September 2021 issue of The Purple Quill

Welcome Back

Marco - Polo

Greener Pastures

Ben Hambleton profiles the “new Mr. Ramsey.”

Jacob Stamper writes about some amazing athletes. see Sports- pg. 9

Seth Trischler tells us about an exciting country artist. see Arts & Entertainment - pg. 14

see Faculty Features - pg. 4

Published by the Students of Elder High School

September 29, 2021

Volume 90 Number 1

Elder makes preparations for concert

Jack Sheridan ‘22 Co-Editor-in-Chief

With superstar musician Darius Ruck-

er’s visit to The Pit quickly approaching, preparations for the long-awaited concert are underway as Elder gets ready to host the singer on September 30. Because of the obvious technicalities that go into planning a concert, especially one that will take place at a high school, Elder has spent months coordinating the event, and as the date quickly approaches, The Purple Quill is taking a look into some of the arrangements that Elder is making to accommodate both Rucker and the massive crowd that will be present.

When news of the concert first went public, it would be an understatement to say that members of the Elder community were anxious to purchase tickets to the event, and when the day to buy them finally came, the passes to the event sold out in lightning speed. Then, as COVID-19 quickly took hold of the world last year, the concert was put on hold and later rescheduled, ultimately a final reschedule date was set for September 30, 2021.

To the Elder community, the concert is highly anticipated, especially since it has been pushed back for over a year now due to COVID-19 restrictions. The concert was originally supposed to take place on May 7, 2020, but it was then pushed back twice more, the second and third dates being July 17, 2020, and May 6, 2021.

With a final date being set-in-stone for the performance, it was time for Elder to plan the event, and to be frank, there have been countless preparations to be made.

It is fair to say that Elder High School is obviously not the most painless location for a concert to take place. The streets around the school are narrow as is, and with cars sometimes parked on both sides of the road, things only get worse; the number of restrooms around The Pit is slim; there will need to be a large amount of security at the event; there will need to

be a great quantity of food and drinks at the event; and the list goes on.

In search of answers to some of these questions, as well as other ones, I decided to speak to Mr. Ruffing and Mr. Espelage, both of whom are playing key roles in planning the concert.

The question that I was most interested to get the answer to was how the parking situation for the concert would play out.

Mr. Ruffing explained to me that parking on Elder’s campus would be very restricted, as the Gilsey Lot will be reserved for Rucker’s crew and, and the Schaeper Center Lot will be open to only VIP parking. As far as the rest of the concertgoers, which will be the vast majority of people attending the event, are concerned, Mr. Ruffing said that they will be encouraged to use public transportation, Uber, etc. and that many people are going to be taking buses to the concert from houses/other establishments.

According to Mr. Ruffing, buses transporting people to the concert will be directed to the St. Lawrence Ave. Gate, and people riding those buses will be dropped off and picked up there.

Additionally, Mr. Espelage said that parking in Seton’s lots will be permitted, but many roads, all the way to Beech, around Elder will be blocked off.

Regarding security for the event, I then asked Mr. Ruffing and Mr. Espelage who would be covering the safety measures for the event. Mr. Espelage said that the Cincinnati Police Department would be providing their normal security crew for

Quill names editors Mr. Gary Rogers Moderator

Each new school year, the student writ-

ers in Journalism change and each August I have to go about determining who will lead the staff for the upcoming year.

This year the following students were elected or appointed to the following positions: Co-Editors in Chief: Jack Sheridan ‘22 and Seth Trischler ‘22. These two seniors are among the longest tenured in the class, bringing experience from junior year and they are easily among the strongest writers and reporters in the group. You will enjoy features from Jack that sometimes venture into the political sphere and Seth will most often be going on and on about a classmate or the latest

country music singer he’s spending a lot of time listening to.

Features Editor: Shawn Wyatt ‘22.

Shawn is another strong returning writer from junior year who has alredy published some great features online. Be sure to check them out on our online quill page: elderhsquill.org.

Sports Editor: Robby Mathews ‘23.

Robby is only a junior but his experience as a basketball manager and working with ENN has lifted him to this leadership position. He begins his print Quill career with some fine reporting on the Bengals and Berarcats.

Graphics Editor: Jacob Stamper ‘22. All around Elder will recognize Jacob as a good student and hard worker who puts in a lot of extra time. He has already

Rucker’s long-awaited visit to The Pit is set to take place on September 30, when he is scheduled to perform for over 12,000 fans.

the concert. Furthermore, there will be ushers to help out at the event, as well.

My next question was one that many people are probably dreading to ask: what happens to the concert in the event of weather issues? “Pray for the best,” Mr. Espelage replied.

“As you know, this is, I think, the fourth date, so if it gets cancelled because of weather, it’s probably not going to happen,” Mr. Ruffing added.

Additionally, since Rucker and his crew are currently on tour, a cancellation of the concert for this date would most likely lead to the cessation of the concert plans in general because he would have other events where he would be performing.

Concerning food and beverages for the event, Mr. Espelage said that Elder’s Coca-Cola distributor would be supplying Coke products, and G3, the concert’s promoters, will arrange everything else.

Moreover, there is a contract with Jet’s Pizza for the performance, as well.

In terms of the actual setup of the contributed many videos to ENN and was a special guest writer for the Quill as a junior last year (though not officially in the class).

Video Editor: Phillip Hoffman ‘22.

Your student body president continues to follow in the footsteps of Adam Duwel as video editor. His work is already well known on most if not all streaming events and he returns to hone his journalism chops again this fall.

Webmaster/Social Media Editor: Joshua Huff ‘22. Because of my Communications Fellowship with Ohio University and the growing amount of social media we need to cover and control with The Quill and ENN, I created this position which is new this fall. Josh is an accomplished visual designer and is returning to the staff to continue to work on the craft that will be his future career.

event, I then inquired about how long they think that the physical arrangements for the concert will take to be put in place.

“It’s going to be an interesting timelapse video. They’re going to come in on that Sunday prior, take the whole week to set up, and I think they plan on giving us the field back and being out of here on Saturday by nine a.m. It’s going to tear down a lot faster than it goes up, apparently,” Mr. Espelage explained.

Wrapping up the interview, my final question was if they had a rough estimate of the number of attendees that they are expecting for the concert. They said that they sold around 12,000 tickets for the concert. However, due to the date changes, the Bengals game that night, etc., people’s plans do end up changing. “People’s plans change when it’s rescheduled four times, so we’ll see,” Mr. Espelage laughed.

As the concert date rapidly approaches, one can only appreciate the countless hours that were spent planning this event over the past year-and-a-half. Although the multiple cancellations surely resulted in frustration for many, the people organizing the concert were still able to make the preparations necessary for hosting the performance, and as is obvious, this was not an easy event to plan.

Now, after multiple cancellations, months of preparations being made, etc., it seems that Elder is finally ready to welcome Darius Rucker to The Pit.

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

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Wednesday September 29, 2021

Opinion

Back to masks

Panthers want pancakes

Here we go again.

With the new school year, many normal events have made their return. These include

Josh Steinhaus ‘24 Staff Writer

Shawn Wyatt ‘22 Features Editor

We had almost two whole weeks of school not having to worry about masks, or so we thought. As of August 27, Mr. Ruffing announced the reinstatement of masks for the entirety of the school.

All students, staff, and visitors are required to always wear a mask while inside one of the buildings on campus. The Ohio Board of Health contacted the Nurse Mrs. Boles and Mr. Ruffing telling them effective immediately everyone within Elder’s building is to wear a facial covering till further notice. The increasing absences and announcement of the New COVID-19 Delta Variant were most likely key components for this happening. While it may be annoying going from wearing a mask is optional for all to the complete opposite saying effective immediately everyone must wear facial covering inside of Elder High School as stated by our principal.

I talked to a handful of students in my classes about their opinions towards masks.

Trevor Shannon ‘24 stated, “We are all young teens who should have great immune systems masks shouldn’t be required.” Another student Ethan Galbreath ‘24 stated, “I don’t like the feeling of a mask constricting my face.” Most students, teachers, and staff may have similar opinions, but let’s get some of the facts to support the reasoning.

Following a brief interview with Nurse Boles, I learned some reasoning behind putting the school back into masks. I asked her things such as leading causes to having to put the school back into masks, and her stance on going back to masks.

Nurse Boles stated, “The growing number of positive COVID cases” explaining that we are still getting positive cases at an alarming rate. She then stated, “We took a look into the health departments guidelines on K-12 settings and masking strategies such as not needing to quarantine people in close proximity to someone who tested positive.” Some improvements she said they implemented are the better separation of desks is helping the effectiveness of masks. She informed that, “Implementations are helping keep the majority of people in school.” The absences of students are NOT dependent upon COVID, people are still getting sick from other things or having to quarantine because of family. Asking her stance about masks she stated, “The main reason for implementing masks once again was so we aren’t required to quarantine people unless they test positive.”

While masks may not be some people’s favorite thing to be forced into, but It helps to learn some better information on the circumstances at hand. Hopefully this brings better clarity and possibly helps some people not be so irritated at the outcome. Let’s all agree to do as best we can in order to keep everyone safe as much as possible.

events such as all-school masses and pep rallies. But one event that is still up in the air right now is the monthly Elder pancake breakfast. For those who are unfamiliar, once a month for a dollar and fifty cents, students are given three fresh pancakes with syrup. For many students, this is a great way to kick off their Wednesday morning.

Last school year, because of Covid, there were no pancake breakfasts. This is likely because students had to be socially distanced within the cafeteria. However, social distancing is no longer required in the cafeteria, so theoretically, they could come back this year.

It is crazy to think that Elder’s freshmen and sophomores have not experienced this, but hopefully they can this year. To get to the bottom of this, I decided to talk to Mr. Flaherty, hoping that he would give me more information on the return of pancake breakfasts.

