NEWS
2 The Swans of Priory By Fr. Michael Brunner, O.S.B.
within two days of hatching.
Back just before the turn of the century, Father Bernard (who lived with u s b r i e f l y ) t o o k F r. Augustine and I out to his house in the wilds of St. C h a r l e s C o u n t y. F r . Augustine put on waders and proceeded to chase a pair of swans out of Fr. Bernard’s pond. Not being very gainly on land, I then was able to come up behond them, grab them (one at a time) and place them in large dog crates. So imprisoned, these beautiful birds were delivered to the Priory pond.
Abelard got into a spectacular fight with one of my African Geese and bludgeoned him to death while the students helplessly watched from the 100’s and 200’s. While he never bludgeoned a student, he did threaten them during mating season if they came too close to the pond. He did chase a visitor all the way up into the parking lot, and sprang lightening fast out of the water upon a boy who wandered down to the pond from the Graduation reception.
That is how our first pair of swans came to Priory. They were named Abelard and Heloise, after a renowned medieval theologian-priest and his pupil-love interest-nun, a tragic couple and a famous true story which proves the middle ages were not dull. Our Heloise and Abelard also had a not dull but also tragic life here. They mated and dutifully sat on their clutches of eggs four y e a r s i n a r o w. T h e managed to hatch but their cygnets were done in by snapping turtles each time
Heloise died suddenly one winter night during the first hard freeze of winter. After her demise Abelard was heartbroken and would follow the sun around the Priory buildings to look at his reflection in the window, undoubtedly thinking it was his lost love. He used to settle down at night outside the monastery next to the window by the St. Benedict statue, and I would have to walk him back to the pond so he wouldn’t become dinner for the coyotes. Alas, during my time away after leaving the headmaster position,
Abelard decided the stagnant pond was just too disgusting. So he went searching for fresh water, and was ambushed by the coyotes. And so in the summer of 2012 Priory became swan-less. To the rescue came the Father’s Club, who under M r. R o g e r C a m m o n ’s leadership raised a swan fund. I began a search for swan breeders, but could only find such in Tennessee and Iowa. To my rescue came our own Dee Webb, the anchor of our Maintenance Department, who found a breeder in beautiful, bountiful Belleville, IL. So in the fall of 2013, we put down our deposit on a pair of swans, yearlings to be delivered in the Spring of 2014. When the Spring Came, the maintenance department rehabbed the abandoned swan house (Neuschwanstein), repairing the termite damage, putting on a new roof and grading the site to drain water away from the nesting area. A new fence was installed to deter predators. And so at the end of April our new swans arrived, Tristan and Isolde, named after another tragic couple in another famous medieval
Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony.
story, but this time they weren’t a priest and a nun. Wagner did write an opera about them. It’s taken a while, but they have adjusted. For the first month or so, they never came out of the water. Now they are quite comfortable coming up to the top of the hill on the north and west. They get along far too well with the Canada Geese for my liking, allowing them to dine and hang out around the swan house. But this will change in two more years when Tristan and Isolde will be ready to mate and will fiercely g u a r d t h e i r t e r r i t o r y. There’s one Canada Goose with white splotches on his neck that I hope will get a royal whupping from Tristan. In the meantime, please help them feel at home. They will try to leave if they don’t feel welcome, and that would prove fatal. Don’t throw things into the pond or chase the geese. (They can’t tell you’re not after them.) Just admire their natural elegance and thank God for their presence among us. And if you have a BIG pond in your back yard, you might get a chance to have a swan or two of your own in three years.
NEWS An 8th Grader’s View on 7th Grade By Louis Rolwes ’19 Albert Einstein once said, “The only source of knowledge is experience.” Many of you seventh graders out there, or even older students, are probably concerned about the coming year. You may be wondering things like, “How hard will it be?” or “Will I be able to make friends?” Keep in mind, though, the people in the grade just above you have already experienced the same trials, and many of them are eager to help out. Here are some eighth graders’ thoughts on their first year at priory, what their hopes are for eighth grade, and some simple advice for the seventh graders this year:
Q: “What was seventh grade like for you?” A: “Kind of difficult. At first It was kind of difficult to make friends. But after that I made friends in both seventh and eighth grade.” Q: “Do you have any advice for the seventh graders this year?” A: “Stay on the teacher’s good side and be prepared.” Q: “What was the transition like for you from your old school to Priory?” A: “I was kind of scared. I thought I would have a hard time making friends but it turned out a lot of people at Priory were just like me.”
