F O R D H A M P R E PA R AT O R Y S C H O O L October, 2004 Volume 65, Number 1 Fr. Boller Installed as President By William Henson ‘05 On June 2nd, the Board of Trustees elected Fr. Kenneth J.Boller as President of Fordham Prep. A past teacher of mathematics, Fr. Boller has served as principal of Canisius High School in Buffalo and Headmaster and President of Xavier High School. His most recent position was Pastor of St. Aloysius Church in Harlem. He hopes to make his tenure here at the Prep as successful as his past achievements. Fr. Boller has two major goals for his first year at Fordham. The first is to listen to the faculty, alumni, and students. To hear, in his words, “the Fordham Prep Story.” He has a deep respect for this institution, both for its extraordinary tradition and current status and he hopes to deepen that strength. Fr. Boller’s second and more short-term goal concerns Middle States (Middle States is an evaluative committee that visits a school every ten years to appraise it.) He finds this a good time to reflect on our strengths and how to improve them. He feels the present and future of our students is very strong, and we and those who follow us deserve the best. Fr. Boller has served as both a teacher and an administrator. When asked about which he preferred, he immediately said he as happy to do that. He is fond of working with the faculty and making positive decisions to help improve our environment. As a member of the Jesuits, Fr. Boller has taken a vow of obedience, meaning the task that he is assigned, he will fulfill for however long a time is decided by his superiors. When told the job as President of the Prep was available and he was wanted for it, he immediately accepted. Entering the Jesuits in 1964, Fr. Boller, as a high-school student, had off and on feelings about becoming a priest. But by the time he was a senior, he decided he wanted to be a religious priest who taught in high school. His choice of the Jesuits was based on listening to his father’s experience with Jesuits as a student here years before. In 1975, Fr. Boller was ordained. Fr. Boller exhibits a strong personable attitude and a proven track record. The question should not be will he bring anything to the Prep, but when he will. And I believe we have already seen his influence spread throughout the school. loved teaching. He especially enjoyed interacting with the students on a daily basis, which he unfortunately finds more difficult to do as an administrator. But at the same time, Fr. Boller understands that someone needs to run the big picture, and in the end, he is just Prep Students Return To Ecuador By Gerard Looser ‘05 During the summer, ten seniors, and Mr. Carney, Dr. Carney and Mr. Homer traveled to Duran, Ecuador, an urban barrio outside of the city of Guayaquil. For ten days they participated in activities sponsored by the “Rostro de Cristo,” (Face of Christ Program). They visited several schools and met many young children, worked in day-care centers, and visited the elderly. One of the highlights of the trip was visiting a hospital for patients with Hansen’s Disease, also known as leprosy. The group went there several times to play board games and to get to know the patients. They were invited back for a Father’s Day Party toward the end of the visit. Soccer was played every day in the hot weather and there was some great home grown talent.. younger. Ecuadorians play soccer differently than Americans. Instead of playing on grass they play on concrete and they use a smaller, denser ball. One of the biggest accomplishments of the Prep students to the community was painting the gate to the Medical Dispensary on a street near the “Rostro de Cristo.” The wall was dirty and had not been painted in a long time. The group, with the help of some other young people, painted the wall in bright and vibrant colors and the wall now stands out. I would encourage any junior considering going to Ecuador to go for it. This adventure is an opportunity not only to help but to grow. Although the Prep group lost most of the games, they did win a few, but usually only against kids more than ten years 2 Fordham Preparatory School New Members of the Prep Family (Part 1) New Face, New Friend By Tom Macom ‘05 You might notice a new face around the Prep. Well, you should, he’s pretty tall. Introducing Mr. Marc Rugani, one of the newest members of the Fordham Prep community. You’ve probably seen him in the halls and thought, “Who is he?” Here’s a pleasant answer. Mr. Rugani (pronounced roo-‘ga-nee; “six letters and three syllables”) starts his first year as a high school teacher here at Fordham Prep. Previously, he had worked as a TA at the University of Notre Dame and taught CCD in his native Buffalo. He discovered an open position on the JSEA Job Bank for Religion Teacher/Campus Minister last year as he was finishing up his time at Notre Dame. Now he’s a freshman mentor and teaches three sophomore religion classes. One thing that many people notice about the Prep is the friendly and hospitable staff. He has been no exception. He says that the faculty and administration have been most welcoming and pleasant to him. Then, of course, we have our students. They too have aided him in finding a comfortable place