Quill april 18

Looking good

Whipping around

Silent fright

Nate Hill profiles the career of Joe the show. see Faculty Features - pg. 5

Corbin Scholtes reviews the best of the Lot. see Features - pg. 10

Charlie Mazza reviews debut of director John Krasinski. see Arts & Entertainment - pg. 15

Published by the Students of Elder High School

Volume 86 Number 8

Elections decide future leaders John Keehan ’18 and Jack Mazza ‘18 Co-Editor and Staff Writer

The election results are in, and the lead-

ers of Elder have been decided for next year.

Maxwell Deters won the biggest election of them all, and he will be succeeding Lou Langen as the president of Elder High School next year. “It felt great. All my hard work paid off. It’s nice to know that my classmates and underclassmates had the trust in me to provide them with a fun school year,” said Deters when he talked about being elected.

Deters plans on implementing nerf wars and upperclassman mentoring programs. The mentoring program would put seniors with sophomores and juniors with freshman. His main change he wants to make for next year is to increase school spirit and maybe make it a rule that everyone must join at least one club.

Steve Seger will be Deters’ right hand man Student council president as his vice presielect, Maxwell Deters. dent next year. “I wanted to be VP because I wanted to leave a mark on the school and make this place even better,” said Seger.

He expects next year to be very different, mainly because of the block schedule. He thinks it is going to be even more fun with the new schedule. “Next year will be a blast. We’re going to have more free time during the flex times of the block schedule, so that’s Vice president elect, going to be huge Steven Seger for getting new people involved in things they might not have before,” said Seger.

Zac Martin had a pretty easy time becoming the new Communications Officer because he ran unopposed. He never really had anything to worry about, so he just got to kick back and enjoy the election process.

Mike Newsom is the new student council secretary. He said, “I was really excited about being elected, but I’m also excited to get started working for next year.”

His main focus will be the dances.

“Maybe a fall dance that the whole school is included in. I feel like it would really unite the school throughout all grades. Also with prom, look for a new and better location with a cool theme,”

said Newsom .

Nick Sebastian and Gunnar Wall finished second in both of their elections, and they are now next year’s co-presidents.

They were both disappointed to have lost their elections, but they were both close to winning. They both plan on doing everything they can to make positive impacts as Communications Officer co-presidents. “I for 2018-19, enjoyed running Zac Martin for office. I have always loved public speaking so having an opportunity to speak in front of so many people was nice,” said Sebastian.

Sam Harmeyer and Joe Weber are the two junior class presidents while Henry Mazza and Gus Middendorf are the two sophomore class presidents. They will most likely be Elder’s future leaders, and they are off to a good start. They can start making positive impacts now, so they are fully prepared for their senior years.

Seger said that he had already talked with Chang about what the VP responsibility entails, and he’s excited to get to work. “He’s given me a lot of great advice,” said Seger.

We also asked Gunnar the same thing.

April 30, 2018 “I joined student council as a freshman just to simply have something to put down on a resume, but in my three years I realized it’s more than that. My freshman year student council was thriving with Rinear and Tito running the show then my sophomore year it took a dip, but Lou has it on the rise again and I have kinda talked to him about what are some keys to make it great next year,” said Wall.

Everyone has their own ideas for next year but personally I want to get people stoked to get to sporting events. Not just basketball and football but soccer, track, baseball, etc. I want more t-shirt designs and maybe some contests. Who knows?

That’s all to be decided.

Another idea is maybe some activities during the flex time next year. With the new block scheduling, there will be a lot of leisure time during flex and we need to fill that time because not everyone is going to need that long of a study hall all the time.

These are the leaders of our school for next year. They will Secretary elect, do whatever they Mike Newsom can to earn students more freedom and responsibility. Good luck, boys! Hopefully, you’ll keep the tradition of great student councils at Elder alive.

Day of service celebrates life of Mr. Mark Klusman Nick Maurer & Charlie Mazza ‘18 Arts & Entertainment Editor & Co-Editor in Chief

Many months ago, the Elder communi-

ty mourned the loss of a dear teacher, coworker, and friend with the passing of Mr. Klusman. Recently, Elder lived out his dream of serving the Cincinnati community with a day of service for all students and staff. On April 17, 800+ students, staff, and volunteers worked together to make the world a better place, one simple action at a time. However, this tremendous event could not have happened without planning, for which we thank a dear friend of Mr. Klusman, Mr. Auer.

Mr. Auer has served as Elder’s Campus Minister for many years after he graduated from here in 1972. Over those years, he came to know Mr. Klusman very well, spending many Saturdays working together to serve the community. When Mr. Klusman was in the hospital, he requested that, when he returned to Elder, they hold a school-wide day of service, followed by pizza for everyone. Mr. Auer originally had no idea how to make good on such a large request, but luckily for him, his family came through. “Funnily enough, the idea came from my daughter Emily. She heard about Klusman’s request and suggested we do this.”

Planning the event was hard work, especially finding places large enough to take in large groups of students. However, Mr. Auer found a way to make many small groups and found places that needed help.

“Homerooms were usually too big, so we tried to get it down to (the) advisors. They have around 16 kids per advisor, so we looked for places that could accommodate 16 people. Then we went up from there.

We asked ‘Can you take 16? What about 32?’ and went from there.”

Finding a place for 16+ students and staff to work and make an impact required many calls, even to some locations Elder had never reached out to before.

“We started with some places I knew, like the Hamilton County Parks. Their director was super helpful, giving us some suggestions, like Fernbank Park and Shawnee Lookout, that could take a bunch of people. We even went to some places we’ve never worked before. We’d never been to Matthew 25 Ministries before, but it worked out great. We also went off suggestions from the committee of people who helped plan the day.”

Mr. Auer had faith in the Elder community to deliver the workforce necessary to make his friend’s dream come true, and Elder replied in multitudes. “Every staff member was involved in some way

or another. Most led students in different activities at different locations, others stayed here to help set up the pizza for when everyone came back. We also had about 50 or so non-staff adults who also came to help out.”

Of course, what is community service without some sort of impact? Sometimes, the impact of an action can go unnoticed, but will subtly make the world better. Other times, an act’s impact can make a huge difference. “We made the outside really accessible. This year, since spring came really late, the honeysuckle and poison ivy haven’t really come up yet, so it was easier to do. It was a great time for places in need of labor.”

The impact didn’t only affect the community around him. Mr. Auer, the

students, and the Elder community at large received an avalanche of praise for the event. Mr. Auer gave some insight on the feedback, stating “There are few things I’ve done at Elder that haven’t gotten

continued on Page 9

Inside The Quill

Opinion....................................... 2,3 Faculty Features......................... 4,5 Student Features............... 6,7,12,13 Sports............................................ 8 Day of Service............................... 9 Features.................................. 10,11 Arts & Entertainment............. 14,15 Back Page.................................... 16

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Monday April 30, 2018

Opinion

Worst spots for traffic

Ben Farwick ‘18 Staff Writer Driving to school is already a painful enough task by this time of the school year. But this year it is becoming the worst experience ever for many young high school drivers.

Traffic conditions have to be at an all-time high for many students and the routes they take to Elder every day. This is my opinion on the worst possible places to sit in traffic jams on the morning drive to school.

Rapid Run:

This is one of the more popular routes taken by students every single day on the way to our hallowed institution. With one of the lanes shut down, it has caused all those cars to have to go single file through one miniscule lane. This has not only caused some students (Eddie Cliffe) to crash their cars, but is definitely just a mental strain on every student or faculty member that has to take on the frustrating task of sitting in this traffic.

Glenway Avenue:

One of the most obvious, but probably least surprising locations on this list is Glenway Avenue. This should not be a surprise to anyone reading this, but I want to discuss one specific location on Glenway.

The traffic starts to really jam up every morning on the way to Elder at Rapid Run. If you continue straight, you are bound to be brought to a dead stop at some point. This is because many of the citizens around the area apparently cannot read signs that explicitly say no parking at specific times of the day. This includes the time students are on their way to school during morning rush. There is always that one guy who conveniently leaves his/her car parked on the street and this causes headaches for everyone.

Also, there is the issue of when the busses stop and let all the kids out right in front of Carson school at about 7:23. They stay there for roughly five minutes, and do nothing but take up a large amount of space. This is an absolute disaster, and these bus drivers should start using their head and maybe consider pulling around to the back of the school where there is an open parking lot just begging to be put to use.

Cleves Warsaw:

One of the more slept on locations is Cleves Warsaw right down the street from Chandlers and legendary street, Wexford. The stoplight that they installed has done nothing but hold up cars, and is quite possibly one of the longest stop lights ever created. Some days I feel like I have waited there for over three minutes just waiting for the light to turn green. Truly a shame, and the construction guys need to figure it out.

Taylor Road:

With Taylor Road being shut down, there really is no short route from my house in Cleves to pretty much any place on Glenway or Harrison. This place is not even a traffic place, it is just simply no longer a useable road. The construction workers have had this place closed down for months and months and still have a lot more work to do. All in all, RIP to Taylor Road, because that place is an absolute mess.

With all that being said, many of these places are very hard to avoid on your daily route to Elder. So, I wish all of you drivers the best of luck on your journey to your home away from home every day.

Elderfest signals end is near Eddie Cliffe ‘18 Chief of Controversy

Most of my articles in the last few weeks have been regarding the end of the

school year at Elder High School so I’m going to continue this trend by talking about a staple in the final quarter that really brings the summer into our hearts and minds: Elderfest.

Many students look forward to this day all year and compete in numerous tournaments such as ping pong, corn hole, birdie ball, basketball, euchre, and dodgeball. One senior, Vince Sabato is the defending Ping Pong champion and has continued to train regularly to keep that title in this his senior year.

“Yeah, I’m pretty good at Ping Pong. I won last year pretty easily so I challenge anyone to step into the gauntlet this year to try to take my belt,” said Sabato.

“Vince isn’t that great. He gets lucky a lot but he needs to get spanked. He thinks he’s some Ping Pong god now that he won Elderfest last year,” said senior Charlie Mazza.

Senior Tim Rinear spends most of his time at the driving range trying to hit the baby pool. “I’ve hit it multiple times in years past” Rinear told me, “I like to make bets on the make shift range with people and win some cash on that early May Day.” Elderfest takes place this year on Friday, May 4 and before all the festivities begin we will hear a speech from president Lou Langen as he passes the torch to Junior Maxwell Deters, followed by a student versus faculty basketball game.

This year, the game will be played this year by the intramural league champions as they look to defeat the faculty for the first time in a number of years.

The champions this year were led by Jack Sanfillipo and Zach Harp, two of the sharpest shooters in the school.

Immediately after this, the festivities begin, with a number of tournaments and fun-filled activities for the students to partake in. Many students in years past have brought grills and meat to cook up with their pals on this school holiday, expect that trend to continue.

