The Owl | Volume 81 Issue 6

TheOwl

THE REGIS HIGH SCHOOL OWL 55 EAST 84th street | New York, NY 10028 (212) 288-1100 EXT. 2109 OWL@REGIS.org

Volume 81 Issue 6 | MAY 26, 2017

SERVING THE REGIS COMMUNITY SINCE 1936

MOCK TRIAL WINS NYC CHAMPIONSHIP

Story on Page 3

“Sold!” at the Auction

BY FINN DONOHUE ’19 Staff Writer Over the past 25 years, the Parents Club annual Auction has become a beloved tradition and a much-anticipated night out for alumni, parents, faculty, and students alike. This year, it certainly did not disappoint.

On Saturday, March 25th, 690 friends of the school gathered for an evening filled with food, fun, and of course, amazing auction items. By the end of the night, the Auction had grossed over half a million dollars for the school.

Throughout it all, the spirit of generosity was present as every penny spent will ultimately go towards the funding of our school in the years to come.

One treasured staple of the event is the Silent Auction, held in the Upper Gym. There, attendees had the option to bid on a staggering array of 477 different items and prizes including a faculty-sponsored Super Smash Bros tournament; a Varsity soccer

team photo; a high-stakes game of mahjong with Ms. Basile; and an enticing dinner with Mr. Vargas, Mr. Baletta, and the ever-entertaining Mr. Marth. Also featured in the Upper Gym was a muchappreciated assortment of food prepared by the cafeteria staff. Despite the considerable numbers of enthusiastic people milling about the Upper Gym, the Silent Auction went off without a hitch in large part due to the dedicated efforts of both the parents and students who volunteered. This sentiment was echoed by volunteer Thomas Gilmore ’19 who said, “The Silent Auction went very smoothly, and it was apparent that the Parents Club put a lot of effort into the event.”

Ultimately, this hard work paid off as the Silent Auction proved itself once again to be an integral part of the Auction experience.

Following the Silent Auction came the main event: the live auction, located in the auditorium.

During this event, attendees had the privilege of seeing Mr. Eugene

Assistant Principals Announced

BY MATT KLUGE ’19 Staff Writer As many students likely now know, Rev. Ian Gibbons, S.J. has taken a position as principal at St. Louis University High School, a Jesuit high school in Missouri, next academic year, leaving his spot as the Assistant Principal of Regis open. A job search for his replacement spearheaded by Ms. Hong, Dr. Nofi, Mr. Amatrucola, Fr. Bender, and Ms. Remsen began in February and ended just before Easter Break. Because of Fr. Gibbons’ unmatched work ethic and efficiency that cannot be found in anyone else, Dr Tocchet, with Father Lahart’s approval, decided to hire two new assistant principals.

It was soon decided that Ms. Sa-

mantha Lehn and Mr. Christian Mariano ’99 would succeed Fr. Gibbons’ and take the roles of Assistant Principal for Academics and Assistant Principal for Student Life and Formation, respectively.

These two new roles were created to better serve the Regis community by providing two people to attend to all the matters and people the Assistant Principal is responsible for. In an interview with The Owl, Dr. Tocchet explained, “there just wasn’t enough time in the day.”

He continued, “It became very difficult to do some of the things we hoped to do.” The administration had been finding that it was, “really hard to give everything the attention it deserved.” He also explained that the two-principal system is not a new concept: “The

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Senior College Decision List 2017 Pages 6-7

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IN THIS ISSUE:

majority of Jesuit schools have at least two assistant principals.”

These schools include Xavier and Fordham Prep, both of which are testaments to the efficiency of the system.

Ms. Lehn is currently the Dean of Academics at Loyola and has also worked at Georgetown Preparatory School outside of Washington D.C. She has a B.A. in Mathematics from Boston College and Master’s Degree in Mathematics from Fairfield University.

Throughout her career, she has served as a Math Teacher, Department Chair, Assistant Principal, and Dean of Academics. But what outshines even her academic brilliance is her deep roots in Jesuit education. Dr. Tocchet explained,

Mock Trial, Real Success

ENTERTAINMENT (PAGES 8-10)

BATSPOON (PAGE 11)

Review: The Great Comet

Artists of Interest

NEWS (PAGES 1-3)

Led by Mr. Kent and Mr. Allison, Mock Trial won the NYC Championship.

Going Once, Going Twice...

Freshman Retreat Comeback

Review: LOGAN

On Saturday, March 25, the Regis Parents’ Club hosted the 2017 Regis Auction.

New Assistant Principals Ms. Samantha Lehn and Mr. Christian Mariano ’99 were announced as the Assistant Principals for 2017-18.

Freshman Family Welcomed ...at Freshman Family Welcome Night.

After snowstorms, an updated retreat.

FEATURES (PAGES 4-5)

An “Unbelizable” Trip Dr. Carew recently led a group of Regis seniors and juniors to Belize for a marine biology expedition.

Fly on the Wall Experiences from the presidential trail.

Zachary Espiritu ’17 reviews.

Salvatore Cinquemani ’18 reviews.

Hesperia Dining Hesperia returns from hiatus with a restaurant experience.

You Can’t Take It With You

Introducing the new Batspoon column.

SPORTS (PAGE 12)

Baseball Spring Training Recaps from the Florida experience.

Varsity Volleyball, Making History

Brian Saville ’18 recaps.

Varsity Volleyball looks ahead to the upcoming season.

Spring Concert 2017: A Recap

March Madness

Brendan Tuite ’19 recaps.

Who will emerge as the champion?

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TheOwl THE FORUM FOR REGIAN DISCOURSE

ANNOUNCING THE NEW

EDITORIAL BOARD FOR 2017-2018 Aidan Woutas ’18 Editor-in-Chief

Devin Chu ’18 Managing Editor

George Schouten ’18 News Editor

Adrian Morrison ’18 Features Editor

Trevor Wertheimer ’18 Opinion Editor

Alessandro Colangelo ’18 Entertainment Editor

News Recap: The 2017 Regis Auction

(Continued from front page.)

Flinn P’10 conduct the bidding with the assistance of Mr. DiMichele and various other prominent Regis figures. Among the prizes up for grabs during this stage of the night were a backstage meeting with Colin Jost ’00, host of the hilarious Weekend Update segment of Saturday Night Live; tickets to the award-winning Broadway musical Hamilton; lunch with Phil Klay ’01, author of the 2014 National Book Award winner Redeployment; tickets and a press pass to Super Bowl LII; and of course, the annual Tchoukball Extravaganza, auctioned off for an astonishing $14,000 by Mr. Donodeo.

Another jaw-dropping bid was the backstage meeting with Colin Jost, which went for the exorbitant sum of $30,000. By the time the live auction was concluded, 23 items were sold for a record-breaking grand total of $180,500 making this year one of the most successful in Auction history.

New Assistant Principals

Alan Clancy ’18

(Continued from front page.)

Sports Editor

“We wanted someone who had leadership experience in a school.”

It was clear that Ms. Lehn possessed these essential qualities as she has had, “great experience working with parents, teachers, and students… and has demonstrated success as an assistant principal already.” When she begins her tenure at Regis, she will function very similarly to Fr. Gibbons and will assume his responsibilities related to teacher supervision, curriculum review, and the academic well-being of students. Fr. Gibbons’ other responsibilities, such as supervising extracurriculars and other formation programs, will be delegated to Mr. Mariano.

Mr. Mariano, a Regis graduate from the class of ’99, will be taking over the responsibilities of student activities and other student related programs. After attending Regis, Mr. Mariano received a B.A. in sociology from the College of the Holy Cross where he also minored in German. He later went on to earn a Master’s Degree in Administration and Building Supervision from St. John’s University before starting his professional career.

Throughout his career, he has been a teaching assistant in Austria, an English teacher at Saint Joseph Hill Academy in Staten Island and most recently, Principal of Corpus Christi School in Manhattan. Mr. Mariano has extensive experience

Nicholas Drury ’18 Layout Editor

Conor McCormack ’18 Photo Editor

Morgan McCordick ’19 Assistant News Editor

Raymund Lee ’19 Assistant Features Editor

Terence Coyne ’19 Assistant Opinion Editor

Devon Umeozor ’19 Assistant Entertainment Editor

John Mendizabal ’19 Assistant Sports Editor

John D’Cruz ’20 Assistant Layout Editor

Mr. Joseph Quinn ’04 Faculty Moderator

Fr. Arthur Bender ’67 Faculty Moderator

ESTABLISHED IN 1936 the regis high school owl 55 East 84th STREET (212) 288-1100 ext. 2109 owl@regis.org THEOWL.REGISPUBS.ORG

Some other exciting Auction events included the brand-new “Big Board”, which raised $52,400, and the donation challenge, in which Father Lahart presented a short video highlighting the possibility for potential improvements to the cafeteria. This challenge raised a total of slightly under $162,000 to upgrade the cafeteria.

