The Ritan
Volume Eighty-Two. Number Four.
A Student Publication of
Saint Rita of Cascia High School
7740 South Western Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60620
In This Issue
K of A pitching in with
recycling program p 2
Where are our Seniors
headed next year? p5
Hockey wins 4th consec-
utive Kennedy Cup p 8
THE RITAN
STUDENT STAFF: Max
Kurucar, Joe Ruiz, Craig
Sabath, Stephen Gregory,
Oscar Mascorro, Danny
O’Keefe, Ed Roland
JOURNALISM
INSTRUCTOR: Mr. Tim
Baffoe
May 18, 2011
An examination of the missions
By: Danny O’Keefe
Every Thursday morning St. Rita students file into their home room classes before
the 7:55 bell. We pray and say the Pledge of Allegiance and listen to various announce-
ments. Then one student in each class gets the blue missions pencil case and walks up and
down the rows of desks asking for donations, praising those who donate more than the goal
of fifty cents per man, and encouraging others to donate what they can. We are told we are
donating to “missions”. What are missions? Where are our donations going every week?
Mission collections money goes to many causes throughout the year. These past few
years we have donated our weekly missions fund to the John McNicholas Pediatric Brain
Tumor Foundation, the Andy Smialek Education Fund, and to the relief of the people during
the Haiti earthquake. Besides our side donations to causes dear to the St. Rita family and the
world around us, missions usually goes to the Augustinian Missions in Peru. The Midwest
Augustinians website tells, “The missionaries working in Peru are committed to preaching
the Gospel and helping the people they serve improve the extremely poor living conditions.”
In the past, the Augustinian Missions were raising money to build a school in this
very impoverished country. Now that they have accomplished building the school our mon-
ey has recently helped them put a roof on the building. Now, they are trying to raise money
for things like computers and calculators, something the kids in Peru have only dreamed of.
A school in Peru
is much differ-
ent than a school
in America. Most buildings are a one room school house that holds
a class of all different grade levels being instructed by one teacher.
In some areas the school day is taken in shifts due to both too many
students and the fact that many kids have to work during the day and
can then take class at night. It is very hard for many families in Peru
to supply each kid with even just a notebook and a pencil every year.
Every donation we give helps these people run a school, something
we go to everyday without a second thought.
Before you may have only given fifty cents every Thursday.
And that is great! You may have donated nothing. Maybe now that
you understand just a small portion of what it is like for these people
to live in such an undeveloped country you will be willing to donate
that extra quarter, or that extra dollar to a group of people that need it
much more than you want a cookie during your lunch period.
Arsenic kills for Theatre Group
By: Oscar Mascorro III
After a few changes of ideas, it was decided that Arsenic and Old Lace would be performed on March 31st, and April 1st and 2nd. “We considered
various plays; however, Mr. Tolley chose Arsenic and Old Lace based on the acting strengths of the students who auditioned as well as the number of
students who auditioned,” said Ms. Stephanie Saul, the Moderator of the Theatre Club, speaking on behalf of herself and Mr. John Tolley, the Director.
This is a story about two lovely old ladies, Abby and Martha, whose only joy in life is finding people to do some good to. After an unfortunate heart
attack took one of their Lodgers, they realized the greatest charity they could perform was sending as many lonely old men as they could to that same
peace. However, when their nephew, Mortimer, finds out about what they are doing, he cannot allow them to continue. While trying to stop them, Jona-
than, his brother, and his business partner, Dr. Einstein, make things a living nightmare for Mortimer. Throw in another crazy brother, a few cops, and a
Mental Institution, and you have the comedy hit Arsenic and Old Lace.
Last year’s production of Young Frankenstein was the final performances of four seniors who always seemed to grab the lead roles. “Though
last year’s seniors were tremendously talented, there was no doubt in our minds that we would have yet another talented cast and crew,” Ms. Saul said.
After saying good-bye to four senior actors, though, who would they get to fill those big expectations? Well, it was decided that Sophomores Oscar
Mascorro III, Shea Pender, Mike Lorimer, and Junior Tom Ricci, would be the ones to fill the empty holes. “Everyone casted seemed to fit their parts
perfectly, so it was really not that hard to cast this play,” Ms. Saul explained.
Oscar made the part of Mortimer Brewster, a Theatre Critic who hates his job, loves his Aunts, and has just proposed to his girlfriend. Shea
picked up the part of Jonathan, a murderer who has traveled the world on “business”. Tom Ricci acted as Einstein, Jonathan’s business partner who isn’t
as evil as he appears. Mike Lorimer was Teddy, the third Brewster brother who thinks he is Theodore Roosevelt. These four Rita men were the lead
male actors in Cast A. Cast B consisted of Tom Bauer as Mortimer,
Shea Pender as Jonathan for cat A and B, Patrick Egan was Teddy, and
Malcolm Carter was Dr. Einstein.
Twenty-four people auditioned for Arsenic and Old Lace, and,
to Mr. Tolley and Ms. Saul, this was a big improvement from the nine
that auditioned three years ago. “Mr. Tolley and I were delighted to see
such enthusiasm and admired the dedication, charisma, and altruism
of all the members of the Theatre club, and their families,” stated Ms.
Saul. Include the five crew members, and there was more than a three
times increase from three years ago.
Along with the Rita men who auditioned for the play, the female
parts were filled by girls from Mother McAuley, Mount Assisi Acad-
emy, and The Chicago High School for Agriculture Science. Most of
them were Mother McAuley students who have performed in the St.
Rita theatre many times before. In fact, Mary Claire Murphy, Danielle
Oliver, Emily Oliver, and Anna Schlomas, all Mother McAuley stu-
dents, picked up the lead female roles for the second year in a row.
After three months of rehearsal, the four performances of Arse-
nic and Old Lace went off without a problem. Sticking to the scripted
as much as possible, the cast spent the rest of the play trying to make
each other laugh, but the audience couldn’t tell since they were doing
all the laughing.
“I was extremely proud of the cast and crew for their diligence
and positive attitudes, and enjoyed experiencing the energy that was evident between the actors, actresses, and crew during each show of the play”, said
Ms. Saul. “I am equally proud to have assisted Mr. Tolley. He is extremely talented and creative and I have learned quite a bit about the technical side of
theatre through working with him.”
Page 2
NEWS May 18th, 2011

