The Purple Quill October 2019

Coachspeak

Universe of sport

Microwave nirvana

Lukas Marlman reveals the best quotes from the gridiron. see Faculty Features - pg. 4

Jackson Geiser profiles a very busy AD, Mr. Kevin Espelage see Sports - pg. 8

Jack Langen examines the snacks of your youth see Features- pg. 11

Published by the Students of Elder High School

Volume 88 Number 2

October 31, 2019

Service group sets example for all Elder seniors create new entity that asks a simple “Why Not?” Mason Berger ‘20 Co-Editor in Chief

Serving the community is one of the

highest principles and standards of Elder High School, and all of us at Elder can see the positive effects of serving the community. Some students, however, have taken the responsibility of serving others to a whole different level.

The Why Not? Service Group has recently been very active in the community. This is a service group started by and run by the students of Elder High School, specifically senior Aidan Corey. He, along with several other Elder students, have taken initiative on several service opportunities in the past few months alone.

Corey stated that his idea was inspired by the documentary 13th, which showcases the numerous struggles that minority races go through that cause a cycle of poverty and then confinement. “It kind of just gave me the idea to help anyone who has a disadvantage due to social or economic barriers,” said Corey.

He understands the situations that these people the group is helping are in, saying, “Many of them were put into this position because of poor choices that lead to – what I consider to be – unjust consequences.”

This was no one man show, however.

Corey came up with the idea and got the ball rolling, but he told me that guys like Ryan Tressler and William Doepker were the main contributors to the creation of the group after the idea was put forth.

Aidan also gives some credit to Mr. Eisele, due to him bringing awareness of these issues to Aidan and other students.

“The analysis of these situations that Mr. Eisele offered, helped to spark this idea

and narrow our goal.” Aidan said about Mr. Eisele’s contribution to the group.

As to spreading awareness of the group not only at Elder but across the city, Mr. Nugent and Dr. Wahlert have been two huge factors in developing the group’s image and promoting the work they’ve done so far, according to Corey.

The group has served a plethora of organizations across the city, some of them being Habitat for Humanity, Maslow’s Army, Freestore Foodbank, and others.

Corey said that the group also plans to work with Matthew 25 Ministries in the future, as well as creating their own projects as a group.

Corey’s initial goals for the group were to get a few of his friends to join and to serve those who are at disadvantages socially or economically. “Our world often defines homeless people or those who are less fortunate as ‘deserving’ of that situation, but I don’t think this is a fair assessment at all,” said Corey about the barriers and stereotypes these people face.

While his plans may have been simple to start, they have only grown larger and larger as time goes on. “Obviously,

“We want as many people to join because it not only benefits the people we are serving, but also us. We are able to see and learn from these experiences in our community,” -William Doepker my goals were exceeded because now we have more then 20 members (and counting),” stated Corey about the rapid growth and expansion of the group.

Members painting at Habitat for Humanity in Cincinnati. (photo from @_WhyNotSG twitter)

The group volunteers for the Freestore Foodbank at the Rubber Duck Regatta on September 1, 2019. (photo from @_WhyNotSG twitter)

Group members have already experienced many rewarding service opportunities, and there is never any regret of serving for a group member. Ryan Tressler said, “When I volunteer, I like that the experience really expands my worldview and allows me to learn about and help the parts of out city that I don’t visit or know much about.”

William Doepker has also seen much value in doing service with the group.

“One of the main lessons that I have come across while serving places around the community is that there is a real problem. When we go out to serve, we really see how much suffering our community endures,” said Doepker.

The group will not stop in the near future or distant future. Corey explained his plans for the immediate and remote future of the group, stating how they plan on accumulating more hours on a bi-weekly basis, and how they want to develop their own projects that allow them to talk individually with those less fortunate once the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons come along.

As for after the school year, the class of 2020 members plan on handing over the reigns of the group to the class of 2021 members. These members will be accepted based on leadership and member applications.

The class of 2020 members do not plan on cancelling their association with the group, though. “Leaders of our current group now also plan to start the Why Not? chapter at their respective university,” stated Corey about the graduating members.

The group is always expanding, and accepts all who want to serve. “We want as many people to join because it not only benefits the people we are serving, but also us. We are able to see and learn from these experiences in our community,” said Doepker. “We want this group to become

big enough to where it lasts generations to come.”

Corey’s thoughts of the group’s service so far pertain to what the members have gained from it, more so than the actual service itself.

“I think the biggest takeaway is not just what we do means so much to those we are serving, but it means a ton to the students themselves. I have noticed that in the reflections I have had group members do after each event, the answers have gradually become more in-depth and reflective,” said Corey.

The effects on Corey and other group members have been growing as rapidly as the group is growing itself. Corey said, “Our work has had a meaningful effect on each individual member by developing their compassion for all life, no matter what the circumstances are of those they are helping.”

What started as an idea has turned into something that keeps growing as the days go by. The group has easily become one of the bright spots of Elder, and will be for years to come. This group embodies what it means to strive for the higher things, and is a perfect example of what is preached here on 3900 Vincent Avenue.

Aidan Corey and company may have started the next great tradition at Elder High School: the Why Not? Service Group.

Inside The Quill

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

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Thursday October 31, 2019

Opinion

The ultimate & infallible list Days of the week power rankings Nicholas Seger ‘20 Staff Writer

When have you ever seen rankings for the days of the week? Never, and it’s be-

cause everyone assumes that the week gets better as it goes on. However, I am here to show you why that theory is completely false. I have studied all possible factors that relate to the days of the week and composed the finest set of rankings ever created.

7. Wednesday

This is easily the worst day of the week, and it is not even close. Wednesdays are in the middle of the week. You are halfway through the week, but you still have four long days to go. This is just demoralizing. By the middle of the week you are almost always too tired to function, yet you still need to power through for two more days to get to the weekend. In addition, everybody knows you get the most homework in the middle of the school week, and Wednesday is square in the middle. To top it all off, the day is referred to as “hump day.” What on earth wants to be called “hump day?”

6. Monday

Mondays are simply awful. The word Monday is synonymous with unhappiness.

They mark the end of the weekend and the beginning of the school week. Going back to school is a rude awakening back into reality, and no one wants to go back to all of his or her responsibilities that come with school and work. Thinking about the long week ahead is disheartening. Only psychopaths like Mondays.

5. Tuesday

Tuesday is one of those days that you hate because it is right after Monday. It is actually just Monday with a different name. It is the most unexciting and irrelevant day there is. There is literally nothing to look forward to on Tuesdays. The day before was Monday (awful) and the next day is Wednesday (even worse). It is literally surrounded by the two worst days of the week, and this really affects Tuesdays. Tuesday is like that really nice person that hangs around a bunch of bad influences (Mondays and Wednesdays) which corrupts the poor little guy.

4. Sunday

Sundays are arguably the most relaxing day of the week. I personally like to wake up early and praise the Lord. Then, I come home and take about a three-hour nap. Then, if it’s the right time of year, I like to get up and watch some NFL games. One of the few downsides of Sunday is all the homework due the next day. I am a huge procrastinator, so a large portion of Sunday is spent doing homework. Another downside of Sunday is the fact that it is the last day of the weekend. There is nothing to look forward to the next day, but you can reminisce about all of the fun had on the previous weekend days.

3. Friday

Friday is perhaps the most overrated day of the week. It also has an unbelievable amount of pressure put on it. Every single day building up to Friday talks about how great the weekend is going to be, specifically how great Friday is going to be, but it almost never lives up to the hype. Fridays are set up for failure because the bar is set way too high. However, Friday is still a great day simply because the work week is over.

No school the next day which means no responsibilities. From an Elder student’s perspective, Fridays are great. There is Purple Friday at school, and it’s gameday for the football or basketball team depending on what time of year it is.

2. Thursday

Thursdays are the most slept on day of the week. I like to say Thursdays are an acquired taste. Only a select few intellectuals can comprehend its greatness, but I’ll do my best to break it down. There is nothing too special about Thursdays, but this is what makes it so good. The potential for a Thursday is crazy because no one expects anything great to happen. A good Thursday is like playing the team that no one expects you to beat and then beating them by a ton. From a school perspective, they are the best. Thursday school days are very laid back because most tests are either Monday or Friday. Also, everyone is in a great mood because it is the last day until the weekend. The only downside about Thursday is having to go to work or school the next day.

1. Saturday

This is clearly the best day of the week. It’s the heart of the weekend. Saturday is the reward you get for making it through the week. You don’t have to wake up early for school, and you don’t have to worry about doing all of your homework. For most people, this is the only day of the week where they get to sleep in until whenever they want. Sleeping in on Saturdays is key because of all the sleep lost during the week while staying up late doing homework. Also, Saturday nights are the one night of the week that never disappoints.

There are so many possibilities for a Saturday night, so every person can find something they want to do. Last, Saturdays mean no stress. This the day where nothing else matters, and you don’t have to worry about anything.

As you can see, each day has its own strengths and weaknesses, but some have more than others. When all factors are considered, this is the correct set of rankings. I have to admit, this list is flawless.

Haunted season hits Cincy Adam Duwel ‘21 Staff Writer

the yard as 50-65 workers scare you throughout. The lines can be long but the 25- 35-minute walk of the house is worth it. The Dent Schoolhouse has been a tradition on the west side ever since it opened. The lines can be long and never ending. With its growing popularity, the Christ Hospital just started a few years ago to allow

It’s that time of year again where haunted houses start to pop up around the tristate area.

Besides from the USS Nightmare and The Dent Schoolhouse. There are plenty of other ‘mom and pop’ attractions and haunted houses that around town to scare visitors. Hands down one of the most popular attractions to go to is, of course, Halloween Haunt at Kings Island. On the west side of Cincinnati there are plenty of things to do during the Halloween season. In regards to rankings and top things to do during Halloween here are my top picks.

USS Nightmare is by far the most under rated attraction to go to in the Greater Cincinnati Area. Right across the river from downtown Cincinati sits the USS Nightmare. The USS Nightmare is docked on the bank in Covington. This attraction has been running for many years. This is easily one of the longest scares in the area. Lasting from anywhere to 45 minutes to an hour. I went a few years back and it took me and my group somewhere in that time range. Overall the experience was great. You followed along different parts of the ship and it followed a story throughout. The story you follow is a real story that you can follow along to and could legitimately happen. The price to go through is fair and is a great way to spend a night with friends.

The Dent Schoolhouse is the most popular haunted house on the west side of Cincinnati. The Schoolhouse is of course located in Dent. The school opened in the Cincinnati Public School System in 1894. The haunted house is based around the story of an older worker that killed a bunch of kids. The tour takes you through the old schoolhouse and

guests to park in their lots.

Both the Dent Schoolhouse and USS Nightmare have welcomed hundreds of thousands of guests each October. These are the only two ‘Big’ Haunted House attractions in the city but there are plenty of other ‘mom and pop’ Halloween attractions. They might night have a real-life story to fall back on or a big market area. They each offer a sense of dedication from the employees and guests. Sure, it might be more obvious to see where the scares are going to be but you’ll still jump at them. These places aren’t making the people that run them much money, they do it out of a passion.

They will start working on it months in advance to give you the best experience possible. Sure, they aren’t as good as the USS Nightmare or The Dent Schoolhouse but they show a certain side of society that is sometimes overlooked: passion. It might be too late this Halloween Season but next one give it a try and check out some ‘mom and pop’ haunted attractions.

