The Aquilian - February 2015 | Vol 77, No 4

The Aquilian February 2015 Volume 77, Number 4

Gonzaga College High School Men For Others Since 1821

19 Eye St, NW Washington, DC 20001

Gonzaga and Diversity: A Conversation Worth Having Monday, February 9th of 2015 marked the six month anniversary of the death of Ferguson, Missouri teenager Michael Brown, and another day of remembrance for the family of slain 21-year-old Wyoming-born Matthew Shepard. An 18-year-old African-American native of the small city just outside of St. Louis, Brown was killed by city police officer Darren Wilson during an alleged argument-turned-scuffle following a call identifying Brown as a possible suspect in a store robbery just moments beforehand; while Shepard, a college student at the University of Wyoming, was beaten, tortured, and left to die on the side of a road because of his sexual orientation.

Brown and Shepard’s deaths caused controversy throughout the nation, in-

cluding here in Washington, D.C., due to the accusations of racism, debate about why anyone would look to hurt an innocent college student, the trend of white officers harming unarmed black males, and why taking a stand on sexual orientation is something that many fear.

Ferguson created a new argument because of its majority black population within the city, and Wyoming due to the outcries regarding Shepard, who was described by his father as someone who, “loved being with people, helping people, and making others feel good.” So, as the news spread instantly back in August of 2014 and October of 1998 to all corners of our nation, Gonzaga responded in several ways, from holding gatherings in the library to talking individually here on campus. But, one crucial question arose amongst the faculty, staff, and students here: How is Gonzaga faring

in terms of diversity, both racially and concerning sexual orientation, and what as a school can we do about it?

On January 30th, students from each class gathered in the Sheehy Theater for an interactive assembly on diversity, racism, prejudice, and injustice here on campus. Reflections written by students were read by various faculty members throughout the day, some of which shocked the large crowds as members of the Gonzaga student body recalled inequity in these very halls, the halls we call home.

One student referred to Gonzaga as a “prison,” while several others explained how they’ve felt secluded and isolated before their freshman years even began because of racist and sexist remarks.

Others admitted to witnessing wrongdoing towards their peers, but decided not to interject because “everybody went along with it.”

Many words referring to race

and sexual orientation-which were silenced by the readers due to their obscenity-are used as everyday language at the lunch tables, in the courtyard, and even in classrooms.

The reflections, which were anonymous, detailed the flaws and blunders at one of the most prestigious and prominent high schools in the country, the flaws that either include or exclude the 900+ young men who are called to value and exemplify the ideal of being a “Man for Others.”

Topics such as race, diversity, and sexuality can be hard to talk about, especially in the wake of tragedy. Although six months have passed since Michael Brown’s death and seventeen years since Matthew Shepard’s, sensitive discussions similar to the ones we had in the theater are a must, especially as high school men who encounter such behaviors on a daily basis, because they bring insight to contro-

A New Course, p.4

March for Life, p.5

“We The Eagles”, p.6

GFR, p.7

By: Derrell Bouknight ‘15 Editor-in-Chief

versial and popular problems that harm our society.

Junior Brendan Flaherty, who attended the assembly with his classmates, called the event an eye-opening experience, adding that “[he] didn’t know students face such obstacles here at Gonzaga, and we have a lot of work to do.”

And although “work” refers to an abundance of tasks, the one that sticks out the most is probably doing more as a community to better who we are and who we represent.

Gonzaga isn’t perfect, neither is any other school, person, religion, or belief, but striving to be the best at diversifying our school is a start.

It’s not only the students, but it starts with the faculty, the teachers, the adults who are in charge of providing an environment that enables students to express themselves in a manner that brings real world situations to play inside the classroom. During Continued on p. 2

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Diversity continued from p.1 the wrap-up meeting on the same day, several teachers brought up the question of what more they can due in their curriculum to do just that, opening up conversations between teachers and students that talk about issues going on around us. Yes, on one hand, words spoken in a classroom will not put an end to prejudice in our nation, but they will hopefully improve upon the evident and persistent flaws that were uncovered at Gonzaga on January 30th.

Small steps like these assemblies and talks will eventually allow our student body to grow, eliminate negativity from our halls, and put an end to crimes that have families such as Matthew Shepard’s and Michael Brown’s grieving at the loss of innocent souls.

Coffeehouse By: Gabriel Castro ‘15 Associate Editor Relative silence filled the National Mall the day after the annual March for Life.

But in Georgetown, the prolife spirit persisted for one more night. On January 23rd, students and parents gathered for a prolife coffeehousestyle concert in the elegant Heritage Room of Georgetown Visitation’s Founders Hall. Grace Reid and Maddie Davin, the event organizers, spent months coordinating with faculty and potential acts to make the donation event a success for Saint Ann’s Infant and Maternity Home, a nonprofit “committed to serving the needs of our community’s most vulnerable young women and children.” From the aesthetics, to the talent, to the equipment, to the advertisement, the girls ensured that every minute detail was accounted for.

