Knight Times -Issue #2

The award winning…

sportsJCs preview rhapsody 2012College ConneCtionPage 2 — Take college classes at MVCC for only $50 through “Col-lege Connection!”

Page 2 — Check out the preview for RFA’s upcom-ing musical, Jesus Christ Superstar!

Page 3 — Photos from Rhapsody’s 2012 perfor-mance with Penn State!

Page 4 — RFA Hockey takes an-other shot at West Genesee!

volume 34, issue 2 http://www.rfakt.com rome, ny February/March 2012

By Mike Verostek ‘12Senior Anthony Aiello and

junior Joey Fleming are gaining recognition as talented guitar-ists and vocalists in their band, Off the Coast. Aiello and Fleming are an acoustic duo in the band, with Fleming as lead vocalist and Aiello as background vocal-ist. Founded just a few months ago, Off the Coast is gaining pop-ularity and its influence is being felt across New York State and beyond.

Aiello began playing guitar approximately one year ago when his passion for music was ignited by bands such as Staind and Blink 182, in addition to artists such as Dallas Green and Anthony Green. Aiello is a self-taught guitarist and has never had any formal training. Flem-ing on the other hand has been surrounded and influenced by music his entire life. His father also plays guitar and started teaching his son the basics of guitar about six years ago. After that, Fleming began to learn the instrument on his own. Fleming considers himself to be mostly self-taught, with his biggest musical influence being Blink 182.

Aiello and Fleming met last year. “We were only going to cover a song together but we ended up playing really well together so we decided to do something,” said Aiello. Although both Aiello and Fleming had been in bands prior to that point, they decided to

form a new group called Off the Coast.Since that time the duo has accomplished quite a bit. Off the

Coast currently plays shows every weekend and has opened for many notable bands, including Sparks the Rescue, Rookie of the Year, Schoolboy Humor, and Like the Stars. The band is planning on touring around the northeast throughout spring break and over the sum-mer. They will be playing with prominent bands such as Go Radio

and There for Tomorrow during that time. Shows will be held in cities in and out of New York State.

As for the future of the band, the two are “optimistic for the future,” according to Fleming. Although currently they are exclusively an acoustic band, they will be adding elec-tric numbers to their repertoire of all-original songs. Their ultimate goal is to make music a career, and eventually get out of Rome. Aiello says that despite the fact that he is grad-uating this year, he and Flem-ing will continue to perform together for the foreseeable future. Aiello will be attending MVCC in the fall, but he hopes that by the time he is out of MVCC, Off the Coast will be a viable career option.

Fans can stay up to date with all current Off the Coast news, as Aiello and Fleming frequently post updates on Facebook (www.facebook.com/Offthe-Coast315) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/OfftheCoast315). Fans can check out new songs, tour dates, and other band news. In addition, you can find

the band on YouTube and ReverbNation. Off the Coast t-shirts are can be purchased on Facebook or by

directly contacting Aiello or Fleming. Also, the band is looking for a drummer, so if you are interested in potentially becoming an Off the Coast member, contact either of the band members!

aiello, Fleming go Off the Coast

OFF THE WALL — Junior Joey Fleming jumps on the back of senior Anthony Aiello in this promotional photo. Aiello and Fleming will be touring this summer around New York State with bands such as Go Radio and There for Tomorrow .

—Photo by Liz Gleasman ‘12

By Mike Verostek ‘12The RFA Knight Times

Staff was presented with the Excellence in Technology Innovation Award for their new website at the T.H.E. Sympo-sium VII on January 12. SUNY IT hosted the T.H.E. Sympo-sium VII from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Technology Heightens Education Symposium allows students and teachers to show how they are using technology in order to enhance learning.

15 school districts were rep-resented this year, including students from Staley Upper Elementary School who cre-ated a QR Code with a link to the Staley website.

The event kicked off with keynote speaker Travis Allen, a junior in college at Kennesaw State University and president/founder of the iSchool Initia-tive. The initiative is a student-led non-profit organization aiming to create a “Digital Learning Revolution.”