here at the Prep. Mr. Rugani originally wanted to go straight for his PhD. He decided, however, that it was best to take a step back and do things at a different pace. He believes religion at that advanced level is taught in a different “vocabulary” from what a normal person of faith would comprehend. His objective is to make these complex religious ideas accessible to anyone interested in them. Luckily, he’s working on it with us. Though his teaching style is still developing, he firmly believes that his students know more than they think they do. Thusly, he wishes to teach in a Socratic method: one will learn more effectively by being questioned themselves, rather than by asking the questions. Like many teachers at our school, Mr. Rugani is also a human being. He enjoys writing on his own time and is apt to journal and work with poetry. He is also a big hockey fan (quite vexed by the NHL lockout!). His favorite teams are the Buffalo Sabres and the Toronto Maple Leafs. He enjoys hiking and skiing, as well. Join us in welcoming Mr. Rugani to our school. Conversing with him is quite pleasant. He wishes to express his gratitude to the Prep: “Thank you for letting me join you, and for giving me the opportunity to serve you. I think in many ways you have already served me.” He looks forward to many great years at Fordham Prep. Ms. Brennan Brings Experience to College Counseling By Justin Magnus,’05 Amidst all the pressure and distraction that come along with returning to school after a long and gratifying summer, you may have taken notice that there have been a few changes within the confines of Fordham Prep. Walking through the halls from day to day, it may have occurred to you that not all the faces you walk by are entirely familiar, and you may stop and ask yourself, “Who are these strange people, and what are they doing in my school? Do I even go to the same school anymore? Where am I?” Indeed, change can often be a frightening enterprise, but one has no reason to fear. As most of you will probably experience first hand, the latest addition to the Prep Faculty, Ms. Maura Brennan, is a friendly and welcoming individual. Maura Brennan grew up in Miller Place, Long Island, which is about a half hour from NYC. After attending high school on her native island, Ms. Brennan went on to study at Loyola Maryland in Baltimore, where she went on to work as an admissions counselor for 8 years after she graduated. Wanting to continue to work for a Jesuit institution, and wanting to be close to her family, Fordham Prep seemed like the “perfect fit,” according to Mrs. Brennan, and she is eager to take advantage of the opportunity to establish more significant relationships with the Prep’s students, an opportunity that one simply does not have in the fast paced and more anonymous world of a college admissions officer. “Everyone here has been really nice and welcoming,” Mrs. Brennan says, “I’m looking forward to working with everyone.” Fordham Preparatory School 3 versity. If you are driving through Newark you can go down a street and University of Delaware properties will be on both sides of you. It surprised me because I just stumbled upon the University. One street there will have regular stores and restaurants, and then the next could have dorms and academic buildings. It was the first campus I discovered that was built in this fashion. The University of Delaware has a large campus and enrolls sixteen thousand undergraduate students. The University of Delaware has its own mini shopping center and a movie theater that charges two bucks two see a movie. The dorms were nice and the academic facilities were very up to date. The University is currently constructing new dorms and the freshman enrolling at the University of Delaware in the fall of 2005 will be housed in brand new dorms if they live on campus. I personally found the campus a little too big for my liking and didn’t really like the fact that there was no separation between the city and campus. However, the University of Delaware does offer plenty of activities and intramural sports. If anyone wants to go to a larger school with non-stop campus action, the University of Delaware would be a great choice. Colleges in Mid-Atlantic States Offer Many Opportunities By Pat Connelly ‘05 Over the summer I had the opportunity to visit two colleges in the MidAtlantic States, Villanova University and the University of Delaware. These are two different institutions and I have favorable reviews about them. The most important feature that they have in common is that both will provide a student with a solid education. Augustinian Friars founded Villanova University in 1842. It is located just outside Philadelphia and boasts a modern, inviting campus. The university is divided into four main colleges, which are the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the College of Engineering, the College of Commerce and Finance, and the College of Nursing. Villanova is a medium sized school with approximately six thousand undergraduate students. I was very impressed with Villanova and there really isn’t anything bad I can remember about it. The student tour guide I had was cool and showed me around the campus. She showed me the dorms, which were in great condition