Mt Olive High School Newspaper

Marauder

Monthly

May/June 2020

Table of Contents Page 2: Letter From the Class President Page 4: Senior Memories Page 5: Graduation Over the Past Decade Pages 6-7: Sports Year in Review Pages 8-9: Mount Olive on the Map Pages 10-11: Last Four at a Glance Page 13: Spring Sports Interviews Page 14: Who’s That?: Throwback Prom Photos Pages 15-16: A Decade in the Making: Friendship That Will Last Beyond Graduation

Senior Issue

Editors: Isabella Foley • Abigail Mensonides Olivia Trezza Staff: Collin J. Berg • Seo Yoon Chun Sahil D’Souza • Suhaib Jawad Larissa K. King • Jordan Leonard

May/June 2020

Marauder Monthly

Senior Issue

Letter From the Class President

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Dear Seniors, am sure we are all filled with sadness right now as our senior year is not ending the way we have always imagined. We have gone through 12 years of schooling and now cannot finish the last couple months all together. These last couple months are the three months many of us have looked forward to all of high school and I am so sorry for all of us that we will not get these moments in a traditional way.

However we all still should be proud of ourselves for making it to this moment! We have all achieved something

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and thrived in many ways the past four years whether it was academically, athletically, musically or a hobby outside of school. Our class is leaving a legacy at Mount Olive High School and this is something to be proud of during this difficult time. The memories we have made at MOHS the past 3 and a half years are memories we should cherish forever. I wish you all the best of luck in the next chapter of your life, and hope you all are staying safe.

Congratulations, Shannon Meisel

May/June 2020

Marauder Monthly

Senior Issue

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May/June 2020

Marauder Monthly

By Collin J. Berg and Larissa K. King

Senior Issue

Senior Memories

What is something you’re looking forward to?

Nick Medina I’m really looking forward to being on my own in college.

I want to live on my own, do adult things like having to cook for myself and take care of myself. Then I get to go out and meet new people and make new friends.

Megan Bodmer I am looking forward to learning more about my area of interest, music business, over the next four years in college. While I haven’t mapped out my entire future yet, I am still very excited to see what life has in store for me. On top of that, I am also looking forward to returning to MO as an alumni too.

What is one piece of advice you would give to underclassmen?

Dan Harkins My advice would be do what you want to do and don’t worry about anyone else even if it sounds cliche.

Chris Carlstrom Know your place. A lot of people have put a lot of time and effort into various clubs and classes. Don’t walk in expecting everything at once. That comes with dedication.

What will you miss most about high school?

Lindsey McLaughlin What I’m going to miss most about high school are all the opportunities at your fingertips and the memories you make with your best friends. MOHS has something for everyone and it’s super easy to get involved and be active in a bunch of different things. I’ll really miss getting to meet new people and making strong friendships throughout these activities.

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Emily Liska What I’m going to miss most about high school is FNL (friday night lights) with my friends on and off the field and spending time with friends and teachers.

Ana-Laura Galindo I’m gonna miss the memories. Mount Olive was a place where I learned and grew up alongside my friends. So many stories happened here at school with my friends and I’ve made countless memories through being involved in the music department.

May/June 2020

Marauder Monthly

Senior Issue

Graduation Over the Past Decade

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By Seo Yoon Chun

collective realization dawns on the young men and women as they stand on the football field, awaiting their diplomas. This is the last moment they will spend as high school students and marks the beginning of their journey into adulthood.

As the class of 2020 approaches the end of their high school career, the looming giant of graduation comes into play.

What does graduation look like? What about it makes high school life at Mount Olive so special?

Mount Olive graduation has always been packed with tradition and emotion. According to Ms. Susan Pasqualone, one of the vice principals at Mount Olive High School, “graduation at MOHS has always been filled with ceremony and traditions that make it unique to our school community”. Amongst the Mount Olive community, graduation has and always will be an event worth celebrating.

Despite maintaining old rituals, graduation continues to evolve. In recent years, the ceremony has been moved from inside the gym to outside in the stadium, allowing the event to fit more people.

Another aspect of this event that stands out is the student-lead drive to make the ceremony personal and meaningful. Rather than have administrators dictate the outcomes of graduation, “our senior class officers have the opportunity to select members of their class to serve in different roles and capacities during the ceremony, serving as masters of ceremonies, presenters, and speakers,” as said by former principal Mr. Kevin Stansberry.