On the night of the show, I arrived to meet an energized Grace fine-tuning every element of the show like a restaurant owner on opening day. Maddie kept her chill, confident that everything

would run smoothly. Around 7 pm, the seats were empty.

Twenty minutes later, only standing room was available, and for roughly two hours, talent from Gonzaga and Visitation fed a hungry audience. Poets and musicians alike drew cheers, but during the performances, only the subtle thump of rain on the windows could be heard.

Making the final tally, Grace and Maddie raised over five hundred dollars in donations and nearly a thousand baby items for Saint Ann’s.

Over incredible music, poetry, and good company, the Gonzaga and Visitation communities united not only to celebrate life, but also to help those who struggle with adversities in life which we do not normally face. In that regard, Maddie and Grace certainly succeeded.

Construction Update By: Liam Burke ‘16 Contributor This year, Gonzaga underwent a huge renovation of their beloved Buchanan Field, and as of right now, the construction is on time and on budget to be done by July 1st. All of the work is getting done at an efficient pace; however, should Gonzaga receive another derailing snow storm, the due date may be pushed back. Inclement weather would hinder the availability of using all of the tools and would therefore lead to construction taking longer than anticipated.

Right now, the frame-

work and the actual structure of the garage is done, but workers still need to put in the necessary utilities, while many other workers are putting up the bleachers. As for Eye Street, the whole vegetation process still has to be completed, but they are saving that for later in the process. The new field will be equipped with new turf, which should last for about ten years.

The work is in no way close to being completely finished, but we are still making good progress and are still on our way to retaining the finishing piece to a place on Eye Street we call home.

Winter Weather Controversy By: Griffin Buising ‘17 Contributor As we all know, winter is one of the best times for students because, well, it is possible to count the number of five-day weeks that we have on one hand.

However, there is undoubtedly a large amount of controversy every time a county makes a decision on whether or not to keep schools open. This controversy is intensified when students on social media, especially Twitter, are taken into account.

Of course, every county’s main priority is the safety of its students, and when a school system makes the decision to close, it should al-

ways be due to unsafe conditions on roads and sidewalks that would endanger students on their way to school.

Unfortunately, recently, there have been multiple instances in which students on Twitter seemingly “bullied” their way to a delay or closing.

For example, on January 6th, there was a forecast for about an inch of snow, and it seemed that that was all there would be at about 4 AM, when schools began to decide upon 2-hour delays.

About an hour later, though, it started snowing harder, bringing much more than an inch, and many school systems changed their decisions from delays to cancel-

The Aquilian

Founded In 1940 Gonzaga College HIgh School 19 Eye Street NW Washington, DC 20001 aquilian@gonzaga.org Men For Others in the Jesuit Tradition Since 1821

lations. One county that did not change its decision was Fairfax County, and, even after Ryan McElveen, one of the school board members, apologized on behalf of the county, students responded harshly, saying things like, “then close school tomorrow,” and “we were all rooting for you Ryan, how dare you.”

In this manner, it seemed as though the students were able to bully the school board into giving them two days and one cancellation for the following three days of the week, even though the roads and sidewalks were easily accessible, and there was little to no danger in going to school.

Another controversy that has arisen recently is the decision to close or delay schools due to extreme cold.

Now, if you were to ask most adults, they would say that schools should not close for the cold, and personally, I agree. It seems quite ridiculous that people complain about having to wait for the bus or walk to school in the cold during winter.

Most Gonzaga students would agree as well, since our community comes from all around the DMV area by many different means of transportation, and Montgomery County has not cancelled once for extreme cold.

On top of our long commutes, Gonzaga students

Editor-in-Chief Derrell Bouknight ‘15 Managing Editor Kevon Turner ‘15

Associate Editors Konrad Woo ‘15 Gabe Castro ‘15 Nick Jenkins ‘16 Andy Carluccio ‘16

Production Editor Peter Brown ‘17

Photo Editor Nik Lazaroae ‘17

must walk outside between many classes, and are therefore much more exposed to the elements than students of other schools.

In my opinion, if we can do it, so can everyone else; there is no reason to cancel for cold weather. We invented warm winter clothing for a reason, people!

Photo by: Nik Lazaroae ‘17

Moderator: Dr. Harry Rissetto

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A Super Bowl for the Ages By: Michael Jerakis ‘17 Contributor

most Super Bowl TD passes (13), most completions in a Super Bowl (37), and most Quick Rundown of the Super Bowl starts for a quarterback (6).

Game The first 29 minutes and 54 seconds of Super Bowl Seahawks: What do they do XLIX were soon to be forgot- now?

In response to a questen. There were no spectacution about one of the most lar plays or awe-inspiring defensive stands. However, just bizarre play calls in Super before the half, the Russell Bowl history, in NFL history Wilson-led Seahawks’ last for that matter, Pete Carroll second touchdown gave us a glimpse of what was going to transpire during the rest of the game. This foreshadowing was spot on, as the second half most certainly did not disappoint.