and not as cramped as I expected. The cafeteria has a huge variety of places to eat , no matter what types of food you like. Villanova is for the most part not a commuter school, so if you live on campus there will be plenty of activities to keep you occupied.. Its proximity to Philadelphia is also very convenient for enjoying the city. If anyone wants to go to a moderate sized school that will give you a great atmosphere to learn and have fun in, Villanova should be considered. The University of Delaware was founded in 1743 and is located between New York City and Washington D.C. If you are undecided about a major, I am sure you will find one at the University of Delaware as is boasts over a hundred majors from which to choose. The university is located in the city of Newark, Delaware. There is no separation between the city and the Uni- Top 10 To-Do’s for Seniors (Oct.-Nov.) Ms. Brennan Ms. DeSoto Father Fitzpatrick Ms. Martinez Teachers’ Letters of Recommendation: Begin to think about one or two Guidance Counselor: It is mandatory to many colleges visiting Fordham Prep throughout the fall. Visiting colleges are posted outside of the Guidance Office, in morning announcements and mentioned during Guidance Class. Make a plan to visit colleges to which you are applying or are interested in. Call ahead to meet with the Admissions Officer, take a tour, meet with a professor, spend the night, etc. College Visits: Take advantage of the meet with your counselor at least once to review your college list and discuss the application procedure. teachers from your junior or senior year that you would feel comfortable asking to write you a letter. More details will be discussed in guidance class. tions for schools to which you are interested in applying , and check to see which colleges accept the common application. (If a school uses the common application, be sure to check if they require a supplement). Applications: Begin to obtain applica- ber: 8. Important deadlines to remem- Standardized Tests: Be sure you have a plan regarding the standardized tests you will take. Remember, that YOU are responsible for sending your test scores to your colleges. ASAP if applying for Early Decision, Early Action or if a college of interest has a Rolling Admissions Plan. college essay. More details will be covered in guidance class. Personal Essay: Begin working on your By November 1st: Most Early application deadlines at very selective schools begin. December 1st: All “School Report Forms” must be handed in to Mrs. Walsh. You should submit a “School Report Form” for every college to which you are applying. 9. Don’t forget to include your family in the process! 10. BREATHE!!!...It’ll be over soon. • Applying Early: See your counselor 4 The Rampart is the Official Student Newspaper of Fordham Prep. Its goals are to provide accurate information in the spirit of responsible journalism, to entertain, and offer a forum for the ideas of students, parents, graduates, faculty, and administrators. The Rampart is published monthly by the students of Fordham Prep. Editorials and comments represent the opinion of writers; they do not necessarily express the views of the administration, faculty, student body or the Rampart staff. The Rampart welcomes letters to the editor. Letters should be limited to 150 words and submitted to Rampart’s E-mail address: rampart@fordham.org. All letters must be signed, but names will be withheld upon request. The Rampart staff reserves the right to edit or refuse all letters. The Rampart is printed by School Publications Co. of Avon, New Jersey. Editors-in-Chief Sports Editor Asst. Sports Editor Movie Editor Feature Editors Music Editor Technical Editor Proof Editor Photo Editor Junior Editor Moderator Robert Glass, ‘06 Ben Fullon, ‘05 Gregory Garvey, ‘05 Chris Thumen, ‘06 Brendan Bierne, ‘05 William Henson.,' 05 Conor Devaney, ' 05 Fordham Preparatory School Gaping Rift in Earth by Tom Macom,’05 When one thinks of Fordham Prep, many fond thoughts come to mind: the friendly environment; the dedicated staff; the sense of community... But there is one thing that has managed to touch all of us in its own special way. As we enter the Prep grounds off of Dr. Theodore Kazimiroff Boulevard each morning, it is always there to greet us! As we leave after a day of hard work, it is always there to see us off, as if saying, “Farewell, friend! ' our paths cross Til again.” It is, of course, our beloved Fordham Prep hole in the ground. It appeared mysteriously, without warning, in the middle of the 2003-2004 school year. Oh, and what a beautiful sight it was! The Fordham Prep hole in the ground, located on the walkway adjacent to the playing field and track (40.865 N, 73.885 W, for all of you cartographers out there), was originally a rather unextraordinary tree, and later a rather unextraordinary tree stump. The time for uprooting came and in its wake a wave of beauteous landscaping, now synonymous with the path to the Prep, emerged. We all have a clear picture of this landmark. The steel rails of the fence precariously torn in half; the upheaval and rupture of several square feet of asphalt; the twisted pieces of rusted metal which just scream, "tetanus!"; and, of course, who could forget the humorous addition