Even though the school does not change, there are a lot differences between and junior and high school. As an eighth grader, the classes in general were simple. The class rooms were all right next to each other. You had a homeroom who shared nearly every class with you. Also, there are the seventh graders; because we’re older than them, we have privileges such as first lunch and better
sports lockers. Eighth graders are respected as the head of the junior school able to rule over its entire domain. Seventh graders looked up to us for guidance in a new school full of mystery. Now, as a freshman, I can already see differences. Your day-to-day schedule has to be more planed out because classes are more spread out and our schedules are fairly personal. I can tell
The Record
Q: “Do you have any hopes for your eighth grade year?”
VOLUME XLV ISSUE 1 AUGUST 25, 2014
A: “I hope to be successful and do better than last year.”
Editor in Chief Robert E. Donnelly III ’15 Layout Editor Thomas Rosebrough ’15
Q: “Are you saying you made bad grades last year?” A: “No, of course not! I made great grades last year!
Content Editors Alexander Hill ’15 Stephen Millsap ’15 Patrick Lane ’15 Robert Erbs III ’15
Q: “So what exactly qualifies as great grades for you, B’s, C’s, ...D’s?
Faculty Moderator Michael Ware Contact theprioryrecord@gmail.com 314-434-3690 ext. 221
A: “Um... ” So take it day by day. The unknown can be just as interesting as it is intimidating. And remember a good attitude can make all the difference in the world.
A Freshman’s View on 8th Grade By Ian Rosebrough ’18
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that quizzes and test will be much harder because of the time limit. And after a whole year of working our way to the top of the junior school, we just get thrown back down to the bottom of the high school. But even with new difficulties, I am excited for the learning and growing that comes with entering into high school. I’m looking forward to a great year.
The Record Disclaimer The Record is the official student publication of Saint Louis Priory School in St. Louis, Missouri. It is produced by students/staff members. Its purpose is to inform students of events in the community; to encourage discussion of local, national, and international issues; and to serve as a training ground for budding journalists, photographers, and graphic designers. The Record accepts contributions from all members of the Priory community, including students, faculty, and alumni.The Record will not publish content considered legally unprotected speech, including but not limited to: libel, copyr ight infringement, unwarranted invasion of privacy, or material disruption of the educational process. Student editors apply professional standards to the production of the newspaper and are solely responsible for all content, both explicit and implicit. Letters to the Editors are always appreciated. Feedback not intended for publication is also welcome.
Then, everything changed when the fire nation attacked.
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NEWS
A Sophomore’s View on Freshman Year By Tejas Sekhar ’17 Ah... another year at Priory, and so it begins.
No longer am I amongst the new fish in this large pond known as St. Louis Priory High School. This year is a chance for me to show my intellect, understanding, and ability to my teachers and coaches. Increased expectations are not only limited to the academic field here, as they can also be found while out playing sports (or cross country). Just kidding, of course. The sophomore year
prepares you for the challenges that lie ahead as you shape up your college application and start preparing for the PSAT, S AT and A C T. Responsibilities skyrocket as many students get their licenses and start driving themselves, becoming more and more independent of their parents. I have matured t h i s y e a r, a s I h a v e transitioned from being an out of place, awkward freshman into a prepared and confident sophomore. I truly felt unready as I entered the high school on
my first day of freshman year. It was as if I was attempting to read Mandarin Chinese while unicycling in a tutu. Ok, that may be an exaggeration, but I did not know many of my teachers, or even most of the high school teachers in general. But, when this year came, I arrived at school already knowing who all of my teachers were. It's great being able to have that kind of comfortable start to the year. I've learned to take interest in my classes and make a sincere effort in whatever I am doing. I can
even say I feel excited to learn. (What a nerd, right)?! Freshman year is a year of trial and error, learning not to make the same mistakes. But, sophomore year is a year for us to go, "Hey, I'm ready to take on the world." Good luck, freshmen, as you transition from the junior school lifestyle to the high school lifestyle. To my fellow sophomores, I wish you a great year!
