The Ritan

Volume Eighty-Two. Number Three. March 31, 2011

St. Rita says good-bye to another

A Student Publication of
fellow Rita Man By Oscar Mascorro

Saint Rita of Cascia High School St. Rita students were just getting over the lost of
their fellow Rita brother, John McNicholas, when Fr. Walter Mc-
7740 South Western Avenue Nicholas lost his fight to Lung Cancer.
Chicago, Illinois 60620 Fr. Walter McNicholas was born in 1926, and grew up in
the St. Rita parish. He graduated from St. Rita of Cascia High School in
1944, and joined the Augustinian family in 1947. After he was ordained

In This Issue a priest in 1952, his first assignment brought him back to St. Rita. He
remained till 1960 before getting transferred. He returned to St. Rita in
1964, and remained for 10 years until he was named Pastor of Immacu-
late Conception/St. Henry Parish in St. Louis.
The third time he was assigned to serve at St. Rita last- ed
ten years, beginning in 1983. He took a single year off to serve at Holy
Cross Hospital before spending the last of his working days at St. Rita,
where he retired in 2009.
In 2010, his new assignment brought him to Lemont. He entered a Franciscan Village and served in Blessed Stephen Bellesini
Friary.
Four months ago Fr. McNicholas was diagnosed with Lung Cancer. December began his hospice care. March 9, 2011, at 3
o’clock in the afternoon, God called Fr. McNicholas home to Heaven.
More than Half his life was spent in the walls of St. Rita of Cascia High School. The school was really his home. St. Rita played
such an important part in his life, that at his funeral, he asked for only one song to be played....the Hymn to St. Rita.
Throughout his time at St. Rita, he spent most of that time in the class room. “The two classes I can remember him teaching,
mainly, were Latin and Theology,” Fr. Tom McCarthy said. “He was a teacher all his life.” He even taught Br. Gary Hresil. “He taught me
A look inside when I was a student at St. Rita, in 1985,” Br. Gary recalled, “I had him for a Junior Morality Theology Class. He told a lot of stories of
the Monastery p 3 different things he did when he was younger, and tried to always relate what he did too what we were learning in Theology, and what we
need to do to make this world a better place, and to make a difference.”
“He was also a councilor,” Fr. Tom explained, “His office is where Mrs. Nagel’s office is.” Although many students may have
known that already, from going into his office to get whatever they forgot at home to try to avoid a JUG “It looked like a garage sale,” Fr.
Tom explained, “It was just full of clothes, books, belts, shoes. Anything he would give away to kids.”
That seemed to be a major point in Fr. McNicholas’ life: the happiness of the students. Whether it was his smiling face that
greeted you in the morning, his stories he would tell about his childhood, his appearance at sporting events when the only fans in the
crowd were the parents, or his cheerful attitude toward life, he had a way of bringing joy to the St. Rita Family.
“Whatever he could do to help the students in class, or students in the school,” Br. Gary said. As long as it involved the benefit,
and happiness of the students, Fr. McNicholas needed to be part of it. He didn’t care whether he was a good student or bad student, a
senior or a freshman, or what sports they played. As long as they were a student, that was all the reason he needed.
Many students wouldn’t even be able to call themselves Rita Men if it weren’t for the support they received from Fr. McNicho-
las. Not only the support he gave them, but Fr. McNicholas was one of the first to desegregate St. Rita. As a young priest, he would invite
Are you getting Grammar School students of African American Heritage to consider coming to St. Rita. Even though he got reprehended for it, he never
stopped.
enough sleep? p 5 Every student has heard the stories, but was that really who Fr. McNicholas was? Was he really the man everyone believed him
to be? “What you see is what you got,” Fr. Tom said about his good friend. “He was really a home body. He was not a guy who went out
traveling. He’d go out to say mass, and he’d go out when we would go out to dinner or community things. A part of that may have been
because of his inability to get around toward the end. For the last few years he couldn’t drive, but even before that he was at home, or he
would be watching the games here, or take his walks around here.”
Fr. McNicholas served almost six generations of Rita Men, and his personality never changed. “The same person I saw back
then was the same person I encountered when I moved in here, and he moved in here with us...just a little bit older,” Br. Gary said, while
describing Fr. McNicholas.
“He was very easy to live with.” Fr. Tom explained. “He was a very Spiritual man. He said mass every day, whether it was in the
community or by himself and looking at the mass book many, many times he would pray for the St. Rita students. He would pray for a
specific team that was having a major season or something. And many kids don’t know that he would pray for them all day. He spent most
of his time doing anything that involved St. Rita. He loved watching sports. If he were at home, he would be watching sports,”

Mardi Gras Rita family shaves the way to conquer kid’s cancer
By: Ed Roland
celebration p 6 In the last three years, one of the biggest events that has been able
to bring the entire school together has been the St. Baldrick’s Day
event. Over the last four years, St. Rita has been able to raise tens
of thousands of dollars towards this foundation. It has been able to
unite the entire school, freshmen and seniors alike.
THE RITAN This year, there is a certain specialness about the head
shaving event. With the recent death of our dear Rita brother, John
McNicholas, this year is even more special than the last ones. Ed
STUDENT STAFF: Max and Amy McNicholas have started the John McNicholas Pediatric
Brain Tumor Foundation in memory of John.
Kurucar, Joe Ruiz, Craig The foundation aims at raising money for teens with can-
Sabath, Stephen Gregory, cer and their families. The ultimate goal for the John McNicholas
Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation and the St. Baldrick’s Founda-
Oscar Mascorro, Danny tion is to find a cure for cancer.
O’Keefe, Ed Roland There have already been several ways that the St. Rita
community has helped this foundation. The “Rita Men Wear Pink”
shirts were the first way of raising money for the foundation. Then there were mission collections at every lunch period and homeroom class.
JOURNALISM Now there is a new way to support the John McNicholas Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. The new “Once a Rita Man, Always a
Rita Man” shirts honoring John and Andy Smialek’08 who also passed due to cancer in November, 2009, are available. These shirts were de-
INSTRUCTOR: Mr. Tim signed by sophomore Tim Lynch who was a close friend of John McNicholas.
Baffoe This year, just like the past four years, the event was a great success. The goal for the event was only five thousand dollars. The St.
Rita community was able to rise $22,409 this year.
This year, the St. Rita community was able to raise more than $40,000 for cancer awareness and treatment through the Ritamen Wear
Pink event, the Go Blue event, and St. Baldrick’s.
Page 2
NEWS March 31, 2011

