The Aquilian - September 2019 - Vol. 82, No. 1

The Aquilian September 2019 Volume 82 Number 1

Gonzaga College High School Men For Others Since 1821

19 Eye St, NW Washington, DC 20001

George is Up Next!

By: Tommy Fisher ‘20 Editor George Clifford ’20 is President of Gonzaga’s Student Government Association. I had the honor and privilege of conducting an exclusive interview with him about SGA goals, his cabinet, and all things SGA. Although he is at the helm of the SGA as President, George Clifford is supported in various SGA endeavors by his cabinet. Tom Agnew, who Clifford dubbed as his “right hand man”, serves as Vice President. He plays a key advisory role in various signifi-

cant decisions that need to be made, and was very involved in making Gonzaga Fest possible. Jack Taylor, SGA Secretary, spearheads social media for the association, and has the important connection with the Booster Club that many other student governments greatly covet. Conor Hutchison serves as SGA Treasurer and is involved with the Clubs and Activities Loan Fund (“CALF”), another SGA initiative.

Clifford decided to run for president because he saw great potential for improving the efficiency of the associa-

tion while keeping “the wellbeing of the student body as first priority”. Unhappy with what SGA accomplished during his time as Junior Class Representative, Clifford envisioned that he would set up the government under his command so that the needs of the student body would come first in all matters. Not coincidentally, Clifford expected to win. He knew his ideas were top notch, and he was confident the Gonzaga public would have the knowledge to choose the right candidate.

According to Clifford, the two main issues that SGA

seek address this year are: 1. to have more expressions of brotherhood; and 2. to heighten communication around Gonzaga, two areas for growth from previous years.

To that end, Clifford and his cabinet plan to strengthen communication with the student body through town halls and social media, while Gonzaga Fest will serve as a daylong outlet for positive brotherhood.

Clifford has achieved results quickly, pleasing all of his loyal voters last year.

SGA-sponsored Gonzaga Fest is set to occur on Oc-

Peace Club p. 2

Summer Service Trips p. 4,5

Movie Reviews p. 7

New Faculty/Staff p. 8

tober 31, Halloween. It will feature competitions on the field, loads of food, art exhibits, bands, teacher planned activities, and even a hot dog eating contest. Also, CALF, which aims to give loans and grants to activities and clubs on campus, is already in action, with its first loan being granted to the Billiards Club to help them pay for a pool table.

The SGA has also connected with the Booster Club to hype up student attendance at smaller sports games, with Continued on p. 2

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Club Fair

Toy Guns By: Michael Knott ‘21 Contributor

I used to think that the world was safe that it was pure that leaves only fell in the Fall I used to think I could go outside enjoy the bright sun play with friends and shoot my ball

By: Jesse Dolojan ‘21 Editor On September 9 in the Carmody Center, all the clubs gathered and readied stands for presentation. I was not a leader of any of these clubs, so I can only imagine the hustle and commotion that each club went through to make their club look presentable and appealing.

I used to think water guns didn’t hurt they only splashed and made mom call Now I’m afraid in school at home in my yard because when they shoot we all fall

With help from the Gonzaga Poets & Writers, The Aquilian plans to feature a work of poetry by a Gonzaga student in each issue.

When the bell signaling sixth period’s end came, I got a good look at each of the club’s stands. Each club had an email list that allowed for each club to communicate with its inductees.

As far as similarities went, that was about it, as the clubs each had their own diverse motives and titles. The most popular one was Model UN, led by Mr. Cardozo, Ms. Metcalf, and Jack Garland. The goal of this club is to discuss modern problems

and find solutions for them in a civilized matter. The club meets immediately after school on Wednesdays and is open to all who are interested.

Another notable club is Campus Kitchen. This club meets every day after school except Wednesdays to distribute food to homeless people. It is led by Ms. Tobin, who also runs the library. In addition to Campus Kitchen, she also runs the Book Club.

The club reads and analyzes books with many passionate members coming during its morning sessions.

Other clubs that stood out include the Active Minds Club, ACE Club, Eagles for Life, Best Buddies, the Aquilian, and many more. Gonzaga has a rich abundance of clubs that have a place for everyone.

All of the people who are part of one would love to add more members, so everyone reading this should ask around and find more clubs to join. We all know that there is definitely one that will pique your interest, and that one definitely has a home for you.

George Continued from p. 1 the first such small match being Varsity Water Polo vs.

Landon on October 23 at Takoma Aquatic Center. Clifford then advised me that “Attendance is Mandatory”.

Finally, while the SGA is making progress on big issues, it is also working for small perks for students.

Just recently, thanks to the hard work of Junior Representative Mak Krivka (’21), the catering at Homecoming has been changed from SAGE to Guapo’s.