Flaherty gave the answer to the question we have all been wondering: Will they be back? Right now, there is no guarantee, but the return is possible. According to Flaherty, “The idea has definitely been discussed.” Flaherty says some of the decision will be based on student interest. He says, “We are willing if students are interested.”

And that there is no current concern about Covid. There is only one concern according to Flaherty, that would be a possible slight price increase because of getting the necessary ingredients to make the pancakes.

Hopefully, a decision is made within the next few weeks to have pancake breakfasts return soon. After talking to Mr. Flaherty, it seems like the current plan is to see where they are at as far as student interest and willingness to purchase.

I know many students who are wanting pancake breakfasts to come back, especially underclassmen who have not had this experience in their time at Elder. I think the return of pancake breakfasts would help bring the students of Elder together.

Running shoes are not doping Josh Huff ‘22 Staff Writer dop·ing | \ ˈdō-piŋ \ Definition of doping : the use of a substance (such as an anabolic steroid or erythropoietin) or technique (such as blood doping) to illegally improve athletic performance.

That is the technical definition of doping. When most people think of doping in sports,

things such as performance enhancing drugs (PED’s), or other types of steroids come to mind. However, doping can take a different form as well.

The term “mechanical doping” has been around for a while. Its inception came from the sport of professional cycling, as claims of riders inserting low power motors into their bikes rose throughout the early 2000s.

Mechanical doping can be found in other sports too, specifically, in the sport of distance running. Running is one of the most primitive acts that a human can do, so this begs the question of, “How can mechanical doping and running even be used in the same sentence?”

The simple answer lies in what runners wear on their feet. As a cross country runner, I’ve put thousands of miles on different pairs of shoes. It is true that without a good pair of running shoes, you might as well say goodbye to your feet and knees now, because injury would be knocking on your door in no time.

I’ve worn shoes from two different brands: Asics and Brooks. Asics and Brooks are two of the most established brands in the running world. Shoes from both brands are not cheap because they are designed to support the feet of a runner, who on average exerts more than 200 times one’s own body weight every step taken when running. Even still, the prices from these brands aren’t outrageous, with a good pair

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: Jack Sheridan ‘22, Seth Trischler ‘22 Faculty Adviser Mr. Gary Rogers

Features Editor Shawn Wyatt ‘22

Video Editor Phillip Hoffman ‘22

Sports Editor Robby Mathews ‘23

Webmaster/ Social Media Editor Joshua Huff ‘22

Graphics Editor Jacob Stamper ‘22

Staff Writers Ben Hambleton ‘22 Devyn Mullins ‘24 Kellen Sandhas ‘22 Josh Steinhaus ‘24 Nick Tedesco ‘22 Bartley Thomas ‘22 Grady Wall ‘23

Wednesday September 29 , 2021

Opinion 3

Podcasts allow versatility for creators and listeners Josh Huff ‘22 Webmaster/Social Media Editor

Media consumes us. It’s true, try to recall a day in recent memory when you didn’t

consume some form of media. Whether it be YouTube videos, Instagram, Snapchat, or any other number of outlets, we are constantly consuming media. A form of media that has exploded onto the scene in recent years has been arguably the simplest medium of them all: podcasts.

Think about it. When compared to most other forms of media, podcasts are incredibly simple. Turn the microphone on, hit record, and publish. Yet there is something intrinsically different about podcasts. Something about them just naturally feels more casual and laid back, and that is because they are. Podcasts offer a different experience across the board, for both creators and audiences alike.

For creators, podcasts are relatively simple to make, and the pressure of producing an “amazing” piece of content is lessened. Podcasts offer creators the opportunity to talk about things that interest them and their audiences. Podcasts have an incredible ability to create a relationship between the creator and the consumer. Take for example one of my favorite podcasts, The Colin and Samir Show. The show focuses on the creator economy

Colin and Samir host a weekly podcast on creativity. (via Colin and Samir)

and the ever-changing landscape of what it means to monetize creativity. The show is small and caters to a relatively niche audience. Because of this niche audience, Colin and Samir have fostered an invested and great community that tunes in every Monday morning to get their fix of creator economy news. of running shoes coming in at around 120 dollars.

Now that I am done with my tangent about these running shoes, it is time to make a comparison to a shoe that Nike released a few years ago: The Nike Vaporfly 4 Percent.

These shoes shook the running world to its core- and for good reason.

Nearly two years ago, marathon world record holder Eliud Kipchoge achieved a feat that sports physiologists predicted wouldn’t be possible for another 30-50 years.

Kipchoge ran a marathon, a length of 26.2 miles in 1:59:40. That’s one hour, 59 minutes, and 40 seconds. This feat was achieved under stringent conditions to give Kipchoge his best shot at breaking the infamous “2-hour barrier.” One condition was the shoes he was wearing: The Nike Vaporfly 4 Percent’s.

The shoes are truly different from any other running shoe ever to hit the market. It all lies in the design of the shoe. Like most running shoes, the 4 percent are lightweight and feature a buoyant midsole foam layer. However, they have something most running shoes don’t. They have a carbon fiber plate embedded between the two midsole foam layers. This plate allows for the runner’s energy exerted into the ground to be returned to the runner, therefore causing them to exert less energy. It is here that the namesake “four percent” comes in. The shoes are said to reduce a runner’s energy exerted by nearly four percent, which in a race is a valuable amount of energy to retain.

Here is where controversy sneaks its way into the shoes proverbial “soul.” Let’s go back to the day that Kipchoge shocked the world with his world record marathon run.

Obviously, this could not have been achieved without a lifetime of discipline, and a God

Podcast listenership has doubled in the last four years.

Of course, relationship-based creators are not just confined to the podcast world.

Relationship based creators have been around since the dawn of the 2010’s, when being a youtuber was all the rage. However, the podcast format forces creators to express their ideas and personalities in a much different way. It’s relatively easy to express an idea in the form of video or print. There are visuals in these formats, podcasts exclude visuals entirely.

This forces podcast creators to be more thorough and personal when expressing ideas.

Podcasts are a different experience for listeners too. As I mentioned before, media consumes the world. It can be overwhelming in many ways. Though podcasts are still a form of media, they can be a reprieve from some of the hecticness that the news & entertainment world has to offer. That’s not to mention how versatile podcasts can be. Podcasts can be enjoyed in several situations. Whether you listen to them as you drift off to sleep, or on your hectic rush to work Monday morning, they can be listened to anywhere - something a video or magazine can’t quite do.

Podcasts benefit guests too. Many guests who have come onto podcasts have expressed that podcasts are less intimidating for them. Many celebrities have expressed that podcasts feel safer. When a celebrity is interviewed for a piece in print, their words can become misconstrued and taken out of context.

There is no doubt that podcasts are on the upward trend. In fact, according to data from the Nielsen Company, a podcast distributor, listenership has nearly doubled among Americans in the last eight years. People in the age 18-34 demographic seem to enjoy podcasts particularly, with 44 percent of people surveyed saying they listen to podcasts on a monthly basis.

Podcasts don’t appear to be going anywhere soon. Whether you are an avid listener, want to get into podcasts or maybe even start your own, there is no better time to do it than now. It truly has never been easier to become a content creator, especially in the podcasting world. given gift of being able to run extremely fast for extremely long. But it probably wouldn’t have happened without the shoes on his feet either.

Many argue that the sport needs to stay true to the abilities of the athlete, and as I mentioned earlier, many have classified these shoes as a form of mechanical doping.

Some say that the shoes are a disgrace to the sport and have no business being used in any competition. The Olympic Committee (IOC) agrees- sort of at least. In a landmark ruling in January of 2020, the IOC ruled that the Vaporfly 4 percent shoes were “unfair” and hindered competition. The committee also stated however, that the shoes close relative, the Nike Vaporfly Next Percent shoes could still be worn, as they did not feature the same sized carbon fiber plate, and therefore less energy was returned to the runner wearing the shoes.

In my own opinion, the sport needs to progress with the times. While running is inherently primitive, the competitive running world is not. Meets and events all over the globe use state of the art timing chips and systems. Why not advance the sport through the use of state of the art technology in shoes? Nevertheless, the shoes themselves do not put the hours and miles of work in that the runners wearing them do, so why give the shoes the credit for the job done?

It is a difficult dilemma, and not one that will be solved anytime soon. However, maybe someday the sport will progress with the technology that the world puts available to it.

4

Wednesday September 29, 2021

Faculty Features

Ramsey comes home Ben Hambleton ‘22 Staff Writer

Many students pass through the halls at

Elder for only four years. However, some have the opportunity to walk these halls again for years after that. Peyton Ramsey is one of the lucky ones.

Peyton graduated Elder in 2016.

During his time here he was a very talented student and athlete playing football and basketball. From high school he received a scholarship to play football at Indiana University. He was the starting quarterback there for three years before transferring to Northwestern where he played one year.

Since his last season of Northwestern, he has come back to Elder to help teach and also coach.

I had the chance to sit down with him and ask him some questions about his journey and how he has gotten to where he is. I asked him to describe Elder and his answer was perfect saying, “Well nothings changed; the brotherhood and the pride is still all here. It is still an extremely special place.”

Many people know it is a very difficult transition from high school to college.

However, it is even more challenging making that transition as a collegiate athlete.

“Every kid at some point wants to find a way back here.”

- Peyton Ramsey

Peyton summed up the experience saying how you have to grow up fast. Furthermore, Peyton was used to always living at home where his parents helped him out a lot with stuff like laundry and so on. He also talked about the difference between high school football and college football.

Peyton realized fast in his first year of football that he was going to be challenged. He told me how demanding college football is. He made it a priority to get better individually and he did so very well.

As a three year starter, Ramsey decided to call another place his home. He transferred to Northwestern University in 2020 to play another year of football.