By the evening’s conclusion, attendees of the 2017 Auction were struck by a deep sense of gratitude and renewed appreciation for the Regis community. Michael Mazzariello ’19, who attended with his family, recalled, “It was great to see so many families come out to the auction that night to support our education. The items were superb and the generosity on the part of everyone who attended was impressive.” Ultimately, it was the kindness and magnanimity of those who attended this year’s Auction that made it such an amazing event.

in religious formation and safe operation of schools, which suits his new role perfectly. While at Regis, Mr. Mariano’s duties will mostly pertain to “assisting the Principal in the exercise of the overall responsibility for student life activities and formation programs,” in addition to the overall safety of the school as explained in a schoolwide email announcing these two new additions to the Regis administration.

These two new administrators are very excited to kick off their respective careers at Regis. Although Ms. Lehn could not be reached, Mr. Mariano commented, “I certainly am excited about returning to Regis. I’ve even begun to look at the different Regis wear in the bookstore to replace the fading (now ill-fitting) Regis gear I have.” They are also excited to contribute to Regis through the innovative insights they offer. This means that we can expect changes to Regis in various areas because of their fresh perspective, although this will not encompass a broad policy change affecting all areas of the school. Whatever changes are made, we have no doubt that coming from accomplished and diverse careers in education that their different perspectives will allow them to transform Regis for the better.

Welcoming the Freshmen at Freshman Family Welcome Night

BY JONATHAN SINGLETON ’19 Staff Writer “May Ours be the Noble Heart, Strong to Endure...May Ours be the Heroes Part, Ready to Do.” Known to almost all Regians, these are some of the first words that an officially accepted incoming freshman may hear on his inaugural trip to Regis, a true musical definition of the young men that walk the halls of 55 East 84th Street day after day. For Regians in recent years, the acceptance process has been similar but extremely memorable for all those who journey it. First of course, there is the fateful letter from Dr. Tocchet informing of one’s admittance, often garnering a gasp, yell, or tear from the young man who has the pleasure of reading it. However, the next stages of the process are considered to be far more important, most notably the Freshman Family Welcome Night.

This is the first true introduction that an 8th grade boy has to the logistical and academic inner workings of the mythical place called Regis High School.

During this eventful evening, future Regians receive a detailed explanation of their fate and are given the opportunity to have a hand in deciding part of it. Although many believe the night to be exclusively about choosing a language for the following year, the events include much more than just that. The young men listen to speeches from the administration, hear personal anecdotes from typical Regis students, and even get to enjoy a roaring rendition of the Alma Mater. Arriving through the doors of the glorious 85th street foyer, an army of blue blazers awaits them, ready to reach out a helping hand to even the most nervous and fragile of them all. Escorted into the grand auditorium and ushered to their seats, some were very eager while others were a bit more apprehensive, still clinging to hands of mom and dad. After being seated, they were welcomed by Father Lahart who led them through a brief prayer followed by a speech from Father Gibbons about coursework. This is where the young men get their first real look at the curriculum (with many shedding even more tears or running away screaming) and get to see firsthand, the academic life of a Regis student. The incoming freshman then had the opportunity to meet in groups with Junior and Senior leaders who advised

them on the Regis life and told them of their own experiences with a Q/A proceeding. Sophomore Andy Vittoria ‘19 said, “This is one of the first opportunities that the guys have to interact with upperclassmen on a more personal level.” Obviously, the importance of this aspect of the night cannot be understated, for more exposure in the early stages allows for a smoother transition. However, the Freshman Family Welcome Night does not solely place emphasis on the students, but the parents as well. While the students were upstairs with the student advisors, the parents were downstairs with Mrs. Trapasso P’19 who spoke on behalf of the parents club, putting many of the nervous parents at ease. Soon after the Q/A session was over, the 8th graders were ushered down to the auditorium to listen to Dr. Tocchet’s talk about service and summer acts of kindness, demonstrating Regis’ emphasis on molding these kids into “men for others” before they even enter the school. Finally came the most important part, a rousing rendition of the alma mater by the Student Advisors lead by none other than conductor, Mr. Vince Peterson.

This performance sent shockwaves throughout the crowd, energizing all who had the pleasure of listening. At the conclusion of the song, the students were brought down to the lower gym (many of whom gasping at its dungeonesque facade) where they were encouraged to peek around at the diverse variety of language options that the Regis curriculum has to offer. For the past three years, incoming freshmen have only had the option of selecting either German, Spanish, Chinese, or Latin, but in a shocking turn of events, French has made a comeback in remarkable fashion. Teacher Mr. Pedro Acosta explained, “The Language department once again has the resources to meet the growing demand and need for a French course.” After exploring the various tables and talking with teachers, the incoming freshman and student advisors were all exhausted and finally given the chance to depart home for the night. All in all, the night was very successful, for it helped to demonstrate the truly wonderful place that Regis is.

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News Regis Mock Trial

BY JOSEPH O’NEILL ’19 Staff Writer After eight hard-fought trials over the course of two months, the recently founded Regis Mock Trial Team was crowned New York City Mock Trial Champions at the New York City Mock Trial City Championship on May 3, 2017.

Starting in the “seedy courts of lower Manhattan”, the Regis Mock Trial Team has been crowned New York City champions. Founded by seniors John Timony and Wally Joe Cook, the club has grown immensely over the last two years.

Under the leadership of Regis faculty members, Mr. Kent and Mr. Allison, and volunteer Mr. John

Sullivan ’86, parent of mock trial lawyer Andrew Sullivan, Regis is making its presence felt, winning eight consecutive trials, and beating powerhouses Browning and Hunter College High School. How did this team come to be so great?

Well, according to Mr. Allison, the answer is practice, and the talented speakers from the Hearn of course.

The team meets for practice about once every week and with the help of Mr. Sullivan, a lawyer, the mock trial lawyers examine and directly question the team’s witnesses. This helps our lawyers in asking complex questions which could potentially undermine the witnesses’ accounts. These practices also help our witnesses act

out their responses, and help them think quickly on their feet while on the stand. These examinations are crucial to winning a trial, because such questions and responses can reaffirm or break either side’s case.

In addition to these practices, Mr. Allison says the help of Mr. Sullivan is vital to the team’s recent success. Mr. Sullivan has given much time to helping the mock trial lawyers. Whether it has been with their opening and closing arguments, questioning the witnesses, or knowing when to object to the other side’s examination, Mr. Sullivan has helped at every step of the process, and has been an integral part of this team. Hopefully, the team’s historic run will continue through the State Championship.

Student News The Regis Mock Trial team of seniors Wally Joe Cook, John Timony, Andrew Ford, TJ Li, Mac Sheehan, Kevin Murray, Zach Espiritu, Tommy DiMartino, Ryan Cimmino, Kyle Jones, and Randall Zuccalmaglio, and juniors George Schouten and Andrew Sullivan finished their season by placing second out of more than 300 participating schools at the New York State Mock Trial Championship in Albany.

Seniors TJ Li and Kyle Jones took first at the Calvin Coolidge Debates held at Chaminade High School.

At the New York CHSAA City Championships held at Ichan Stadium, Matt Majask ’18 led the team by taking 1st in triple jump. Adriano Atallah ’17 took 2nd in the long jump event.

Henry Deteskey ’17 was recently named as the Graduation Speaker for the Class of 2017.

Juniors Luke Valdes and Nick Drury were recently elected President and Vice President of the Regis Student Government. Connor McCormack ’18 joins them in the new Treasurer-Secretary position along with Rafael Garcia ’19 as Communications & Publicity Director.

Freshman Retreat: A Comeback Story

BY CHRISTOPHER SCAZZERO ’18 Contributing Writer The odds did not seem in the favor of the 2017 Freshmen Retreat this year when a heavy nor’easter forced the cancellation of all activities planned for Wednesday after school and transformed the retreat into a one-day event.

The six months of preparations made by Fr. Lane, Mr. Marth, Ms. Prezioso, and Ms. Reisig seemed to be thrown out of whack by Mother Nature. Several key activities, such as the renowned Hunger Banquet, had to be scrapped altogether while others were condensed. On the eve of the Freshman Retreat, the outlook for the retreat wasn’t good.

After a commute filled with cold gusts of wind and piles of snow, I was greeted by my fellow leaders along with Fr. Lane and Mr. Marth soon after my arrival at Regis. They clarified the day’s schedule and handed out new materials with a swiftness that put everyone at ease.

The workings of the retreat were already on the way with the food prepared, service sites confirmed, and most importantly, with the freshmen rounded up and ready to go. Retreat leaders were even able to execute crucial reforms

soon before the retreat: the classrooms were stripped of their desks and decorated with Christmas lights (with the help of sophomore volunteers), each freshman had brought his own blanket or pillow so that he would be comfortable on the floor, and different ice breaker activities were implemented. It was clear that the leadership of the retreat had taken the helm and guided it safely through the storm.