Allen spoke of the successes he has had while in college by solely using an iPad during his classes. He advocates the use of technology in the classroom by every school, and supports schools such as Kearns High School in Utah who look to

make the switch to 21st century learning. Allen was integral in helping Kearns receive a one million dollar grant in order to buy all of its students iPod touches.

Later in the day, school rep-resentatives showed off their technological advancments to other Symposium guests. The Knight Times table was con-stantly busy, and many admin-istrators were very impressed with the hard work of the staff.

Daily updating of the website astounded many viewers.

After lunch, which was pro-vided by SUNY IT, the award ceremony began. The Knight Times website won one of four student awards given out. Edi-tor-in-Chief Mike Tamburrino ‘12 proudly accepted the award on behalf of the entire staff. In addition, Tamburrino was awarded a brand new iPod Touch for his hard work.

Kt wins tech award for new multimedia website

WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM OUR FRIENDS — The KT Staff poses alongside Carl Manganaro and Patti Manti, who were integral in the develpoment of the new website.

—Photo by Mike Grider ‘12

By Emily Mumpton ‘12The Assessment tests are

part of a district wide program to get the Rome City School District off of the list for need of improvement in math and writing. The test focuses on adding nonfiction writing to all subjects in school including gym and art. Focusing more on nonfiction writing will help bet-ter prepare students for college and enterance into the work force.

Many students were unaware that the tests were going to be administered. When asked about their opinions on the Assessment tests, most said that they were not helpful, but rather unnecessary. They felt that it did not make sense to take a writing test in subjects such as gym.

However, there were also a few students who had a posi-tive attitude about the tests. Taylor Whooten said, “They are a good thing to have for

the teachers because it lets the teacher know who needs help so they can help then.”

The teachers have mixed opinions about them. There are some that have a positive view and others who think that it was unnecessary. Teachers had to adjust their schedules in order to give out the tests.

Mr. Natishak said, “It’s more helpful for the teachers now than it is for the students. It doesn’t seem helpful now, but in the long run it will be, because eventually we are getting rid of the Regents exams.”

Teachers benefit from the assessments. It gives them insight into the test scores of their students. This gives the teachers the opportunity to cre-ate questions from different lev-els of difficulty. It also lets them see how each student responds to each question. Test results can also help teachers to adjust their lesson plans that better help the students understand.

new assessment tests benefit teachers, students

By Brooke Cole ‘12 Liz Gleasman is a senior

at RFA and a talented up-and-coming photographer. She remarks on her eight-year pas-sion, “Ever since I picked up a camera I’ve loved it. I love capturing moments and seeing beautiful things.” Recently, she has been chosen to attend the prestigious Munson-WIlliams-Proctor Pratt Institute of Art and Design to major in Photog-raphy.

Despite the plethora of future photographers emerging in this popular field, Liz stands out. Being heavily involved

in the local music scene, Liz works with many young bands. Though the official name Liz Gleasman Photography has only been around for a couple of years, her name is on the photographs of many local bands like As the Sky Falls, Thoughts in Reverse, Archi-tect, Atlas, Trapped Under Ice, Whitechapel, and Homeward Bound. Liz’s live shots capture the spirit and enthusiasm of the artists during their performanc-es, and her promotional photos capture the viewer’s eye with their professional quality. In addition to taking photographs

of the music scene, Liz also takes a wide range of portraits and landscape photos.

If you would like to con-tact Liz, you can do so at her e-mail, [email protected].

student photography highlight: liz gleasman

WHERE DID THESE COME FROM? — New signs were put up which direct people to the different wings of the building in RFA over February Break. The signs were the idea of principal Mark Benson. The signs should aid new students and visitors as they attempt to navigate the building.

—Photo by Mike Verostek ‘12

Scan this QR Code to be linked to the Knight Times

websiterfakt.com

for exclusive stories, daily announce-

ments, sports schedules, and

more!

A Liz Gleasman Self-Portrait

By Anthony Parker ‘14RFA’s show choir Rhapsody performed with the Penn State

Singing Lions on Saturday, February 4. Rhapsody consists of six-teen pairs of male and female students. The choir has done a lot this year, with more to come; over spring break, Rhapsody will travel to Orlando Studios in Florida for a series of judged perfor-mances.

