Issue 7

VOLUME XLV ISSUE 6

2

OPINION

Where have the Chicken Strips Gone???

By George Ahlering ’15 Staff Writer As Priory students, we know the ins-and-outs of our food. Needless to say, we love it - so much so, that I’d bet good money on the fact that many of my compatriots would sell their first-born sons for merely a nice, hearty Dave and Tony’s-esque burger. With this being said, sources familiar with the situation have informed me that our beloved chicken strips and entrées containing the aforementioned delicacy have been missing for quite a while now.

The realization of this severe disappearance has caused much murmur of coup d ’ é ta t- lik e r e v o lts . A f te r interviewing three separate Priory students, the general consensus is that the student

body will not let this conspiracy be swept under the rug. The first student we interviewed asked to remain anonymous, so we will use the pseudonym, “Andrew Stange.” When asked what his thoughts were on the disappearance of the fowl f i n g e r s , h e s a i d , “ We l l , honestly, I have to say that this will defiantly hurt Priory’s prominence in the chicken strip club.” Then, he w a l k e d a w a y, s e e m i n g l y sobbing…

U.S. Olympians eat a diet of pure chicken strips three times a day for the four years leading up to the competition.

And we win. It’s all about results, baby!

The second and third students we interviewed considered themselves “big fans” of the chicken strip.

They decided to do a doubleinterview in order to try and

Chicken strips have been an American tradition since July of ’76 , 1776 that is. With the rise of such monarchial institutions as Kentucky Fried Chicken, Steak ‘n Shake, Chick-fil-A, and most recently, Raising Cane’s, chicken strips are at an alltime high amongst American classics. Legend has it that

match the comments of “Andrew Stange.” When asked for their first reactions, the initial answer from one half of the duo, Mark Ciapciak, was, “I’m not happy. Not happy at all.”

D o m i n i c Yo u n g , a f t e r gracefully brushing his flowing, golden hair with his fingers added that, “The cafeteria went too far with the removal of the Szechwan meatballs, and now this?! To hear of such news is sickening and quite appalling to say the least.”

Well, there you have it… the majority has spoken.

Check mate cafeteria meal planner, check mate. We will do a more in-depth investigation into this “WrapNapping” as it’s being called, and come back with an update ASAP. #ChickenGate2k14

Book Review: State of Fear

By Andrew Swyers ’15 Staff Writer Slightly speculative technology and science are the backdrop for many of Michael Crichton’s books and State of Fear. Featuring a group of various scientists, businessmen, and lawyers as the protagonists, Crichton delivers an interesting cast with diverse perspectives and motivations. The villains of the book are a group of ecoterrorists, the ELF, who want to use artificial natural disasters (I know its

oxymoronic) to further their own goals. The story mainly revolves around a lawyer, Peter Evans,who is investigating his rich client’s investments and charities that he supports. While investigating Evans gets involved in the plot of the ELF. Crichton delivers his slightly fringe science once

more in this book to just as successful, albeit less popular, of an effect as Jurassic Park. He uses his knowledge of science to create interesting new technologies, based off of interesting phenomena that never fail to shock, even as you wonder in the back of your mind if it is possible to do

“Trying is the first step towards failure.”

this. The book also raises questions about the veracity of research and how far you can trust company-funded scientists as well as including quite a few graphs and papers, which are actually published. However the scientific terminology can get a bit heavy at times, and in the first part of the book the character can be a little difficult to remember, but the book is well worth working through those first few chapters.

OPINION Guide to the Midterm Election

By Ian Steiner ’15 Staff Writer

least two of the five remaining close races.

T h e f i r s t Tu e s d a y i n November is fast approaching, and with it election day. This year’s Senate Midterm Elections will decide control of the U.S. Senate for the next two years, until the general election of 2016. Traditionally, midterm elections in a President’s second term tend to favor the opposition party; this year is no exception. While Democrats currently hold 53 of the 100 Senate seats to the 45 held by the Republicans (two are held by independent senators who identify with the Democratic party), many of those seats are vulnerable in the election.