When I asked him how his transition was he said, “Weird. I went from a huge campus at Indiana to a much smaller one at Northwestern. I did not get to live the full college experience at Northwestern due to covid.” Covid played a huge role in many lives and it was clear Peyton was affected by it as a football player.

As many know, Peyton decided to come back to Elder to help teach and coach which is something that many people do not get the chance to do. I asked him how it felt to have this opportunity and he described it as being special. He has a great love for Elder and knew he would love to be back here. He stated, “Every kid at some point wants to find a way back here.” Peyton knew he wanted to come back, but did not expect it to be so soon.

Top: Peyton rolls out looking for an open receiver for the Hoosiers.

Left: Peyton’s (or should we say “Mr. Ramsey’s”) 2021 faculty portrait. Below: Peyton scrambles as quarterback for Elder.

Peyton is someone who is very excited to be back and rejoin the Panther community. It is something very few are able to do, but those who can are extremely lucky.

Elder is a special place and everyone is very glad to have Ramsey back.

Wednesday September 29, 2021

Faculty Features 5

Who is Mr. Schmidt?

Shawn Wyatt ‘22 Features Editor

Phillip Hoffman ‘22 Video Editor

This year, Elder welcomed several new

members to the faculty and staff. One of these new additions is Mr. Mark Schmidt.

Schmidt can be found in room 209, which he shares with Mr. Bengel. He teaches history and economics.

Before coming to Elder, Schmidt taught at Summit Country Day in Hyde Park, where he also taught economics and history. He enjoyed his time at Summit but was looking forward to coming to Elder. In high school, Schmidt says the only thing he knew about Elder was that his school played against them in football.

Now that he is a teacher here, he can see what being at Elder is about.

So far, Schmidt has enjoyed being at Elder. He says, “The spirit has been awesome”. He can tell that everyone here takes pride in being part of the Elder community. He has already gotten to know some members of the faculty and staff and looks forward to getting to know them all.

Outside of teaching, Mr. Schmidt enjoys spending time with his family, which includes his wife and his three daughters.

He also enjoys golfing, reading, and writing. He enjoys teaching economics because he finds it interesting, and it is a subject that can be very useful for students as they leave high school.

As far as his future at Elder, Schmidt

“The spirit has been awesome”.

- Mr. Mark Schmidt

Fundraiser benefits PCW a Catholic grade school. For those not familiar, your homeroom teacher will pass out a baby bottle and then you fill it et’s take a look at the Panthers For Life, a club devoted to standing up for all up with coins and money. At the end of life. “The mission of Panthers for Life is the collection time, you’ll bring back the to establish an active Pro-Life communi- bottle and turn it in. The proceedings will go towards Pregnancy Center West. They ty at Elder by educating and promoting will use the money raised for supplies among our peers’ social issues related to the right to life and dignity of all persons,” such as diapers, formula and baby food for struggling families who can’t supply said Mrs. Daubenmurkl, the teacher devoted to helping students gain knowledge all that themselves. On top of the deal of helping those in need, the Panthers For in the Panthers for Life club.

Life will make this donation campaign a Like any other extracurricular at theme day where you can be out of uniElder high school, they keep themselves form. Since around Halloween, it will be active and motivated. Speaking on that, next month, in October through the 18th- something to do with orange and black.

The Panthers For life also have a big 22nd. The PFL will have a fundraiser trip coming up. Each year they head up called the baby bottle campaign. You may be familiar with this campaign from to Washington D.C. to participate in the previous years at Elder or if you attended March For Life.

L

New Elder faculty member Mr. Mark Schmidt came to us from Summit Country Day.

is looking forward to the years to come.

He is looking forward to getting to know the faculty and staff, as well as the students. He sees Elder as a new family in his life that he is now a part of. He wants to go to a football game in The Pit, and would make like to lead a club within the next few years. Schmidt has enjoyed being at Elder, and we have all enjoyed having him around as well.

Panthers For Life will use the Baby Bottle Campaign to help Pregnancy Center West and also plan to attend the MArch for Life in Washington DC.

6

Student Features

Wednesday September 29, 2021

Phillip Hoffman ‘22 Video Editor

Victor Caligari has become a very

accomplished golfer in his time at Elder.

He was recognized as young talent in the Fall Sport interviews his freshman year and every year since. He has been golfing from a young age and has gotten quite good at it. Soon after starting his journey, Victor began going to a program called First Tee. In his words, The First Tee is, “a worldwide nonprofit organization, basically designed to help younger kids grow into young adults through the game of golf.” Victor has been a volunteer with the group since the seventh grade and a participant from a much younger age. As much as he enjoys playing golf himself, he has even more fun passing his knowledge to younger golfers as well.

The First Tee hosts a worldwide tournament each year. Around 400 players apply to get in every year and only 81 are selected. Victor applied for the first-time last year, but the tournament was cancelled due to covid issues. This year it is back on, and he decided to apply again, and pray that he would get selected.

Of the hundreds of applicants, Victor was chosen as the only applicant from Ohio for the tournament. In response to asking what that meant to him he said, “I’ve been in the First Tee since I was seven years old and ever since I heard about this tournament, I’ve always wanted to do it. It’s First Tee’s biggest event they hold and to be a part of it is pretty cool.”

This will be the 18th year of the event. The 2021 PURE Insurance Championship Impacting the First Tee will

photoshopped by Mr. Rogers

Caliguri selected for worldwide tournament

From the west side to the west coast. Victor Caliguri has been working with the youth golf organization, The First Tee since an early age and that commitment has payed off with an upcoming chance to play Spyglass Hill and Pebble Beach golf courses.

be held at Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill Golf Course, both located in California. The participants range from age 15-19. They were chosen by a national panel of judges “based on their personal growth and life skills learned through First Tee programs, as well as their playing ability.” The First Tee players will be paired up with members of the Champions Tour such as World Golf Hall of Fame Members Bernhard Langer, Mark O’Meara, Vijay Singh, as well as three-

New club takes off Josh Steinhaus ‘24 Staff Writter

The is a new club at Elder that features

classmates hanging out releasing some anger in a fun non-lethal way.

Senior Jackson Weikel ’22 has introduced a new club to the student body.

What is it you may ask? The Airsoft and Paintball club introduces a fun activity for students to go out and relieve some stress or anger with no lethal outcome.

Following the club fair Jackson was proud to say, “I was expecting around twenty people to sign up, but eighty plus is out of this world.” Their first meeting to figure out events and attendance was set for September 22 in the cafeteria.

Classmates being able to go out and mess around shooting at each other with no lethal or life altering aspect being in

Elder Airsoft and Paintball

time PURE Insurance Championship winners Kirk Triplett and Jeff Sluman.

The annual event, hosted by the Monterey Peninsula Foundation, is televised internationally on Golf Channel.

The final part of the tournament will be made up of the 23 juniors who had the best 36-hole performance and will be solely at Pebble Beach Golf Links. Victor claims this course as “one of the top two golf courses in America.” Being the experienced and talented golfer Victor is, he

has played in a few tournaments before, but he shares this about the tournament coming up. “I have never played in a tournament of this caliber, or one that is being broadcast on TV. I have played in some big junior Tournaments, but nothing like this.”

Good luck to this Elder senior and perhaps we will see him on Golf Channel if he qualifies for the final rounds at Pebble Beach.

play sounds like a fun way to meet new people. Students will be going out and relieving some anger or stress in a fun controlled environment. Being able to run around meeting new people while shooting at them with paintballs sounds like a blast. Imagine your enemy turns out to become one of your new friends.

This club also helps students develop ways to work together towards a common goal of winning. They will grow in their abilities to problem solve and work together.

The club is seeming like it will take off with the overwhelming signups during the club shows the interest of the student body. The students are seeming to like the idea of going out with their friends from school and chasing them through obstacles trying to avoid getting hit by an airsoft pellet or paintball. The only other club that I can think of with that much following

is Ping Pong club. The silver lining to this club is getting more of the student body to be active. This club may be likely to give some people the same thrill they may get from a first-person shooter video game put in a real-world scene and perspective.

Journalism, Graphic Design, and Drama teacher Mr. Rogers remarked at my idea of this article saying, “I don’t see how that club can be anything other then everyone chasing Jackson around repeatedly shooting him.”

The introduction of this club sounds like it has sparked a big following hopefully they have numerous fun outings. If you have any interest in this club and are not already on the roster, I recommend contacting Jackson Weikel at his email e22-weikeljd@elderhs.net for additional information.

Wednesday September 29, 2021

Student Featuress 7

Will Singler: The man who leads the trenches Seth Trischler ‘22 Co-Editor in Chief

It is football season at Elder and with that comes Friday nights in the PIT and cheering on the Panthers. Many people know the names of every star player that score a touchdown, but few truly know who lines up in the trenches. One player that does not get the attention he deserves touches the ball every snap and no his name is not Ben Hambleton or Drew Ramsey. This would be none other than the Panther’s center Will Singler. Will is often forgotten despite his achievement of being a team captain as a senior because he does all the dirty work that no one sees, and you never hear his name from the announcers throughout hte course of the game. I got the privilege to sit down next to Will and see what he’s truly all about.

I know a decent amount about Will because he attended St. Jude in grade school and played baseball, basketball, and football all eight years with me. He is a quiet person till you get to know him a bit. Luckily, I’ve had a long time to do this. He also leads by example. Will is a guy that if he is doing something, then you probably should be doing it too regardless of the subject. Something that I have always admired about him is his ability to keep his cool. You rarely see Will lose it which is hard to do nowadays especially being a teenager and all the stresses that come with it. Will has three older brothers, Alex, Matthew, and Joey.

All three brothers have attended the University of Cincinnati. Alex and Matthew graduated as a Bearcat, but Joey is still going there. Everyone in his family has attended Elder. His brothers, Alex ‘14,

Matthew ‘16, and Joey ‘19 all graduated as proud Panthers. His dad is even a graduate of ‘88 too.