Graduation is a large step towards a student’s bright future. It entails the honor of moving forward into a great adult world while celebrating past achievements of oneself and one’s peers. Simply said, Mount Olive understands the magnitude of high school graduation and makes sure to reflect that in the ceremony.

It is to be noted, though, that the ceremony is supported by the foundation of the entire graduating students, who shared the stage in the past. Sarah Mattalian, a grad-

uate from the class of 2019, who now attends American University, recalled that “by senior year, the biggest thing my class had in common was our eagerness to leave, but there was a sort of camaraderie in that; we all shared this huge impatience while also realizing that this was the definitive end of something.”

The end of an era is not only marked by receiving a diploma, but also the changes that this class experienced.

Behind all the honors and the celebrations, at the end of the day, the student body files out to the front of the school to take pictures in their last moment of high school. Educators see what has become of their hard work to build character within these students and the reward is not small. According to Mr. Robert Feltmann, another vice-principal at the school, the most rewarding part is the moment when he realizes he may have had a part, be it big or small, in shaping this person’s high school career.

Graduation is about moving on, of course. Yet, in the moment of change and growth, there is also tradition, inclusivity, and inspiration that embed themselves into the bricks of the school, waiting for the next year to arrive.

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May/June 2020

Marauder Monthly

Sports Year in Review Football This season for the Mount Olive High School Football team was another historic one. The team made the playoffs for the third year in a row, for the first time in school history.

However, this year the potential was there to be great, but injuries plagued the team throughout the year. The Marauders used three different quarterbacks in the first five weeks of the season, and suffered an abundance of injuries throughout the season. The Marauders got off to a shaky start, starting 1-3 in their first four games, all three losses coming by one possession. However, the Marauders rebounded from these tough losses, starting on homecoming against Randolph.

The Marauders gutted out the victory 15-13, handing Randolph their first loss of the year.

The Marauders rode the momentum from the homecoming Randolph game to a 3-1 record in their final four games. Ultimately the Marauders clinched the #7 seed in the North 2 Group 4 playoffs, set to play the #2 seed Old Tappan Golden Knights. The Marauders set out for revenge against the team they lost the state championship just two years prior, however the Marauders could not get past the Golden Knights losing 28-13 ending their season. The Marauders fought hard through an abundance of adversity and battled through an injury plagued year to extend the streak of accomplished seasons in school history.

Girls Volleyball The Mount Olive Girls Volleyball team continued their success again in the 2019-2020 season, marking the 5th straight year finishing above .500, and the 4th straight year finishing more than 4 games above .500.

The girls enjoyed early success starting out 7-1 in the first eight games, dropping only two sets in those eight games. However, the girls then started to stumble going 4-4 in their next eight games heading into the Morris County Tournament. The Marauders were the #4 seed going into the county tournament, however unexpectedly lost to the #13 Morris Catholic who ended up making it all the way to the quarterfinals of the tournament. The early exit in the counties did not affect the girl’s volleyball team, as they rebounded from that loss to go 6-0 in their final six games clinching the #12 seed in the state tournament. This hot streak continued into the state tournament, with the girls winning their first round matchup against #21 seed Passaic Valley. The girls’ run ended in the second round when they faced off against 5th seeded Tenafly in straight sets. The 2019-2020 season marked the final season for coach Lee Gowers, who has coached Mount Olive for 19

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Senior Issue

By Jordan Leonard

seasons, coach Gowers will be moving on to coach for Centenary University next fall.

Gymnastics In the third season of Gymnastics history at Mount Olive, the team accomplished its best record in program history and second straight winning season. The Marauders began on a hot streak defeating their first four opponents of the season. The girls then hit a skid, losing two straight meets against Holy Angels, 8-0, and Roxbury, 10-1 during the 2019-2020 season. The girls finished up the team portion of the season, winning their last five meets ending the season. The team was led by senior Brittany Wilder, who finished in first place in the all around in seven out of the eight meets reported by NJ.com.

Freshman Sofia Didomenico was also a major contributor to the team this year finishing in 3rd place four times, 2nd place twice, and 1st place once in the all around throughout the season.

Girls Tennis The Mount Olive Girls Tennis team improved upon last year, winning two more matches than last season. The Marauders had a streaky season, losing their first two before winning their first game against Roxbury.

Then losing three in a row before quashing that streak before defeating Roxbury for a second time. The Marauders picked up their final victory against Booton, sweeping them five games to none in the match. The girls did not qualify for states as a team, however they look to improve on their 3-11 record next season when they return the majority of the roster.