Pipe bursts St. Rita into new technology wing possibilities

By: Danny O’Keefe
Students and faculty filed into school on Monday morning of January
24 to an unexpected surprise. Most noticed how chilly the building was,
others heard rumors, but by 8:55 it was made known that a pipe had burst in
the chemistry and computer lab wing of the school. Not only did the dam-
age destroy two rooms but it also threw the typical schedule of most Rita
students into turmoil.
Students sat in their desks first period, jackets still on, as they
listened to the announcement and whispered comments on how their day
would be affected to their classmates around them. The accident also man-
aged to turn the heat off which took most students out of their typical dress
code to stay comfortable. To keep classes moving, all students that usually
had classes in that wing were given room numbers to report to as a replace-
ment.
As far as damages go, room 114, a computer lab, was affected the
most. “Between the water and damage from the humidity, all of the com-
puters were ruined,” Director of Facilities Mr. Gary DeCesare said. The
water had also torn the carpeting that was once covering half of the surrounding walls down, brought down the ceiling, and damaged nearly every-
thing else in the way. The water managed to travel to its neighboring room, Room 115. This brought damage to the carpeting, the shared wall, and
the many outlets on the floor, but due to the fact that laptops are used in that
class they were safe from damage up on the desks.
Although Mr. and Mrs. Krystof were affected for the next few days,
Mr. Gilbert and Mrs. McLawhorn were going to be affected for over a
month. Both teach classes requiring a computer so they found temporary
rooms with Mr. Baffoe’s computer lab and the lab located in the library.
Mrs. McLawhorn stated, “I think the students handled it well. It was actu-
ally harder on the teachers having to move their class and class materials to
a new room.”
Mrs. Krystof’s class was disturbed by the construction for a few
days. There was noise from the demolition, electric tools, and constant
movement for the first couple days back in class. “The noise could get
distracting at times, but we worked through it and everyone handled it well”
later Mrs. Krystof told. Senior Alex Summerfield said, “I sit against the
wall and the construction could get really loud, but Mrs. Krystof is a great
teacher so it was easy to pay attention.”
Although it may be thought of as an unexpected disaster that left
the school under construction for the next few weeks, it may also be thought of as an improvement. With the water damage in the two rooms dam-
aging the floors, walls, and equipment, also brought a total upgrade of the two rooms. Room 114 was given a new ceiling, new carpet, wainscot-
ing, and all new computers. It was also rewired electronically and the layout from the room before the damage is completely different. It was given
a fresh look with a cool blue paint color against the dark wood color of the wainscoting. Overall, the new room looks updated, clean, and more
presentable than it was before. Room 115 was also given new carpeting, wainscoting, and paint. These upgrades also share the new, clean, and
upgraded look of Room 114.