of the rubber bottom of a traffic barrel eternally resting at the bottom of the pit? It is beautiful. It is ours! I like to call it "Julio." Julio measures approximately 1.4 meters along the length of the footpath and is one meter across. In all, it consumes about a quarter of the width of the walkway, though a slight mound extends all the way across. Most of the "damage" is located beyond the fence. I mean, beyond where the fence should be. It is about a half meter deep, which could result in a nasty trip if you do not respect Julio. The good news is that Julio is a very friendly and accommodating hole in the ground. To date, it has caused no fatalities to speak of. Shockingly, there are those among us who do not give Julio the respect that it so deserves. There are some that even say that it should be "fixed". Preposterous! We know it has done no wrong. We know it is entitled to existing just as much as those big teal football-buddy body snuggle pillows are. It is a statement. It is the symbol of a generation! It is... a severe insurance liability! Our great hole in the ground—our great Julio: it is a monument. Enjoy it. Cherish it. Anyone can recognize its benevolent intent. If you visit Julio in these cool days of late summer, you will see beauty amidst the haphazard fray of steel and asphalt. You will see tiny yellow buds of flowers. Buds of peace. Addendum: It has come to my attention that our hole in the ground is actually Fordham University’s hole in the ground. The dream is over. Leo Townsell, ' 05 Chris Arca, ‘05 Matt Awai,’05 Peter Kavanagh,’06 Michael Paranac, ' 06 Mr. Richard Langellotti Staff Dominick Caggiano, ‘05, Lucas Jimenez Stuard,’06,, Nick Iorio, ‘05, Michael Carrigy, ‘06, , Chris Sullivan, ‘05, Peter Rodrick, ‘05, Dennis Slater, ‘05, Brian Moynihan ‘05, ‘Pat Connolly, ‘05, Nathanael Santos, ‘05,Chris Sullivan,’05,John Roman,’05 Tom Macom ‘05, Tim Drucker ‘05, A Message from the President By Joe Migliaccio ‘05 With the 2004-2005 School year finally here, Student Government is turning its attention to the coming year. Firstly, I will not be the only one working for you next year. The Mailmen, and that includes all its members, will be representing you this year and we look forward to the challenge. One of our biggest goals this year and, one that I hope to accomplish early on in our term, would be to create channels of communication between the students and student government that would be more accessible and more convenient to use. Our Publicist, Sean Iodice, will be working this year on improving the Student Government Website to allow easier student participation. By adding a Student Government forum on the website students will be able to communicate with Student Government and with one another so that ideas can be shared and expanded upon. One of our other projects, and one which has already caught the attention of Fordham University, is the renovation of the back track and field. If we combine our resources and efforts with the resources of the University, this project will shortly be getting underway. One of our other ideas would be to allow the student population to wear team jerseys on the days of games or the Fridays before weekend games. We feel that this will create increased awareness of the activities Fordham Prep has to offer as well as increased awareness of when Fordham Sporting Events will be held. This will help foster school spirit and a feeling of community that will help improve our school. These are just a few of our ideas and you can be assured that we have many more that we look forward to implementing. If our plans for increased student communication are implemented early in the year, your ideas will be the ones we will be able to work on. That is my challenge to you. Take the extra step and get involved. Come up with new ideas and present them to us so we can see what options are available. This year will be a challenging one for us, but we are ready to take on that challenge. The Mailmen are ready to deliver and we always do. Fordham Preparatory School Mase Is Back By Nathaniel Santos ‘05 5 was to use hip-hop as a tool to bring religion to young people. The album contains almost none of this attempt to preach to the hip-hop crowd. It’s clear in today’s world that certain things, like the decent club record on the album “Breathe, Stretch, Shake”, are needed to sell an album. Unfortunately, I think selling the album was the only thing that Bad Boy label and possibly Mase were really concerned about. In the end the only thing that can save this album is the production. In the past couple of years the Bad Boy camp has fallen off, including in the beat department. Several of the beats on the album are very catchy and others display good use of sampling like the title track “Welcome Back” which samples the “Welcome Back Kotter” theme. Still overall, Mase fails to accomplish anything on an artistic or religious scale with this latest album. This is disappointing considering what a great talent he once was. I give the album 2 and ½ stars out of a possible 5. As you may know, Mase A.K.A. Pastor Mason Betha is back in the hip-hop scene five years after leaving the game to pursue a religious life. The first thing that you might notice about his new album