Crypto what?
Who survives?
Big Decision
Do you understand it? Are you a millionaire yet? see Opinion - pg. 3
New staffer Evan Clephane ranks the top NFL QBs see Sports - pgs. 8,9
Seth Trischler profiles fellow Co-Editor Jack Sheridan see Senior Profile - pg. 13
Published by the Students of Elder High School
Volume 90 Number 5
January 31, 2022
Students volunteer with ESL classes taught in local community Jack Sheridan ‘22 Co-Editor-in-Chief
Community service is a fundamental
aspect of Elder High School’s mission that it instills in the minds of its students everyday. Each year, Elder’s students dedicate hundreds of hours to serving the local community through various events, organizations, and charities. Elder’s Community Service Department and student-run groups like the Why Not? Service Group organize many of the events that students participate in, and together, they lead the school’s effort to provide support to the local community. Different extracurricular groups that students are involved with sometimes require their members to perform service hours too, and this is true for Elder’s Spanish National Honor Society students. The service performed by the Spanish National Honor Society students is centered around the material that they cover in Spanish classes, and to help serve the local community over the past few months, these students have been volunteering with ESL classes being taught in the area. Led by BLOC Ministries, a nonprofit dedicated to assisting people living in the Price Hill area, the classes are taught to people, whose primary language is Spanish and who are interested in learning English. Elder students became involved in the classes when Spanish National Honor Society President Vince Andriacco was looking for opportunities for members to volunteer. “As the President of Spanish National Honor Society, I am responsible for finding service opportunities for members. Earlier in the school year, I met Walter Vasquez, who is in charge of Hispanic outreach with the nonprofit BLOC Ministries. Then, Mrs. Corey and I met with him and discussed opportunities for service, which led to us agreeing to send members of SHH to the ESL classes he organized,” Vince told me. When they heard about this, many members thought of it as a great opportunity to earn their service hours. One of them, senior Zach Sargent, has been getting involved with the program during his free time. “I originally discovered this program as a volunteer opportunity for the Spanish National Honor Society. I started about a month ago and I typically go on
Elder is working with BLOC Ministries to help teach ESL classes in Price Hill.
weekends when I’m not too busy,” Zach said. The program offers tutoring to a variety of different age groups. “The weekend class that I’ve attended is for people with little to no English experience, which consists of people of all ages. There are teenagers my age, and there are adults with multiple children. I’d say my current group ranges from 18 to 45, and I don’t believe there are any age restrictions,” Zach said. On the other hand, Vince said his tutoring through the program has been spent mostly with younger children who are learning English. “Most of them are younger, and some are even our age. All of them are recent immigrants,” Vince said. As for how the program works, I was curious to learn about the types of ways that the Elder students who are volunteering are helping out with the tutoring sessions. “The main thing that we do is work with one or two students at a time and help them practice their English. However, this also means that we are practicing our Spanish at the same time in order to be able to communicate with them. Before and after, we also set up and take down the tables and chairs,” Vince told me. Zach’s experience has been similar, saying, “Besides the basic role of moving tables before and after the sessions, the most valuable aspect of volunteering is breaking into small groups and helping the students through English books or lessons. I’ve seen how difficult it can be to understand English pronunciation, though through tough, thorough thought it can be understood through and through.”I also wanted to learn more about the people who are being tutored through the program. Since BLOC Ministries focuses primarily on assisting those who live in the Price Hill community, I was curious to see if the program is open to people from all across the Cincinnati area. Neither Zach nor Vince were completely sure about the answer to this question, but Vince told me, “BLOC Ministries is focused on helping those in the Price Hill area, although I don’t think they would turn someone down because of the neighborhood they live in. Everyone in these classes are recent immigrants, mostly from Guatemala, and the majority of them live in Price Hill.” Tutoring is a rewarding experience for all those involved. For the person being tutored, it is obviously rewarding in the sense that that person will receive a better understanding of material that they are struggling with. For the tutor, it is rewarding because one is able to share some of one’s knowledge about a particular subject with the goal of helping another person to gain a better understanding of it. Zach’s, Vince’s, and the rest of the program’s tutors’ help has surely been beneficial to those being helped through the program, but I wanted to get an idea of
Walter Vasquez, Director of Hispanic/Latino Outreach at BLOC Ministries, speaks to Elder Spanish National Honor Society members about volunteer opportunites like ESL classes.
what they have gotten out of it too. “For me, this has been a very rewarding experience. Before my first time volunteering, I was under the impression that I needed to speak perfect Spanish in order to participate in this program. However, in reality, it is much more important to be able to explain and practice very basic aspects of English. With only a very basic knowledge of Spanish, it is possible to help the class significantly. Additionally, while English normally suffices, there are always opportunities to improve my Spanish. I’ve found that, through the occasional assistance of Google Translate and wild gesticulation, I can participate in basic conversations in only Spanish, which I never thought I could do otherwise. I think volunteering makes the language come alive more than any classroom possibly could,” Zach said. “This has been a very rewarding experience. Not only am I helping others in a very personal and meaningful way, I am getting better at my Spanish. This was the first time I have ever used Spanish in a real life situation, and I have gained a lot of confidence in my language ability from this. Everyone I spoke to was very understanding of mistakes, as they were learning a new language too. Also, they all loved to hear someone else speaking their language. Nelson Mandela said, ‘If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart,’” Vince told me. Looking into the future, both Zach
and Vince plan to continue volunteering through either this program or a different program which is centered around the Spanish language after they graduate. “I absolutely plan to continue volunteering in college. In fact, one of the people I’ve worked with graduated Seton a little while ago, and she used to be taught by Mrs. Corey, so I wouldn’t even be the first to continue volunteering into college,” Zach told me. “I plan on continuing to take Spanish in college and volunteer doing things like this. I encourage anyone else thinking of volunteering to do so,” Vince said. Speaking of other students who may be interested in volunteering through the program, I asked Zach and Vince if this opportunity was open exclusively to Spanish National Honor Society students or any student who wishes to help. “The reason this has mainly stayed within SHH is because there is a service requirement for the Hispanic community for all members. However, anyone else who is interested in practicing their Spanish and helping others can contact Mrs. Corey, Andrew Zimmer, or myself in order to get information about volunteering,” Vince told me. This example of community service done by members of the Spanish National Honor Society is just one example of the importance of volunteering and serving the local community to Elder High School, and it proves that yet again, Elder students are impacting the local community in great ways.
Inside The Quill
A shot of the white board shows typical English subject matter like pronoun usage.
Opinion...........................................2,3 Faculty Features................................5 Student Features............................4,6 Alumni Features ..............................7 Sports.........................................8,9,10 From the Archives.....................11,12 Senior Profile...................................13 Arts & Entertainment...............14,15 Back Page.........................................16
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Monday January 31, 2022
Opinion
MLK will never be forgotten
Reneable energy vs. fossil fuels
Kellen Sandhas ‘22 Staff Writer
Tyler Smith ‘22 Staff Writer
being killed on April 4th, 1968. MLK day is celebrated in the United States on the third Monday of January every year. Schools, government office and banks are closed, and it is a time to reflect and realize what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. did for our country. Dr. King fought for the civil rights of minorities. He fought for segregation to be ended in public transportation, public schools, workplaces, and fought for racial equality throughout America. He became the most popular activist during the civil rights movement and even would get arrested just so his campaign would keep going. Dr. King held nonviolent protests and worked for equality in America. He participated in and led marches for blacks’ right to vote, desegregation, labor rights, and other basic human civil rights. His peaceful struggle against racial discrimination garnered national attention in 1955 when he led a boycott protesting segregation on buses. He was then jailed and physically attacked for his vocalness on the issue, and his house was even bombed as he began receiving threats on his and his family’s lives. In 1956, the Supreme Court ruled segregation laws unconstitutional, which was a huge relief from Dr. King. In 1963, MLK gave his famous “I have a dream” speech at the National Mall in Washington DC in front of 250,000 people. Then, in October 1964, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his civil rights duties. He was only 35 years old ,making him the youngest person to ever win the award. In 2000, the holiday MLK day was officially recognized in every state in the USA. As a matter of fact, MLK day is the biggest day in America for people to go out and do community service. This is a way of giving back to Dr. King and all the work he did while he was alive. Senior Brennan Horn said it’s a great day for America to celebrate what Dr. King did for us and we should all appreciate the things he did. All of us can agree that Dr. King did very much for our country, civil rights, and impacted many people through peaceful protests. Martin Luther King Jr. was a great speaker and someone that can be a role model for anyone. He had a dream and that was fulfilled through his hard work and dedication to his beliefs. Through all the criticism and hatred, Dr. King stayed the course and worked towards his dreams for racial equality. He left the world better than he found it and it is a terrible thing that he was killed. Dr. King did many things for our country and left a legacy for generations and now there is a holiday in memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Junior. Despite the hardships, struggles, and criticism MLK received, he has made a lasting impact on civil rights, peaceful protest, and standing up for what you believe in. Dr. King stayed focused on his path for equality and achieved many goals over the years. It is appropriate to not only celebrate the holiday, but also recognize his messages, his teachings, and the way he spoke his mind and made an impact on so many. Martin Luther King Jr. changed the world for the better and he will never be forgotten.
energy nearly as much as they should or could. Instead of using energy as a source, we use fossil fuels to heat things up, and for transportation. Fossil fuels, however, are not the best for the environment. When they are burned, they release nitrogen oxides into the air which then contributes to acid rain and smog. If people were to use alternative energy sources instead it might take more time for certain things, but it would make the world a better place, and depending on what type of energy source one may be using it might be quite a bit cheaper as well. Though fossil fuels are popular in today’s world there are numerous reasons why we should avoid and stay away from them. Things such as coal, crude oil, and natural gas can all be considered fossil fuels. Fossil fuels have formed due to fossilized remains of buried plants and animals that had lived millions of years ago, and due to their origin, these fossil fuels have a high carbon content. For more than a century we have been using fossil fuels to generate energy for pretty much anything we may need, and it can be quite easy to see the tolls of that. Due to their constant use, evidence and studies show that fossil fuels are one of, if not the main leading cause of global warming and climate change today. As the fossil fuels are burned, the stored carbon and other greenhouse gases are then released into the atmosphere, which has caused a dramatic change in the world’s environment and can only be expected to further harm it in the future. Fossil fuels have plenty of cons when it comes to using them over something such as renewable energy. Some no brainers are that fossil fuels cause land degradation and water pollution. The environment as a whole is infected by this because when people are trying to find these fossil fuels, they go to forests, and mountain tops and destroy the habitat making it uninhabitable for animals while they search for coal and oil. Water pollution occurs due to coal mining and oil spills which then contaminate drinking water and aquatic ecosystems. The most notable con to fossil fuels though would have to be global warming or climate change. As stated earlier, when we burn any type of fossil fuel, we don’t just meet our energy needs, but we are driving the global warming crisis as well. Carbon emissions go into the air and with that, they trap heat in the atmosphere which leads to climate change. In the US, the burning of fossil fuels for things such as transportation and power account for around three quarters of the US’s carbon emissions. To put it simply, fossil fuels are a major cause of climate change and global warming, and will only continue to worsen if we don’t change and use something more environmentally friendly instead. One thing we could use instead of fossil fuels might be renewable energy. Renewable energy is any source that is not depleted when used. An example of this might be solar power or wind. People should use a source like renewable energy over fossil fuels for many reasons: One, it’s more reliable; Two; it doesn’t cause health issues or could make people sick like fossil fuels, and Three; it doesn’t kill the environment. Renewable energy is a consistent source that won’t run out, while also producing zero greenhouse gas emissions and reducing some types of air pollution. Besides just being good for the environment, however, renewable energy also helps economically as it requires lower maintenance requirements, can produce more jobs, and save money. Another type of energy that could be used instead of renewable energy is nuclear energy. Similar to renewable energy it has the potential to be good for both the environment and for the economy. It doesn’t further the crisis for climate change like fossil fuels and in fact is one of the lowest sources of carbon energy. Nuclear energy can be a great replacement to fossil fuels, doing similar things and not destroying the atmosphere and environment with it. However, there is one notable con to using nuclear energy and that being it is nuclear. It has the potential to be pretty dangerous and produce radioactive waves into the atmosphere which definitely wouldn’t be a good thing. To sum up, fossil fuels are a horrible energy source for the ecosystem. There are much better options such as renewable energy, that do similar things to it, while also keeping the environment clean. Fossil fuels are one of the main leading causes of climate change which disrupts the habitats of so many different species of animals, forcing them to migrate and even with the effect or chance of killing them off. It pollutes water systems as well, making many sources of drinking water undrinkable to many communities of people, causing them to be sick and develop illnesses due to the fossil fuels. Overall, fossil fuels are not good for the environment and while they do help with transportation and power they also harm many other things.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr was a civil rights activist in the 1950’s and 1960’s before
In today’s world people are not using energy sources like nuclear energy and renewable
MLK on the Washington Mall on August 28, 1963 after his famous “I have a Dream” speech.