Clifford and his administration have been successful working through traditional channels to have their initiatives implemented.

Plans get ratified/approved by being workshopped in Student Government meetings. Key administrators, including Mr. Kilroy, Ms. Farley, and Mr. Hanagan, all give their input in the development of these ideas. After a plan has been approved, a small committee within the SGA is formed to work with teachers and administrators to bring the idea to life.

The extent of Clifford’s power is ambiguous, but he is optimistic. There is an interesting dynamic between him and the administration.

According to Clifford, “I have the power to bring student voices to the administration and create programs and events that benefit students.

There is no set limit on the power I have been given, but I have found the more work I put in, the more the administration is willing to work with me.” This collaborative effort has enabled his administration to be very successful early in the school year. Will the power go to his head?

Probably not.

George Clifford doesn’t plan on ending his political career after his stint as Gonzaga’s SGA President. He plans to study political science in college, attend law school after receiving his undergraduate degree and practice law for about 15 years before eventually running for public office.

Clifford, beloved SGA President, says that “the SGA is here to get things done this year.”

Peace Club

By: Rowan Kreischer ‘20 Senior Contributor In a time of seemingly endless social issues and problems, the Gonzaga Peace Club, headed by Ms. Murphy and Henry Sullivan, offers space to discuss responses in a Jesuit-Catholic perspective.

Generally, the club considers itself pro-life, advocating in a way that respects all life at all stages. The club has no political affiliation, but many of these issues are increasingly political and require the club to lean sometimes towards one side and sometimes the other. Supremely, the Gonzaga Peace Club has focused on two main issues so far this year-- gun legislation and climate change.

Recent mass shootings have inspired more active gun legislation discussion.

Las Vegas, Pulse Nightclub, and Sandy Hook are just a few examples. Through discussion, the club holds that the Second Amendment must be honored, but that the right to life must succeed it. Like Matt Gannon ‘17, Henry Sullivan led a large group of Gonzaga students in a walkout, calling for the passage of H.R.8, the Universal Background Checks Bill.

More recently, Gonzaga Peace Club has focused on the issue of Climate Change.

Although there is still much discussion in the club as to the best course of action, everyone in the club agrees that climate science is unde-

The Aquilian Founded In 1940 Gonzaga College High School 19 Eye Street NW Washington, DC 20001 Men For Others in the Jesuit Tradition Since 1821

niable and that we must hold our government responsible for legislation that will create a more sustainable world for the following generations to enjoy. Recently, on 9/17, Paul Campion ‘15 spoke to Gonzaga Peace Club about the immediate and long term effects of climate change and what we, as Gonzaga students, can do to help. Although we can help out individually at home, Paul told the club that we must all band together and advocate for better legislation. As part of this, Paul hoped to see as many Gonzaga students to show out to the Climate Change walkout on 9/20, the second walkout on 11/27, and the Earth Day walk-out 4/22/20.

Editor-in-Chief Jack Martino ‘20 Managing Editor Josh Knutsen ‘20 Phototography Editor Henry Sullivan ‘20

For anyone interested in joining Gonzaga Peace Club, meetings are normally held every Tuesday before school in Room 112 with Ms. Murphy. For more information about the club and upcoming events feel free to contact Henry Sullivan: sullivanh@gonzaga.org.

Editors Brendan Burns ‘20 Tommy Fisher ‘20 Adam Wojciak ‘20 Gabriel Brady ‘21 Jesse Dolojan ‘21 Reid Norton ‘21 John Ferrara ‘22 Moderator: Dr. Harry Rissetto

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Words of Wisdom from the 2018-19 ASC Squad By: Aquilian Staff 2019-20 Every year Gonzaga is blessed with a new group of Alumni Service Corps (ASC) members. These recent college graduates give a year of their lives in service to the Gonzaga community. They work in every academic department, as proctors and coaches, in Campus Ministry and the Library, on nights and weekends, within the hallways and cafeteria, on retreats and service projects, for alumni gatherings and special events… You get the picture – these guys do it all.

In 2018-2019 we had a great trio, Mr. Marshall Marks, Mr. Paris Person, and Mr. Michel Russo. The Aquilian had a chance to sit down with them at the end of their year and glean from their accumulated wisdom. Seemed only sensible to share what we learned.

Mr. Marks said that he hoped students would take time to step back and appreciate how much the faculty and staff care about each per-

son. Even more importantly, students must care about one another and nourish those relationships. With so many things going on at Gonzaga, Mr. Marks wanted to remind each student to embrace new adventures, embrace failure, and embrace change. If you get cut from a team - embrace that. While it might hurt at first - when a door closes God always opens a couple of windows. Don’t let a disappointment get you down. Instead, use it as a springboard to do something new.