Welcome Back is that it only has twelve tracks. You’d think after all this time that he’d put out more material for his fans. To me there just aren’t enough songs on the album for people to go out and buy it. Still, more important than the number of tracks is the quality of the album and the substance of Mase’s lyrics. In his prime, 1996 to 1998, Mase was one of the best rappers out. He could have been considered an aspiring great on the mic. Mase’s lazy flow is one of the things that made him popular. However, he just doesn’t have as much personality in his newest songs as he used to and his flow, which used to be entertaining, is now somewhat boring. He’s lost the ability to keep you paying attention to his rhymes because his rap style has become predictable and repeti- tive. The content of the album is typical of many average rap records today. This includes rhymes about cars, chains, women, and other elements of a luxurious lifestyle. Although Mase makes it clear that he’s happily married, he’s far too materialistic to be a pastor on the microphone. Mase originally made it seem that his return to rap, something that he had formerly criticized Do Make Say Think Are The Mozarts of Post Rock By John Roman ‘05 Post-rock thrives on the listener’s ability to abstract himself from the trappings of an orally and visually officious world: to simply feel the music - no lyrics, no gimmicks. The genre was founded on the abandonment of traditional rock-and-roll ethos, and has aligned itself with a more stimulating approach toward instrumentation. Simply put, post-rock is a form of music to be felt and experienced. One of post-rock’s most impressive acts is Do Make Say Think. Recently playing a show at Manhattan’s Bowery Ballroom, the band stunned a devoted crowd of fans with cascading supplies of beautiful instrumentation. Taking the stage minutes before midnight, the Canadian six-piece was met with overwhelming applause. It was the first time in a year that Do Make Say Think had come to New York since their elusive leave from North American touring. The band humbly assembled in their positions, and a two-and-a-half hour show commenced with the roof-shaking drone of reverb. The opening strums of “Auberge le Mouton Noir” sent the crowd into an anxious frenzy before the synchronization of two drummers shook through the belly of the ballroom. The band displayed perfection in their sound, almost trumping their studio recordings of the played tracks. Similar excitement followed suit for the duration of the evening as the band soared through their unique post-rock orchestrations. For the most part, audience members stood in awe of the fluidly transitional show, swaying in individual fashions as the music ran through each member of the crowd. For such an intense and captivating show, the visual of a stunned audience added to the air of amazement that filled Six Delancey Street. Members often juggled their duties on brass and electric instruments as the band continued on in flawless precision. There was a single break during the show where bassist Chuck Spearin teased of a Cat Steven’s cover, all to surprise the crowd by playing “The Landlord is Dead,” one of the band’s earliest works – as well as least performed. After two hours of persistent play, the band obliged to the howls for an encore and continued on until two-fifteen Saturday morning. While post-rock is often accused of pretension and self-importance, the claims are surely made by critics who have never experienced Do Make Say Think. Their transitions from electric ambience to brass driven excitement are entirely unique to the band, and with the pounding rhythms of two drummers and technical guitar work, DMST has captured the perfect musical formula. The substance of their work echoes louder without lyric, and allows the listener to freely set his own emotion into the compositions. As the Mozarts of modern music, Do Make Say Think consistently delivers captivating instrumentations: something to be heard by any true fan of music. And most importantly, in the spirit of post-rock, Do Make Say Think is a sound to be felt and experienced. 6 Shaun of the Dead By Leo Townsell ‘05 convenience store to pick up a soda and an ice cream. Shaun navigates through a zombie labyrinth and emerges unscathed and still half-asleep. I disliked a few aspects of the movie. Some of the plot twists are obvious, and the character of Ed got on my nerves in some scenes. Although the Ed character is not strong enough to serve as the main comic foil, he still adds to the humor of the film with a couple of absurd outbursts. The obvious pun in the film’s title is just one of the many references that Shaun of the Dead makes to other horror films dealing with the living dead. Although the movie can be considered a zombie movie, it is also part suspense, comedy, and tragedy. With the exception of Ed, the humor comes naturally and does not seem forced. The movie cleverly saves itself from criticism for its usage of clichés because of its designation as a farcical comedy. In the end, the movie was satisfying but not too Disney. Shaun undergoes a drastic change and is reborn as a leader and purposeful protagonist. Shaun of the Dead is a good movie for fans of slapstick comedy and British