The Purple Quill
The Purple Quill is published nine times per academic year by the students enrolled in the Journalism class at Elder High School. Content is determined by the staff and does not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Elder High School’s faculty, administration or student body. Signed editorials and columns reflect the views of the writer. Letters to the editor and guest commentaries are encouraged and must be signed, although anonymity can be granted on a case by case basis. The staff reviews letters to the editor, advertising and guest commentaries and reserves the right to edit and refuse material. Reasons can include length, clarity, libel, obscenity, material disruption of the educational process at Elder High School or violation of copyright laws.
“Give students the freedom of expression and soon everyone will want it.” Co-Editors in Chief: Jack Sheridan ‘22, Seth Trischler ‘22 Faculty Adviser Mr. Gary Rogers
Features Editor Shawn Wyatt ‘22 Video Editor Phillip Hoffman ‘22
Staff Writers Evan Clephane ‘24 Andrew Corbett ‘22 Ben Hambleton ‘22 Kellen Sandhas ‘22
Monday January 31, 2022
Opinion
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Cryptocurrency explained
Is Cryptocurrency worth the risk?
Evan Clephane ‘24 Staff Writer
Tyler Smith ‘22 Staff Writer
Cryptocurrency. ‘What is Cryptocurrency?’ you may ask, well we’ll be taking a deep dive into the virtual world of Crypto and the massive publicity that has been built around it. With the recent dip in the market, possibilities have become endless surrounding this virtual currency. Cryptocurrency is a digital or virtual currency that is secured by Cryptography; the art of writing or solving codes, which makes it nearly impossible to counterfeit or double-spend this currency. Many Cryptocurrencies are decentralized networks based on blockchain technology; a distributed ledger enforced by a disparate network of computers. In layman’s terms, Crypto is a digital currency that can hold monetary value and is not run or controlled by one specific corporation. That currency is gained through chains of computer processing power as you may have heard referred to as “mining” for fractions of highly sought-after Bitcoin. A defining feature of Cryptocurrencies is that they are generally not issued by any central authority, making them not able to be manipulated by government interference. Crypto in the past two years has taken the world by storm, first being popularized/ created by Bitcoin over 13 years ago by an anonymous founder who some believe to be Satoshi Nakamoto. As most other forms of Cryptocurrency, Bitcoin is a digital currency which operates free of any central control or the oversight of banks or governments. Instead, relying on peer-to-peer software and Cryptography. A public ledger records all bitcoin transactions and copies are held on servers around the world.Bitcoin laid down the foundations to what we know as Cryptocurrency today. The average market price for one single Bitcoin today averages at about $36,342.50 USD as of 1/24/2022, constantly rising and falling in value. Bitcoin has been seen around the world as a form of currency and payment for products and services. Many pro sport athletes have asked to be paid portions of their salaries in the form of Bitcoin. Earliest of which was a former NFL Carolina Panther Pro-Bowl tackle, Russell Okung, who asked to be paid 50% of his 13-million-dollar 2019 salary in Bitcoin. The average cost per Bitcoin was roughly around $3,869.47 USD in 2019. His return on investment is not exactly known, yet it is assumed it was a substantial amount ranging anywhere from $61,048,735.36 USD and up in today’s Bitcoin prices. One of the most notable Bitcoin investors is CEO of Tesla Motors, Elon Musk. As an innovative company standing at the forefront of technology, it is to be expected that it would own Cryptocurrency. Tesla purchased $1.5 billion USD worth of bitcoin in 2021 to begin accepting it as a form of payment. Musk is noted to hold around $2.8 billion USD (yes, with a b), in Bitcoin, yet this isn’t the only Cryptocurrency Musk owns. Dogecoin is another massive Crypto that Musk owns and somewhat popularized back in late April of 2021. Starting off as a meme in 2013 between two engineers, Dogecoin began to gain traction by the public quickly. Before Musk tweeted about this form of Crypto, the average cost was around $0.064 USD in March 2021, then after Musk tweeted, the average price surged all the way up nearly 10x what it was before to $0.682 USD on May 8, 2021. As we can see many of these coins have had major influence from large public figures on the common public. Another one of the most well-known forms of Crypto is called Ethereum, with the average cost today being around $2,441.60 USD as of January 24, 2022. Ethereum was created and founded by Vitalik Buterin on July 30, 2015. Ethereum operates nearly identical to the way Bitcoin and most other forms of Crypto do, except it is not just a currency. The difference between Ethereum and Bitcoin is the fact that Bitcoin is nothing more than a currency, whereas Ethereum is a ledger technology that companies are using to build new software programs. The blockchain technology that powers Ethereum enables secure digital ledgers to be publicly created and maintained. Bitcoin and Ethereum have many similarities, but different long-term visions and limitations. As seen by reading this article, the Crypto market functions very similar to the stock market. Prices are ever fluctuating, rising, and falling, and they are built around investing. Crypto is a digital currency, whereas in the stock market you own a portion of the company you’re investing in. Crypto is traded directly between the seller and the buyer, unlike the formalized stock exchange system, in which shares are traded through a third party. Both can make you massive amounts of wealth if invested properly, although most of the time it is truly a gamble. Hopefully, I cleared up any questions or concerns pertaining to the virtual world of Cryptocurrency, and on that note, keep investing!
rency that uses cryptography to secure its transactions. Units of cryptocurrency are made through a process called mining, which involves using computer power to solve math problems to make and generate coins. Besides getting the currency on their own, users can instead buy the currency from brokers, and then store it in their digital wallets. You can then use this cryptocurrency to buy many things including insurance, cars, etc. Because cryptocurrency doesn’t rely on banks, it involves encryptions and advanced coding to provide security and safety to the wallet. Though investing in cryptocurrency can be risky as it is a volatile asset, many people still choose to invest in it. Some of the main reasons why people might invest in crypto are because for one it has the potential to have great long term growth and to some it is considered to be a less risky option. Another popular reason is that you can gain high profits over a short period of time, which is far more risky as you have to time everything perfectly. Finally, another reason some people might be finding themselves investing in crypto is because the government has nothing at all to do with it, meaning they can’t tax the income you receive without permission, and it’s also a good investment for people worried about hyperinflation and bank failures. Though cryptocurrency and stocks are similar in many aspects, they also have some differences between them as well. One of the differences between them is the trading aspect. When trading a stock, you’re trading company stocks or shares, and cryptocurrency is just exchanging the different cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, etc. Another difference between the two is the ownership aspect of it. When you own a stock, you become a part owner of that company. When you own cryptocurrency, it doesn’t really mean anything, and you don’t get any partial ownership as it is a digital currency and is thus more of a subjective value. With cryptocurrency and its online existence, come some safety issues. Some people wonder if cryptocurrency is safe and if they should invest in it at all. While there is no real answer for this because one never knows what could happen, there are definitely a fair share of risks and the chance of being hacked. However, there is also the chance of obtaining a good sum of currency from investing in it. At the end of it all, investing in cryptocurrency is up to the individual to decide if they want to do it or not, it can be risky, but it can also be very rewarding. Once you have cryptocurrency, one thing to help you keep it safe from hacks is a digital wallet. There are two different kinds of digital wallets to help keep one’s cryptocurrency safe, hot wallets, and cold wallets. The two both help to keep it safe, however there is one major difference between the two, that being hot wallets use online software to keep your currency safe, while cold wallets use offline devices to securely store your private keys. Cold wallets also typically charge a fee for this service, while hot wallets do not. Bitcoin was first introduced in 2009, creating what we now know as a cryptocurrency. Today there are now more than 8,000 different cryptocurrencies people can invest in. The top few are Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Binance Coin. Bitcoin is by far the biggest cryptocurrency out there with a price of over $40,000. Although bitcoin is easily the most popular digital currency, despite its debut in 2009, it never really blew up until 2017. The second biggest cryptocurrency is Ethereum with a price of over $3,200. Though not as big as Bitcoin, it still has it’s unique functions and it’s currency is called ‘ether’ to perform various functions. Lastly, the third largest cryptocurrency is Binance Coin, with a price of $471. Binance coin, originally created as a token for discounted trade prices, can now be used to purchase various things including services and goods. To sum up, cryptocurrency is sort of an online stock in a sense, that can be used to buy just about anything that one might need. Though it can be risky to invest in it, it can also end up being rewarding and benefit you, so it’s up to the person whether they decide to invest in it or not.
Dogecoin, Bitcoin, Ethereum, what these all have in common is that they are forms of
Cryptocurrency is not tangible but can be defined as any form of digital or virtual cur-
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Monday January 31, 2022
Student Features
Magness found his passion by accident Phillip Hoffman ‘22 Video Editor
Drew Magnus is a senior who has been
wrestling since his freshman year. Wrestling isn’t a sport that most students just decide to pick up freshman year. Because grade schools don’t usually have a wrestling team, most athletes who are interested in the sport had to find a pre-high school team. Drew, on the other hand, didn’t come with any experience, or even an interest at all. In grade school he played four years of soccer. It is an unusual change to go from soccer, or any sport for that matter, to wrestling. So, what got Drew engaged to wrestle? Here’s what Drew said about joining the team his freshman year. “Going into freshman year my love for soccer was starting to fade away. I had Coach Roush for Algebra 1 freshman year, and one day in class he told me I looked like a wrestler. At the time I didn’t know what that meant, but I was always fit so that’s what I thought he meant. He asked me to come out for an open mat and after some deliberation, I decided to give it a chance. If it wasn’t for Bartley Thomas and Rudi Johnson, I don’t think I would’ve ever showed up. The main aspect that led to me wrestling was wanting to get back into a contact sport. Soccer was too soft for me, and I needed a healthy way to get out some aggression. This is a classic Mr. Roush move. He encouraged Drew just enough to come to an open mat in the gym. After just one practice session, Drew knew this would be the sport he would play for the rest of his time at Elder. Shortly after falling in love
with the sport, Drew became very good at it. He also learned a lot while competing. I asked him how this sport had affected him and here’s what he said: “Wrestling taught me the true meaning of the word tough. Cutting 10+ pounds a week and still giving it your all after depleting your body is no easy task. While cutting I always remember something Coach Flaherty said during the cross-country season my sophomore year, which was “being able to be comfortably uncomfortable.” Keeping this in the back of my head reminded me that not all situations in life are going to benefit you, so you have to make do with what you are given and push through the adversity.” His hard work and passion for the sport was paying off. When his sophomore year came around, he had qualified for State! This was a very impressive accomplishment for still being incredibly young. Sadly, that year was 2020, and all the work he had put into getting to that point was taken away. COVID-19 shut down
the State tournament with no plan to reschedule. Here’s what Drew had to say on the situation, “Disappointment. Nothing else. I felt as if all the extra workouts, runs, and dieting was for nothing. It took me some time and reflection to realize that others had it way worse than I did, such as two of my role models, Willy Doepker and Jack Collins. This event in my life taught me to look at multiple perspectives and not just through my own.” Drew still wanted to continue his wrestling career his junior year and did great once again. He did not make it to state this time, but had a great time on a great team. Over the years Drew has had some great wrestling memories. “My favorite memory from my four years was when I won my blood round match to qualify for state my sophomore year. The second the final period ended, and I realized I won. I felt so many raw emotions. I remember vividly, after getting my hand raised, running over to Coach Schultz, jumping up, and giving him a hug.”