Field Hockey The Mount Olive Girls Field Hockey team looked to extend their streak of conference championships to six straight during the 2019-2020 season. The Marauders started their season off strong going 4-1 in their first five games, outscoring their opponents by a combined 16-4 in those five games. The middle of the season marked a stumbling point for the Marauders, they faltered to a 1-6 record in their next seven games, including a second round loss in the Morris County tournament. The Marauders rebounded from the skid, finishing out the regular season 2-2 and capturing the six seed in the state tournament. Mount Olive defeated #11 seed Hackensack in the first round of the state tournament 4-0, moving on the face the #3 seed Scotch Plains-Fanwood in the quarterfinals. Unfortunately, the girls lost to Scotch Plains-Fanwood 2-1 in the quarterfinals, ending their state championship hopes.

However, the girls ended the season on a positive note winning their final game over Pope John 8-1.

Girls Soccer The Mount Olive Girls Soccer team captured their second straight winning season in 2019-2020, going 11-10 and making it all the way to the quarterfinals of the state tournament. The Marauders started off the season hot going 6-2 in their first eight games. This hot start earned the 11th seed in the Morris County Tournament set to play the #22 seed Boonton in the first round. The girls routed Boonton in the opening round, defeating them by a score of 8-2, advancing to the second round against the #6 seed Parsippany Hills. The Marauders however could not pull the upset over Par Hills, losing to the Vikings 3-0. Following the county tournament the Marauders ended the regular season going 4-5, clinching the 8th seed in the North 1 Group 4 state playoffs. The Marauders defeated the #9 seed Clifton in the opening round, however lost to #1 seed and #2 team in the state Montclair in the quarterfinals.

The season was highlighted by the play of freshman Tehya Schueten who led the team with 23 goals for the Marauders.

Boys Soccer The Mount Olive Boys Soccer team improved their previous seasons win total by three in the 2019-2020 season. The boys started the season slowly, starting 2-5 in the first seven games of the season, including three losses in extra time or penalty kicks. This early start earned the Marauders the 11th seed in the Morris County Tournament, set to face the #22 seed Morris Catholic. The Marauders enjoyed success in the County tournament this year, reaching all the way to the semifinals, which is the farthest they have reached in program history. En route to the semifinal appearance the Marauders defeated #22

seed Morris Catholic 4-0, #6 seed Jefferson 3-2, and #14 seed Morris Hills 2-1 in penalty kicks. The boys faced #2 seed and #19 in the state Montville in the semifinals, however they could not pull the upset losing 3-2 in regular time. The boys finished out the regular season on another skid losing four out of their last five games heading into the state tournament. The Marauders clinched the #10 seed in the North 1 Group 4 state tournament, with a first round matchup against #7 seed Livingston. The boys pulled off the upset in the first round, defeating Livingston on the road 1-0, however the Marauders could not pull off the upset losing to the eventual state champion Clifton Mustangs 3-1. The Marauders had an eventful season including an up and down regular season, a underdog run to the MCT finals, and an upset in the first round of the state tournament.

Boys Basketball The Mount Olive Boys Basketball teams 2019-2020 season was their best season on record since 2016-2017. The boys improved their win total this season, winning six more games this year than last season, and eight more than the 2017-2018 season. The Marauders started the season off strong, beginning 2-2 in their first four games including splitting two games of an in-season holiday tournament. However, the boys fell into a skid dropping five straight games returning from winter break. Their record being 2-7 just nine games into the season did not stop the Marauders, the boys rattled off four straight victories to bring their record to 6-7 entering the Morris County tournament.

The Marauders faced Boonton in the preliminary round of the county tournament, however they could not get past

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May/June 2020

Bombers to advance to the first round of the tournament. The boys did not let this loss affect them, the team proceeded to rattle off three straight victories to bring their record to an even 9-9 for the season. The Marauders lost the final four games of the regular season, bringing their final record to 9-13 for the year. The Marauders looked to end the season on a positive note against Fair Lawn in the first round of the state tournament, however they could not pull the upset, ultimately ending their season. The 2019-2020 season ended with a losing streak, however the season marked a renaissance of Marauders basketball as the team rebounded after two down years, returning to Marauder basketball.

Girls Basketball The Mount Olive Girls Basketball team looked to improve on their massive success they had in the 2018-2019 season where they went 11-12 after only winning one game the previous season. The 2019-2020 season marked another improvement from the depths of winning one game in 20172018. The promising season did not start as the Marauders had planned, the girls started slow losing five of their first six games of the season. The girls rebounded from the rough start defeating both Verona and Parsippany Hills in consecutive games to raise their record to 3-5 through eight games.

