point of this big switch.

“I don’t really know why we’re doing this in the first place,” said junior Jake Humphrey. “Windows 7 is fine as it is.” Many other students share similar beliefs on the matter.

The truth is, however, that Windows 8 really isn’t much of a departure from windows 7. It’s nowhere near the amount of change from XP to Vista, or from Vista to 7. Instead, the changes are mostly cosmetic, with only a few major alterations to the tried and true windows formula.

Perhaps the biggest complaint about Windows 8 is the lack of a start menu.

They claim not having a start menu makes it much harder to find programs.

Many have trouble even finding any of

the menus in the operating system These people must not have used it for very long, since this is far from the truth. If you click exactly where the start menu was (or press the windows button), it takes you to a menu just like the start menu from Windows 7. It displays all the available programs, and you can search them at your will.

More people have also complained about the new metro interface. They say there’s no way to use the normal desktop like they used to.

While I personally don’t really like the new interface, it’s very easy to get around. Just by clicking the desktop icon, you can ignore all the scary big buttons and use the same windows you know and love.

In reality, Windows 8 is barely different at all from prior Windows operating systems. While it has a few intimidating new features, they can easily be bypassed if you don’t want to use them.

Microsoft is always trying to make their products more user-friendly. With Windows 8, they are trying to appeal to a wider audience, making it filled with big buttons and easy solutions.

With all the improvements, there’s really no valid way to say Windows 8 is

Mr. Fuell (in the Windows 8 corner) dodges the left hook of the restless student body. confusing. Everything you could want is right there. If you can’t figure it out, you have no one to blame but yourself.

16

Senior Awards

Annual Senior awards 2014

Andrew Cole ’14 and Lee Lutz ‘14 Sports and Opinion Editors, respectively The “Tight Leash” Award The “Tight Leash” Award goes to the kid who just can’t get away from his girlfriend no matter what the situation is. These four nominees can often be found tweeting emojis as well as an excessive amount of “love my bae :)” Instagram captions. Most of these guys often talk bad about their significant other but can be found awkwardly holding hands in a corner at the next party. Some of these nominees have often tried to break loose of their leash and find a safe place to go, but they always go end up back with their master whether it is in a week or in some cases a day.

Nominees: Craig Roberto, Jimmy Dirr, Joe Tedesco, Tim Diener Winner: Craig Roberto 43% This year’s “Tight Leash” Award goes to Craig Roberto. Craig, a broken man, and his long-time girlfriend Sydney have been off and on with each other throughout high school. Sydney definitely wears the pants in this relationship and she has a belt buckled tight to make sure she keeps them on. Bert runs everything

by Sydney before he pulls the trigger and Craig can’t have fun unless Sydney’s there; it’s only fair to her. Their relationship is rippled with what seems to be a different fight every day and mini-breakups every weekend. But they always get back together because you know what? They love each other, guys, we wouldn’t understand. We’re all too immature to understand that this is true love.

The “Altiora” Award The “Altiora” Award as many can guess goes to the senior that represents what the “Elder man” should be. The nominees all have shown exemplary attributes of what we learn in Building Catholic Character freshman year. They spend their needed time in the classroom and you can also find them in an assortment of activities around Elder.

Nominees: Chris Schroer, Graham Swink, J.T. Williams, Nick Peters Winner: Chris Schroer 48% No surprise here that Chris Schroer has won The “Altiora” Award. He was on student council all four years and President of the school this past school year. He was a captain of the football team and trucked opponents on a regular basis. He was in the National Honor Society and earned himself a 35 on his ACT. Schroer is a prime example of what the Elder man strives to be. We wish him luck at Columbia University next year.

The “Bromance” Award The nominees for The “Bromance” Award can always be found together through thick and thin. They would do anything for one another and would drop whatever they are doing to do it. These guys are a duo and no one can separate them.