St. Rita Making a Difference

by Max Kurucar

This year The Knights of Augustine have come up with a great idea. Over
a year a school can use tons of paper for tests, homework, or projects and when it
has served its purpose it gets tossed in the trash. That’s why effective very soon
each classroom in the school will receive a blue recycling bin for all the used
paper.
On the side of each bin will be a green SR sticker to
show our St. Rita pride. St. Rita is working to become green-
er to help our Earth and this is a great start. Mr. Knipp is ex-
cited to see how it all turns out. “Hopefully this will make St.
Rita more sustainable and more environmentally friendly.”
Every Friday members of the Knights of Augustine
will travel around the school collecting all the paper from the
bins. Then fellow classmate, Loren Lorenz will bring all the
paper to the facility and then it’s off to be recycled and used
in another school. We can make a big difference. As a school,
we use so much paper and never recycled. All that paper
would be gone and never reused like it could and should’ve
been. Now that we’re taking steps to help the environment
we can feel better as a school.
What is more exciting is that if all goes well, we can
get more bins to recycle other materials besides paper. All
our plastic bottles or glass bottles can be recycled along with
any other plastic. Several people drink pop at lunch and toss
their aluminum cans in the trash. If we could later get bins for
aluminum cans, it would make a big difference. They would
go to good use instead of sitting in a landfill for 20 years.
This whole process was formed by a group of St.
Rita’s very own students. The student body here works hard to make a difference
and they’re doing a great job so far. They strive and prosper and who knows what
new great ideas will come in the future.
But for now let’s get our recycling on and do some good.

Japan Earthquake Reveals many problems

By Craig Sabath Courtesy of ajwuwu.com

The earthquake and tsunami that recently hit Japan combined to create possibly
the worst natural disaster Japan has ever experienced in the modern era. The
disaster will have a lasting effect on the politics of leadership and energy policy.
The handling of the disaster has shined light on how ineffective the country’s
leaders are. Much of the suffering after crisis was avoidable. Also, the nuclear
crisis reveals many flaws of the country’s energy policy.
Japan’s leadership has let down its people following the disaster. It has
taken far too long to tame the nuclear crisis and has failed to provide the needed
relief in many of the damaged communities. The disaster revealed the close ties
the government and the nuclear industry share. Together they have obstructed
inquiry about the damaged nuclear power plant. The government was also
remarkably slow in bringing aid to victims. Japan’s Prime Minister, Mr. Kaoto
Kan, has focused far too much on the nuclear crisis. The country’s bureaucracy
fell back on by-the-book procedures that prevented truck loads of supplies from
traveling on highways designated only for “emergency” vehicles. Mr. Kan was
also once reduced to asking the plant’s leader, “What the hell’s going on?” Old
laws prevented companies from distributing large reserves of oil to damaged
areas. It took ten days for the government to finally ask for their release. Mr.
Kan should have declared a state of emergency from the beginning. All these
problems reveal how ineffective the government is. Clear lines of authority still
have not been established for handling the crisis. Hopefully, the crisis will spur
the Japanese people to demand change and reform in their government.
The nuclear crisis revealed many of Japan’s flaws in energy policy, es-
pecially in safety procedures. Many of the nuclear scientists on Japan’s nuclear
regulation boards are sponsored by utility companies, putting into question
their independence. Many of these scientists are later given jobs at TEPCO, the
company in charge of the damaged plant. This reveals obvious corruption in
Japan’s nuclear regulation. Nuclear energy is a popular option in Japan because
it imports 99% of its oil. However, past crises have scared the Japanese public. In response, the government provided tax incentives and subsidies
in support of nuclear energy. This resulted in some of the highest electricity tariffs in the world, and excessive energy prices overall. The natural
disasters have revealed the corruption in the government’s dealings with the nuclear industry and the faulty energy price regulations.
As bad as Japan’s current situation is, it gives the country an opportunity to step back and re-evaluate its current position. The disaster
has shown how ineffective their executive branch is, and how obstructive their bureaucracy is. In addition, their energy policy gives far too much
leeway to the nuclear industry and has failed in regulating prices correctly.
 Page 3 May 18, 2011