Blood Drive has

St. Rita dripping
with pride
Dozens of St. Rita students, fac-
ulty, and staff donated blood for
St. Rita’s annual Blood Drive.
These donations will help save
many lives. We’re not sure if
Mike Haas (pictured right) was
giving blood or getting it.
Page 3 NEWS March 31, 2011
Mr. Baffoe: English
teacher, Heckler?
By, Stephen Gregory
Many of you may
a l r e a d y k n o w M r. Ti m
Baffoe for the numer-
ous things that he does here at St. Rita
such as teaching English, Journalism, and
moderating our school paper and our very
own satirical paper, The Natir. But Clark
Kent has a side job.
G r o w i n g u p , M r. B a f f o e h a s a l w a y s
had a burning passion for the literary arts,
especially in the realm of satire, the use
o f i r o n y, s a r c a s m , o r r i d i c u l e t o e x p o s e
or denounce peoples, concepts, or ideals.
Its raw way of applying wit and a sharp-
tongued mind to convey an opinion has al-
ways been appealing to Baffoe. “I’ve writ-
ten as a hobby all my life, and much of it
has been satirical,” he said. “Everything in
the world is just begging to be mocked and
laughed at. I can’t go five minutes without
seeing something that I make fun of either
to myself or out loud.”
Recently The Heckler took a starv-
ing south side Irish writer onto its staff,
o u r v e r y o w n M r. B a f f o e . T h e H e c k l e r i s
a Chicago-based online satirical magazine
founded in 2003 that caters to all the major
Chicago professional sporting clubs. The
Heckler is the premiere satirical sports
magazine in the Chicago area, receiving
such honors as having been in The Chicago
Tr i b u n e a n d T h e C h i c a g o S u n - Ti m e s .
This is no menial accomplishment
by any stretch of the imagination. Count-
less writers have spent the greater portion
of the careers trying to be recognized and
added to a professional staff. “Having your
writing published by others is always an
honor,” Baffoe commented on his recent
hiring. “It means you got the job done as
a w r i t e r. A n y o n e c a n s t a r t a b l o g a n d h o p e
some of it sticks with a random reader, but
to write for a publication that you already
k n o w p e o p l e f r e q u e n t - - t h a t ’s a g o o d f e e l -
ing.”
B a f f o e ’s f i r s t a r t i c l e f o r T h e H e c k -
ler is a witty piece comically reporting
that the St. Louis Cardinal players had
contracted a mysterious illness. Baffoe
reported that the team wide illness was
caused by the Cardinals signing of former
Cub infielder Ryan Theriot. Theriot had
been affected by the historic “curse” of the
Cubs by his affiliation with the club.
The article speculates that this is
the direct cause of the team's roster woes,
d i s a b l i n g s u c h s t a r p l a y e r s a s A d a m Wa i n -
wright, the Cards ace who is currently
rehabbing his elbow after undergoing
s e a s o n - e n d i n g To m m y J o h n s u r g e r y d u e t o
an injury suffered in Spring Training.
B a f f o e ’s l a t e s t p i e c e c h r o n i c l e s t h e
death of the last Cubs Nomar Garciaparra
j e r s e y i n c a p t i v i t y.
The Heckler contains many more
examples of humorous writing donning
wonderfully creative headlines such as the
following: “Goodell regrets not offering
players two yachts apiece instead of just
one,” “After curing self, Zambrano miracu-
lously heals other ballplayers,” “Boozer
delighted to suffer injury that doesn’t
require a cover up,” “Jermaine Dye spot-
ted wandering Phoenix carrying ‘will crush
towering home runs for food’-sign.”
O n e c a n f i n d t h e s e , M r. B a f f o e ’s
articles, and many more colorful selections
s i m p l y b y v i s i t i n g t h e H e c k l e r ’s o f f i c i a l
w e b s i t e a t w w w. t h e h e c k l e r. c o m
Hey, what’s it like
inside the Monastery?
By Oscar Mascorro
Prayer, sacred silence, and walking around with your hands folded. That is the idea
most of the students have about what life in the Monastery would be like. Well, con-
trary to popular belief, life in the monastery is very similar to life anywhere else.
Before St. Rita made the move from 63rd and Claremont to 77th and West-
ern the monastery was a residency for the Dioceses Priests. “The section that belonged
to the school had a faculty locker-room, bathroom area, and work room, which we
converted into a living room, dining room, and kitchen,” said Br. Gary O.S.A.
There are five people who currently call the Monastery their home: Br. Gary
Hresil, Fr. Tom McCarthy, Fr. Erwin Dodge, Fr. Bernie Scianna, and Fr. Ron Turcich.
Br. Gary is the Prior of the Monastery, which means he is in charge of making sure the
house runs smoothly, and that the needs of the people living in the Monastery are met.
After entering the Monastery, from either the Chemistry Hall or through the
entrance by the Chapel, a long hallway needs to be walked through. This hallway has
rooms on the right, if entering from the Chapel, and is decorated with tables that have
little figurines resting on top of them. “This stuff is from trips we have made to other
Augustinian houses in Germany, and Europe,” Br. Gary said about the items. “For the
most part it is just decorated to make it feel more like a home, rather than an institution
type building,” Also in the hall are glass shelves holding more little items that have
been collected by the Augustinians through the decades.
The first doorway on the left leads you into the dining room where every-
body gathers for dinner Monday through Thursday. Just past the dining room is the
newly remodeled kitchen. The remodeling involved new cabinets, new tiled floors, and
granite covering every counter top. Continuing through the kitchen, a large living room
greets the eyes. With half a dozen couches, shelves lined with books, and a rather large
television, there is plenty for people to do.
It is still a Monastery, so prayer is a very important part of everyday living.
It doesn’t have to be through the chanting of psalms, reciting the Our Father, or singing
the Hymn to St. Rita. “Well, like anything you should spend time in quiet for yourself,”
Br. Gary commented about the prayer that takes place in the Monastery. “I would hope
that all the priests and brothers do find time during the day time to be with God and to
pray and reflect upon their day, and how they could have encountered Christ. Because
anybody can just say prayers like the Our Father and the Hail Mary, or read prayers
from the Bible, but you have to do more than that. You have to build your interior life.
To St. Augustine that was very big, to build on the interiority. So, therefore, you should
take time to reflect about how you brought Christ to other people and how you experi-
enced Christ through other people”.
From 77th Street, the black
fence is the most any student knows
about the Monastery garden. From
the outside, not much can be seen, but
its size, organization, and layout can
only be fully appreciated when seen
from the inside. There is a large deck
that greets the visitor, which gives
way to a large field of grass. In the
middle of all the grass, is a pond lined
with stone and home to at least two
dozen small gold fish.
Each person living in the
Monastery has their own room. “The
way this was set up, it was two rooms
connected with a walking closet and a private bath,” Br. Gary said, describing the
rooms. The rooms are decorated in any way the person sleeping there would like them
to be decorated. Fr. Dodge, for example, has a room filled with books which he likes
to read in his spare time. Each room does come with a few standard items, including a
bed, a television, and a dresser.
Four days a week, everybody partakes in a loosely laid schedule, which
Br. Gary, as Prior of the Monastery, makes sure everybody follows as required by the
Augustinian Order.
At 6:45 a.m. in the morning, everybody attends a Morning Prayer immedi-
ately followed by Mass in the St. Augustine Chapel, which is the little enclosed Chapel
in the corner of the St. Rita Shrine Chapel. After breakfast, they are sent on their way to
partake in their various assignments. Their assignments depend on the person. Fr. Tom,
for example, would perform his duties as President of St. Rita, while Br. Gary would
go and teach classes.
At 5 p.m., everyone gathers back into the St. Augustine Chapel for Evening
Prayer. After this, they all sit down for a community dinner. The dinner is cooked by
the Monastery’s private cook, Br. Jim, who is the Franciscan Brother who works in the
Mustang Store.
Anybody can preach the appearance of the Monastery. Whether they talk
about the bedrooms, the yard, or the living room, they are only talking. The most
striking part about the Monastery cannot just merely be told, but it needs to be felt. The
feelings of just complete peace and comfort strike deep into the body.
It’s more like being in a home, rather than a Monastery. Even for those who
don’t live there, a feeling of “being at home” sweeps over the body. It’s an ever pres-
ence feeling of comfort and serenity. Something about the Monastery just feels as if
you were meant to be there.
“Over the years I have come to understand what community life should
be, that is family,” Fr. Dodge said. “Like all families, we must be willing to face the
challenges each day brings with due regard for our differences in background, tempera-
ment, and personalities. Our goal is to live together in one mind and heart centered on
God as St. Augustine stated in his rule for community life. Unlike the married stated,
the family we create has a wider outreach as our perspective like an extended family,
which included everyone who is in search of God whom we approach through Our
Lord, Jesse Christ and his Church. So, my life after so many years of teaching and
saying Mass, has taken on a more contemplative approach to find deeper meaning in
my vocation as a religious priest. The Monastery is not a place of retirement but a place
for a deeper encounter with the Lord in prayer and service to my extended family, the
people of God.”
Page 4
Technology March 31, 2011