A new addition to the slate this year is the Fortnite tournament set up by Mr. Warren, a battle royale between students of Elder and Students of Elder only, this should be one of the most interesting and talked about competitions of the year seeing as Fortnite has taken over the lives of many students in the previous months.

As the year draws to a close, Elderfest is a way of rewarding the students for all their hard work throughout the year with a day of relaxation and competition in the games they love, to be crowned champion in any tournament is a true testament to the work ethic of students both in the class room and outside of it.

We all come from different walks of life, and many times are pitted against one another for a plethora of reasons, but Elderfest is a day to get away from all the stress and high stakes of class and relax, enjoy and appreciate your fellow classmates here at Elder High School.

Trump orders attacks on Syria Danny Ginn ‘19 Staff Writer Donald Trump has been one of the most outspoken presidents in recent history. He recently has made some big decisions. One was to order the bombings in Syria that happened April 13th. Others countries that took part in this are Britain and France. The reason they performed this task is because they wanted to punish Bashar al-Assad for the chemical attack in Damascus. Trump also loves to express himself on twitter. In his first year as President Trump tweeted a total of 2,444 times. This shows how much he loves to spend time on social media and how he loves to tweet his messages instead of talking live.

The focus of this operation was to try to get Assad to stop using illegal and banned weapons against civilians. Trump described these actions as “not actions of a man. They are crimes of a monster instead.” Trump said that he was going to start to pull American troops out of Syria, but after this event he is committed to the goal of stopping and preventing more chemical attacks. The Syrian Government has used chemical weapons at least 50 times since the civil war started in 2011. Since then, 117,000 civilians have gone missing and 470,000 civilians have died by their own government.

This is the second time Trump has performed an attack on Syria. The last time Trump

The Purple Quill

The Purple Quill is published nine 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.

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

Co-Editors in Chief: Wyatt Albers ‘18, John Keehan ‘18 and Charlie Mazza ‘18 Faculty Advisor Mr. Gary Rogers

Faculty Advisor Emeritus Mr. Edward Menkhaus ‘63

Arts & Entertainment Editor Nick Maurer ‘18

Staff Writers Eddie Cliffe ‘18 Nicholas Dirr ‘18 Tyler Eshman ‘18 Ben Farwick ‘18 Daniel Ginn ‘19 Jacob Henn ‘18 Nathan Hill ‘18

Sam Kayse ‘18 Matthew Mahon ‘18 Jack Mazza ‘18 Corbin Scholtes ‘18 Seth Sturwold ‘18

Monday April 30, 2018

Opinion 3

Hot Take: Winter is better than summer Wyatt Albers ‘18 Co-Editor in Chief

As school winds down and we start counting the days, the great weather comes rolling

around and puts us in the summer mood.

Summer is the favorite time of the year for most people. Summer consists of vacations, time with friends, and just lounging around. For others, summer is work, work, and more work.

Either way I would agree that summer is a very nice break from school, but in my opinion, I don’t think it is the best season.

Some people think I’m crazy. How can I not enjoy the weather of summer and the break from any type of school, but I don’t think I am.

Winter is the best season of the year by far and here’s why.

People complain of the cold weather all the time and its constant, but I don’t mind it.

If you think about it, it’s a lot easier to get warmer when you’re cold and a lot harder to get cool when it’s hot.

So the colder it is outside that just means to put more layers on and problem solved.

Plus wearing winter clothes are a lot more comfortable. The sweatshirt and sweatpants combination is one of the most comfortable things to wear out there.

Another reason why winter is better than summer is because of winter break.

Yes, I’m aware that summer break is much longer than winter. But the one main difference is during winter break, you have no responsibilities.

Summer break is so long to not just do anything. At some point you start getting bored just laying around your house, gaming, and doing chores. If you’re old enough then you get a job, but then work becomes redundant and boring as well.

Winter break is just long enough for us to rest after a tough first semester of school.

In addition, winter break has two holidays that we can look forward to when it first starts.

Christmas and New Year’s Eve are, in my opinion, one of the two best Holidays of the year. It is a perfect balance between celebrating with your family and catching up with people you haven’t seen in a while during Christmas and then celebrating yet another year with your friends by your side on New Year’s Eve. Winter break is the main reason why winter is much better than summer. Plus this season is the breaking point for all seniors, like me, to just stop caring about school because our applications have been sent in to colleges and now we just wait if we are accepted or not.

Now these are just my opinions, you can disagree with them, but if you do then you’re wrong. Keep this article in mind when summer comes around and you are either being a bum around the house or complaining it’s too hot.

attacked, they fired 59 Tomahawk missiles at a Syrian air force base. The base was used the next day so it didn’t work up to expectations. This time the strikes were twice the size and hit two more targets than the one ordered last year. The strikes have kept 2,000 troops in Syria to try to liberate the country and end the civil war.

We have to keep troops in Syria because the U.S. doesn’t know what will happen in the future following the strikes.

One country that got sparked by this event is Russia. Putin went against the deal he made with the U.S. about disarming Syria’s chemical weapons. Trump’s words made Putin very angry saying that Trump’s actions are “unacceptable and inadmissible.” This has caused a flare between the U.S. and Russia. Both leaders have a very short temper and if one nation makes one mistake then something very huge could be on the rise for better or worse.

I believe that the attack in Syria is good because the strikes that we did were successful and because we are trying to help the citizens out with the actions of their government. I also think that it is bad because the attacks that our country performed have made tensions with the Syrian government and Russia rise. Also I think that it is very possible the strikes have caused so much tension that that possible war could break out. Overall, I believe that Trump made the right decision but it can come with some aftermath. Trump has made some pretty big decisions that many people may not like and this is another one that just adds to the list.

Block schedule is coming Jeff Tuttle ‘18 Staff Writer

The block schedule has come up a lot lately in conversation. So many schools are

switching over to the block schedule, and Elder decided it was our turn to join the party.

We had another pretrial in the middle of April and there are many mixed opinions out there.

For the freshmen, they’ll get used to it pretty quickly because they have only been at this school for a year. I got the chance to talk a “woke” freshman, Elijah McCulloch. He informed me that he “hates the block schedule. I cannot stand being in a class for an hour and a half. Being with a teacher that long is not good.”

Nathan Bill, an upstanding young sophomore and son of beloved Mr. Bill, seems to have a neutral view of the block schedule. Bill claims he “doesn’t know what he thinks about the schedule, but it gives us more time to do homework at least.”

Last, I talked to a junior representative in Nick Corcoran. Juniors may have the hardest time adjusting to the block schedule because they have already been there for three years. Corcoran is the brother of the legendary Michael Corcoran. He says, “It’s gonna stink, he can barely stand the teachers for an hour let alone an hour and a half.”

Teachers on the other end of the spectrum all seem to enjoy the block more than the students. Some have claimed it gives them more time to teach, so that they can actually get done what they plan on getting done any particular day. Others like it because they are evil and can give longer tests.

As a senior, I don’t really care one way or the other, so I’m going to give an unbiased opinion. First of all, I understand many of the students’ claims stating that staying in the same classroom for an hour and a half would be awful. For me personally, talking about any math related subject for an hour and a half would just make me completely lose interest. Now the administration claimed there would be a break in the middle of the period.

But the teachers I had during the block schedule completely ignored the fact that we were supposed to get a “break.” Which, honestly, was expected.

On the teachers’ side, I get the longer tests thing. It could prove to be both beneficial to the students and the teachers. The students would get more time to take the test, and the teachers could put a few more questions on the tests, hypothetically.

It could especially be beneficial to AP classes. In my past experience, some of the AP test sections allot 60 minutes or more for a section of the test. Obviously, a regular class period is only round 50 minutes which is not enough time for certain sections of the test. So, the hour and a half period would be plenty pf time to part of a practice AP test.

All in all, Elder will be the same place it always has been. Stay classy, Elder.

4

Grimm returns home Seth Sturwold ‘18 Staff Writer

What prompts someone to return to

Elder so quickly?

Many of our fine faculty here at Elder are alumni of Elder. It’s a delicate equilibrium that works many ways in favor of the school.

One of Elder’s defining attributes is its adherence to a strong sense of tradition. There is a reason that Elder, as a school, is still so recognizable to this day. Ask a LaSalle grad to pinpoint one thing in the school that is still the same from thirty years ago and they’ll say, “The color…and the mascot.”

Elder has its own way of doing things, its own base of alumni to draw from, and a plethora of traditions and ideas that make up its community.

Because of this, if you ask an Elder grad to pinpoint the way the school feels the same, they’d recognize the paper, the pep-rallies, the purple Fridays—it’s all still here.

Now, I know it sounds like I’m

Monday April 30, 2018

Faculty Features writing this for extra credit or something, but I’m not. This is normal credit. How does this include Mr. Grimm?

Well, Mr. Grimm, along with several other members of the faculty that I’m not writing about today, went to Elder and came back as soon as they were able. I wanted to find out why.

Mr. Grimm graduated from Elder in 2006 and, after seven years of hiatus, returned by 2013 after having graduated from The Ohio State University and teaching for one year at St. Aloysius Gonzaga Bridgetown (he was my seventh grade teacher.) Seven years is a surprisingly short time to go back to high school.

What about Elder as school prompts someone to not only want to return, but to go through every channel to get back as soon as possible?

Well, I asked Mr. Grimm that precise question and he responded, “I felt it was a nice calling to give back to a school that had given so much to me, teaching me to be a better man and to have a religious standard for vocation and service.”

Let’s dissect this sentiment. Elder’s allures to a student seem slightly different than they are to teachers.

Besides the calling to be a teacher, something hard enough to understand itself, Elder has seemed to have built itself a reputation for its connections between students and teachers, and expounded upon the necessity for positive adult influences in life.

Something that may be overlooked by students, your “favorite teacher” may be more unique to catholic education—and Elder in

general—than you may think.

Beyond just that, Elder has built itself a solid academic tradition of success that also is appealing to teachers.

I talked about it briefly in my Senioritis article, but teachers have this weird thing where they actually want to play a role in the individual success of their students. It seems, among other things, Elder has done a fine job in tying its own models of success to those that the more impassioned teachers wish to instill in students.

When asked about what made him anxious to get back to Elder in particular, Mr. Grimm responded, “I always felt like it had a very high ceiling when it came to teaching and academics and the arts.”

It is to my understanding that we may even have a few students in the senior class that are planning to come back. Good. Elder tradition balances itself on the mixture of old and new blood it brings in. I know that I look forward to coming back in some 30 years and seeing the school just like I left it.