Gas prices may put restraints on students also

By: Danny O’Keefe
It would be difficult to turn on the news or listen to the radio without hearing something about
the still rising gas prices. With the quickly approaching summer it is important that we understand the
effects the high gas prices could have on students vacations, driving privileges, and the sacrifices they
will need to make to afford to drive.
Memorial Day is known to mark the beginning of summer driving season, but with the national
average up to about $3.88 a gallon, and closing in on the all time record of about $4.11 in 2008, it is
hard to see how driving to common vacation spots would save you any money. (Quote about traveling)
Many Rita students might miss out on annual vacations this summer because driving seems to have
lost its reputation as a cheap alternative.
With the gas prices breaking the bank at home, many students could lose there driving privi-
leges because not all parents will be able to afford to keep filling up the tank. In the latest Lumberg
Survey of fuel prices it was found that Chicago gas prices were the highest in the contiguous United
States at about $4.27 a gallon. With so many Rita students living in Chicago, and with the prices still
getting higher, many students might find driving around this summer isn’t worth the pretty penny, or
their parents might decide for them.
Although it is possible to cut down driving this summer to save some money, not driving at
all is not always an option for students. Many students will be forced to get a summer job to afford to
drive, but with the newly raised expense your paycheck may begin looking smaller and smaller as you
drive more and more. So, to prevent the outrageous gas prices from putting your summer plans on hold
there are some things you can do to save money and gas.
When you fill your tank up, fill it all the way. This prevents you from driving out of your way
often just to throw ten or twenty dollars into your car, and therefore wasting gas as you buy it. Another
thing you can do is make sure your tires are filled to the proper amount of air. This increases your
cars efficiency and miles per gallon. It turns out driving safely can help save you money on gas. Going
slower, coasting to a light or stop sign instead of giving gas, and avoiding tailgating to prevent mul-
tiple stops can all help prevent wasting gas. You could even go as far as parking in the shade to avoid
any gas from evaporating. To find the best gas prices in your area you can use sites like www.gasbud-
dy.com or www.chicagogasprices.com. Using even some of these gas saving strategies could help out
in the long run and benefit towards withstanding the skyrocketing gas prices.

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) Cheap Gas! Price: Free

With gas prices going up and up, you need all the help you can get in order to save a few bucks. You’re in
luck. Cheap Gas! takes all the major gas stations in a two mile radius and sorts them based on price. This app
can also map a route to the gas station you choose in case you get lost.

2) RedLaser Price: Free 3) Adobe Photoshop Express Price: Free

Have you ever tried comparing prices of
products from one store to another? Well,
how about comparing one store to hundreds?
RedLaser allows you to take a product, take
a picture of the barcode, and compare it to
other places where the same item can be
purchased. It definitely proves useful when
you’re on a budget.
Do not hesitate to take pictures with your Apple
device any longer! Adobe Photoshop Express al-
lows you to make basic changes to the pictures you
take. With a few simple gestures, you can crop,
straighten, add a photo effect or two and upload it
straight to favorite social networking site.

5) Tetris Price: $4.99

4) AroundMe Price: Free
How many times have you found yourself in
need of some food, a store, or maybe even a
movie theater? AroundMe quickly identifies
where you are and provides a complete list-
ing of all the businesses in the category you
selected and displays them on a map for you
to choose. This is an ideal day to day app.
One of the greatest games of all time is now avail-
able on your Apple device with a twist in music I
might add. The touch functions in this game are not
as complicated as one would think, but it takes a
little bit to get used to.
Page 4 CLASS OF 2011 May 18, 2011

Pride and tradition never graduate: Class of 2011 reflects on

its last four years
By Stephen Gregory

Alan Jeffries

What is your personal attachment to the St. Rita

community?