This is the second year that RFA has had a show choir. The show choir is directed by Mr. Meiss. “Last year, I created Rhap-sody because I loved the idea of a show choir, first off,” stated Mr. Meiss. “Also, Les Mis (the musical last year) didn’t have a whole lot of choreography, so I wanted to do something for those students who enjoyed dancing.”

This season Rhapsody has been busier than ever before. First, on January 20, Rhapsody performed as part of the first annual New York State Show Choir Festival, participating with Holland Patent Vocal Ensemble and Waterville Swing Choir. Then, their efforts culminated in the second annual Glee Night, where they performed in compliance with the Penn State Singing Lions. Junior Quiana Holmes stated that working with Penn State was “a learning experience. They really taught us a lot about stage presence. They had a smile on for every song.” Also, sophomore David Deeley said that it was a pleasure to perform with the Lions because they were nicer than he thought they would be. “I thought they would be all rude and full of themselves, but they were very nice and easy to work with.” Deeley said. Rhapsody performed a rousing repertoire that included “California Girls”, “Just the Way You Are”, “Crazy”, and “Somebody to Love”, as part of their theme of mashing two songs of the same name together (for example, Katy Perry’s “California Girls” and The Beach Boys’ “California Girls”). Both the Lions and Rhapsody entertained the entire crowd, as the show ended with an exciting collaboration between the two groups to the song “Sing! Sing! Sing!” They were finished with standing ovations.

This, however, is not the end of Rhapsody. During spring break, Rhapsody will be travel-ing all the way to Florida. They will be performing in Florida at Universal Studios for judging. Also, as in the case of last year, they will be performing at the Capitol Theatre for the Rome Arts Hall of Fame Induction ceremony on April 29.

In reflection, Rhapsody members Evan Griffith, a soph-omore, Andrea Barrios, a junior, Deeley, and Holmes had a lot to say about the year. Regarding

the difference between this year and last year, Griffith said that “Last year, we were just experi-menting with the ideas. This year, we could just jump right into it.” They also agreed that the songs were more modern and that there was much more active choreography and lifts. There were also more people, and they believed that they were ultimately more focused. Regarding the lifts, which were a foreign concept to most of the girls, and what it was like to put a lot of your trust in a guy you barely know, Andrea noted, “It’s all about the trust.” Deeley said that “It may have seemed hard to get used to at first, but it’s really not that bad once you get used to it.” When asked about one of the best memories, all four agreed that

the lifts were one of the best memories, saying that they felt very accomplished when they performed. “Also,” said Evan, with a grin, “That two minute applause at the end of ‘Crazy’ was very memorable to me too.” And, all in all, when I asked them about next year, all of them wore hopeful expressions. “I’m excited for next year,” said Barrios, “We’ve definitely raised the bar.” When asked about the possibility of continuing Rhapsody in the future, Meiss was also optimistic.

The members of Rhapsody this year are as follows: Andrea Barrios, Carly Bovi, Rebecca Coffman, Quiana Holmes, Krista MacDonald, Linda Martin, Jasmine Millner, Jordan Willson, Devyn Arredondo, Emily Canarelli, Nicolette Darois, Sarah Fleck, Lauren Impicciatore, Anna Morris, Gracie O’ Connor, Taylor Uvanni, Kylee Weissmuller, Connor Butters, Aaron Her-nandez, Callahan Hughes, Jake Loson, Alex Martin, Joey Mas-traccio, Joe Trips, Ryan Vinci, Kyle Coia, Xavier Cruz, David Deeley, Dan Goewey, Evan Griffith, Devin Kilpatrick, Jake Pohl, Kobie Reed, and Kevin Utter.

RFA Knight Times February/March 2012 Page 3 Page 2 February/March 2012 RFA Knight Times RHAPSODy 2012NEWS

By Mike Verostek ‘12College tuition is often very

expensive and tuition costs are on the rise. In recent years, tuition plus room and board costs at some private universi-ties has risen to over $50,000 a year! However, Rome Free Academy students have a great opportunity to take col-lege classes at almost no cost. Mohawk Valley Community College is home to a program called “College Connection” which allows high school juniors and seniors with a GPA of 80% or above to take college courses on either their Rome or Utica campuses.