humor, as well as people who appreciate zombie films. I recommend seeing this movie, but I personally would not spend ten dollars on it. Grade: 7.5/10 Fordham Preparatory Sch Violence in Sports (Continued from Page 7) relief pitcher on the Texas Rangers, seems to break a moral line in sports fighting. In Frank Francisco’s instance, for those who are unaware, he threw a chair into the stands while his team was playing the Oakland Athletics in Oakland. Francisco had presumably intended on hitting the male heckler, who was heckling into the bullpen area, but he missed and hit the heckler’s wife breaking her nose. Francisco was arrested and suspended by baseball for at least the rest of the season. This may seem like an extraordinary case but look back at Babe Ruth who charged into the stands toward a fan who had heckled him in 1922. While Babe Ruth did not throw any punches, it is an example of how far back heckling and the fiery reactions of players go. Mostly violence between players and fans are begun by the fans themselves who may rush onto the field and attack or come close to attacking the players. Sports like football and basketball which by nature are physical contests also have spurts of violence. For the most part these are only small instances of shoving and pushing; occasionally an NBA player might throw a television monitor or a chair onto the court. Violence in sports has become more prevalent then it has been but it was always a part of sports and is especially bad when the players and fans fail to restrain themselves. Shaun of the Dead is a British comedy/horror movie directed by Edgar Wright, that centers on the character of Shaun (Simon Pegg), a thirty something slacker stuck in a job at an appliance store. Shaun’s best friend Ed is a lazy drug dealing moocher who always says the wrong thing at the wrong time. Shaun is on the outs with his longtime girlfriend Liz, whose attempts to revive their relationship are failing due to Shaun’s lack of stability. The theatrical trailer for the movie is somewhat misleading because the movie does contain some earnestly emotional situations. The movie opens with several shots of the neighborhood as Shaun has experienced it up to this point. They provide a reference to the destruction that occurs later in the movie. After a quick introduction of characters, including Liz’s two flat mates Dave and Dianne, the audience begins to grow accustomed to the speedy British jargon that consists of the movie’s dialogue. At some points the dialogue is tough to completely comprehend, but is still funny and does not get in the way of the story. Shaun of the Dead escalates into “zombie mode” rather believably. News reports are disregarded, and seem to be only noticed by the audience, adding to the formulation of Shaun and his friends as oblivious drones. When the zombie mode comes into full effect, Shaun has just awoken to make his usual shuffle to the Napoleon Dynamite By Chris Sullivan ‘05 Napoleon Dynamite: **** 4 Stars Napoleon Dynamite, written and directed by fairly unknown writer/director, Jared Hess, was one of the most original comedies I have seen in years. Initially, it was overlooked when it first opened in theaters because of its PG rating. When I usually think of PG, I think of comedies with no foul language and slap stick humor, which so many of us have grown to love. I think of lame, censored comedies meant for little kids. Napoleon Dynamite changed that view completly. Hess simply knows how to make a funny movie without foul language and R rated material It is hard to describe or even begin to talk about what the movie is about, although I spent most of the 86 minutes laughing so hard my eyes started tearing. The movie takes place in Preston, Idaho. Napoleon is an alienated high school teenager who lives with his grandma, his 32 year old brother, Kip and their goat, Tina. His brother is a computer geek who spends all day chatting to “hot babes” online. During the movie, we meet Napoleon’s uncle, Rico. Rico is a grown man stuck in the 80’s and his highschool dream of playing in the NFL. At some point in the movie, Napoleon decides to help his new found best friend, Pedro, a transfer student from Mexico run for class president. Naopleon is also a geek, who stumbles through the movie drawing ligers (lions and tigers with magical powers), fighting wild wolverines in Alaska, trying to dance, trying to score a date for the school dance and helping Pedro win the election. This movie is not for everyone and within the first five minutes you will be able to know if you are going to be laughing hysterically throughout it or if you are going to want to knock out Napoleon and his gang before you can say “Pedro Sanchez.” In conclusion I think Napoleon Dynamite was a very original and a very entertaining movie. Give a round of applause to Jared Hess who proves that good, clean humor is still funny and can still sell tickets at the box office. By Mike Collins,’05 At one point or another, each of Fordham Prep’s athletic teams has had strong winning seasons. Many of our teams have won championships or made it into the top two in the league. The same can be said for our Bowling Team. Many people seem to think that the game of Bowling is nothing more than a