Drew looks to take control of his opponent and get another pin!
Elder varsity wrestler Drew Magness
Although it is a tough sport and not cut out for everyone, here’s what Drew has to say to any freshman just starting their time on the mat. “The off season will determine your success. Mid-March up until November is longer than the season itself. There is so much training and competition you can get in if you really want to succeed in the sport. Also, if you want to wrestle, that does not mean you have to cut weight. Most of our team this year is not cutting weight, so I just wanted to diffuse that myth.” You never know what sport or activity could come as an interest to you. The best advice I can give you is to get involved and try a bit of everything before you run out of time.
Monday January 31, 2022
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Student Features
Elder hockey travels to Heritage Bank Center Kellen Sandhas 22 Staff Writer
Elder Panther Hockey, one of the most
under-rated sports we have here at Elder High School, will be playing Mason at Heritage Bank Center on January 29. Now, many might be wondering why that name sounds different. This was previously known as US Bank Arena from 20022019, before being renamed. Located right next to Great American Ballpark, this event center holds many events. Just a few that come to mind are hockey games and the circus. This is home to Cincinnati Cyclones who are a minor league affiliate of the Buffalo ECHL team. Now, back to the Ice Panthers. The Panthers are currently 7-8-2 on the year and have the regular season ending very soon. At the time of this writing, the purple and white are very hot, with three straight dubs with senior night later this week and then the much-anticipated game against Mason.
There is no better way to finish it then getting a win at a cool stadium, then staying and watching the Cyclones. I think this is a great idea on behalf of both teams scheduling this event where high schoolers play, then the professionals get to play as well. Some other Elder sports do similar activities like hockey. A few would be football playing at Nippert, baseball playing at Great American Ball Park, and basketball getting to play at local college landmarks as well. These games give student athletes a great opportunity to access these top tier unique stadiums and see what it’s like from a different perspective. Not to mention that it is neat in general to play at these types of places. Panther Puck is getting hot as of the last few games and a big reason is from senior Chuck James. Chuck has been a four-year player for the Panthers and is a key player on the team. He started playing hockey at a young age... “I started
playing hockey in third grade when I saw an NHL game on NBC. It looked fun so I bought all my equipment and started playing that year”. Charlie’s best memory of Elder hockey was the senior night when “I was a sophomore because we beat a team that we shouldn’t have beaten like they were way better than us and getting a win for that group of seniors was special because all those seniors started playing as freshman and that group hadn’t won a whole lot of games during their four years, so it was cool to get them a win on their senior night”. Chuck’s favorite part of Elder Hockey is the relationships that he’s made over the years. talking to and meeting people that he wouldn’t normally have met. For the past few years, Elder hockey playing downtown has been special for those who attend. Matter of fact, last year the ice was even colored purple and that was not planned. This was totally a coincidence, and the event is called “Turn the Rink Pur-
Team picture taken from online article by Adam Duwel January 2021
Twitter announcement for the Mason game that will have already happened by the time you read this caption.
ple for a Purpose”. This honors those with cancer, especially pancreatic cancer, and is something that is a good cause. Thousands of fans show up for this event. Tickets, purple ice, and purple jerseys all are proceeds to cancer research. Lots of money is made from the jerseys because there is an auction after the game which helps raise much money. So, last year there was purple ice, not for Elder, but for a good cause instead. This was very ironic but turns out to be not related to the school. In an article from local 12 last year, Cyclones player Jesse Schultz said, “I think it’s important to keep raising awareness for it and just our part doing this game and the awareness of it.” Coach Matt McDonald said, everybody gets touched by cancer in some form or another, and for us to be a part of it and have a lot of support from the community has been great.” This was coincidently last year when the rink was purple, but it is also important to recognize the reason for doing it, even though it was last year. It was awesome that it ended up like this the day Elder played there, but it’s even cooler when you hear the real reason behind it.
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Monday January 31, 2022
Student Features
Summers enriches broadcasts Ben Hambleton ‘22 Staff Writer
Due to Covid, it has been extremely
hard for people to get to Elder sports events. Last year there were only a limited number of fans allowed to attend games in person. For certain sports there was no attendance at all. For Elder, streaming games was extremely important. Adam Duwel made it possible for many Elder fans to see the games as he and the staff of ENN helped live stream the sporting events on EHSports.com. Along with that effort, Elder also had some pretty good student announcers also working on these broadcasts. Personally, I think this year has taken a turn for the better. Junior Will Summers is now the main commentator during basketball games on Elder’s live streams. He has been joined by guys like Greg Carlton, Charlie James, and his brother Henry. However, Will has been the steady on-air force for the Panthers this basketball season. Overall, I love listening to him through the broadcast. He knows exactly what he is talking about and is very positive towards the Panther team. Will brings just the right amount of energy to where it is bearable for fans of both teams to watch the broadcast. However, the best part about Will’s commentating is his vocabulary. I have never heard anyone use the words he does in a sentence. And somehow, he makes it work. I had the chance to sit down with
Rich Bands Ben Hambleton ‘22 Staff Writer
As you walk through the halls of Elder
you see many students wearing wristbands. Most of these wristbands have a special meaning on them which explains why people wear them. However, if you have been paying close attention you will see many of the students wearing white bands with the word “Rich” on it. Many people know the man behind the name “Rich”. Nick Heisel. I had the chance to speak to Nick Heisel AKA Rich and Jackson Schmitt who is the Director of Marketing for “Rich.co”. I first asked them what is rich. co? They told me that it is a merch company consisting of six people. These six people are Rich Heisel (CEO), Jackson Schmitt (Director of Marketing), Drew Ramsey (Sales Manager), Aidan Murphy (Director of Designs), Charlie James (Warehouse Manager), and Nate Schaerer
Will and ask him what made him get into broadcasting for the Panthers this season. Will told me, “It all started last year. Adam Duwel and I were good friends, and he asked if me and a friend would be interested in trying out calling games. I was immediately hooked. Going from JV to Varsity has been really special.” Clearly, Adam Duwel is a person who has helped many get out of their comfort zone and contribute to Elder. Will then went on to say that he did think about how he would be missing out in the cheering section. He told me that he has received a ton of love from his family and friends on what he’s doing. However, the most positive feedback he has received has been through the Elder community. He finally feels that he found what he wants to do with his life. As people know, many people have joined Will on the mic during games. Mainly it has been two guys in Greg Carlton and his brother Henry Summers. I asked Will how it feels and what it’s like to be able to call the games with his brother. He told me, “It was definitely interesting doing games with Henry at first. Obviously, my number one partner is Mr. Greg Carlton. However, Greg has been able to make somewhat of a name for himself with Elder’s stick and puck team. I could not be happier for him, but that left a vacancy for me to fill. Luckily, I have an awesome and outgoing brother that stepped up to the plate and I could not en(Finance). Their job as a company is to make products such as: wristbands, golf tees, and T-shirts. I was very impressed with how organized and professional this company seemed, so I was compelled to ask how this came about. Schmitt chuckled then said, “Well originally it started off as a joke. We were in class one day and saw Nick Broxterman wearing a Drew shirt (a shirt with a smiley face with the name Drew on it that Justin Beiber wears).” Rich cut him off saying, “Then I looked at the guys and said what if we get a shirt with the name Rich on it and sell it?” Schmitt went on to tell me how they decided to try this out but start with wristbands because it would be more affordable. Therefore, they had bought 300 “Rich Bands” online. Within the next week they arrived which began the selling process. They started off by selling to some Elder students on that weekend. Furthermore, people would drive to where Nick and Jackson were just to purchase this wristband. Then the females were
Greg Carlton (left) and Will Summers (right) pause in the crow’s nest above the cheering section in 2021. This duo made the successful jump from JV to Varsity broadcasts this season (when Carlton isn’t busy patroling the ice.)
joy it more.” Will has been surrounded by other talented guys that give the listeners at home a reason to watch the games other than basketball. So far, the season has been an extremely fun one. Our team has been playing extremely well and they are a very fun group to watch. The basketball team has had several dunks and tons of 3-pointers made. I asked Will what his favorite game has been to broadcast so far. Will told me it was the Moeller game. It was his first time broadcasting a GCL game. He said he could feel the crowd’s excitement and he fed off it. It is evident that Will was made for doing stuff like this. He is always helping the viewers at home get more into the game. I know whenever I’m unable to go to a game I am tuning in. Part of that reason is because of Will. I wanted to know what Will planned on doing with his
The official image of the Rich Band.
drawn to this and decided to purchase some as well. However, their biggest audience continues to be Elder students and particularly football players.
future. If he was going to continue this or not. “I would say I am thoroughly undecided on what I want to do in the future. One thing I do know, I want to keep doing it. I would highly recommend it to anyone that is brave enough to pick up the microphone. I have talked to Adam Duwel about trying to get up to Ball State to see what they are all about. I am really happy with the connections I have made that will help in the future as I pursue this dream.” Hopefully, one day we can hear Will on a professional stage. I believe he has the talent and knowledge to do so. If you are unable to make a game this season, be sure to tune into the broadcasts. They are great. I have heard from several people what an outstanding job Will and all his co hosts have done this season. And I know they will just keep getting better.
It is clear these guys have taken this seriously as they all have made a solid income from their product. Therefore, I was curious to see what they had in the works for the future. Heisel told me, “Golf Tees and T-shirts are something we are looking into. We are also planning on getting a new order of bands.” Schmitt decided to chime in saying, “With the new order of bands we are looking to go bigger. That is why we are planning on meeting as a group to go over different designs and different color bands.” I personally think the golf tees will be a big seller for them. However, I do not see the t-shirts going too well for their company. Many after reading this article may ask where I can get a “Rich Band”. Well it is pretty easy. All you have to do is go on to their instagram page which is rich.co__. You can either direct message them or comment on a post saying you would like to purchase a band. From there you will get your “Rich Band”.