While Will has had family come and go through Elder, he has some here with him too. Senior David Gruen is in fact Singler’s cousin, and both have been close since grade school attending Jude together. Will is very proud of his cousin.

“The person on the team I admire the most is my cousin, David Gruen. He has always worked harder than anyone else on the team. I don’t think a lot of people see how hard David works. He worked so hard in the offseason to compete for the starting spot at fullback. Even though he may not play as much as he wants, he still supports the team and works harder than anyone else,” said Will. I can support this statement because I had gotten the privilege to play sports with David for ten years before I stopped after sophomore year. He truly does work his butt off.

While I continued to talk with Will, I asked him what his favorite thing about football really is and he replied with a quite surprising answer, “My favorite thing about Elder football is the team.

Playing Elder football builds character because we will not always be the biggest or most talented team but that just teaches us to work harder. Everyone on the team knows this and everyone buys in.”

He also commented on what is getting overlooked the most on the o-line this year with, “I think the one thing that gets overlooked the most, this year specifically, is the offensive line’s work ethic.

Obviously, we are pretty small this year and that can be hard sometimes. We don’t have the big guys like Drew Beckenhaupt

or Jack Tucker like we did last year. All the guys on the offensive line work harder than anyone else because we know if we don’t, we will get beat. We are going to be smaller than almost every team we play this year, and we all know this. We have to work harder than the other team and keep fighting every play if we want to be successful.” Will wants people to know that while this years o-line might not get the recognition or might not make every block, they will outwork everybody they possibly can.

I finally asked Will what his greatest achievement in life so far has been. This is a tough question for most, including myself, so I told him to take his time, but he fired an answer back at me right away.

He told me, “My best achievement so far has to be getting named a captain of the football team for my senior year. Growing up I always wanted to play for Elder’s football team, and I could have never imagined getting to be a captain. Another one of my best achievements is getting accepted into the Elder Honors Program.

I always try to work as hard as I can in the classroom and getting accepted made

Left: Will taken in junior year with masks on the sidelines. Below: Will (#65) snaps the ball.

everything, I did worth it.”

This shows how much Will values the opinions of his teammates and getting it done in the classroom. Sports are a great thing to be a part of at Elder, but most people’s grades seem to take a little dive during the season of their sport, but Will’s stay above average.

One of the many tough things about Senior year is figuring out your life after high school. Will has eliminated that worry and already has a plan for what he wants to do. Will wants to attend college and most likely major in Engineering, probably at the University of Cincinnati. I imagine that is barring any college offers Will might potentially get throughout this season. Will is as real as it gets and embodies truly what a man of Elder should be so if you ever get the chance in the hallways, say what’s up because he is definitely someone who will enhance your Elder experience.

8

Sports

Wednesday September 29, 2021

Bengals experience highs and lows in early games

Football with Ben

Robby Mathews ‘23 Sports Editor

As the school year is officially back and

A new season for the Cincinnati Bengals brings about excitement and optimism but, of course, disappointment as well.

The first two games for Cincinnati were nothing less than this, as the win against the Vikings provided hope and opportunity while the loss to Chicago let these opportunities slip through the stripes.

Week one provided the Bengals defense with a great chance to show what they’ve got against one of the more capable offensive units in the league last year that includes the likes of Dalvin Cook, Justin Jefferson, and Kirk Cousins. They ranked fourth last year in terms of total offensive yards and yards per game, with the fifth best rushing game starring one of the league’s best, Dalvin Cook.

The defense shined against the Viking talent, but it was not the focus of the game. All eyes were on the return of Joe Burrow from a torn ACL last season, and he strung together a great performance,

only scoring a touchdown on the opening drive of the game.

On the third play of the second quarter, Dalton scrambled out of bounds but had a misstep, leading to an apparent knee injury. Dalton came back in for three plays following the injury but left the game in the hands of rookie QB Justin Fields after that. During all of this, the Bengals offense put up zero points and struggled to get anywhere, entering the second half with nothing to show on the scoreboard.

The first drive of the second half showed a struggle in the Chicago defense for the first time in the game, allowing the Bengals to get some points on the board with a McPherson field goal that was only possible because of an unnecessary roughness call against Chicago. After a Bears punt on the next drive, Cincinnati gave up four turnovers on each of the following four drives. This was due to a Tee Higgins fumble and three interceptions on three consecutive passes from Burrow. This feat hadn’t been done since 2018, when beard enthusiast Ryan Fitzpatrick did it with the

Kellen Sandhas ‘22 Staff Writer

we’ve been in school for a little over a month, I thought it would be appropriate to talk to our QB1 about a few things involving football. The Panthers football team is off to a 2-3 start, but I believe they will turn things around and get in the W column more than most people expect.

After finishing the year 5-4 in 2020, the boys are looking to shock many people and win the GCL and compete for a state title which they did back in 2019.

Although it has been a rocky start, the Elder football team is eager to put up a fight even with such a tough schedule.

This year in general is already a lot different than last year. It is a blessing that The Pit is able to be filled up with fans again, and having a cheering section back is also big. There isn’t anything better than seeing a packed house in The Pit on a Friday night. This is something we can all agree that we missed last year.

Now onto football this year, I talked to Ben Hambleton, QB1 for Elder the past two seasons. I asked him a few questions regarding the 2021 football season and more.

First, I asked what it’s like to be a captain of Elder football, which not many people get to do. He said, “Being a captain is a huge deal to me, my whole life I’ve wanted to play Elder football and being able to be a captain on the team is very honorable.”

Ben has a great work ethic and is an amazing leader for this team. Next, I asked Ben what the biggest difference between this year and last year is. He said the players the football team has is the difference, everyone buys into what needs to be accomplished, and they know they

can turn things around based on the group of guys they have. This proves the group of guys Elder has is capable of being something special once all of the right pieces fall into place.

Lastly, I asked him his opinion on the rest of the season, he said, “We’ve played the best teams from Ohio and Kentucky, and this will help us in the long run, we should be playing our best football by the end of the season and are expecting to make a big playoff run.”

The Elder football team is ready to play their game and shock the doubters and the rest of the world. I, along with the rest of Elder Nation, am anxious to see the rest of the season and it has potential to be one to remember.

Broncos draft helps fill needs Bartley Thomas ‘22 Staff Writer Burrow eludes the rush against the Vikings in the season opener.

slinging two touchdowns (one to the rookie Ja’Marr Chase) and accumulated over 250 yards passing. Both sides of the team showed up to play, but the defense seemingly let go on a drive at the end of the fourth quarter, allowing the Vikings to tie it late with a field goal.

In overtime, both teams were a letdown. Three punts on consecutive drives led to the Vikings having possession in Bengal territory, with any score from either side ending the game. A rare Dalvin Cook fumble gave the Bengals another chance, and they took it. Rookie kicker Evan McPherson solidified his position as the kicker of the future, nailing the 38-yarder for the opening week win, the first in head coach Zac Taylor’s career.

Fans took to social media, praising Burrow and the defense, but especially Ja’Marr Chase. Chase had been having problems with drops in the preseason, so seeing him remember how to catch footballs was a nice surprise for fans of the franchise. This optimism after the first win leaked over into week two which, unfortunately, had different results.

The Bengals took a business trip to Chicago to take on the Bears, a team that has lost in week one to the new and improved Rams on Sunday Night Football. Familiar faces were under center for the Bears, with former Bengal QB Andy Dalton and first round pick Justin Fields tossing the rock for Chicago. Dalton was under center for the entire first quarter,

Buccaneers. The offense was not the only part of the team at fault, as the defense could not keep Fields’ running ability in check at the same time as defending Chicago’s two best receivers, Allen Robinson and Darnell Mooney. New free agent defensive end Trey Hendrickson even let a sack through his hands that would have given the Bengals the ball down three points with two minutes remaining. Cincinnati decided to turn the game around too late, as a forty-yard Ja’Marr Chase touchdown paired with a Fields interception was inconsequential to the result. Although Higgins’ late touchdown may have pleased some fantasy owners, it was a play that should have happened two quarters previously.

Looking ahead, the Bengals must travel to Pittsburgh and take on the Steelers at Heinz Field before returning to Paul Brown Stadium to face the Jaguars.

The “new Steel Curtain” defense from the Steelers should trouble Burrow, but if Ryan Finley can beat them in primetime, anyone can. As for the Jags, they were 1-15 last year and feature the first overall pick Trevor Lawrence, who was touted as possibly the best quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck.

Fans should stay optimistic, as the highs seen from Burrow and the rest of the team should heavily outweigh the lows and provide for an entertaining rest of the season.

The Denver Broncos have struggled in

the past couple years of grabbing what they actually need from the draft. They have struggled tremendously at the quarterback position, but they continue to draft other needs. Their defense has always excelled, but it really comes down to what they need on offense.

They have signed free agent Teddy Bridgewater at the quarterback spot in which they think he’ll do good. Because they have signed him, they passed up Justin Fields in the draft. Fields was projected to be selected in the top four, but dropped to 10.

The Broncos were able to draft him if they wanted to but instead, they went after the top corner in the draft, Patrick Surtain.

This selection out of Alabama was a great choice, as he is starting his rookie year.

Adding him to the defense is a big win for the defense but did the Broncos pass on a future all-star quarterback in the league?

Was not drafting Justin Fields a good choice? Will Patrick Surtain rise to the best in the league?

A great running back who has played in the last two years for the broncos is Philip Lindsay, but he was traded to the Texans making Melvin Gordon the prime running back who rose to the starting spot last year.

To help Melvin Gordon out or in case of injury, they picked up Javonte Williams in the second round which could really help or could really be a waste. There are running backs that could’ve been picked up in the free agency and they could have

saved that pick for a bigger need.