Nothing truly exciting happened during the 1st quarter of play. The Seahawks and the Patriots exchanged four possessions, all of which ended in punts. However, New England’s first drive of the second quarter ended in a touchdown with Seattle responding with their own two possessions later to tie the score at 7-7.

New England followed up with an 80 yard drive resulting in a touchdown to give them a 14-7 lead with most of us thinking the half would end that way. With only 0:31 seconds left in the first half of regulation, the Seahawks marched 80 yards down the field and scored a miraculous last second touchdown to even the score at 14-14 just before the half.

The third quarter was all Seattle, as they scored 10 points to give a 24-14 Seahawks lead going into the fourth. The Patriots returned the favor in the fourth quarter as they scored two unanswered touchdowns to obtain a 28-24 lead with 2:02 left in the game. Seattle was determined to respond; Russell Wilson threw a 31 yard pass to Marshawn Lynch before the two-minute warning and two plays after that, Jermaine Kearse made a magnificent, feet-juggling catch to set the Seahawks up for a game win- explained that he did not like ning touchdown on the Patri- how the Patriots had lined up and called it as sort of a ots’ 1-yd line.

With the game seemingly “waste” of a play. Carroll, in hand, the Seahawks made however, took full responsione of the most controversial bility for the poor play call, play calls in Super Bowl his- saying, “there’s really notory, throwing the ball in an body to blame but me” and obvious run situation. The “that’s my fault totally.” RePatriots made them pay, as gardless of the explanation, undrafted rookie Malcolm Pete Carroll and offensive Butler intercepted the ball, coordinator Darrell Bevell sealing a Patriots 28-24 Su- will have to live with the call per Bowl victory. An im- forever.

Left in bitter disappressive accomplishment on pointment and the constant its own, Tom Brady broke several Super Bowl records: thought of “what if,” the Se-

ahawks must use the offseason to get their minds off the loss. Last offseason, they got the signatures of key players on their defense: defensive tackle Michael Bennett, safety Early Thomas, and cornerback Richard Sherman. This year, the Seahawks organization hopes to resign key offensive players Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch; their task is to formulate their

contracts in a way that they are still able to retain other core players. Regardless of the loss, the Seahawks now have time to heal. Most notably are injuries in their secondary: Richard Sherman’s left elbow will require ‘Tommy John” surgery, nickelback Jeremy Lane will require surgery for a broken arm, Kam Chancellor hurt his knee in practice and wore a knee brace during the Super Bowl, and Earl Thomas was recovering from a dislocated shoulder suffered in the NFC

Championship against the Packers.

In spite of the shoddy end-of-game play calling and significant injuries to the NFL’s first ranked defense, the Seahawks should not to dwell on this loss. This team is incredibly young (Russell Wilson just completed his 3rd NFL season), and despite its youth, they have already been to back-to-back Super

Bowls. Seattle has established itself as a perennial contender for as many years as their core group of guys remains together.

Brady and Belichick’s Legacy With this fourth Super Bowl victory, perhaps even without it, Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady and Head Coach Bill Belichick have established themselves as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, player-coach tandem of all time. Tom Brady

joined Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw as the only starting quarterbacks to win four Super Bowls and Bill Belichick joined Chuck Noll as the only head coaches to win four Super Bowls. For a little over a decade, the Patriots have been in constant contention for the Super Bowl, year in and year out.

Like them or not, what these two have done together is unprecedented; while legendary coaches tend to have a certain style of play, like Chuck Noll and the “Steel Curtain” defense, they are the masters of the situation in the NFL, with their game plan changing almost every week to exploit the weaknesses of their opponents.

However, their lasting legacy may be forever tainted by “Spygate” and “Deflategate.” In 2007, the New England Patriots were caught videotaping New York Jets’ defensive hand signals during a game from the sideline. Bill Belichick was fined $500,000 for his role, the organization was fined $250,000, and their 2008 first round draft pick was nullified. More recently, during the 2015 AFC Championship game with the Colts, the Patriots were accused of deliberately underinflating footballs. Although these two incidents shouldn’t take away from everything Brady and Belichick have accomplished, it definitely makes you think twice about the fashion in which they accomplished it.

To some, when Brady and Belichick are mentioned, their prolific scheming and their lethal style will come to mind. To others, these scandals and instances of cheating will arise, and that is truly a shame.

Greatest Super Bowl ever?

In the end, one play changed this game. If the Seahawks score a touchdown, they win back-to-back Super Bowls, Pete Carroll and many of his players are put in the Hall of Fame discussion, and Brady and Belichick’s Patriots are labelled as only being able to win through what some might callcheating. Not many single plays can boost the legacy of one team and crush the legacy of another, making Super Bowl XLIX one for the ages.

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Walking the Camino de Santiago: A New Course

By: Mr. Ariel Laguilles Modern Language Dept.