Monday January 31, 2022
Alumni Featuress
7
Elder gives a gift to the public through annual Sports Stag Kellen Sandhas ‘22 Staff Writer
Elder High School has been hosting a
Sports Stag since the late 1970’s. To be exact, the event started here in 1977. This event is held by the Alumni Association and is a treat to the Elder community. Every year there is a speaker that is chosen to come to Elder. This year, it happens to be Elder grad and former NFL offensive lineman for the Bills, Eric Wood ‘04. It is a great honor to not only accept the invitation, but also do something positive. Eric coming back to Elder to speak is a chance for him to tell stories, see other Elder grads, and have those grads leave with some information that they can benefit from. The Stag is an event hosted every single year, and it is an event Elder High School has a pleasure hosting. For my Journalism class, I needed to conduct an interview with some staff member so that I could get a better understanding of the Sports Stag. Thanks to Mr. Brian Bill who was able to answer my questions I had for him. First, I wanted to understand why Elder did a sports stag in the first place. Mr. Bill said its been an event hosted by the Alumni Association since 1977, and it promotes Elder’s Comradery to Alumni and Friends of Elder. When asking who the stag benefits, I was told it benefits the faculty and staff at Elder. The stag provides a bonus for those who work at Elder, since they do so much for the young men here at Elder. Over the years there have been many popular names to be a guest speaker at the Sports Stag. Mr. Bill said, “In addition to Sparky
Anderson, some other more recognizable names include the following: Joe Nuxhall and Marty Brennaman, Forrest Gregg, Sam Wyche, Ken Anderson, Larry Csonka, Pete Gillen, Bob Huggins, Skip Prosser, Dan Patrick, Thad Matta, Charlie Weiss, Brian Kelly, Joe Morgan, Dave Lapham, Sean Casey, Chris Mack, Solomon Wilcots, and Kyle Rudolph.” It is an honor to have these men come and speak at our event. These are some pretty reputable names, not every high school can say that these men have accepted an invitation to speak at their school. Curiously, I asked how Elder High School finds a speaker, and decides on the person who comes in. Once again, Mr. Brian Bill was able to inform me on the process; he said, “The Alumni Association and members of the Stag committee are always brainstorming potential speakers. Keeping our audience in mind (men who are at least 21 years of age), we try to think of appealing speakers who would have something interesting to talk about or stories to tell. A speaker’s availability is also kept in mind, as the Stag is held during the winter to help battle “cabin fever” of our guests. As a result, it can be difficult to book any active coach who is in season (i.e. NFL, college basketball); plus, college coaches in general are getting more difficult to book due to recruiting restrictions they must follow when visiting high schools.” These are some of the general answers I needed to hear. I am much more in the loop of what the sports stag is, and it sounds like a very neat event. Maybe one day I will attend the sports stag when I am older. Now, onto this year’s stag. The
speaker is Eric Wood who is a former Buffalo Bill, Louisville Cardinal, and Elder Panther. He played nine NFL seasons before being forced to retire due to a neck injury. Eric conducted a Pro-Bowl season one of those nine years and is an Elder legend. Being one of few Panthers to make it to the professional level, which is not an easy task to complete. Eric Wood and his wife, Leslie have two young children, one boy and one girl. He even has his own charity, which shows his work off the field, too. This charity was started in memory of his late brother, Evan. Mr. Bill is very excited about Wood’s visit. “Eric has etched out a spectacular career at Elder and beyond. In addition to his two high school football state championships, he’s been inducted into the
University of Louisville’s Athletics Hall of Fame and he started in each of the 120 NFL games that he played during his nine years with the Buffalo Bills. Nowadays, he’s a known commodity on TV, radio, and via his “What’s Next with Eric Wood” podcast. He also serves as a vital resource for chronically ill or injured children and their families in the Buffalo area via the Eric Wood Fund. His experiences from each period of his athletic and personal life will no doubt provide an interesting and entertaining time for our audience on February 17.” The long awaited Sports Stag takes place here at Elder on February 17, 2022. This event will be great for the Elder Community and Family, and should be beneficial to all in attendance.
8
Sports
Track returns to indoor meets Andrew Corbett ‘22 Staff Writer
A big part of preparing for a successful
track season revolves around the involvement in winter indoor track meets. Elder has not participated in these meets for the last five years. However, this all changed when the Panthers hit the floor January 28 in the first of two indoor meets hosted by Mount St. Joseph University. Elder is set to compete in both events hosted by The Mount, on January 28 and February 11. Distance athletes have been begging for indoor meets for years, and the sprinters recently joined in this effort. Their efforts have been heard, and indoor track is officially back at Elder High School. Indoor meets provide the perfect opportunity for Elder to grow their Track and Field, and Cross-Country programs. These meets not only allow for the athletes to get into better shape before spring season officially starts, but it also helps them build a base for a successful spring season. Having an opportunity to train year-round for meets provides athletes to be in better shape for either their Track and Field season or Cross-Country season. Mount St. Joseph University opened the Centennial Fieldhouse on the west end of their campus in February of 2021. This space includes a 6-lane running track, and a field for softball, baseball, lacrosse and soccer. The Fieldhouse is also home to a state-of-the-art weight room, various locker rooms, and empty spaces for fitness classes. The Mount’s indoor track is the only NCAA regulation size track in the region. This allows for local high school athletes who don’t have the luxury of traveling to indoor meets such as the Ohio State meets an opportunity to show their skills at a local level. Coach Boeing, who coaches the sprinters, hurdlers, and high jumpers said that he believes these indoor meets will give us a head start on getting Elder track
athletes in shape for the spring season. Coach Boeing said that having a meet in climate-controlled conditions allows us to see where the team stands in January and February, as they cannot compete outdoors in the frigid temperatures of these months. Boeing also said that Elder is now involved in these meets because of The Mount’s new facility. “The Mount has their facility open, they have never had it before, and being so close gives us the opportunity to compete without having to travel two and a half to three hours.” He went on to say that the closest indoor meets were about two hours away, after UC had shut down their indoor track. “Going back about 15 years or so, UC had an indoor track that we would do 2-3 meets at and then take a couple of individuals up to Ohio State to run an extra meet.” Coach Boeing also said that the meets at The Mount have only been offered to athletes who performed well last spring, and to those who have been training all offseason. For this reason, he hopes that when the spring season starts these athletes will pick up right where they left off at the end of last season. Hopefully this provides for an exciting and successful season this spring. He also said that he hopes these meets provide some motivation as only the top athletes will be able to compete at The Mount. Coach Quatman, who coaches the distance athletes at Elder also says he believes that getting started earlier with these indoor meets will help put these runners in better condition to compete come springtime. He said he expects guys who have been conditioning all offseason to run some pretty good times, saying, “It’s nothing but positives with the indoor meets.” Quatman also said he thinks the team will continue to compete in indoor meets in the future, given that Mount St. Joseph University is now hosting meets
about 10 minutes from the Elder campus.
As the winter season is coming to an
end, the spring sports athletes are getting ready by running, lifting, agility training and much more. The baseball team is coming off a state runner up season and are looking for vengeance. They have a ton of potential with most of their starters coming back again this season. However, there are two players on the baseball team who are about to make history. Outfielders and pitchers Chris Kammerer and Jack Lambert are planning on running track while playing baseball this year. So, I’ve been told, this would be the first time in Elder sports history for someone to play two varsity sports in the same season. These two have been playing baseball pretty much their whole lives. This will be the first time they have run track. However, it all makes sense for them to do so. Jack and Chris are some of the fastest kids in the school. They can make an enormous difference in both baseball and track this spring season. Many Panthers including me have really been interested in this whole concept. Therefore, I sat down with Chris and Jack and asked them why they decided to do this. Jack told me, “We have talked about it before as it interested the both of us. However, it took us a long time to actually decide to do it. We are both pretty fast,
so we thought to give it a shot this year.” As for Chris he said, “It has always been something I wanted to do, and it’s my senior year, so I thought I’d give it a shot.” It is crazy to think these two are going to play both sports. This will be something that is extremely hard to do. I asked them what they thought some of the challenges would be. They both told me that overall, they should be allowed to miss a few meets because of baseball. Jack told me how they won’t get a ton of practice because baseball is obviously their primary sport. As for Chris, he said it will be challenging for time management.
Jack Lambert
Top 10 20 Evan Clephane ‘24 Staff Writer
The 2021 NFL
Finally, Coach Quatman said he could see the team expanding their horizons in the future, given that they used to compete in indoor meets hosted by Ohio State, Indiana, and Cedarville. Given the statements by Coach Boeing, and Coach Quatman, there seems to be a different type of buzz around the track team this year. Everyone seems excited to compete in their first indoor meets. Nobody on the team has ever gotten the opportunity to compete in these meets, and they all hope to not only run successful times right now, but also hope to use this as a base to build for a successful spring season. Both meets Elder is set to compete in feature a wide range of events, including sprinting events, distance events, and field events. Some of Elder’s top performers get to showcase their offseason training by going head-to-head with teams like St. Xavier, Mason, and Oak Hills. It is always an interesting competition when the Panthers and Highlanders run against each other, but now these runners look to elevate their abilities by sticking with the local powerhouses of St. Xavier and Mason. Getting the opportunity to compete in these indoor meets offers a new perspective to all athletes. This allows them to get used to a different environment of running, and a more intense racing atmosphere. Given that these events are run indoors with 15 different teams attending, the crowd noise will be very effective in helping Elder runners excel in their
Baseballers trying a second spring sport? Ben Hambleton ‘22 Staff Writer
Monday January 31, 2022
It will be difficult for him to juggle playing two sports while also doing schoolwork. Obviously, it will be challenging for the two of them. However, their speed makes up for it. We got into a little more discussion on track and what they think their strengths will be. They know with the help of Justin Re they could have a pretty solid 4x100 relay team. Therefore, I asked them what events they planned on running. Chris wants to run the 100 meter and be a part of the 4x100 meter relay. As for Lambert it is pretty much the same. He wants to do the 100 meter and 4x100 meter relay. He also wants to try the 200 meter as well. I think these will be great for both. Chris is someone who can run extremely fast for 100 meters while Lambert can also do the same in running 200 meters. I then went on to ask the two on what they hope to achieve and what goals they have. Chris responded by saying, “I’m hoping to do pretty well in my first year of track. I know it’s going to be difficult at the start, but I know I can do well. As for baseball, I know we have a chance to go back to state and we plan to.” Lambert similarly said, “It’s something new that I hope to do well in. I think we have a great chance to go far with our relays. In baseball our goal first and foremost is winning GCL. Last year we came in second but expect to win it this season. After that we know we can make a run to state. Just like
Playoffs have come to a wrap and as Super Bowl LVI approaches, we now have seen the talent of each and every one of the quarterbacks that competed, yet the big question is “Who outperformed the others?” We’ll be counting down from top ten best to worst 2021 NFL Playoff QB season rankings. Starting off with a well-deserved No. 1 spot going to none other than Los Angeles Rams QB, Matthew Stafford. After a very productive first year in LA, Stafford ended the season with 4,886 respective events. Most people don’t recognize just how much crowd noise truly helps a runner run his best race. Junior Jake Miller, who is competing in the 1600-meter run in both indoor meets said, “I’m excited to run in a new environment, and to run with a smaller group of guys, which will be a new experience for me.” There is no doubt that all members of the Elder Track and Field team are ecstatic about this opportunity, whether they are one of the select few participating in these meets, or if they are just out to support their teammates. From the coaching staff to the runners, the energy seems to be the same. They all expect to start the season off right, with some strong performances, and a successful spring season. The excitement is also there on both ends, the coaches are excited to return to indoor meets, after a long five-year hiatus, while the athletes can’t wait to finally get the chance to compete in an indoor meet after years of waiting for this opportunity to arise. Overall, January 28 and February 11 cannot come fast enough for these athletes. Chris Kammerer
we did last year.” These two teams have a great chance of going far in the postseason. However, the player’s focus is getting better each and every day. Therefore, I asked them how exactly they are preparing for both track and baseball. Chris and Jack both told me they have baseball practices on Monday’s, Wednesday’s, and Saturday’s. While in between those days they are lifting three times a week. They have just started running with the track guys every Thursday after school. Clearly, these two have a very busy schedule on their hands during the week. I’m sure as the season progresses it will get even busier. However, personally knowing these guys I know they will not only be able to handle it but do great in both sports. Be sure to catch the track team and baseball team this season. Be on the lookout for these two guys. They are in the midst of breaking history at Elder High.