“My personal attachment to the St. Rita community

is the fact that I love everything about the school,
the people, the friends, and the family. I believe that
has prepared me to become a man and to start own-
ing up to my responsibilities. I have shared many
moments in this place that I will never forget. I will
miss the friends, teachers, and the moments I’ve
shared with all my peers.”

Bryce Bailey

What things will you miss most about your time

here at St. Rita?

“I will miss all of my friends and the people I have

met at (St.) Rita. I will miss all of the long and fun
nights at football and basketball games and the ear-
ly mourning football lifting and summer practice. I
will even miss all my teachers some whom that feel
the same sentiment upon my departure.”

Brendan Finnegan

Four years ago, you made a choice to come to St. Rita. Has it lived up to all of your expectations?

“Yes it has, very much so. It has been even better than I thought it would be. It has far surpassed my expectations.
When you come here, its like a family. Everyone knows each other.”

Gavriel Wilkins

How do you believe that St. Rita has prepared you for
the next saga of your life?

“It has prepared my mentality so that I feel like I can

thrive in the next level of schooling. I feel like I can go
on and accomplish my dreams and goals in society.”

Congrats, Class of 2011, on recieving over $9.68 million in college scholarships! We are very proud!
May 18, 2011 CLASS OF 2011 Page 5
‘Oh, the places you’ll go’: future plans of the Class of 2011
Akel, Maxx Kramer University of Wisconsin, Madison
Akui, Jahwon Undecided
Avellana, Alros Pagulayan Saint Xavier University
Aye, Michael Joseph St. Ambrose University
Bader, Curtis James Marquette University
Bailey, Bryce Lamar Grand Valley State University
Barry, Luke Michael Loras College
Bentley, Patrick Richard Loras College
Bigeck III, Ronald Thomas Quincy University
Biros, Joseph Andrew Clarke University
Bocardo, Michael Rubin CCC, Harold Washington College
Bonds, Mark Anthony Lewis University
Brackee, Micheal George Madison Area Technical College
Brackin, Brendan McGathey Moraine Valley Community College
Buche, Jr., Charles John Kirkwood Community College
Byrne, Joseph Christopher Parkland College
Cahill, Kevin Daniel John Carroll University
Carpenter, Kyle Patrick Undecided
Carroll III, Robert Owen Loyola University Chicago
Carter, Malcolm James Moraine Valley Community College
Castillo, Arman Sebastion Parkland College
Cheatham, Andrew Robert Lewis University
Ciaglia, Patrick Joseph University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Clancy, Daniel Patrick Moraine Valley Community College
Cloney, Brendan Michael St. Ambrose University
Comeaux, Rudolph Joseph Columbia College
Connery, Kevin William The University of Iowa
Connolly, Michael Murphy Moraine Valley Community College
Corbett, Patrick John St. Ambrose University
Davis, Anthony Jordan University of Dubuque
Delaney, Patrick Dempsey University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Demer, Sean Michael Moraine Valley Community College
Diana, Michael Thomas Eastern Illinois University
DiDominicis, Michael Timothy Moraine Valley Community College
Donahue, Christopher John Wabash College
Doran, Timothy Joseph Moraine Valley Community College
Ehmig, Neil Patrick University of Illinois at Chicago
Enright, Joseph Michael Moraine Valley Community College
Fashingbauer, Joseph Albert Purdue University
Ferguson, Michael Patrick Kirkwood Community College
Fetzer, Daniel Patrick Junior Hockey/Community College
Filomeno, Joseph Dominic University of Louisville
Finnegan, Brendan Michael Barry University
Flaherty, Kevin Thomas The University of Iowa
Flisk, Brian Patrick St. Ambrose University
Flood, Thomas Robert The University of Iowa
Foley, Daniel John University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Foster, Michael Matthew Undecided
Fox, John Ryan U.S. Navy
Gallagher, Robert John Clarke University
Garcia, Richard Moraine Valley Community College
Gavin, Terrence Ryan St. Ambrose University
Glade, Ryan Raymond Western Michigan University
Glascott, Jake Lawrence DePaul University
Gorski, Timothy Thomas Western Kentucky University
Gritzenbach, Michael Thomas Moraine Valley Community College
Gurgone, Mario Anthony Kalamazoo Valley Community College
Haas, Michael Thomas Undecided
Haras, Nicholas Steven Saint Xavier University
Hernandez, Jr., Efrain University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Hess, Jeffrey Todd Iowa State University
Hett, Daniel John St. Ambrose University
Hiatt, Matthew Thomas Work
Hitz, Thomas Allen Saint Xavier University
Holmes, Jason Bernard Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
Hopkins, Liam Joseph Carthage College
Houston, Mark Matthew Moraine Valley Community College
Huerta, Jesus Manuel University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Jaquez, Alonzo CCC Richard J. Daley College
Jeffries, Alan Christopher Arizona State University
Johnson, Brandon Lee Saint Anselm College
Johnson, James Campbell Saint Xavier University