Since Senators hold six-year terms, only 1/3 of the seats are up for election at a time, plus any special elections to fill vacancies. 21 Democrat-held seats, as opposed to the 15 which are Republican-held, means Democrats have more to hold on to. In addition, Barack Obama’s low approval rating of 41% means that there is some general resentment in the country against the reigning party. Many of the states are solidly decided in one way or another: 16 states are almost certain to vote Republican, while 11 states will vote for the Democratic candidate. The remaining nine elections are mostly close races, but three are very likely to vote Republican (Colorado, Alaska, and Arkansas) and one will probably break for the Democrat (New Hampshire). Since the Republicans are almost guaranteed to pick up four seats, and they need six to take the majority, they need to win at

Iowa The election in Iowa pits Republican Joni Ernst against Democrat Bruce Braley. Neither is incumbent, and the state has historically swung between parties. Recent polls have had Ernst up with a small advantage, but the race will be a dead heat.

Georgia David Perdue was not expected to be the Republican candidate, but he eked out a win in the primary elections. He faces the Democrat Michelle Nunn in a tight race without an incumbent. Perdue has had a small lead for most of the polling period, but recently several polls have instead shown Nunn with a small lead.

If neither candidate gets more than 50% of the vote, which is likely since the race is so close, then a runoff election will occur later between the two.

Kansas Possibly the strangest race of any, the Kansas race has featured multiple lawsuits over technicalities in voting law.

However, the end result is that

after the Democratic candidate Chad Taylor dropped out of the race against Republican Pat Roberts, the Independent businessman Greg Orman stormed ahead in the polls.

Since Roberts has an approval rating even lower than that of the President, this race may produce the state’s first Senator who is not a Republican in over 80 years. Orman has promised to caucus with the party that wins the overall control of the Senate should he be elected.

Kentucky Another election with an unpopular incumbent, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell faces the Democrat Secretary of State of Kentucky, Alison Grimes.

Both have attacked the other’s record on supporting coal, a major part of the state’s industry. The polling for the state has been varied, but most have showed McConnell with a slight lead.

North Carolina Kay Hagan, the incumbent Democrat, rode the wave of the 2008 election to victory, but now faces a difficult re-election bid in a state which backed Mitt Romney in 2012. She has had a considerable advantage in advertisement and campaign spending, but still barely holds a lead over her challenger, Thom Tillis.

Although the election in general seems to favor the Republicans gaining control of the Senate, the race is far from over. These close races could easily go either way, deciding the fate of the overall election.

3 The Record VOLUME XLV ISSUE 7 OCTOBER 24, 2014 Editor in Chief Robert E. Donnelly III ’15 Layout Editor Thomas Rosebrough ’15 Content Editors Alexander Hill ’15 Stephen Millsap ’15 Patrick Lane ’15 Robert Erbs III ’15 Faculty Moderator Michael Ware Contact theprioryrecord@gmail.com 314-434-3690 ext. 221

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.

“Strangling isn’t the only tool in my parenting toolbox, but it’s certainly the sharpest.”

4

PERIODICALS

Saint Louis Somebodies

By Connor Wright ’16 Photojournalist Each week, I go out to interview random people in St. Louis and take their pictures. I find people who are working, shopping, walking down the street, etc., and ask them questions that bring out some of the most intimate aspects of their lives. Whatever you take away from my column, I really appreciate everybody's support. I hope you all continue to enjoy a look into the lives of Saint Louis Somebodies.

Hi, my name is Connor Wr-

“People at school tell me I match too much. I tell them I dress to make myself happy.

Not them.”

“Sorry!

Can’t talk!

We’re on a mission!”

What’s all the ice cream for?

“Well, with all the bad publicity that police officers have been getting since Ferguson, I’m trying my best to clear our name.

Ice cream seems to be working.”

What happens after you give the people the ice creams? Any good conversations or debates ever ensue?

“Donuts; is there anything they can’t do?”

“More often than not, actually. By the end of it all, they usually seem to understand the circumstances better, which is my hope. Oh, I forgot to ask - want one? I only have chocolate left.”

MISCELLANEOUS Pro Soccer Update

By Michael Ricci, Logan Bealke, Artie Hidalgo, Joe Hanley Sports Writers Man U vs. West Brom Under new coach, Louis Van Gaal, Manchester United struggled early in the season.

They managed only 2 points in their first 3 games and drew lower-table teams Burnley and Sunderland. But, in recent weeks since the addition of Radamel Falcao and Angel di Maria, United has looked much better. Angel Di Maria has had a hand in six goals in his five Barclays Premier League appearances (three goals and three assists). West Brom, meanwhile, has been solid in recent weeks with two wins in three games. The emergence of goal scorer, Sadio Berahino, has given the team a new threat for opposing teams to contend with.