After that point, it seemed as though the retreat blew by along with the gusty winds of that day.

We began our day by dividing ourselves up by advisements and departing towards our different service sites. Like always, there was a wide variety of local organizations that we were able to help, ranging from senior assisted living locations to Jan Hus homeless assistance programs (a big thank you to Mr. Dee for coordinating with these different sites). Once back at Regis, we ate lunch and set off on “recess,” where freshmen were able to play board games in the cafeteria, basketball in the upper gym, or soccer in the lower gym. After settling down, we finally ventured into the heart of freshmen retreat.

Candles lit up room after room, guiding genuine conversations and reminding the freshmen of the

importance of attentiveness, quietness, and reflection. We journeyed through different biblical passages, each highlighting a different aspect of reflection. The freshmen were given the opportunity to go to confession and afterwards participated in Ms. Prez’s famous guided meditation. All was relaxed, peaceful and quiet. Even in the setting of Regis, there was a comfortably bright environment, perfect for facilitating a successful retreat.

Before I knew it, I was standing up during our closing ceremony Mass. The candles decorated by the freshmen illuminated the new faces of kids I had gotten to know so well over the course of a single day, and behind them, the people who had worked so hard to make that day a reality. As I sang along to the Regis Alma Mater booming throughout the auditorium with the help of the then rowdy freshmen class, I just felt really good. I had a lot of fun just joking around with the students and leaders around me. I had been able to take a breath after a couple of difficult weeks. I had engaged in deeper, more sincere conversations with these freshmen than I really thought I would be able to. On that cold, snowy night, I could not have felt warmer.

George Schouten ’18 was recently elected Debate President of The Hearn, along with Trevor Wertheimer ’18 as Extemp President and Christopher Frick ’18 as Interp President.

At the New York State Speech & Debate Championship, seniors Kyle Jones and TJ Li led the team by winning the varsity division of public forum debate, while seniors Nick Lindseth and Jack McCordick and Chris Castaldi-Moller and Chris Mignano took 5th and 6th. Skakel McCooey ’17 placed 2nd in Original Oratory, while sophomores Nathan LoPinto and Dan Tully took 3rd in Duo Interpretation and sophmores Jonathan Singleton and Nate Wood placed 2nd and 5th in JV Extemperaneous Speaking. Gene Witkowski ’17 also placed 3rd in Varsity Oral Interpretation along with Brandon Wingfield ’17, who placed 5th in drama. Seniors Zach Espiritu and Brandon Wingfield placed 5th and 6th in program oral interp.

For The Record...

Issue 5’s “The Power of the Pen: English Teachers Lead a Letter Writing Workshop” was mistakenly attributed to Raymund Lee ’19. The correct author is Devon Umeozor ’19.

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Features

An “Unbelizable” Experience During Easter Break, Dr. Carew led a student trip to Belize. With a focus on marine biology, students embarked on multiple snorkeling expeditions throughout the week, learning about the diverse ecosystems and lifeforms of Belize. Randall Zuccalmaglio ’17 recounts his experience for The Owl.

I was eight when I went through my marine biologist stage, leaving behind my fantasy of becoming a surgeon. My grandmother, who always indulged my sometimes bizarre and constantly shifting career aspirations, bought National Geographic movies to watch on the nights I slept over. I’d watch the same couple films repeatedly, making up names for the fish I saw the most often. Eventually, I moved on and set my sights on becoming a lawyer. Judge Judy replaced Steve Erwin on Saturday nights for the next couple years.

Just weeks ago, I felt that wideeyed wonder of my childhood once again. Exploring miles of pristine reef along the Ambergris Caye coast, I felt as if I were living dreams I had forgotten long ago.

Dr. Ken Mattes and his wife Maureen founded the Belize Tropic Research and Education Center, or TREC, in 1994. Soon after, they purchased Goliath, a huge ship originally commissioned by a British general who wanted to avoid detection by scanners – something I believe is accomplished by the catamaran design where there is very little “boat” in the water. For Dr. Mattes, the design allows him to navigate through shallow waters without damaging the coral or stirring up the bottom. We spent hours lying on the deck, napping or watching the pristine, often relatively untouched coast of Ambergris Caye roll by.

Dr. Mattes gave us a briefing the night before each snorkel, letting us know what we could expect to see and giving us a brief lesson on the various ecosystems we would see the next day. Each day we’d rise for breakfast at eight, be on the boat by nine, and in the water by ten thirty at the latest. To avoid overcrowding a certain area

of reef or losing anyone, we split into three groups; one led by Dr. Mattes, one led by Maureen, and one led by Siete. Siete was a local tour guide hired by TREC for their dives and named for his soccer number. All our guides, as well as every other guide on the island, are licensed by the local government and passed intense marine biology and physical fitness examinations to ensure the safety of both the tourists and the reefs. Every time we passed something new, our guide would briefly become vertical long enough to tell us what it was and why it was cool.

Maureen, whom I was with towards the end of the week, was an especially memorable tour guide as she deigned to chase after rare fish for what seemed like hours.

Angelo Osofsky ’18 watched from the boat as “[Maureen] took the elite group of Randall, Skakel, Mr. Simon, and Mr. Gallagher on a special route while the rest of us watched in disbelief as they

seemed to go in circles around the channel area.” The extra mileage was worth it, however, as we entered a biologists-only zone to follow a school of frosh-sized permit.

Over the course of the week we snorkeled barrier reefs, channels, mangrove islands, “coral gardens”, and turtle grass beds. Dr. Mattes told us the first day that we arrived that each day would be better than the last, an announcement everyone soon became skeptical of after our first dive. We’d seen everything from stingrays to pufferfish to coral teeming with damselfish within an hour; what could possibly beat that? As the week progressed, we realized Dr. Mattes wasn’t exaggerating. Each day we saw something new and exciting while also deepening our understanding of the ecosystems we explored. Wally Joe Cook ’17 remembers, “Everything was beautiful and mesmerizing. Everywhere you looked, you find another tiny community that was both independent of and dependent on the surrounding reef.”

It was only after the trip that we realized all those little explanations over the span of two or three hours each day added up to an in-depth lecture that wouldn’t have been half as effective without the live visual aids.

Not every part of Ambergris Caye, however, was healthy. Climate change had left its mark on the water and reefs, manifest-

ing itself in various coral diseases and the sargossum. Sargossum is a floating vegetation that is composed of bubble like pockets of gas linked together by stalks. Originally contained to certain parts of South America, shifting global temperatures and currents have allowed it to move in vast quantities to the Caribbean and other traditionally foreign waters. It ruins vacation beaches and can cause problems for both reefs and local tourism alike. Since it is so fickle in the time and quantity in which it appears, all attempts to farm it have ended in bankruptcy. Dr. Mattes noted that it was one of the first signs that the ecosystem of Belize was drastically and rapidly shifting; in his first couple decades in Belize, he had never seen sargossum in such quantities. Skakel McCooey ’17 says, “It was sobering to think about the ways the reef will change over the next few decades. Although signs of collapse were extremely rare on our trip, the news of the Great Barrier Reef mass coral bleaching just days before our trip made everyone aware that we were seeing something that might not exist in the near future.”

On our last day before we departed, we took a trip by speedboat and bus to the mainland to see the Mayan ruins. On the bus ride in, our tour guide explained everything from Belizean day-to-day life to economics to heritage. The

ruins were stunning and extremely hot, forcing Chris Mignano ’17, McAfee Sheehan ’17, and Jeremy Pulmano ’17 to stare in wonder under an umbrella to escape the Mayan heat. The climbs were panoramic and challenging, though as Kyle Jones ’17 remarked, “markedly better than the Great Wall considering I didn’t lose my breakfast this time.” After the ruins, we bartered for ironwood bowls and exotic gifts before going to lunch at a local spa.

As we returned home, disaster struck when our flight from Miami was cancelled. Dr. Carew, Mr. Gallagher, and Mr. Simon, however, quickly took control and we were soon rescheduled on a half dozen different connecting flights. The delay couldn’t dampen our spirits, though, because as Zach Espiritu ’17 recalls, “in retrospect, the trip home was just as fun as the days we spent snorkeling. Everyone was so close by that point that we laughed for hours on end about nothing and everything. I made some memories I’ll never forget, which is really all you can ask as a senior with only a few weeks left at Regis.”

The trip was truly unforgettable.

The entire group would like to extend its most sincere thanks to Dr. Carew, Mr. Simon, and Mr. Gallagher for working so hard to make sure we had the best time possible.

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Features The Fly on the Wall

BY JAMES CORRIGAN ’19 Contributing Writer We Regians like to talk a lot about politics and current events happening around the world. Like many of you, the 2016 election was something that I followed quite closely. I watched news feeds, read articles, and watched several debates. I always wondered what it was like behind the scenes, what was going on to help these politicians get their positions. Due to the fact that the Trump campaign was based in New York City, I decided to apply for an internship at the campaign. I really hoped I would receive an opportunity to get a sneak peek into the political arena.