However, the girls fell into a skid again, going 1-6 in their next seven games, reaching rock bottom for their season. The girls rebounded from what had shades of their one win season just two years ago, to win eight of their last eleven games of the season to reach their final regular season record of 12-14. The girls did not qualify to the state

Marauder Monthly

tournament according to NJ.com, however this season was another building block in the resurgence of the girls basketball program at Mount Olive High School.

Boys Ice Hockey The tri-town Mount Olive, Hackettstown, and Hopatcong Boys Ice Hockey team looked for their first over .500 season since the 2016-2017 campaign, they achieved this feat with one of the most successful seasons in program history. The boys team started the season off strong winning six of their first eight games en route to their best start since 2012-2013 when they went 19-5, and made it to the Haas Cup finals. However, after the roaring start the team stumbled in consecutive games falling to West Milford and Fair Lawn, bringing them to 6-4 on the season. The boys rebounded strong from the two game skid, finishing out the rest of the regular season by winning seven of their last eleven games, bringing their final record to 14-8-2. The strong finish to the season clinched the tri town team the #3 seed in the Haas Cup, with a first round matchup against #6 seed High Point. In the first round of the Haas Cup the tri town team took care of business, routing High Point 10-0, advancing to the Haas Cup semifinals against #2 seed Mountain Lakes. The tri-town team could not pull off the upset against Mountain Lakes, ending their Haas Cup hopes. However, the strong performance clinched the Mount Olive-Hackettstown-Hopatcong team the #15 seed in the state tournament, facing 18th seeded Fair Lawn in the preliminary round.

The tri-town team could not complete the job however, falling to Fair Lawn 4-1 ending their season. The 2019-2020 season marked the first of many successful seasons to come,

as the tri-town team is returning the majority of their players next season.

Wrestling The Mount Olive Wrestling team continued their streak of successful seasons in 20192020, marking the Marauders fifth season in a row with a winning record and thirteen plus victories. The Marauders added a new section to their team this year, as it was the inaugural season of Girls Wrestling at Mount Olive High School. The new girls wrestling team was very successful individually in its inaugural season, with Carly Anderson winning her region at 135 pounds and placing 5th in the state at that weight class. The team as a whole was also very successful only losing three matches all season. The Marauders started off shaky, losing their matchup with a top 20 team in state Brick Memorial. After this opening match loss, the Marauders hit their stride winning ten of their next eleven dual matches, only dropping a match to another top team in the state Southern. The 10-2 Marauders faced a mid season challenge against a top 10 team in the state High Point. This match was hard fought, however the Marauders could not pull out the victory against the top 10 team. The Marauders rebounded from these challenges finishing the season winning their last five matches, vaulting them into the top 20 teams in the state, #20. The excellent stretch to end the regular season clinched the Marauders the #1 seed in the state sectional tournament. The Marauders parlayed this #1 seed into consecutive victories of $8 seed Morris Hills and #4 seed Morris Knolls, vaulting Mount Olive even higher in the top 20 rankings up to #18.

Mount Olive finished off their dream season defeating #2 seed Fair Lawn on their home mat to win the state sectional tournament, also capturing Coach Sean Smyth’s 300th victory of his career. This victory advanced the Marauders into Group 4 championships, where they faced the #1 public school at the time North Hunterdon. The Marauders could not pull off the upset against North Hunterdon, ending the team portion of the season.

The 2019-2020 season was not just highlighted by the team’s success, but by the individual success as well. The team advanced five wrestlers to the state championships in Atlantic City including David Ryerson, Anthony Spera, Hunter Perez, Anthony Moscatello, and Gavin Camoia. The 2019-2020 season is yet another successful campaign in the line of successful seasons under the watch of Coach Smyth, with more success upcoming.

Girls Swimming The Mount Olive Girls Swimming team did not have the season that they had hoped for, however had some very successful meets and individual performances. The girls only came out with one victory this season, but their fight showed throughout the season.

Senior Issue With a bunch of close losses throughout the season the girls rallied in their last meet to secure a victory against St. Elizabeth 101-80.

The girls team did not have the team success they were hoping for this year, however their individual success was unmeasured with Arianna Arturi and Alyssa Dowd taking the front stage. Arianna Arturi placed 1st twelve separate times this season in the 50 free, 100 breast, 100 fly, 100 back, and the 200 IM. Alyssa Dowd placed 1st six times and 2nd once in the 500 free, 100 free, and 200 free. Overall, the girls team did not do as good as they had hoped this year but continually fought hard showing the true character of the team.