Not so fresh faces of Elder Tyler Eshman ‘18 Staff Writer

In October of 2013, Jared Brown ‘14, a Purple Quill

staff write, composed a news story entitled “Fresh Faces of Elder”. He stated that these teachers were new to Elder and that they blended in with the crowd of students due to their young age but some years have passed since then, and even though they may still look very young, many things have changed throughout the years.

One of the teachers that Brown had mentioned in his article was Mr. Roush who is from a town north of Dayton, Ohio and he went to the University of Miami for Math and then Mount St. Joseph. Before coming to Elder Mr. Roush taught Math and coached wrestling at Glen Este High School just east of Cincinnati. I asked Coach Roush if he misses his home town or Glen Este at all.

“There are some things about Van Wert (his home town) that I miss, but I’m not about to trade it.” Additionally, I asked Mr. Roush what he liked about Elder and he said that he enjoys the pride the teachers and students show in the school and he enjoys working with his colleagues.

I then went on to ask Coach if any he has any changes in his personal life and he said that since coming to Elder, he and his wife have been blessed with a little girl, Josie, and they also have moved to a new house.

Many of us know that Mr. Roush has been the head wrestling coach during his time here at Elder but very few know just how hard he works to make the team, arguably, the most successful team at Elder.

I had the privilege to be coached by him for the past

Monday April 30, 2018 four years and I witnessed the drive that he instills into his wrestlers. I asked him how he thought the team has changed over the years and he said that Coach McCoy and the past coaches and wrestlers had established a tradition of excellence, and he believes that the teams he has coached have just added to that tradition. During his time, he has brought back three straight GCL titles back home after a 20+ year drought and added 11 more individual State Placers and the schools fifth State Champion to the record books.

Another teacher that was included in this past article was Mrs. Martin, or then known as Miss Kurzhals.

Mrs. Martin is a Seton graduate who then attended UC earning her associate degree in Applied Science and then also went to Mount St. Joe for her Bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies. Additionally, she is a registered veterinarian technician.

She stated that Elder is like a second family to her and she is genuinely grateful for the privilege to work, teach, and be a part of this community. She also said that she enjoys seeing the students have an appreciation and connection with their faith and she also said that she loves out motto “Strive for the higher things”. She said that she has witnessed this in both triumphs and tribulations.

Since the first article was written, Mrs. Martin was happily married on January 14th, 2017. She and her husband have also since had a daughter named Gloria Evelyn, who is now five months old.

I asked Mrs. Martin if she planned to do anything, or is currently doing anything, with her vet tech degree.

She said: “I currently am not doing anything with the degree but I am keeping up my accreditation with continuing education classes (CEU’s) so I could possibly in the future.” She said that being a mother takes up most of her time but she also enjoys taking Gloria and Marty, their dog to different parks.

Talking to these teachers has shown me just how much they care for us as students and their duty to educate us. They have done an amazing job being leaders and teachers here at Elder and I know that they will continue to do so in the future.

Faculty Features 5

Schoenfeld shines in 35th Nate Hill ‘18 Staff Writer

Mr. Joe Schoenfeld has been a part

of the Elder staff for now 35 years. He has also taught a plethora of classes and been involved with Elder in many ways.

Schoenfeld graduated from Elder in 1977. While at Elder, Mr. Schoenfeld played basketball. Mr. Schoenfeld shared with me that while he was a freshman for basketball practice his team had to share time with the wrestling team in what is now the Donohoe Center because the fieldhouse was not built yet.

Schoenfeld then came back to Elder to teach in 1983 as a long-term sub for World Cultures. Also during that year Mr. Schoenfeld started his coaching career at Elder as a freshman assistant coach for Dan James ’76. It wasn’t until the 1991-92 season that Schoenfeld became the head varsity coach directly after Coach Frey retired.

Mr. Schoenfeld has taught many classes throughout his career. Most of his classes are business/finance related. For example, he has taught Personal Finance, Financially Literacy, Bookkeeping, and Community Service. Mr. Schoenfeld also worked in the Development Office as the grade school recruiting coordinator.

I spoke to Mr. Schoenfeld about if there was anything that used to happen at Elder that he wishes would happen now, “We had talented cartoonist in 1976 who had a clever comic/editorial cartoon in each Purple

Quill issue. His name was Steve Bengel.”

I also spoke to Mr. Schoenfeld about all the changes that have been made to Elder such as block schedules next year or the Mr. Klusman day of Service and what would he change about Elder. “I am a big fan of doing the Walk for Others in the first semester when the weather is nicer but I understand the current need to move it for the car raffle.”

Since Mr. Schoenfeld has been here for 35 years and hopefully many more, I spoke to him about his favorite memories of Elder thus far. “As a school activity, I really remember when we brought a replica of the Vietnam Memorial Wall to the stadium. It was set up for about a week and was a very moving experience as it brought a lot of visitors, many without Elder connections, at all hours of the day and night. It felt good to be part of an event that touched so many people.”

Schoenfeld also commented about being on the first ever Kairos retreat with Mr. Auer, Mr. Klusman, and Mr. Knepfle. He said that it was a very touching experience and he learned a lot from those three throughout his time here.

Mr. Schoenfeld added that winning the basketball state championship in 1993 and making it to the final with our very own Mr. Bengel in 2001 were key memories he would cherish forever.

Schoenfeld noted that he has learned so much from Elder throughout his teaching/coaching career here.

Coach Schoenfeld; then and now

He said that Elder is special because of the people in and around Elder because they determine the atmosphere.

“There is a unique bond here between the faculty, students, alumni and community. It has been that way since I was a student. It is up to all of us to keep that going – future Elder Panthers are depending on us.”

Mr. Schoenfeld has served Elder for 35 years now and he sure has done a great job. But Mr. Schoenfeld isn’t done yet, which is great because he is a key part of what we are about here at Elder.

6

Student Features

Panthers prowl diverse job choices Nick Maurer ‘18 Arts & Entertainment Editor

To the combined excitement and sadness

of seniors across the country, graduation is coming closer each and every day. The adult world inches closer and closer and we can’t stop the advance. Knowing this, some of Elder’s finest are taking action and making plans to make the most of their adult lives, but in some interesting and atypical ways.

The Purple Quill takes a look into the post-Elder plans of five seniors and seeing how they differ from the typical business or engineering paths of many others.

First is fellow Quill writer Seth Sturwold. Sturwold will be attending the Ohio State University next year and majoring in film production. He chose this major because “I thought of my interest, and then I thought of how I can connect my interest realistically to a career. My interest is entertaining people, so film production seems like the logical route to entertaining people.”

Seth has been interested in films for years, staying up late to watch Tarentino and Kubrick films with his dad from a young age. He started the Film Production club at Elder with the hopes of producing a short film before graduation and has worked on several high quality animations and drawings in his spare time. Seth spoke about his plans after college.

“Immediately after college, the goal would be to get an internship or an assistance role at an actual studio. The end goal is to either work prominently for a production studio or to own one.” Perhaps we’ll see his name in the credits of a blockbuster or in the Oscars one day.

While Seth wants to take care of production, much of the filming process requires acting. Luckily, Tom Sunderhaus is planning to fill that role.

Tom Sunderhaus has been acting for years on stage and on camera, from grade school theatre to ENN to his role as Moonface Martin in the recent production of Anything Goes (see Nick Dirr’s article in the Arts & Entertainment section for a full review of the show). Tom will be attending Bellarmine University in Louisville to study acting. Tom recalled how he got started acting.

“I got into acting because it was fun.

In 2010, when the Seton-Elder Performing Arts Series was doing a production of The Music Man, they needed children to be in the show. My parents said ‘Tommy can do that!’, though I could have really cared less. However, I really enjoyed the experience, so wherever I saw an opportunity to be in something like that again, I would take it. Now, it’s basically become the only

A look into the unique vocational choices of Mark Smith, Seth Sturwold, Tom Sunderhaus and Vinny Sabato.

thing I can see myself doing in the future and enjoying as a career.”

Tom has quite an array of acting skills at hand, including singing, dancing, comedy, drama, and several others. He hopes to use these skills to make it big one day.

“I don’t really know what I want to do after college yet, since I’ve always lived my life being more focused on the here and now rather than the distant future.”

If he keeps on track with acting, there’s a good chance he could one day receive a Tony award (the stage equivalent to an Oscar).

We’re all rooting for you, Tom, and we hope you don’t take your final bow for many years to come. If you’d like to read more about Tom, Seth Sturwold wrote an article about him in the Student Feature section that is quite a good read. While Tom is looking to brush up with stardom on stage, another senior looks to remind people to brush their teeth.

When most people think of Vince Sabato, dentistry isn’t necessarily the first thing to come to mind. What most people don’t know, however, is Vince’s familial ties to the dentistry business. His uncle, Ernesto Sabato, has a dentistry office right on Glenway less than a block away from the Covedale theatre.

Vince will be continuing this family tradition of dentistry at The Ohio State University, studying biological sciences with a business minor in the pre-dental program. Vince chose Pre-Dental at OSU because “OSU is a big school, so it will be nice to not have everyone know me, it kind of gives me a fresh start. Also, I feel that it has a good balance of academic and extra-curricular focus. Subsequently, OSU was the most realistic choice for me because going there for undergrad gives me a higher chance to get into their Dental School; it is one of the best in the country.”

Vince wants to help people be proud of their smile through his work. This goal shows through Vince’s own smile, which he is happy to share all throughout the

school day. With this goal in mind, he has set up some specific goals for his career.

“If I work hard and everything goes as planned, hopefully I will be able to have my own dental practice. I haven’t decided whether I would want to make it strictly pediatric or not. Actually, I would really like to open a chain of offices on the west side (which is where the minor in business will help)” Not far off from Vince’s ambition of fixing teeth is Mark Smith’s goal of fixing brains.

Mark Smith is one of those guys that you would never suspect to be as smart as he is. With his laid back attitude and calm interpersonal nature, it comes as a shock to many to find out that he’s quite the intelligent guy. He scored in the highest percentiles on the ACT and only took it a second time because his parents told him to. Mark is hoping to take his brains to the world of brains, neurosurgery. He will have to go through 18 more years of school, starting at Albion University, in order to be ready to perform on the most delicate part of the body.

Mark got interested in this field in an unexpected way. “I was inspired to go into neurosurgery by my childhood neurologist.

I was really sick when I was a kid, and he fixed that. He’s also a really swell guy, and I admire him for it. My inspiration to go into neurosurgery is therefore due to both idolization and gratitude. I want to be able to make a difference in other peoples’ lives in the same way that he does.”

Mark has gotten many offers from across the country to study at different universities, but he chose Albion University for a few simple reasons. “It is a small college and I can meet with teachers more easily than at a bigger college. I can also easily walk everywhere and won’t need a car. The admissions guy was really funny.