The Quinn Minerez pick would be the hardest to agree with, since his film was over a year old, and he didn’t play his last year. He dominated top FBS talent, some of which were drafted ahead of him, and he has all the upside in the world.

This pick will ultimately be wasted and could’ve been used for something way better because the Denver already had four returning starting lineman that most certainly wouldn’t lose their job.

Another pick the Broncos were able to seal in the third round was Baron Browning, who many considered to be a second round talent. He is a linebacker that can cover the field and is a great rusher. Since trading up to the get Javonte they had to wait to get him, but he was still waiting there.

He is a very rare type of linebacker that should excel as he gets to his third year and starts to really get to play ball.

He also he has veteran edge rusher Von Miller as a mentor. Miller is one of the best in the league and has been for many years as well as being a Super Bowl Champion. Von Miller will really help him succeed.

Most of these top picks are really good and should really help this Broncos team out in the future.

Wednesday September 29, 2021

Sports 9

What the Big 12 means for UC

Blind players light up the pitch

Robby Mathews ‘23 Sports Editor

Jacob Stamper ‘22 Graphics Editor

The University of Cincinnati has finally

escaped the clutches of the AAC. This lowly conference can harm the Bearcats no more, as they have been accepted into the new Big 12 along with BYU, UCF, and Houston. This change will occur by the 2023-2024 season for football, and possibly earlier for basketball and other sports. The Bearcats now move from a non-powerful conference to the Power 5, and this brings on new challenges and new opponents.

In football, UC will now be playing Iowa State and Kansas State compared to Memphis and Temple. Beating these teams can work wonders for the Bearcats playoff ranking, as playing in a Power 5 conference will hold more weight and provide more reasoning for the Playoff Committee to let them in. The weakness of the AAC was a large reason for why UC football wasn’t included in the postseason this past season, as conference wins against SMU and South Florida are not as rewarding as wins against Clemson or North Carolina.

Notre Dame beat those teams, and it was Notre Dame that some fans believe should have been swapped with UC for the final playoff spot. Strength of schedule solely determined the final spot, and it was Notre Dame’s win over Clemson in the regular season that pushed them over the top.

For basketball, the Big 12 was one of the most successful and strong conferences in all of the sport. It includes Oklahoma State, West Virginia, Texas Tech, Kansas, and 2021 NCAA tournament champion Baylor. All of those teams made the tournament last season, and it provides Cincinnati excellent competition. The basketball program is still rebuilding from the departure of Mick Cronin, with the head coaching job seemingly solidified with the addition of Wes Miller. These Bearcats will receive an excellent opportunity to play against the best teams in the nation and prove themselves as one of them as well.

Financially, the Big 12 gives UC a much needed boost, as all of the Power 5 conferences together will produce over $3 billion during the various 2021 seasons.

A majority of this will come from TV revenue, followed by playoff/bowl games and the NCAA tournament. After the

sport.

The FIFA World Cup brought in over one billion viewers. Nevertheless, while the sport of soccer, or fútbol, is found by many to be extremely entertaining, I believe I have found a sport that is even more impressive. That sport, ladies and gentlemen, is blind soccer.

Yes, you heard me correctly, blind soccer.

This sport is featured at the Paralympics and is an absolute gem to watch. It is not only entertaining but also astounding.

People, who cannot see, are playing soccer.

The sport is a variation of futsal, which is soccer played on a match smaller pitch, comparable to the size of a basketball court. The ball has been modified so

Power 5 conferences, the revenue per conference heavily drops off. The sixth most profitable conference, the AAC, is outmatched by the Big 12 by over four times as much revenue.

All in all, the move to the Big 12 conference will benefit the university and the city as a whole, bringing a multitude of new opportunities to be enjoyed.

Blind soccer players (wearing masks) feel for other players and listen for the ball.

Moderator’s Note: Here at the Quill we hold bi-monthly classes where story ideas are presented to the class by each writer. There are times when more than one student wants to write about the same subject. On some occasions, this can result in a type of point-counterpoint comparision, but on others, Mr. Rogers just lets both stories be written so that our readers can enjoy them both.

Here is Sophomore Devyn Mullins’ take on the same subject as above.

Bearcats get into the Big 12 Devyn Mullins ‘24 Staff Writer

The University of Cincinnati Bearcats

are one of the better football teams in the country over the past few seasons and they thought they deserved to be in a better conference than the American Athletic Conference (AAC). And they wanted to join the Big 12 and they got their wish when they were invited to join along with BYU, UCF, and Houston This extends the reach of Big 12 conference east to Florida and west to Utah. UCF and Houston were both in the AAC with the ‘Cats.

The Bearcats are now in a better football conference but an even better basketball conference.

UC’s head coach Luke Fickell is one of the leading candidates for the head coaching job at USC. But the starting QB Desmond Ridder said that Fickell is not leaving. Which is a good thing because UC has had a history of head coaches leaving for a better jobs. Mark Dantonio, Butch Jones and Brain Kelly all used their successes at UC as a steeping stone to bigger positions.

UC and the Fighting Irish (now coached by Kelly) will face off on October 2nd. And that game will be a fun one because the Bearcats old defensive coordinator from last year, Marcus Freeman,

Soccer is by far the world’s most popular

Such an incredible sport must have at least a few stars. Possibly the most famous of those stars being Jeferson Goncalves, who plays for the Brazillian national team.

Goncalves is famous not only in Brazil but also around the world. He has two gold medals in his career, an astounding feat for such a sport.

The top three teams are Brazil, Argentina, and Spain. Only these three teams have reached the World Blind Football Championship finals. Out of the seven championships played, Brazil has won five and Argentina has won two.

Brazil and Argentina are rivals in the sport. It seems that these countries excel in all types of soccer.

So, to recap, these players are playing with no eyesight, using their ears to locate things, making sure they do not run into anything, and trying to score against a

that it jingles when it moves, so the players can hear where it is. Additionally, the players also have to yell the word “go” or “voy” when making a play for the ball. It is sort of like Marco Polo, where the participants are required to inform every one of their positions. During the match, the crowd is instructed to remain silent while the ball is in play. This allows the players to be able to play the game by hearing where the ball and players are. This makes it all more exciting when a goal is scored, and the fans erupt in applause.

What makes a goal even more impressive is the fact that the goalkeeper is not blind. Sometimes they are partially blind, and sometimes they have full vision, but the goalkeeper is permitted to see. To ensure that there are not any cheaters, or fakers, blind folds are placed over all players faces, excluding the goalkeepers.

person that can see. Need I say more?

Even if you are not a big soccer fan, it is undeniable how incredible this sport is.

Even something as simple as a pass or a tackle is amazing to watch. I cannot even walk across the room or eat with my eyes closed, let alone play a full game of soccer.

Seriously, next time you are doing even a simple task, like walking to your room or plugging your phone in, try doing it with your eyes closed. The things that these players are able to accomplish will amaze you.

I encourage you to watch highlights of these astonishing games and to watch the Paralympics when they are occurring.

These players are not only stupendous athletes but also an inspiration: to the blind and all of those struggling to persevere through life’s obstacles.

Desmond Ridder

accepted a position there as well. So that will be a back and forth game.

But the Bearcats also join maybe one of the better basketball conferences in the US. The Big 12 has Baylor who ended the season at number three in the country but ended up winning the National Championship in Mrach. The conference also has Kansas, which is historically a great basketball school.

Cincinnati should do fairly well in this conference. Their biggest struggle will most likely be basketball, with four teams from the Big 12 being in the top 25 in the country.

But until 2023 or 2024 the Bearcats will still be looking for AAC championships in all of their athletics.

Two time gold medal winner Jefferson Goncalves of Brazil is known worldwide for his accomplishments as a blind futbol player.

10

Sports

Rickett reflects on soccer career Jack Sheridan ‘22 Co-Editor-in-Chief

As Elder Varsity Soccer makes their way through the 2021-2022 season, this will be the last season of an Elder sport that some of the seniors will play for the rest of their lives. For senior Evan Rickett, Elder’s starting center back on varsity, this statement is a reality.

Starting up the sport around age five, soccer has been a part of Rickett’s life for over 12 years now, and after playing years of club soccer and grade school soccer for St. Jude, he decided to showcase his talents as an Elder Panther.

Rickett first began his career as an Elder Soccer player as a freshman. He tried out and ended up making the JV Team as a freshman. Telling me how he felt about this, Rickett told me, “I was excited because I made JV as a freshman, and I

“Playing for Elder has been just a great experience. I mean, you grow up, and for Grade School Nights you come, and you watch some of those guys like Joey Sabato and Mitch Ward, just great players who went to Elder.

You get to be one of those guys when you come here, and being captain just means a lot, too.”

- Evan Rickett

got to stay on a team with kids that I had played club soccer with for years before.”

I asked Rickett about how his overall experience of playing Elder Soccer has been during his time as Panther, to which he responded, “Playing for Elder has been just a great experience. I mean, you grow up, and for Grade School Nights you come, and you watch some of those guys like Joey Sabato and Mitch Ward, just great players who went to Elder. You get to be one of those guys when you come here, and being captain just means a lot, too.”

I then asked Rickett how the team is doing so far this year. He told me that they are currently 2-5-1 (as of September 20th, 2021, when this article was written) and have had a couple of rough games as the season has kicked off (no pun intended).

He explained to me that they tied against Sycamore and lost to Colerain in the final 10 minutes of the game, to which he added, “Yeah, it’s not about how you start though, it’s about how you finish.”

He said the team is hoping to turn things around in the last eight games, eventually hoping to also make a nice playoff run.

My next question for Rickett was who some of the standout players on the team are this season. “Definitely Ty Carle, he’s got three goals this year, and Leo Bill, he’s got four, too,” Rickett replied. He also talked to me about some of the younger guys on the team that are standouts as well, including sophomores Mason Paschka and Reece Zigelmier; additionally, Rickett noted that there are two freshmen on the team this year, Cannon Chirumbolo-McKee and Connor Accurso.