Boys Swimming The Mount Olive Boys Swimming team also did not have the success they had hoped for this season, however they improved by leaps and strides from last year improving their win total by two meets.

The boys team enjoyed victories against Pequonnock, Morris Knolls, and Montville this season, while also tieing Morris Hills.

The boys also enjoyed individual success with Justin Vatanapradit, Ryan Melendez, and Jacob Soriano leading the team this season. Justin Vatanapradit placed 1st four times and 2nd once in the 200 free, 100 breast, and 500 free. Ryan Melendez placed 1st four times all in the 100 meter backstroke. Jacob Soriano placed 1st five times in the 100 breast, 100 fly, and 200 IM. Overall, the Boys improved on their previous season record and enjoyed success both as a team and individually.

Indoor Track The Indoor Track season is different from any other sport at the school, it is not defined by team success but by individual success. The Mount Olive Indoor Track team had an abundance of individual success this season with runners breaking records and jumpers finishing in the top 20 of the state.

The runners’ success was dominated by the record breaking 4X400 relay team of Lucas Trombley, Gabe Maya, Anthony Rocco, and Anthony Thulin. The relay team placed 4th in the Group 3 championships qualifying for the Meet of Champions in Long Island.

At the Meet of Champions the relay team placed 9th in the state, and broke the school 4x400 relay indoor track record with a time of 3:25:85. That time also qualified the relay for the New Balanced Nationals that got canceled due to the Coronavirus. The Jumpers also had great success, starting at the Group 3 Championships, Jalen Joseph and AJ McKay placed 5th and 6th consecutively in the high jump with jumps at 6ft. At the Meet of Champions, the longer jumpers Jalen Joseph and Anthony Rocco placed 16th and 18th in the state. AJ McKay in the triple jump placed 2nd in the state with a jump of 45-05.75 ft.

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May/June 2020

Marauder Monthly

The entire senior class was given the survey, unfortunately not everyone participated.

The results represent about 25% of the Class of 2020.

Who is doing what?

College or University- 94% Military- 1% Trade School- 3% Workforce- 1% Gap Volunteer Year- 1%

SENDING A SEPARATE PDF

Colleges and Universities:

Artistic Academy Auburn University Belmont University Catholic University Centenary University City of New York College Coastal Carolina University College of New Jersey County College of Morris Desales University East Stroudsburg University Fairleigh Dickinson University George Mason University George Washington University Ithaca University James Madison University John Jay College Johnson and Wales University Kean University Monmouth University Montclair State University Muhlenberg College New Jersey Institute of Technology New York University Princeton University Purdue University

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Quinnipiac University Ramapo College of New Jersey Rochester Institute of Technology Rutgers University Salve Regina University Seton Hall University Southern New Hampshire University Syracuse University University of Alabama University of California Berkeley University of California Irvine University of Delaware University of Georgia University of Massachusetts Amherst University of North Carolina Wilmington University of North Florida University of Scranton University of Tennessee Knoxville University of the Sciences Valencia College Villanova University Virginia Tech Wake Forest University West Virginia University Worcester Polytechnic Institute

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May/June 2020

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Mount Olive Graduates On The Map

SENDING A SEPARATE PDF

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May/June 2020

Last Four At A Glance

Marauder Monthly

Senior Issue

By Sahil D’Souza

2016 - The Election

2016 would be one of the largest and politically divided Presidential elections. From the Democratic Party, Hillary Clinton would fight to earn the nomination and become the first woman to receive the nomination.

From the Republican Party, Donald Trump with his “Make America Great Again” campaign slogan would shock many as he

2017 - Hurricane Harvey Strikes

earned the nomination. Eventually, Trump would defeat Hillary, to become the 45th President of the United States. Despite not receiving the popular vote, he received enough electoral votes, which made him the oldest President. Also, he is the first President to not have any military or government service.

In August of 2017, Hurricane Harvey would strike in Texas and Louisiana. Categorized as a Category 4 Hurricane, it tied Hurricane Katrina as the most expensive tropical cyclone,

doing $125 billion in damage. The downpours would flood the Houston area with areas seeing more than 40in in of rain. It would cause 107 deaths, and left lasting damage.

2017 - MO goes to Metlife

2016 - The Olympics Our own Mount Olive High School football team would go to the NJSIAA group title for the third time in the history of the school.