A Junior’s View on Sophomore Year By Matt Travers ’16 Reflecting back on last year, I have discovered that, as with many experiences, my opinion has changed after the year ’s completion. During the school year, there were many, many times when the individual workloads of seven classes would overlap and lead to stressful weeks, something to which many Priory students can attest. However, advancing from seventh grade, these stressful weeks become more common and manageable, and you begin to
appreciate the ever decreasing hours of sleep. Coming from freshman year and entering into the second half of your Priory career, there are many changes for sophomores. You begin attending college counseling meetings, and eventually take the PSAT and PLAN tests, foreshadowing the arrival of the SAT and ACT. Organization and time management become much more important this year. For your English class, you should read the books. Knowing what is happening in class makes
t h e p a p e r s m u c h e a s i e r. During your winter term of U.S. History, you write an official term paper. Picking a topic you actually enjoy will make the process considerably less miserable. Also in sophomore year, you get the option to take Chinese as a modern language and P.E. as a sport. For your math, science and theology classes, there are great teachers to make the year more enjoyable, including Mrs. Hall, Mr. Orlando, and Fr. Ambrose. And for classics, you get the option to, alas, drop the penultimate Latin class offered
at Priory and take Greek/ Roman Culture or Classic Civilization. To g e t t h r o u g h sophomore year, talk to your teachers! If you are having trouble or need to reschedule a test, let them know; they are there to help you and are, in general, very understanding. In my experience, sophomore year has been my favorite so far. Make the most of this year because it only gets harder!
Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them.
NEWS
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A Senior’s View on Junior Year By Aris Sevastianos ’15 Junior year was a little too hyped up and overrated, but it was still undoubtedly the hardest year at Priory I’ve experienced. Fall term was definitely the hardest; winter and spring seemed to get a lot easier because: 1) you eventually get used to the hard work and 2) you become a better student—and yes, I mean it. This place is considered a college preparatory school for a reason. I hate to be frank, but I had to sacrifice a lot of relaxation time (casual extracurriculars, hobbies, going out with friends, etc.), especially during the first term. When you feel like you
don’t have any time to kick up your feet, make time. Clear your mind and take brief, periodic breaks that don’t involve staring at a screen. You can also dedicate an hour or two every weekend to kicking a soccer ball around with a friend, walking your dog, or something like that. Also, keep up with all of your work. If you’re having any trouble with any of the work, talk to your teacher and work something out—both of you are on the same team, aren't you? If you’re doing everything right, and you know it, that’s all that matters. As my dad tells me, “do your best, forget the rest.” It was exciting to start contributing to the varsity programs here at Priory, and I
can certainly say that the Class of 2015 has a lot of talented athletes who brought a lot to the table and have worked their tails off to get where they are today. It was equally exciting to attend sporting events throughout the year, and cheer on our friends in whatever sport they were playing. Beginning the official college search was also a key part of the year. Making a few visits, going to college fairs, and whittling down the list I started to gather was definitely a long and entertaining process! Current juniors, don’t be afraid to ask your college counselors a lot of questions— they’re here to help and they love to answer any questions you many have!
Now for senior year. This is the fun and exciting part. Leading the sports teams, having less classes to worry about, senior privileges, finding out where you’re headed next year, and overall more time on your hands, feels like a huge reward after a c h a l l e n g i n g j u n i o r y e a r. However, glory always comes with a price. With college applications and a thesis hanging over your head, the first two terms can be seriously difficult. All in all, the year looks bright for the Class of 2015 and I think we can all agree that we’re ready to end our time at Priory with a bang. I can’t wait to see what the future holds!
took off up the middle late in the second quarter. As he drove the pile, the ball came loose, only to land in the hands of graceful offensive guard, George “Iachas” Jochens, who burst out of the scrum and stiff armed his way to a 38-yard touchdown for the ages. This had both teams heading to the locker room tied. The third quarter saw the Rebels defense playing its best football of the season, and the tie continued into the fourth quarter. Nearing the halfway point of the fourth quarter, the
Rebels were deep in the Saint Mary’s zone after a long offensive drive. From the five yard line, tailback John Agnew followed the voluptuous rear ends of his offensive linemen directly into the end zone to give the Rebels the lead for good. The next game is this Saturday, 1:00P.M at Priory as the Rebels take on John Burroughs.
Football Update By Robert E. Donnelly III ’15 and Parker Ferguson ’15 On one of the most temperate nights of the school year, the varsity football Rebels took the field for their second game of the season last Friday vs. Saint Mary’s. Coming off a tough loss to Soldan, the Rebels needed come out strong and compete, something they did with flying colors. However, the victory did n o t c o m e e a s i l y, a s t h e opening kickoff came all the
way back for a touchdown. This certainly stung for the Rebels, but bad turned to worse when Saint Mary’s scored on their very next offensive play. 14 points in only 3 minutes. The Rebels were quickly losing ground, but not giving up. Intensity skyrocketed from both the offense and defense after the draining first quarter, as senior tailback John Agnew punched in a touchdown early in the second quarter. With both teams fighting for every inch, fullback Alex Lennartz
But when the world needed him most, he vanished.