Gaming Goes to a Whole New Level

By: Joseph Ruiz
While playing your favorite game, have you ever thought about what it would
be like to actually be in the game? Well, of course you have, whether you wanted to
be that big football star or the soldier that can take on a whole army by himself, this
has been made possible! PC gamers can take full advantage of these new technologies
being released and at an affordable price. Sorry console gamers, you have to wait your
turn.
This is the Z800 3DVisor. This has to be one of the best devices released this
year in terms of personal display units. Imagine yourself playing your favorite First
Person Shooter (FPS for short) and all you see is the game. Pretty cool, huh? Well, it’s
not going to feel real unless it’s in 3D. eMagin, the creators of this wonderful device,
thought about that and added this 3D feature. This headset includes a noise-cancelling
microphone as well as a pair of ear buds. Although it runs at a steep $1799.00, it is a
great investment if you are a hardcore gamer, especially if used in combination with the Z800 3DVisor
other devices in this article. -Photo courtesy of eMagin
TN Games. Haven’t heard of them? Well, they are becoming
very popular due to the release of their new 3rd Space FPS Gaming
Vest. This vest has eight air actuators. Four in the front. Four in the
back. These actuators provide a five pound impact force on your body.
This is supposed to mimic impact from bullets and explosions. The
price is reasonably set at $139.00 and provides the best gaming experi-
ence to date. TN Games’ website said an adapter for consoles was sup-
posed to be released summer of 2010, but nothing has been released
yet.
This has to be best gaming accessory released to date. Intro-
ducing the NIA (Neural Impulse Actuator). OCZ, a major computer
hardware manufacturer has released a device that frees the hands of PC
gamers from their keyboard and mouse (for the most part). Priced at
$110.00, this controller allows gamers to play their favorite games just
by moving their eyes, making facial expressions, or just by thinking.

The Peregrine is a glove (yes, a glove) that takes most of the

controls in any game and places them on your hand. This glove can be
TN 3rd Space FPS Gaming Vest (Bottom), Peregrine Gaming Glove (Right), and the used for any game; however, it is most effective for RTS (Real Time
OCZ NIA (Left). -Photos courtesy of manufacturers’ Strategy) games. This glove is very useful for any game due to its 18
websites touch points and 3 activator pads. This product is priced at $99.00.

Top Apps of March 2011

By: Joseph Ruiz
One must admit, smart phones are becoming more and more popular by the day. The top
smart phone on the market is the iPhone. The reason for this is the abundance of applications
that can assist their users in almost any task. Here are the top 5 apps for this month:

1) Google Translate Price: Free

Have you ever been stuck in a foreign country and failing at understanding what people are saying? No? Well,
maybe you’re just stuck on a little bit of Spanish homework. Google is here to help you with your language
problems! With Google Translate, you can translate words or phrases between fifty different languages.
There’s also a nifty little feature that provides audio playback of the translated word or phrase.

2) eBay Mobile Price: Free 3) Urbanspoon Price: Free

eBay members will never miss an opportu-
nity to snag a hard-to-find item with instant
alerts when outbid or auctions are ending.
You can compare prices in the store against
eBay prices using the handy barcode scan-
ner. You are also able to sell! Take a couple
of pictures with your iPhone or iPod camera
and you’re set. Sharing items you are selling
or buying with Facebook and Twitter friends
is quick and easy with the eBay for iPhone
app.
4) The Weather Channel Price: Free
Tired of the Weather app that is provided on
your iPhone? Maybe you need a little more
information about the weather. The Weather
Channel for the iPhone provides you with
extended forecasts as well as full screen, in-
teractive radar maps, severe weather alerts,
and more.
Can’t decide where to eat? Urbanspoon can help!
All you have to do is shake your iPhone and the
Urbanspoon slot machine will pick a good restau-
rant for you to try. You can also see what’s nearby
by using a handy little map in the application. This
app is great when you are out on the road or when
you’re just looking to try something new.
5) SoundHound ∞ Price: $4.99
This has happened to almost everyone. You’re
listening to the radio and you miss the name of the
song that is playing. You keep thinking to yourself,
“What is the name of this song?!” SoundHound,
Inc. must have had these moments because they
designed this amazing app that will identify almost
any song. All you have to do is hold your phone
next to the speaker in which the music is coming
out of and then the rest is magic. You won’t ever
have any of those moments again.
Page 5 March 31, 2011

Movie shouldn’t be “Unknown” to you

By Max Kurucar

Do you like crazy thrillers that keep you on the edge of your
seat? If so I’ve got a movie for you. In Unknown Liam Neeson is
Martin Harris a botanist happily married to Elizabeth Harris. (Janu-
ary Jones) You may know Liam Neeson from big films like Taken
(2008) and January Jones from the hit series Madmen.
The couple travels to Berlin where Dr. Harris is giving a speech
at a Biochemist Convention. Soon after arriving in Berlin Harris is
involved in an accident that left him in a coma for four days. Upon
awakening he discovers that someone has taken over his identity and
he is left to prove he is the real Martin Harris.
Along the way you meet another character, Gina, played by Diane
Kruger. Kruger adds great character to the film because she is a
native of Germany. Her accent and German language gives you an
authentic feel as you go on in the film.
I can assure you that this movie keeps you on the edge of
your seat. The anticipation starts early and doesn’t end until the
movie is over. Whatever comes next is sure to overwhelm you and
keep your eyes glued to the screen. The sheer thrill and action will Photo Courtesy of xcitefun.net
keep you guessing at what is around the corner. Fast paced action hits you hard and won’t stop until you are knocked out.
Unknown is great weekend movie to see with friends or your significant other. And it will not disappoint those action-thriller lovers
out there. A mere ten bucks gets you into the film at any local movie theater and buys an hour and fifty minutes of heart-pounding action that
is sure to bring you back for a second or third time. Grab your wallet and head out for a thrilling experience brought to you by Unknown.