The last time the team had reached this far

was their 2002 win. Facing off against Old Tappan, we would be defeated 31-28, but it was still a major accomplishment to get this far.

2018- First Block Party

The Olympics were held in Rio de Janeiro.

In the Olympics, 2014 Mount Olive Alumni

Keturah Orji would participate in the Triple Jump, and she would place fourth.

For the first time, the Mount Olive High School would host its first Block Party. Organized by the Student Council, the Block Party

gave an opportunity for clubs to host various activities for students to participate in while having a great time getting together.

May/June 2020

Marauder Monthly

2018 - Prince Harry and Meghan Markle get married

Senior Issue

2019 - The Chromebook Initiative

Starting for the 2019-20 school year, the district purchased and assigned a Chromebook for every student to keep. Compared

to each teacher having their own cart of computers, this allowed for students and teachers to have new opportunities.

2020 - COVID-19 Pandemic

Prince Harry would marry actress Meghan Markle to become the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The wedding would be unorthodox, as Meghan would be the second

American and the first mixed-race person to become a Royal. Now, in 2020, they have left the royal family.

2019 - Avengers Endgame

COVID-19, also known as the Corona Virus, was first found in Wuhan, China in December of 2019. The symptoms shown were similar to the Flu, but some of those infected were asymptomatic. The Virus has spread, becoming a global pandemic. While

the President and the government would take several precautions, such as shutting travel with China, the virus would hit the US in March, and lead to a National Emergency being declared. The Coronavirus served as a difficult virus, as no cure was available.

2020 - MO Wrestling Wins Second Sectional Title

10 years of worldbuilding and 22 films later, Avengers Endgame was the culmination of all the storytelling coming together. The movie was a major hit amongst fans, as they saw the heroes they rooted for reunite

potentially the last time for some. The movie broke numerous box office records and would defeat Avatar to become the highest-grossing film of all time.

This school year, the Mount Olive High School wrestling program had many major wins and would capture the sectional title for the second time in school history. The team had five members with over 30 wins

this season, sophomore David Ryerson, senior Anthony Spera, sophomore Hunter Perez, freshman Anthony Moscatello and senior Gavin Camoia.

May/June 2020

Marauder Monthly

Spring Sports

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By Jordan Leonard

o honor the seniors who have lost their last season I interviewed a handful of students from the class of 2020 about their spring sport, why they started playing, and how it has impacted their high school careers.

Thomas Romanelli Baseball has made my high school experience a lot different from not only putting in hours after school but to also make me work harder in the classroom to grind and make sure that I can get a scholarship for baseball. Classroom is first to me and the better you are in it, the more opportunities you have for yourself.

Will Paoli My dad definitely had a huge influence on me playing baseball. From age two, I was throwing a ball around and just ever since then and over the years and with his coaching and teachings I just fell in love with the game.

Anna Callahan This is going to be super corny but... it’s the truth. My house has a softball field behind it; when I was little I would stand at the top of my playground and watch the rec league play. I went from dancer and gymnast, to wanna-be Jennie Finch just like that.

Softball gave me a family, gave me my best friends, and gave me a place to escape. That field was my place to wrestle Ro to make the team laugh, play the music so loud that we couldn’t even hear Ro telling us to turn it down, and to never have a dull moment on that field with the girls I’ve played my whole life with. Softball changed my high school experience by making it so much more than just four years of my life; this sport gave me every good memory and every bad one, and as for the high school part - it made every day in that school a little more worth it. I am so very blessed to have been given the opportunity to take the field as the team under Coach Romano’s name, and with Mount Olive printed across my chest for the past three years. Let’s hope my team and I get to see the fourth.

Jillian Dimonda You will be faced with much more difficult teams in high school so that changes the game itself. However, the experience is really changed by how much your team plays a part in the sport. To me it has always seemed that the girls lacrosse team is one of the closest teams, and I have felt this way since my freshman year. No matter what age or skill level, everyone on the team is included. Playing with a group of girls that I can call my best friends makes the sport so much more fun Shannon Meisel I started playing lacrosse in 5th grade just to try something new I guess, and I ended up loving the sport and continuing to play.

Yanni Kalas I was playing baseball and a kid hit me with the ball and I didn’t flinch, one of the coaches also coached lacrosse and asked me to go play goalie. It changed my high school experience by making new friends and becoming a family on and off the field.