Johnson, Michael McMahon Carthage College
Kalisz, Sean Thomas University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Kellogg, Willard Clayton St. Ambrose University
Kempke, Dane Marquette University
Khani, Sean Moraine Valley Community College
Knibbs, Joseph Michael Undecided
Koman, Adam Matthew Moraine Valley Community College
Kosman, Kevin James Saint Louis University
Koziol, Daniel John Illinois State University
Kramer, Timothy William Parkland College
Kuber, Andrew Steven Moraine Valley Community College
Larson, Tyler Carl Undecided
LeBeau, Luke Grant Eastern Illinois University
Leiser, John Thomas University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Lepper, Cassidy James University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
LePretre, Connor Thomas University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Lorenz, Loren Edward Saint Xavier University
Lurquin, Brian Daniel University of Wisconsin, Platteville
Lynch, James Rodger Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota
Maes, Joseph Charles Carthage College
Martin, Daniel John Burns St. Ambrose University
Martinez, John Kiernan Saint Xavier University
Matyas, Richard Stanley Undecided
McAllister, Stephen Richard St. Ambrose University
McCarthy, John Edward Moraine Valley Community College
McCormick, Sean Patrick Columbia College
McGovern, Kyle Moraine Valley Community College
McGowan, Ryan Joseph University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
McGrath, Daniel Michael The University of Iowa
McManus, Thomas Edward University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Mendoza, Joseph Thomas Illinois State University
Mitchell, Quinn Thomas University of Missouri Columbia
Mongolis, Christopher Peter University of Illinois at Chicago
Moore, Brian Patrick Moraine Valley Community College
Moriarty, Daniel Francis Saint Louis University
Moroney, Sean Francis University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Morrissey, James Michael CCC, Harold Washington College
Mulcahy, Ryan Patrick Moraine Valley Community College
Mullen, Matthew William Carthage College
Munoz, Matthew Alexander Undecided
Murphy, David Lawrence The University of Iowa
Murray, Michael Patrick Illinois State University
Nagle, Timothy John John Carroll University
Nash, Joseph Francis Moraine Valley Community College
Neal, Cameron Milan United States Coast Guard Academy
Nevin, Brendan Patrick The University of Iowa
Newton, Jake Warren Moraine Valley Community College
Nolan, Sean Danten St. Ambrose University
Norman, Donovan Timothy Eastern Illinois University
Norwell, James Ryan Miami University, Oxford
O’Brien, Tyler Kristopher Undecided
O’Neill, Michael Patrick University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Omastiak, Brian Michael Villanova University
Oskvarek, Glenn Anthony Western Illinois University
Oskvarek, Matthew Joseph Saint Xavier University
Oskvarek, Michael Joseph Saint Xavier University
Pangrazio, Stephen Robert Moraine Valley Community College
Peck III, Richard Edward Illinois State University
Pender, James Henry University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Perreira, Coty Austin Work
Pikowski, Jacob Michael Eastern Illinois University
Puente, Giancarlo CCC, Harold Washington College
Puetz, Robert Joseph Parkland College
Rakow, Robert D Marquette University
Ramos, Alex Diovier Arizona State University
Rehfeld, Martin William Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota
Roman, Alexander Patrick Moraine Valley Community College
Rusch, Ryan Michael Butler County Community College
Ryan, Timothy Lawrence Moraine Valley Community College
Saffold, Mitchell United States Military Academy Prep School
Schickel, Christopher Bernard U.S. Marine Corps
Sheahan, John Thomas Yale University
Sicher, Brian Patrick United States Air Force Academy
Sissac, Bryce Vaughan Undecided
Smith, David Antwone The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale
Somers, David Normen Moraine Valley Community College
Starks, Travis Marcus Indiana State University
Steffeter, Kevin Marcel Eastern Illinois University
Straple, Steven Joseph Indiana University at Bloomington
Summerfelt, Alexander Robert Colorado College
Sweeney, Quinn Michael Moraine Valley Community College
Talty, Daniel Martn U.S. Marine Corps
Tellez, Abelino Jesus Northern Illinois University
Thome, Jacob Daniel Edgewood College
Thompson, Tyrus Lamar Indiana State University
Tisoncik, Michael Lawrence Kirkwood Community College
Tobin, Marshawn Rock Valley College
Tomasek, Benjamin Joseph West Virginia University
Toomey, Patrick Jerome Moraine Valley Community College
Tormey, Joseph William Work
Torres, Jason Michael Eastern Illinois University
Turcich, Ronald Michael Illinois State University
Walsh, Mark Edward St. Ambrose University
Walton, Aamir Asad Grinnell College
Wilkins, Gavriel Michael DePaul University
Wilkosz, Alex Kenneth Moraine Valley Community College
Witry, Nicholas Matt Auburn University
Zelek, Harrison David U.S. Marine Corps
Zych, Nicholas Ryan University of Tennessee, Martin
Page 6 May 18, 2011