But, Man U and its new signings are finally starting to gel, and will win this Monday night clash comfortably. Man U 3-1.

Swansea City 2-0 Stoke City Everton 0-1 Aston Villa Arsenal 3-1 Hull City Stoke vs. Swansea These two Premier League sides are currently exceeding expectations at this point in the

season. Swansea's fluid attacking play meets Stoke's stout defense and brute physicality. Diouf, Moses, and Crouch are in good form for Stoke, while Iclandic international Gylfi Sigurdsson is in scintillating form.

Swansea’s star striker, Wilfried Bony, has not played well so far, so expect him to use his strength to match that of Stoke's defense and score. FT Swansea 2-1 Stoke (Dyer,Bony; Moses).

Manchester United 3-2 West Brom Everton 3-0 Aston Villa Arsenal 2-1 Hull City Everton vs. AVL Both of these teams had solid starts to the season, but are now slumping with three losses in their last five games. History is o n E v e r t o n ’s s i d e ; t h e Merseyside club has only one loss in their last 11 meetings with Aston Villa. Aston Villa is missing their star defender, Ron Vlaar, with an achilles injury.

When he has been in the starting XI , they have won 32% of their games, compared to only 14% without him. Also without their star striker, Gabby Abonglahor, Aston Villa is going to look for one point out of this game.

Everton 0-0 Aston Villa

Arsenal 1-0 Hull City Manchester United 2-0 West Brom Swansea City 2-0 Stoke City Hull City vs. Arsenal Arsenal has not lost to Hull City since the 2008 season.

Although Hull is looking weak, they still have Nikica Jelavic who is a 6’2 Croatian beast.

Nikica prowls for those luscious through balls from none other than Stephen Quinn, who is currently tied for third in the BPL for most assists. Nikica has scored four goals this season and is nicely seated as the BPL’s sixth best striker.

Arsenal, on the other hand, does not have a single player with over two goals. Arsenal is also slumping, with only one win in their last six league games.

Arsenal’s midfield is slaking a bit, with not a single player having more than one assist.

Hull will be coming into this game with a bit of fierce intensity and the will to win.

This will not be enough to overpower the Gunners crowd, which will blow their socks right off.

Hull 1-2 Arsenal Everton 0-3 Aston Villa Swansea City 3-1 Stoke City Man U 4-1 West Brom

After school next Thursday, the movie club plans to have their first meeting in the Kevin Kline Theatre. The club is open to all, and food and drink will be sold before the screening beings. We plan to start the movie at around five o’clock, so hurry in from sports. If you have any

Varsity Football Districts Tonight 7:00PM @Sullivan

Varsity Soccer Monday 3:45PM vs.

Westminster

Movie Club

By Peter Hopkins ’17 Staff Writer

5

questions, please contact Father Francis or myself. We are also open to suggestions about what movies to watch. Next week, we will post what movie we will watch on the club board.

So far, we have narrowed it down to three movies, but that is subject to change if someone s u g g e s t s a b e t t e r, m o r e awesome movie. We also plan on showing movies about every

two weeks on Fridays. We are having our first meeting on a Thursday because the Friday of that week will be Halloween.

We also will plan on meeting second X on Fridays each week in between movies to decide on what movie to show and other general things. These meetings will also be open to anyone who wants to join the club.

“Do I know what rhetorical means?”

BE THERE!

6

ENTERTAINMENT

Sudokus - Easy, Medium, Hard

Crossword ACROSS 1. An enclosure 5. Range 10. Atop 14. An escape of water 15. Toboggans 16. Dad 17. Impertinent 19. Boast 20. Lie 21. Affirmatives 22. Makes well 23. Merry 25. Something to shoot for 27. Half of a pair 28. Good manners 31. Internment camp 34. Giver 35. G 36. Barely managed 37. High, low and neap 38. A crumbling earthy deposit 39. Mesh 40. Wanderer 41. Minty drink 42. Cosmetic 44. Protrude 45. Roof overhangs 46. Choral composition 50. Happy cat sounds 52. A small island