“The future looks bright,” Rickett said.

My final question for Rickett was if they had any big games coming up. He told me that they still have four more GCL games left: St. X twice more, Moeller once more, and LaSalle once more. Although the team has already lost to both LaSalle and Moeller, Rickett has high expectations for the upcoming matchups, both of which will be played at The PAC. “We play them at our home turf.

We’re going to shock them. We’re going to show them what Elder Soccer is all about,” Rickett said.

Although Rickett’s time as an Elder Soccer player will soon be coming to a close, the time and commitment that he, along with the other Varsity Soccer seniors, has dedicated to the program is admirable, and as the team makes its run for the playoffs in the coming weeks, the Elder community will be behind its back in support every step of the way.

Wednesday September 29, 2021

Wednesday September 29, 2021

From the Archives of The Quill 11

Mistakes were made Mr. Gary Rogers Moderator

I often wonder if anyone looks at our

folio. Do you even know what I’m talking about?

The folio is the area on our front page that features the volume, issue and date of each of our editions. If you look closely, this is year ninety of The Purple Quill.

If you think that’s some kind of a record, you would be right. I had been told back in 2011, when I started at Elder, that we were and are the longest-running continuously published student newspaper in Cincinnati. So that is something that I want to celebrate.

We started last year with features collected by members of our staff with tie-ins to repeating annual events here at the school.

This year, I want to do a chronological recap through the decades as we are now in year 90 and can therefore feature articles from years ago in ten-year increments throughout our nine issues.

For our first installment, I wanted to go back 90 years to 1931 and the first year of the student newspaper here at Elder. Luckily the library has an extensive collection and we can peruse the old pages with the help of Mrs. Kelly and Mrs. Williams-Mitchell. But what did I find?

The first Purple Quill issue (labeled as Volume 1, no. 1) is not from 1931, but is dated back to October 1933. And as many of you know, it was not called The Quill back then, but was known as The Eldorado. Alas, I don’t have the time to investigate this mystery fully for this issue as it comes to pass. But do not fear, dear readers, as I will return next month, to quote the infamous Bill Cunningham, with a “full report”.

For now, I leave you with Robby Mathews who took the bound issue of the 1933-35 Eldorados and went to the task of reading and finding this month’s feature from the past:

A Look Back

Robby Mathews ‘23 Sports Editor

Looking back at school archives from

May of 1935 provides great insight as to the school’s history and the history of The Quill as well. Flipping through the sticky pages and inhaling the smell of paper from the pre-WW2 era is oddly satisfying, and getting a chance to look back at a real hands-on copy is something I thought I’d never be able to do. The edition is not

called The Purple Quill, however, as this name was adopted in 1936, only a year after this particular volume was written.

When flipping through the pages of Honor Rolls and religious sermons, I noticed an article. It was dated, The World of 2035. It caught my eye extremely quickly, as it was finally something other than religion and sports news. Written by Robert Traut ‘35, the article details himself “traveling” to 2035 and explaining what he saw and what caught his eye. Take a look.

reprinted from The Eldorado May 1935

The World of 2035 Robert Traut ‘35 Student Writer

Everything is so strange to me! Nothing

seems to be the same as it was only a short time ago. Can this be the same world, the same earth, on which I have lived since 1918? But no, there is a giant calendar, surrounded by lights, and the date is February twenty-first, in the year twenty hundred and thirty-five. I am living in another century!

Instead of the houses we used to live in, people are now residing in buildings built entirely of glass and a new kind of metal. These houses are cylindrical in shape, very tall and narrow. Each housetop is provided with a landing field, on which individuals and small air-ships are landing.

The people themselves are so very much different that at first I could not believe they were normal human beings.

They all dress alike, men, women, and children wearing flying-suits made of met-

al cloth. Everyone wears a helmet which covers his entire head, allowing air holes for breathing, and furnishing glasses for the eyes. On the back of the flying suit are fastened two wings—actually a miniature of an aeroplane from the year 1935. These wings enable one to fly at a very high rate of speed without any other outside aid. It is no uncommon feat, as I overheard two men saying, for a wife to go from Chicago to Cincinnati for her daily marketing. I doubted this somewhat, but when I heard a young woman contemplating flying to New York to meet her husband and returning for a ball the same evening, I was convinced.

The funniest sight which I enjoyed on this new Earth was a very stout man with his family of fifteen endeavoring to take off in their “Plane-o-Ford,” after all had been packed in. The plane rose and settled down again like a weary pigeon returning home. Finally, due to the supreme power of the hardly visible engine and partly due to the shifting of some of the weight, the plane took off, and the family was on its way to a picnic in Los Angeles.

One of the most amazing things were is the easy contact with Mars. Since Niagara has worn away, Mars is the stamping ground for “honeymooners.” They board a rocket, big enough for two, and away they go! The trip to Mars is accomplished on a rocket in less than ten hours, but because of the quick change in atmospheric conditions, masks must be worn until one becomes accustomed to the difference in temperature and air pressure. Mars, I heard, is a wonderful place since it was found to be habitable.

From a couple of gossips I heard of a proposed plan of building a bridge across the Atlantic Ocean. Despite the fact that there are so many sky trains and dirigibles, everyone cannot travel by air. There

are so many floating air-dromes now in the Atlantic that it will take very little more to bridge the great pond.

One of the greatest improvements, in my imagination, is the ten-hour-a-week plan for work. Every person is a specialist in some line. Machinery has been developed and improved so much that it will finish gigantic project guided merely by the hand of man. It has completely eliminated the laborer; nevertheless there is sufficient work for everyone. Man now has more leisure time, and there is no one who has not traveled extensively, using the new speed machines.

After becoming accustomed to the peculiarities of this modern world, I was surprised to find that people still enjoy music, dancing, singing, and parties. The dress at these affairs is as beautiful and varied as the daily garb is plain. The music is not greatly changed from the music of my day, and I noted that a slow dance—not a great deal different from our waltz - is in greater favor than a fast number. Possibly this is a result of a reaction from the speed of their daily lives.

But still, if I ever return to the Earth of my day, despite the fact that I shall consider myself ancient and behind the times, I shall prefer that life which I led then, when a trip to New York or California was an event, and not a daily occurrence.

Elder commemorates 9/11, sees support for club Josh Huff ‘22 Staff Writer

September is always a difficult, yet empowering month

throughout the United States. Obviously, the toll that the September 11, 2001 tragedy has left on this country is immense, but it seems to, at least for a day, help to bring a country torn apart together.

September 11, 2001, was undoubtedly one of the most tragic days in US history, however through such tragedy, there have been some of the most beautiful stories told of true, real life heroes. One that comes to mind immediately is the story of the “man in the red bandana.”

It is the story of Welles Crowther, a Boston College Graduate working as an equity trader in the south tower of the World Trade Center. Welles is thought to have saved as many as 18 lives on September 11, going back and forth between floors to save as many people as possible, sacrificing his own life in the process. Now, the Welles Crowther name is remembered at Boston College, through many events such as the Red Bandana football game and the Red Bandana run.

It is stories like this that bring a tear to one’s eye. It is stories like this that show just how selfless the human spirit is capable of being.

I remember hearing of stories such as the man in the Red Bandana growing up. I always thought it was very neat, and a beautiful, more hopeful way of remembering 9/11.

Since this year marked the 20th anniversary of the tragedy, I was commissioned to design a T-shirt that would be sold to the student body here at Elder commemorating 9/11. Always, up for a design challenge, I happily accepted. I had designed things in the past, but this felt special. This felt as if it carried more weight than anything else I had done, because it did.

All proceeds from the shirt went to the support the troops

Wednesday September 29, 2021

Student Features

photoshopped by Josh Huff

12

club here at Elder. The club does exactly what its name implies: support the troops.

On Holidays the club assembles care packages for troops stationed overseas, to remind them that home isn’t all that far away, and the club does many other things as well to let us not forget those who have fought, or are currently fighting for our liberties in this country every day.

I had the chance to sit down with Jake Miller, a member of the club, and ask him what September 11th means to him, and why he feels it is important to commemorate.

“I feel like it is important to remember this day because of all the lives lost, but also because of the huge sacrifices made by military members and normal citizens every day.”

“I have had a lot of family go into the military, so I feel like my appreciation for military members is definitely heightened.”

There is no doubt that having family members in the military would impact a person’s perception of the 9/11 tragedy, and cause them to want to help other veterans and current military members out.

The same can be said about Mr. Quatman, the moderator of the support the troops club, and a family member to several veterans.

“I’d definitely say that having veterans in my family has impacted me.”

“Not to mention the amount of Elder alumni that have served in our military.

I really think we’d be doing a disservice without the support the troops club.”

All proceeds from the shirts will benefit veterans and current military members this holiday season when care packages are sent out across the globe.

Wednesday September 29, 2021

Arts & Entertainment 13

Shang-Chi breaks usual Marvel formula Moderator’s Note: Students who want to write and be published in The Quill DO NOT have to be enrolled in Journalism class.

We are always willing to take your submissions. This is a perfect example. Sam came to me a few days before this movie came out and asked if he could do a review as he considers himself a big movie fan. He completed his review and the sophomore is now published! You can also join the ranks of the mighty Quillsters, just stop by and talk to Mr. Rogers about your idea or better yet, stop by and take an assignment!

Sam Jones ‘24 Special Contributor

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten

Rings is the newest movie of Marvel’s Phase 4. Although, it feels unique and different from the typical marvel movies.

It avoids the usual formula Marvel uses and that’s what makes it so great.

Shang-Chi (Simu Liu), a fearsome crime lord who runs away from his father, Wenwu (Tony Leung), begins over in

San Francisco, where he meets his best friend, Katy (Awkwafina). Living the ideal life. Shang-Chi’s history, however, finally catches up with him after ten years.