The Mind is Endless

by Max Kurucar
Bradley Cooper heads the cast in this mind altering thrill-
er. Cooper plays Eddie who is a failing writer, alcoholic, and
is going nowhere. At least until he discovers a new drug that
allows him to make use of his entire brain. Basically this pill
makes you a modern day Einstein. Sooner or later the pill’s ef-
fects wear off and Eddie desperately searches for more.
Later on Eddie makes his way into the business world where
he meets Carl Van Loom, played by the one and only Robert De
Niro. Before you know it Eddie finds himself in the mix with the
wrong people, and war breaks out over a tiny pill.
For all 105 minutes of the movie I’m sure you’ll enjoy
it. There are some nice toys that I’m sure everyone wishes they
could have and there is the feeling of not knowing what will
come next. Cooper brings an exciting mood to the movie as in
any other movie he has ever been involved in. And Abbie Cor-
nish plays Eddie’s girlfriend, Lindy. She’s a beautiful girl and
plays a part in the plot of the movie. She’s not just there for
looks.
You can see this movie by yourself or with a group of
friends, no matter who you’re with you won’t be disappointed.
It’s different than other movies because it mixes together thrills,
actions, and the mystery of where this pill came from and what is
going to happen next. If you haven’t been to a movie in a while,
get out there and see this flick. It’s well worth it.

By Joseph Ruiz
The sequel of Sci-fi FPS (first person shooter), Portal, has
become a great success for its developer, Valve. From the moment
of waking up in the crumbling remnants of the Aperture Science
facility to the credits, the game rarely falls short of spectacular. The
puzzles in Portal 2 are harder, the story is longer, and the characters
gained hilarious personalities. The fundamentals are the same. You The two co-op characters: Atlas and P-body
-Photo courtesy of ign.com
are faced with the challenge of solving dangerous and sometimes
frustrating puzzles using the portal gun. In case you are not familiar
with the portal gun, its projectiles do not do any damage. Instead
they leave entrances or exits where they strike, allowing the player
to create doorways in walls, floors, ceilings, and all kinds of other
places that offer routes to otherwise unreachable areas. These portals
can also be used to manipulate lasers, gravity and various objects
that can best be used to help solve the challenges.
Portal 2 fills in all the gaps that its predecessor left. The
history of Aperture Science is explained as well as the history of
the characters. You still play as Chell, who was dragged back into
Aperture after the events of the first game. GLaDOS awakes from
her sleep after you destroyed her in the first game. Barely into Portal
2, you soon meet a new character, Wheatley, a spherical robot with
A new addition to the Portal series. Meet Wheatley.
a dry sense of humor. Wheatley’s character is comical in a childish
-Photo courtesy of ign.com
way, and at times he just makes himself look unbelievably stupid.
Valve decided to add a co-op portion to Portal 2 and,
just like single player, it rarely falls short of spectacular.
Many co-op campaigns usually place two or more players
in a single-player campaign with modifications to the diffi-
culty. Portal 2 is not one of those examples. Instead, you and
your friend are put into the roles of testing robots, P-Body,
and Atlas. These characters don’t speak, but instead express
themselves through digitized sound effects and gestures.
Portal 2 makes its predecessor look like garbage. It’s
filled with a larger cast of characters, which are voiced by
three of the greatest video game voice actors alive. This game
offers one of the best single player and multiplayer experi-
ences to date and has already been declared as “The best
GLaDOS looking over the ruins of what was once Aperture game of the year.” by PC Gamer magazine.
Science -Photo courtesy of ign.com
Page 7 May 18, 2011