I was accepted into the Trump/ Pence internship program on September 9th, which at the time did not seem like a big deal to me. I

was told to meet in the Trump Tower lobby the next day at 10:00 a.m. dressed in business attire. I tried to play it cool when I arrived, but I was thrilled. My parents kept telling me that this was a ‘great opportunity’ and that I could not pass up on this offer.

My first day working for the campaign was not very exciting.

Someone who worked on the team met me in the lobby. They brought me upstairs, I signed some paperwork, and they put me to work.

As I toured the building someone pointed out that I was the youngest intern. Most of the interns working for the campaign were either in college or working for the campaign full-time. This is when reality set in. I was working for a man that could possibly become the President of the United States.

When we finished the tour I was given two options: work in the Voter Outreach room, or the “War Room.” I immediately chose the latter because it sounded cooler, but looking back I definitely made the right choice. I was told, “the War Room is where all the magic happens.” The War Room is where the speechwriters, communications team, policy team, and the like worked tirelessly day in and day out. I became a War Room Monitor, a part of the communications team that monitored network

“A Regian’s Life”

news channels and pulled news stories pertaining to the election from various outlets. I also had the opportunity to transcribe conference calls and other interviews while I was working.

My first few weeks on the campaign were quite hectic. I started working just as my sophomore year began, and I was certainly juggling a lot. I found myself staying up until 2 a.m. doing homework and studying for tests. I realized that I would not be able to work 6 days a week while being a full time student, so I told my boss that I would only be able to work 4 days a week.

While working in the War Room, I saw and met several people who were very “high up” in the chain of command on the campaign. Kellyanne Conway was often seen working in the War Room. I spotted Sean Spicer having lengthy conversations on his phone, and even saw Rudy Giuliani walking around the office. I was awestruck every time I saw these people.

Working for the campaign was exciting. Everyday, I walked into the War Room, sat down, and began furiously typing about what each news segment was covering, then I had to format my report, and every half-hour send it to someone who would compile the reports to be read by Mr. Trump. I felt like I was directly helping the campaign, something of which I am very proud. In the War Room, people were discussing how to word Mr. Pence’s speeches, while Boris Epshteyn hosted Trump Facebook live streams and Fox News covered a Trump Rally in Ohio. There was a

EDITED BY JOHN PETRUCCI ’17

lot of chaos, but I loved every second of it.

Election night was finally upon us. Everyone in the War Room felt both nervous and excited. We had been working so hard for this night, and were unsure if our hard work would pay off. My night started off with a handshake from Jeff Sessions, someone who I had only seen on TV since my start on the campaign. I sat down immediately and got to work. I was told that I would have to cover the polls and percentages coming in from Virginia, Ohio, New Hampshire, and Missouri. As my fingers began to fall off from my hands because of my quick typing, Kellyanne Conway walked in and announced that the War Room “will have a special guest tonight.” A bit perplexed, I suddenly saw Donald Trump walk through the door! Everyone stood up and began cheering and whistling, and to my relief I was told that I did not have to keep updating the polls. Mr. Trump greeted the room and politely told everyone to sit. Following him were his two sons Eric and Donald Jr., his wife Melania, and his daughter Ivanka. After his family entered the room, Ben Carson entered along with Reince Priebus and Chris Christie. I was completely floored.

Seeing these people in person was something I never expected when I signed up for this job, let alone meeting any of them. Mr. Trump sat down next to one of the other interns, only 5 feet away from me.

The War Room was packed for the next 2 hours, and everyone’s eyes were glued to the 6 television sets

ACROSS 1 Thunderous sound 5 French fries or onion rings 9 Salvador Dali facial feature, informally 14 Take on 15 Guitarist Clapton 16 ___ Day (late April holiday) 17 Hail Mary finisher 18 Way to get to 4D 19 Cheney, Biden, and Pence 20 Wear boots and he’s sure to give you JUG 23 Mislead 24 Stuck in a ___ 25 Centipede’s home?

29 Box office failure 31 Joseon or Common, e.g.

34 Hawk’s nest 35 A hamartia is one 36 Cricket field shape 37 Where many Regians are virtually every weekend 40 Report card blemishes 41 Madison Square Garden in the winter, sometimes 42 Watch ten episodes backto-back 43 “Spring forward, fall back” syst.

44 Breakfast drink 45 Walk unsteadily 46 Subway boarding danger

mounted on the wall. Mr. Trump was unsure as to whether or not he would win, but we all had hope.

When CNN finally called out the winner, Donald Trump, the room began to roar. It was something I will never forget.

Once the crowd began to disperse and head over to the Hilton for the after party, I made it my mission to meet as many people as possible. I was able to meet Ben Carson, Chris Christie, and even Vice President Mike Pence himself. I did not get home until 5:00 a.m. the next morning, but it was worth it. I felt like a batboy at the World Series, or a water boy at the Superbowl. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life.

A few days after the election I was invited to continue my internship in the War Room along with a select few that had been working with me. We continued to do the same work up until the inauguration, and I cannot be more thankful for the opportunities that the Trump/Pence Campaign Team and Transition Team gave to me. It was awesome to have been a part of history, and I gained invaluable real world experience while working for the two teams. Taking opportunities brings one out of their comfort zone and allows for them to learn and grow as individuals, something that is important if we are going to be true ‘men for others.’

47

It can precede radio, string, and bone 48 Two weeks off to recharge and get gifts 56 Tire ridge pattern 57 Manifest destiny direction 58 Related 59 Guts 60 Forced poker bet 61 Soph. and jr. dance 62 Eleven-year-old, e.g.

63 Brought onto “Judge Judy” 64 “Hey!” secretively DOWN 1 Country, or a High School Musical character 2 Lemon counterpart 3 For a trapezoid, half the height times the sum of the bases 4 From Regis, the M86 across the Park, and the C six stops downtown 5 Instagram commodity 6 Maya Angelou’s “And Still ___” 7 Gossip 8 Tan-like shade 9 Prepare for retirement 10 1545-1563 council 11 Aid and ___ 12 What 20A keeps trying to get you to read

13 48 of them in 2880 mins.

21 Of the distant past 22 With “out”, overwhelm with noise 25 Expressed wonder 26 Coral deposits 27 Air or hover, e.g.

28 Broadcasts 29 Lose, in “Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?”

30 Songbird 31 In Sochi, curling or luge 32 Driving venue 33 ___ ego 35 Binomial multiplication method 36 Do without 38 Some Regis Auction prizes 39 Manhattan Project result 44 Name indicated by née 45 Took a sip 46 A zombie’s home 47 Waste maker?

48 Rowing 49 Attendance response 50 ‘Tis in the past?

51 Where to find the salads and wines 52 Scratchy voice 53 ___ out (as in, gets by) 54 Lines up, to an archer 55 Handmake a scarf 56 TBS alternative

Page 6

SENIOR COLLEGE D Adriano Atallah Oberlin College

Oluwatobi Ayeni

Ryan Cimmino

Julian Gannon

Walter Cook

Michael Gannon

Harvard University

Fordham University

Princeton University

Dartmouth College

Antonio Ayverdi

Michael Cosgrove

M. Joel Bacha

Christopher Crespo Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hopkins University