I like cold weather and Michigan is perfect for that. It has really good academics and a high admissions rate into medical school. I will be able to accumulate a lot of experience in the medical field by the time I

Monday April 30, 2018 graduate” Mark hopes to use his skills to help the world and also hopes to reach certain personal goals through his career. Mark commented on his goals, stating “My current goal is to eventually become a neurosurgeon, and this means roughly 18 more years of education. Considering that this is a rather well-paying job, I get to be like my grandfather, Butch Hubert, and give back a ton to Elder. I’ll probably do this monetarily, because I really like Michigan and might want to stay up there. I hope to be able to make a lasting difference to my school and to the kids that I get the opportunity to save.”

Neurosurgery is a very serious endeavor, one Mark is ready to take on. It’s not a game, and he knows it. However, when it comes to games, Elder’s very own Nick Rieder is looking to make his own.

In the game of life, there are the players and the viewers. Knowing this, Nick Rieder is going to play to his strengths and study game development at The Ohio State University. He chose OSU out of a sense of fiscal responsibility and opportunity.

“I chose (Ohio State) because it was the most affordable option. I applied to several schools with amazing computer science programs, but they were all outof-state, which added another 20,000 a year to tuition at least. OSU was the most logical choice.”

Rieder will be studying game development in hopes of helping others in the same way that video games helped him.

Talking about his motives, Nick specified “I’ve been a gamer since I was a youngin’.

It’s gotten me through the rough times in my life. Video games have been my outlet.

Some of my best friends are strangers I met online through video games, and we have created some of my best memories playing together. I want to become a game designer so that I can create games that can provide that same sort of safe haven that I got from my favorite games.”

With his degree in tow, Rieder hopes to make some big waves in the industry.

“I hope to create a game that will be the next Fortnite, a game popular enough to transcend social norms.” Keep on coding, Rieder. We hope to play your games someday.

College may be coming soon, but these Panthers have been on the job prowl for quite some time. They’ve got big dreams to take on the world, and we wish them all the best. And to all of you who aren’t majoring in something as extreme as astrophysics or neurosurgery, don’t fret.

There will be plenty of opportunities for you to make your life amazing as long as you strive for the higher things. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that if you live out Altiora, you can only go up.

Monday April 30, 2018

Student Features 7

After senioritis hits Seniors reveal how they are filling their time as the end approaches.

John Keehan ‘18 Co-Editor in Chief

Senioritis has hit Elder hard, and most

seniors are under the weather with its symptoms. Seniors have a lot of free time now since they are ailing, and they are using different methods to pass the time.

“Sleep…Sleep…Sleep” was what senior Josh Bell said he does during school, after school, and any other time he used to do homework during since senioritis hit.

The main things he does when he is awake is eat food, which is what he excels at the most, and play PUBG. Senior Eric Bley follows in Bell’s footsteps in that the amount of sleep he gets. He says that this has greatly increased since he stopped doing a full load of school work. Bley, unlike Bell, still does some school work. Bley still give effort in some classes.

“I’m still putting in some effort in calculus and art right now mostly because Mr. Buetsche makes me feel bad if I don’t try hard,” said Bley.

Bley enjoys art a lot more than calculus. He just gives effort in calculus to continue to pass.

“Art is a lot of fun. It’s enjoyable. I get to be creative. It’s a little bit of both, honestly. I still really enjoy it, so I want to do it for myself. I want to make pieces that I’m proud of, but he definitely makes me feel bad when I don’t get the work done, and so I like making him proud,” said Bley.

Bley also often thinks about and does art during other classes. Most of the time he just dozes off or plays games in classes he does not care about, but he also uses that time for his art when he can.

Senior Tyler Durr partakes in similar activities such as dozing off in classes he doesn’t enjoy, but he does enjoy doing non-school related academic work.

“I currently dedicate my time to reading whatever book I’m on, which is never a school book, or reading articles on finance or fishing. My favorite thing to do is read for sure,” said Durr.

Durr does not have the motivation to try to pay attention in classes that don’t interest him, so he also plays Bloon’s Tower Defense 5 when he is unable to read.

Bley and Durr have continued to at

least do some work whether it involves school or not. Other seniors have not kept any motivation, and they are more similar to Josh Bell who does “absolutely nothing” and has not done homework since sophomore year. He says he leads a much more stress free life that involves more free time and much less stress. He also says that his lack of schoolwork allows him to try new things such as sleeping on both his left and right sides. His PUBG wins have also benefited.

Bley plays more video inside of school than outside like Bell. “Government class is definitely a big head football kind of class.

Sometimes I’ll throw in some jetpack joyride. Tetris, that one got big in there real quick. That was earlier in the year. He tells you put your computer away, and you pull your phone right out. It’s pretty easy,” said Bley.

Bley says his life is way more fun since he has stopped doing school work.

Tyler Durr catches up on some reading. (photo by John Keehan ‘18)

Senior Eric Bley works on a digital photograph. (photo by John Keehan ‘18)

He enjoys relaxing and just doing whatever he wants to do which sometimes does include his art which he does not consider work.

Seniors all take different approaches to their senior year. Some just say “freak it” like Bell. Some just work hard enough for the first semester to get grades high enough not to fail for the year. Others build themselves a nest egg in the beginning in order to not have senioritis affect them as much. “I would tell underclassman that since senioritis is unavoidable, work hard while you can and build up enough of a nest egg of grades that you can retire from high school in comfort,” said Durr.

8

Monday April 30, 2018

Sports

Panther baseball’s hot start Danny Ginn ‘19 Staff Writer

Elder’s baseball program is one of the

best in the business. The program has a current streak of winning a State Championship once every decade since the 1940’s. This year’s squad is looking to repeat the history once again to continue the streak.

The Panthers are off to a terrific start this year. They have beaten some of the best teams in Ohio and even Tennessee. They beat the Bombers 2-1 in extra innings. Also they have beaten Oak Hills 7-0, and beat LaSalle 2-1.

Some players who have helped the Panthers good start to the season are Kyle Klingenbeck, Aidan Byrne, Drew Klaserner, and Ben Farwick. I asked them how they have liked the season so far and what they are looking forward to.

Aidan Byrne who is a closing pitcher for the Panthers had some good insight to the season.

“We have been good all year with a great record,” said Byrne. “I think that we should go really far into the tourna-

ment this year with our solid lineup.” He is looking forward to a great rest of the season with big expectations. Byrne also has an ERA of 1.24 with 10 K’s.

Drew Klaserner who starts at third also had some great things to say.

“I believe that this could be one of the better years in recent history,” said Klaserner. “I think that this year’s team is special with the chemistry we have I believe that we can go as far as we want to.”

Klaserner is committed to Sinclair to play baseball. Klaserner bats in the three hole with a batting average of .378 and seven RBI’s.

Kyle Klingenbeck is a starting pitcher for the Panthers who has done very well this year his ERA is 1.24 with 20 K’s.

Klingenbeck said, “We have had a good start to the season and we are looking forward to the rest of the year.” Kyle has been Elder’s ace so far this year and is looking forward to the same production to finish it.

Senior Ben Farwick had some very motivational words to say about the team.

“You know I’ve hit so many dingers I stopped counting at 20,” said Farwick.

Kyle Klingenbeck throws his heater for the K against Moeller at UC.

“I have had a great year getting a solid amount of playing time with some great plays and at bats, and I am looking forward to the rest of the season with my brothers.”

Elder is currently ranked second in Ohio and one thing that is helping them is the tough schedule and their record so far into the season. I have enjoyed watching

Elder this year by going to the games or even on live stream.

I think this could be the year the Panthers continue the streak of capturing a state title per decade. As long as they keep playing like they have been I believe that they can achieve their goal and bring another championship back to Elder.

If NBA stars played football Sam Kayse ‘18 Staff Writer

As the NBA playoffs are in full swing,

some of the best athletes in the world are striving to bring back a championship trophy to their city. While these athletes perform on the court, some have the athleticism to potentially play any sport professionally. In this article I will develop a potential roster made up of the NBA’s most elite athletes that I think could make a team that would be a pretty solid bunch on the gridiron.

I will pick who I think would be the best on the offensive and defensive side of the ball and why. However, since many if not all NBA players lack the bulky build to play on the line, I will focus solely on the “skilled” positions of the field.

The Offense Quarterback: Chris Paul

Chris Paul of the Houston Rockets has what it takes to lead an NFL offense to victory. With his point guard background he surely can get the ball out of his hands avoiding sacks, moving the chains, and picking apart defensive schemes. He also has the characteristics of a strong leader and is just a great guy to have in the locker room and could help the chemistry of the team with his personality. Chris Paul is notorious for his quick decision making skills and being able to dish it out within seconds, which is why he is a perfect fit to play the quarterback position.

Running Back: Russell Westbrook

Russell Westbrook certainly has the speed needed to carry the ball. Since he is among the most explosive in the league he has what it takes to avoid tackles from oncoming defenders. Although Russell’s 200 lb. frame does not exactly qualify him to play in an NFL backfield, his speed and explosiveness could make up for his lack of build. In comparison to an NFL running back, I think that he most closely resembles someone like Ezekiel Elliot, as they are pretty similar in build and both explode off of the ball.

Tight End: LeBron James

LeBron is the most obvious candidate for the tight end position as he is very similar in stature to Rob Gronkowski.

LeBron has the athleticism and size to make big plays at the tight end position

and as a former wide receiver in high school he definitely has experience to go up and grab the football out of the arms of defenders. With LeBron on the roster the Cleveland Browns might finally have the answer to having a winning season.

Wide Receiver 1: Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Greek Freak towers over NFL cornerbacks at a whopping 6’-11” and certainly has a reach with a wingspan measuring 7’-4”. Giannis has an ideal body for an NBA player and he would tear it up if he laced up the cleats considering his quarterback could leave the ball anywhere within a 7 foot radius of him and it would not take much for him to snatch it with his humongous hands. His hands measure 12 inches from the thumb to the tip of his pinkie, the average male’s hand size being about 7.4 inches. He would also give defensive coordinators nightmares in the red zone as he can jump out the gym and every goal line fade route would almost guarantee a touchdown.

Wide Receiver 2: Kawhi Leonard

This 6’-7”, 230 lb. point guard is comparable to Julio Jones in his physical dimensions. The two have the exact same hand size and with a wingspan as big as Kawhi’s, defenses would have to be cautious of the long ball. Kawhi’s height on top of his humongous wingspan could truly aid the offense of any NFL teams.

Slot Receiver: Nate Robinson

Although no longer playing basketball in the states, Nate Robinson is the perfect fit to play the slot position.

Nate, who played football as a Washington Huskie in college, certainly has the background fort he gridiron. Also as an undersized player he would most definitely jump off the page in the eyes of coaching legend Bill Bellicheck. Nate is very comparable to the Patriots own Julian Edelman, where he is not necessarily the biggest, but through his shiftiness and speed can get the job done.