Are you getting enough sleep at night?

By: Danny O’Keefe
Sleep experts recommend that teenagers get nine hours and fifteen minutes of sleep every night. With school work, practice and games for
sports, club meetings, exercise, and just some time for yourself, it might be hard to see how we are expected to get to bed that early. In a
quick survey taken in a sophomore World History class it was found that 1 in 6 students get eight or more hours of sleep consistently at St.
Rita. And as far as experts can tell, technology has a lot to do with it.
Everyone knows that sleep is important, but do they know just how important it really is? The Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard
Medical School found that the body requires sleep in the same ways it regulates the need for eating, drinking, and breathing. Their studies
have shown that sleep plays a vital role in promoting physical health, longevity, and emotional well-being. Sleep also helps keep your body
healthy in general. It is known to help repair your body, reduce stress, improve your memory, reduce the chance of diabetes, and keep your
heart healthy. So, when we cut the time we need to sleep short, we are also cutting the time our body needs to reap these benefits short.
There are also some negative things that a lack of proficient sleep at night can cause. One thing some people might recognize is poor
performance in the classroom. It is difficult to pay attention in class when tired and it is even harder to get good grades when you are nap-
ping in class. However, you might not even need to worry about school at all because drowsiness and fatigue causes more than 100,000 car
crashes each year, with young drivers at the wheel in almost half of these. Eve Van Cauter, Ph.D., from the University of Chicago Medical
School performed a study that showed that a lack of sleep can negatively impact physiology that is critical for athletic performance. So, on a
few hours of sleep you risk car accidents, bad grades, and if you can fight through those two, your jump shot won’t be so hot either.
Watching television, logging onto Facebook, or talking and texting on our cell phones might be why so many teens are up so late.
Although computers, cell phones, and television make our lives
more productive and enjoyable when used appropriately, when
abused it can severely affect our performance each morning. St.
Rita’s Spanish teacher, Ms. Yanez stated, “Something is affect-
ing students sleep every night. Too many students try to sleep in
class.”
In a Yahoo! article it was reported that “Nearly 95 percent
of people questioned in an NSF [National Science Foundation]
study said they used some type of electronics in the hour before
going to bed, and about two-thirds admitted they do not get
enough sleep during the week.” Many teenagers get ready for
bed with their Blackberries, iPods, and laptops in reach sending
out occasional texts, listening to their newest playlists, or surf-
ing the web. Some people even manage to fall asleep each night
but are woken up by the ring of a phone call or the beep of a
text. Although this may seem harmless, experts believe bringing
a laptop or phone with you to bed causes the mind to recognize
your bed as a place to work or communicate, not sleep. In the
long run, it is just confusing your body making it harder and
harder to go to sleep at a decent hour.
You might find that you are one of many people that doesn’t
seem to get enough sleep each night. If so, you may also find
your use of technology immediately before or even while trying
to get to sleep each night is part of the problem.

photo courtesy of Four Walls No Limits

Page 6 March 31, 2011

Stuff your face on Fat Tues-

By Max Kurucar

It’s about that time when Lent comes around and everyone is thinking about what
they’re going to give up. But before we do there’s Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras as the French call
it. Mardi Gras is a large carnival where people come together to eat all the fatty food and drink
all the sugary soda they want before the Lenten season.
This year Mardi Gras was on March 8th and Ms. Saul and her French Club met after
school to carry on the tradition of “Carnivale”. The students of the French Club made masks us-
ing feathers, glitter, and anything they could put to use. After making masks all the students had
some delicious pastries. Some of those pastries were some jelly filled donuts that were gone in a
matter of seconds. The students also had candy and cake that Ms. Saul had brought in.
For students who do not know about French Club, anyone can join. You don’t have to
be taking French, you can be in Spanish or Latin or not even take a language and still join French
Club. It is never too late to join. It can be May 25th and you can still stop by and take part in
whatever the activity is. Ms. Saul is fun and kind and a great teacher, so don’t be shy try French
Club. Every month or so French Club goes on a field trip. Last month they went downtown to
see a French play and it was a blast. If you ever want to see what it is all about you can stop Ms.
Saul’s room, that’s 206 if you are wondering. In the future listen to announcements for French
Photo courtesy of holiday-corners.com
Club information and make sure you don’t miss the next meaning. It is a great time.