Benjamin Barth

Thomas Cunningham

Thomas Hagan

Matthew Becue

Vincent D’Avanzo Northwestern University

Georgetown University

John Beyrer

Luke D’Cruz

Joseph Hirshorn

Georgia Institute of Technology

University of Michigan Georgetown University

Boston College

Brown University

Northeastern University

Boston College

John Gillespie

Loyola University Maryland

John Gregg

University of Chicago

Paul Heyden

Wake Forest University

Columbia University

University of Notre Dame

Patrick Beyrer

College of William and Mary

Jack Dennehy

College of the Holy Cross

Ankeith Illiparambil

John Bingham

Henry Detesky

Jeremy Irzyk

University of Notre Dame

Pennsylvania State University

Anthony Bongiorno

Thomas DiMartino

Stefan Broekhuizen

Daniel Dixon

Jerome Brone

Brendan Dodd

Middlebury College

Georgetown University

University of Rochester

Ethan Brown

Northeastern University

Boston College

University at Albany

Williams College

Thomas Jandora

Pennsylvania State University

Kyle Jones

Amherst College

Thomas Keating

Cornell University

Washington University in St. Louis

Owen Doherty

Matthew Kerrigan

Hamilton College

College of William and Mary

Edward Burke

Kevin Donohue Dartmouth College

Wake Forest University

Nicholas Cagliuso

Christopher Dowicz

Andrew Kim

Joseph Callaghan

Ryan Downey-Lugo New York University

University of Notre Dame

John Calvelli

Jack Ellwood

Aidan King

Matthew Cappabianca

Zachary Espiritu

Louis Kuhlmann

Christopher Castaldi-Moller

Michael Fanelli

Jason Kurian

Paul Castaybert

Brendan Fitzpatrick

Christopher Kurzatkowski

University of Notre Dame

Northeastern University

Northeastern University

Brown University

Pennsylvania State University

Georgetown University

Georgetown University

Shane Ceniza Fordham University

Nicholas Cimaszewski University of Rochester

University of Notre Dame

Duke University

Brown University

University of Michigan

Boston College

John Foppiani

Stony Brook University

Andrew Ford

Columbia University

Saint Joseph’s University

David Kilduff

Harvard University

Yeon Jun Kim

Bowdoin College

Binghamton University

Cooper Union

Saint John’s University

Jake Lem

University of Pennsylvania

Pierce Lewin

University of Notre Dame

These college decisions are current as of May 2

Page 7

DECISION LIST 2017 Timothy Li

Princeton University

Nicholas Lindseth

Kevin O’Neale

Binghamton University

Kieran O’Neill

Matthew Slowinski College of the Holy Cross

John Soliven

Brown University

University of Notre Dame

Carlos Lopez

Daniel Ortiz

Patrick Magahis

James Paton Kenyon College

Loyola Marymount University

Lorenzo Manuali

George Pazos

Anthony Sutich

Paul Mapara

John Petrucci Williams College

College of the Holy Cross

Eoin Matthews

Matthew Phelan SUNY Geneseo

Lucas Thalassis

Stony Brook University

Kyle McArthur

Jeremy Pulmano Princeton University

Julian Thesseling

Claremont McKenna College

Raymond McCann Northwestern University

Kevin Quirk

Binghamton University

John Timony

Skakel McCooey

Alex Quizon

Reme Uduebo

John McCordick

Gianluca Rago

Gabriel van Oordt

Fiachra McDonagh

James Ramson

Anthony Vivona

New York University

Harvard University

Harvard University

New York University

Columbia University

Hunter College

Yale University

Yale University

Oberlin College

Joseph McGranahan

Williams College

Rice University

Williams College

Columbia University

Villanova University

Northeastern University

Sean Sullivan

Binghamton University

Marc Sunga

Fordham University

John Sweeney

Stanford University

New York University

Cornell University

Wake Forest University

Cornell University

Manhattan College

John Regan

Steven von Kessel

Christopher Mignano

Brian Reyes

Jared Wenzel

Eoin Mills

William Rios

Christopher Wildes

Luke Molinelli

Brendan Ryan

Brandon Wingfield

Cooper Union

Davidson College

University of Notre Dame

Rory Muldoon

Yale University

Manhattan College

Syracuse University

Villanova University

Providence College

Fordham University

Williams College

United States Naval Academy

University of Notre Dame

Robert Schiller

Seamus Wiseman

Kevin Murray

John Schlatter

Gene Witkowski

Patrick Murtagh

Lucas Semczuk

Russell Wong

Georgetown University

Hofstra University

Hamilton College

Swarthmore College

Indiana University - Bloomington

Pennsylvania State University

Binghamton University

Philip Murzynowski

McAfee Sheehan

Joshua Zeitlinger

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Jose Nacion

Georgetown University

Stevens Institute of Technology

Daniel Shkreli

Randall Zuccalmaglio

Villanova University

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Yuri Nesen

Tomas Silva

Georgetown University

Boston University

21, 2017 and are subject to changes on waitlists.

New York University

Page 8

Entertainment Review: LOGAN Claws Its Way to the Top

BY SALVATORE CINQUEMANI ’18 Staff Writer

In a day and age where superhero films reign supreme at the box office, every now and then there comes a film that can defy the genre and become something more. Sure, films like Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice and X-Men: Apocalypse are fun to watch, but there is just something about them that feels…generic. So many times, both comic book fans and cinephiles long to see something new and fresh, not just the “same-old same-old.”

Enter LOGAN. Marketed as Hugh Jackman’s “One Last Time” as the titular mutant, the film was destined to create high expectations. The character of Logan, or his more recognizable alias “The Wolverine,” has been a long-time favorite of X-Men fans, and has been at the forefront of most of the film adaptations over the last seventeen years. The X-Men franchise has had its ups and downs; who could forget the exhilarating entries of X2: XMen United and X-Men: Days of Future Past, and who could wish to forget the not so lovable X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine? The Wolverine trilogy needed to succeed with LOGAN: the first film flopped with both critics and audiences, and, though it was an improvement, the second film failed to bring the brutality of the character to light despite bringing with it an unrated cut on Blu-Ray. The Wolverine needed a film that showcased the true, animalistic nature of the character. When it was announced that the film would be rated R, fans rejoiced.

The plot follows an old, heal-

THE HALLS ARE ALIVE WITH MUSIC:

Spring Concert 2017

BY BRENDAN TUITE ’19 Contributing Writer

ing factor-deprived Logan as he lives out his remaining days on the Mexican border, guarding his telepathic mentor Charles Xavier (Sir Patrick Stewart) better known as “Professor X” - from the world because of his dementia. Logan, although once considered a hero, has stepped out of the light and instead wastes the rest of his life drinking and working as a limo driver near the Mexican border.

Laura (Dafne Keen), a mysterious little girl who displays powers similar to Logan’s, enters his life and leads him on a path that reunites him with the pains of his past and truly tasks him with achieving redemption.

The film definitely earns its R-rating: to be blunt, the first word of dialogue in the film is in fact the f-bomb, and it is in no way the only time this word is used in this film. Even though it is incredibly vulgar, the film’s use of language feels necessary: the film portrays the characters of Wolverine and Charles Xavier as old, worn out men who have seen some sh*t (pardon my French) and have been through long, difficult lives.

This film is brutal, yet, as gory as all the claw slices may be, the action also feels fully warranted because of the setting and its characters; it is not merely gratuitous blockbuster action.

What really shines here is how realistic the film really is.

Director James Mangold makes sure LOGAN does not try to be a typical superhero movie, but instead has it take the form of a modern-day Western, and he even draws inspiration from the classic film Shane in some of the film’s scenes and dialogue. Where many other action films take the time to develop action set-pieces and cool CGI, LOGAN clearly develops all of its characters and lets the action flow in naturally where the story requires it.

In addition, this film tackles many mature themes, such as redemption, legacy, and even religion. The movie shows Logan at an absolute low, and has him work his way back up to the hero we all know and admire, struggling through all of the harsh realities we all trudge through and then some, because the life of a superhero is

not all sunshine and rainbows (ask Batman or Spider-Man the last time they spoke to one of their relatives…). In addition, because he loses his genetically-mutated healing factor, Logan cannot simply walk off a gunshot like he used to: he feels everything and is left with both physical and emotional scars.

Most of the religious aspects of the film revolve around Professor X’s belief that mutants are part of “God’s plan,” combatted with Logan’s depressed thoughts about mutants instead being “God’s mistake.” In addition, LOGAN includes significant religious imagery and symbolism for the viewer to pick apart even after he leaves the theater.

Logan and Laura’s relationship is one to truly marvel at, as the young girl’s attitude and rage both combat and complete Logan’s animalistic nature. The chemistry between the two actors is also remarkable. I could not believe that the young Keen was only around ten or eleven years old when the film was made, as she steals some of the scenes from the more experienced Jackman and Stewart.

To be clear, please watch this film with an open mind: the film does some questionable and outright insane things with

Music is most definitely alive at Regis. A fitting culmination to a year in which Regis’ music programs thrived, the Spring Concerts wowed audiences.

With separate performances dedicated to Vocal and Instrumental Music, spectators were able to better experience what the musicians had been working on for several months.

Friday’s Vocal Music concert opened with a unique and mystifying style of singing known as “The Gauntlet,” in its first

ever High School performance.

This method, created by the composer Sxip Shirey, is carried out by having two lines of singers loop a single line of a song, alternating each syllable. Sxip himself worked with the Glee Club for hours to fine-tune this difficult style. In the first part of the concert, there were performances from the A Capella club, a joint performance of the “Jubilate Deo” with special guests, the Marymount Singers, and a featured set from the

Singers “ABBA medley” and Chamber Choir “Bohemian Rhapsody.” The second half of the show consisted of the main Glee Club performance, with a gorgeous rendition of the Cantique de Jean Racine, John Mayer’s “Say,” and an tribal song entitled “Harambe.” The over 50 voices harmonizing provided a considerable yet gentle sound, and left the audience stunned.

After the departing seniors put on a poignant performance of Randy Newman’s classic

children in this movie, but all are understandable in context.

LOGAN succeeds where other films cannot in its strong character development. I cannot stress enough how important it is for superhero movies (and all movies in general) to fully develop their characters, because if I do not know enough about a particular character, I could care less what happens to them in even the most dire situations. This film tugs at the heartstrings of viewers, to the point where the entire audience laughed, gasped, and flat out cried together at the obstacles these characters were faced with. I can definitively say that I had never left a movie with such emotion resonating in the theater up until this point.