Mr. Person encouraged everyone at Gonzaga to stay close to their classmates.

He cautioned that we don’t know what the 2019-2020 year would bring. He’s right.

Unexpected things come up every year. It is a good reminder to stay close, and make sure things and more importantly people are doing okay. He said that we must all watch out for one another. Mr. Person also suggested that all students be sure to do something that they love to do while here at

Gonzaga. Don’t fall into being forced to do something when you would be happier doing something else. He said that if you want to try something new - just do it.

Looking back one day when you have left Gonzaga, you might regret not doing what you love while you are here as a student.

Mr. Russo had a bit of advice specifically for the juniors the Class of 2021. He challenged the juniors of 2019-2020 to embrace their role as leaders on Gonzaga’s campus. Each year juniors make big contributions in athletics, service, campus ministry, and in the classroom. With the seniors recognized as leaders here at Gonzaga - it is easy to overlook the fact that half of the school also looks up to the members of the junior class. Take that seriously. Be role models for the younger students NOW. Don’t

wait until your senior year to set a good example. For rising sophomores in the Class of 2022, Mr. Russo’s advice was to avoid belittling the incoming freshmen. Remember, you aren’t much older then them. Just a year ago - that was you. So show them the ropes. Don’t fall into negative patterns of

behavior. For the Class of 2021, Mr. Russo encouraged each senior to carve out time for Kairos - and make that a priority. He also encouraged seniors to develop good relationships with teachers and show respect. Remember, you are going to need them to get into college.

Controversially Catastrophic Cookie Conundrum By: Will Buffaloe ‘21 Contributor Recently, SAGE dining services has instituted quite possibly the most controversial new snack option in the history of Gonzaga.

Ok, that’s hyperbolic; still, one would think that something as innocuous as

cookies would not be such a point of contention among the student body. But here we are.

Below are some brief testimonies I acquired from other members of the junior class:

rible. After you have like 6, they’re awful. The last year ones got really hard quickly, but they were good when they were soft. Out of 13 skittles packets, I give them a 4.5. If you like yourself, don’t eat them.”

“If you’ve never had one – Cole Peverall before, they’re not that ter“I have not had a vegan cookie yet, nor do I intend to try one. I only eat cookies with meat.”

–Robert Dimond “The last year’s cookies are better than this year’s cookies.”

–Zach Merkle “Why did they change it when everyone loved them?”

—John Degnan “So, they’re bad, don’t get me wrong, but the double chocolate ones taste the closest to an actual cookie.

I mean, the sugar cookie is bland and the chocolate chip is noticeably vegan not only

by color but taste.” change was not well received whatsoever.”

—Brendan O’Boyle

—SGA Junior Represen “Those are not cookies. tative Mak Krivka Cookies have milk and dairy and stuff. That’s what makes So, what is there to gauge them cookies. You can have from all of this? Well, it seems cookies without gluten, that’s like people either haven’t had fine, but you have to have them or exaggerated so much either chocolate or dairy in that they can’t really be taken your cookies. It’s not as blas- seriously. phemous as veggie burgers It is clear that people like or tofu though.” last year’s cookies a lot more.

While I may not understand —Lance Filippone what exactly vegan cookies are, I’m fine if SAGE wants “Best thing since sliced to sell them at Gonzaga. I bread. Never tried them.” just don’t understand why. If it’s to make the student body —Max Gisler healthier, there’s a lot more than just cookies we can cut “They’re terrible. from the menu. If it’s to proThey’re awful. They’re so vide more vegan options, bad. Ate like three the first that’s perfectly fine, but why week. Have you ever licked try and fix something that’s the spout of a water fountain? not broken?

They taste like that.”

Why replace the old cookies with vegan cookies?

—Ramey Gaines Is it that radical to just have both?

“I think SAGE had a good thing going with the cookies they had been providing for many years. This

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Searching for The Truth at The Southern Border

By: Henry Sullivan ‘20 Photography Editor The sun beat down on the fourteen of us as we walked a common migrant path. You would think that the dry, unforgiving heat of Nogales, Arizona, would deter any person from making the treacherous journey to the United States.

As we drove to back to the Jesuit house in our rented vans, I though about the migrants, border patrol, and US citizens along the border closest to this crisis. How would I find the “truth” amongst these

perspectives?

We began the week with our volunteer shift at El Comedor, a Jesuit-run migrant relief center stationed in Nogales, Mexico. That day, I met Jesus over and over. I saw Jesus lying on the sidewalk.

I saw him squeezing donated shoes on his worn out feet. I saw him in shackles on the deportation bus. I saw him cry out after having a miscarriage on the journey from Honduras. Jesus resides in the least among us: poor and marginalized women and men. To

deny the dignity of migrants is to deny Jesus.