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: Mason Berger ‘20, Carmine Domenicone ‘20 Faculty Advisor Mr. Gary Rogers

Faculty Advisor Emeritus Mr. Edward Menkhaus ‘63

Graphics Guru Jack Langen ‘20

Staff Writers Mitchell Bareswilt ‘21 Joe Book ‘20 Jack Bruggeman ‘20 Jacob Cowans ‘20 Adam Duwel ‘21 Jackson Geiser ‘20 Jackson Grimmelsman ‘21 Connor Magness ‘20

Lukas Marlman ‘21 Thomas Peters ‘20 Chase Schaerer ‘20 Gus Schlomer ‘21 Nicholas Seger ‘20 Zach Thompson ‘20 Zack Williams ‘20

Thursday October 31, 2019

Opinion 3

Bring back letterman jackets

Ultimate teams dominate

Carmine Domenicone ‘20 Co-Editor in Chief

Zack Williams ‘20 Staff Writer

“Glory days, well, they’ll pass you by Glory days, in the wink of a young girl’s eye Glory days, glory days.”

Those are the words of famous singer and performer, Bruce Springsteen in his 1984

hit, “Glory Days.” To some, it seems we may have forgotten the classic style of those socalled glory days. However, today’s culture has seen its glimpses of throwback clothing in full force, especially among our young generation. Just to name a few: jeans, Converse, and denim jackets have begun to make their way back into today’s society.

Despite some of the 80’s style looks that have already made their return, the one forgotten essential that has been missing for quite some time is the vintage letterman jacket (also known as the Varsity Jacket).

In 1965, the letterman jacket was first worn by Harvard University’s baseball team.

The main objective of the jacket was to represent their athletes with a sense of pride for the school and team they played for.

Throughout the 70’s and 80’s, letterman jackets were a huge hit as high school and college athletes could be seen wearing them throughout the country.

Considering Elder’s storied athletic tradition, I have been told that letterman jackets were the real deal back in the day. My dad, Carmine Domenicone ‘88, told me that he wore his cousins’ jacket from the class of ’83 all throughout high school. I have asked on several occasions if he knows where it is, but to this day it remains lost in the dust somewhere. However, I did find an old Elder jacket in my closet that had the name “Ken” stitched on the left front pocket. Since then, my own name has replaced the name of “Ken” and I rightfully claim ownership to the jacket.

Senior Robby Engelhardt just recently pulled his dad’s jacket out from ’87 and had this to say, “I think the letterman jackets are a brilliant way to bring back some of the tradition that Elder has. I definitely think they should make a return.”

What’s unique about the designs of each of the jackets is that they changed every year for the most part. According to several sources, back in the day you’d design your own jacket through one of the local sporting goods stores. In addition to the design, if you made a varsity sport, you’d have your varsity letter “E” stitched on to the back on the jacket. The year of your graduation would be stitched on one of the sleeves and your name in the top corner of the front.

In doing some research, I have found that legit letterman jackets these days run upwards to $200.

Although an absurd amount of money for just a jacket, the look is priceless.

Senior Jack Yungbluth is an adamant supporter of the movement and can often be seen reppin’ his jeans, flannel, and Chuck Taylor’s on the daily.

“I support it because I think it’s a good look and it brings on an 80’s vibe. Most of our dads wore them and I think we should carry on the tradition,” Yungbluth said.

Several teachers have also expressed their support in bringing the jackets back including: Mr. Eisele, Mr. Wahlert, Mr. Gergen, and Mr. Espelage.

Time will only tell if the trend catches on, but it’s hard to turn down such a classic look. I think they’d be a big-time seller over in the spirit store as well, so shout out to Mrs. Doerflein if she’s looking for a new product.

When all is said in done, if you want bring back this tradition, it’s time to start wiping off the dust in your dad’s closet and search for his old jacket. With a pair of jorts and an Elder letterman jacket, how could you go wrong?

People love sports. And there is nothing

wrong with that. It is perfectly okay not to enjoy sports, but I guarantee you that many people in this world know the best teams in history in the most popular sports. Those three most common sports in my opinion are football, baseball, and basketball.

I am going to be giving my opinion on the best teams ever in each of these three sports, and I am sure some of you Panthers will have the same, or a very similar list to mine. I am very up to date and heavily involved in all three of these sports. This advantage makes it possible to realize that there will be no current professional teams on my list because I know that there have been better teams in the past.

To start off, I am going to talk about the greatest sports team in the history of professional football. I mean what other unstoppable team in NFL history would I be talking about beside the Patriots. It is not that I am a fan, it’s just that they have had so many good years and unreal teams that it is almost unfair to give this throne to anyone else.

I believe that the 2004 New England Patriots are the best team in NFL history. With Brady settling in as the franchise quarterback, and the top receivers in the game, they were literally unstoppable. Brady, and Coach Belichick would defend their 2003 Super Bowl win with a dominant offense, a crushing defense, and a destructive margin of victory.

Some key players that helped carry this team defensively were linebackers Tedy Bruschi and Ted Johnson, along with stud defensive lineman Richard Seymour and big Vince Wilfork. Offensively, they were carried by their leader Brady, but they were not weak anywhere else. They had a young Benjamin Watson at tight end and receiver Deion Branch. They also had the quick truck at running back by the name of Corey Dillion, and he was running behind one of the best offensive linemen in the game, Matt Light.

Now, onto the best team in the history of Baseball. I may be a little biased because all the teams in the 1900’s, I never really got to see play, but who knows? I mean I am going way back let me tell you. I think it is pretty obvious who the best baseball team in history of the game was. I am talking about the 1975 Cincinnati Reds. There was so much outside of baseball going on at this time which makes their story ten times better. Their record was 108-54 with a 7-3 Postseason record, and a World Series win! Their run differential was +254, and they had a team ERA of 3.37.

I mean talk about some big names! They had many of the greatest players of all time on one team. The hit king Pete Rose at third, Ken Griffey in right, Joe Morgan at second, Johnny Bench behind the plate, the glue to the team at first base big Tony Perez, Foster in left, Concepcion at short, and Cesar Geronimo in centerfield. With all of that nuclear offense they had some awesome pitching to go along with it. Don Gullet, Gary Nolan, Fred Norman, Jack Billingham, Pat Darcy, and Pedro Borbon are just some of the studs they had on the mound. This team played the game of baseball with a whole different level of aggressiveness.

Lastly, I will be talking about the greatest team in the history of professional Basketball. This choice for me may a surprise to you, but hey, it is truly what I think fits best. I am going to go with the 1988-89 Detroit Pistons, also known was the “Bad Boys.” They were one of the toughest teams in NBA history, and always knew how to rattle their opponents. They went 63-19 in Regular Season, and 15-2 in the Playoffs which may not be the best, but is definitely impressive.

I really believe that they should have beat Jordan’s Bulls, but they did not execute after they came close the first time. Some of the big names, and the team’s stars were Isiah Thomas, Dennis Rodman, Joe Dumars, and Bill Laimbeer. They were just one of those teams that knew how to play together, and they played for each other. They went through so much together, including Dumars loosing his father. They played for each other every game.

There are so many teams that had unreal players, but just did not compare to any of these. It is simply due to the fact that they didn’t mesh as a team, and were not a good group of guys together. The three teams I have chosen all played for the same goal, and for each other. Their were no selfish players on any of these teams, and that is what it is all about!

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Faculty Features

Schaerer enters second year of success at Elder Thomas Peters ‘20 Staff Writer

Mr. Scott Schaerer, one of Elder’s

newest additions, has grown to be one the most beloved teachers by the students who have been lucky enough to have him for class. The Elder faculty has seen many changes in the past few years. One of the most unexpected changes occurred when Mr. Clifford Pope announced that he would be moving to Summit Country Day. Mr. Pope was loved by all students due to his booming voice, sarcastic remarks, and genuine personality.

“I’m much more relaxed, especially with the block schedule. Coming from seven classes a day at Visi to usually only three or four most days here is a big switch, and it took me a while to get used to.”

Upon Mr. Pope’s leaving, Mr. Schaerer was left with big shoes to fill as he joined the Elder team in the fall of 2018. Being an advisee of Mr. Schaerer, I have grown to know him more than most students in the past two years. I speak for the whole student body when I say that Mr. Schaerer is a great guy who definitely cares about his students and has a visible passion for what goes on around Elder.

I met with Mr. Schaerer in order to get his own take on his first two years of teaching. When I asked Schaerer how

he enjoys his teaching experience so far, he replied: “I love it, I love coming to school every day. I love the kids and all of my classes. Teaching freshman New Testament lets me talk about things I am passionate about, and the overall atmosphere of being at Elder is something I look forward to every day.”

Schaerer had previously taught religion at Our Lady of the Visitation for six years before coming to Elder. Before Visi, he was on the police squad. Schaerer left his job with the police in order to go back to school. Schaerer said that initially, he thought that he wanted to teach little kids, and that his faith life played a very important role in choosing where he wanted to work as a teacher.

Before being hired at Visitation, Schaerer did his student teaching at Elder, shadowing Mr. Tierney and Mr. Dickman, and after his experience at Elder, he knew that this was where he wanted to be.

Schaerer describes his student teaching: “Just the energy of their classrooms and the way I saw the teachers I was shadowing interact with their students called me to teach here.” After teaching a few years at Visi, Schaerer wanted to teach highschool-aged students, and he got his wish as he started in the fall of 2018, teaching New Testament and other religion classes.

After getting his first year under his belt, Schaerer said that he feels a lot more comfortable in his role at Elder: “I’m much more relaxed, especially with the block schedule. Coming from seven classes a day at Visi to usually only three or four most days here is a big switch, and it took me a while to get used to.”

Schaerer is involved with the Panthers for Life group and coaches freshman

football here at Elder. He has a homeroom, advisee group, and teaches freshman New Testament classes. Schaerer said that his favorite part of the day is “all of it”. He went on to say that interaction between and with the students, talking to other teachers, and just being in the middle of the Elder environment makes his job very entertaining and fulfilling.

Schaerer also takes time out his day to make sure his students have the best experience that they possibly can while at Elder. “I push the students in my classes to get involved and do things early; I don’t want kids to feel like I and plenty others felt at times after and near the end of our Elder experience,” he said.

Thursday October 31, 2019 Mr. Scott Schaerer chats with one of his advisees, Shane Sharpe ‘22

Schaerer went into further detail for me as to why he was here; his last words to me were: “I want them to be able to look back and say that they were part of something special and didn’t even know it” On behalf of all of the Elder community, I would like to wish Mr. Schaerer the best in his future years of teaching at Elder. Even for only being here for less than two years, he has already impacted students, myself included, and the Elder community as a whole. I’m sure he will continue to be a good role model for students and everyone else he encounters at Elder.

Thursday October 31, 2019

Faculty Features 5

Heard on the gridiron Top 7 Elder football coaches’ quotes Lukas Marlman ‘21 Staff Writer

Elder football; we’ve all been to at least one game and heard the coaches screaming at the top of their lungs. However, each coach on the Elder football staff has their own saying they love to say at least once during every practice/game.

In this article I will count down the top seven coaches’ sayings and try my best to explain what they mean.