Libya becoming quite the issue

By Craig Sabath

The origin of the recent crisis in Libya lies in the autocratic rule of Muammar Gadhafi. Gadhafi has firmly held his position since he seized power in 1969. However, last month,
as part of the recent trend in Middle Eastern protests, unrest erupted in several Libyan cities. Though it began with a very organized core of anti-government opponents, opposi-
tion to Gadhafi’s rule spontaneously and swiftly spread throughout the country. In response, Gadhafi lashed out with violence previously unseen in his regime. The opposition
quickly put together a rag-tag rebel army, attempting to portray themselves to the West as an alternative to Gadhafi’s erratic rule. The rebel army was at first very successful, tak-
ing a significant portion of the country out of Gadhafi’s control. However, with the advantage of numbers and logistics, Gadhafi seems to be turning the momentum in his favor.
The relevance of this civil war to the West is the fact that Libya is one of the world’s largest producers of oil. Also, the proximity of Libya to Europe further complicates the
issue. The possibility of a new “Afghanistan” right next to Europe frightens many within the European Union.
The earliest developments of the crisis began around a prison in Tripoli which is notoriously known for human rights violations. On 24 January 2011, Libya blocked ac-
cess to YouTube after it featured videos of demonstrations in the Libyan city of Benghazi
by families of detainees who were killed in Abu Salim prison in 1996, and videos of fam-
ily members of Gadhafi at parties. This attracted much attention from many human-rights
groups around the world. Opposition to Gadhafi’s rule slowly escalated until large-scale
protests broke out following the arrest of a Libyan human rights activist. The protests bal-
looned following violent retaliations by the government.
The opposition fielded a rag-tag army that quickly gained control of most of Eastern
Libya and the second largest city, Benghazi. In response, Gadhafi brought in mercenaries
from Chad as the rebel army pushed west to take over Gadhafi’s stronghold at Tripoli. The
rebel advance was stalled in the face of Gadhafi’s superior numbers and logistics.
Many rebels are equipped with nothing more than small arms. As a result, their only
hope is Western intervention. The West must answer the question of how much they should
get involved. Many factors make the conflict in Libya relevant to west. Oil essentially con-
trols the world economy. If the price of oil goes up, the price of just about everything else
goes up too. Can the West afford to have such a large producer of oil be ruled by someone
as erratic as Gadhafi? The price of oil per barrel has already well surpassed $100. Second,
the proximity of Libya to Europe is important. “We must not allow Libya to become an-
Photo courtesy of guardian.co.uk other Afghanistan just next door to us,” declared Italy’s interior minister, Roberto Maroni,
at the end of a European ministerial meeting in Brussels February 25th.
The West debated many courses of action. Many imposed sanctions upon Libya to little avail. Creating a no-fly zone over Libya is the biggest debate. It is the most
controversial of options to be implemented and raises many questions in terms of effectiveness. The consequences of a no-fly zone aren’t clear. It may prevent government air
strikes on rebels, but it probably won’t save the rebels because it doesn’t do much about the rebel’s disadvantages on the ground. Libyan rebels are hoping for an “arm and train”
strategy so that they can cancel out Gadhafi’s logistical advantage. However, it is the most complicated and most difficult of all options. Who would supply the weapons and
what kind would be supplied? Is it prudent to arm a Middle Eastern country so heavily? This will become more of an issue if the fighting continues. It’s only hope is that a non-
Western supplies the arms and training, Egypt is an attractive supplier.

New way to pay the school

by Ed Roland

Along with the new class schedule, it was announced that student tuition would be increased too. Tuition will raise about five
hundred dollars in the 2011- 2012 school year. The new cost is understandable what with every student gaining one more class, there
has to be either more teachers or teachers having more classes.
With this tuition rise, St. Rita has now offered a new way for students, or their family, to pay. Relatives can now buy a Tuition
Gift Certificate. They can be bought in any dollar amount between twenty five and two hundred and fifty dollars. Gifts can be given
to students of all grades and the entire process is relatively fast, only taking about one to two business days.
If any students would like to purchase these gift certificates or find out more about this new system, contact Mrs. McWilliams
in the Tuition Office.
Page 7 March 31, 2011

Stock Club off the Charts

By Max Kurucar

“Who wants some money?” As Father Tom would say. The Stock Club is the
place to be if you love money. St. Rita’s Stock Club has risen in the ranks last year and
this year as well. The Team is currently ranked second among the other one hundred and
twenty Illinois Stock Clubs. St. Rita’s team consists of thirteen students, senior Aamir
Walton, juniors Billy Pink and Billy Henry, sophomores Peter Cozzi, Quinton Gray,
Pedro Martinez, Bryce Sissac, Patrick Henry, Joey Wilimczyk, and Kevin Sicher, and
freshman Mike O’Donnell, Ian Leyden, and Victor Luna. The club’s advisor is Mr. Mike
Gallagher, who is also the Augustinian Chief Financial Officer here at St. Rita.
For those who don’t know much about Stock Club, the team meets every
Wednesday morning at 7:30 a.m. in room 213. The students use computer software to buy
or sell real stocks from real companies. Each team starts with one hundred thousand dol-
lars of “monopoly” money and they invest to see who comes out with the biggest earn-
ings. Easier said than done right? Although everything is computer generated, the amount
of money teams earn is based on the real increase and decrease of the price of stocks.
Have you ever heard news about the DOW Jones dropping however many points? Well
that’s stock market talk for losing or gaining money. I’m sure the team has finally found
a use for the otherwise “unknown” stock exchange section of the newspaper. The season
starts in January and ends in April. So far, the stock club has made a profit and exceeded
the S & P 500 growth by 7%, according to Mr. Gallagher. That puts the team’s running
total at one hundred and eight thousand dollars.
Stock Club can be very useful to students for when they enter the real world. Photo Courtesy of Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc.
Although they use fake money, the way they strategize and invest their money can be
used in today’s market. Students have fun earning money and at the same time learn use-
ful ways to invest their money once they have their own job. Students can learn ways to
invest their money to eventually be millionaires by the time they retire. And who doesn’t
want to be a millionaire?
“Students keep coming back, so they must like it,” Mr. Gallagher said, and he encourag-
es more people to join. Stock Club has two seasons, one in the Fall and one in the Spring.
If you’re ever interested in Stock Club it’s never too late to stop by room 213 on Wednes-
day morning and see how everything works. Or you can stop by Mr. Gallagher’s office
which is located right next to the elevator on the first floor. The season is almost over but
you can still join. If you don’t have time this year there is plenty of time next year to join
this fun and interesting club. Stock Club is a great way to learn real life skills that can
help you in the world of tomorrow, today.