Hits like Captain America: Civil War and even Christopher Nolan’s highly acclaimed The Dark Knight just cannot compare to the quality of filmmaking LOGAN has in store. With all of its brutal action, creative Western-esque cinematography, and near perfect character development, LOGAN has clawed its way into my heart as the best superhero film ever made, and may damn well sure be one of the best films made, period.

“You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” the misty eyes were cleared away by the upbeat interscholastic Show Choir. Consisting of students across all grade levels from schools including Marymount and Dominican Academy, the choir performed not only a Guys & Dolls medley, but also a Doo-Wop piece, both with choreography. After months of preparations, everything paid off in spades as the show earned a standing ovation.

Page 9

Entertainment Snakes, Fireworks, and Togas!

Regis Repertory’s You Can’t Take It With You

BY BRIAN SAVILLE ’18 Contributing Writer

At the beginning of April, the Regis Repertory put on its spring performance of You Can’t Take it with You. Directed

by Regis’ own Mr. Andre Anselme, this 1936 comedy put smiles on the faces of its many attendees.

Written by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman and originally performed on Broadway, the show takes place in the household of the Sycamore family, an eccentric group of people who prioritize their happiness above conformity to societal norms. Grandpa (Vincent D’Avanzo ’17), the patriarch of the family, has avoided income tax for decades and spends his days hunting snakes and throwing darts, while Mr. Sycamore (Jalen Ellis ’19) makes a living selling fireworks, which he creates in his basement alongside Mr. De Pinna (Andrew Kalyvas ’18), an iceman who showed up at the house five years prior and has lived with the family ever since. When the family’s eldest daughter Alice (Yanixa Crespo, Dominican Academy ’17) falls in love with her boss’s son, Tony Kirby (JD Calvelli ’17),

she is determined to make her family seem as normal as possible so as not to make a poor impression. When Tony’s family shows up to dinner one day early, chaos understandably ensues. After initially denouncing the Sycamores’ way of life, Tony’s father Mr. Anthony Kirby Sr. (Nathan LoPinto ’19) has a change of heart and comes to understand the family’s unorthodox but very happy lifestyle.

With such a large cast and detailed set, the production of this show was not without its challenges. In less than three month, many characters had to memorize lines numbering in the triple digits. Our set designer, Mr. Jim Langan, built the Sycamore house in a way that was true to the traditional layout while also fitting the dimensions of Regis’ stage and being easy for the audience to

“Out to Lunch”: Hesperia Dines at Trattoria L’incontro

BY ALESSANDRO COLANGELO ’18 Entertainment Editor

Though all Regians share a common devotion to the crimson and white once they step through the 85th Street doors, the real excitement can be found within individuals’ unique backgrounds. Venturing from myriad towns across the tristate area, Regians acknowledge and champion others’ diverse ethnicities. Culture clubs have thus became a tour de force, allowing students to share significant parts of their identities with others through traditions, festivals, and cuisine. Although a rocky first trimester derailed its initiatives, Hesperia (“The Land of the Setting Sun”) – Regis’ Italian cultural society – reunited on Tuesday, April 12th, to sample some of the best Italian food Astoria has to offer during its first official outing of the year.

After receiving permission from club moderator Dr. Matone in March and thoroughly renovating the Hesperia Moodle page to include sign-ups, recipes, and memes, the newest Don (President, PR) Alessandro Colangelo ’18 teamed up with his Caporegime (VicePresident, outreach) Salvatore Cinquemani ’18 and Consigliere (Vice-President, finance) Christopher Durso to plan the event – just in time to wish everyone Buona Pasqua (“Happy Easter” to non-Paisans) before the well-deserved vacation. Cinquemani’s relative, Chef Rocco Sacramone, generously hosted the banquet in the private party room of his restaurant Trattoria L’incontro, a classic venue famous for its high ceilings and hand-painted murals.

Following a surprisingly fast commute to Ditmars Boulevard, Astoria, via the N train,

the faithful and ravenous Hesperia members – accompanied

by Mr. Allocca, Ms. Brody, and Dr. Miller - were ready to satisfy their cravings with a four-course tasting menu of trattoria fare. As an added bonus, all could delight in Juventus’ 3-0 soccer victory over FC Barcelona emblazoned on the venue’s televisions. Even though they quickly made the “rookie mistake” of filling up on fresh, crispy bread, olive oil, and complementary sun-dried tomato pesto, all Hesperians made room for the main antipasti/appetizers - verdure, salami, e pesci (vegetables, meat, and fish). What Italian dinner doesn’t begin with caprese?

This combination of mozzarella and ripe tomatoes drizzled with an olive oil and balsamic reduction was so pleasing that it could have been a palate cleanser. Soon arrived a savory fig salad full of thinly sliced sa-

see from any seat. With such a crazy family, one might expect to see some crazy knickknacks lying around the house.

Headed by myself, our prop team worked hard to spelunk through a cluttered prop closet, looking for swords, typewriters, and shrunken heads, among other things. What could not be found already at Regis was strategically swept up from thrift stores or Amazon Prime

by our producer and assistant director, Mr. Michelangelo Allocca. Stage Manager Seamus Wiseman ’17 and Lighting Designer Zachary Espiritu ’17 spent many late nights in the auditorium fine-tuning the set to ensure that the experience would run as smoothly as possible. Matthew Peeks ’18 and Nolan Morgan ’19 again headed sound design, making sure actors could be heard over their microphones and finding and making sound effects to be heard in the goofy household.

In the end, these aspects all melded together into one cohesive and very enjoyable performance.

You Can’t Take it With You was a very ambitious show, and all of the hard work that went into it more than paid off. Audiences roared with laughter at the on-stage antics they witnessed. Those who were a part of the show are all very satisfied with their challenging but rewarding work and thankful for the memories and friendships forged during the production.

For cast, crew, and audience alike, this show was an unforgettable experience that they certainly can take with them.

lami and shaved parmigiano cheese. Guests even enjoyed a fruity and refreshing “sushi” palate cleanser.

The waiters soon presented the second course – a two-pasta special. The mezza luna ravioli, a personal favorite, contained the perfect balance of mascarpone cheese stuffing and pestowalnut sauce, complemented still by chopped asparagus. Just as delicious was the rigatoni al ragu with its ground veal and pancetta. The pasta’s consistency was perfect: soft enough to stay on the fork, but tender enough to provide an enjoyable “mouth feel” (thanks, Brooklyn Nine-Nine). Sorry, Regis.

Your omnipresent pasta dishes are no match for Trattoria L’incontro. Next arrived the entre: a delectable Mediterranean cod so light that it did not smell or overwhelm the patrons. The accompanying potatoes and string beans were also noteworthy.

Once Hesperia licked all plates and serving bowls clean, Trattoria L’incontro presented its much-anticipated chocolate

pizza for dessert. Frank Matranga ’18 happily reported that this warm, nutella-filled, sugarcoated confection was “like a pop-tart, but, like, real.”

The members of Hesperia graciously thanked their host and bid each other farewell.

Though willing to make room for more, each guest left with a full stomach and a happy heart.

Even with the threatening load of work due the next day, John Chiaramonte ’18 proudly described the vivid food coma he endured once he reached his home.

This first dinner under new leadership was an absolute success. On behalf of all Hesperia, special thanks to Chef Sacramone and the Cinquemani family for their kindness and generosity. Whether or not you are a true Paisan, please consider joining us for our future events; show everyone how much you love the Red, White, and Green.

Page 10

Entertainment

Review: Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 Serves Dumplings and Innovation

BY ZACHARY ESPIRITU ’17 Layout Editor Emeritus

Considering our recentlyelected President’s partiality towards the current President of the Russian Federation and my enrollment in the second trimester “Strange Russian Stories” English elective, I probably could not have watched Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 at a better time.

Adapted from a 75-page section in the 1000-page War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 (now playing at the Imperial Theater) tells the story of the ill-fated affair between the woefully naivé Natasha Rostova (Denée Benton) and the womanizing Anatole Kuragin (Lucas Steele). At times, delightfully anachronistic; at others, heartbreaking and beautiful, this inventive opera lies in a strange realm of intimate and experimental theater—you would never think the source material would work as a musical, but, through musical motifs not traditionally seen in mainstream theater, it turns out to be more effective than most musicals on Broadway.

Much like its choice of source material, The Great Comet’s staging (directed by Rachel Chavkin) is unconventional. A faux concrete tunnel plastered with fading posters of Russian bands transports theatergoers into an immersive and lavish supper club (designed by Mimi Lien). There is also no stage—in an in-the-round style reminiscent of the Regis Repertory production of Once on This Island, actors perform on custom-built walkways and staircases adjacent to audience members

who sit on upholstered chairs, wooden barstools, and leather banquettes around the theater.