Upon releasing the center chest strap of my day pack, the weight fell off of my back onto the tile floor of the albergue where I would spend the rest of the afternoon and evening with a hundred other weary pilgrims. Shoes were neatly lined up on shoe racks, trekking poles leaned against the corner wall, and the hiss of shower heads drowned out the voices of Spaniards feasting on cheese and bread on a nearby picnic table. I stood in the hostel on the main strip of a small town in northern Spain called Hóspital de Orbigo, a municipality located in the province of León. This would be my first stop along the 200 mile section of the Camino Francés, a portion of the 500 mile route of the Camino de Santiago, one of the oldest Christian pilgrimages in the world.

This past summer I ventured off alone, taking the bare necessities to Spain to walk the footsteps of the million pilgrims before me.

According to legend, the remains of St. James, one of the

twelve apostles of Jesus, had been buried at what is now known as the town of Santiago de Compostela. During medieval times, completing the Camino de Santiago, or The Way of St. James, was a way in which one’s sins could be forgiven. As far back as the 9th century, pilgrims walked across Spain to pay homage to St. James or as an act of penance. These days, while many travel to Spain to walk the camino for adventure or sport, many people still make the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela for spiritual reasons.

Each day on the camino brought out different challenges, but it also provided ways to overcome them, reminding me that God indeed is present in all things.

Whether it was through a kind passerby offering companionship and words of encouragement, a water fountain when I was parched, or the rewarding view above a mountain top after a long and arduous climb, the camino provided respite from the hardship of constant walking in more ways that words

could explain. My ten day trek was also an opportune time for self-reflection. Just as we are encouraged to do during one homeroom per cycle, I challenged myself to do the Examen on a daily basis, to make time for a spiritual “check-in.” I am grateful for the opportunity I had to walk along the Camino de Santiago, for the people God placed in my path along the way, and to be part of a larger community of pilgrims.

With that same grateful spirit, Mr. Stephen Szolosi and I are now able to offer this same opportunity to Gonzaga students. During the Spring of 2016, we will be offering a new Independent Tutorial through the Modern Language Department called Spanish Culture and Ignatian Spirituality: The Camino de Santiago. This ½ credit elective will meet before school twice a week and will explore topics like the history and evolution of the Camino, its origins, significant landmarks and towns, St. James, the history of modern and ancient pilgrimages, and Ignatian Spirituality. This course

will also encourage students to practice the Examen in order to give each student an opportunity to reflect upon his own personal and spiritual journey, where he has been, where he is, and where he hopes to be. During the first week of Spring Break 2016, students will travel to Spain and walk the final 100 kilometers of the Camino de Santiago, ending in Santiago de Compostela.

The course is open to

rising juniors and seniors in good academic and disciplinary standing and while the course will be conducted primarily in English, knowledge of the Spanish language is highly recommended.

Applications and brochures are available beginning the week of February 9 in Sr. Laguilles’ classroom and in the Campus Ministry Office. Applications are due March 3, 2016.

Freedom of Speech

By: Nik Lazaroae ‘17 Photo Editor Charlie Hebdo. For the French and many others, it is a name synonymous with satirical humor, as this newspaper lampoons many groups, and seems to wield it’s pen in almost every direction.

Yet on January 7th, the connotation of that name changed forever. For me, it is now a name that embodies freedom of expression in every way.

This ideal of freedom of expression was assaulted by two gunmen who killed twelve Charlie employees including one woman. They were angry because the newspaper had published a cartoon. a cartoon that ignored the Islamic pronouncement that one cannot draw the Prophet Mohammed.

Yet freedom of speech and freedom of the press are designed to afford individuals an opportunity to do exactly that. In many cases, freedom is exemplified by an artist or author being allowed to say or publish something that others might find incredibly offensive.

What Charlie Hedbo did

was rude, it was offensive, and also may have demonstrated a glaring amount of insensitivity towards Muslims. All of this is true.

However, because this cartoon was published, armed men thought it was perfectly fine to go and execute fourteen people in cold blood.

This violent and reprehensible action was identified

by French President Francois Hollande as a “terrorist attack of the most extreme barbarity.”

It is totally unacceptable to kill someone because they drew an offensive cartoon.

Forget the religious elements of the situation, and simply look at it; it is just not right at all to kill people for a drawing, as that is an assault on humanity itself.

In many countries Islam is the dominant religion. This is a position it enjoys and takes for granted. But as Islam comes into closer contact with the West, many of these theocratic countries maintain an attitude of dominance and hegemony. In some cases, this form of Islam is not demanding respect as much as it is trying to assert itself over other cultures. When Islam is

part a larger secular nation, and there is no theocracy, there is a lack of Islamic hegemony.

In the Islamic Republic of Iran for instance, when certain Islamic rules are broken by anyone, Muslim or not, those people are punished for blasphemy. Yet in the West, there are no mechanisms to implement Shari’a law. Individuals are judged by a system set apart from religious belief. Everyone in these cases is entitled to justice and equal treatment under national law.

In the case of Charlie Hedbo, I would maintain that drawing Mohammed was not inherently disrespectful, in the same way that it is perfectly fine to draw our President in a newspaper cartoon.