The next day we visited Border Patrol. Going into this, I dreaded our conversation with same people who I saw act in sometimes abhorrent in news reports. Yet I learned that the Border Patrol folks want better immigration laws coupled with infrastructure.

Finally, we shared a potluck and mass with the men and women who owned ranches along the border. One rancher explained how ex-

military and ex-law-enforcement form militias in border towns to round up possible illegal immigrants. However, these miltas are not well received, many arguing that they only foster violence in towns.

Another rancher, Jim, argued that “the good migrants” never cross his land because it is controlled by the cartel. He says that when land is controlled by the cartel, migrant families typically try to avoid it for safety concerns. With this evidence, he justified the placement of a wall to prevent the flow of drugs into these cartel-controlled areas.

With this argument in one hand, he also told us that he is a Catholic and understands that the crisis on the border is also a human rights issue.

He spoke about the bodies he finds periodically on his land who succumbed to the ruth-

less sun. To prevent this, he added water spickets to next to his cow troughs for migrants to drink out of. He said, “I don’t care if they are cartel or MS-13. I don’t want them to die.”

The trip to the border was transformative for me in that it made me uncomfortable.

Before the trip, I so often fell victim to simple responses to the complex, multi-facteted issue of imigration, holding naive stances that undermined its political and human breadth. But the “truth” on the border is grey. A massive wall or open borders both lack human dignity in their approaches. Rather, our immigraion system requires reform. A reform that upholds the dignity of all women and men fleeing violence, econmic injustice, and corruption. A reform Jesus would support.

Serving in Emmitsburg By: Luke Elliott ‘21 Contributor One of the Gonzaga Outreach trip options for rising Sophomores and Juniors is the Emmitsburg Immersion trip. This trip brings a group of about twenty students along with two rising Senior leaders and four faculty chaperones to Emmitsburg, Maryland, located on the border between Pennsylvania and Maryland. While different from the poverty that we see everyday in Washington, D.C., we had an experience that changed the way we look at the issues we see in our world and our lives every day.

On the first day, we were split up into four different groups with whom we would be doing service projects. The organization that handled the logistics of the various work sites is called The Seton Center. The Seton Center was founded in 1969 and assists low-income families in the area by offering different services such as dental care and the Getting Ahead Staying Ahead program along with numerous other programs.

Each day we visited two different work sites - one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The sites all had various jobs for us to do; however, the work was usually yardwork or farmwork.

We were very lucky to have such great hosts at each of the sites that we visited. Many gave us food, drinks, and we had great conversations. We even got to play with a goat and give candies to a horse!

We heard the stories of these people’s lives, some of which were quite trying. Some of the jobs presented a few challenges, like how to mow a lawn with hedge clippers while dodging poison ivy and hoping that the siren we just heard was not a tornado warning.

Although this immersion trip involved much hard work during the day, it was all very rewarding for us as well as the people that we

were helping. One evening, we went bowling with people from The Arc in the area. The Arc is an organization that helps people with developmental disabilities by hosting different activities and offering a multitude of services.

Bowling with these amazing people was definitely one of the highlights of the trip for me. They were so much fun, and so competitive! I could certainly use more practice bowling, and they weren’t

afraid to tell me so.

Twenty-two mosquito bites later, I can certainly say that this trip was an incredible opportunity for us to not only learn about social issues that we may not encounter in our everyday lives but also to grow closer as a group through the work that we did.

Having people to connect with through all of our hard work made it an unforgettable week for all of us.

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Almost Heaven, West Virginia By: Michael Gannon ‘20 Senior Contributor This past June, as many other Gonzaga students traveled across the country, eight juniors, including myself, set off on the new West Virginia Immersion Trip. Myself, Mr. Bowles, Mr. Marks, Gordon Kern, Collin Watson, Chase Gurey, Walker Calderon, Will Mason, Joseph Connors, and Max Ludwikowski filled two vans for the drive.

The ride to Salem was entertaining thanks to our playlist including country, rock, and, of course, Country Roads.

Winding, thin roads led us to our home for the next week.

Getting out of the van was the first big step into the world of trying new things for us. As each of us got out, the entire staff greeted us with a hug and a “welcome home.”

None of us knew how to respond, so many thank you’s were being thrown around.

We were given a tour of the large house by the staff members and the three dogs. The eight of us hesitantly chose from the eight bunk beds where we would sleep.

That night, after we ate dinner, there was free time to get to know the two other

groups. Everyone sat in the O’Connor room, where all the icebreakers and other activities took place. Kurt, Sister Mary K, Natalia, Alejandra, and Jules were from Detroit.