If you aren’t in the center of the nightclub, extra paths snake through the orchestra and up to the mezzanine for performers to run along and, at one point in the show, provide a vantage point for throwing flaky, warm potato dumplings at the audience (and yes, they are quite tasty). Even in a theater as giant as the Imperial, The Great Comet maintains a deep sense of intimacy throughout the entirety of the show.

And despite what the title may suggest, the unhappily married aristocrat Pierre Bezukhov (played by mainstream opera singer and Broadway newcomer Josh Groban) does not have much prominence in the story. Rather, at least for much of the first act, Pierre acts as an audience surrogate, simply observing the action and only jumping in to comment on the plot developments that take place. Broadway purists might be worried by Groban’s involvement in the show, but fear not—once Pierre moves into full swing by the start of the second act, Groban’s operatic experience combined with his nuanced acting brings the relatively ensemble piece to a whole new level.

The Great Comet isn’t afraid to stray away from the complex plot lines of Tolstoy’s War and Peace. To help guide the audience, just before air raid sirens blow to signal the beginning of the play, a fully-costumed actor comes around to each section of the audience and asks those nearby to read the synopsis in the program lest they get confused. (Yes, they actually in-

cluded a complete summary of the show and a character family tree in the playbill.) If that was not enough, the ensemble cheekily sings directly to the audience in the “Prologue”: This is all in your program / You are at the opera / Gonna have to study up a little bit / If you wanna keep with the plot / It’s a complicated Russian novel / Everyone’s got nine different names / So look it up in your program / We’d appreciate it, thanks a lot Unfortunately, stating the problem doesn’t fix the problem. Despite knowing the summary, some songs left characterizations muddy and important details ambiguous at first listen. As one who admittedly has never read War and Peace, maybe this issue was due to my negligence to heed the cast’s warning at the beginning of the show.

However, the show’s initial lack of clarity alludes to a lack of accessibility for modern audiences who might not have the opportunity or time to read the Russian epic. The density of the plot made for an experience akin to watching a Shakespeare play—unless you’re confident in your understanding, the introduction of theatrics creates extra distraction in a show where hanging on to every detail and listening to every word is a necessity.

But much like Shakespeare’s plays, listen to every word you should. The electro-pop music and lyrics, composed by Dave Malloy (also the original Pierre off-Broadway), have an intellectual complexity and linguistic beauty that make up tenfold for any confusion that arises during the performance. There are a few moments where the lyrics get a little too direct in their expository purpose—for example, in the duet “Pierre & Anatole,” Anatole sings in the third-person: “Anatole followed / with his usual jaunty step / but his face betrayed anxiety”. Still, after several workshops and four professional productions, the script has been finely pared down to the point where no syllable is superfluous and every word brings its own weight to the table.

In a very Hamilton-esque way, The Great Comet has taken an unexpected source material and musically translated it into not just modern but simply familiar scenarios—angsty lovers, third wheeling observers, and even late night drinking excursions at nearby clubs.

These unexpected moments of

modernity and unexpected are the driving forces behind how the show connects to audiences so well.

Near the end of the opera, the awkward Pierre shyly but resolutely speaks the following line to the then-disenfranchised Natasha: If I were not myself, but the brightest, handsomest, best man on Earth, and if I were free, I would get down on my knees this minute and ask you for your hand. And for your love.

In a show where virtually every line is sung, this singular line of spoken dialogue directly transcribed from War and Peace gets at the crux of what Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 aims to explore—its characters’ discontent with the status quo and their aspirations (whether realistic or not) to transform into something better.

Perhaps senior Regians specifically stand to gain much from this show. Surrounded by expectations and desires for college admission success, sometimes we fall into a dulling hyperactivity that causes us to lose sight of what truly matters. The Great Comet serves as a reminder to not fall into this trap, to (as Pierre sings in his mid-Act I aria) “wake up”, and realize there’s more to life than just the cultural expectations of success.\

Owl’s Final Grade: H+ Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812, written by Dave Malloy, is currently playing an openended run at the Imperial Theater at 294 W. 45th Street. Runtime: 2 hours and 30 minutes.

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Drop us a line at owl@regis.org.

Batspoon

Page 11

Artists of Interest: A Preview of The Owl’s New Music Column

BY OLIVER MARCELL ’19 AND ADRIAN MORRISON ’18

Peterson), the album does it all. Now, with their highly anticipated fourth album set to drop in the next few months, an acute appreciation of Vampire Weekend is more than necessary.

Vampire Weekend Indie Rock, World Pop Label: Columbia Records Best Album: Modern Vampires of the City Tracks to Try: “A-Punk”, “Step”, “Oxford Comma” Best Quote: “In December, drinking Horchata, I looked psychotic in my Balaklava” Snapshot: What happens when a bunch of preppy, Columbia undergrads with an appreciation for West-African pop music meet up and put their heads together? Vampire Weekend. After entering the spotlight in 2008 with their self-titled, debut album Vampire Weekend, the band has continued to innovate and evolve, shaping mainstream indie music as we know it. While most of their early work is very distinct with its high-pitched piano backgrounds, witty lyrics, and African drum beats, its most recent work draws sharp contrast. The band’s third and most recent album Modern Vampire of the City is a masterpiece of sampling, exotic instrumentation and alarmingly literate lyrics.

From rearranging the title of Outkast’s popular song, “Hey Ya”, for their critically acclaimed track “Ya Hey”, to quoting warrior-poet Lil Jon, to even incorporating the harpsichord (thanks, Mr.

The xx Electronic Rock Label: Young Turks/XL Best Album: xx Tracks to Try: “Intro”, “Islands”, “Dangerous” Best Quote: “Bust a toast to your real friends” Snapshot: Hailing from Wandsworth, England, Romy Croft, Oliver Sim, and Jamie Smith (The xx), were a bunch of high school loners who started their band at the age of 15. Drawing inspiration from “Club Music”, the band’s tracks borrow heavily from the R&B tradition with its heavy bass tones and a heavy focus on sexual subjects. Yet even with such heavy influences, the group brings a lot of novelty to the table. Thanks to Jamie’s focus on tidy compositions, perfect beats, and eerie melodies, each song seems to take the listener to another world. Of their first, self-titled debut album, xx, Pitchfork Magazine perfectly put it that, “[The Album] is so fully formed and thoughtful that it feels like three or four lesser, noisier records should have preceded it. The xx didn’t need a gestation period, though xx is nuanced,

quiet, and surprising enough that you might.” Finally, with the recent release of their third album, On Hold, The xx topped British alternative billboards and is set to tour in NYC next month. Worth a ticket? Absolutely.

Danny Brown Rap Label: Fool’s Gold Best Album: Atrocity Exhibition Tracks to Try: “Really Doe”, “Side B [Dope Song]”, “25 Bucks” Best Quote: “You have no Clue, like a toy store without board games.”

Snapshot: Diverging sharply with the status quo rap environment, Brown is a flashback to the times when rap

consisted of “lay down a hard beat and I’ll rap to it”. With his distinct voice and angry, almost screaming, style of execution, Danny Brown is an enigma. In his most recent album Atrocity Exhibition, with the help of producer, Dan White, Brown manages to stay on track and not dominate the beats with his overly powerful lyrics. The album is a disturbing, diabolic masterpiece. In a trilogy that began with his breakthrough album, XXX, Brown proves yet again the intricacy of his lyrics as well as their emotional depth. Starting with XXX, an album of desperation in his attempts to make it in the rap game, Brown then explored mortality and his inevitable fall from glory in his second album, properly entitled Old. Now, in Atrocity Exhibition, Danny Brown shows his dark side and his willingness to say things like they are. A fresh breath of air from the many “Lil’ Whatevers” that haunt mainstream rap circles, try out Danny Brown.

Sampha Electronic, R&B/Soul Label: Young Turks Best Album: Process Tracks to Try: “(No One Knows Me) Like the Piano”, “Incomplete Kisses”, “Plastic 100c” Best Quote: “You touch down

in the base of my fears.”

Snapshot: London has produced some of the most influential and groundbreaking artists in the last century. What if we told you that Sampha was one of those people, but you just didn’t know it yet? In the last decade alone, Sampha has written, produced, and sang for artists such as Drake, Kanye West, Frank Ocean, and Solange to name a few. On Apple Music, his genre is labeled as “electronic” in result of his gift for producing beats that today’s artists pay large sums of money to get their hands on. Despite this talent, Sampha sent shockwaves through the entire music industry with his R&B/Soul debut album, Process, which Pitchfork described as “remarkable [and] meditative.” Not only is his voice raw, real, and unlike anything we’ve ever heard, his piano seems to sing along with him in a harmony that creeps down into the soul. We strongly urge you to check out his live performances where his voice and piano come alive and sounds even better than studio recording. If you can, try to imagine beats and production that are cleaner than Flume’s, melded with a voice and piano that seamlessly intertwine. After these three are melded together, they are solidified with lyrics that describe human grief, loss, and naked inner thoughts. This is the musical entity that is, Sampha. “I wonder, sit and watch you wonder, I see you manipulate your lover, Take Cover, waves come crashing over us, And I go under.”