7. Coach Lance

“Let’s get some scout guys out here” Coach Lance is a funny guy and I’d say he hardly ever speaks, but when he does its always a mystery to what is going to come out. Except ‘let’s get some scout guys out here’. Coach Lance always says this during special teams, and offense/ defense. When you hear coach Lance say it then you better hustle out because if you don’t, he’ll threaten you with running.

6. Coach Good

“WHAM/BAM” Coach Good says this while he is showing the linemen the blocking technique. And from what I’ve heard he really likes to say WHAM or BAM. When the offensive linemen hear coach Good say this that know to look because they are getting “quality” examples of how to block.

5. Coach Myer

“Bigs, Big Skill, Skill” When you hear coach Myer say this your stomach turns and you know that it’s not going to be fun. He says this every

time before we run and you especially hate to hear it on Tuesdays because that is full gasser days. Many people dread hearing these words from coach Myer’s mouth, and I’m with them. There only one worst thing then hearing “bigs, big skill, skill” and that’s coach Ramsey saying, “On the line.”

4. Coach Fortkamp

“Let’s go” Coach Fortcamp says this during the defensive meetings before the home football games. Coach Fortcamp will walk into the room and at the end of his speeches he’ll say, “Let’s go.” AT the first team meeting of this season before the game he said it and everyone got up and started walking out but then we were told to sit back down. I guess he just got us so hyped up that we were ready to play right then.

However, when you hear coach Fortcamp say “Let’s go,” we now know to stay sitting and wait for the other coaches.

3. Coach Ramsey

‘We’ll see what happens’ It’s almost like you hear coach Ramsey say this in every interview and practice before gameday comes. You’ll hear coach Ramsey say, “We’ll see what happens” in practice after his speech after practice ends. And is almost every pregame interview you’ll hear him say, “We’ll see what happens.” It’s almost like coach Ramsey doesn’t want to give too much information out and he wants to leave everyone listening in suspense.

However, you know you’re watching a Ramsey interview when you hear the famous phrase ‘We’ll see what happens.’

In many interviews, Coach Ramsey will drop his famous, “We’ll see what happens.”

2. Coach Currin

“Essentially...”

According to some, coach Currin says “essentially” in every sentence he utters. According to Mason Burger coach Currin uses the word so much because he so smart. Now I’m not sure if one can use essentially in every situation since the definition is: to emphasize the basic, fundamental, or intrinsic nature of a person, thing, or situation.

However, if you ever hear a person near you use the word essentially once or twice in the same sentence then you know you it’s probably coach Currin.

1. Coach Cook “This gonna get em”

Coach Cook says this during the corner drills and during scout offense. Coach Cook is talking about the players running the routes and how they are going to burn the DB’s and score. Every time you hear coach Cook say, “This gonna get em.” you already know it’s gonna be a good play.

Coach Cook is right about 50% of the time, and on one incident he even called who was going to get burnt (I’m sure he knows who he is.)

Honorable Mentions Coach Currin

“PURPLE” If you were at the St. X game on Friday, October 4th, then you may have heard coach Currin yell “purple” almost every play during the game. I know he said it a lot because I had to write the defensive plays down, and I wrote purple more than 100 times that game. For this season I’d say purple is coach Currin’s favorite saying so far (besides his all-time favorite saying “essentially.”)

Coach Ramsey

“What are we doing?”

If you have ever been at one of the practices you probably heard Ramsey say this a few times. He could be talking about the offense or the scout team defense. Or he also could be on the sideline during a game and say this to coach Currin or Coach Finke. But when you hear coach Ramsey say, “What are we doing?”

Then you know he going to get mad real soon.

6

Best of the lot The Quill’s annual look at Elder’s coolest cars Jackson Geiser Staff Writer

Most of the students at Elder High

School get their licenses during sophomore year. It is a very exciting period in people’s lives. All people want to do is hit the road and be free from having to ask siblings or their parents for rides.

The cars at Elder vary, and people have diverse cars. I was thinking about all of the different cars, and that is how I decided to carry on The Purple Quill tradition of the “coolest cars” article. With so many students with so many cars, it was difficult for me to decide who would be in the article. I discussed the topic with many of my classmates. After gathering information, I boiled it down to five of my classmates. These guys are: Braden Ruhe, Luke Hastings, Bradley Pitcher, Will Tuttle, and Alex Henkel. I got the chance to catch up with each of them to ask some questions and discuss their cars.

First I talked with Braden Ruhe about his car. He drives an all-black (murdered) 2008 Honda Civic SI. It is tricked out with tinted windows and a decorated interior. I asked Braden what is his favorite thing about his ride. “My favorite thing about my car is driving manual because it engages you with the car. It makes you feel like you and the car are one… and of course that it goes fast.”

Braden does not believe that he has the best car in the school, but he definitely believes that he is in the top five, and I totally agree with him. His car is low and the tint adds a special sleekness. With so many features along with the color, I was wondering what feature Braden appreciates the most. “Best feature on my car is probably the loud aggressive sound of the exhaust and engine when I rev that baby up to high RPM’s.” From personal experience, I agree with Braden. His car has a smooth exhaust, and riding is always smooth.

Student Features If you hear a car roaring and flying up Panther court every morning at about 7:48 right before announcements, then you already know about Luke Hastings’s 2014 Toyota Corolla S Plus. This car is murdered as well with brand new black rims and a clean interior.

“My favorite thing about my car is the fact that I have put so much effort into making it enjoyable, and it is a one of a kind ride.” Luke bought this car as a stock Corolla and has been slowly adding customizations since sophomore year. He doesn’t believe that he has the best car in this contest, but he believes that he has the most aesthetic.

“I have to humble myself to Alex Henkel and his very nice Subaru.” I couldn’t agree more about the aesthetics.

I have had very many experiences in this car and it is always thrilling and comfortable. “The tinted windows and black wheels add to the personality of the car and create a blackened theme for the exterior.” Luke’s favorite feature on his car is his windows because they create a privacy feeling while making the car feel more

Ruhe’s low highrider

luxurious for those inside and outside of the car.

“This is a hard choice, however, because I love my custom magnaflow exhaust. It adds noise and horsepower that never gets old.” Luke decided that if he is going to spend so much time in his car, then he better make it the best experience for himself and his passengers. Luke’s dedication to his car has led into another passion of his. “Working at a car dealership and taking such a car of my own also led to the creation of my company, Westside Details. I worked on cars all week during the summer and it didn’t even feel like a job. I have found one of my passions that I will carry with me for the rest of my life: cars.”

Bradley Pitcher roams the streets and whips around Elder in what one Luke Hastings aka “Paul Walker” by his car.

of his close friends, Chase Schaerer, calls a “half truck”. Bradley drives a 2006 Ford F-250 Super duty. This gigantic truck looks like a normal freight truck except the back/trunk is literally missing. Its all mechanic which makes the truck look half terminator, but in a good way. “My favorite thing about my car is that it’s loud. It also does a very mean burnout.” Brad says that his car is a personal preference because it isn’t the coolest, but it is cheaper and he is in the process of building and upgrading it himself.

“It will be painted with a flat bed before the end of winter, and I am very ready for it.” Brad has big plans for his car in the future. With only half of a truck, I wondered what his favorite feature was.

“The best feature would be that I cut the exhaust off.” It really increases the noise of the car.

If Price Hill could be summarized into one vehicle, then it would 100% be Will Tuttle’s whip. Tutts drives a 1996 Chevy Geo Tracker. This car has a feeling of no other. You can always feel the positivity coming from this car just like the man who drives it. When you see this car, expect to see a smiling Will Tuttle behind the wheel. “It’s a golf cart, but faster.”

Will says this car has “banging bass” inside of it and I can vouch for that as well.

I have had many experiences riding in this vehicle and it gets better every time.

Rumor has it that Tutts has never touched the radio one time because it is always on B105. “My favorite thing about the car is that it is basically a convertible sports car.

I always drop the top and zoom around in the summer.” Tutts believes that he has the single greatest car in Elder history. It has had over 20 years of road experience around the west side. I asked Tutts what his favorite feature is on his car.

“It’s sexy and the engine revs like no other. It’s a once in a lifetime experience to see the Geo Tracker.” Last year after the annual junior ACT at Elder, the man let me drive his car around the parking lot, and I’m going to be honest, it was life-changing. It’s unfortunate that not everyone will have the experience of riding in this vehicle, but next time you see it just be aware that a true man of Elder is operating it.

Last, but certainly not least, we have the most hyped-up car at Elder, and it belongs to Alex Henkel. Alex drives a grey 2015 Subaru WRX STI. Rumor has it that the speed of this car is always above 50 mph. The details of this car are very tricked out and upgraded, so I was wondering what he likes the most about his car.

“My favorite thing about my car is

Thursday October 31, 2019 Tuttle in his convertible sports car.

the speakers in it and the loud pops and bangs that my exhaust makes.” Alex does believe that he has the best car at Elder, but he values everyone’s feelings about their own cars. “There is no best car, but it all depends how people value their vehicles.”

These are some humble words from a person driving the type of car that he does.

He believes that not everyone might like a fast and loud car, but he loves it and takes very good care of it.

With so many features on his car including a spoiler, tinted windows, and black rims, I thought that one of those would be his favorite, but I was surprised what he said truly is. “The best feature is the clutch and the traction control off button.” He uses this feature to drift his car and tear up some road.

I learned a lot about how a person is connected to their car. Each person I interviewed values their car in their own

Alex Henkel’s Batmobile

way and that makes it special. I challenge everyone to value their car because they are all important to you, and it is what gets you back and forth every single day.

If you have a cool car that you would like so submit or inform me of, email me @ eld-geiserjw@elderhs.net to have a chance of being featured in any follow up to this article.

Brad in his “half truck.”

Thursday October 31, 2019

Student Features 7

Sporting the hockey style

Joe Book ‘20 Staff Writer

The story behind Joseph Corey’s hair

Panthers choose career paths

Senior year can be both a scary and

exciting year. You are preparing to head off to college, leaving what might have been your home for the past four years, and perhaps most prominently, trying to decide what do with the rest of your life.

It is this last point that enthralled me recently. What were my peers going to do with the rest of their lives? What passions might they have? What careers might they be going to undertake? I decided to answer this question by seeking out some of the members of the senior class and asking them: What career are you going to pursue?

The first person I interviewed was Jacob Cowans. Cowans, a senior and fellow journalism student, has a distinct interest in the craft of Game Design. When asked why he wanted to be the designer of future video games, he stated that he “enjoys coding”.

As far as the road to actually becoming a Game Designer he said that he plans on majoring in interactive media studies or game design.

Although building great games is his present and more immediate goal, in the future he dreams of actually starting and forming his own company. Cowans is lucky to have a job that is linked to his passion, and I am interested to see what he ends up creating in the future.

The next person I talked with was fellow senior Jack Bruggeman, who told me that he wants to be the manager of a business. He confidently stated that he thinks he “would be pretty good at it” and

Chase Schaerer ‘20 Staff Writer

Joseph Corey is a senior at Elder, the

plans on “majoring in business management at Xavier”.

When asked about his dream job though, he stated that he’d love to a manager for one of the NFL teams, although he admits that it is a bit implausible.

The last person I conversed with was Thomas Peters. Peters, unlike the other interviewees, isn’t interested in working in game design or managing a company.