Caitlyn Gayles For me, being on a track team allowed me to realize that there is no breeding grounds for jealousy or pettiness. We are a team that is supposed to uplift and bring everyone to-

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gether. The track and field program is a terrific program because with our sprinters’ coach Vanessa Benfatti, throwers’ coach Scott Buchanan, and the distance coach Ashley Apwah -- the girls and myself knew we were getting trained by the best of the best. These coaches made Track and Field worthwhile.

Jalen Joseph Track has greatly changed my experience throughout high school. Being part of a team for 6 months, practicing 6 days a week, has made me mentally and physically stronger.

Victoria Gayles What made me start track and field was when I was involved on the Mount Olive Middle School throwers team. I instantly fell in love with the sport. The feeling of being on a competitive team and being around such great people and an amazing atmosphere was something I wanted to do. I knew that I wanted to continue on in high school as well as enhancing my skills as an athlete.

McKenzie Lynch I started playing golf on a whim... I had recently walked away from track and was looking for something to do that would still keep me active. With that, I reached out to Mr. Behre (the head coach at the time) and the rest is history. Golf made my high school experience so much better. For me it was a way to form so many new friendships while getting to learn about a sport that I’ll be able to play for the rest of my life.

Jason Strazza I started playing golf in junior year because I hadn’t had anything to do in the spring, and I’ve played golf casually for a few years at that point. So I figured I’d give it a try and it worked out pretty well.

Golf has given me something fun to do in high school as I hadn’t done any sports in high school by that point. And I have a lot of friends on the team as well, which has also made high school overall more fun.

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May/June 2020

Marauder Monthly

Senior Issue

Who’s That? Throwback Prom Photos

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Answer Key Page 16

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May/June 2020

Marauder Monthly

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Senior Issue

A Decade in the Making: A Friendship That Will Last Beyond Graduation

By Abby Mensonides and Isabella Foley

i, my name is Abby Mensonides. My best friend Isabella and I are seniors in high school. Graduation is an important milestone in our lives of which we’ve both been aware, where we may have to part ways after being so close to each other for a decade. Every year, Marauder Monthly includes an editorial from a senior in our senior issue, to commemorate the end of an era. As editors, we decided we wanted to co-write this article to memorialize our friendship thus far. We have been best friends now for the past ten years.

In second grade, Isabella joined my mom’s girl scout troop. Around the same time, my little sister started going to Isabella’s mom’s daycare. We were destined to be friends. Soon enough, we were spending every day together. We would play all sorts of games: dress up, restaurant, barbies, etc. We tended to just get along naturally. There was never a dull moment, and we never got sick of each other. Since the beginning, there have been countless happy days and memories made. We wanted to share some of those with our readers.

Hi, my name is Isabella Foley. It may be hard to believe now, but when Abby and I were younger, we looked extremely similar. We were the same height, had the same color hair and our parents made the mistake of mixing us up constantly. My family, along with Abby’s family, would always take trips during the summer to amusement parks together. One of our favorites was Hersheypark! We loved going on the tilt-a-whirl, riding this certain old rickety roller coaster, racing down waterslides, and eating lots of chocolate, of course! This one particular time at Hershey, I was walking from a ride to get some food when Abby’s dad started yelling from behind me. He was shouting, “Abby!” “Abby!” “Abigail!”. Once I finally realized he had mistaken me for her, I swiftly turned my back and replied, “I’m Bella!!”. Ever since that time, our families would laugh to ourselves about how sassy I had been and remember the countless instances where they confused one of us with the other. Even our dance teachers would! As much as it drove us nuts, I loved

being mistaken for Abby because she’s my best friend, and I couldn’t ask for a better best friend in my life.

One of my favorite stories to tell and I’m sure Isabella would agree is all the times

we went to Point Pleasant. Every summer our families would take a day trip down the shore together. For anyone unfamiliar, Point Pleasant is a huge family beach, with a long boardwalk, games, and carni-

val rides. Our families have always been close since we were best friends. Our little sisters were close as well since they are close in age. We would drive to the beach early in the morning and spend the whole day swimming, tanning, and playing in the sand. Just after lunchtime, we would pack up for the day and head across the street to a motel we rented for the day.

We would spend the rest of the afternoon swimming in the pool until it was time to get ready to go out again.

The most important part of this story is finally coming. Every single year, without fail, Isabella and I would make sure to match our outfits exactly. We made sure to wear the same shirt, same color shorts, and the same shoes. Our hair had to be done the same way and if I was wearing sunglasses, so was she. To this day we don’t understand why we did this. It went on for a good four or five years at least!