Check out Process for more.

Page 12

Sports

Baseball Spring Training

BY GEORGE MCKNIGHT ’18 Staff Writer

The Varsity Baseball team’s annual trip to Florida was very successful on and off the field, as well as one to remember.

First, we were forced to leave New York a day earlier due to the impending snowstorm. At Florida, we played one more game than originally scheduled. In our first game on Tuesday against the St. Raymond Boys, we were faced with a 6-0 deficit through the first few innings of the game. Junior pitchers George McKnight and Tyler Zorn held the opposing batters to 1 run over the remaining 5 innings, allowing for a dramatic Regis comeback. In the bottom of the 7th inning, senior Thomas Cunningham hit a hard chopper over the third baseman’s head for the winning run, giving Regis an 8-7 win and a 1-0 record in Florida.

In the next game, which was against the Brampton Royals, junior starting pitcher, Matthew Clarkin, and senior reliever, Jack Beyrer, pitched fantastically, and the offense was running like a well-oiled machine. Junior catcher, Edward Jarvis, and senior outfielder, John Regan, both had excellent games offensively. The Regis squad was able to mercy the opposing team in 4 innings, adding another W to Regis’ Florida record. Later in

the day, the squad went out to George Steinbrenner Field to watch the Yankees play a spring training game against the Phillies. We were able to go onto the field and watch batting practice from just footsteps away. We also had a conversation with Yankees hall-of-famer Goose Gossage, who had some profound words of advice to give.

In the third game, which was against the Ontario Prospects, senior starter Lucas Semczuk had a bumpy first inning but was able to figure out the opposing batters and was soon dominating them. After the first few innings, Regis was down 4-0. But suddenly, a spark ignited the offense and we never looked back. Highlighted by a long home run by Edward Jarvis, a triple by junior third baseman, Conor Nicholson, and a couple hard base knocks by sophomore, Luca Trigiani.

Regis scored 12 unanswered

Regis Volleyball, Making History

BY JACK DELANEY ’19 Staff Writer

While the start of the volleyball season is often drowned out by the frenzy over baseball and basketball every year, the Regis volleyball team’s play is just as electrifying in its own right.

This season the stakes are especially high, as the Regis squad looks to reclaim its seat as City champion from rival Salesian.

This year’s team is also especially exciting, with many of last year’s mainstays returning and a range of new recruits: senior Michael Bacha, junior Patrick McGoldrick, sophomore Kyle Kampta, and freshman Justin King. Among the veterans back on the squad are captain Michael Gannon ’17, a firstclass setter, and his co-captains Daniel Dixon ’17 and skilled outside hitter Jack Bingham ’17 . At the helm is the legendary Coach Alex Chan, who has

been instrumental in the team’s growth and progress. Equally vital are the other senior playmakers and the powerhouse lineup of juniors and sophomores who fill out the side. As Matteo Palacardo ’18 noted, the team has “lot of depth and some promising rookies,” and it is shaping up to be one for the ages.

Although the squad has a deep supply of individual skill, the level of synergy in their play is arguably more important. In volleyball in particular, much of the strategy relies upon moving the ball from player to player so as to set your teammate up for a perfect strike over the net, so teamwork and mutual trust are paramount. Luckily, Nathaniel Wood ’19 noted that “the team has been working really well together, especially the starting lineup.” This sentiment was echoed by his teammate Sean Stix ’18, who commented that

runs to win the game.

The next day, Regis played the same team. Once again, Regis was down in the first few innings of the game. Regis’ offense did not find a 12-run spark like the previous day, but instead was able to take advantage of the opposing team’s mistakes. In this game, every hitter contributed to the effort in some significant way. This is an example of the teamwork that makes the Regis baseball team so strong. Aided by base hits and solid base running, Regis came back from the deficit and won 7-5, with senior pitcher, Eoin Mills, closing out the game with a dynamic strikeout.

After this game, Regis was 4-0, and feeling like they could beat anyone.

The next day, Regis faced off against Upper Moreland and encountered a doubleheader against two teams. In the first game, Regis easily won their

“the team’s fantastic chemistry adds to the level of energy each individual puts into the group effort, which makes the team more efficient as a whole.”

The team’s expertise is evident in its strong showing so far this season, going 3-0 in the past three sets. It is looking indomitable both at home and away, and the players are determined to sustain this winning streak. However, although they have high hopes for the rest of the season, the real prize is the city championship. The team was the reigning title-holder for five years straight, but last year it suffered a tough loss in in the finals against Salesian. Now the squad is looking for revenge, and a chance to further solidify its reputation as a top tier team.

Palacardo spoke for his team, saying “hopefully, we earn another shot at the championship and bring the title back to Regis--where it belongs.” If their current trajectory is any indication, that title is well within our grasp. Still, the team needs the support of their Regian brothers to cheer them on. Go Regis!

fifth game in a row, with Matthew Clarkin, senior, Patrick Beyrer, and Tyler Zorn all contributing to the victory on the mound. The offensive effort was highlighted by a long RBI double to right field by senior infielder, Jeremy Irzyk, and long hits from senior, Joe Hirshorn.

Regis won that game, 8-1.

In the last game of the trip, Regis was faced with their most daunting opponent, the Ontario Outlaws from Georgia that was stacked with players the

size of NBA forwards. Lucas Semczuk pitched a very solid game, but the offense was never able to find a flaw in the opposing pitcher. Regis ended this game with a loss, and finished the trip with a very respectable 5-1 record. Everyone on the team had great performances, and the team showed what it can do when they bear down and get dirty. Regis went home happy, and excited for the real fun back in New York.

Let the Madness Begin

BY CAMERON CHU ’18 Staff Writer

The month of March has been perhaps one of the more memorable months for basketball fans at Regis. As students clambered to Mr. Marth with 20 bucks in one hand and outlandish hopes in the other, NCAA players prepared to defend their high seeding, or fight tooth and nail to force an upset.

Chatter in the hallways up until March has become increasingly rampant, with talk of potential sleepers, and of big name college players participating in March Madness who are also declaring themselves for the 2017 NBA draft. Throughout the qualification rounds, these players have shown unrelenting determination and skill, and include college stars Lonzo Ball, Josh Jackson, De’Aaron Fox, Malik Monk, and Markelle Fultz, to name a few.

While interviewing a few basketball junkies, Chris Mascis 3B-2 and Charlie Bostwick 3B-1, I was shown that the creation of each bracket requires intense focus and research.

The points, rebounds, and assists that star and role players record allow students to predict the outcome of favorable and unfavorable matchups. The strength of the NCAA schedule decides which teams have more rest, which impacts winning percentages. Perhaps most importantly, students pay close attention to the defensive stats of individual players and the whole team. There are inevitable nights where offensive juggernauts struggle on the attack, which is where any team has to rely on their defense. Often enough, the quality of defense on one possession can be the deciding factor on a team’s victory or loss, as seen in the finals.

Especially during crunch time, defense is essential to the success of a solid team. The game is also frequently decided on buzzer beaters or other clutch buckets. Thus, the reliability of a team’s star player often decides

whether or not he has a high chance to make these shots that are essential for a deep run into the final four. Each year, every team has a chance to win the title. However, even with these factors, a perfect bracket is almost impossible to predict. In fact, Warren Buffett offered a million dollars each year for life if anyone had the skill (or the luck) to create a perfect bracket.

That certainly didn’t deter any high schoolers here, as most go into the tournament brimming with confidence. With the final stragglers running into Mr. Marth’s office, the tournament began.

During the tournament some teams played outstanding basketball despite their underwhelming seeding. Most surprising was South Carolina, despite being a 7th seed going into the tournament, made an exciting run into the semifinals, defeating 2nd seeded Duke, 3rd seeded Baylor, and 4th seeded Florida, before falling to 1st seeded Gonzaga. Within Regis, the chaos was equally reflected.

Brackets snapped like miniature twigs in a hurricane, with only a lucky few left surviving.

When the storm subsided, the University of North Carolina was the only one left standing, and was awarded the Naismith Trophy. At Regis, the same storm had swept all 64 participants, but miraculously one had withstood the tormenting gusts. Thomas Lawton, a freshman, beat the odds to win the March Madness bracket in Campus Ministry’s competition with a total win percentage of 98.9 percent.

With the madness in Regis finally ending, we look towards next year’s NCAA men’s basketball tournament. Who will be next year’s South Carolina?

Who will be next year’s University of North Carolina? In preparation for next year’s storm, “May the odds be ever in your favor” – Effie Trinket.