Nominees: Douglas Lee Lutz Jr /Mark Mazza, T.J. Nicholson/Joe Dunajcik, Trevor Gunn/Food, Alex Single /Collin Dugan, Jake Luebbe/Nick Harp Winner: Trevor Gunn / Food 45% If there’s one thing Trevor Gunn can’t live without, it’s food. Trev spends his days sitting on his basement floor, playing Call of Duty, and snacking. If there was a scholarship for eating, he’d be a 5-star recruit. Sometimes on the weekends he goes home solely because he remembers there are leftovers in the fridge. Thomas More dining halls better watch out next year, because there’s a storm coming.

The “Rip Van Winkle” Award The “Rip Van Winkle” Award goes to the man who sleeps the most during the school day. These kids couldn’t stay awake if Kate Upton taught the class in a bikini. They are masters at their trait; often times sneaking a quick nap in with their laptop screens up or the nice elbow on the desk with a book open in front of them. Most of the time though, they just flat out put their head on their desk. Chances are they won’t even know they were in this edition of The Purple Quill because they were sleeping during homeroom.

Nominees: Kevin Pickett, Chris Hall, Jimmy Riegler, Alec Schramm Winner: Jimmy Riegler 45% When Jimmy isn’t rolling around in his jeep, he’s sleeping. The kid hibernates in school like a black bear during the winter. If he was a Pokémon, he’d be a Snorlax.

Teachers have given up trying to wake him up and just let him sleep. So power to ya Rigs, keep on snoozin’ man.

The “Carpet Matches the Drapes” Award These nominees are the most infamous red-heads at Elder. They range from Purple Quill writers, to theater actors, to track stars and to CYO champions. They are the minority here at Elder, but with so many nominees and the scale of activities these students have participated in, the red-heads seem to be taking over Elder.

Nominees: Dan Brown, the Feldman Brothers, Billy Angel, Josh Enginger, Jake Upton, Nick Harp Winner: Billy Angel 29% Billy Angel is everyone’s favorite red-head this year. Billy spends his time trying to pass Coach Nie’s math class and cutting meat at Humbert’s. His friends say he can be a grump throughout the school week but come the weekend, he lets loose. He’s even known to tapping into his feminine side to relate to the ladies.

The “Buckwild” Award The “Buckwild” Award goes to the man who is the biggest hillbilly at Elder. This year’s list is big, because just like the red-heads, the red-necks seem to be making a presence here at our school. These nominees can be found in their trucks, wearing camo vests to prom, posting pictures and tweeting about their last hunting spree and with a fat dip as they exit the Elder parking lot. These men keep the land fertile and we applaud their acts of billiness.

Nominees: Ben Hayhow, Tim Diener, Jimmy Dirr, Andrew Holiday, Austin Timmers Winner: Ben Hayhow 37% The guy with the most hillbilliness goes to Ben Hayhow. According to his friends, he says he’s one of the best hunters out there, but they say he went out during deer hunting season 20 times freshman and sophomore year and didn’t kill a buck. Last season though, he got a couple bucks. They say he loves to ride in his truck with his girl Samantha. We tip our ten-gallon hats to Ben for being his hillbilly-self.

Friday May 23, 2014

The “Kurt the Hurt” Award The “Kurt the Hurt” Award is for the man that gets called down to Mr. Ruffing’s office the most. These nominees never seem to be at school and always forget to bring in their note the next day. Most of these guys put in overtime on Saturday mornings and genuinely don’t care about school.

Nominees: Mark Wandstrat, Nathan Schreiber, Greg Owensby, The entire wrestling team Winner: Mark Wandstrat 59% Every morning on the announcement Mr. Ruffing calls down his list of people to come see him and Mark Wandstrat is always on that list. Mark has the most outrageous case of senioritis ever. He absolutely refuses to come to school.

This year alone, he has 46 absences and 17 tardies and he is currently failing every class besides gym, according to his student portal. I’m really not sure how this kid is allowed to graduate. He’s been battling Mr. Ruffing all year, and he might have won.

The “She’s too Young for you Bro” Award The “She’s too Young for you Bro” Award goes to the Elder student who is frequently seen with girls ranging from freshmen to sophomores. The candidates will frequently deny their affiliation with these younger girls but a trip to see their SnapChat best friends tells a different story. Much like Rip Van Winkle candidates, they’re masters of their traits, sneaking in Instagram likes when they have 10+ already on the picture hoping their friends won’t see their name. They say love knows no age; which may be true at Oak Hills and in these guys’ eyes, but to the rest of us it’s just strange.