Instead, Tom wants to work as a field scientist, preferably working for some sort of government agency or science institute.

When asked why, he said that the natural world had always interested him and that he’d like to work out in nature.

In contrast to this, when asked if he could be anything he wanted he said that a close second would be being a film set worker. Quite a difference in jobs.

The men of Elder have vibrant aspirations and dreams. You could want to design video games, bringing joy to a generation of people. You could want to be a boss and lead a team. Or you could study out in nature and see what the world has to offer. What people want to do varies immensely but no matter what: follow your heart.

varsity hockey goal tender, and a Toyota enthusiast. However, out of all of this, most people probably know him for his luscious locks. Anyone walking down the halls can pick Joe out of the crowd of students clearly because of his long hair. There are very few people who have known Joe before he had his signature hair. I decided that I would interview Joe and find out the story behind his hair and why he decided to grow it out to let it get as long as it is.

Ever since I have known Joe, he has had longer than average hair, so I asked him for the story behind it. He told me that he began to let his hair get long for the first-time starting freshman year. Joe told me it all began in grade school when he could never decide how to style his hair in a way that satisfied him. He didn’t know what to do, but when he began to play hockey freshman year, his solution appeared. Some of the upper-classmen had long hair in a sort of hockey style, so Joe decided that he would try it out.

That was the last time Joe had short hair. Ever since then Joe has had some of the most legendary hair at Elder. Joe said once his hair got long he really liked it, especially because he said it was easy to take care of and he likes how it looks.

When asked what the toughest part was he said, “I hated the middle phase because I looked like a puff ball.” He said that in order to avoid that, he usually gets a hair-

photos provided; photoshop by Mr. Rogers

Workin’ for a livin’

Is Joe thinking back to old times when hair care was simpler?

cut at least once a year to give it multiple lengths while still avoiding the puffball stage.

Joe does plan on going into the military after college, in which case his hair will have to be cut. He said it will be a sad day for him because at this point his hair has become a big part of him. If you make the trek out to some of the hockey games, you can catch a glimpse of Joe’s hair hanging out of his hockey helmet, but if not, there’s still a chance you catch him in the halls. His hair is the stuff of legends, and now you know the story behind it.

8

Sports

Bowling team rolling their way to state Connor Magness ‘20 Staff Writer

The Bowling Team quietly put together

one of the best seasons in program history last year, winning GCL as well as districts. Their biggest accomplishment last season, however, was placing fourth in the state and fifth nationally. The Elder Bowling Team is on the rise, and they are looking to have an even better season then last year. I got to catch up with some of the bowlers and ask them a few questions about this upcoming season and what to expect from this year’s team.

I first talked with senior captain Ethan Boyers to talk a little bit about the team.

I wanted to know what it was like last season after a great run in the post season and great season overall. “Myself and the team collectively felt great about the season last year. It gave us a strong boost of confidence and recognition of our skill set,” Boyers said. Ethan then went on to say that the season was surreal for everyone on the team.

After a strong season though, you need to get back to work as every-

The man, the myth, the AD

one knows. Senior Jaxon Tuerck, who transferred from X last year to help the bowling team on their run also contributed a few comments about what is next for the bowling team and what they are working on this offseason. I asked both Ethan and Jaxon the same question on what the team had to work on and they both had the same answer.

“Our main focus right now is getting everyone ready for the season by practicing weekly, and daily and minimizing missed spares,” Jaxon said. Ethan saying the same exact thing also said that they need to work on team attitude, and not letting their pride and compassion for the game get ahead of themselves.

I’m sure everyone also wants to know what the bowling team is looking like this year, and what some of their goals are.

Boyers said the team only lost one senior, and that the team is looking better than ever. When asked about the team goals Boyers put it quite simply.

“Win GCL, win Districts, win State, win Nationals,” Boyers said. He then went on to say that people may not see these He may not be interested in conquering the universe, but there are few who will challenge the mighty ESPANOS and his athletic director glove. (photoshop by Jackson Geiser)

goals as realistic, but they are more than anything attainable by all means.

The bowling team may not attract crowds like football or basketball, but this team has some talent. They are more than ready to make a state and national run.

Out of state athletes face undue challenges in Ohio

Jackson Geiser Staff Writer

Adam Duwel ‘21 Staff Writer

Elder, Mr. Kevin Espelage. We all know that he is our very friendly athletic director who is constantly working very hard to make sure that all of our sports programs run efficiently. He is the man behind the scenes who makes sure everything is running smoothly athletic wise.

This year, I have been lucky enough to take the High School Sports Management class that he teaches. It is in this class that I found out how complicated his job is, and how many different involvements that he has to be a part of. I felt like every person should learn about what this man of Elder does, so I decided to ask him some questions about it.

Mr. Espelage was very cheerful when I went to interview him. To understand his job, I thought that we first needed to learn how he decided to pick up the torch from Mr. Dabbelt.

“I wrestled the torch away from him when he announced his retirement. I am kidding, but hanging around here enough and being involved with sports convinced me to do it.” Mr. Espelage was the assistant AD, and one time he had to manage a Winton Woods football game. When the bus was backing in, it nailed a gate there.

“We knocked over the gate and I knew that it was for me.”

After learning how he landed in this position, I was curious to find out what is the most critical part of his job. Espelage told me that it is all important. Some sports require more attention than others, but it is his responsibility to make sure that all of them are running smoothly which requires a lot of attention.

“That is the most important part, but it is all worth it and a great experience. The greatness does not come from winning everything, but rather the lessons we all learn from the sports. Winning is definitely still fun, though.” I couldn’t agree more.

As most of you probably know, Mr. Espelage is a teacher here, so I wanted to

this, but I live in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. I attended a Catholic grade school in Lawrenceburg for all eight years. To be eligible to play high school sports in Ohio you had to go to the same grade school from the fourth through eighth grade. This rule is not too complicated and honestly made sense. I don’t play any sports at Elder so this rule hasn’t applied to me. But I wouldn’t be eligible to play following these guidelines during my junior year at Elder.

The OHSAA recently revised the rule. They ruled that no matter how long you went to a grade school in Indiana you still couldn’t play sports in the OHSAA. Here is where it really takes a twist. If you live in Indiana but went to a Catholic grade school in Ohio you are fine to play OHSAA sports. Confused yet?

Yeah, exactly.

If I were to be in eighth grade now living in Indiana and going to an Indiana Catholic grade school I couldn’t play sports at Elder. In another situation if I live in Indiana but go to a Catholic grade school in Ohio I would be perfectly fine to play sports at Elder or any other Catholic High School in Ohio.

The part that doesn’t make sense to me is that why should I be penalized because of simply going to an Indiana Catholic grade school that was closer to me than any other Catholic grade school on the West Side of Cincinnati. Elder wasn’t a choice that I had to make. Elder isn’t the only high school out there. Elder is about 20 miles or so from my house which takes about 35 minutes to get to school each day. LaSalle is about the same distance from my house. The closest Catholic School in Indiana is Oldenburg Academy. Oldenburg is about 50 minutes away from my house. Oldenburg is not even in the same county as my home. If anyone want to play sports at a Catholic

Everyone knows the famous man around

Most of Elder already knows

know what job he liked/enjoyed better.

“It was A LOT easier teaching and just being a JV baseball coach, but I have learned a lot from my new job and met so many fantastic people. I wouldn’t change anything about my decision.” He also said that his family probably liked him better as a teacher…“just kidding.”

With so many tasks to accomplish for this job, there has to be at least one thing that Mr. Espelage would like to change.

He told me that the only thing he would change is to make everybody happy all the time. Along with this question, I had to find out what was the most stressful part of being the AD. “That would also be making everybody happy all the time.”

After wrapping up our talk, I thanked Mr. Espelage for all of his work and time.

I now have what I need to inform everyone of how hard he works and dedicates his time to Elder High School. He is very open to new ideas and ways to improve each sports organization, so I encourage all of you to talk to him if you have any questions and take his High School Sports Management class.

Thursday October 31, 2019 Elder’s bowling team took the GCL and district last year.

But, easily this will be one of the biggest seasons in Elder Bowling history for these guys. With a chance to go to state, and win the state title things are better than ever for the bowling squad, everything is on the line.

high school and lives in Dearborn County, where I live, you’ll have to go out of the county. The closest schools are in Ohio; Elder and LaSalle.

The OHSAA is making this a rule simply to restrict the reach of Catholic high schools across the state. Public schools can only enroll kids that live in their district. Catholic schools are basically wide open and have endless boundaries. I can live with that response.

Keep Ohio schools playing Ohio athletes.

What doesn’t make sense is that they let kids they who live in Indiana full time but went to a Catholic grade school in Ohio play. If they were to change the rule again, which seems very unlikely, they need to add ‘feeder schools’ that might be out of the state but whose closest Catholic high school is in Ohio.

The rule penalizes those that made the choice to stay close to where they live to get a Catholic Education instead of driving a far distance for years to get the same education that is closer. I can’t blame the OHSAA, they don’t know every situation in every corner of the state.

The OHSAA should change the ruling on out of state athletes to be allowed to play if their closest Catholic high school is in Ohio. Obviously, I am a little biased about the whole situation because if I want to live where I live now and want send my boys to Elder, they wouldn’t be able to play sports. This ruling also could affect the enrollment of out-of-state students looking to go to a Catholic high school in Ohio and play sports.

This ruling almost started with the Class of 2023. A couple of the kids that wouldn’t be allowed to play sports for Ohio wouldn’t be allowed to play. If the ruling would have applied to them they were thinking about transferring to an Indiana school.

I see where the OHSAA is coming from. I totally understand the ruling if there were no schools that were near the border to another state. I am sure that this situation is not unique and happens in other parts of Ohio. The OHSAA needs to revisit this ruling at some point in the future and go back to the old system of out of state eligibility.

Thursday October 31, 2019

Sports 9

From laughing stock to unstoppable dynasty Houston shows MLB how to navigate a total rebuild.

Jackson Grimmelsman ‘21 Staff Writer

Since the beginning of the 2010’s, the

Houston Astros were one of the worst teams in all of baseball. During the years 2011-2014, the Astros record was 242648. However, since the 2014 season, the Astros have been competing for postseason appearances, they were in total rebuild mode for five years and it turns out that it was a total success. How have the Astros become so dominant? The Cincinnati Reds have been rebuilding for the same amount of time, but haven’t made the postseason since 2014.

In 2011, the MLB’s 2015 American League MVP was brought up to the big leagues. Jose Altuve, the MLB’s shortest active player, standing at a solid 5’-6”, has been the most impactful player for the Astros in their 2017 World Series run and the creation of their dominant roster today.

Altuve has been the most consistent hitter in the majors since the 2014 season.

He has won three batting championships, and he recorded 200 hits in 2014 through 2017. Many people believe that Altuve will go down as one of the best second baseman to ever play the game of baseball just because of his impact for the Astros in the postseason. In game six of the ALCS, Altuve hit a 2-run walk-off home run to send the Astros to the series.

Altuve is now 29, and he believes that he has another decade or more of baseball

left before he calls it quits.