Truman, Cam, Natalie, Julia, Sophia, Megan, Beth, and Monty came from Plainfield Indiana. The trip was split between Midwesterners and Washingtonians. All of us were split into groups that we would work with throughout the week.

Each morning we stuck to the same routine. Before breakfast, everyone helped with chores such as vacuuming, weeding, sorting, or cleaning. We would re-gather and sit down to enjoy a homemade meal made from fair trade foods. Throughout the week we ate almost no meat and mostly homegrown vegetables. After breakfast, three groups each went to a worksite, and the fourth stayed to clean the farm and prepare dinner for everyone.

After hours of work, each group returned to finish the day with prayer activities and dinner.

Prayer was involved in everything at the farm and work sites. The kind of prayer was different for many

of us. Each prayer was said freestyle by a certain person while everyone stood in a circle and held hands. Prayer

house. Each of the homes had extremely grateful owners. At one house, the owners made fudge for every group

of West Virginia. It made us think of how lucky we are.

The resident of the work sites were so happy and kind that

was one of the four cornerstones at Nazareth Farm.

The others included simplicity, community, and service.

Each day was modeled on these ideals.

Other than prayer, service was a major component of the trip. There were three homes we visited. Two of the homes required metal roofs to be put on, and the other needed siding on the outside of the

that came. Our groups made a lot of progress throughout the week. It was very satisfying to hear from the owners.

Because we spent hours at each site, we got to know everyone in our group and the homeowners well. We prayed with the homeowners before and after each day of work.

It was difficult to see some of the living situations that are unavoidable in this area

the level of poverty seemed to be irrelevant.

After a week of a few bucket showers and many vegan meals, the idea of going home sounded nice. Although we were eager to rejoin society as we knew it, it was sad to leave the friends we had made. We all exchanged information and plan to keep in touch.

Addressing Adversity in Apopka By: Josh Pfefferkorn ‘20 Senior Contributor As Bryan Stevenson observed in his memoir Just Mercy, “You can’t understand most of the important things from a distance. You have to get close.” In early June, myself and a group of about twenty-five students from Gonzaga and Georgetown Prep found Stevenson’s words to be shockingly accurate as we experienced life in Apopka, Florida.

To the outsider, Apopka is just like any other town – its residents attend school, go

to work, or spend time with family and friends. A closer look, however, reveals a grim reality: thousands of Apopka’s residents are undocumented and impoverished.

Moreover, these individuals lack the tools they need to escape their situation. Often struggling with language barriers and without proper documentation, they have difficulty securing higher education, accessing legal or medical services, or acquiring work permits. Those who lack documents aren’t issued Social Security numbers, cannot attain driver’s li-

censes, and are ineligible to vote. Furthermore, they live in constant fear of deportation and separation from their families, and they are frequent victims of harassment and racial profiling.

During the trip, I grew close with my host parents, Lucy and Ramiro, and their daughters, Natalie and Ozara, as we laughed and exchanged stories. I listened raptly to the experiences of Liliana and Ivis, two incredibly brave young women who risked everything to escape violence and poverty in their homelands. I was moved by the passion of Sr. Ann Kendrick, a Catholic nun who gave up decades of her life to serve the underprivileged community of Apopka and fight for social and economic justice.

I labored for hours under the blazing sun in greenhouses and fields with Guillermo and his team. Everyone I encountered was compassionate, caring, and distinctly human. Proximity, like Stevenson noted, made me feel connected and sharply aware of the adversity in Apopka.

As my group and I immersed ourselves in the environment, it began to feel as if the community’s struggles, their worries, their fears – were our own. At that point,

justice was no longer a distant concern for our group; it became a necessity, something undeniably worth fighting for. Our hours of hard labor in the fields, afternoons spent interacting with the residents of Apopka, and time in the classroom learning about immigration were incredibly rewarding and worth every second.

November’s Aquilian will feature more great Summer Service articles!

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By: Patrick Donnelly ‘21 Contributor The 2019 NBA offseason was arguably one of the most exciting and league-altering time periods in the league’s history.

With countless big-name free agents and a loaded draft class, this offseason was set to be legendary from the beginning of the 2018-2019 season. It started off with the highly anticipated move of Warriors All-Star Kevin Durant. Rumors floated about him joining different teams, but he ended up heading to the Brooklyn Nets.

Shortly after, he was joined by former Celtics star Kyrie Irving, who left things in an odd place with Boston.

To make room in the already talented Nets backcourt,

By: Mike Husk ‘22 Contributor Domination, domination, and more dominance has been the story for the cross country team so far this fall.