Monday January 31, 2022
9
Sports
021 Playoff QB season rankings Reds offseason update passing Yds, 41 TDs, and 17 INT, third in the NFL. It’s not an overshot to say he’s been nothing short of dominant this year, he’s quite possibly the Messiah of the Rams franchise. Stafford leaving the Detroit Lions is arguably the best thing that’s happened in his career, giving him a fresh start in LA. Working with a 23rd ranked scoring offense in 2020, Stafford took the team to a 12-5 2021 season record. Rams head coach Sean McVay changed the scheme of the entire offense to fit Stafford’s aggressive style and it was surely not the wrong decision. Stafford severely outperformed expectations coming into the 2021 season. Immediately clicking with his teammates Stafford’s game has been incredibly smooth and consistent. The team’s confidence to take on Super Bowl LVI conversations can be seen from a mile away. On that note, our close No. 2 spot goes to legendary QB, Tom Brady of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With Brady’s second season in Tampa
balls left and right with a flick of the wrist. There’s not a whole lot to say about Rodgers 2021 season other than he is Aaron Rodgers. Our No. 4 spot goes to past Super Bowl LIV champ, QB Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs. Mahomes put up yet another record book season throwing for 4839 Yds, 37 TDs, and 13 INTs. The future for the Kansas City Chiefs looks bright with an ace up their sleeves like Mahomes. Mahomes routinely connected with No. 1 ranked TE Travis Kelce this year with 1,125 receiving Yds on the season for Kelce and connected with No. 3 ranked WR Tyreek Hill this year with 1,239 receiving Yds on the season as well. Our No. 5 spot goes to hometown hero, QB Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals who some might say single handedly took the Bengals this far in the 2021 season. Burrow put up big numbers this season with his young age throwing for 4,611 Yds, 34 TDs, and 14 INTs.
The 2022 Playoffs featured elite QB talent including (l to r) Mahomes, Rodgers and Allen. (image from images.actionnetwork.com)
Bay being better than the first there’s no question he deserves the No. 2 spot. Buccaneer’s ending the 2021 regular season with a 13-4 record, and Brady throwing for 5,316 Yds, 43 TDs, and 12 INTs, first in the NFL. It’s out of the ordinary to see Tom put up numbers like this because he’s done it multiple times in the past. It seems like an understatement to put TB 12 at No. 2 in playoff QB rankings, yet its no lie to say he’s surrounded by a ‘Super Team’. While at Tampa Bay Brady has been surrounded by the third top ranked offense in the 2020 season and second top ranked offense in the 2021 season. Brady’s game this season, to put it short, has been about what wins the game. It’s difficult to pinpoint Brady’s playing style this season, one game it’s short balls and ground and pound on the gridiron, the next its deep balls down field. Whatever is needed for the Bucs to come out on top, Brady is all over it. Heading to our No. 3 spot it’s going to go to long time Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers. It would be a criminal act to put Rodgers lower than No. 3 with how phenomenal he’s played these past two seasons. Leading his team in the 2020 season to a 13-3 record and 13-4 record in the 2021 season. Rodgers threw for 4,115 Yds, 37 TDs, and just 4 INTs this season, great numbers from a great QB! With talks of him leaving the Packers before the season I’m positive Packers fans are sure glad he stayed. The play style of Rodgers seeming merely routine, he completed 50 YD deep
Burrow found his new favorite target this season with rookie Ja’Marr Chase receiving roughly 1,455 of Burrow’s passing Yds. With Burrow at QB, Chase is likely to see a Rookie of the Year to his name. Burrow’s game consisted of balanced and rhythmic drops, clean footwork, and calmness. He seemed to handle pressure flawlessly, keeping his eyes down field, movement in the pocket, and keeping plays alive without putting his team in a bad position. The future for the Bengals looks crystal clear for Burrow with a Super Bowl win coming shortly. This leads us to yet another young QB at our No. 6 spot, Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills with another great season. Allen threw for 4,407 Yds, 36 TDs, and 15 INTs and showed people the true talent of this kid who was overlooked by many the first two years of his career. Allen spread out the ball more this year than the season prior, trying to give every one of his WRs equal opportunities to make big plays. The Bills as a team have come a long way having the No. 1 defense in the 2021 season and No. 8 offense. It is no doubt Allen has played a large role in the team’s success in the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Our No. 7 spot goes to Dallas Cowboys QB, Dak Prescott. Prescott has come a long way since his gruesome ankle injury in the 2020 season, ending the 2021 season with 4,449 Yds, 37 TDs, and 10 INTs. These are very good numbers put up by a very good QB, who I can only imagine will sharpen his skills and get better each year.
Shawn Wyatt ‘22 Features Editor
The 2022 MLB season (if there ends
up being one) is quickly approaching. Of course, with the current MLB lockout, which has been in place for nearly two months, it is tough to tell if the issues will be resolved before the season, or even before spring training, which is set to begin in February. Either way, I think the Cincinnati Reds will be a team to watch this year. Last season, the Reds went 83-79, finishing third in the NL Central behind the Milwaukee Brewers and the St. Louis Cardinals. The Reds are a team that I think can really make a push for a division title this year, and a playoff spot. Building on what they had in 2021, the potential for the Reds this year is exciting, even without Nick Castellanos. We will still have most of our starting lineup from last season, including Jonathan India, Jesse Winker, Joey Votto, and others. India and Tyler Stephenson will hopefully continue to grow as players as they enter their second year in the show. With Tucker Barnhart gone, it looks like Stephenson will be the everyday catcher, although he could play first base if needed. The Reds also still have Eugenio Suarez at third base, who is looking to bounce back after a disappointing 2021 season. If Suarez gets back to his 2019 form, this Reds infield could be one of the better ones in the league. India and Stephenson quickly became two of my favorite players on this team last season, and I can’t wait to see what they can do this year. Within the next few years, Jonathan India could become a household name in baseball, one of those guys that you see on every baseball highlight video on YouTube. Let’s just hope the Reds don’t lose either of these guys anytime soon, because I think these two young studs could become the heart and soul of this Reds team. The Reds also have several other guys that could make an impact again this year. Mike Moustakas, who was injured for most of last season, should be back and ready to go. I would love to see them try and switch Moustakas and Suarez at third base. Having two guys competing for a spot in the starting lineup will make them both want to work harder and be “that guy”. Losing guys like Nick Castellanos and Michael Lorenzen definitely hurts, Although some may say Prescott lost the Cowboys the Wild Card game against San Francisco 49ers by running the clock out, he will surely bounce back next season and fix his mistakes. Our No. 8 spot goes to eight year veteran QB, Derek Carr, of the Las Vegas Raiders. Carr has had good seasons in the past, but nothing compares to this 2021 season yardage wise. Carr throwing for a career high 4,804 Yds, yet with 23 TDs, and 14 INTs. Although great numbers, Carr has lacked consistency this year. Overthrows, underthrows, and pocket unawareness have been negative tendencies of Carr this season. It is to note that expectations were low following October of this season after Raiders head coach Jon Gruden was fired upon allegations centered around him. The team preformed to the best of their abilities, with Carr being the center of attention. Our No. 9 spot was a tough decision, but it’ll have to go to QB Ryan Tannehill
In 2021, Jesse Winker posted a .305 average with 71 RBI.
but the Reds have a good group of guys in the outfield to hopefully make up for the loss. Jesse Winker, Tyler Naquin, and Aristides Aquino could potentially be the opening day starters in the outfield. There are also guys such as Shogo Akiyama and Nick Senzel as other options. It is likely that Senzel should return from his injury at some point early this season. The Reds will have a decent starting rotation this year with Luis Castillo, Sonny Gray, and Tyler Mahle being our three best options. Hunter Greene is also expected to get the call up to the big leagues. Castillo will be looking to start out this year on a much better note than he did last year, when he went 8-16 with a 3.98 ERA. Hunter Greene had a decent season last year in AAA Louisville. In 65.1 innings pitched, he struck out 79 batters, walked 25, and pitched with a 4.13 ERA. Greene is another guy that has loads of potential for this team. I can easily see him becoming one of our best pitchers within the next three years as he continues to grow and adapt to playing in the MLB. Even if Opening Day ends up getting delayed because of the lockout, I think the Reds will still perform similarly to how they did last year, if not better. I could see them improving, but only time will tell. of the Tennessee Titans. Tannehill has had a solid run so far in Tennessee, ending this season with 3,743 Yds, 21 TDs, and 14 INTs. Not much is to say about Tannehill other than he’s consistent and a game manager. The Titans offense heavily carried by their rushing the seasons prior with Derrick Henry, this 2021 season was a different story due to Henry being injured majority of the season. All and all Titans made their way to the playoffs and Tannehill played his part thoroughly. Last, but not least, our No . 10 spot goes to Arizona Cardinals QB, Kyler Murray. Murray had another very solid season throwing for 3,787 Yds, 24 TDs, and 10 INTs. His ranking would be much higher if it weren’t for Arizona losing four of their last five games, causing Murray to become more active as a scrambler down the stretch. Murray’s consistency will likely bounce back next season with his mentality of constantly wanting to be better.
10
Sports
Monday January 31, 2022
Driehaus, Re and Weber talk track Andrew Corbett ‘22 Staff Writer
Preparing for track and field requires a
lot of effort and determination. Three of Elder’s top performers, Joey Driehaus, Justin Re, and Tommy Weber embody this. Driehaus is the only senior pole vaulter looking to make some big strides this season. Re is the team’s fastest sprinter looking for another successful season, While Weber, as the team’s fastest distance athlete, looks to make a statement. Junior Justin Re said he has been staying ready for this upcoming season by lifting with football three days a week and running with the track team the other two days. Re said he would like to break 11 seconds in the 100-meter dash, as well as winning GCL, and qualifying for the state meet. Re also said he is looking forward to the various new additions to the team this year, saying “I’m looking forward to all the new guys coming and having fun with all of them.” Re said he loves competing with the Moeller and St. X guys because they provide the most competition for him, and he lines up well against them. Finally, Re said he expects Gabe Porter to stand out as a hurdler this year, and he is looking forward to what some other sprinters might be able to do. Re was a standout performer in 2021, in a year where the team wasn’t quite sure what to expect out of the sprinters. He stepped up big time and the team could always count on him to place well in pretty much any event in which he competed. Senior Joey Driehaus is the team’s only senior pole vaulter said he has been lifting on his own and practicing with
Elder’s pole vault coach all off season to get ready for this spring. Driehaus said he would love to make his mark on the Elder record books this year, saying “One of my big goals this year is to be a state placer, but also to break Robby Oswald’s record.” Driehaus said he is looking forward to all the “seniority” on the team since the field events don’t have many seniors. He went on to say, “Being one of the only seniors in the jump squad, it’s a great opportunity for leadership, but also it’s a fun time.” Driehaus said he enjoys competing against Talawanda because of how good their pole-vaulting team is, and the experience they have to offer. He also said he expects Zach Tate to have another standout year, after tying the freshman pole vault record last season, Tate is expected to be another key contributor to the team this spring. Driehaus was a newcomer to the track and field team last season, at first, the team didn’t know what to expect out of the pole vaulters, because they were all new. Eventually Driehaus and Tate became reliable options to pick up some points at every meet. Junior Tommy Weber had a breakout season last year, which carried over nicely into this past cross-country season. Weber is by far the hardest working distance athlete, and he looks to use this to his advantage this track season. Weber said to prepare for this season he has been putting in a lot of miles, while also finding a nice balance of speedwork along with it. He also said he would like to win GCL individually, and as a team, while also being in a good spot to qualify for state.