Another hitter that has been a huge contributor for the Astros since the beginning and in the postseason is George Springer. Astros manager AJ Hinch does things differently when it comes to offensive strategy. He tends to put a ‘power hitter’ in the lead off spot. George Springer hits in the lead off spot on a regular basis for the Astros. The reason why he does is because he specializes in hitting homeruns in the first inning to give the Astros an early lead in games. He also broke the franchise record for most home runs in the postseason (13). The Astros have needed his hitting ability to get them to the World Series twice in the past three years.

In the early years of Carlos Correa’s career, people hyped up Correa to be one of the best future shortstops in the majors. Correa has lived up to the hype.

Also, Correa has become the leader of the Astros ever since their postseason run in 2017.

Ever since his MLB debut in the early 2015 season, Correa has been one of the league’s most feared hitters and has had a big impact on the defensive side for the Astros in the postseason. The Astros goal in their rebuilding process was to draft a player who can be a leader, who plays a middle infield position. Now, the Astros have Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa.

When you watch these two guys play on an everyday basis, they make the hardest double plays look easy. Both Altuve and Correa have been MVP contenders in multiple seasons. Carlos Correa is so elusive,

The real king of LA When you add up all the stats there is no argument who is the best Laker ever

Jack Bruggeman Staff Writer The LA Lakers are one of the most popular attrtactions in basketball.

Throughout the years, they have had phenomenal teams and are considered one of the two greatest franchises of all time.

There has been much debate as to who is the best Laker player ever. To answer that question requires more than just evaluating the best Laker player at his athletic peak. Rather, I will look at the whole career of any player who wore a Lakers uniform.

The best career did not come from Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Magic Johnson, Wilt Chamberlin or even LeBron James. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the best player to ever play for the Lakers. Kareem is a six-time NBA champion, two-time NBA MVP, six-time MVP, 19-time all-star, has the most NBA points of all time and had the “unstoppable” shot: the skyhook.

It is true that there are other players that are worthy of this esteemed title.

LeBron is considered the best player of all time, Kobe was on the Lakers his whole career, Wilt had a 100-point game, Shaq was so physically dominating and Magic may be the best point guard of all time.

While those are valid points, Kareem is still more deserving over all of these players.

Kareem had a longer career than the rest, so he could tally up more total points. Currently, Kareem has more championships, all-star appearances and MVPs than the others. If LeBron is able to catch up to Kareem, he may end up being the “Best Laker Ever,” but he is

not right now. Kareem has more career points, blocks, and rebounds in his career than Kobe. Kobe had a great career, but Kareem had a better one. Shaq was more powerful than Kareem, but Kareem took care of his body more and did not cause drama with his teammates in the Laker organization. Even though Wilt Chamberlin had historic games in his career, including that 100-point game, Kareem still racked up more points in his career. In fact, he beat Wilt by 6,968 points. Magic Johnson seemed better than Kareem when they were playing side-by-side. Actually, Magic would probably be the “Best Laker Ever” if his career did not end so early because of his diagnosis of AIDS. That is why Kareem beat out Magic for this award.

The 2011 Astros celebrate their 56 win season. (photo from bleacherreport.com)

that you can place him at any place in the lineup. In the 2019 postseason, he has done his hitting duties as the team’s seven hole hitter and has been a huge contributor by hitting a walk-off home run in game two of the ALCS. Since the 2015 season, the Astros have built their pitching rotation and bullpen into the best in the majors in 2019.

In the 2017 season, they added one of the most dominant starting pitchers, Justin Verlander who was their best pitcher, leading the team to win the 2017 World Series.

The next year in 2018, the Astros kept buying as they traded for most likely the best pitcher in the majors in Gerrit Cole, and one of the best closers statistically in Roberto Osuna. They have even had

success in their farm system with the new addition of Josh James who has been the best contributor in the 2019 postseason.

The Astros bullpen is so dominant, that AJ Hinch can rely on the bullpen to get them a win in the postseason to save his starters arms for future games.

The Astros had no life, confidence, nor fan support when they didn’t have the stars that they have today. In just three years, Jeff Luhnow completely wiped the Astros’ roster and made it into a dynasty.

You have to give a ton of credit to the man. He has found the best prospects in each draft, late round gems, and dominant pitching through trades to make them a multiple year dynasty that will go down in MLB history.

Fans of today’s NBA easily forget how dominating Kareem was in his day.

Clearly, Kareem rose above all of his possible competitors as “Best Laker Ever” because of his statistics. Still, there is more to basketball than that. Kareem had the skyhook which made him unstoppable on the court. There was nobody in the league who could block that shot. That puts him in a league by himself.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also had a tougher road to championships than most players. He had to face teams that had players like Wes Unseld, Earl Monroe, Julius Erving, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Isaiah Thomas and Dennis Rodman. Kareem played against some of the finest players the NBA had ever seen and won against them all.

No other basketball player had a more outstanding career than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar including LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Magic Johnson and Wilt Chamberlin.

Kareem may not always get the credit he deserves as a legend, but the numbers speak for themselves.

Although 30 years have passed since this Hall of Famer retired in 1989, he continues to be an all-time leader. When a player can sustain his records for that amount of time, no one can argue that he has not earned this distinction.

Many people nowadays overlook Kareem’s greatness be-

cause he played with some great players. However, that should not factor into how good of a basketball player he was. When greatness is defined by the longevity of a career and one’s stats, he is the undeniable winner. That is why Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the “Best Laker Ever.”

10

Sports

Da Bears were monsters Jack Bruggeman ‘20 Staff Writer

What does it take to be the best at some-

thing? It may be that you have the best record, the best people or the best leadership.

The 1985 Chicago Bears had all of these.

They had the best NFL record that season at 15-1. The Bears also had first-rate players like Walter Payton, Jim McMahon, Richard Dent, Dan Hampton, Steve McMichael, Mike Singletary and William “Fridge” Perry. In addition, this team was coached by Mike Ditka with Buddy Ryan leading the defense. All of those elements also helped the team win the Super Bowl that year against the New England Patriots. Anyone who wants an uplifting story about sports needs to look no further than the 1985 Chicago Bears.

In 2014, Rich Cohen wrote about this legendary football team in Monsters, the 1985 Chicago Bears and The Wild Heart of Football. It starts off with Cohen’s interest in football, the Bears and his trip to see them in the Super Bowl. Then it covers a brief history lesson about the beginning of football itself and the evolution of the game. Next, it discusses Mike Ditka’s career as a tight end in the NFL and the controversy when he became the coach.

Cohen also gives an inside look on how the ‘85 Bears came to be so great by interviewing players such as Doug Plank, the Bears’ safety, and Kevin Butler, the kicker.

Later, Cohen introduces the important players and their impact on this team one-by-one.

Monsters does a good job of relaying how much fun this “Super Bowl Shuffle” team was and goes into great detail about some specific moments during the season.

What stood out to me were two particular events. One involved the rebellious quarterback Jim McMahon.

The NFL once fined McMahon for wearing an Adidas headband during the game instead of the blank one he was allowed to wear. The reason was that it violated the NFL’s agreement with advertisers. The following week after he was fined, McMahon set out to get under the NFL’s skin.

He decided to write Pete Rozelle (NFL commissioner) on his headband because “technically” he had a plain headband on but he was still “advertising.” McMahon had figured out a way to be defiant and submissive at the same time!

The other favorite story in the book was when Walter Payton was not happy after winning the Super Bowl. What made Payton upset was that he did not get a touchdown in the game. Payton had carried the team for a long time and was considered the only good part of the Bears for several years prior to ‘85, so he was disappointed that he did not get the opportunity to contribute in that game.

That revealed a different perspective on how some players feel; winning a game is not always enough to cause elation.

For those who enjoy recalling the statistics of a team, Monsters describes all

the numbers of the championship season.

The quarterback was Jim McMahon.

He was injured during the season on a cheap shot. Still, he finished the season with 2,392 yards passed, 15 TDs and 11 interceptions. The best player on the Bears was Payton, who rushed for 1,551 yards and nine rushing touchdowns during the season. Even though they were two great players, the defense propelled them to the top. The Fridge got five sacks in his rookie season and had some iconic rushing touchdowns on offense, too. Dan Hampton, Steve McMichael, Otis Wilson and Mike Singletary all combined for a miraculous 28 sacks and 10 fumble recoveries during the season. Still, Richard Dent was possibly the best defensive player on the team with 17 sacks on the year and came away as the Super Bowl MVP. Monsters offers more than one would assume because Cohen does not only focus on the big names in this book. He wants to give credit to some other players from this amazing team that rounded out the talent including some we even forget were on the team.

For instance, there were wide receivers like Willie Gault, who had 704 yards receiving and was also a fantastic punt returner. Dennis McKinnon, who caught 31 passes for 481 yards and 7 touchdowns.

Still, the player with the most receptions that season was the tight end Emery Moorehead, who had 481 yards and a touchdown. Each player had an important

Thursday October 31, 2019 role in creating this historically great team.

What makes Monsters unique is that you can sense Cohen’s love for the game and this team throughout the book. This is especially evident when he recalls the time he got to go to the game with dad to cheer on his hometown team. Since the team is tied to his own childhood, he effectively captures the spirit of the ‘85 Bears. Unlike other books about this topic, Cohen does not end Monsters with the winning of the Super Bowl. He thinks the story of 1985 Chicago Bears is more than just a glory season. He also gives an overview of what became of that great team. The biggest legacy this team left behind is the Walter Payton Man of the Year award. It is given to commemorate players who contribute to their community in a positive way.

Players who receive this award get to wear a special patch on their jersey for the rest of their career.

This is, of course, named after the running back of the ‘85 Bears who died at the age of 45 from liver disease. Cohen also mentions that Mike Singletary became the 49ers Head Coach for the 2009 and 2010 seasons. The 1985 Bears showed that defense wins championships. It is still widely believed that the ‘85 Bears defense is the best of all time because of their size, strength and athleticism.

Today’s Bears try to replicate that team in 1985 with players like Kahlil Mack, Eddie Jackson and Akiem Hicks.

We may never see the likes of the ‘85 team again, but even those who do not care much about football would enjoy the stories that are recalled in Monsters. This book is not just about a football team; it documents the complete journey of what it takes to be the best.

Thursday October 31, 2019

Features 11

Answering questions and getting credit

Elder’s underrated Academic Team Jack Bruggeman ‘20 Staff Writer

There is a team at Elder that answers

questions and gets credit for it. Of course, I am talking about Elder’s most underrated team: The Academic Team. This team competes with other schools to answer questions that cover a wide range of academic subjects.

Last year’s Varsity Academic Team finished with a 16-3 record, only the third time in Elder’s history that the team finished with three or less losses. Senior Ethan Plagge, a team member, believes that the team is “pretty solid this year.”

Ethan feels that is due to the fact that the Academic Team has “a lot more “even” team this year, with multiple people knowing about different types of topics.” Similarly, Academic Team mem-

ber, senior Kevin Klayer believes that “everyone on the team has their one thing they’re knowledgeable in. There is no one best player on the team.”

Senior Joe Book, feels the same about the team this year. Still, Book feels like there is one Academic Team member that is “by far” the best weapon Elder’s team has, Klayer.

While Plagge was convinced to join the team by his older brother who had been on Elder’s team, Book and Klayer got involved in the Academic Team for a different reason. They both went to St. William for grade school and started participating in this activity.

When they got to Elder, they both continued to pursue this passion of theirs.