PERIODICAL
6 Science, Periodically Remember that neuralyzer from MIB, that flashed and made people forget what t h e y s a w ? Tu r n s o u t technology has once again blurred the lines between science and science-fiction. This past week researchers found a way to use flashing light to alter the memories of rats. You may think this has no impact on more intelligent beings, but rats have a highly developed Dentate Gyrus (which is the section of the brain devoted to episodic memory, and is grown very much the same way as in a human.) The researchers injected the DG and also the Basolateral Amygdala (where fear and pleasure originate) and then used lasers to turn neurons on and off like a computer. They found they could not only make a rat forget a traumatic experience, but give it false pleasant memories occurring in places it should be afraid of. This technolog y isn’t nearl y developed enough for use on humans, but start carrying around a sharpie to mark your wrist because by the time it is, they’ll probably already be using it on us.
Saint Louis Somebodies By Connor Wright ’16
"I got pregnant my senior year of high school. My boyfriend and I were careful, but it still happened. I definitely don't regret my kids. They are my entire world. But I do regret not furthering my education right after high school. I had applied and been accepted, and went to the orientation and everything. But raising my children alone, along with working two jobs to support me and my kids and also my mom, while attempting to receive a college level education was too much to handle." "Do you ever get treated differently because you don't have a college degree?" 'Yes, and it breaks my heart. People judge me for not going to college. they don't realize that I would have loved to, and that it was absolutely impossible given my situation at the time. They call me lazy. They call me dumb. But I'm going back soon. Really soon. And someday, Ill prove those people who called me lazy and dumb wrong. Ill give them a shoutout in my State of the Union Address, and remind them what they called me. Oh, I forgot to mention, I'm going to be President.
Michael Blogs: Fluff? I think not! By Ramzi Haddad ’16 We live in 2014 and it is the age of the internet, and many esteemed news outlets are beginning to move there instead of a good, old-fashion newspaper. Priory, however, has not, and this is a good thing. Priory loves tradition, and I love all of my loyal subscribers. Sure, I constantly turn my articles in late, and my relationship with Tommy (Rosebrough) has suffered because of it, but I love to see those stats at the end of the day. A recent Priory Survey has concluded that 94% of the people subscribing to The Record do so because of my
esteemed, award winning, spectacular, satirical, and overall better pieces of work. I am not trying to brag, but it needs to be said that writing 300 word articles is very time consuming. There is somebody who has time for that, Sweet Brown, and that person is me. I spend my Wednesday nights slaving away on articles. Sometimes I wont sleep because I need to make sure the grammar in my articles good. There have been severe allegations directed towards me that insinuate some sort of ‘fluff piece propaganda.’ I am here to tell you that I use a lot of big words to sound serious,
and those allegations are false. The next time someone tells you that my articles are fluff pieces, punch ‘em in the mouth and yell, “How fluffy is it now expletives?!” Yes, momma said knock you out. (I understand I’m a woman in that analogy, but I already made a cultural reference, so I think I ought to stick with the theme, just like my subscribers have stuck with me.) Thank you for your loyalty and patronage, and I hope to gain some more subscribers after this article is published. To subscribe and see more Michael blogs visit www.tommyumadbro?.gov
A hundred years passed, and my brother and I discovered the new avatar: an airbender named Aang.
ENTERTAINMENT
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Sudokus - Easy, Medium, Hard
Crossword ACROSS 1. Flash 6. Tight 10. Gist 14. Heathen 15. Sea eagle 16. Brother of Jacob 17. Redress 18. Anagram of "Ties" 19. Vipers 20. Proposal 22. Prompts 23. Slaloms 24. Fast 26. Kick 30. Eastern newt 31. Sweet potato 32. Hodgepodge 33. Sage 35. Song of praise 39. Insert 41. Outflow 43. Creator 44. Sketched 46. Nights before 47. British rule in India 49. An uncle 50. A musical pause 51. Skewer 54. Bacterium 56. Encircle 57. Ephemeral
6. Gave testimony 7. Creative persons 8. Pearly-shelled mussel 9. Very small 10. Mediator 11. Put out 12. Recorded 13. Impudent girl 21. Distorts 25. Dad 26. Verse
27. Forearm bone 28. Notch 29. Permissiveness 34. Being the basic part 36. Overhang 37. How old we are 38. Where a bird lives 40. By mouth 42. Decorative jugs 45. Fine or
decorative clothing 48. Flotsam 51. Snow house 52. Confusion 53. Award 55. King with a golden touch 58. Ascend 59. Rubber wheel 60. Beasts of burden 61. Peel 62. Not nays
Somewhere in Mordor... By Grant Dow
63. 62 in Roman numerals 64. Sediment 65. Confederate States 66. Greek liqueur 67. Largest continent 68. Sporting venue 69. Not closed 70. Lunch or dinner 71. Dispatches DOWN 1. Resorts 2. A Maori club 3. All excited 4. Telephoned 5. Leg joints
Although his airbending skills are great, he has a lot to learn before he is ready to save anyone.