Wenwu forcefully reunites with his son and daughter Xialing (Meng’er Zhang) in the hopes of recruiting them, along with Katy, into his terrorist organization, The Ten Rings, an evil empire formed around the power of ten ancient rings that Wenwu wears around his arms to unleash energy blasts.

This cast is fantastic. Shang-Chi is played brilliantly by Simu Liu, who puts a slight amount of humor into the usually serious comic book character. Awkwafina, as predicted, nails all the hilarious moments while also serving as Shang-Chi’s sidekick during his journey of self-discovery.

The chemistry between Liu and Awkwafina is obvious, and the two exude a genuine sense of belonging. Zhang’s Xialing is maybe the most intriguing character, with a deep history but the feeling that she is only there as set decoration for the main hero at moments. It’s a shame she doesn’t have more to do.

The martial art fight scenes are flawless and dynamic. This movie does

Simu Liu stars as Shang-Chi in the newest and slightly different installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

not fall flat of action and every fight scene was beautifully choreographed and keeps you in the middle of it all. From fights on buses to battling on dragons this movie has some of the best fighting scenes in the MCU to date. But the film lacks visual spectacles, and the third act of the movie feels cartoonish at times and unrealistic Though the movie struggles with its ending feeling rushed and some of the character arcs feel unimportant or un-

Dent Schoolhouse prepares to scare Jacob Stamper ‘22 Graphics Editor

Dent Schoolhouse is one of America’s

most terrifying haunted houses. Featured in the heart of Dent, the haunted attraction is located in an old schoolhouse, where it is said that the janitor still haunts the building to this day. The attraction takes those who dare to enter through each aspect of a day in school.

You are brought through the cafeteria and kitchen, where you are served the tasty treat of previous students who failed to escape. You are also guided through haunted school rooms and slamming lockers. Furthermore, the outside of the schoolhouse features their own little pig farm, where intimidating butchers and screeching chainsaws are rampant. However, all of this is nothing compared to its main attraction: the janitor.

Underneath this school is something so disturbing that few dare to enter, and no one leaves without terror in their eyes.

The basement of this schoolhouse is dark, eerie, and a janitor lurks in its presence.

The entire time, you know what is coming but are still scared out of your mind when that janitor appears. Indeed, even the toughest of the tough do not make it out without at least a few scares. I do not want

to spoil too much, but let’s just say that each room, each corner, has something that will either make you jump out of your shoes or make you feel uneasy.

Dent’s reputation has been established over the years. It has won countless awards, including many recent ones. It was CityBeat’s Best of Cincinnati in 2020.

The haunted attraction was also voted the sixth scariest haunted house in 2021 by USA Today’s 10 Best.

However, while this place scares the living daylights out of its customers, it is extremely good to its employees. It was

included in Ohio Business Magazine as one of the best workplaces in 2020 and 2021. So, if you think you can stomach the screams, gore, and late nights, then Dent might be the place for you. It has decent pay and a great work environment.

Plus, who doesn’t want to scare people for six hours?

If you are interested in going to this chamber of fear, the attraction is open Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through the entire month of October.

Its last day of operation is Halloween, October 31. On Thursdays and Sundays

earned. The second act of the movie feels long at times and could be shortened. Other than that, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings sets up for future MCU movies and the road ahead looks bright for marvel fans.

Other must-see movies in October are Dune; Venom: Let There Be Carnage; and the new James Bond installment No Time to Die.

admission is $20 per person, and Fridays and Saturdays is $25 per person.

If you want to have a short wait, you can pay an extra $20 to get a fast pass, which allows you to wait in a much shorter line. If you really want to skip the line, you can completely skip all lines for $30 plus general admission price. There are also different types of tours besides the main haunt. The Ghost Tour allows you to have a guided tour in the dark with no actors. There is also a Behind the Scenes Tour. Additionally, the Lights On Tour allows you to go without the scares; it is in the light with no actors, allowing you to see what the house is like without the terrors of it. Furthermore, the Lights Out Tour allows you to experience this haunted house in complete darkness: extra terrifying; this will be on November 5 and 6 for $25 per person. Lastly, on December 10 and 11, Dent will host A Christmas Nightmare for those who want to turn a beautiful holiday into a nightmarish experience.

Dent is preparing to scare the living daylights out of you. Every Cincinnatian should experience this attraction at least once in their life, and if you have not gotten to yet, this year is a perfect opportunity to go. Even if you have gone, it is still terrifying every time you enter.

ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK. AND BEWARE THE JANITOR!

14

Wednesday September 29, 2021

Arts & Entertainment

Green continues to produce underrated music Seth Trischler ‘22 Co-Editor in Chief

Country music has unexpectedly been

a huge part of my life since I entered high school. One of the artists that has impacted my life greatly is Riley Green.

When I began my journey with country music, I knew few artists until my brother started driving me to school my freshman year. I would get to listen to the music he liked and one of the songs was by this fella named Riley Green. I remember that I steered away from his music at first, but once I gave it a try, he has been one of my favorites.

He is a relatively new country singer who has only been in the business since the late 2010’s. Green was a quarterback at Jacksonville State University before he was a contestant on CMT’s reality series Redneck Island. After that he used the spotlight gained from that appearance to begin his singing career.

He then never quite got recognized in the country music world till he released his song “I Wish Grandpas Never Died” in 2019. His career skyrocketed after this and he has been on tour with some of country music’s biggest names performing this song.

One is Dierks Bentley who plays at Riverbend this October 8th; and Green will perform alongside him. In fact, I am going to that concert with my brother and a couple of his buddies. We are mostly going for Green, but Dierks puts on a good show, so I have heard.

Green released a new album in June called Behind the Bar that includes six new songs. That might not seem like a lot at first glance but if you have listened to Green then you understand why.

Many artists release albums that have around 15 songs but then a quarter of those are below average. Green on the

“The storytelling part of it is what’s special about country music. When I sit down and write a song, I always am looking for something that’s going to tell a story and give somebody some type of emotion.”

- Riley Green

other hand releases songs in small numbers that do not contain any below average songs. He takes his time with his writing and makes sure there is a story to listen to while playing each song.

Green told People.com in a recent interview, “The storytelling part of it is what’s special about country music,” he explains. “When I sit down and write a song, I always am looking for something that’s going to tell a story and give somebody some type of emotion.”

On this album, he co-wrote each song which is not seen a lot these days.

Although the album did not crash any records like Morgan Wallen or stay on the charts like Luke Combs, it is a solid album that I enjoy. Every song from it is on my playlist and I listen to most of them daily. These songs include the following: “Behind The Bar”, “That’s What I’ve Been Told”, “If It Wasn’t For Trucks”, “Put’ Em On Mine”, “That Was Us”, “I Let A Damn Good Woman Leave”, and “That’s My Dixie”.

The song that is the most popular is “That Was Us” featuring Jessie Alexander. Lyric wise, it probably is not the best one on the album, but it has the catchiest chorus. The voices of the two singers also blend together well. Alexander is another small country musician but has a phenomenal voice and this song only strengthens that opinion.

My favorite song is “That’s My Dixie”.

The song sheds light on problems that are still going on today like racial prejudice, fake news, and the red, white, and blue.

The song will never be featured on the radio because of its strong opinions, but that is what I think makes it great. It is my favorite because it represents the opinion of most of America right now who are too afraid to express it. The words are extremely powerful if you listen to them closely.

“Behind The Bar” is probably the most upbeat song on the album. It is about not letting the night finish after last call at the bar. The song goes over everything that can happen in a night even after the last call. The album is also named after this song. I think it is a good choice to name the album after this song because the title is catchy and sets the tone for the rest of the pieces.

“That’s What I’ve Been Told” is another one of my favorites because it is so well written. It is almost as if you are reading a book and the words are just coming out at you. The song is about the sayings, rules, and advice that he has been told as he’s

Riley Green is a relatively new country star, but the author thinks if you give him a listen, you’ll be as hooked as he is.

grown up. My favorite line from it is, “The biggest dog don’t win in every fight”. There is just so much that you can take in from just those eight words. It reminds me that even though I can be outmatched in every aspect, if I have more heart and more drive then I can defeat anything that comes my way.

“If It Wasn’t For Trucks” is a song from Green’s EP If It Wasn’t For Trucks.

(An EP stands for extended play and is like an album but has fewer songs.) The song has been one that Green has been promoting for awhile and he has released it in a number of ways. The song itself is awesome but has never gotten the traction that it should have. The song is about “trucks” and how would anyone do things without them. He explains all the things he would have missed out on if he did not have his truck. I know it sounds like a weird song when I state it like that, but there is no better way to explain it. It has a good rhyme scheme and does a great job straying away from just talking about trucks.

“Put Em On Mine” is a song about letting a girl put whatever she needs on him. He is trying to win her over so if she ever needs something, he is letting her

put it on his card. I think one of the most clever lines in this album comes from this song and it is “If your boots need a bedroom floor, you can put ‘em on mine”.

The mention is so subtle and fits great into the song.

“I Let a Damn Good Woman Leave” is about a guy making a lot of bad decisions because of drinking but the worst thing that happened is it caused a woman to walk out on him. I like this song because it shows how addictions can have an effect on our life and ultimately ruin it.

Riley Green continues to add to his resume while flying under the radar. I believe one day all his work will pay off and he will shine in stardom as one of the greats of country music, and I think when people look back on when it all began to click, this year is what they will say. If you like country music even the slightest bit, then you must give him a listen because he will not disappoint.

Wednesday September 29, 2021

Arts & Entertainment 15

Drake vs. Kanye Kellen Sandhas ‘22 Staff Writer

It is a known fact that Drake and Kayne

West are some of the most creative rappers of all time.

Both artists have appeared on my playlist many times. Recently, each of them dropped an album. Donda by Kanye West and Certified Lover Boy by Drake.