Joe Book especially likes the Academic Team because of the man that runs it: Mr. Ceddia. Book believes that Mr. Ceddia is the most underrated person that Elder has to offer.

“We all hear about Mr. Quatman, but Mr. Ceddia is where it’s at.” Book wishes that Ceddia could be as popular as Quatman is amongst Elder students. Joe Book and the rest of the team meet together in Mr. Ceddia’s room Tuesdays after school for about an hour and a half. These meetings can be fun because, according

Above: Members Ethan Plagge and Joe Book.

Above right: The “best weapon” Kevin Klayer.

Late day survival essentials Best after-school snacks provide energy and nostalgia Jack Langen ‘20 Graphics Guru

Let’s take a trip down memory lane.

It’s a cold day. You’re in the fifth grade.

You’re exhausted from trying to figure out how to add fractions and what was going on in Greek mythology: all you want to do was get home and play some Wii, but, aw snap, you have homework.

You’re tired, you’re done with life, and you feel like giving up. You walk in the front door, and then BAM, all that changes when you find before your eyes, on the kitchen table, one of those classic after-school snacks - those snacks that can just, somehow, turn your day around or even make a good day a better one. For old time’s sake, let’s take a look at those snacks that just had that magic quality.

5. PB & J

A childhood classic, the peanut butter and jelly sandwich was always ready to go. Whether you’re in a rush to get to soccer practice, or you don’t want to spend too much time cooking something, this reliable snack was never an inconvenience. Two minutes was all it took to make this delectable creation, and, boy, when you get out that jar of Smucker’s and Jif, you’re like the minister to some divine sandwich marriage. Cut that bad boy into four triangles, and you’re floating on a white bread cloud. It’s no Wonder

The only question is ...will 150 be enough?

2. Cookies

that the average American eats nearly 3,000 PB & J sandwiches in his lifetime (according to a Peter Pan Simply Ground Peanut Butter survey). I don’t think a day has gone by that a PB & J hasn’t made an appearance in my household, and I celebrate it every time.

Whether homemade or storebought, America loves cookies.

In fact, you were probably just thinking about how much you’d love to sit down with a nice, warm chocolate chip cookie or perhaps some of the store-bought variety maybe some Oreos or a few Nutter Butters. My favorite is those Keebler Fudge Rounds. God bless the Keebler elves; everything those guys do is amazing. Oh, and don’t forget about a big glass of milk. When it comes to cookies, milk is a must - it makes an Oreo even better, which is nearly impossible to do. All in all, you can’t miss when you have a cookie as an after-school snack.

4. Pop-tarts

Who says Pop-tarts are a breakfast food? Everyone knows that, while they’re a great option for delicious, sugary breakfast, they are really an anytime treat. Eating a Pop-tart as an after-school snack is like eating cake for breakfast. You’re told you’re not supposed to do it, but it certainly seems something that good can’t be wrong. Even though the fine people over at Kellogg’s have started experimenting with strange flavors like root beer and Jolly Ranchers, everyone still knows and loves the big three strawberry, brown sugar cinnamon, and s’mores. If you have the time to pop those in the toaster, they’re even better.

Toasted Pop-tarts are among elite company in the hierarchy of after school snacks.

3. Bagel Bites

Forget what the health-nuts are saying about this so-called “nutritional value” idea: these things are good. Little frozen pizzas on little bagels allows anyone to be 55 seconds away from pure bliss. To make things fun, the fine people who make this treat include a little tanning mirror to make your Bagel Bites even more crispy;

to Kevin, Mr. Ceddia “tells a lot of stories and he knows a lot. He shares a lot of random cool facts. He’s just a cool, laid back kind of guy.” With leadership they admire so much, this team is destined to do well.

1. Pizza Rolls

it’s like a beach vacation for your mouth.

When you don’t have enough time to grab a pizza, you can probably dig through your freezer, and you’ll find an old box behind the ice cream. They may not taste as good as they did when you were seven, but Bagel Bites still hold up.

Coming in on first on my list are Pizza Rolls. You know them and you love them.

When Mom made Pizza Rolls, it was a special day. When made in the microwave, these are alright, but, boy, when the day is right and you cooked them in the oven, you might choose these over a steak dinner. Whoever came up with these fine snacks is a hero to children all across this great nation: he eliminated the need to ask yourself “what should I eat?”. So when it’s after school and you’re looking to be wowed, then preheat that oven, and get to droolin’.

12

Features

Thursday October 31, 2019

Aviation club soars into Elder

Getting to know Gaillin Mitchell ‘21

Mason Berger ‘20 Co-Editor in Chief

Lukas Marlman ‘21 Staff Writer

Throughout my years at Elder, there have

been several new clubs and organizations started and there have also been some that have died off. But, we have a brand-new club that has never before been formed at Elder: The Aviation Club.

The Aviation Club is for anyone who has interest in aviation or would like to learn about aviation.

I talked to club member Jack Oliver who said this whole idea stemmed from an idea he had while sitting in his room. An aspiring pilot, Oliver was looking at some of the aviation merchandise in his room, and the idea came. “I said to myself, ‘What if there was a club for this?’”

He brought the idea up to Mr. Hiles, and he thought it was a great idea and approved the creation of the Aviation Club at Elder.

While Oliver may have started the club, the club is moderated by Mr. Horton, “I thought that since aviation has a lot of physics to it, who better to be a moderator than Mr. Horton,” said Oliver on the selected moderator of the club.

Oliver also mentioned some of the other members of the club, including a few others who have interest in aviation for the future like himself. “We’ve got Ryan Kaffenberger who is also looking to be a pilot. There is also Joseph Corey, who wants to be a Navy officer and Matthew Kock; another aspiring pilot.”

He also touched upon the few underclassmen that are a part of the club, and Oliver says that they are hoping to gain more members along the way.

As for some of the scheduled events for the club so far in the year, the club has big plans for the upcoming school year and then some. “Some of our plans include us making trips to the CVG airplane viewing area to do some plane spotting, as aviation geeks (including me) call it,” says Oliver.

“We will also make a trip out to the Air Force Museum in Dayton during winter break. Along with that, we will also hopefully go to the Vectren Dayton Airshow in late June.” He also stated that the club may add some other events to the schedule if they can.

Oliver said this for anyone who is interested in joining: “Have an open mind.

This club is open to everyone whether you are an aviation fan or just a curious individual.”

“The club is one of a kind, and I encourage you all to become a member of the first ever Aviation Club,” said Oliver.

As Jack said previously, if you are fascinated by aviation or are just a curious fellow and are looking to get involved, the Aviation Club may be the club for you.

This club is looking for members, and has many events on the agenda to look forward to.

So why not try out the Aviation Club?

You will be able to liftoff into the world of aviation by joining.

Maybe you have seen number 10 in

uniform on the football sideline and are wondering why he hasn’t been on the field lately and who he really is. Well, he’s not on the field only because he transferred from Walnut Hills to Elder this past year.

The transfer rules for football state that student athlete transferring can only play the first five games and then the playoffs.

But Gaillin and Mr. Espelage have worked it out and you will see number 10 on the field again. In this article you’ll learn about Gaillin’s backstory and why he is an Elder Panther now.

Transferring to a different school can be hard, but Gaillin said that wanted to come to Elder to focus on his academics and to succeed in football. Some got to know him before others because he was at football practice this summer before school started. Gaillin is a person who just loves to hit in football and he is dedicated to reaching his goals. Gaillin has already had many great memories at Elder and he only just completed his first quarter here.

Gaillin said that his favorite memory so far was “the first home game we played because I’ve never played in an environment like the pit before.”

Gaillin has been playing football since he was in the sixth grade at Dater Montessori. Gaillin plays linebacker because he said, “I love to hit people.” However, recently he was moved to defensive line.

Gaillin said he’s going to still play both, so if you missed him at linebacker you’ll still see him there. Also, Gaillin said that he likes defensive line because, “It’s up close and personal.” However, on game day you

Gaillin displays his support for Elder while at Walnut Hills. (twitter)

can see Gaillin pretty much doing anything from tossing football outside, to singing in the locker room, and even coming back to Elder with a Burger King whopper, Subway, or Rally’s. Gaillin might even have a pair of headphones on listening to his favorite song, Hot by Young Thug ft.

Gunna.

While some may know Gaillin better than others, many know that he loves to sing to his favorite song in the locker room. It seems like every day before football practice you’ll hear Gaillin at least once scream-sing the lyrics. Immediately everyone knows he’s in the locker room and is ready for practice.

Now some players may want to have a peaceful Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, etc. but as soon as some 80’s hit or peaceful type of music comes on, Gaillin says, “What is this?” Then he proceeds to disconnect the music device and start playing some Young Thug or Lil Uzi. Overall, Gaillin is a funny and strong and welcome addition to Elder and the football team. He can always be heard due to his loud singing, and he’s a person that many look to for leadership. Now since you know what number and position Gaillin plays make sure to look for him on the football field for the reminder of the season.

Thursday October 31, 2019

Anti-vax movement Thomas Peters ‘20 Staff Writer

Recently, Kroger has been offering “free

flu shots”, posting signs in their parking lots and luring consumers into a being pricked by a needle that causes autism and forces you to submit to the government’s will. At least, that is what anti-vaccination activists would want you to believe.

In the past decade, the anti-vaccination movement has exploded in popularity in multiple modern countries. Supporters of this bogus movement claim that vaccines, the cutting edge of the medical world that have cured the modern world of many diseases that riddled our past, are actually used to hurt the civilian population and “dumb us down”. This helps make us easier to control by the progressively evil government that continually seeks to herd a country of mindless beings and force us to do their bidding.

Obviously, most anti-vaxxers are not this

Features 13 radical. Most are people that you would meet ordinarily who have read enough to convince them that vaccines are somehow dangerous.

To gain insight as to why so many people have turned on vaccines, I looked to the internet, the most reliable source of all knowledge and understanding. It turns out that anti-vaccination ideas have been around since the 1800’s, when the first vaccines were created, designed to save patients from small-pox. Enemies of the vaccine claimed that the process was “unchristian” because it involved the patient being infected with the lymph from a cow blister. Other anti-vaccinators at the time still had no trust in medicine itself, and disagreed with Edward Jenner’s theories as to how disease spread. Nowadays, anti-vax’ers have different ideologies.

After reading through a couple of anti-vax websites and forums in support of the movement, I learned that a lot of anti-vaxxers exist, more than most of us realize. Many of them, as I previously mentioned, are not people you would call crazy-looking if you see them in public.

Many mothers, in hopes of keeping their children safe from harm, have been tricked into believing that vaccines are bad for their kids. Many vehemently believe that vaccines are directly linked to the development of autism; recent studies show that this is utterly untrue.

Some think that vaccines are dangerous, and can have risky side-effects. Although

The good, the bad, and the UGLY Carmine Domenicone ‘20 Co-Editor in Chief

Let me set the scene for you…

You’re walking through the halls on your first day of school, just going through the day, taking in all the fresh vibes the 2019-2020 school year has to offer. First period starts off with a bang as you head over to Schaeper Center room 131 for a little Rogers Graphic Design.

The clock strikes twelve and you head into the lunch room, taking in the aroma put off by the newly catered lunch service.

Seventh period has approached and before you know it, it’s time to head up to Mr. Kreimer’s world famous Biology class.