Even though the team has only run two races, which were the Spiked Shoe Invitational on September 7 and the Ben Bloser Invite on September 14, Gonzaga’s Cullen Capuano ‘20 has won both of them, including breaking 16 minutes in the Ben Bloser Invite.

Patrick Donnelly ‘21 has finished in the top ten in those two races, including a 3rd place finish at the Ben Bloser meet. Capuano and Donnelly have led Gonzaga

By: Jack Dougherty ‘20 Senior Contributor The varsity soccer team’s preseason started off on the right foot. With scrimmage wins vs. BCC, Damascus, and Bullis, the Eagles were firing on all cylinders.

Unfortunately, injuries have plagued the beginning of the regular season, forcing draws against non-conference teams such as Georgetown Prep and Landon. As head coach Scott Waller has put it, “the talent is there. We are dominating possession.

We just have to finish.”

In other words, the team is playing well, but just has

NBA Moves Brooklyn traded their young point guard, D’Angelo Russell, to the Golden State Warriors. Even though they traded a promising shooter, the Nets became serious Eastern Conference contenders overnight.

The next major move came from Pelicans former PF/C Anthony Davis. He joined all-time great LeBron James in Hollywood, reenergizing the Los Angeles Lakers. This came as no surprise to the struggling Pelicans organization, as he indicated publicly many times that this would be his final season with the team.

Two other notable stars made the move to LA this offseason, just not with the Lakers. Reigning Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard signed with the Clippers after just one

season with the Toronto Rap- made this offseason. The there are more contenders tors. His sidekick this coming league’s distribution of tal- than ever set to face off in the season will be non-other than ent has been rebalanced, and coming season. former Thunder forward Paul George, who finished third in the Defensive Player of the Year voting. They are set to be the best defensive duo in the league.

After what seemed to be an absurd number of huge moves, more players continued to switch teams. Kemba Walker finally escaped the disastrous Charlotte Hornets, seeking a better life with the Boston Celtics. There, he will finally receive the national attention he deserves and be on a contender. Jimmy Butler took his talents to South Beach and joined the Miami Heat, joining a young core of developing players.

The NBA world was shocked by the transactions

to victory in the Spiked Shoe Invitational and 3rd place in the Ben Bloser Invite.

Yet, it is not just Capuano and Donnelly dominating races, as they are helped by Luke Francese ‘20, Seamus O’Connor ‘22, Quinn Kirchner ‘22, and Ethan Norman ‘22, who are also on varsity.

The JV this year is looking much improved than last year. The depth of the JV is growing as 4 runners ran under 19 minutes, including Jack Doolin, Christian Baldwin, and Reid Norton, who are all in the class of 2021, and Wesley Johnson ‘22. As for the freshmen, the pack so far has been led by Liam Thomson ‘23, who has run under 19 minutes this sea-

son and Aidan Friedman ‘23, who raced a 19:30 in the Ben Bloser Invite.

Looking at the schedule ahead, Gonzaga races in the DCXC meet at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, which is considered our “home meet” for the year on September 28. It is then followed by the Third Battle meet three weeks later on October 19 at Millbrook High School, which is just a little bit east of Winchester, VA. Then, Gonzaga enters the home stretch with WCAC’s and DC States in late October/ early November.

not been able to put the ball in the net. Despite the slow start, the team looks to continue in their goal towards an undefeated conference season.

On Friday the 13th, the Eagles were able to bag their first conference win in their first conference matchup against the Bishop Ireton Cardinals, by a score of four to one. Then, they were able to get another in-conference result away at Bishop O’Connell, with a score of three to one. In the upcoming weeks, senior captains Ryan Elie, Finn Mccaslin, and Mark Western will look

to lead the team for results against sides such as Loyola Blakefield, Good Counsel, and Bishop McNamara.

At the end of the month the team will travel to Milwaukee, WI, where they will compete in the Jesuit Classic.

There they will face two of the top teams in the country, Regis Jesuit and Marquette (#4). The Eagles had a tough end to the season last year, being knocked out prematurely in both the state and WCAC semi-finals. Now with their feet under them, the team proves to be a top contender for both their state and league titles.

Cross Country

Soccer

Summer Entertainment Reviews By: Brendan Burns ‘20 Editor Black Mirror - Season 5 Rating: 6.5/10 Review: What a disappointment. Black Mirror is one of my favorite shows, but this season was a total swing and a miss. The episodes seemed to lack to trademark twists of the show. “Striking Vipers,” the strangest yet best episode of season 5, was the only episode that seemed to have the usual unexpected ending (and even that wasn’t great). Both “Smithereens” and “Rachel, Jack, and Ashley Too” definitely had the potential to be alright, but the endings were absolute garbage, and the acting wasn’t necessarily something to remember. None of the season 5 episodes had the darkness of some of the most memorable episodes, and I think that took away from the success of the season. If you haven’t seen Black Mirror but are planning to begin watching, I would not recommend starting with this season.