The Defense Cornerbacks: Eric Bledsoe & Jimmy Butler

These two players would certainly give some of the leagues quarterbacks

Dream Team(left to right) Giannis Antetokokounmpo, Anthony Davis, John Wall, LeBron James, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Karl-Anthony Towns.

nightmares. Both Eric and Jimmy were on the NBA leaderboard in the steals category, making them ball-hawks ready to deflect any pass aimed in their direction.

Eric’s quickness can make him like white on rice to receivers, and with Jimmy’s physicality he could be a great jam coverage guy.

Strong Safety: John Wall

John Wall would fit at the strong safety position with his speed and shiftiness.

He is a duel threat player where he would be good enough to blitz into the backfield and make a play or drop back in coverage and take the ball out of a receivers hands.

Wall would be quite the open field tackler as it is common to see him diving after loose balls almost every chance he gets.

Free Safety: Anthony Davis

With a guy like AD in coverage it would be tough for teams to beat your team with the deep ball. At 6’-11” it is nearly impossible to get the ball past him.

Averaging 2.6 blocks per game in the regular season, he is a natural at deflecting balls and it would be no different on the football field.

Mike Linebacker: DeAndre Jordan

DeAndre is one of the league’s best rebounders and with a frame like his weighing 265lbs. he would fill gaps with a powerful push. It would be no question that DeAndre could be a force to be reckon with on the defensive side of the

football for his raw power. He is just a big dog plain and simple.

Will Linebacker: Karl-Anthony Towns

KAT is one of the more athletic big men in the league who can creatively score and be a menace on the glass. He averaged 12.3 rebounds per game in the regular season and would be able to use his gigantic frame to his advantage while playing linebacker. This former first overall pick is a play maker who has what it takes to make big plays in big moments.

Being one of the league’s best defenders it is no question that Karlito deserves to be somewhere in the defense of this football team.

Although this team might not perennially be winning Super Bowls, I think with a certain amount of practice and training, it’s not out of the picture to think that this team couldn’t scrape together a couple wins. It surely would be interesting to see these athletes step out of their comfort zone and onto the gridiron to lace up the cleats.

Monday April 30, 2018

Klusman Day of Service 9

continued from front page some sort of negative critique. Most times, somebody says afterwards that they would have been more useful somewhere else or that they didn’t accomplish much. This time, I didn’t get one negative criticism.

Everybody keeps telling me that the guys had a great attitude and worked hard, and the guys seemed really into it. We got a lot of positive feedback from all of the adults and leaders.”

The whole day was dedicated to honoring the life and legacy of Mr. Klusman.

Thinking about what his friend would have said, Mr. Auer reminisced, “He would have valued it a lot. Cleaning up and doing service is an interactive thing.

It’s not sitting around in a chair trying to figure out some problem. It’s kind of mindless, it gives you time to think. Mr. Klusman always used that time to think about how to help the students. When we’d come back from a Saturday service project, he’d usually tell me ‘Well, I don’t have to take my walk today.’ He loved serving the community.”

Mr. Auer had tons of help in orchestrating the day of service. A committee of 30+ people was formed, destined to follow through on Mr. Klusman’s wish.

Math teacher and ‘04 Elder grad Mr. Currin took part in planning with the committee and was thrilled with the way it turned out.

When Mr. Currin was attending Elder,

Mr. Klusman was the wise teacher that looked a bit like Moses. When he came back to teach, Mr. Klusman was even wiser and even more of a Moses look-alike.

Throughout their years together, Mr. Currin got to know Mr. Klusman pretty well, so when he heard about a plan to honor him, he jumped at the chance to help.

“When I first heard about it, I loved it and was hopeful it would be seen through.”

For many school-wide events similar to this, planning is a nightmare. Scheduling an event for 800+ people, not to mention transportation and location availability, is often a beast in its own right.

However, this event was different. Mr. Currin detailed the planning process, saying “It was fairly smooth, mainly because there was a ton of support from faculty, students, parents, and other volunteers.

The unique challenge was transportation and students volunteering to drive was key for the success of the day.”

When the big day came, Mr. Currin had some high expectations for the event.

Not that everything was going to go perfectly, but that the students and staff would leave a great impression on the places they worked. When asked if his expectations were met, Mr. Currin replied, “Absolutely. I think one of the finer qualities of the Elder student body is the ability to take on a new challenge with a level of maturity and, in this case, with a reverence for the man we’re honoring. Our students know how to handle themselves in different circumstances throughout the community and this proved true by the effort we saw.”

Mr. Currin’s group was assigned to Mount Echo Park, where they trimmed and removed evasive honeysuckle for the

betterment of the ecosystem of the park.

They got a lot of work done and left the park looking much greener and cleaner than it was before. When talking about his favorite part of the day, Mr. Currin stated, “Interacting with the students and faculty members in a new setting (outdoors, manual labor).”

After the event was over and the students left, Mr. Curren pondered the life of the man this was all in remembrance of. He hoped that Mr. Klusman would have liked what he saw that day. “There is great value in working without seeking reward. Mark Klusman knew that better than most and he always tried to share that lesson with all of us. I’d guess he would have seen that ideal on display and been very proud of his friends and students.

He’d also encourage us all to “make” the experience a life-long passion.”

While the teachers and volunteers helped out quite a bit, the students made up a bulk of the labor force on the special day. One student, senior Jack Harrison, was left with a feeling of pride and accomplishment from his service, just like many others. He was stationed at Wyoming Park, where he picked up trash and debris, especially along the roadside. He knows that the actions of his group left the park much cleaner than it was before from personal experience. Jack stated, “I drove past there a week later and it was pretty clean, so we did a good job. It was really dirty before (we helped out).” While the work started out somewhat slow, as he got more comfortable with his tools, he enjoyed his work more and more. “Once we got the hang of it, it went pretty quick.”

Jack got to know Mr. Klusman pretty well over his four years at Elder. Whether it was in his mobile computing class or as a substitute teacher in other classes, Mr. Klusman always put his passion for life and learning on full display, and Jack (as well as everyone else Mr. Klusman ever spoke with) appreciated the opportunity to hear from him. When it came to the day of service, Jack believes that Mr. Klusman

would be totally on board. “He would’ve really liked it. He probably would’ve wanted one yearly, or even quarterly. He’d love it and it would help Elder a lot.”

Another senior who enjoyed the day of service was Eric Langen. Eric has run Cross Country all four years, and Mr. Klusman would be at every meet to take pictures. Through this mutual love of running, Eric got to associate with Mr. Klusman much more often than other students. Because of this bond, when the day of service came along, Eric was excited to help his community. He was stationed at Saint Jude grade school on Bridgetown, where he “Manicured the gravel path, cut down honeysuckle on the edge of the fields, and dumped debris from the fields into trash containers.” The fruit of Eric’s work was evident from the beginning, but he won’t be the only one to reap the rewards of his service. “The gravel got really smooth, so no one will trip now. It was pretty lumpy before. We were a help to the guys who were already working there. There was a lot of work and only a small group of people already there.”

Although he enjoyed his service work, Eric’s favorite part of the day came after he got back to Elder. According to him, the best part of the day was “getting pizza after waiting in line.”

Because of his connection through running, Eric knew Mr. Klusman better than other students. When asked about what he believed Mr. Klusman would have thought of the day, Eric responded,“This is the kind of thing he loved to do. He would’ve liked the day. He probably would’ve been excited about all the logistics behind it.”

The seniors weren’t the only ones involved in the day of service, as even those who knew Mr. Klusman the least, the freshmen, still got a great experience from their work. Freshman Kyle Sweeney, who worked at Bloc Ministries, felt he had made a real difference in peoples’ lives through his volunteer efforts. “We went to an organization that is a safehouse for women in need. (My group) mostly did work in the backyard while some kids cleaned the basement. Most of us were in the yard, picking up big debris.”

This house provides a home for women who are going through a rough time, whether it be homelessness, an abusive relationship, drugs, poverty, or anything else. The most comforting thing anyone could offer them at a time like that is a place to call home, which is exactly what Kyle did. “I think we made the people that came there more at home and gave them more living space. They were very grateful.”

Kyle’s work was focused in the yard, which is where he found the best part of his day. “My favorite part was taking out huge plants, like weeds and bushes. We were making a better place for people that don’t have a home.”

Although he didn’t get to know him very well, Kyle felt that Mr. Klusman would have been proud of the spirit of brotherhood and family that this day exuded. “I didn’t really know him that well, but he’d be very happy that Elder guys were doing something good for the community. And the fact that it was the whole school, not just a few guys.”

The Mr. Klusman Day of Service brought out the best of the Elder community. It brought out the brotherhood that we all share and put it on full display. It brought out the dedication to community that makes us who we are. It brought out the passion for doing good and helping others that is part of our human nature, yet especially illuminated here at Elder.

It brought out all of the ideals that Mr. Klusman taught to all of us.

In the months since he’s been gone, I’ve thought a lot about him. I remember him taking a nap almost every day, outside when he could or inside if the weather was inopportune. It just recently struck me why he took so many naps: He was always living to his fullest potential.

He needed to regain his energy so that he could always serve others to the best of his ability. To Mr. Klusman, every day was a chance to change the world. Every day was an opportunity to help someone in need or to lift someone up. Like Mister-

Rogers or Steve Irwin, Mr. Klusman was a man who tried to serve humanity every day of his life. Some may say we didn’t deserve him, but even if that were true, Mr. Klusman would still give just as much of himself every day.

Mr. Klusman embodied our motto, Altiora, in every action he took, and he encouraged others to do the same. Mr. Klusman, if you’re reading this somehow, we loved you, we will always remember you, and we will do our best to live as you did. Because the best lessons a teacher can teach don’t come from a book or a lesson plan: they come from the hearts of great people like you who inspire us to do better. So thank you for everything, Mr. Klusman. And to all of you reading this, make today a great day.

10

Monday April 30, 2018

Features

Fresh whips Corbin Scholtes ‘18 Staff Writer

If you walk the Elder parking lot

during school hours you will see a wide array of vehicles: beaters, speed demons, flashy cars, and even the occasional mother’s minivan.

There are a few eye catchers on the lot that need recognition. These cars are the nicest rides at Elder and makes us regular folk feel bad about our ordinary wagons.

Nick Dirr’s “Shaggin Wagon”

Speaking of wagons. Nick Dirr’s sexy 70’s mobile has to take the cake as nicest ride and most “enjoyable” experience. This beast is infamous for its gorgeous marroon paint job and his “Shaggin Wagon” text decal slapped on the side. Although it is already an impressive whip from a distance, when you get inside of this tank it’s a whole new ball game. The fuzzy carpet, party lights, stereo, and mini TV makes this roadster the perfect travel vehicle. Being able to recline in those big fuzzy seats and cracking a beverage while going to a movie and a smooth ride: all you could ever want.