Weber said he believes we have a very good team this year saying, “We got a really good team this year, and I think we have a lot of guys who can qualify to regionals and hopefully to state as well.” He also added, “I’m also looking forward to Andrew Corbett being our track captain.” While the team won’t vote for captains until early March, it’s always nice to hear that. Weber also said he likes to compete against Oak Hills and he also said he agrees with Justin Re, with the fact that Gabe Porter will pick up a lot of points for the Panthers this track season. Weber also said he likes competing against St. X as they typically have some of the best distance athletes in the state. He said running against St. X really pushes him to be the best runner he can possibly be as he does not want to lose to any of those guys. All three of these guys have a winning attitude, and a great leadership style. Last season Re and Weber, as sophomores became people that everyone would go to for help or tips on their events. With Driehaus being in his first year of pole vaulting last season, he was also very helpful to
Zach Tate, even though they were both in their first seasons of pole vaulting. Between Driehaus, Re, and Weber, Elder track looks to be in good hands. With two of the team’s top performers only being juniors, Weber, and Re, Elder track will certainly be a force for the next two years. Having the senior leadership with Driehaus in the jump squad certainly helps them, as they look for another successful season. These three athletes are very talented in their respective events. With all three hoping to make a run to the state meet this summer, the team looks to be in good shape. Each of them is more than capable of competing at state championship levels, and it should be exciting to see how they perform when the season comes around. Overall, their attitudes toward their goals, and the leadership they provide offer a great perspective into what looks to be a great upcoming track season for the Panthers. Justin Re can run pretty much any sprinting event and place well, Joey Driehaus will be tearing up the pole vault competition and Tommy Weber will undoubtedly be placing close to the top in every 3200-meter run he competes in.
Monday January 31, 2022
From the Archives of The Quill
11
Looking back at The Quill Seth Trischler ‘22 Co-Editor in Chief
As all our avid Quill readers hopefully
know, in celebration of the upcoming 100th anniversary of Elder we are featuring Purple Quill articles from each decade Elder has been operating. This month we feature two articles from the 70’s. The first being “Archbishop Elder Portrait New Feature of Art Museum”. This article was a part of the January 1979 paper. It covers the painting of Archbishop Elder by Thomas Eakins and how it had been acquired by The Cincinnati Art Museum. It also goes in depth on both Elder and Eakins and what they were doing around the time the painting was completed. The second article I found is “Are the Students Really Involved in the 50th Anniversary?” This article was a part of the January 1973 print edition of The Quill. This article covers what students were doing in preparation for the 50th Anniversary of Elder. I chose both of these because they have to do with our history of our school. The first being an interesting article about the man who our school is named after and a painting of him. Then the second having to do with the 50th Anniversary and what they did to celebrate it. I thought it was a great choice since we are celebrating the 100th Anniversary of our school next year, so it goes hand and hand with what we are doing now.
from January 1979
Archbishop Elder Portrait New Feature of Art Museum By an unknown quill member
The Cincinnati Art Museum has just
acquired one of the leading American portraits of all times, “The Archbishop William Henry Elder” by Thomas Eakins (1844-1916). The portrait signed “Eakins, 1903, went on view at the Museum starting Wednesday, December 13. This masterpiece brought the highest known auction price for a portrait by an American artist and the record price to date for an Eakins painting when it was sold at Sotheby Parke Bernet in April, 1978 to Coe Kerr Gallery, Inc., from whom the Museum acquired it. The seller was the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. “This superb painting now is returning to its home town, and has arrived just in time to be a Christmas gift to our community,” comments Museum Director Millard F.
Rogers, Jr. Rome, and was ordained a priest in 1846. The painting was completed in That same year he was appointed Director Cincinnati during December, 1903, in one of the Ecclesiastical Seminary and Profesweek’s time, according to a letter from sor of Theology at Mount St. Mary’s ColEakins to a friend. “I think it one of my lege. In 1857, he was consecrated Bishop best,” he added. Possibly the Archbishop of Natchez, Mississippi through his had met the artist at St. Charles Semihumanity and his courage, often including nary in Overbrook, Pennsylvania where great personal risks on the battlefields and the non-religious Eakins often visited, in the camps of the Civil War. In 1864, to hold discussions in Latin, at which he he was arrested, tried and convicted by a was very proficient, and to sketch and Union military court for refusing to use paint many of the prelates there. Records a form of prayer for the President of the are lacking on the exact circumstances of United States, a decision later overturned the sitting in Cincinnati, but the work is in Washington. one of three notable portraits Eakins did It was in 1880 that Elder was appointof high Roman Catholic church dignitared Coadjutor to Archbishop John Baptist ies between 1902 and 1905. It dates from between the portrait of Sebastiano Cardinal Martinelli, first Apostolic Delegate to the United States, of 1902 (now in the Armand Hammer Collection) and that of the third Apostolic Delegate, Diomede Falconio, later Cardinal, of 1905 (in the National Gallery of Art). While in the possession of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, it twice had been shown at the Cincinnati Art Museum, in 1951 for an exhibition, “Paintings: 1900-1925,” and again in 1957 for The Contemporary Arts Center’s “An American Viewpoint.” The sitter, Archbishop Elder, had a career which in itself undoubtedly fascinated the artist and is reflected in his masterful penetration of the humanitarian character of his subject. William Henry Elder was born in Baltimore in 1819, was educated at Mount St. Mary’s College, Emmittsburg, Maryland and Thomas Eakins’ portrait of Archbishop William Henry Elder. the College of the Propagand in
Purcell of Cincinnati, and became Archbishop in 1883 upon Purcell’s death. His monumental tasks were not over with this appointment, for he inherited the difficult labors of setting to rights a Cincinnati Archdiocese riddled by financial problems, unpaid debts and chaotic business affairs. His later years were marked by the herculean labors of bringing sound fiscal policies into archdiocesan affairs and by the charitable and wise stewardship of his congregation which were life-long characteristics. He died in October, 1904, and is buried in St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Cincinnati. Eakins, whose life dates almost parallel those of Cincinnati’s own Frank Duveneck whom he undoubtedly knew, was born in Philadelphia in 1844, and he studied in Paris at the Ecole des Beaux Arts under Jean Leon Gerome whose “Slave Market” hangs in the Museum. When the artist returned to Philadelphia he became associated with the prestigious Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts School as an instructor and later as Director of the School of Painting. His unrelenting approach to the study of anatomy and the robust, unabashedly realistic treatment of subject matter in such works as his famous “Gross Clinic ‘’ of 1875 put him totally out of step with the prim sensibilities of his times, at least in Philadelphia. Unrepentant and unyielding when colleagues and patrons recoiled from the “Gross Clinic” and refused to give it a public viewing, and constantly hounded for exposing female drawing classes to the shocks of undraped male models, he parted stormily from the Academy in 1886.
continued on next page
12 continued from page 11 from January 1973
Are the Students Really Involved in the 50th Anniversary?
From the Archives
lack of transportation, or lack of concern. If a student does, however, have a gripe or a suggestion, Pat Galvin would prefer that he see him first. As Student Council President, John Ratterman put it: “The people on the committee have put many hours in deciding the structure of the celebrations, and we should give them the thanks that they deserve.”
Original photo scanned from the January 1973 issue complete with a typo on John Raterman’s name.
By Dan Bellman and John Rauf ‘73
As Elder closes the first half of its 50th
year celebration, seniors and underclassmen alike are viewing Elder in a special way-or at least they should be. To many students, what took months of planning and what was designed to involve both them and their predecessors, is in effect leaning to either the alumni or to only a faction of the student body. “Elder Night” at the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra was the largest activity that was open to all the students. But many students do not appreciate symphony music and felt “left out.” How to involve 11,700 people with an age rage from 15 to 68 is an enigma which faces the people who design to develop the festivities. “There aren’t very many things that both freshman and sophomores want to do at the same time,” informed Pat Galvin, Student Council Vice President and member of the 50th Committee. “The only real activity that is appropriate would be something like a “big party.” The 50th Committee has been thinking about this for a long time, and the closest thing that we have to it is a rock concert in the stadium this year.” To say this year seems completely like all other years would be unfair. Elder has some of its most familiar songs recorded professionally, and the Public Relations Department is producing a special 16mm movie on “The Elder Tradition” to be ready towards the end of the year.
The Glee Club and the Band will be going to Washington in the spring, and a series of special events are still lined up. In addition, Fr. Duesing points out that any sports rally, banquet, or play is a part of the Elder 50th Year Celebration. “The largest part of the celebration is yet to come in the special week of May 13-19,” Fr. Duesing pointed out. “Something special is planned each day for the students.” Lack of communication and concern may be the biggest problem if a student does feel left out of the year’s activities. Attendance at the Student Council general assemblies is very poor. If a class representative is not performing his obligation, the student is welcome to participate at any general assembly. “When a student openly criticizes the 50th committee,” Pat Galvin stated, “he is not doing anything concrete except getting the problem out in the open. Criticism is all right, but suggestions are better. A student would save a lot of time if he would come to the Student Council officials first.” Some students feel misrepresented concerning the decisions on activities. Fr. Duesing, however, feels that he is the one
Monday January 31, 2022
What stands out to me first from both of
that is misrepresented. “The 50th Committee has been in operation for a long time, and they have always had student members on the board,” directed Fr. Duesing. “This year, they have the greatest representation with a total of five members.” “The root of the problem is that the activities that we do have are not publicized enough,” Fr. Duesing continued. “Too many students do not feel involved because they do not know what is going on. I don’t blame any student for criticizing us, but it would go a lot better if they went to their own representatives on the committee.” In any event, every student must concede that there are few activities in which every student and alumnus can participate - whether it be lack of money,
these articles is the history that they entail. You can see it in the articles but also in the writing itself. The second thing I notice when looking through these is from the anniversary article. It is the fact that they were thinking of holding a concert in the stadium which I can only assume was the PIT. That means we were that close to having the first concert held in the PIT back then and probably having many more after. The one held this past year with Darius Rucker was unbelievable, so to think we could have potentially had more in our lifetime is crazy. I love going through these old Quills because there are so many other articles that I see too that cover various subjects in Elder’s history that unfortunately do not make this small feature that we put out each month. Stay tuned next month to find out what the 80’s have in store for us in our journey through the history of Elder through the pages of our old Purple Quills!