Stranger Things - Season 3 Rating: 9.5/10

Review: What can I say, Stranger Things is my favorite show of all time. I came into the season not knowing what to expect, wondering how this season would compare to the first two. The trailer, which was a masterpiece in itself, definitely got me excited. I’m glad to say that I wasn’t disappointed in the slightest. This season had everything you could ask for in a television show: thrill, drama, humor, suspense, not to mention the beautiful camera work by the Duffer brothers. Each character plays an integral part in the formation of the plot, and the Duffers masterfully developed each individual storyline. Dacre

Montgomery definitely gave the best performance of the season, playing a psychotic Billy Hargrove convincingly. Maya Hawke, new to the Stranger Things cast, was an excellent addition to the show, particularly because of her strong chemistry with Joe Keery. The finale was one of the single best episodes of television that I have ever seen, ending the season on a powerful and emotional note.

I cannot wait to see how the show will conclude in the fourth season.

Toy Story 4 Rating: 7.5/10 Review: Toy Story 4 ended up being a decent end to the Toy Story saga, but also very unnecessary. The fourth film in the series aimed to send a moral to the audience more than any of the others. Both Forky and Woody struggled with their sense of belonging throughout the movie, and in the end, they find their place; a good message for children, but sent for all the wrong reasons. The re-opening of the Toy Story tale was just a subtle way for Pixar to earn some more money as they run out of ideas for good movies. A few weeks after watching this, I watched Toy Story 3 - it just made me realize that Pixar should have stopped after three movies, because the third was easily the best one and it ended with such closure. Nevertheless, Toy Story will always have a place in my heart as one of my favorite movie series growing up, so maybe I was a little generous with the rating.

Yesterday Rating: 7/10

Review: Going into this, I was expecting a lousy movie with a fantastic soundtrack.

However, I was pleasantly

surprised while watching, as Yesterday ended up being a fun, entertaining movie.

Himesh Patel portrayed Jack Malik’s self-crisis very well.

The added humor in some of the scenes did not seem forced or unfitting; I thoroughly enjoyed the jokes.

There isn’t much else to say about this movie - it was fun, it exceeded my expectations, and it certainly had an excellent Beatles soundtrack.

S p i d e r - M a n : F a r F r o m the moment the movie started, I sat in horror at what I Home saw, yet somehow I could not Rating: 8/10 take my eyes off the screen.

The stunning cinematography of the Swedish landscape combined with the setting in broad daylight made the film even eerier. Florence Pugh gave a very admirable performance as “Dani,” especially considering how difficult many of these scenes must have been to make. The last scene was one of the most unsettling ends to a movie that I have ever seen, yet it ended the film perfectly, reflecting Dani’s growth from grief and loneliness to acceptance and Review: I had some doubts comfort in such a horrific with Marvel after Endgame; way. Anyone who knows me I didn’t know if the MCU can testify that I talked about was going to be the same. this movie nonstop for weeks Luckily, Spider-Man was after seeing it. I felt the need one of the survivors of the to share what I saw, mostly battle against Thanos, be- because it was too horrifying cause Far From Home was a to keep to myself. Ari Aster perfect follow-up to Aveng- is hands down the best horers: Endgame. The movie ror filmmaker of the decade, both addressed many of the maybe even the 21st century. questions we had after End- I cannot wait to see what he game and entertained us in comes up with next. the process. It was a much more light-hearted movie The Lion King than other MCU movies, but Rating: 5/10 there were still many serious scenes throughout the film.

Tom Holland is easily the best Spider-Man to date. He looks and acts as if he is actually in high school, which makes the comic book movie even more believable. Jake Gyllenhaal’s “Mysterio” is also one of the better MCU villains to appear in recent years. Though it’s hard to fill Iron Man’s shoes, SpiderMan comes close to it. This movie gave me hope for the future of the MCU. Sony, please give Spider-Man back.

Review: Disney seems to care about nothing but money Midsommar - they ruined a classic movie Rating: 9/10 with a “live-action” remake Review: After the success of just for a few billion dollars. his first film Hereditary, Ari This CGI-created film lacked Aster creates another disturb- all of the emotion from the ingly beautiful story. From original version. If Disney’s

The Aquilian 7

goal was to give the audience some sense of nostalgia, they failed; I did not think of the good old days, but of when the movie would end. The animation was incredible, granted, but I did not feel that this movie lived up to the glory of the 1994 masterpiece. For all the kids who think this new version was better, they clearly haven’t seen the original, and they were deluded by Beyoncé’s pipes. The only reason this isn’t below 5 stars is that the CGI animations were quite impressive… too bad the movie overall was a disgrace.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Rating: 9.5/10

Review: So far, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is without a doubt the movie of the year. Quentin Tarantino did not fail to entertain me yet again. What started as one of his least violent films ended with a perfect mixture of thrill, gore, and humor. His camerawork is always something to gawk over, and this combined with the vibrant setting of 1969 Hollywood made it such an aesthetic film.