The Shaggin Wagon allows us to reminisce on the good ole days when times were easier. For the bottom of my heart, thank you Nick Dirr, for your paradise on wheels. It’s a true classic beauty that will never go out of style.

Casey Martin’s “Mazda Speed”

If you’ve noticed a bat mobile like whip scooting around Elder it is none other than Casey Martin’s Mazda speed. This slick whip is blacked out to the bones; windows, tires, decals, you name it. To top off its sleek body frame and pitch black exterior, one can go inside the ride and find nothing but luxury. Its leather seats and chrome stick shift gives the car

The perfect travel vehicle

Our top honor goes to Mike McGregor’s grizzly, tricked out Honda Accord

uniqueness and originality. This puppy tops out at a whopping 130 mph and around 165 horsepower; enough to dust you at any stop light. This beast, being a stick, has mass torque and acceleration. No wonder Casey is such a happy guy. How can you not be in a good mood when you’re driving this beauty?

Mike McGregor’s “Honda Accord”

If you’re trying to picture this car in your head good luck. This Accord is like no other. Hands down most unique and slickest ride on campus.

This hot joyride is tricked out in ways you couldn’t even imagine. This beast has popping subs, a dual colored paint job, and adjustable driving height. The milky dark red to white fade is a color scheme that’s hard to come by. This

car, no doubt, has had a lot of work done to it to make it the top whip it is on campus. Whatever engine he’s packing in there sure isn’t slow, but that’s easy to tell by the deep growl she lets off as she pulls out of the lot.

Although each car is special in its own way, the overall best car on the lot goes to Mike McGregor with his Accord grizzly machine. As runner ups, there is no shame to be had. If this was a vote on comfort Dirr would have it by a longshot and if it was on slickness Casey would take the cake.

All three great cars driven by great guys. Keep your eye out next time you’re headed home from school because, if you’re lucky, you might be able to spot one of these masterpieces.

Monday April 30, 2018

Features 11

Business booming on Harrison

Rampage crushes critics

Charlie Mazza ‘18 Co-Editor in Chief

Nate Hill ‘18 Staff Writer

If an Elder student were to hop in a car

with a group of friends and decide where to go for lunch, they would most likely end up in Delhi or somewhere on Glenway.

However, within the last year, Harrison Avenue has turned into a hot spot that Western Hills residents have been gravitating toward more and more.

The delicious chain of culinary delights all starts with Zip Dip. Zip Dip has been a soft serve ice cream fan favorite for as long as I can remember.

From the classic chocolate vanilla twist to a fudge sundae in a Reds hat bowl, Zip Dip is hands down the best soft serve on the West Side, besides the debatable Lil Goodie Shop. But that discussion is for another day.

Now, the classic Zip Dip station is a long held summer tradition, but a new chain of restaurants a little further down the street give Zip Dip a run for its money when it comes to holding the title of Harrison Avenue’s trademark place to dine.

These food joints engulf a string collected buildings including Graeters, Deweys, First Watch, and Tom and Chee.

These delicious new additions to Harrison primarily serve as new fantastic places to eat for West Siders, but they are also sparking job opportunities for high school students who live close by.

Senior Sam Catania worked at Deweys for two summers and enjoyed his experience.

“I was basically an assistant to the waiters, but it was a good time. They were pretty long shifts but they went by fast because of how busy they kept me.

Also I did not mind working a little harder because I got tips,” said Catania.

Our very own staff member (seated right next to me in class) Eddie Cliffe, worked at two of the locations in Harrison Square, Deweys and Graeters. However, he had a rough journey dealing with

co-workers and available hours, so he was terminated from both.

Moving right along down the strip, we land at First Watch. While First Watch often has the reputation for being a more feminine natured breakfast place, I could think of a better outlet for a squad brunch.

The meals are not too pricey considering the quality and quantity of the food, plus the atmosphere is fantastic. It has a laid back feel emphasized with wood paneling and old chalk boards displaying menu items. These features adds to the “farm grown” authentic ambiance.

A hearty farm style family breakfast is great for those with a large appetite in the morning, but where should someone go who is in the mood for nothing more than a simple cup of coffee as the sun rises?

Once again, Harrison Avenue knows how to care for everyone’s preferences.

Last year another new strip of business were added, just a little past Veteran’s Park.

Starbucks serves as the primary coffee spot for those in need of a quick pick me up instead of a meal. Conversely, right next to it sits the first Chipotle that is not near houses in Delhi or Price Hill. Finally, top it all off a Sports Clips is sandwiched between the two if you need a haircut that day as well between breakfast and lunch.

Now continuing down Harrison, the usual fast food spots are still in full swing such as McDonalds, Wendy’s, White Castles, and even Skyline.

However, a brand new Panera was opened on Harrison less than a month ago, and it is booming for several reasons.

The only Panera I can think of close to where my classmates and I live is on Glenway, and not only is the traffic and parking horrible but the actual condition of the restaurant is in rough shape.

On the other hand, Harrison’s Panera is bigger, cleaner, and even has a drive-thru.

The food activity in Delhi and Price Hill really pales in comparison to Harrison in Dent, so explore the West Side of Cincinnati a bit more and visit the new Panera, Starbucks, Chipotle, or First Watch.

The new Panera on Harrison in Dent.

Video game turned film, Rampage hit

theaters starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Rampage was originally a video game that had one goal in mind, destroy as much as you can. The game was designed so you could destroy as much or as little as you wanted with your choice of a lizard, wolf or gorilla.

This concept is transformed into the film when a genetic engineering device being used in space explodes and comes crashing back down to earth like a meteor.

It was able to withstand the explosion and landed on earth. The research device speeds up growth, strength, acceleration, and aggression, thus creating a seemingly unstoppable creature.

Throughout the movie you follow the life of Davis Okoye (Dwayne Johnson) who is a primatologist and has a very

video game screen shot

special bond with a rare albino silverback gorilla, George. Davis had saved George from poachers. One night George finds some debris from the research device that landed in his enclosure. George checks it out and ends up inhaling some gas and is changed forever.

George then begins to feel the symptoms of the genetic editing. He is growing rapidly and Davis and his colleagues are worried for George. George then kills a brown bear with his own hands and eventually escapes the zoo and is now on the loose.

While George is on the loose, the audience is shown that there is also a coyote and an alligator that have been affected by the genetic editing as well in other parts of the nation. The alligator and coyote connect the plot back to the video game as you could choose between a gorilla, wolf, or lizard. I will leave the rest for you to find out, I don’t want to reveal any spoilers.

As for the lead characters, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is his typical self with many action-cut scenes. The Rock was everything you expect from The Rock

movie poster

in another one of his many high-profile action movies.

Naomie Harris (Dr. Kate Caldwell) and Jeffery Dean Morgan ( Harvey Russell) played supporting roles in the film.

Naomie was a former researcher for the company that generated the genetic editing device and worked alongside Davis Okoye to help eliminate the disaster her former company started.

Jeffery is an agent for the national government named Harvey Russell who at first appears to be a villain. He at first gives the impression that he was on the government’s side and was not going to let Davis go and save his own gorilla. But as the plot moves on, Russell realizes that Davis knows more about this gorilla and Caldwell knows more about the genetic editing then anyone on earth and decides to help them out.

The special effects throughout the movie were great. The three alpha-animals basically tear the whole city of Chicago down to the ground and the entire movie is filled with explosions, gunshots, and destruction.

All of the animals throughout the film were created through special effects.

The special effects crew, in my opinion, did a great job of depicting the action and destruction of the animals and the army trying to defend the city against the animals. The special effects were not the best I’ve ever seen but they were good enough for a movie of this type.

In conclusion, I really do think this movie was worth the time and money. In my opinion, the producers did a great job of connecting the film back to the video game that was once a big hit.

Rampage allowed the audience to relive their childhood while giving the audience the chance to experience what it would be like if a game really would come to life.

12

Student Features

Tom Sunderhaus acts seriously Seth Sturwold ‘18 Staff Writer

Your average high school student may

have been to see two or three live plays in their young lifetime. Maybe. Many will see one or none and some may eventually see many…but that’s not the point.

Recently, attendance was very good for the spring production of Anything Goes.

Now the musical has already received ample Elder press coverage. More interestingly, I’m here for two things: to let you all meet and know Tom Sunderhaus, who played the intrepid Moonface Martin in Anything Goes, and to cue you all in on some of the finer points and minutiae that go into productions of this scale.

So let’s get to Tom first, it’s his picture up there.

So any play starts with auditions. Let’s hear how important auditions are from the man himself, “I think [my casting] was based upon how well my audition went. As well as the results of the callbacks.”

There ya have it.

Normally, for a musical, there are the initial auditions and then the callbacks. Initial auditions, which you have to bring in a prepared song to sing, are used to gauge your overall talent. Callbacks are when you are…called back. These are meant to get an idea of what role you’d best be suited for and are normally far more specific.

Also, for most musicals, there is a dance audition to discover who has the happiest feet in the cast and who would be best for dance-heavy roles. All of these are taken into account and conclude with the final cast list being set.

Casting process out of the way, Tom was set as the notorious public enemy

number thirteen, Moonface. “The best thing about my role was how easily I stole the show.

That was probably the most fun I’ve had on stage in a long time. I mean, I always love going on stage, but nothing will beat the satisfaction that I got when I make one joke and the audience loves it.”

But there are hurdles to overcome.

“The biggest struggle with playing Moonface was probably working with that New York accent. Don’t get me wrong, I love the voice. It’s just so straining on the throat, it made it quite difficult to maintain the quality of my voice when I’d have to sing every night.”

Roles come with their ups and downs.

Rehearsal schedules can be taxin. And plays are expensive.

How expensive? Well, the licensing to do the Mercy performance of The Little Mermaid cost several thousand dollars.

Yes, you have to pay for the license to perform any play, even if it’s just a school production.

Plus all the props. The cost of the costumes. The cost of everything. Altogether, even small school productions can exceed over $10,000.

Well, as a performer, I can say that it’s all worth it. Five hours of rehearsal a day, thousands in cost, everything else that goes into the whole production. It’s all worth it.

Even if you barely even have a part. It’s worth it.

Just to hear the applause.

Monday April 30, 2018

Anything Goes with spring musical Nick Dirr ‘18 Staff Writer

“In olden days a glimpse of stocking

was looked on as something shocking, but now, God knows, anything goes!” So says Reno Sweeney in the Seton and Elder Performing Arts production of the musical Anything Goes.