The question at hand is whether a request not to depict Mohammed in art has the same weight as a request that outside groups refrain from interrupting the Muslim Call to Prayer, or respecting the various disciplines of Ramadan. I am not sure these requests are linked as directly as some might think. It is much different when Muslims ask you not to interrupt

them during prayers or respect certain practices during Ramadan, because those are actions imposed by a higher authority. An action such as such as drawing Mohammed does not seem to fall in the same category. While the request can be made, a decision to decline does not seem to violate any one of the Five Pillars of the religion.

Are the riots and fury unleashed by this cartoon caused by minority elements within the Islamic community who are acting out in repsonse to an inability to get the power they crave so much in the West?

Many of these more fundamentalist groups might view the world as owing them a degree of power and authority they do not have outside of a theocracy. In other words, the riots become an attempt to enforce an Islamic proscription - not drawing Mohammed. Absent the power to persecute someone within the context of a Western democracy, rioting and acts of violence become a weak and cowardly substitute.

Most people are viewing the Charlie 2015 attacks as

brutal terrorist attacks, and which they are, but it needs to be looked at with an additional lens.

What happened, as already stated was an assault on free speech, but one also has to consider how governments will respond in light of the event.

After 9/11, the US government passed the Patriot Act, which gave increased surveillance powers; just two weeks ago, the same idea has risen in French governmental chambers. Both actions have revealed a startling trend that governments are willing to use terrorist attacks as an excuse for increased datagathering under the guise of national security. It is important that we do not allow terrorism to be used for this excuse.

What Charlie Hebdo did can be viewed as wrong, and it must also be viewed as protected, but the fact that people are allowed to speak their minds is of the utmost important to our world today.

Liberty is the inalienable, God-given right to tell people what they might not want to hear. Je Suis Charlie.

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Gonzaga Marches for Life By: Charlie Workmaster ‘17 and saw a seemingly endContributor less stretch of crowd. It was breathtaking. Finally, we On January 22, for reached the Supreme Court at the 41st time since the le- the top of the hill, and it was galization of abortion, hun- chaos. Thousands of people dreds of thousands of people were crammed shoulder to marched to defend the lives shoulder just so they could of the unborn. This was my be heard by our government. sixth march, but for many Some protesters were simply of the purple clad marchers marching by, but the majority from Gonzaga, this was their were waving posters, either first. Despite this, there was homemade or handed out at interest in starting a Pro- Life the march. Some people were Club at Gonzaga. Out of my even chanting or singing six years attending the march, songs I’ve been hearing ever this was the biggest crowd I since my first march. Chants had seen, most likely because such as: “I love babies yes I there was no snow prevent- do, I love babies how ‘bout ing people from attending. In YOU?” or “Hey-hey! Ho-ho! fact, it was a beautiful day for Roe v. Wade has got to go!” a march, at least as beautiful Other groups of marchers as a January in Washington were quietly, but solemnly D.C. can get. Joined by other praying the rosary. All proJesuit high schools and col- testers were heard. Whether leges, we marched for what or not the government anfelt like an eternity, but was swers is yet to be seen, but at in reality just 45 minutes. least they heard.

In short, the March for Once we reached the top of Capitol Hill, I stopped and Life this year was incredible; looked back down the hill thousands of people all ages,

races, and religions all united under one cause: the right to Life. The Pro-Life movement is getting younger and stronger, because the more recent generations have been affected by abortion. Just in one day, hundreds of innocent lives are taken. Potential leaders, fellow colleagues and classmates, or just really good friends are being killed by “choice.” People are being killed. That is why so many people from near and far march for life and we don’t plan on giving up until all life is protected. If you ever get a chance to go on the March for Life, whether you’re an active supporter of Life or you just want to skip a day of school, by all means go! The march itself is a great experience, but the meaning behind it is so much deeper.

For every step taken on that march, we get one step closer to gaining the right to life for the unborn.

Photo by: Nik Lazaroae ‘17

Why Gonzaga Should Bring Back German

By: Peter Brown ‘17 Production Editor I strongly believe that Gonzaga should reintroduce a German language course sometime in the future.

First, allow me to provide a little back story. In the spring of 2013, the year before I entered Gonzaga as a freshmen, my Dad and I were discussing what classes I wanted to take the following year. I was very disappointed to learn that Gonzaga no longer offered German, and I spent many days debating as to what the next step would be.

I had taken Spanish in grade school, but I couldn’t stand it, and to this day I cannot tell you a word of it.

In eighth grade, at my former school in Ashburn, Virginia known as Eagle Ridge Middle School, I decided to try out German I. Throughout the course of the fall and spring semesters, I became infatuated with Germany’s rich culture and history, and I wanted more of it.

At Gonzaga, I currently take Latin II with Dr. John Warman `57. While I thoroughly enjoy the course and find it very helpful, it does not quench the thirst that German left me with a few years back.

German is the most common language in Europe. According to a report made by the European Commission in 2012, the German language is spoken by 16% of the European Union’s 500 million people Followed up by that is English and Italian, each totaling 13% of the population of the Europe. The two dominant foreign language programs at Gonzaga are French and Spanish. French makes up 12% of Europe’s population, while Spanish is only 8%.