Nominees: Austin Cipriani, Justin Tebbe, Matt Tucker, Kaleb Burkhart Winner: Justin Tebbe 28% Justin loves him some younger gals and he’s not afraid who knows it, even if the sophomore boys consistently make a joke of him. He’s got sophomores all over his SnapChat bestfriends and was rumored to be watching High School Musical with one of these girls over the past weekend. Justin was even caught bringing one of his girls Subway while she was in driving class, that’s right, he drove to her driving class to bring her Subway. C’mon Tebs, you’re better than that. But hey, who are we at the Purple Quill to make fun of a man for loving a younger woman? All we are trying to say is that when we were sophomores we were dreaming about the senior girls, apparently it is the opposite for our boy Justin.

The “Matt Mayer” Award In the popular comedy Superbad when Seth and Evan are in the convenient store talking about Juelz’s dating record and Seth says “Matt Mayer, he’s the sweetest guy ever. Have you ever stared into his eyes? It was like the first time I heard the Beatles.” So the “Matt Mayer” Award goes to Elder’s nicest, sweetest, and most genuinely good guy in the grade.

Nominees: Nick Krogers, Andrew Price, Tommy Schultz, Nick Marcheschi, Joe Middendorf Winner: Andrew Price 37% Andrew Price took this year’s “Matt Mayer” Award and he deserves it. With his coffee in hand every morning, you can catch walking down the halls humming and saying good morning to each person that walks by. Price has a good set of values on him and knows how to make everyone laugh. No one has ever heard him say anything bad about another person and he did a great job with the announcements all year. Andrew is an allaround great guy, and we wish him luck next year.

The “Rapunzel” Award Rapunzel, Rapunzel let down hair and that’s exactly what these nominees did. These guys have the longest and best hair in the school and have worked for months to deserve this stature of nomination.

Nominees: Mark Wandstrat, Chris Steege, Mark Mazza, Peter Aguilera Winner: Mark Mazza 49% Mark Mazza is this year’s Rapunzel. Mark’s been working for well over six months on his hair in anticipation for Panama. On the weekends you can find him in a snapback with his luscious hair flowing out the back. The chicks dig this guy’s hair and he knows it. Mark has pledged to get a Lloyd Christmas style bowl cut on his upcoming June 12th birthday; we can only pray he delivers on his promise.

The “Kevin Hart” Award The “Kevin Hart” Award is allotted to the funniest guy at Elder. These nominees have had a knack for getting a laugh in class whether he tells a joke or a real answer. They never think before they yell out in class and don’t really care. Everyone knows these names because their loud mouths and bubbling personalities.

Nominees: Brandon Bell, Seth Mason, Zach Goodwin, Kyle Moranco Winner: Seth Mason 44% The class clown award goes to Seth Mason. Seth is notorious for his one liners and his weird sense of the English language. He adds the word “-ass” at the end of almost every word (example: “You trying to grub-ass”). Sometimes he gets mad because when he actually tries to say something serious people just laugh at him. We live for his Friday after school SnapChat stories that are always classic.

The “Tiger Woods” Award The “Tiger Woods” Award goes to the man who gets the most ladies. During school you can find him texting away so he can keep his ladies satisfied. When they go out, they’re bringing home a good looking lady.

Nominees: Greg Owensby, Sean Conway, Franco Sabato, Kevin Haws Winner: Kevin Haws 49% This year’s “Tiger Woods” Award goes to the man himself, Kevin Haws. Some people may be confused, they ask, “How could Kevin win this award? He doesn’t even talk.” Let me tell you something, Kevin “Howie Dern” Haws doesn’t need to talk, he just gives the ladies the stink eye, and it’s game over. Howie Dern is taking his talents to Wright State next year and the sorority girls are going to be on high alert.

Author’s note: The results of the “Animal House” and “Thirsty” Awards were unable to make it into print this year.