The movie seemed as if it didn’t follow a concrete plot, but more of the individual lives of the characters. While this aspect did not appeal to every audience, I thought it gave the story more authenticity; instead of just watching a movie, we were able to step into the everyday lives of the characters and better see their personal quirks and growth. Out of a phenomenal cast, Leonardo DiCaprio gave the most Oscar-worthy performance as Rick Dalton.

His story was easily one of Tarantino’s most satisfying character arcs, as we got to see him progress from a failing Hollywood “has-been” to someone with a chance at redemption.

Welcome New Staff & Faculty Photos By: Henry Sullivan ‘20, Photo Editor & Interviews By: Rob Dimond ‘21, Contributor

Mr. Josue Amaya, ASC Q: How have your first few weeks at the school been?

A: “It’s been great to be back and work at Gonzaga after being a student. It’s different but also fun to experience Gonzaga as a faculty member.”

Mr. Ryan Beber, Math Q: Have you attended a Gonzaga event? What is your favorite sport?

A: “I attended the first football game. It was great to see the strong school spirit and camaraderie between all students regardless of year. It was a nice game to see and was well attended by fans.

My favorite sport in general though is baseball.”

Mr. Jordan Cameron, ASC Q: How have your first few weeks at the school been?

A: “Staff members have been very welcoming to me and it has been nice to reconnect with them as their colleague.

Mr. Cerra has been a fount of wisdom on how to spot an untucked shirt from a quarter mile away as well as other handbook violations.”

Ms. Maddie Davin, Campus Ministry Office Q: How have your first few weeks at the school been?

A: “My first few weeks at school have been busy, but wonderful. I have loved getting to know students and other faculty members through the planning and facilitating of the retreats we have had so far.”

Ms. Ciaran Freeman, Art Q: If you have attended a Gonzaga sporting event, which sport is your favorite?

A: “I have made it out to a few football games and have enjoyed those a lot. I was very pleased to see that Gonzaga beat Don Bosco Prep, the rival of my alma mater Saint Peter’s Prep in Jersey City, NJ.”

Mr. Patrick Gallagher, College Counseling Q: How have your first few weeks at the school been?

A: “My time at Gonzaga has been great. Everyone has been incredibly welcoming in every department. It is really important for me to work at an institution that it’s truly mission oriented.”

Dr. Geoff Miller, Religion Q: How have your first few weeks at the school been?

A: “The first few weeks of school have gone well. It took a while to learn where everything is and to get accustomed to the rotating long period, but it’s starting to come naturally now. I’m also getting used to the preponderance of purple here.”

Ms. Haley Mooney, Modern Languages Q: How have your first few weeks at the school been?

A: “The faculty and staff at Gonzaga have been overwhelmingly welcoming and friendly. It has made the transition to a new school so much easier.”

Mr. Griffin Morche, ASC Q: Are you related to any famous presidents?

A: “My great great great great great grand uncle is Thomas Jefferson ( I am also related to Mary Queen of Scotts on my moms side and Umberto I on my dads side)”

Ms. Brittany Smith, Admissions Office Q: Have you attended a Gonzaga event? What is your favorite sport?

A: “I plan to attend at least one game of each of our sports teams here. That is my personal goal to myself. I would have to say football is my favorite sport out of them all.”

Mr. Kevin Tarpey, Math Q: How has your Sage Dining experience been so far?

A: “So far Sage Dining has been good. I hear the students and their opinions, but I am happy with it. Fresh salads and sandwiches every day for a fraction of the cost on Capitol Hill is nothing to complain about.”

Mr. Marcus Thompson, Student Services Q: How has your Sage Dining experience been so far?

A: “I have not gotten a chance to try out the food in Sage, but I will say the fruit infused water is very good and the staff that works in Sage are excellent.”

Ms. Kathryn Vaughn, EAHM Q: Are you related to any famous presidents?

A:“Not that I know of, but I am descended from a Declaration signatory. Also I found out in April that the name of the French side of our family is inscribed in l’Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Does that count? ;)”

Ms. Sarah Washington, Math Q: Are you related to any famous presidents?

A:“Based on the research my brother and dad have conducted, my family believes we are, in fact, related to a famous president. I’ll leave it up to you guys to figure out which one!”