Germany is ranked highest in terms of internet use out of all the other countries in Europe. The internet is a very powerful tool that most Americans have access to.

This opens up countless career opportunities. Germany is the 4th richest country in the world, measured in GDP (each GDP point is $1 million U.S. Dollars). While Germany is only 4th in the world, they are easily the strongest economy in all of Europe.

Many German companies such as BMW and Lufthansa need international partners.

Students in Japan have realized this opportunity. According to a study conducted

by Deutsch Heute (German for Germany Today, a news organization) found out that a staggering 68% of Japanese

students study German.

While there are clear economic advantages to learning German, there is also a great deal that can be learned about the origins of many Americans and the English language itself. About 50 million American citizens can trace their ancestry to Germans, far exceeding any other race or ethnicity.

While taking German, you actually learn more about English than you do German.

English is a Germanic language, which means it is essentially based off an early form of German, known as ‘Proto-Germanic.’ You can see this clearly when comparing many words between the two languages. Take for example the word ‘kaput.’ In English, it means broken, or not able to work. The German equivalent is ‘kaputt,’ and it means the exact same thing.

Many famous inventors, philosophers and musicians have originated from Germany. One such example is Karl Benz, the inventor of “the first practical automobile… powered by an internal-combustion engine.”

German is not only very useful, but the idea of bringing it back is greatly welcomed by a good amount of students here at Gonzaga. “I

like German a lot,” says Jackson Gillum `17. “I think it’s a great language. I took a year of it in middle school, and I was planning to take it in high school. I was disappointed to find out that Gonzaga no longer offered it, though.” A close friend of The Aquilian also had some words to share about the topic. “German, I think, is a great language,”

of poets and thinkers,” said Mrs. Marialuise Collins, German teacher and Department Chair of the Modern Language at Georgetown Prep. “Knowing German allows you to access the works of [many famous German authors, composers, artists, and philosophers, such as Mozart or Johann Wolfgang von Goethe] in their original

says Nik ‘Bo’ Lazaroae `17.

“It’s a Germanic language, so it would help me understand English more. Plus, it sounds great!”

I reached out to various Catholic high school language departments to inquire about their German programs they have there for this editorial. “Germany is often referred to as the land of ‘Dichter und Denker’ –

language and to fully understand the culture whence they derived. Anyone interested in these fields automatically expands her knowledge and skill by knowing German.”

Learning German might not only kick-start your career, but the impact German would make on a student would last forever. Gonzaga should bring it back.

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By: Andy Carluccio ‘16 Associate Editor “Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us.” –Franklin D. Roosevelt The Student Government Association (SGA) of Gonzaga serves to bridge the gap between students and faculty by bringing the ideas and concerns of the student body before the Dean of Students, and, this year, the SGA has been hard at work doing just that. As a member of the SGA myself, I can attest to the fact that your elected representatives and board members are taking your opinions to heart as they discuss everything from sweatpants on free dress days to system-wide improvements in the use of technology at Gonzaga. Mr. McIntyre, Dean of Students, has been especially open to giving honest consideration to any proposal from the students, and we have been consistently articulating your ideas at our meetings.

At its core, the SGA is “fueled,” if you will, by the requests of the student body.

As a member of a student-run representative democracy, you elect classmates to convey your ideas to the SGA

We The Eagles

as a whole and, on a larger scale, the administration of Gonzaga. The success of this system is largely dependent on three items: 1) the effectiveness / dedication of the representatives, 2) the willingness of the administration to consider new ideas, and 3) the generation of these ideas by the student body. I find that items 1 and 2 are almost always present in the SGA,

this year especially for the reasons described above. The key, then, is item 3, where students discuss their ideas with their representatives. What do you want to see change at Gonzaga? What is important to you here at school?

I encourage you to talk with your class representative about your answers to these questions. If you really want to effect change here at

school, the SGA is a fantastic medium by which to achieve this. Your classmates serving on the SGA should already be in regular discussion with you about these topics, but it definitely wouldn’t hurt to reach out to them yourself if you have something in mind.

Again, this administration is more willing than ever to listen, and your representatives

are responsible for making the case for the opinions of your class before the SGA. If everyone contributes to our school’s system of government, Gonzaga will be changed for the better.

I look forward to continuing to report on what the SGA is working on in subsequent issues of The Aquilian.

Signing Day By: Derrell Bouknight ‘15 Editor-In-Chief February 3rd was a day that commemorated the accomplishments of high school student-athletes all throughout the country. That day was National Signing Day, where thousands of students signed their National Letters of Intent to play collegiately for their respective schools. Here at Gonzaga, 24 student-athletes were honored in front of a crowded Carmody Center gym that included family members, classmates, friends and faculty members. Athletic Director Joe Reyda emceed the event and noted where each student would attend college, all of which proceeded an abundance of media members holding cameras and microphones in each student’s face. The Signing Day event was highlighted by Bryant Crawford signing to Wake Forest for basketball, Timmy

Monahan to Maryland for lacrosse, and Richie Petitbon to play for Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide.