Monday January 31, 2022
Senior Profile
Sheridan’s choice benefits many Panthers Seth Trischler ‘22 Co-Editor in Chief
From this issue on, I hope to make this a
recurring feature here in the pages of The Quill. I plan on interviewing a different senior each remaining month and shedding light on who they are, what they have done, what they are doing, and what they plan to do in the future. I think it is important for everyone to get at least one chance to explain who they are on a deeper level and hopefully this does just that. This month we start off with someone who I feel does not get enough of the spotlight and this is Jack Sheridan our other Co-Editor in Chief. I feel many do not know Jack because he is rather a quiet person, but he is involved with much more than people know. Jack is a part of the Student Ambassador Society, The Purple Quill, Why Not? Service Group, Student Council and the Yearbook Club. He also tutors at the Boys & Girls Club while holding a spring through fall job. Also did I forget to mention he swims for Elder, too. That is a lot for someone to handle while keeping their grades up, but Jack does it fairly easily. While all those extracurricular activities mean a tremendous amount to Jack, one means a little more than the others. This is swimming. Jack started swimming for Elder his junior year which is not seen very often because most people are scared to join another sport if they didn’t participate in it early in their time at Elder. You are usually very behind, and it is tough to succeed against everyone else who has had years of practice. This did not steer Jack away though and he decided to give it a try. Jack was currently not playing another sport at the time since he played football his freshman year. Jack ended up
loving it and it still is one of his favorite sports to this day. When I asked Jack why he loves swimming so much he said, “I love the individual aspect of swimming. In swimming, you are always racing against yourself and are always pushing yourself to swim a better time, so being able to challenge myself to achieve better times each time that I am in the pool is something that I love. It is also a great feeling when you have teammates and coaches that push you and cheer you on to swim your best, and that is exactly the case at Elder.” Jack also made sure that I knew how much he loves his coaches and teammates. Jack participates in a couple of events during their meets. He swims mainly shorter events like the 50 free and the 200 free relay, but he will also swim the 100 free and the 400 free relay from time to time. Jack is not just a swimmer like I said before. He is also a member of The Purple Quill and most definitely our best writer. Jack has taken Journalism since his junior year and even contributed to The Quill when he didn’t take the class in the second semester of his junior year. That shows how much he cares about it and how much he wants to see it get better. I asked Jack why he liked the class so much and he responded with, “I like having the ability to write about pretty much anything I want. I have always loved to write, but in English classes, where most of my writing took place, I was always limited to a prompt when it comes to what I could write. However, Journalism has allowed me to write about pretty much anything that I am interested in, and it has given me the ability to write many cool stories, interview lots of people, and ultimately, just to speak my mind.” If you have read The Quill at all this year, then you have noticed that we do not have that many writers. This semester we have even fewer, so I asked Jack if he had anything to say to promote students to take Journalism or even just write for it on the side. He answered, “If there are any underclassmen who are interested in taking Journalism, I really encourage you to follow your heart. You have only four years, so make the most of them and don’t let yourself look back at your time at Elder when you graduate and say, “I wish I did that.” This class builds writing skills, social and interview skills, and it broadens students’ knowledge and ability to use digital media sources like our online news site. You can write about pretty much any topic that interests you, you can start a
podcast, start a video series, and do pretty much everything else that will allow you to speak your mind. It has been a really fun and useful class since I started taking it, and it is one of the best choices I have made regarding making the most of my time here at Elder.” Something many of you do not know about Jack is that he originally was set to go to St. X. Yea, I know, he sure dodged that bullet. His dad went to X and all he ever did was brag about it to Jack, so naturally he went on his dad’s word like the rest of us would do. During that last summer, though, Jack started to have second thoughts. Jack explained, “I took some summer classes, like a study skills class, that were designed to help with the transition from grade school classes to high school classes, but I just didn’t enjoy it when I was there. I played football my freshman year, and when I had summer practices that summer, I also did not enjoy those either. I ended up talking to my parents about it, and I told them that deep down I really wanted to go to Elder.” His family then reached out to the Admissions Department here at Elder and then the rest was history. Since Jack has had almost four years since that decision, I asked him if he had any regrets and he said no. This did lead us to a couple of Jack’s favorite memories he has had during his time at Elder. The one that sticks out to him though is a very recent one. As seniors we each attend Kairos as a mandatory event in order to graduate. Jack enjoyed his experience so much that he decided to apply to be a leader of a future retreat and he was ultimately selected. I asked him why he enjoyed it so much and he responded, “It (Kairos) allowed me to step out of my comfort zone, get away
13 from all of the stresses of everyday life for a few days, and just to have a good time with my friends.” Elder is a special place because you do not just leave the place with countless friends and memories but with an idea of who you are as a person. Elder changes you from a grade schoolboy to a respectable young man in four years. During these years you start to see these changes both physically and mentally. I asked Jack what is one change that he has seen in himself since entering Elder. He told me, “I think my ability to be honest with myself. In grade school and in freshman year, I feel like I always tried to do the things that my friends were doing and that I was always wanted to do the “cool” thing, but as I got older, I learned that being happy means walking on your own path and doing the things you truly enjoy doing, and it is not doing things that will make other people happy but that you do not enjoy doing.” This is such great wisdom at such a young age because as another teenager I can attest that sometimes we get carried away and try to please other people and care too much about what they think of us that we lose sight of what makes us happy. As the second semester rolls on, things start to get real for the seniors and what they want to do with their life. I asked Jack a few questions on what he sees himself doing next year and the many to come after. For next year Jack said, “I am not 100% sure where I am going to college yet, but I am leaning towards NKU. My other top choices include Miami, Dayton, and OSU. I want to major in Law, which is offered only by NKU and is the reason why I am leaning towards there, but my second choice would be Political Science. I want to go to law school and eventually become a lawyer in the future, so both of these majors would be of great use for me when it comes to pursuing that goal.” Jack knows one thing though and that is that he will be living on campus which I think is important for people to do at least one year while they are at college. It helps with meeting people and gives you a different sense of freedom that you have never experienced. While Jack may not have his future totally figured out yet, there is one thing that can be considered by reading this article. That is that Jack Sheridan embodies what Elder looks for in a student. He has left his mark on this school in many ways and Elder (and certainly The Quill) is ultimately better off because he decided to continue his education here.
14
Arts & Entertainment
Monday January 31, 2022
Cordae delivers a decent album with From a Bird’s Eye View Shawn Wyatt ‘22 Features Editor
One of my personal favorite hip hop
artists is Cordae. He was formerly known as YBN Cordae as a member of the rap collective YBN. He dropped the YBN from his name in August 2020, when the collective disbanded, now simply going by Cordae. In 2019, he released his first full-length album, The Lost Boy, an ambitious project that I really enjoyed. When I heard about Cordae releasing his second album, From a Bird’s Eye View, I was pretty excited, and it released on January 14. I went into this album expecting something similar to The Lost Boy. I enjoyed it, although I was slightly disappointed. That is not to say that this project is bad, because there were several parts of it that I enjoyed. The opening track to this album, “Shiloh’s Intro”, is a freestyled track by Shiloh Young, a friend of Cordae’s who is currently in prison. The next track “Jean-Michel” features a trippy drum loop with an old-sounding piano in the background. Some of the songs on this album, though, are pretty mediocre and forgettable. Songs such as “Momma’s Hood” and “Want From Me” were not necessarily bad songs, just offerings that are overshadowed by some of the better tracks. This is an album that, in my opinion, is top heavy.
The good songs are memorable, but a few are below average. I don’t think any particular song on this project is “bad”, but it is clear that not all of them had the same amount of time and effort put into them. Several big names are featured on this album. Cordae features Lil Wayne, Gunna, and Lil Durk on this record. I was pleasantly surprised to see Freddie Gibbs on the track list because he is a pretty underrated rapper in my opinion. The song “Sinister”, which features Lil Wayne, is a highlight on this album. This song features Cordae and Wayne rapping over a beat that sounds straight from the 1990’s. On “Champagne Glasses”, Cordae raps about some aspects of his past, as well as his family. The chorus on this track, which is sung by Cordae, is one of the catchier parts of this album. This track features Freddie Gibbs, who delivers a decent verse which features some of his typical subject matter, murder, being in gangs, and guns. He switches up his flow, though, which sounds pretty nice. This song closes with a harmonica solo performed by Stevie Wonder and ends with some nice strings. One of my favorite instrumentals is the closing track, “Westlake High”. This song sounds great, although the lyrical content is nothing special. The vocal samples and instruments are what makes this song for me. After “Westlake High”,
the album also features two bonus tracks. The first is a remix of Cordae’s 2020 song “Parables” which now features a verse from Eminem. This is just another average rap song that Cordae decided to throw on this album, and it doesn’t really do much for the record as a whole. The second of the two bonus tracks, “Gifted”, is much better. This is an upbeat song that contains Cordae talking about some of what it is like to be famous. This track features Roddy Ricch and Ant Clemmons, who add positively to the
Book of Boba Fett satisfies Star Wars fans Phillip Hoffman ‘22 Video Editor
The bulk of episode two is spent in the
past with Boba’s tank sessions. This seems to be the source of his flash backs. After rescuing a young Tuscan raider in the previous episode, the tribe has allowed Boba to live with them and are teaching him their warrior tactics. This helps explain how he got so good with a staff in the Mandalorian. Up to this point, he had only been fighting with blasters and his suit attachments. The training scenes showed Boba getting knocked down time and time again. This shows that it takes time to master the techniques these Tuscan raiders have been using for years. Shortly after this, the tribe is fired upon by a freighter train running the spice route run by the Pike Syndicate, who we have seen in both The Clone Wars and most recently The Bad Batch. Seeing this, Boba uses some of his bounty hunting skills to show the raiders
how to stop them. For Boba, this required some tools, but the tribe people didn’t have the weapons to take down a speeding train. Boba then heads to a local cantina and robs a gang in an epic fighting fashion that old school fans had been dying to see. Now that he had gotten the equipment necessary to take down the freighter ship, he had to show the Tuscans how to really fight. Not just their wimpy attacks that we have seen throughout the Star Wars Franchise. After some training and planning, they waited to stop the train the next time it came through. Post to an epic take down and capture of the leader in the spice train battle scene, we see Boba defending his new mates and demanding their future security. He tells the intruders that from now on, they will have to pay a toll to the Tuscans if they so choose to cross their land. We start to see a shocking reality that the Tuscans are not just uncivilized bar-
barians as most had seen them as in previous movies and shows. They in fact are an incredibly tight family of people that have just been bullied around their whole lives. Since they were so weak, they were forced to scrap and steal parts from people even weaker than they were. Boba has now taught them his ways, and perhaps we will see them in a better light going forward in the franchise. Maybe we will even see them as an ally of Boba’s in the future of this series. This is a likely scenario considering the show takes place on Tatooine.
overall song. One of the better parts of this song is Cordae and Roddy going back and forth. This album should satisfy fans of Cordae, but for someone who is unfamiliar with Cordae, I would definitely recommend The Lost Boy before From a Bird’s Eye View. Like I have said, it is still a decent album, it just seems like an attempt to make something like his first album that did not quite deliver the same way The Lost Boy did.
Although we were only in the past during this episode, we may be seeing some guests visiting Boba soon. He has a history with Jabba the Hutt’s twin cousins who have turned up to lay claim to their dead relative’s former stronghold. It will be exciting to see just how their reunion takes place. Hopefully episode three will also give Fenik Shand more screen time because Ming-Na Wen is firing on all cylinders in the opening scenes. I hope you are as excited as I am to see what the next episode has in store. May the force be with you.
Boba repays his helpless hosts the Tuscan raiders by helping them stop a freighter train.
Monday January 31, 2022
Arts & Entertainment
Country music’s biggest up and comer Seth Trischler ‘22 Co-Editor in Chief
If you have watched my career as a
member of The Purple Quill or at least read some of my articles, then you have seen how much I love country music. Since entering high school, it has unexpectedly become a big part of who I am. The songs always find a way to relate to me and any problems that are going on in my life. I have covered a few in past articles that at the time were not necessarily my favorite artists but have become since then. These include Morgan Wallen and Riley Green. I am here today to present another country artist that is not that well known by public eyes. This is Cody Johnson. He has one hit song right now that currently plays on most country stations and that is his song, “‘Til You Can’t”. If you listen to country radio, then you probably have heard it. I started listening to Johnson about two months ago after my brother wouldn’t stop bugging me about this amazing country artist he just discovered. From that moment I haven’t stopped listening to him and find his music a nice refreshing change of pace from everyone else in the business right now.