You’re walking up the central stairwell and as you abruptly plow through the door like a typical Elder Man does, you notice a significant change in the 3rd floor hallway… a hideous array of CHARCOAL GREY DOORS. This summer, Elder decided to paint the third-floor classroom doors grey compared to the tan finish they had for generations beforehand. The question that many have been wondering is why

only the third floor and not the rest of the school?

It’s been on my mind since I first laid eyes on the unappealing wooden statures the first day of school and I’ve heard some interesting takes from other students as well.

Senior Ryan Tressler violently stated his opinion, “I don’t think anyone cares.

If you’re writing an article on those doors, good luck.”

Although Tressler’ s statement was quite a harsh verbal gesture, I shall not let the hatred bring me down as I will continue trudging on with students of relevance.

Senior Zach Dugan has several classes on the third floor and has been severely bothered by the lackluster paint job recently. He stated, “It’s just getting old. The randomness is getting on my nerves and I can’t help but think of the quality paint job I could have provided those doors. If it were my decision, I would have either stuck with the tan or gone with a solid purple coating to give it some pop.”

Also, I noticed some chipping going on with the paint on one of the staircase

no vaccine is perfect and prevents disease with no consequence, all vaccines are scrupulously checked for dangers, and most leave the patient walking from the doctor’s office with nothing save a sore arm or in rare cases a mild fever.

Others claim that vaccines are simply a waste of resources, claiming that most people who get diseases have already been vaccinated, and that most diseases can be prevented with certain oils and supplements of certain elements into one’s diet or skin treatment. This simply isn’t true.

Vaccines do, in fact, usually function with a very high rate of efficiency. For example, in a school of one-thousand students, 995 are vaccinated for the measles virus.

Every student is exposed to the virus, and the five who have not been vaccinated break out. Also, since no vaccine is perfect, seven or so of those who have been vaccinated will also contract the measles virus. Although over half of those infected have already been vaccinated, the vaccine still has a 99% success rate in the vaccinated population. (example from World

Health Organization) So, you may wonder, where is the danger in not getting vaccinated if you don’t expect to be infected anyway? Here is your answer: although you may not suffer the consequences yourself, by not getting vaccinated you give viruses a host in which to continue existing. This in turn may lead to the infecting of other people around you who do not have very strong immune systems or have not been vaccinated themselves. Not to mention those who are not fortunate enough to have the resources to afford vaccines. According to jennymccarthybodycount.com, (an American actress who advised parents not to vaccinate their children) since 2007, 152,763 preventable illnesses and 9,028 deaths have occurred due to lack of vaccination.

Obviously, the common misconceptions about vaccines and claims that they are dangerous are based mostly upon superstition and distrust. Vaccines are a healthy and nowadays somewhat affordable option for those who do not desire to put themselves and other at risk to preventable illnesses. Hopefully the anti-vaccination movement dies out over the years, and most people come to realize that modern science can be trusted to its help patients. After all, scientists, no matter how smart they are, use the same bodies, breathe the same air, and live in the same world as the rest of us.

Discriminating eyes have discovered that the doors on the third floor are now GREY. But why? (photo by Carmine Domenicone)

doors which had also been painted grey.

Honestly, I’m just not sure if the paint was fit for the job, but that’s what gives the school some character. A chip of paint here and there won’t hurt the beautiful structure we call our second home.

Aside from the “not-so-appealing” doors of the third-floor hallway, the halls of Elder are a classic staple of what the school has embodied for almost 100 years.

Each graduating class has their class picture portraited on the walls which take up a significant amount of the space.

The students, past and present, who have walked these very halls are what have and still continue to make up the legacy Elder High School has created.

With that being said, let’s try to forget the bad and ugly CHARCOAL GREY doors of the third-floor hallway, and focus on the good men that fill these halls every day.

14

Thursday October 31, 2019

Arts & Entertainment

GAMERS’

Insider These could overthrow Minecraft Developers stepping up their game Jacob Cowans ‘20 Staff Writer

The near future for the gaming commu-

nity is looking promising, as many new releases have been announced for the next couple of years. Numerous big developing teams are really stepping up their game in order to deliver some exciting content. The top three games that are likely to be most awaited include Hytale, Pokémon Sword and Shield and Gods and Monsters.

The world of Hytale promises the endless possibilities of a sandbox game combined with RPG and minigame elements. Hytale is a much-anticipated game, rumored to release in late 2019. The people behind Hypixel, one of Minecraft’s most popular servers, are working to deliver a similar, yet completely new experience to this beloved game. According to their website, “Hytale combines the scope of a sandbox with the depth of a roleplaying game, immersing players in a procedurally generated world where teetering towers and deep dungeons promise rich rewards. Designed with creative players in mind, Hytale’s engine supports everything from block-by-block castle construction to scripting and customization delivered using easy to use and powerful tools.” So, Hytale is certainly keeping an eye on every type of community that could be interested in using Hytale for anything they could dream.

The game will appeal to all types of gamers, including adventurers, creators, and especially minigame players. As you traverse each generated landscape, you’ll piece together the history of the world through handcrafted adventure scenarios.

You might encounter a mage’s tower overrun with monsters, descend into an underground cavern, or take on a colossal boss monster. With a wide variety of scenarios available at launch, no two adventures will be the same. The game will first be available for PC and Mac, but will hopefully be released to consoles and other editions in the near future. In some exciting news, the beta will be available before the game is officially launched, so dedicated fans will be able to experience the action before the public, assisting in perfecting the game before its final release.

Another game that will surely be popular is generation eight of the Pokémon video game series: Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield. The Pokémon team has slowly been releasing information about the upcoming game and showcasing brand new Pokémon. Pokémon trainers can expect some never-before-seen content in the world of Pokémon, including features like Pokémon Camp, Gigantimaxing, and the wild zone. This game will take place in the Galar region, and will offer new Galarian forms of old Pokémon on top of the many new creatures that will be added to the Pokedex. When it comes to the National Pokedex, however, fans may be a little disappointed. Game Freak, the developers of Pokémon, have stated that many old Pokémon will be nontransferable to the current generation, meaning that some of our favorite Pokémon may be left behind as the roster of Pokémon continues to drastically increase.

Some of the community have placed the blame for this issue on Game Freak’s seemingly uncommitted attitude towards the Pokémon games themselves. It seems to the community that they have decided to split their development team signifi-

All of the newly revealed Pokémon are enjoying the brand-new Pokémon Camp.

Gods and Monsters offers great rewards for completing a monumental task.

cantly to focus on the recent release of their other game, Little Town Hero. I have played the new game for myself, and while it is certainly decent, it is nowhere near what is expected from such a well-known development team. Instead of dividing their attention, perhaps Game Freak should turn back to focusing on perfecting one game before they try to create two. Maybe they just need a bigger team, or it might just be that they have been put under a lot of pressure, but neither game seems like it will be accepted by the community in their current states. While all of this news may seem unfortunate, the new Pokémon game will still contain many elements similar to its predecessors, making it at the very least just as good as all of the other Pokémon games that the community has come to love in the past. This game could very well turn out to be fantastic by the time it is released.

One more game that will certainly turn out to be a big hit is Gods and Monsters by the creators of the Assassin’s Creed series. The community certainly has not been told very much about this game yet, but that is to be expected because of its February 25, 2020 planned release date.

With so much time left to go before we can get ahold of this game, of course the developers are going to want to keep us in suspense for a little while longer. From what we do know however, the world already seems geared towards those who enjoy fantasy-based RPGs. Riding the coattails of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, based in Greece, the game has many elements from Greek mythology. Mythological monsters, tricky puzzles, mysterious dungeons, and heroic feats await any player that accepts the challenge.

Also inspired from Greek mythos, the mission of the player is to save the fallen gods, restoring their power, and gaining your own in the process. Fortunately, as is expected from such a renowned studio, the game is promised to have a beautiful open world full of surprises. Though it does not seem to be quite in the same style as many

of their previous games, the community has faith that this will turn out to be a really well-made game. The game is already available for preorder on Steam, PS4, XBOX One, and Nintendo Switch, and the trailer is available to watch as many times as you like on YouTube.

With all of these games on their way in the next few months, gamers certainly have a lot to look forward to and certainly will be kept busy for a very long time.

Hytale is certain to make a breakthrough on the sandbox type game, Pokémon will always be there to keep the community happy, and Ubisoft always seems to deliver something breathtaking, so there is no doubt that there is at least one upcoming game for everyone to enjoy. Each of these games offers something unique that is quite difficult to get in other games, and the community should be accepting of what the developers were able to create, even if it is not exactly what they were expecting.

“Get off my lawn” A review of Gran Torino Jack Langen ‘20 Graphics Guru

If you haven’t already seen the Clint

Eastwood film Gran Torino, then it’s time to spend some quality time with Netflix.

Walter Kowalski (Clint Eastwood) is the quintessential curmudgeon—the kind of guy to yell “get off my lawn!” A Korean War vet, Kowalski spends the majority of his time working on his prized Grand Torino or drinking Pabst on his porch, watching with contempt as his neighborhood slowly changes demographics as it becomes inhabited by Asian and Latino members of the community.

Slowly, he forms a friendship with one of the Asian families, and he becomes

Thursday October 31, 20199

Arts & Entertainment 15

Long awaited release

Movie features ironic title

Rick and Morty returns with fourth season

Have you ever read a title that is ironic

Gus Schlomer ‘21 Staff Writer

Calling all Rick and Morty fans. Get

ready for the fourth season of your favorite sci-fi comedy as it returns to adult swim for a five-episode season starting on Sunday, November 10 at 11:30pm. The season will be split in half because creators Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon stated, “Half the season you deserve - all the season we could handle.” (inverse.com) With the creators releasing that this is a half season, originally announced for a full 10-episode season we can expect the other half in early January because of how intense this season will be. This statement from the two creators is also building hype within the community because of how long each one of us has been waiting for this. A two-year gap in between seasons three and four is the longest wait to date for a season of Rick and Morty and according to Dan Harmon, “This will be the longest fans will have to wait for a new season of the show” (digitalspy.com) Why did we wait this long? Rick and Morty was just renewed and received an order of 70 episodes from Adult Swim, who airs the show. Both creators were holding out on contracts from Adult Swim to grant them immortality. If that was unavailable, then a contract that would allow them to have many, many, many more episodes. Harmon said he wanted his full focus on season four of the show and not on 12 other projects to put money in his bank account and food on the table.

This next season will bring a lot of bang for our buck, the buck being our a father figure to two teenagers. When gangbangers begin to act violently toward the teenagers, he realizes that it is time to make a stand against the gang activity that is holding back the kids of his neighborhood.

The production of Gran Torino resulted in a rather heavy aesthetic. The dark, dramatic lighting in conjunction with the exaggerated, low audio works to draw the audience into the dialogue. This also adds to the mood of desolation that is a result of the neighborhood’s struggles.

The Asian characters in the movie were of Hmong descent, a culture in Asia, and the actors who portrayed them were Hmong people as well, which added authenticity to the film.

Clint Eastwood plays Walt Kowalski, a tough old man who stands for patriotism and for duty. This character was very

Rick Sanchez in a new unspoken sector. (inverse.com)

waiting. Many popular characters are set to make a comeback into the series this season such as Mr. P****** and Mr. Meeseeks just to name a few. Conflict is also key to this show and if the creators are smart in my opinion I think we could see a possible return of Evil Morty. The last time Evil Morty made an appearance was in season three, episode seven “The Ricklantis Mixup.” In this episode, the citadel of Ricks is still in a rebuilding period.