The biggest announcement, however, came from Marcus Lewis, the senior defensive back who committed to Flor-

ida State University following a highly-anticipated wait.

I interviewed Lewis minutes later, and the ESPN Top-300 recruit talked about his decision, simply saying with a smile, “I feel comfortable about it.” So, once again,

congratulations to each of the 24 student-athletes who will take their talents to different colleges and universities throughout the nation. Below is the complete list of each signee and their future colleges.

Football: Reggie Corbin (Illinois), Jack Carroll (New Hampshire), DeAndre Easterling (Indiana University of Pennsylvania), Jabari Greenwood (Kentucky), Nate Hiligh (Millersville), Nick Johns (Virginia), Marcus Lewis (Florida State), Sammy Morrison (Arizona), Richie Petitbon (Arizona).

Lacrosse: Michael Borda (Michigan), Liam Fitzpatrick (St. Joseph’s), Ben Forde (Haverford College), John Heckler (Roanoke), Timmy Monahan (Maryland), Teddy Myers (Furman), Ridge Slater (Cornell), Luke Vassos (Delaware).

Crew: Kevin Garvis (George Washington), Patrick Dent (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Basketball: Bryant Crawford (Wake Forest), Sam Miller (Dayton).

Swim and Dive: Brennan Novak (Harvard).

Rugby: Jack Iscaro (Cal Berkeley).

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The GFR: A Big Success from Every Perspective Kevon Turner ‘15 Managing This year marked my secEditor & Patrick Wisor ‘17 ond time leading this retreat, Contributor and it’s an opportunity I’m “Step forward, Step to- eternally grateful for. What gether, Step with Christ.” makes the retreat unlike anyThese three simple “steps,” thing you’re likely to experiwhich comprised the motto ence isn’t the spirituality or of this year’s Gonzaga Fresh- the fraternity as much as it is man Retreat, were put into the natural, organic union of action over the course of the the two. Meeting seven freshthree-day retreat. GFR, as it men and being a part of their is affectionately called, is an spiritual journey is undoubtintegral part of the four-year edly God’s work; however, experience at Gonzaga. Not there were many times when only is it a springboard for it didn’t feel like work at all. future retreats, but it is also a From dunk contests with rare opportunity to see your Robbie Mangas and Michael classmates, your school, and L’Etoile to intense dodgeball matches with Graham FelGod in a brand new light.

Even for Mr. Stephen lows and Jack Myers, there Szolosi, Director of Campus were moments for the freshMinistry, who oversees the men to just be freshmen. That execution of this retreat each sense of leisure and fun alyear, the feeling never gets lows people to grow comfortold. “My memories from able together and facilitates year to year are always of genuine discussion and deep particular interactions or mo- conversation.

Being a leader allowed ments I witnessed when our leaders or freshman were ob- me to take part in the formaviously open to God’s spirit,” tion of those brotherly bonds. he says, reminiscing on suc- I sat on the big comfy couch cessful retreat after success- placed in Room 308 and ful retreat. “As with any re- talked to Kyle Brown about treat, the Freshman Retreat what inspired him and told is finally a time when we see him how he inspired me. I how good and loving God is. traded jokes with the always The power of the Freshman entertaining Owen Johnson, Retreat reflects how much while tossing the pigskin in God longs for our happiness the jovial Christmas-lit classand works both with and for room. Despite falling victim us in every moment. When to the mysterious sickness our community intentionally that plagued many retreatants opens itself to God’s Spirit and leaders alike, I even had with the hope of setting oth- the opportunity to edge out ers on fire with love, we see Sebi Smurthwaite in a bout of silent speedball. I’ll never wonders.”

forget the time spent with my guys; that goes for the group I had last year as well. I love all these kids. Year to year, the freshman may change, but the warmth of brotherhood will always have that familiar feel.

- Kevon Turner ‘15 The freshman retreat is one of the most important events your first year at Gonzaga. This is where one really starts to get a sense of brotherhood and we become “Men for Others.”

I spoke to a couple freshmen going in to the freshman retreat, and they said they weren’t sure how they felt going in. Some were excited while others were actually scared. Afterwards I talked to the freshman and they said it was one of their best experi-

ences at Gonzaga thus far.

Last year, I thought it was one of the most prominent experiences of my freshman year. Beforehand, I didn’t know many people or have many friends at Gonzaga.

After the freshman retreat, I came out knowing a bunch of people.

One thing that really touched me was the leaders. They were truly men for others as they showed such brotherhood and openness to other people. The freshmen I interviewed thought that the leaders were great, but it was the events that really stuck out to them. During the retreat activities, you learn so much about your friends that you didn’t know before, and it shows a real sense of brotherhood when we learn these things because we start

Google at Gonzaga Patrick Wisor ‘17 Contributor As we all know, Gonzaga is upgrading to using Gmail in place of the old Gonzaga webmail.

This is a big step forward as a lot of students at Gonzaga have already been using Gmail for their own personal email, and now they will get the chance to do that with their school email as well.