Rugby looking to get past hard hit

by Ed Roland
After two years of perfect seasons and losing in the state playoffs, the St.
Rita Rugby team started the season with the same goal as they always did, win
state. In the past two years, the Mustangs have been 20-0 in league play, 10-0 in
the playoffs, but 0-2 in the State Championship games. Coach Mike Fleming be-
lieves that he has the team to make it to the State Championships again and hope-
fully to win.
Coach Fleming stated, “There are a few things that we need to have to be a
good team: hard work, dedication, and to play hard.” Both Fleming and vice-cap-
tain Kevin Kosman agree that the role of players new to the game. “New players
are always welcome. We can teach you to play the game.” This has been a task that
Coach Fleming and returning players have had to work hard on because about half
of the team this year is made up of guys new to the sport.
Despite the inexperienced group, th e Mustangs were able to win their first
two games of the season against Batavia and Glen Ellyn. Then the team suffered
its first loss of the regular season through three years with a 7-0 lose to Neuqua
Valley.
Although this was the first loss that the Mustangs suffered in the regular
season in three seasons, Senior Bryce Bailey is looking on the brighter side of the
situation.
“The past two years, we lost two games, the state championship game. Now,
this year, we got our one loss out of the way so that we can now win state.”
After the tough loss, the Mustangs rebounded with wins over Dekalb, Mon-
tini, and Downers Grove. These two wins have helped the Mustangs to regain their
confidence and get through the rest of the season and change their state title cham-
pionship record to 1 and 2.

Rita men take to the field and gym for

Pride Week by Oscar Mascorro III
After a year’s waiting, Pride Week finally came again. “This year, during
Pride Week, the Activities Team wanted to emphasize the true meaning of Pride
Week,” said Mrs. Jodi McLawhorn, Activities Director. “We asked ourselves what
Pride Week was all about. Was it just getting out of class for fun games, or did it
have a deeper meaning?” They decided that the fun and games were not as nearly
important as the deeper meaning, but what was the deeper meaning.
Pride was the deeper meaning. Pride in everything that we do here at
St. Rita. St. Rita holds a long tradition of pride, and there are over one hundred
years of Alumni to prove it. That was the theme of this year’s Pride Week, “Pride
In.” “The idea was to showcase all the different aspects of our school that make
St. Rita so special,” Mrs. McLawhorn said. “Every day, we had a different theme
to emphasize the ‘pride’ we have in St. Rita. Each day the dress down attire coin-
cided with the “Pride In” theme.”
Following the regular Late Arrival bell schedule, Monday kicked off Pride
Week with short classes. “Monday was Pride in Tradition because of our strong
connection to our history,” Mrs. McLawhorn explained. On Monday, the dress
down code was any shirt that was from previous years. With over one hundred
years in our history, there was no shortage of shirts.
“Tuesday was Pride in Academics because of our commitment to
excellence,” stated Mrs. McLawhorn. Adding to the fun of an Assembly Schedule, the students ventured into the Football Stadium for an array of awesome activi-
ties. After the students participating in activities, such as Arm Wrestling, 100 meter dash, Bubble Gum Blowing, they all gathered in the stands and watched the
Faculty take on the seniors in a Softball game.
“Wednesday was our Pride in Activities because so many Rita Men participate in various
clubs and organizations,” stated Mrs. McLawhorn. The dress code was any shirt that shows
off any activity you have participated in. Wednesday was a “vacation from our vacation”.
With no activities that day, it gave the students a break from all the vigorous activities of
the week.
“Thursday was Pride in Spirituality because of our Augustinian mission and connection,”
said Mrs. McLawhorn. Again following the Assembly Schedule, the students gathered in
the Gym to watch Speedball, a combination of Football and Basketball.
The activities on Friday were probably the most athletic. That was because “Friday was
Pride in Athletics because of our stellar athletic programs,” Mrs. McLawhorn explained.
Dodgeball and the Three-Point Shoot out were warm-ups to the main event, The Intramural
Championship between the seniors and juniors. The juniors ran away with an exciting win
over the seniors.
“It was our hope to give the students time to think about why we have Pride week and
why we are proud of our school.” Mrs. McLawhorn said. “We also hoped to break up the
long semester before spring break, with some fun activities. We streamlined the outdoor
activities to create a better atmosphere of Unitas, and added Speed Ball to our indoor games. Hopefully the students had a great time and will remember how proud
they should feel to be a part of such a great place!”
 Page 8
MUSTANG SPORTS May 18, 2011