There has been lots of debate on which album was better. Personally, I’m more of a Drake fan just because I feel like he has a song for everything. He can go from hard rap to a more chill song like Passionfruit.

Back before the battle of who would drop the album first, there has been a history of beef between the two stars.

Kanye directed the music video of Best I Ever Had by Drake, which basically was terrible and Drake has removed it from official Youtube.

This was basically where the beef started. Drake has sent many indirect shots at Kanye, and Kanye has done the

same back. They have had a very love hate relationship and that is why I believe that they both have been so successful.

They both are great and they have that battle of - anything you can do, I can do better. Back to the Donda and CLB debate, Donda started off with “Donda Chant”, where it says “Donda” 58 times.

This is because Kanye’s mother died at the age of 58, her name was Donda.

I think this was a little weird to start an album but it was to pay respect to his late mother. Donda featured 27 songs, and as the album went on, it kept getting more and more spiritual, only two out of 27 appeared on my playlist. CLB featured 21 songs, 15 out of the 21 ended up on my playlist. Drake is so great because he is versatile and I believe he could sing in any genre of music.

After talking with some people around the school, Certified Lover Boy by Drake is more of a hit. Nick Broxterman ‘22 said he likes CLB better because “CLB has more culture behind it.” Sean Keller

Album of the year?

Devyn Mullins ‘24 Staff Writer

Drake has been one of the best if not the best rapper in the past decade.

His new album Certified Lover Boy (CLB), features Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, 21 Savage, Future, Ty Dolla Sign, Young Thug and Kid Cudi. It was one of the most anticipated albums of the year.

And it shows because it broke the stream-

ing record within just 12 hours of the release. He broke the record just days after Kanye West had previously set it with his album Donda.

Drake and Kanye were having arguments. (see other article on this page) And pretty much for Drake this album had to be better than Kanye’s and it was.

It sold 613,000 copies while Donda sold 309,090.

On Spotify, Drake nabbed another distinction as Certified Lover Boy became that platform’s most-streamed album in a single day, also beating his own Scorpion.

Certified Lover Boy debuted after multiple delays. Drake announced in Oct. 2020 that it would come in January 2021, but he later postponed the release for health reasons.

Then he said on Caffeine (a rap battle show) in June that it would be out by the end of the summer.

After that, he teased the new Sept. 3 release date in a cryptic SportsCenter video. He hacked SportsCenter, and he was able to air about a three second video which showed his face and the date September 3rd.

His album had even athletes’ attention like Trae Young, Donavon Mitchell, Lebron James, Stephen Curry and Tom Brady. His music video for “way 2 sexy” has Kawhi Leonard as a backup dancer, which took a lot of people by surprise.

‘22 says CLB because it has way better songs, which I totally agree with. Jake Westerkamp ‘23 said, “CLB is better because Donda is too slow.”

This statement is Drake and Kanye appear together at a party in 2015. valid and I also didn’t like Donda better because it was simply too slow and made me feel first week from CLB, while Donda only like I was in church listening to rap music. sold 309,000 units. This shows that CerLasty, Coach Muerkel said, CLB is better tified Lover Boy nearly doubled the first because all around Drake is better, but week sales of Donda. people cannot forget about Graduation by In my opinion, Drake has the better Kanye West. album and all time is better than Kanye, It is hard to say who is better overall but this cannot take away from Ye’s between Drake and Kayne but from these greatness because they are both great, but two albums, the first week sales do the Drake is simply better all time. talking. Drake sold 613,000 units in the

New hippo arrives at Zoo Grady Wall ‘23 Staff Writer

Fiona’s new stepdad, Tucker, arrived

recently at the Cincinnati Zoo. Clocking in at about 4,500 pounds, Tucker the Hippo has traveled to the Queen City from San Francisco. He is going to be Bibi’s, Fiona’s Mom, new boyfriend. Although it is unknown when Tucker will make his public debut, people are still looking forward to seeing him.

The world-famous Fiona attracts visitors from all over the globe, so Tucker must be ready for the big stage. He is going to be a part of the main attractions of the Cincinnati Zoo. The zoo’s priority right now is letting Tucker and Bibi get to know each other and build their relationship. Only after that will they allow Fiona to be around them at the same time.

I for one find it difficult to believe that these creatures are herbivores. With their large size and astonishingly sharp teeth, I always assumed that they ate meat.

I could not have been more wrong. Wild hippos feed on grasses and fallen fruit, while zoo hip-

pos dine on vegetation and brush. It is amazing how little they eat too. Hippos only consume about 1% of their total body weight every day. It is a wonder how they carry that much weight around without large amounts of energy coming in.

Hippo populations throughout the world have dropped dramatically. They have fallen victim to habitat loss and over hunting. The zoo plays an important role in protecting these animals. There job is not only to showcase these vulnerable animals to the public, but to keep their species growing. The Zoo has done a fantastic job with the likes of Fiona, and we should trust them with Tucker also.

As stated earlier, Tucker is an absolute unit of a mammal. This is oxymoronic because he is (allegedly) named after below average sized human, Tucker Barnhart. When Tucker was in San Francisco, he was nicknamed after Giants’ manager, Bruce Bochy. Unfortunately, Bruce Bochy helped derail the ultra-talented Cincinnati Reds in 2012 in the National League postseason. But we forgive and forget, so Cincinnati will welcome Tucker with open arms.

16

Back Page

Burreaux dies in Louisiana Grady Wall ‘23 Staff Writer

A namesake of Joe Burrow has unex-

pectedly breathed his last.

The Baton Rouge Zoo announced on September 8 that their 20-month-old, reticulated giraffe had passed away due to unexpected illness. Officials are still unsure what the exact cause of death was, but results are expected in early October. Any time a beloved zoo animal dies it is a very sad occasion, especially locally. Cincinnati understands that just as much as anybody.

This giraffe just happens to have its own connection to Cincinnati and our fan favorite quarterback.

Joe Burrow, a national champion at Louisiana State University, changed the spelling of his last name on his jersey to “Burreaux” on senior night. He did this to honor Louisianian culture which often replaces the “o” sound with “eaux”. LSU football means so much to people down

there, so the zoo decided to dub their new giraffe with the name Burreaux. Must be really cool for Joe. Not everyone can say that there is a giraffe named after them.

Bengals fans can only hope that this leaves zero bad omens for their franchise quarterback. After Burrow’s horrific injury last season, he does not need a dead giraffe haunting him.

We did get a scare in the fourth quarter of week one when Joey B limped off the field after being sacked. Good news is that Burrow is healthy. That moment made Bengals fans’ hearts sink, buthopefully it isn’t a sign of more to come.

Thankfully, all seems well as the Bengals picked up an overtime W behind a solid performance from Burrow. But there is still a lot of season left, and only time will tell if Burreaux plays a supernatural role this NFL season.

Left: Burreaux the giraffe. Right: Cincinnati Bengals QB1, Joe Burrow.

Clues by Seth Trischler, layout by Mr. Rogers

Wednesday September 29, 2021

Seeing double at Elder Ben Hambleton ‘22 Staff Writer

At Elder in the past few years we have

experienced several twins walk throughout the halls. It is strange yet very interesting on the number of twins that have been coming to Elder the past few years.

Whether it be identical twins or fraternal, there have been several twins walking through these halls in recent years. Although being a twin has its perks there are also many cons to it as well.

I had the chance to talk to freshmen, Will and Wyatt Postel, who are identical twins here at Elder.

In our conversation, I had the chance to ask them how it was growing up with a twin. Will responded saying, “It was fine, but it often gets annoying because I have to share a lot of stuff with Wyatt.” Wyatt responded by saying, “(There’s) a lot of fighting. We bicker a lot, but we have our good times when we get along.”

I could tell they both are great friends but like all brothers and sisters often fight a lot. I am not surprised by this since they do spend almost every second of their lives together. However, Will also said, “It’s fun to have a friend always with you and someone who genuinely likes the same things as you do.”

As I dove deeper into the interview I challenged the twins into asking them, what has made being a twin difficult. Will summed up the most difficult part being that he often has to share things with his twin. Another challenge they have faced is through other people. Wyatt and Will said that almost all the time people are getting

Wyatt and Will or Will and Wyatt?

their names mixed up. The twins are constantly telling other people which twin is which and this has become annoying.

One thing I have always wondered about identical twins is if they play any pranks on other people. Furthermore, I have always wanted to be a twin to try and trick people thinking I was the other twin. I asked Wyatt and Will if they have played any tricks on anyone and they responded with, “Yes, in grade school we did. Sometimes we would switch places and be in different spots. Also, if people call us by the wrong name we just go with it at times.”

Many people do not realize that it is very difficult to be a twin. People are always questioning you about what it’s like to be a twin. People are always asking who is who. Twins are constantly having to share things with one another. However, after this interview, it was obvious these two brothers wouldn’t trade it for anything. They have been best friends since they were born and wouldn’t change it for the world.

Purple Quill Crossword ACROSS:

2. Senior (and Quill staff member) who created the commerorative 9/11 shirts.

4. Title of Drake’s new album (featured in two stories this issue) 5. The artist who will be performing in concert in The PIT. 9. Name of the new hippo that just arrived at the Cincinnati Zoo. 10. What kind of animal recently passed away that was named after the Bengal’s quarterback.

11. Last name of Elder’s new history and economics teacher.

12. Famous golf course that Senior Victor Caliguri will be playing in September with The First Tee.

DOWN:

1. College that Peyton Ramsey played for in his final year of eligibility.

3. Position that featured senior

Will Singler plays on this year’s varsity football team.

6. Name of the country singer profiled in this issue.

7. Position that senior soccer

captain Evan Rickett patrols at the PAC. 8. Family name of the freshman twins that Ben Hambleton interviewed in this issue.

13. The name of the Power 5 conference that UC was just invited to join.