Taking college classes while in high school provides great benefits for students. Namely, a student enrolled in the “Col-lege Connection” program has the unique opportunity to get

a feeling of what college life is really like. Many high school students do not realize the vast differences between the high school classroom and the col-lege classroom, but “College Connection” affords them the opportunity to learn this first hand. Also, students will be able to receive college credit from a state accredited college whose credits are transferrable to many universities. Often times, a class taken through “College Connection” will fulfill a gen-eral education requirement of a four-year institution.

In an interview with MVCC’s Danielle Ingber, the CSTEP Specialist at the col-lege who deals directly with the “College Connection” pro-gram, she emphasized that the major benefit of this program is the ability to “get a glimpse

into college life.” In addition to this, she said that the program can also assist students who are trying to decide what college major to choose. For example, if a student thinks they might want to major in psychology, they can take Psychology 101 to get a feel for the subject mat-ter and help them make this important decision.

It seems to be a common misconception that a commu-nity college does not provide the caliber of education that a four-year institution can pro-vide; however this is not the case. Ingber assured that the professors at MVCC are great at what they do, and students will be able to receive the same education that they could receive elsewhere.

“Any class at MVCC will provide a general education

requirement,” says Ingber. “[Students] would be doing themselves a disservice not to take the classes when they have access to them and can take them for free.”

Tuition for “College Con-nection” classes is free; how-ever, students are responsible for the course fees. In order to be enrolled in a class, students must pay a student and tech-nology fee of $35 which allows students to obtain an MVCC ID card. This card gives them access to the MVCC computer labs and allows them to attend events held on the MVCC cam-puses. Every credit that a class is worth adds 5 dollars to that cost, so the amount a student would pay for a 3-credit class is $50. If a student decided to take two 4- credit classes at a time, the fee would be $75.

Nearly any class that MVCC offers on either the Rome or Utica campus or online can be taken through “College Connection.” Classes are held during the summer as well as during the fall and spring col-lege semesters. In order to take advantage of the “College Connection” program, stu-dents must first see their RFA guidance counselor. A student’s guidance counselor can then

give them further information and help in enrolling in an MVCC class.

The “College Connection” program provides excellent opportunities for any student looking to prepare for college life. Taking college courses now will only benefit students in the future, and for many students this might means having to take less classes in college to earn a degree.

College classes for $50?

JUST AROUND THE CORNER — The MVCC Rome Campus recently hung this sign on the Floyd Avenue side of the campus.


By Brooke Cole ‘12If you’re looking to join a

club at RFA that creates service hour opportunities and gives you a chance to work closely with your peers, then you should consider joining Social Action Corps. From work-ing on national projects like the Boot Campaign, to help-ing local organizations like the

Rome Humane Society, all the way to helping internationally with supporting the ongoing fight against Polio and raising money for the Ariang school in Sudan, Social Action Corps members are involved in their community locally, nationally, and internationally.

Social Action Corps is the high-school version of Rotary International. You may recog-nize some of Rome Rotary’s efforts such as the annual Canal-fest, the Children’s Christmas Party, and rolling donations to the Salvation Army and Rescue

Mission. The mission of our high-school version of Rotary is to promote awareness about getting involved in the commu-nity at a young age and raising significant amounts of money for various organizations.

Already this year, SAC has been working on several proj-ects. They have had another successful year of encouraging

RFA students to donate to the fight against Polio, thus partici-pating in the on-going struggle of Rotarians for the past 25 years to eradicate the disease. Through the enormous efforts of Rotary International, a once widespread disease is now cor-nered to only 4 countries: Nige-ria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. By holding a table during lunch periods this past Decem-ber 6, 7, and 8, Social Action Corps raised enough money to pay for 313 vaccinations from students who donated a dollar to either put a named hand on

the wall in the hallway, color their pinky purple, or wear a purple ribbon to advertise their support. Members had fun this year creating vibrant purple tie-dye t-shirts with Science Club to advertise the event.