This musical takes place aboard the SS American, sailing from New York to London, with music and lyrics from Cole Porter in 1934. Billy Crocker, played by Zac Martin, climbs aboard this boat to tries and win back the love of his life, Hope Harcourt. He has help from outlaw Moonface Martin and famous singer Reno Sweeney. Anything Goes was full of comedy and was certain to make you laugh. Crocker’s path to love takes many hilarious twists and turns.

Overall this musical production was very well done. It was unique to see such comedy in a high school production, but I think it really worked out. As a whole this was a great show that had me laughing the whole time.

The lead roles in this show were Zac Martin as Billy Crooker, Jenna Treinen as Hope Harcourt, Danielle Jacobs as Reno Sweeney, and Tom Sunderhaus as Moonface Martin. Each one was a perfect fit for their role. Zac Martin and Jenna Treinen had great chemistry on stage. Tom Sunderhaus was comical and played the outlaw role perfectly and Danielle Jacobs did a great job with the solos she had.

Also there were supporting characters Nick Maurer as Elijah J. Whitney, Adam Balzano as Sir Evelyn Oakleigh, Kaya Roll as Bonnie, and Monica White

Tom Sunderhaus (see profile at right) and Kaya Roll in the Seton/Elder production of Anything Goes.

as Mrs. Wadsworth T. Harcourt. Again, they could not have picked better people to play these roles. Nick Maurer played his role brilliantly and was very comical as he searched for his glasses. Adam Balzano and Monica White had amazing British accents and they seemed to have a lot of fun with their characters. These parts were all very well done and made the show that much better.

The majority of this show takes place on a cruise ship which I think can be a hard thing to pull off but they did a great job with the set. I really liked how they were able to bring in different aspects of the boat like having the brig and also being able to have individuals’ cabins. This was really well done and it was impressive how well it worked out.

Reno Sweeney was right in saying, “God knows, anything goes”. The cast members just seemed to have fun with this show and overall it turned out for the best.

Sometimes you just have to relax, go with the flow and have fun with it and the production of Anything Goes proved just that.

Monday April 30, 2018

Student Features 13

Prolific panther poet longs to be heard Jacob Henn ‘18 Staff Writer

Most kids grow up wanting to be a

famous athlete or actor. A very few decide to write and express their feelings. Senior Niko Odum has spent his own life coming up with his thoughts and feelings and turning them into poems. I wanted to find out why writing poems was something he loved to do.

I asked Niko what inspires him to write poetry and publish it for all to see and he quickly responded, “I always wrote poems, I always like how you can shape and make a rhythm with words.” Shaping a song into a poem is a really powerful skill to have.

Niko was very excited to share his thoughts on what poetry meant to him and he wants others to write their own. “I wanted people to be able to relate to my work and inspire them to write their own,” said Niko. While I was talking to Niko I found out that poetry is a true art form.

Believe it or not Niko has written over a thousand poems in his entire life.

“I always wrote in grade school in classes during break times,” said Niko. Niko does not have trouble coming up with ideas for his poems. “I loving writing when it is raining outside, it makes me calm and I am able to reflect on things in my life,” added Niko.

When I asked Niko who his favorite poet was, he pulled out a book with no

Elder’s own Tupac, Niko Odum, uses his spare time in the library to jot down a few more lines of verse.

hesitation and showed me that Tupac was his favorite. “My favorite poet hands down is Tupac,” said Niko. His favorite poem from Tupac is The Rose that Grew from Concrete. The poem means that you would not expect a rose to grow in a place like concrete and you should set yourself free from all odds.

Niko hopes to see himself writing poems for everyone to see in the world. “I definitely want to publish all of my work, that is why I write all my poems for everyone to see,” said Niko. “I write to motivate and inspire others to do things they would never want to do,” added Niko.

Trapped Within the Confines of Masculinity Masculinity can be curse; aggressiveness makes an average man feel as though he’s invincible.

When he talks thunderous quakes ripple throughout the space.

He’s trapped like a lion pacing around the zoo looking for its prey.

The intensive roar of masculinity carries its own scent like a skunk spraying its predator, leaving it with an unbearable stench ultimately causing a drift between its peers.

Excessive use of masculinity enables you to think rationally such as a child who wants candy but has a toothache. Don’t become trapped within the confines of masculinity because it will hold you hostage; oppressing you, therefore destroying relationships By. Niko F Odum

“I want to help them get to be who they want to be and also who they should not be,” said Niko. “I want to motivate those who read my poems and help them make a change in their life,” said Niko.

After reading some of Niko’s poems it really got to me and made me think about my life and also how I can do things differently.

Niko told me that he was talking to Ms. Williams-Mitchell and she was the one that got Niko to publish his writings.

“I think it is really cool that my poems are in the library for all of my classmates can see, I encourage them to check them out,” said Niko.

“I also love Maya Angelou poems,” said Niko. “She is a great writer and I love the work that’s she does, it’s what makes me want to write,” added Niko.

Niko’s favorite poem is called So I Cry and it is printed here along with two others that we proudly share with our readers.

Good luck, Niko. We look forward to seeing more of this great work published and when you are famous we’ll be able to say we knew you when you were at Elder.

So I Cry Can a man cry?

Does it make me weak?

Emotions run high causing friction between individuals.

Masculinity fills the air as if there’s no cure.

The Plague has engulfed us all, leaving us without hope; Belief that we will never suffer again.

So I cry...

Constant struggle has remained present an attempt to collapse my spirit Psychedelics spreads throughout the hood, convincing folk that there is an alternate world free of pain.

The mind altering state impregnates the society ultimately giving birth to illegitimate children.

So I cry for a better world.

4 HOPE. 4 PEACE By: Niko F Odum

Dark Skies The truth of the dark skies will set you free.

Depression lingers in the mist of mild winds surrounding the day, and night.

The mystery of the dark skies intrigues us all making us feel as though we can solve the worlds disabilities all at once.

Trees shake with terror like a dog knowing a storm is coming ultimately letting us know that darkness has arrived.

Hidden behind the dark skies is light; waiting for its moment to brighten our day.

Therefore, affecting the aura of the day.

Everything makes sense for once in our lives, the truth is revealed; its days like this that makes me feel whole.

The mystical feeling in the air, the burial of light hidden like a child waiting to be found.

Birds fly towards light; leaving darkness in the past.

The moon has surrounded the day with its ability to exploit us all with our own truth.

The truth of the dark skies will set you free.

By. Niko F Odum

14

Arts & Entertainment

Did you hear the rumor… about Isle of Dogs?

Seth Sturwold ‘18 Staff Writer

Full forward: I intend to review the mov-

ie and then segue into a larger concept of storytelling and film theory.

Preliminaries to be had, the cast is superbly all-star. Bryan Cranston plays the lead dog, Chief, and Scarlett Johansson is the voice of Nutmeg, and it also features the distinctive voices of Bill Murray and Jeff Goldblum.

The director is Wes Anderson – best known for The Fantastic Mr. Fox. He has a very particular style, and it’s one that you either love or you hate.

The movie is set in Japan. It follows a boy, Atari, as he travels to the fabled Isle of Dogs, a quarantine island where all the dogs in Japan were sent to die of an incurable disease. He travels there in order to find his exiled security dog, Spots. As the story progresses, he finds new friendship with the meanest dog on the island, Chief. Together they rally the dogs back to the mainland to expose the anti-dog bias in the government, get the cure for the incurable disease, the dog flu, and save the day for everyone.

I loved the movie, but you’ll probably hate it. Let me explain.

The movie is written with a very particular style that requires a certain level of screen awareness. The characters always move with a weird, robotic sense of purpose that is funny to me, but probably off-putting to you. It has a type of attitude toward the way that its plot unfolds that seems almost mocking to the audience.

For me, this was brilliance. For you, it will probably come off as intentionally obtuse.

I’m not trying to insinuate anything about your ability to view films. Trust me.

I’m merely trying to hammer home the point that this movie is brilliant, but very niche. It isn’t for everyone by any means, but it’s hilarious and beautiful and easily meant for Oscar consideration, in my opinion.

But why is it like this? What can make a movie so perfectly polarizing? The answer, in my analysis, lies in film theory itself.

The largest complaint I’ve heard from people who either didn’t like the movie or didn’t even want to see it is that it “seems too indie.” What does that mean?

Well, follow the logic because I’m gonna move quick. Indie movies are characterized by their experimental nature.

They are willing and prone to subvert story and film tropes whenever and however possible. Most of the time, this excessive

de-symbolization of a standard practice is known as post-modern humor. Remember that from my humor article?

So Isle of Dogs feels “indie” because its entire structure is centered on post-modern humor.

It makes fun of structures of poetry, student activism, Japanese folklore, and concepts of loyalty by removing the importance of them. It de-elevates them in order to point out the fundamental stupidity present in them.

People like movies that do this. But I haven’t heard the movie described as rip-roaring hilarious like other post-modern classics like Monty Python and Blazing Saddles, is what you say skeptically. Well, yes. The film doesn’t dwell on poking at these themes too often. No, Wes Anderson—and Isle of Dogs—make a point to post-modernize story structure itself.

This leads to compulsive anticlimax.

But it isn’t normal anticlimax…or at least it’s not supposed to be. See, anticlimax is a bad thing. It means that you are left unsatisfied.

However, this form of anticlimax, one that is meant to make fun of the

movie that this one particular character was the bad guy. The plan of the villain was also obvious. As soon as I thought to myself, “Oh, this is so obvious it’s almost contrived,” the movie literally shoved a pamphlet towards the screen that outlined in clear detail exactly what the villain’s plan was and why he was evil.

I couldn’t help but laugh internally at that. I got it at that moment. The movie wanted me to know that it knew that I knew. It was obvious for a reason: to make fun of me.

Does that sound weird? It is. I said that I laughed internally at that, and that’s the greatest flaw this movie has. It’s so niche and odd in how it presents its humor that the best rise it could get out of me was a sharp, nasal exhale. The whole movie is full of ideas and moments like that. It likes to let you know that it knows you know, then make fun at you for thinking that you really know anything about it.

There are even lines of dialogue that hint directly at this meaning.

There’s another polarizing film that makes a point to subvert expectations.

Anyone hate The Last Jedi? There you go, another example of bathos in expression. But not only for comedy, a bathetic moment can also be used to make a point.

The Last Jedi is the greatest and most known (current) example of the purely eh feelings that bathos can elicit. Either

Monday April 30, 2018

Best mob movies of all time Corbin Scholtes ‘18 Staff Writer

Throughout history, many immigrants

left their home countries and fled to the United States with the promise of achieving the “American dream.” But when they got to the states they soon realized that achieving this dream isn’t as easy as it sounded.