“I could strike it big in Vegas, I could buy up half of Texas. Everybody’d know my name from here to Timbuktu. So go on put it on my stone. ‘Cause, girl, I know that when I’m gone. No matter what I did or didn’t do. I’ll be known for loving you.”
Johnson started out his career pursuing Rodeo. In an interview with fox26houston, Johnson even said that he has broken ribs, a leg, and even a bone spur in his C6 and C7 vertebrae. To go along with those injuries, he also has a pinched nerve in his neck. He only did music on the side until one day he felt that he was better at singing/writing music then riding bulls. I think it’s safe to say he would much rather be doing what he is doing now then what he used to do. I mean bone spurs and pinched nerves don’t sound that fun. Johnson had released six self-released albums until finally signing a record deal. He previously released an album last year around October that I believe did not get as much hype as it should have. This was Human: The Double Album. It consists of eighteen songs which almost all were new at the time. I think the album is unique because it does not have one theme. It has sad songs, upbeat songs, and just classic country songs. One thing that many non-traditional country fans will like is that he does not mention beer or trucks in almost all of his songs. Something that many people might appreciate from this album as well is that it sticks to old country music’s roots. There are no pop country songs; just a man with his guitar. Many of his songs are slow but I think they are intended that way on purpose. Each song has a unique story that you can interpret in many ways, but the slow pace helps you process the words getting thrown at you. There are a lot of great songs on this album, and it is almost perfect except for a couple of bad ones. In the rest of this article, I will be providing my top five favorite songs from this double album. 5. Sad Songs and Waltzes “Sad Songs and Waltzes” is almost a breakup song. It is a duet featuring Willie
Cody Johnson is one of 2021’s breakout country artists.
Nelson. If you do not know this song was written and sung by Nelson many years ago. I love this cover and especially that Johnson featured Nelson on it. It brings those old country vibes back and I love it. The song itself is about a man who has broken up with a girl because she cheated on him. He is writing a song about her in his tears, but she is lucky because as they say in the song “...sad songs and waltzes aren’t selling this year”. The melody is very soft and soothing. It is a song that I feel like would be listened to in a dive bar all alone while drinking a glass of whiskey. 4. ‘Til You Can’t ‘“Til You Can’t” is a song about taking a chance on something while you still have the opportunity. To not let it pass by and to take that leap of faith because one day you might regret you didn’t. Cody told thecountrydaily in an interview, ““Til You Can’t” is an opportunity for me to give a good message. Not only did I think that people needed to hear the message of taking chances and going out and doing things. Tell people you love them. Tell them you’re sorry. Really live life until you can’t. Not only did they need to hear it, I needed to hear it. Every night that I’ve played this song on stage it’s completely changed my perspective on things that were going on in my own life.” ‘“Til You Can’t” is currently Cody’s most popular song right now and is in the top 100 on Billboard’s Hot 100. While many people like to think that ‘“Til You Can’t” is the best song from this album because it’s popular, I beg to differ because to me it’s popular because it is similar to all the new age pop country everybody likes. I also do not like to be basic so I couldn’t put it in my top three. 3. Known for Loving You A thing I like about this song is the immediate reference to the legend, Johnny Cash. This a thing Cody does often where he pays homage to a lot of country music legends. “Known For Loving You” is a fast-paced song that is basically what the title says. It is about a man being satisfied if he dies and the only thing, he is known for is loving his girl. He does not care if he isn’t in her league or if he isn’t known for good looks. He only cares that people know that he loves her. A part of this song that I love are the lyrics, “I could strike it big in Vegas, I could buy up half of Texas. Everybody’d know my name from here to Timbuktu. So go on put it on my stone. ‘Cause, girl, I know that when I’m gone. No matter what I did or didn’t do. I’ll be known for loving you.” This is a big part of the chorus, and not only does it rhyme
15 but it also strikes me while listening to it. It is a song about great love that sounds perfect with Johnson singing it. This song is great and was automatically put on my playlist after I listened to it but there are a couple more that I think are even better. 2. Human I think Cody sums up this song in his interview with Taste of Country Nights pretty well. He told them that “Human” is one of the most personal things he’s ever recorded because it’s him. I think a singer’s best performance always comes when a song means something to them. In this case it did, and you can tell. You can feel the emotion in this song while you are listening to it. It is a very vulnerable song and I think it adds to the words. It is about a cowboy who wants his lady to forgive him. He says in the song that he is still learning to be human, and I really like that line because at the end of the day we all are trying to do that. Everyone makes mistakes and we are all human. 1. I Always Wanted To In my mind there was no other better song on the album than “I Always Wanted To”. The song comes in as the longest on the album being just over five minutes long. Johnson had this to say about the song in an interview with CMT, “I Always Wanted To” was kind of this sad song from the perspective of a 90-year-old person in a nursing home. Everyone in the writing room for that one kept telling me that it just had to be sad. However, I countered that sad songs could also have some grace and power to them too. “I always wanted a son, I always wanted a woodshed” are actually not sad words; they have some power, too. So we added that element to the song.” I think this song hits me the most because it reminds me of all that I want in life and that I do not want to end up like this man who is looking back on the things he wanted. In the end I think this song has the best lyrics and is the easiest to connect to. Country music to me is at its best when you can connect to it and feel a connection with the words that are being sung. That is why this is the best and my favorite song of Cody Johnson’s Human: The Double Album. Thus, this album is one of my favorites right now. Cody Johnson produced a masterpiece with this album and has hopefully brought old country back. This album has not gained as much traction as it should have since its release. That can tell you how much everybody has migrated into this pop country era. If this album is a hint of what is to come for the rest of his long career, then I am all for it and I think the rest of his fans are too. Certainly, give these a listen and don’t forget about the other 13 songs on this album! Let me know what your favorite is!
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Monday January 31, 2022
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The metaverse: explained
Facebook, Microsoft, and other massive companies are racing to develop the futuristic digital space, and people around the world are beginning to buy real estate in it. However, what exactly is the metaverse, and what does its future hold as a way for people to connect with each other? Jack Sheridan ‘22 Co-Editor in Chief
Does the idea of spending mil-
lions on a virtual house sound out of this world to you? Well, look no further than the metaverse, where homes are costing people six figures just for a spot in the virtual world. Yes, you heard that right: millions of dollars for a house that is in a virtual world. Why all the hype you may ask? Let’s talk about the metaverse. Recently becoming a hot topic for news outlets across the world, the metaverse first began to gain serious traction in recent months when Facebook’s parent company, formerly known as Facebook, Inc., rebranded itself as “Meta.” Now, the name is no coincidence, as a major aspect of the company’s rebranding centers around the metaverse. On its website, Meta offers users insight about the virtual world, describing the metaverse and the company’s role by saying, “The metaverse is the next evolution of social connection. Our company’s vision is to help bring the metaverse to life, so we are changing our name to reflect our commitment to this future.” Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg even made an hour-and-seventeen-minute video covering how the company would be influential in the advancement of the metaverse. Now, while you may be thinking that this is yet another example of massive advancements in technology, you might be surprised to learn that the metaverse is actually not all that new. Sure, the hype has really been centered on it in recent months due to Meta’s involvement in it, but it has actually been around for quite some time now. A great example of a type of metaverse that has been around for some time now is the video game Roblox. In this game, users are able to play with friends and basically create any kind of game that they are interested in playing. People have created massive worlds, have designed tasks and missions, and many other things that make this game stand out from the rest. Another example of a type of metaverse is the recent jump in virtual reality technology.Although it may have been unheard of a decade ago to put on a headset and immerse yourself in a virtual world, VR technology has become mainstream in recent years, and it has given users the ability to step into an almost entirely new world. The metaverse is supposed to be a virtual parallel to our own physical world, except it is also supposed to be the opposite at the same time. In many ways, things you can do in the metaverse strongly resemble things that users can already do in the physical world. Users of the metaverse create their own avatar and this avatar is basically a digital version of that person. With their respective avatars, users will be able to interact and communicate with each other and do many of the things that are already possible in the physical world. You can go shopping and sell things to other users in the metaverse, choose a career, you can meet up with friends and go to a concert, you can purchase property (which we will get into in a bit), as well as many other things. For many people, this idea is appealing. Let us pretend that there is a metaverse user who always wanted to be an astronaut. If someone were to create a replica of our solar system in the metaverse one day, that user would be able to live out their dream in a virtual world. Its resemblance to the physical world does not stop there. In recent weeks, with what is perhaps the second most notable headline regarding the metaverse, news outlets began to report on the market for real estate in the metaverse. Yes, you heard that right. Companies dedicated to selling land in the metaverse have begun to spring up, and the market to buy land in the virtual universe is growing. A virtual real estate investor is quickly becoming a real title, and recently, in one of the metaverses called The Sandbox, a land developer known as Republic Realm purchased virtual land for $4.3 million. Celebrities are also getting in on the action. Paris Hilton launched a metaverse business in December in Roblox, and Snoop Dogg has also gotten into the game by developing his own world in the Sandbox metaverse. This news of celebrities joining has brought attention from many fans, one of them paying $450K to be Snoop Dogg’s neighbor in the metaverse. While all of this is interesting to say the least, many are raising their eyebrows at the futuristic new virtual world. With all of this money going into developing the metaverse, what will happen if something goes wrong and all of it tanks? What if it does not pick up steam and people decide not to join? There are many questions regarding this new technology, and the rush to develop and advance the metaverse is concerning to some. Additionally, the debate over whether technology is taking over our lives comes into effect heavily when it comes to the metaverse. It is without a doubt that there is a massive epidemic when it comes to how humans have let technology rule over their lives in recent years, and social media, video games, streaming platforms, and cell phones are largely to blame for this. The metaverse becoming mainstream would surely propel this, and knowing how much time humans already spend on technology, it is worrying to imagine how much time people would spend taking part in the metaverse. The metaverse, while still in its early stages, is quickly rising to become the next big thing in the technological world, and with the advancements made in recent years when it comes to virtual spaces, one can only imagine what the future holds for metaverse, and in the end, the impact that it will have on society.
The very first Super Bowl was on January 15, 1967 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. When it aired around 60 million people had tuned in to listen to it’s broadcast. The Super Bowl is said to be the second biggest eating day for Americans. The Patriots have the most appearances in the Super Bowl with a count of 11. The team with the most Super Bowl wins overall is a tie of six wins between the Patriots and Steelers. The highest scoring game ever in the Super Bowl was between the 49ers and Chargers with a score of 49-26. Some Super Bowl tickets can cost more than the average American’s annual salary. THE 1985 CHICAGO BEARS WERE NOMINATED FOR A GRAMMY. NFL fans have started a petition to move the Super Bowl to Saturday. The winning team’s players receive a minimum of a $300,000 bonus. A the first ever Super Bowl, a ticket cost only $12. The average cost of tickets from the past five Super Bowl’s is $5,506. There has never been an overtime in a Super Bowl. Of the top ten most watched American television programs of all time, nine of them are Super Bowls. The number one prop bet for the Super Bowl is MVP. Americans eat more than a billion wings on Super Bowl Sunday. Tom Brady is the most successful quarterback in Super Bowl history. No sitting president has ever attended a Super Bowl. This is the first time ever that the Super Bowl is being played in the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California Jim and John Harbaugh are the only brothers to compete against each other as head coaches in Super Bowl history. Eight million pounds of guacamole is consumed on Super Bowl Sunday. In 2015, fans broke a Super Bowl viewership record. Over $6 million is spent on Super Bowl commercials every year. It is the first time in 37 years, Budweiser will not have an ad during the Super Bowl this year.