Some of the images from the trailer show Rick Sanchez alone on a few adventures.

Could this possibly mean Morty had had enough of Rick’s antics and stopped going on these absurd missions?

I fully expect to see one of the greatest seasons of Rick and Morty yet after all this waiting and can’t wait to see my grades drop in mid-November after staying up too late watching this amazing show (sorry, mom).

You can enjoy the new season of Rick and Morty starting November 10th, 2019 at 11:30pm on Adult Swim and Hulu for the streaming service users.

Walt teaches Thau how to be handy with tools. (from TPI.it)

much the same old Clint Eastwood you would see in his classic films. The other two leads in this film, however, were not established actors. Thao Van Lor (Bee Vang) is the Hmong teenager who tries to steal Walt’s car and eventually forms a

Zack Williams ‘20 Staff Writer

on purpose? Have you ever been on your own as a young kid, besides relying on some buddies? Have you ever met a group of kids that are not well behaved at all?

These are questions that can be answered by the movie Good Boys which came out on August 16, 2019. It is a very good watch, and a newer movie that I feel a lot of Elder students would enjoy seeing. Gene Stupnitsky is the director of this film, and he is very proud of his work.

While talking about the movie he said, “This is easily one of my biggest hits yet as a director.”

Now on to the actual movie itself.

The film revolves around three main characters. They are all young boys, and best friends. Their names are Max, Lucas, and Thor. It all starts with Max being invited to his first kissing party as a 12-year-old, and it just goes downhill from there.

Max is scared, so he asks his best friends Lucas and Thor for some much-needed help on how to kiss a girl.

This really goes nowhere, and the boys pretty much run into a dead end. This is where the boys turn into men, and criminals.

Max, for some odd reason thinks it’s a good idea to use his father’s drone to spy on the teenage girls next door. This only works for a couple of seconds, and then they boys lose the drone. They believe that they need to be smart when they go after this drone so they come up with a plan.

Their plan was to skip school, and retrieve the drone before Max’s dad can figure out what happened. Max’s dad’s friendship with him. He is a shy lie-about who struggles to find his place among the other Hmong teenagers. His older sister, Sue Lor (Ahney Her), is more outgoing.

She is the one who reaches out to Walt and starts the relationship that becomes the backbone of the movie. Both of these actors did not have any previous experience. They both got the roles at open casting calls that were geared toward recruiting Hmong people to add authenticity to the film.

Aside from the main characters, the characters that drove the plot along the most was the Hmong gang that caused trouble in the community. Lead by a cousin of Thao and Sue, they made Thao try to steal Walter’s car, jumped Thao on a couple of occasions, and eventually raped Sue Lor and attacked the Lor house in a drive-by shooting. These characters were

The “good boys” looking sneaky in their next adventure.

drone is his most prized possession, and if he finds out what Max did to it, you will probably never see the character of Max again.

The Good Boys are not very good, and try very hard to be bad. They have a wild couple of days, and they steal, and cheat, but they never really get into trouble. It is their sweet natured innocence that ultimately sees them though every conflict and misadventure they take on.

I think this is such a good watch mainly because these kids are adults in their minds, but are still kids at the same time. They are cussing out a clerk at one point, and then next thing you know they’re riding their bikes through sprinklers giggling away. The director finds a balance where these kids are each two different ages, and they are living dual lives. I just find it so funny how the minor characters react, like oh my goodness, these cute twelve-year olds are cussing left and right. You’ll just have to watch the film to learn more about the Good Boys, and their misadventures.

all Hmong, and they were all played by Hmong people who got their jobs from the same open casting calls that produced Ahney Her and Bee Vang.

Gran Torino appropriately lacked special effects. As this movie was shot to be very close-hitting and realistic, there was no need for the explosions you would see in a Michael Bay film. However, in scenes with gang violence, the audience is exposed to exciting action shots, such as when the gang gets into a gunfight.

Like any other Clint Eastwood film, Gran Torino is definitely worth seeing.

He does a good job keeping the interest of the audience in creating an intriguing storyline. This movie contains a comedic element throughout, but still keeps things dramatic and interesting. I recommend this movie, and it is available on Netflix.

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Thursday October 31, 2019

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Superfan moves onto roof Mitch Bareswilt ‘21 Staff Writer

Every team has their superfans. Some

are bigger than others. Some are fans of a team that’s worth fighting for. Others, well, they just fight for a lost cause. There is a man who has chosen to live on the roof of his bar until the Cincinnati Bengals win a game, and he is one of those fans.

If you wondered why a man would willingly camp out on his roof, you’re probably not alone. He says it all began as a joke - about the Cincinnati Bengals.

Jeff Lanham, owner of Hog Rock Cafe in Milan, Indiana, pledged before the Bengals’ face-off with the Arizona Cardinals that he would take himself to the roof of his bar if the Bengals lost, and he was then obligated to keep his promise.

And based off how the Bengals have been playing, including their game against the Baltimore Ravens, has Jeff in a rough spot

as their losing streak has grown to six. He said he is hoping to be able to come down from the roof after the upcoming game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

When interviewed after the game, Jeff said to WKRC TV, “Just start playing like a team, get our starters back, the guys that are injured get them back on the field”.

Wildman Walker, who famously spent 61 days living on a billboard in 1991 waiting for the Bengals to win, visited Lanham on the roof. He brought a signed photo asking Lanham not to break his record.

Jeff replied to Walker saying that he truly hopes that he doesn’t break it.

If he does break his record, that means the Bengals are as bad as everyone says. Even though I do support the Bengals, they might as well keep losing in order to secure a few early draft picks in the next seasons draft. All they can do now is face facts and accept the fact that they just are not going to make it this season.

Jeff Lanham will be living on the roof of his bar in Milan, Indiana until the Bengals win.

Honestly, I believe it’s safe to say that Jeff might as well get used to living on

BOOK What novel scares Elder the most?

onBOOKS

Joe Book ‘20 Staff Writer

Every season has something associated

with it. December is obviously known as the season of snow and Christmas. April is famous for its rain showers and spring.

June is a highlight for many students, as it is the time that summer break begins. But what about the current month?

Well, October is perhaps most notable for being the month containing Halloween. Bats, witches, skeletons, and scares. Its this last thing that brings out the question of the day: what are the scariest stories and tales of horror that people of Elder have quivered in fear at? What novels have made the faculty and student body look over their shoulder for fear of something getting them? What stories are the scariest at Elder? To answer this question, I went around Elder in search of clues.

The first person I interviewed was Mr. Weinheimer, who teaches senior English here at Elder. Weinheimer stated that he “likes horror stories”, but also doesn’t read “a lot of Stephen King”. Among the horror stories that he said were good in-

clude The Dark Half and The Shining. The first book is a horror novel about Thad Beaumont an “author and recovering alcoholic”. It chronicles Beaumont’s struggle with a malevolent force following a string of mysterious murders. The second novel (and most likely more famous story) is something that most people probably have seen in its movie format, or at the very least have heard about. For those that don’t know though, The Shining is a story about the Torrance family, who are forced to weather out a snow storm at the Overlook Hotel “an isolated, haunted resort”.

There, they encounter ghosts, specters, and possession, for the hotel isn’t all that it seems to be.

Another person I interviewed was Mr. Alig, the freshman English teacher.

Alig stated that, much like Weinheimer, he thoroughly enjoys horror novels. One of his favorites is the story about the original terror of the night, Bram Stoker’s Dracula. For those don’t already know (but probably should), Dracula is a story which is written as a series of documents that records the fight between Englishman Jonathan Harker and the titular character.

Categorized as gothic fiction, it

involves action, romance, and adventure and ends with a climatic fight between the forces of good and the forces of evil. In a departure from this, Alig also stated that he enjoys The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier. Although not a horror novel by definition, it still scares because as Alig states, “it shows just how cruel people can really be”. It is a (tragic) young adult story, telling of the corrupt practices at Trinity, an all-boys Catholic high school, and the ensuing drama, intrigue, and violence that begins after a student’s nonconformist decision.

The final person I talked with was senior Kyle Gutzweiler. When asked questions like “do you enjoy horror stories” and “are there any you find particularly scary”, he simply retorted that he doesn’t like them. Instead he stated, he prefers to read science fiction. To each their own I guess.

Whether they be scary because of evil supernatural forces, such as in The Dark Half, or because of just how real and plausible they can be like in The Chocolate War, all horror stories usually have something that someone will find frightening.

So, what is the scariest horror novel

Illegal garments appearing Nicholas Seger ‘20 Staff Writer

As the seasons change and the weather

gets colder, Elder students search for comfort inside and outside of school through their apparel. A simple collared shirt and quarter zip provide inadequate warmth for any student, so students resort to other forms of clothing for additional comfort.

Several of the more popular clothing items are sweatshirts, flannels, and sweaters.

Sweatshirts are probably the most popular winter apparel worn by Elder students. Sweatshirts provide what other illegal clothing items can’t: a hood. A hood may seem miniscule and insignificant, but it is a game changer. A hood is very beneficial because it provides cover for students when it rains or snows. Also, a hood provides a sort of camouflage allowing students to get away with a quick power nap in class. Another positive of sweatshirts is their warmth. They are neither too thin nor too thick which makes them a nice choice in any weather. The only negative of sweatshirts is their easy ability to be noticed. The hood is a dead giveaway for teachers that you are wear-

ing an illegal garment. But, sweatshirts still are the most balanced illegal garment out there.

Another popular illegal clothing item for Elder students is a flannel shirt.

These are becoming increasingly popular at Elder. Many students like them because of their obvious warmth. Most flannels are lined with wool which makes their comfort unmatched. When it gets extremely cold, these are the probably

the best choice in terms of staying warm.

However, these are hard to wear throughout the school day because of the extreme heat provided, especially in the winter when the heat is on inside the school. I got the chance to ask avid flannel wearer Jakob James why he likes the flannel so much, and he replied, “It’s combination of style and comfort are unparalleled by

that roof because he is not coming down anytime soon.

Check out the Elder library as your source for horror novels this month or others throughout the school year. (photo by Joe Book)

at Elder? I think the vote is out for this one – permanently. Horror is subjective and what one person might find scary, another may not. There is no objective standard by which a novel can be based in order to tell whether it is a good tale of terror or not. Going into this article, I was hoping to find some sort of overlap, one novel that everyone unanimously would find to be the best piece of spooky literature. However, what I’ve realized is that it is simply up to the reader. any other clothing item.” Flannels are my favorite of the three, and I couldn’t agree more with James.

The last popular illegal clothing item worn by Elder students is the sweater.

Contrary to popular belief, these are not permitted in the school dress code. These are probably the most stylish form of clothing that students wear. However, sweaters have a major flaw: their warmth.

Most sweaters are extremely thin. I personally am not a fan of sweaters because of their lack of warmth and comfort. Most of my sweaters are awfully itchy and uncomfortable. Despite these flaws, many Elder students still decide to wear this illegal garment throughout the school day.

Expect to see all of these illegal garments throughout the halls of Elder in the coming months. I bid good luck to all of the brave souls who attempt to get away with wearing these during the school day.