Many Italians and Irish immigrants were looked down upon society and experienced great racial hatred. In order for them to thrive, some turned to illegal money making and violence in order to become wealthy; this is how the mafia life was born For many Americans, the mafia arose great interest. The day to day action they experienced made for a large attraction and people wanted to know more about their high roller lifestyles.

Since the creation of the mob, people couldn’t wait to get their hands on mafia-based movies and they became a very hot commodity.

I am here to outline the best mob movies of all time and give my opinion on each one

Casino

This action thriller lays out the life of a casino manager whose God given talent for gambling lands him a mob gig he can’t refuse. His talent makes a lot of money for the mob and the mob rewards him with allowing him to run one of the top casinos on the strip. But his obsession with women and money spending leads him down a rocky path.

This film is truly an American classic but is very long: final rating; 8.9/10

Goodfellas

expectation of a payoff rather than avoid it, is known as bathos. Bathos is when a filmmaker senses what is “supposed” to happen and puts every effort into subverting it for the sake of either keeping the plot interesting or, in the case of Isle of Dogs, to make fun of the audience for trying to predict the outcome.

What does that mean, you say. Well, my chicklet of learning, let me tell you a story from my viewing. It seemed pretty ultra obvious from the beginning of the

you like it because you appreciate the subversion for the sake of the unexpected or you don’t. Isle of Dogs gets the benefit of not standing on any such ubiquitous or hallowed groundwork as Star Wars.

It’s up to preference, really, and you have been forewarned. If you do decide to watch Isle of Dogs, be prepared…it knows that you’re watching.

Most people’s personal favorite, Goodfellas, is the ultimate mob movie.

This movie follows the life of Henry Hill who, since he was a kid, was in love with the mafia and everything that came along with it; the girls, the fame, the family, and the money. This film shows his rise in rank throughout his time with the mob and the harsh struggles of choosing his destiny as a gangster.

This movie has one of the highest IMBD rankings sitting at an 8.7/10, but I would have to rank it a solid 9.3/10. It doesn’t get much better than watching the daily life of a mobster and how messy and ugly it truly gets.

Monday April 30, 2018

Arts & Entertainment 15

A Quiet Place stuns audience with silence Charlie Mazza ‘18 Co-Editor in Chief

A humble family sits around a dinner

Three of the greatest mob movies of all time, according to the author.

The Departed

My personal favorite, The Departed, was an instant classic. This is probably due to a large amount of talent including Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, and many more.

This movie is based around an undercover cop and a mole in the police department attempt to identify each other while infiltrating an Irish gang in South Boston.

The action is thrilling and will keep you at the edge of your seat all movie long.

Final rating – 9.5/10. That is a bold rating for a bold movie. There aren’t many other movies similar to this powerhouse masterpiece.

Even though there are countless numbers of amazing mafia movies, including all in the Godfather series. I feel like these three exemplify the mob in the most suspenseful and thrilling way possible. In each of these movies, I truthfully couldn’t look away from the screen. And if you take my word for it I ensure you; you won’t either.

Remember: Even more of your favorite student writers are features in our ONLINE PURPLE QUILL @elderhsquill.org

table sharing a meal of chicken, fish, and vegetables. No plates. No silver wear. And most importantly, no talking. They communicate through sign language and eat in complete silence.

After the meal, the two children play a game of monopoly with pieces of cotton and suede rather than plastic and metal pieces. After the older sister takes the lead, the younger brother spins around and accidentally knocks over a lantern.

The dad rushes over desperately to put out the fire. The house converts to full lock down mode. The kids are crying with their heads buried, and the mother is on the verge of tears standing in the kitchen.

Why the emotional strain over a simple broken lantern you may ask. Well, in John Krasinski’s newly released film A Quiet Place, the quietest sound may result in a quick and painful death within seconds.

Yes… seconds. In A Quiet Place, the world was deluged with a rain of meteors containing blind aliens with an extreme sensitivity to sound. I am guessing you can see where this is going.

It was no accident the main advertisement slogan for the film has been, “If they hear you they will hunt you.”

Within eighty-nine days of the spread of the monsters, most civilization had been wiped out leaving only a few groups of survivors.

Among these groups are the Abbott family with parents Lee, played by the director John Krasinski, and Evelyn, played by Krasisnski’s real life wife, Emily Blunt.

Not only is the family struggling to survive in the unimaginably dangerous world, but the mother Evelyn is pregnant and carrying a baby for the better half of the movie which only complicates the fragile situation.

In a broad scope of overall production, A Quiet Place was an incredibly original and entertaining movie. While I would never consider myself as a horror movie connoisseur, I have still seen my fair share of scary movies.

With a plethora of jump scares, tinted dark colored scenes, and a multitude of bloody or gory images, A Quiet Place holds its own when compared with other trademark horror films.

However, it is not the anxiety or fear or jumpiness which highlights the movie as a great production. It is the overarching

conflict between the hero character(s) and antagonistic beasts.

Most scary movies make the central plot a war between say a killer or monster or the devil and the hero character(s).

Quite differently, A Quiet Place focuses its main story line on the family and its internal struggles to protect each other with love and honor while balancing the opposition of the terrifying monsters on the other side.

This focus on the family only strengthens the audience’s care for the outcome of the “scary” situations.

It connects anyone who watches the movie to the family and the struggles they endure outside of alien monster attacks.

And the leaders of this family sell

the audience with nothing short of grade “A” performances. As leads, the married couple of Krasinksi and Blunt fit the role of self-sacrificing parents of this Abbott family to a tee.

Since the two actors are clearly in love, their chemistry translates to the big screen in an emotional fashion.

Whether it was Lee (Krasinski) laying his life down for his children to escape, or Evelyn stifling pain to birth her own child, it was clear their raw performances were not staged.

Rather they were authentic emotions in communion with what they would do

for their family in real life.

In an interview on Jimmy Fallon’s late night show Krasinski even stated, “The move is really supposed to be a love letter to my kids showing what I would do for our family.”

While his kids were not actors in the movie as well, the supporting roles of the children were on par as well.

Noah Jupe played the younger child, Marcus Abbott, and did a fantastic job.

His character is one that makes the most strides in maturity throughout the movie.

From being afraid to walk outside, to driving his sister away from harm as Lee sacrificed his life for them, Marcus transforms into a man. Jupe’s facial and body expression told the whole story of his maturing with little to no dialogue available.

Millicent Simonds, who plays the role of the older child Regan Abbott, may be the most interesting aspect of the film.

To start out with, Simonds is actually deaf, just as her character is cast to be. Thus her acting is very authentic as well in terms of hearing the world around her and the danger of the lack of sound recognition in this future world.

To aid her hearing in the movie, Lee works tirelessly to create a hearing aid for Millie, but none of them work as she hopes.

However, his work was not without merit, as it turns out the highpitched feedback from the hearing aids was the weakness of the monsters.

The hearing situation with Millie also feeds into the highly detailed noise design Krasinski uses to put the audience in the shoes of her perspective and create suspense.

While small sound effects such as trees ruffling or wood floors cracking were present in the parents and boy, when the perspective shifted to Millie the sound was completely mute.

This lack of sound was disturbing and created one of the most silent movies I have ever witnessed in a theatre. Most members did not even want to eat their popcorn or candy because it would disturb the flow of silence Krasinski emphasized.

With little to no dialogue, A Quiet Place communicated more completely than most films I have ever seen.

Thus, if you have not already, get out there and check out Krasinski’s newest movie. Because while you may not hear much, it is a sight to behold.

16

Monday April 30, 2018

Back Page

The Quill goes to the movies Tyler Eshman ‘18 Staff Writer

Over the years, movies have become

the most common form of entertainment.

Listening to radio story broadcasts and reading books have become a forgotten pastime and movies have overcome every single child, mother and father.

These movies that we have all grown to love and adore have constantly been under scrutiny and criticism by movie critics and other forms of the media.

However, many tend to disagree with their opinions, so I decided to ask the people whose opinions really do matter: The Purple Quill staff.

I went to multiple staff members and asked them what their favorite movies are and why.

The city’s favorite away team batboy, Matt Mahon, stated that his favorite movie of all time was Rookie of the Year because he believes that it is a classic 90’s film that tells the story of a young boy with a dream.

When I asked renowned podcast member, Charlie Mazza, what his favorite movie was, he stated that it tends to alternate but Goodfellas is near the top of his list because in his opinion, it is one of the greatest directed movies he has ever seen.

I then asked Eddie Cliffe and Jack Mazza what their favorite movie was and they went with Wedding Crashers. They both agreed that it is one of the most quote-able movies that has ever been created.

Cliffe said that his was: “Are they built for speed or comfort, you old sailor you.” Mazza said that his was when Mrs. Kroeger said: “Shut your mouth when you’re talking to me.”Other than it being one of the most quote-able movies of all time, they said that they love the movie because the acting and comedy is absolutely amazing.

Sam Kayse stated that his choice for a favorite movie would have to be Remember the Titans because he believes that the way Coach Boone brought two opposing

Quill Comics Nick Mauer ‘18 As mentioned in the profile of Mr. Schoenfeld in this issue, one of the favorite features of The Purple Quill over the years have been student comic strips. Mr. Rogers has been asking staff members for several years to come forward with comics they would like to

sides together, even with a racial difference, to win a championship was amazing and a beautiful piece of cinema.

Nick Dirr decided to go with a classic film, Forrest Gump. He too believes that this movie is one of the most quoteable movies of all time with his favorite quote being: “Lieutenant Dan, I got ice cream!”

He also stated that he loves them movie because it is a classic feel good movie for all ages.

Lastly, I asked the boss man himself, Mr. Rogers, what his favorite movie was and he said that it is either The Usual Suspects or Shawshank Redemption because of the amazing story lines and acting they contain.

Matt Mahon’s living out the fantasy of his favorite movie.

share. Last month we featured a couple of strips by Seth Sturwold and this month we get the creativity of Nick Mauer. Rumor has it that next year we will have a full time cartoonist on staff, so look for more student comics in issues to come!

Sticks N Stones

NEW TECH, OLD LIFE

S P R I N G F E V E R

collected by Matt Mahon ‘18

Who or what is your pick?

Better playoffs: NHL or NBA?

How many games will the Reds win this year?

S t a f f

Ms. Bruketa S e n i o r

61

NHL

Sal Morena

Hot dogs or Burgers? hot dog

92

Are mullets coming back?

never in style

cornhole

wiffle ball

hamburger

not a chance

cornhole

hamburger

no

fishing

58 fishing

NBA NHL

fishing

basketball

74

F r e s h m a n

Gabe Neidhard

Best Elderfest event

no

hamburger

J u n i o r

S o p h o m o r e

hiking

NBA

Casey Martin Aiden Byrne

Fishing or Hiking?

NHL

2

fishing

hamburger

no

has not experienced Elderfest yet