Baseball looks to bring it home

Photo Courtesy of Chicago Tribune
By Craig Sabath
For th e p as t t wo y ears , S t . R i t a b as eb al l h as p l aced s e c o n d i n s t a t e . T h e i r g o a l f o r t h i s s e a-
son is cl ear. Wh en as k ed ab o u t t h ei r g o al s fo r t h i s s e a s o n , i t w a s a n o - b r a i n e r f o r A t h l e t i c
Direc t o r an d Head Vars i t y C o ach M i k e Z u n i ca, “To w i n t h e C a t h o l i c L e a g u e a n d S t a t e . ”
R i t a h as p l en t y o f o b s t acl es i n t h ei r p u rs u i t fo r t h e c r o w n . D e a l i n g w i t h t h e l o s s e s o f
Mark P ay t o n an d An t h o n y An d res , wh o n o w at t en d t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f Te x a s a n d N I U r e s p e c-
tively, wi l l b e t o u g h . M ark P ay t o n ’s b at t i n g s av ed t h e t e a m o n m a n y o c c a s i o n s a n d w a s t h e
c ente r p i ece o f R i t a’s b at t i n g t ri o o f h i m , S t efan o B e l m o n t e a n d J o e y F i l o m e n o . A n d r e s w a s
a stud p i t ch er wh o s e s k i l l can n o t b e rep l aced . T h e l o s s o f s u c h t a l e n t e d s e n i o r s , h o w e v e r,
will b e l ev el ed b y t h e ad d i t i o n o f m an y t al en t ed j u n io r s . R i t a ’s c u r r e n t s i t u a t i o n p r o v i d e s
ple nty o f o p p o rt u n i t y fo r t h e u p co m i n g p l ay ers .
Wh en as k ed wh o s h o u l d b e ex p ect ed t o h av e a b r e a k o u t s e a s o n t h i s y e a r, h e a n-
swe re d , “S t efan o B el m o n t e, an d m ay b e Z ack S o ri a. ” B e l m o n t e ’s s k i l l i s w e l l e s t a b l i s h e d
from h i s p l ay l as t y ear. He m ad e a p h en o m en al t ran si t i o n t o Va r s i t y l a s t y e a r, w h e r e h e h i t
.377, 1 3 d o u b l es , 11 h o m ers , 5 2 R B I. “T h at B el m o n t e k i d i s s p e c i a l , ” Z u n i c a c o m m e n t e d .
“ He ’s j u s t o n e o f t h o s e g u y s wh o can h i t an d h i t an d h i t . ” A n d n o o n e c a n f o rg e t t h a t f o u r-
hundr ed fo o t er h e s h o t o u t o f C el l u l ar F i el d ag ai n s t D e l a S a l l e . I n t h e o ff - s e a s o n , B e l m o n t e
has been rack i n g u p co l l eg e o ffer aft er co l l eg e o ffer. Z a c k S o r i a m a d e p l e n t y o f c o n t r i b u-
tions at t h e p l at e, as wel l . Hi s wal k o ff h i t t h at l i ft e d S t . R i t a a g a i n s t H u n t l e y i n t h e s t a t e
semi- fi n al s was h i s m o s t n o t ab l e co n t ri b u t i o n at t h e p l a t e l a s t y e a r. J u n i o r R i c k y F a r o n
should b e ex p ect ed t o co n t ri b u t e as wel l t h i s y ear at b a t . I t ’s h a r d t o f o rg e t h i s s o l i d p l a y o n
Varsit y l as t y ear, wh ere h e h i t . 3 0 4 i n t wel v e g am es . W h i l e b a t t i n g i s s t i l l l e d b y L o u i s v i l l e
signe e J o ey F i l o m en o , wh o h i t . 4 6 1 wi t h 1 0 d o u b l es , 1 4 h o m e r s a n d 6 1 R B I l a s t y e a r, t h e
pitchi n g crew h as a n ew ace i n J u n i o r E d d i e De l a R i v a , w h o c o m m i t t e d t o P u r d u e o v e r t h e
summ er.
Des p i t e t h e d i fferen ces i n t h e s t aff o f t h i s y ea r ’s t e a m , d o n ’t e x p e c t m u c h t o c h a n g e
from t h e t eam . Nam es h av e ch an g ed , b u t ex p ect at i o n s h a v e n ’t . “ We w i l l s t i l l p l a y t h e s a m e
hard-n o s ed ag g res s i v e s t y l e, ” C o ach Z u n i ca co n cl u de d . T h a t p l a y m u s t b e e x p e c t e d c o n s i d-
e ring t h e co m p et i t i o n R i t a faces ev ery y ear i n t h e C a t h o l i c L e a g u e . M t . C a r m e l h a s a l w a y s
bee n a d i ffi cu l t o p p o n en t fo r R i t a, an d P ro v i d en ce t he m s e l v e s a r e e x p e c t e d t o m a k e a r u n
for th e s t at e t i t l e t h i s y ear. C o ach Z u n i ca ack n o wl edg e d t h e d i ff i c u l t y o f t h e l e a g u e . W h e n
inquired wh et h er t h ere are an y m at ch -u p s i n p art i cu la r w e s h o u l d w a t c h , h e r e p l i e d , “ E v e r y-
body i n t h e l eag u e. It i s t h e b es t l eag u e i n t h e s t at e.” Z u n i c a c l a r i f i e d , “ I t ’s t h e t o u g h n e s s ,
tra dit i o n an d t al en t t h at real l y s et t h e C at h o l i c L eagu e a p a r t f r o m o t h e r s . ”
In an y cas e, ex p ect R i t a t o h av e an o t h er fan t a s t i c s e a s o n o f b a s e b a l l . T h e r e a r e p l e n t y
of jun i o rs wi l l i n g an d ab l e t o s t ep u p i n p l ace o f l ast y e a r ’s s e n i o r s , a n d c o m p e t i t i o n w i t h i n
the leag u e i s s o m et h i n g R i t a h as b eco m e accu s t o m ed t o . S a m e o b s t a c l e s , d i ff e r e n t s e a s o n .
Page 8
MUSTANG SPORTS March 31st, 2011