54. Mouth (British slang) 55. Murres 56. Mandatory 58. 10 10 10 10 59. Blaze 60. The products of human creativity 61. Labels 62. Not as many 63. Low in pitch DOWN 1. Precipice 2. Eagle's nest 3. Clothes 4. Barely manage 5. Record protector 6. Expletive 7. Curved molding 8. Usually a senior 9. Eastern Standard Time 10. Optimistic 11. Legal assistant 12. Iridescent gem 13. Badgers 18. Contending 22. German for "Mister" 24. Tailless amphibian 26. Twosomes

28. Data stream manipulator 29. Arid 30. Cry of pain 31. Heredity unit 32. Hawaiian strings 33. Inscription 34. Dividable 37. Carry 38. Mongrel

“Operator! Give me the number for 911!�

NEWS Priory Speech Hosts First Meet this Year

By Brother Sixtus OSB Speech Team Moderator On Sunday, October 19, Priory played host to the first meet of the academic year for the Christian Interscholastic Speech League (CISL). Coaches and judges, along with over 150 students from ten other area schools, arrived on campus midmorning to compete in morning and afternoon sessions with lunch in between. They gathered at the end of the day for the awarding of ribbons. Categories of competition included prose, poetry, storytelling, radio broadcasting, original oratory, extemporaneous, duet improvisation and duet acting.

Priory students who competed were juniors George Ahlering, Cesar Azrak, Matt Braddock, Liam Mardis, Logan Palliser, Cartan Sumner, Noah Van Bree and Connor Wright, and senior, Bobby Onder. Of those nine, four went home with ribbons, with Noah capturing a first-place blue ribbon in radio broadcasting. Second-place red

ribbons were awarded to Cesar for original oratory; Cartan for extemporaneous; and Connor for storytelling.

Priory is the newest member of the CISL, this being the second year of participation.

The group was reformed last year by Fr. Linus and Br. Sixtus after many years of inactivity.

The key figure behind the reactivation was Priory Dad, L. Cartan Sumner Jr. ’83, who was active on the team during his days at Priory. He wanted the same experience for his son, Cartan III, Form V, and initiated the application process. Cartan III was elected president of the group last year and continues in that capacity this year.

With Fr. Linus away at studies in Rome, the new moderators for the team are Mrs. Ann Schaefer and Br. John.

They meet and practice with team members every Thursday morning in the high school and new members are always welcome. As Fr. Linus has said, “No matter what field or

capacity a Priory boy finds himself after college, the time will come when he has to speak before a group or a congregation, presenting his own ideas or those of others,” and there is no better preparation at this stage than participation in the speech team.

Ten other schools comprise the league: Barat Academy, Cor Jesu Academy, Duchesne High School, Nerinx Hall High School, Notre Dame High School, Rosati Kane High School, St. Francis Borgia Regional High School in Washington, MO, St. Joseph Academy, SLU High School and Ursuline Academy.

Several Priory students served as greeters and guides on Sunday and will receive community service hours for their work.

Any student interested in becoming a part of the team should contact Cartan, Mrs. Schaefer or Br. John for more information.

“Mmmmm, free goo.”

7 Periodical Science Just about every week we hear “Good news everyone, we are one step closer to deep space travel!” Well this past week we got a shock of bad news that could mean the loss of all this scientific momentum. Studies have been showing a trend of what is essentially the galactic version of global warming (minus the obvious ozone hole explanation).

The sun runs constantly on a 10-11 year cycle: 6-8 years of minimal solar activity, and then 2-3 years of high activity. But for reasons NASA is still only speculating, the Cosmic Ray Telescope on LRO reports that this minimum period (which has already lasted almost 9 years) has reached the lowest activity level in almost a century, and shows signs that its not finished. Why this is such bad news? Low solar activity means less shielding from cosmic radiation. Its a l r e a d y a c c e p t e d t h at astronauts can spend only so long outside of our comfy atmosphere, but NASA predicts that if we head out for Mars during the next cycle, we can only spend 20% of the time in space as we would have last cycle. Hopefully our transportation technology will have drastically improved by then, but it looks like spa c e travel prospects just took a huge step backwards.

8

MISCELLANEOUS

Rebels Soccer Update

By George Ahlering ’16 Staff Writer The Rebels Varsity Soccer Update has been sidelined the past few weeks due to injury. On 9/30 the Rebels faced off against Lutheran North and sealed the deal for a 4-0 victory; goals scored by Dominic Young, Chris Holland, Dominic Young from Ciapciak on a penalty kick, and Forshaw.