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ENTERTAINMENT
Summer Movie Reviews By Patrick Shanahan ’17 Hello again! Long time, no see. As many of you may remember, I went over my picks for what I predicted to be the best and worst of this year’s summer movie season. Well, this summer turned out to be even better than I expected. So I have decided to give you my four personal favorite movies of the summer, as well the worst movie of the summer. “Let’s get this road on the show!” - Coach Rebello Honorable Mentions: Edge of Tomorrow, 22 Jump Street, Gaurdians of the Galaxy #3: X-Men: Days of Future Past (DOFP) This movie could have very easily not worked at all. Negative press surrounded the film early on, regarding the overstuffed cast, bad character design (Quicksilver, anyone?), and a supposedly confusing
time travel element. But, I kept my hopes up, and I certainly was not disappointed. DOFP is the best comic book movie to come out this year, beating out the likes of Amazing SpiderMan 2, Edge of Tomorrow, and others. All doubts I had were immediately erased when I saw the first scene. The ensemble cast worked excellently, the time travel worked great on screen, and Quicksilver is one of the best characters to stem from the X-Men movie f i l m o g r a p h y, r i v a l i n g Wolverine, Mystique, and Magneto. Speaking of Magneto, Michael Fassbender has a magnificent turn as the villain, even better than Ian McKellen’s original work. DOFP also reshaped the XMen universe forever, making for one of the best plot twists in a while. Good work, Bryan Singer. Now bring on the Apocalypse. #2: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
I don’t know about you, but I LOVED “Rise of the Planet of the Apes.” It was the biggest surprise of 2011, for sure. So when I heard that there would be sequel, directed this time by the guy who made the excellent “Cloverfield,” I was very excited. The early press surrounding this movie was excellent, calling it the “Empire Strikes Back to Rise’s A New Hope.” And yet, the movie still managed to exceed expectations. Visually, it was the best film this year. The outstanding cinematography meshed perfectly with the gorgeous special effects, making for one beautiful movie. The acting was topnotch, as well. Gary Oldman, Jason Aaron, and Toby Kebbel each turn in brilliant performances as deeply flawed, interesting characters. But the masterful Andy Serkis is a revelation here, bringing to life one of the most dynamic characters ever in his Oscarworthy role as Caesar. He
continues to prove to be the best motion-capture artist to date, with his roles as Gollum, King Kong, and now, Caesar, making it even more exciting to hear he will be playing a mo-cap character in the upcoming “Star Wars” films. DotPotA is an excellent Sci-Fi movie, and deserves your attention. #1: Snowpiercer I know it may be a bit of a cop-out, but I am not going to tell you anything about this movie, other than that it is one of the best movies I have ever seen, and you need to watch it. The movie just works better if you don’t know anything about it. I guarantee that you will love it, as it is sure to be recognized at the coming Oscars, particularly Tilda Swinton, who is my current pick for best supporting actress. It’s currently in theatres, as well as OnDemand, so you don’t have an excuse. It will not disappoint.
Music Review - Sea When Absent By Tripp Miller ’16 A Sunny Day in Glasgow Sea When Absent The shoegaze revival might be one of the larger movements in contemporary independent music, and it's a puzzlingly mixed bag. Sure, My Bloody Valentine released their long awaited third album, and Slowdive are back together, but the vast majority of new groups seem to be regurgitating the same reverb-
soaked mess that lacks imagination or deviation. Enter A Sunny Day in Glasgow, one of the most
imaginative and exiting groups the shoegaze and dream pop genres have seen in recent years. While many bands prefer to dwell on Slowdiveesque melancholy, A Sunny Day in Glasgow are bright, warm, and, most importantly, optimistic. (ASDIG is much more In Rainbows than Kid A) Sea When Absent shows exactly how bright a shoegaze album can be; while album standout “In Love with Useless” is as catchy as any Top 40 song, it's drenched in a
But I believe Aang can save the world.
layer of noise and ambiance that swirls beautifully into an almost visual mess of sound. Most of the more upbeat tracks follow suit. The ballads on this album are surprisingly warm, and really display the band’s ability to pull together extremely beautiful and concise songs. The album is a great listen throughout, and showcases a fantastic side of the shoegaze movement that we haven't seen much of. Overall rating: 8.5/10