For the rest of the night, we acted like twins. This didn’t help our parents who already had trouble telling us apart sometimes. Nowadays, we are much more into outfit coordination instead of turning into one another!

As soon as high school began, Abby and I were counting down the days until we could drive on our own. We longed for the freedom and ability to go on trips by ourselves. Before we knew it, senior year rolled around and two of us both got our licenses and cars to drive around. Our licenses provided us with a new sense of independence, so we constantly found ourselves driving to get a cup of coffee together, jamming out on a car ride around town, and even just going to each other’s houses more than normal! This past Christmas, we realized that almost half of senior year was gone and we wanted to create even more memories together. So for my Christmas gift, Abby surprised me and our other friend Lizzie with a trip to Asbury Park. Aside from visiting Point Pleasant annually as kids, we had grown a love for Asbury Park throughout high school. Abby’s mom would take almost weekly trips to the beach town and we would often go with her. But this trip was extra special.

We all drove down, with the rooftop open and sunlight seeping in the car, putting us in a great mood. Abby’s mom and sister headed down with us as well and we all had brunch together. We did a bit of shopping together but soon it was just us three girls exploring the town

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May/June 2020

Marauder Monthly

alone. This was the point of the whole trip, to spend time together before we enter adult life. That day, we shopped some more, took pictures by the beautiful murals on the boardwalk and had an amazing dinner together. We also stayed overnight in The Asbury Hotel by ourselves and had a great night full of laughter and love. The next morning, we went to a cafe for breakfast and just enjoyed each other’s company at the beach. This memory I hold close to my heart because it was a little escape from the pressures of school and life in general, and was time that we got to cherish between the three of us. There’s nothing like looking at your best friend and realizing how lucky you are to have them in your life. I’m full of love and appreciation for Abby, this amazing person that I have grown up with and grown closer to every day. She made that trip so special and I will remember it for the rest of my life.

Junior year, Isabella and I decided to join the marching band. They were no longer competing and actively recruiting new members for their new halftime show. Isabella plays the clarinet and I joined the color guard. We have plenty of memories from games, bus rides, and events we attended together. Senior year, we make no mistake as we did it again. Senior year has been full of memorable nights and “lasts”. Of course, each game was fun, but the night of our last home game was truly unforgettable.

During half time, the marching band and cheerleaders had put on an amazing show. Up until the last section, the band, cheerleaders, and fans were all cheering on the football players. I honestly can’t even remember if we won or lost.

I am not a sappy person. I truly do love my friends, but I am usually not the one who cries because it’s our first day as seniors or our last rehearsal of the season. That night when the game ended I went inside like I always did. I packed my things and headed to my car.

I was checking my phone and listening to my music when Isabella and our other friend Lizzie decided to hop in my car.

Throwback Prom Photos 1. Mrs. Livingston ANSWERS...

2. Mr. Kerrigan 3. Mrs. Bosch

Page 16

Senior Issue We were all just laughing and talking like we always do. Suddenly a song I just started listening to comes up on my playlist. They had never heard the song but I knew exactly what it was saying.

The artist sings, “How lucky am I? How lucky am I? To love somebody?”

At almost the same time we all just looked at each other and started crying.

Not exactly because we were sad. For me, I just truly hadn’t taken time up until that moment to realize how lucky I am to have such amazing people in my life. I really do love my best friend. It was reassuring because at that moment I knew that even though marching band was over and senior year would bring with it many more “lasts”, our friendship was never going away.

It is definitely very difficult after reminiscing on all these memories, to think that I won’t have my best friend by my side every day next year. We have done so much together with our families, friends, and just with the two of us. From the day I joined girl scouts, to the moment we walk across the stage to get our diplomas, I will have felt so blessed to have a friend like Abby in my life. She has gotten me through the hardest times and has been a part of the best ones. I know that we will be in each other’s lives forever, but I am going to miss her so much when we enter this next step in our lives. All of these “lasts” have been and will continue to be extremely emotional for us but I am grateful that I got to grow up and experience all of these memories with Abby by my side. I have nothing but love for my best friend and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for each of us.

An important message to our readers is to not be scared to make new friends, but don’t forget to love the ones who have been with you through it all. This is only the beginning. Abby and I are both excited to move into the next phase of our lives. But we will never lose touch with the friendship we have built with each other and we hope you can all say the same! Congratulations seniors and good luck moving forward!

4. Mrs. Cuzzo 5. Mrs. Kellam 6. Mrs. Sacco

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