hobby, but to the bowlers who play the game, it is just as much of a sport as football and basketball. In order to be a good bowler you need accuracy, precision, and consistency. The Ram Bowlers are determined and strive to be the best just like in any other sport. It is unfortunate that often sports like Tennis, Bowling, Golf, and Volleyball go unnoticed by other fellow athletes and students in general. It gives me pride to tell you that for the past decade Ram Bowlers have been strong and recognized competitors in their league. Over many years our Bowling Team has conjured up many victories and brought home many championship titles. This year the varsity team is a big part of the top three teams in the league. The Ram Bowlers are led by Joseph Monroig ’06, Matthew Chuisa ’06, and Captain Michael Collins ’05.Strong support comes from Christopher Pucci ’05, Nicholas Iorio ’05, Michael Sapienza ’05, and John Tenore ’05. The team has a great possibility of having a big winning season. So far our Varsity Team stands in their place with an 8-7 record, which includes: wins against Stepinac High School and Mt. St. Michaels. Next week the team looks forward to defeating second place opponents, St. Raymond’s and eventually defeating every team they go against in weeks to come. Good luck to our Fordham Bowlers and let’s support them as they prepare to bring home the championship victory. Bowling Fordham Preparatory Sch JV Sports Roundup By Chris Thuman,’06 As September has come to a close, Fall Junior Varsity Sports are in full swing with a number of teams promising successful seasons. The JV Soccer Team, captained by goalkeeper Ryan Meara, sweeper Mike Mazzullo, and midfielder Myles Monaghan, is off to a commanding start, compiling a 41-1 record as of September 30th. The team opened the season with a solid 4-2 win at Iona and followed that performance with three consecutive victories against Stepinac, Xavier, and Molloy. Over that span Fordham cumulatively outscored their opponents 12-4 with strikers Andrew Carr-Harris and Brian Murphy creating most of the scoring opportunities. In their next contest, Fordham sought to avenge last year’s season ending loss against city champion Holy Cross on September 28th. Although Fordham outplayed their opponent, the match ended in a draw. Six games remain on the schedule as Fordham hopes to continue their success, remaining undefeated in their division and defending their archdiocese title. After a successful freshman campaign, the JV Football Team is out to prove they are yet again one of the stronger teams in their division. Fordham currently has a 2-1-1 record earning their first win in a 23-0 shutout against Mount St. Michael. The Rams faltered in their next contest, falling to a tough Iona team by a score of 23-0. Fordham came back from that loss, though, providing strong performances in the following two games with a 13-6 victory over St. Joe’s and a 6-6 tie against Spellman. Offensively the Rams are led by quarterback Sean McVicker and tailback Luke Malone who starts at linebacker as well. The defense has performed well, improving with each game. Five games remain in the season as Fordham looks forward to a solid finish in the JV city playoffs. Ready for Spring By Brian Moynihan,’05 7 The Varsity Fall Baseball Team features a lot of new faces from the last year’s team. The team is comprised of all Juniors with the exception of three Seniors and three Sophomores. The Juniors are coming from a J.V team that made it all the way to the City Championship Game. Although the team doesn’t feature many Seniors they have Louis Annunziata, Steven Antonucci, and Junior Justin Servino who were all solid contributors on last year’s spring team and also Senior Terrell Wilson was a top pitcher on the J.V two years ago. The team got off to a 2-1 start and looked very solid after the first week of the season. After losing a hard fought game against Monsignor Farrell in the opener, the team rebounded with a victory against St. Raymond’s in which Andrew Cavanagh and Paul Blejec pitched well Cavanagh will be a key addition to a team, which featured not one lefty on the roster in the spring. The up the middle combination of Annunziata and Junior Mike McDonnell performed well, and the two show great chemistry. Junior John Holland also looks to be a solid third baseman. The team shows great strength in pitching and fielding, but didn’t have consistent hitting. In the opener against Farrell Justin Servino and Terrel Wilson both pitched solid, but didn’t get offensive support. A reason for the disappointing record in the spring was the team not being able to function on all cylinders. One game the pitching would be there, but not the hitting or fielding. Another game would see the opposite. The defense and pitching look to be improved from last year but the key to success will be consistent hitting. A victory over St Ray’s on Oct 5th has set the stage for the Mount Tournament which takes place over the Columbus Day weekend. Violence in Sports By Connor Devaney,’05 Violence in sports has gradually increased to become an issue in almost every major sport. While it may not be the goal to literally fight the opponent it is quickly becoming common in sports today. Baseball has experienced