St. Rita Hockey completes four-peat

by Craig Sabath
Courtesy of the Southtown Star
This past season, St. Rita’s Hockey team completed one of the greatest achievements
in the school’s history, winning the Kennedy Cup for four straight seasons. But before they did
that, they had a hard fought series with the Fenwick Friars.
In Game 1, Rita was quick out of the gate. At 11:47 of the first period, Stan Sojka shot
a missile to gain a 1-0 lead, followed by a very memorable celebration. The lead did not last
long, 59 seconds later Fenwick tied the game at 1. The Friars did not relent, as they scored
again at 4:33.
“It sure didn’t look good,” Coach Ferguson commented. “We talked about getting off to
a good start, which I thought we did. Our kids never gave up.”
Despite the score, Rita goalie Marty Napleton was playing great, making several in-
credible saves. However, Fenwick kept swarming him and gained another score at 11:11 in the
second.
The two-goal deficit energized the Mustangs, as they began to pick it up offensively.
Alex Roman scored at 4:33 of the second period, and Keith Burchett tied the game at 3 at 11:07
of the third.
The two teams continued to battle in the third period before Fenwick was awarded a
penalty shot at 5:47. However, Napleton made another clutch save to keep the game tied.
Minutes later, Ryan Glade capped the amazing comeback with the game winning goal at 3:13.
Despite the victory, Coach Ferguson remained focuses, “It’s only one game.”
The Mustangs went on the road for Game 2, where they took the early lead again with a first period goal by Roman. Fenwick was quick
to respond, as they tied game at 1 off a power play goal shortly after.
Rita couldn’t capitalize off a 5-minute major penalty on Fenwick, and concluded the first period tied at 1-1. Fenwick broke the stalemate
in the second period, scoring another goal. With the momentum at their back, Fenwick scored again in the third.
Rita wouldn’t give up just yet, as Jack Warren put the puck in the net with 9:23 left. The Mustangs scoring ended there, as they made
only two shots in the final period.
“I think we need to work a little better on our own end,” Coach Ferguson concluded about the disappointing loss. “We made a couple of
mistakes. On the first goal we had two or three opportunities to get the puck out and we didn’t, so we were running around and they got an open
look and a weird bounce and it went in. The second goal we just didn’t come back hard enough on it.”
Despite the loss, Napleton had another elite performance, stopping 35 of 38 shots.
When you’re defending the five-on-three your goalie has to be your best defender and he was for them,” Ferguson analyzed. “He made some
good stops and that’s key.”
With everything on the line in Game 3, Fenwick drew first blood on a goal at 5:28 in the first. The goal ignited the Mustangs, who went on to
score three straight. At 3:36, Roman tied the game off a back-hander. Dan Foley followed suit, putting another in the net at 2:40. Jack Warren
kept the ball rolling as he turned a Fenwick power play into a goal for Rita with under 30 seconds left in the first.
The Mustangs couldn’t rest just yet, as Fenwick answered with a goal only a minute into the second. The Friars wouldn’t relent, keeping the pres-
sure on Napleton. However, they failed to score again.

Mustang LAX aims high this season

by Ed Roland
Wi t h t h e g reat early success of the St. Rita Va r sity La c r osse
t eam , t h e h o p e s for this season are as high a s e ve r. The La x Mus-
t ang s a r e o ff t o o ne of their best starts to the se a son. The y a r e un-
d efeate d w i t h i n their conference even with f a c ing some pr e tty good
o p p o n e n t s su c h as York, L oyola, and St. Via tor.
T h e Mu st a ngs started off their se a son losing to Loyola a nd
S t . Vi a t o r, b u t t h e tw o team s are in the top c onf e r e nc e in the c ity
whi l e t h e M u st a n gs are in the second. Be side s the se two lose s, e v-
ery w i n f o r t h e team this year w ere pra c tic a lly blow outs. Va r sity
cap t ain A l e x S u mm erfelt believes that this e a r ly suc c e ss is ba se d
m ai nl y o n t h e st r ength of some of their lowe r c la ss me n pla ye r s,
s uch a s so p h o m o res N ick Mangan and Ja ke Le Pr e te , a nd the le a de r-
s hi p r o l e s t h a t a ll upper class m en on the te a m ha ve ta ke n.
S u m m e r f e lt stated, “We started the se a son out a ga inst some
p ret t y t o u g h o p ponents, but once w e got pa sse d the m, the r e st of
t h e s e a so n b e c a me a bit easier for us.”
A f t e r t h e i r close gam e w ith York, the Musta ngs r olle d
t h ro u g h f o u r e a s y w ins against L incoln Wa y, Na z a r e th Ac a de my,
M ari a n C a t h o l i c , and L ane Tech. T he Musta ngs f ought ha r d in the se
g am es w i n n i n g all of them by large ma rgins.
A f t e r t h e se four big w ins, the Musta ngs dr oppe d two ga me s in two da ys to St. I g n a tiu s a n d Be n e t. A f te r th e s e tw o
t o u g h l o sse s, t h e Mustangs w ere able to r e bound with wins a ga inst Ta f t a nd Na z ar e th A c a d e my.
T h e se a so n has been a bum py on e but the te a m still be lie ve s tha t the y c a n w in c o n f e r e n c e a n d g o d e e p in to th e
p l ayo ff s f o r st a t e. If the Mustangs do win sta te , the y ha ve the pote ntia l to move in to a s tr o n g e r c o n f e r e n c e n e x t y e a r.