The always underrecognized goaltenders who got the shutout were Andrew Stange and Tyler Bealke.

Both the SLUH game and the Duschene game were rained out unfortunately.

On October 7th v e r s u s Lutheran S o u t h , Wi l l Dohr came through as the hero once again by scoring both goals. The first was unassisted and the latter was on a pass from Klaesner. Will dominates both on and off the field, especially in regards to the competition for lady friends.

October 14th, the soccer squad faced off against great competition at CBC. The team

was very organized, played tenaciously and quickly, and the effort surely paid off.

Undoubtedly, we showed our true potential to be able to play with high-caliber teams.

However, we didn’t capitalize on chances and ended up losing 1-0.

Mulqueeny, the Rebels struck first. In a well fought match where we controlled possession, we again tied 1-1 during 80 minutes and through double overtime. We fell short in penalty kicks once again.

This wrapped up the regular season.

O n M o n d a y, w e p l a y e d Principia in one of the last league games of the season and tied 1-1 with the unlucky loss coming in penalty kicks for the Rebels. Ryan Mulqueeny had the lone goal for Priory to lead off the game.

However, none of this matters anymore. The regular season is over and the “second season” (districts) starts next week. Please come out to our game at HOME Monday versus Westminster in the first round of districts. Skip Cross Country or whatever and come out to watch because we desperately need the fan support. And don’t forget to be rowdy and loud because that energy transfers directly from you guys to the players.

Tuesday, we played league rival John Burroughs at John Burroughs. With a great header by Will Dohr, off a p e r f e c t c r o s s f r o m Ry a n

Michael Blogs: Diversity at Priory

By Ramzi Haddad ’16 Staff Writer Priory is an elite academic school, and Priory graduates consistently gain entrance to some of the most esteemed colleges. However, while no school is perfect, and there should never be an expectation of perfection from a school, there is always room for improvement. One of Priory’s biggest flaws is its lack of diversity. Without diversity in our school, opinions become “facts” and certain points of view become the point of view.

What happens when students go to college and a “fact” is disputed, or not everyone has the point of view? Diversity leads to true conviction, while still being tolerant of other beliefs. Diversity brings with it new points of view, and creates a more open-minded and understanding environment.

There are four African American students in the high

school (2 freshman, 1 sophomore, 1 junior, and 0 seniors) in comparison to the nearly 400 other students.

Diversity is not at all limited to black and white, but it would be ignorant to overlook the lack of African American representation in the high school. With the recent events in Ferguson, a pre-existing rift became inflamed between caucasians and African Americans. This rift was caused by stereotypes, and can be defeated through diversity.

Diversity in a small school setting like Priory will lead an appreciation of the individual person that transcends race.

Diversity is not a strictly racial term; it covers a very wide spectrum. Diversity, in the broadest sense of the word, just means variety. It is this variety that will lead to a better school environment. However, today race has become a polarizing issue, so it is important that Priory breaks down this racial

divide.

There are obvious obstacles to achieving a racially diverse culture at Priory. One main obstacle is location. The racial and socioeconomic segregation of the Greater Saint Louis Area is a great hindrance to Priory’s diversification.

Delmar Boulevard is a prime example of this divide. Delmar to the west of Skinker is predominantly caucasian, while Delmar to the east of Skinker is predominantly African American. Priory is located in a predominantly caucasian area, so it logically follows that the majority of its students are white. This obstacle is one that could be overcome by a bussing system, but it would require interest and involvement from everyone in a school like Priory to be achieved.

Another, and more prevalent obstacle, is the lack of minority representation at the school now. This is a very hard obstacle to overcome. Entering

“D’oh”

secondary school is a scary time for kids, and if an African American student comes to visit and sees only four other African Americans in the high school, it might seem odd. In middle school, everyone wants to fit in.

That can be a deciding factor in the secondary school process.

This is obviously something that will take time to overcome, but can be achieved.

It needs to be made clear that diversity at Priory should not be motivated by statistics. The goal should not be to have a certain percentage of African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, et.c at Priory. The goal should be to bring new perspectives and cultural backgrounds to our community. If an increase in racial diversity happens as a result, then that’s great. With a wider appreciation for people of different backgrounds, Priory can help defeat preconceptions about race and culture in St. Louis.