Running Mustangs look to clear hurdles

by Ed Roland

With the s tart of this ye ar ’s new track s eas o n , ev ery o n e’s h o p es

w e re high. “We ha ve the tools to win a l o t t h i s y ear, we j u s t n eed t o u s e
t h e m r ight,” s ays he ad C oac h Tony Sosno ws k i . T h e R u n n i n g M u s t an g s
h a v e f allen s hor t the past couple of ye ars i n co n feren ce m eet s , s o t h i s
y e a r the team w ante d to do it right.
Within the tea m there ha ve bee n m an y n ew ch an g es . P ract i ces
h a v e becom e har de r for runners to bette r p rep are t h em fo r co m p et i t i o n s .
Th e re has als o bee n a much gre at stress o n fo rm ru n n i n g an d ru n n i n g
c o n t i n ually with form. “The re has bee n a g reat er s t res s o n g u y s ru n n i n g
ri g h t , not jus t r unning as fast as the y ca n , ” s ai d co ach S o s n o ws k i .
Som e key re turns to this ye ar ’s vars i t y t eam are s en i o rs M ark
Bo n ds and Antho ny Da vis, two of the fa s t es t 5 5 m et er ru n n ers i n t h e
s t a t e . Senior thr owe r B ryce B a iley a nd ju n i o r S h ak i r S p el l s are t wo m a-
j o r c ompetitor s in va rsity shot put. S enior h u rd l er An d rew C h eat h am i s
c l o s e to the top in hurdle rs in the confer en ce. J u n i o rs J ak e Go l d i n g an d
A l b e r t Alf ano ar e two big competitors in m i d an d l o n g d i s t an ce ru n n i n g .
For the f r osh/soph te am, sophomo res Z ack M ad erak an d Ari s
Iri z a r r y ar e the 55 meter runne rs. S ophom o re t h ro wers F ran k Wi s s eh
a n d J on Es kr a ar e expe cted to come with i n t h e t o p fi v e i n co n feren ce.
F o r l ong dis tance, sophomore s Da n Dwy er an d B ren d an R affert y an d
fre sh man Pete Sc ha ible a re lea ding the p ack fo r t h e M u s t an g s t h i s y ear.
A t the I ndoor C a tholic Lea gue C h am p i o n s h i p s , t h e M u s t an g s
h a d a s tr ong s howing. St. R ita wa s able to s co re wi t h i n t h e t o p ei g h t i n
s p ri n ts , dis tance running, throwing, a nd j u m p i n g .
For the f r e shme n/sophomore te am, Ari s Iri zarry l ed t h e way fo r
t h e Mus tangs . The sophomore plac ed in t h e l o n g j u m p , t h e t ri p l e j u m p ,
a n d t he 200 mete r dash. Dista nc e runners P et e S ch ai l b e an d B ren d an
S c h mitt placed in the mile a nd two mile races . T h e m u s t an g s fi n i s h
fo u rt h out of a f ie ld of fiftee n at c onfe re n ce.
Var s ity Ca pita n Ma rk B onds sa id, “T h e fres h m en an d s o p h o m o res
o f t h is team ar e the ones tha t will be ta k i n g o u r s p o t s o n v ars i t y n ex t y ear. ”
For the varsity te am, the conferen ce ch am p i o n s h i p s were a s t ep i n t h e ri g h t d i rec t i o n . T h e t e a m s c o r e d i n d i s t a n c e , j u m p-
i n g , thr owing, and sprints. Junior C ody L each t o o k fi rs t i n t h e t ri p l e j u m p . M ark B o n d s a n d A n t h o n y D a v i s t o o k s e c o n d a n d
fo u rt h in the 55 me te r da sh a nd a trip to t h e s t at e fi n al s . An t h o n y Dav i s al s o t o o k s eco nd i n t h e 2 0 0 m e t e r d a s h a n d w i l l b e g o-
i n g t o s tate to r un tha t too.
Coach Ton y S osnowski says that a l l t h e p erfo rm an ces i n t h e i n d o o r s eas o n p o i n t t o a s t r o n g o u t d o o r s e a s o n . ” We b e l i e v e
t h a t we have the potential to ta ke this ye ar ’s o u t d o o r t i t l e. ”

Mustang football players move on to the next level

By Craig Sabath
Though the football season concluded many months ago, football hasn’t completely left the campus. Last month, five members of Rita’s foot-
ball team signed to carry on their careers to the next level. This year, these five players led
Rita to another successful season where they advanced all the way to the State semi-finals.
The players’ parents were present for the signings, in addition to Head football coach Todd
Kuska, Athletic Director Mike Zunica, and Principal Brendan Conroy.
Tight end Tim Gorski, running back/defensive back Travis Starks and Offensive lineman
Brian Lurquin, Jack Sheahan and Tommy Hitz were the five players who signed. They led
St. Rita to a 22-5 record the past two seasons, a Catholic League Blue Championship, Prep
Bowl Title, and to the State Semi-finals.
“It’s a great day for all of these kids and their parents to make the commitment to
move on to the next academic and athletic challenge,” said Kuska. “These guys were a spe-
cial group. They’ve won several championships and had a ton of postseason success. We
will have five or six more guys from this class join this group in the near future with their
choices. It’s fitting that a large number of these guys will continue to play football.”
Brian Lurquin was a two year starter at center for the Mustangs. His play contrib-
uted immensely to the success the Mustangs have had running the ball in recent years. He
signed to play for the University of Wisconsin at Platteville. He attended Oak Lawn Home-
town Middle School and resides in Oak Lawn, Illinois.
Jack Sheahan is the second member of Rita’s offensive line to sign for college
football. He battled through injury to finally achieve the honor to play on the next level. His
academic success has allowed him to sign for Yale University of the Ivy League. It was a
relatively easy decision for Jack, who fell in love with Yale’s campus upon his visit. “It’s
a high-level of football, and the academics speak for itself. Yale is always one of the top-ranked schools in the world. I’m thankful that I’ll be able to
compete at a program that’s at a high level and also get an education that’s second to none.” Jack attended Sutherland Grammar School and resides in
the Beverly neighborhood in Chicago.
Tim Gorski’s decision wasn’t as easy. He went down to the wire before deciding the week before. Gorski will play Division- One football at
Western Kentucky. The tight end selected the Hilltoppers over offers from Northern Illinois, Toledo and Western Michigan. Tim attended St. Alexander
and resides in Palos Heights, Illinois.
Tommy Hitz signed for St. Xavier University, where he will be able to compete for a national championship, which was huge in his decision.
Hitz graduated from St. Cajetan High School and also resides in Beverly.
Travis Starks signed for Indiana State. Starks was a two-year starter who had plenty of success running the ball and defending against the pass
at defensive back. Indiana State is a program on the rise that picked up many Illinois Prep standouts. He also considered Central Michigan, Illinois
State and Eastern Michigan. Travis attended Emmanuel Christian and resides in Alsip, Illinois.