This is not the only technological leap Gonzaga has taken this year. We are also using Canvas, which makes it a lot easier to check and submit assignments.

I talked to some students around campus, and some seniors said they had never even looked at their Gonzaga webmail before, but now they were very excited to switch

to Gmail. It is also a lot easier for teachers and students to communicate and submit assignments as we now have Google Docs available to us as well.

I have already seen plenty of people using their Gmail for Gonzaga, where beforehand I had seen nobody using the Gonzaga webmail. This was also seen in a WZAG feature where the students were interviewed and people said they had only checked their Webmail once or twice, if even that.

From personal experience, I have only been on my Webmail a couple of times, but now I always have Gmail open on my laptop and I check it a couple times a day. Gmail seems to run a lot smoother as well. Beforehand I had problems sending

emails over the old Webmail, where now I have had no problems and it seems to run a lot faster.

I spoke to some teachers about the new Gmail and I got responses such as, “It was time for a change,” or “I like that we are switching to the new Gmail.”

All in all, I think this is going to be a big step for Gonzaga now and in the future as we are becoming more technological, which is what most students were waiting for. It is a lot easier to submit an assignment over Gmail or Canvas than it is to print it out and hand it in as it could get lost. I think a lot of people would agree that this is a lot better for Gonzaga than the old Webmail.

to feel like we know them and they are our friends. Last year during my freshman retreat, we were asked to talk about a time where we saw God or a person who we saw God in. It really touched me when one person saw God in a family member who had just recently passed away.

Then, it was amazing to see the instant outpouring of support everyone extended for a fellow student going through a tough time. This was a great moment for everyone there.

The freshmen this year had a great time at the retreat and made a bunch of friends, and their friendship will continue to grow throughout the next couple retreats like the sophomore retreat, Kairos, and the Legacy retreat.

- Patrick Wisor ‘17

Jenkins & Woo Present: Faculty/Staff Holiday News & New Year’s Resolutions Holiday News Coach O’Neill -Celebrated the 50th anniversary of his parents in the Pennsylvania Mountains -Spent time working and with his three kids -Went to the Winter Classic at Nationals Park and rooted for the Caps

Ms. Flynn -Had a reunion with her Visitation friends -Attended a black tie event on New Years Eve -Spent Christmas Eve to the day after Christmas with thirty-nine cousins -Went shopping -Graded exams -Went to the Winter Classic -Her friends visited her from NYC and Chicago

#39 Coach Jackson

-Attended Christmas Eve mass -Had breakfast with his family on Christmas day, then went to brunch at his mom’s house for gift exchange -Visited his wife’s family -Enjoyed the New Year with his wife

Mr. Christmann -Visited family in Annapolis, MD -Graded exams -Watched a lot of House of Cards and Netflix -Prepared for the next semester -Studied for a graduate school test -Slept

Ms. Gengler -Went to Dhaka, Bangladesh to visit her sister and her family -Got to stay at the diplomatic enclave -Got to ride in rickshaws and in an armored vehicle -Attended Christmas Eve mass at the Vatican Embassy and did the 2nd reading -Went to a party on New Years Eve at the Swedish embassy

Mr. Leary -Watched a lot of Breaking Bad -Went to a Wizards game -Bought a homeless man Popeye’s -Spent quality time with his grandma -Took down his RGIII Fathead and gave it to a little kid and replaced it with John Wall

Mr. Theriaque Did my usual tradition of: -Going back to New England -Visited grandkids who live outside of Boston -Had 2 Nana & Papa days where they spend 2 days away from their parents -Visited friends in New Hampshire -Went to Connecticut to see his son

Cartoon Corner - Christian Oliverio ‘18

Mr. Furnary -Drove to Little Rock, Arkansas with the family to his older brother’s house -Stopped in Memphis and Nashville -Watched the Virginia Tech Hokies win their bowl -Watched Frozen -Hung out with friends in Annapolis for New Years

New Year’s Resolutions Despite having a can of soda on his desk, Mr. Buckley firmly vowed to reduce his soda consumption - seems legit.

Mr. McIntyre contemplated hitting the gym regularly for his fitness and to get ripped, and also chose to not eat lunch at his desk all the time. Looking good, Mr. McIntyre!

Dr. Rissetto’s resolution was to adjust the orbit of the Aquilian satellite so the office would receive ESPN. Sadly for us, that hasn’t happened quite yet.

Friendly Forte hall resident Mr. Baker made a resolution to abstain from foolish behaviors and telling stories until Romney and Bush asked him to be VP on their ticket...

Mr. Mandel planned to eat more fish. ><> ><> ><> Spending more time thinking of his fantasy sports team was Mr. Moynihan’s resolution.

Mr. Villeta arranged to have Kohlmann Hall officially included as a part of the Gonzaga campus, but he lost the necessary paperwork in a K32 radiator fire.

Mrs. Valerias is diligently and routinely exercising as her resolution.

I must report that Ms. Murphy, Mr. Turner, and many others didn’t have any new year’s resolutions.