a steady growth in fighting even though the sport includes very little physical contact. Batters are frequently agitated after getting hit by a pitch believing it to be deliberate instead of accidental. And clashes between two rivals or pennant-racing teams regularly brew fights. These fights are exciting and rile up the fans and the two teams but also can have a negative effect. They bring up the question of whether these fights tarnish the sport or not. In baseball the influence is not noticeable yet, but a sport like hockey, whose constant fights have caused resistance from groups of players, coaches, and fans. These groups would like to see harsher punishments for fights during the games in hope of stopping them, but the owners refuse to give in seeing the brawls as a way to attract viewers. Fighting appears to be accepted in our society as long as it is fought in the right manner. This allows for a sport like boxing, whose sole purpose is to battle the foe into submission. However through training and experience the two boxers garner a certain level of respect between them. In addition, small frays between two teams are also tolerated as long as they do not get out of control. Also, while it may not be as widespread in America, fighting between fans is a vital part of ‘soccer hooliganism’ in Europe. The current case of Frank Francisco, a (Continued on Page 6) Football Reaching Its Stride By Dominick Caggiano,’05 The Junior Roster only lost one game in their first two years at Fordham Prep and won the championship last year. The Seniors are coming off an impressive win in the Turkey Bowl against Xavier. The Fordham Prep football team had high hopes going into the new season. Fordham Prep started off the year very poorly because of a large dose of bad luck. They lost ten starters to injury including injuries to two of their captains Bryce Tolbert and Frank DiDomizio. They started off the year losing their first three tough road games. Fordham lost 27-10 at Mount St. Michael, Fordham lost 34-14 at Iona, and Ford 34-14 in Queens. Junior running back Connor Nugent scored five touchdowns. He scored four rushing touchdowns and he had a sixty-eight yard fumble recovery for a touchdown. There is no reason to think that Fordham Prep can't make a serious playoff push. Many players are starting to recover from injuries and are getting back to the field. The schedule is becoming more favorable with a number of home games. The first home game of the year, Sunday Oct. 10 at 1:30 against St. John the Baptist, will hopefully see the Rams continue to win. 35-0 in Staten Island to Moore Catholic. On October 2nd Fordham Prep bounced back and showed enormous potential. They trounced the undefeated Bishop Cross Country: A Winning Tradition By Tim Drucker and Jim Lundy, ‘05 in the country. Fordham will be battling Monsignor Farrell, currently ranked 5th in the Northeast at the CHSAA Sectional and City Championships. The Varsity team hopes to repeat last year’s success by qualifying for the State Championships at the end of this The cross-country team began the season at the JFK Invitational in Somers finishing 2nd overall. The top seven Varsity runners included Tim Drucker, Jim Lundy, Terrence Egan, Justin Consolazio, Paul Collins, Greg Garvey, and Brian Doherty. A strong junior contingent consisting of Brian Doherty, 800m sophomore record holder, and Terrence Egan’s consistent Varsity distance runner display the great range of potential and strength for upcoming cross-country and track seasons. The JV finished first in the JV race sweeping the first five places. Sean Connolly’s first place finish led the JV squad to a team win. The Varsity and JV teams traveled to Rochester on October 1st for the McQuaid Invitational. This meet brought together 5,000 runners from Canada, the Midwestern and Northeastern states. Captains Tim Drucker and Jim Lundy led the team finishing 17th and 21st respectively. The team is looking forward to a promising performance at the Manhattan Invitational at Van Cortland Park, which is the largest meet The success of this cross-country season should be a good indicator of the team’s ability to defend the indoor 4x800m Millrose Games title at Madison Square Garden and the outdoor city championships. season. Soccer Looks Ahead By Lucas Jimminez-Stuart ‘06 Soccer season still looks bright even with a record of 1-3-3. The team seems to be coming together. After the devastating news that the team would be losing one of its key players, Mike McTigue, the team has gotten through the bumpy beginning well. With half the season behind them they are looking towards the playoffs and maybe the chance of bringing Fordham Prep some bragging rights. The team needs your support and hopes to see more fans out for the games; especially the always exciting game against Regis at home, the tense playoff games and hopefully the championship games. The future of the Soccer Team can only improve with the soon to be return of Mike McTigue joining a crew of great players including (to name a few); Brendan Dunn, our leading goal scorer and captains Kiel Bonhomme, Roland Grant and Anthony Ferraro. Mr. McNamara, the head coach has led the team through thick and thin and hopefully will lead them to a great ending.