Social Action Corps works directly with Rome Rotary at events as well. Members spent the afternoon on December

12th to help transport items at Berkshire Bank for the annual Children’s Christmas Party, where donated toys and other items are given to children for Christmas. Members also participated in bell ringing for the Salvation Army this past Christmas time.

One of the most popu-lar projects that RFA’s Social Action Corps has running cur-rently is selling refreshments in the school lobby’s concession stand every Wednesday morn-ing. Members stay the after-noon before to set up, and come

to school early so they can pre-pare to sell drinks like hot choc-olate and Arnold Palmer along with a variety of donuts. All of the profits made from sell-ing these morning treats goes to the Rome Humane Society to help them raise money for a new shelter.

Next on Social Action’s to-do list is to carry out a new favorite tradition that has been very successful the past couple of years, a benefit dinner in support of the Ariang school in Sudan. A project starting with one courageous man named Gabriel Bol Deng in 2007 to bring the luxury of education to Sudan, Social Action Corps members have helped bring awareness to students, faculty, and other Romans including Mayor Joe Fusco of the strug-gles of building the school and the continuing efforts to fund the faculty. The past two years members have sold tickets, helped cook the main course of chicken riggies, decorated the cafeteria, and invited offi-cials from the Hope For Ariang organization to better educate our city and give them the opportunity to donate to this phenomenon.

The brilliance and dedi-cation behind Social Action Corps is Club Advisors and sci-ence teachers Nancy Neiley, a Rome Rotarian, and Danielle Pugliano. To learn more about the upcoming Sudan dinner for the Ariang school or to learn more about any of the other community service projects Social Action Corps is par-ticipating in, attend one of the meetings held every Thursday in room 1312.

Social Action is always happy to have new members and are looking for the greatest amount of participation pos-sible!

it’s time for some social action

FIELD TRIP! — The Social Action Corps. went on a field trip to the Franklin Hotel of Rome to enjoy an honorary lunch with Rome Rotary members. The club members spoke about their volunteer events and future aspirations. They received an award for their excellence in community service.

—Photo submitted by Natalie O’Halloran

MAKING BREAKFAST — (From left to right) Mike Martino ‘12, Emily Beach ‘15, Mike Verostek ‘12, and Tiffany Taylor ‘13 make hot chocolate at the Social Action Corps. concession stand.

—Photo by Brooke Cole ‘12

By Lindsay D’Aiuto ‘12The drama Extremely Loud

and Incredibly Close is based off

the novel by Jonathan Safran Foer . The stories main char-acter is 9-year-old Oscar Schell

(Thomas Horn), who was only 7 years old when his father (Tom Hanks) dies in the ter-rorist’s attacks on September 11th, 2001. Oskar is an incred-ibly sensitive child, who in the beginning of the film partici-pates in scavenger activities his father presents to him.

Oskar’s character is por-trayed as possibly having Asperger’s syndrome, a disor-der related to autism that can be distinguished through rhyth-mic patterns of behavior but is greatly characterized by major difficulties in social interaction (according to http://www.ninds.nih.gov).

After Oskar’s father dies he finds a key in a vase inside of

his father’s closet. He feels that this is the final adventure his father has planned out for him, and is driven to find the lock that fits the key.

Through his travels to the different boroughs of New York City, Oskar is forced to commu-nicate with a countless number of strangers whom he helps will help him gain knowledge of the key. These travels bring Oskar not only to conclusions about his own loss, but lead him to a greater understanding of the world around him.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is a heartwarming and intriguing motion picture. The story of Oskar Schell’s journey through New York City shows

the viewer the child’s undying love for his father. Oscar’s inces-sant desire to find the keys pur-pose is nostalgic and a little sad. Yet Oskar’s powerful admira-tion and trust in his father, even after his death, is remarkable and inspiring.

I would absolutely recom-mend this movie to any inter-ested viewer. While parts of the story line did lag on at times, the movie was overall attention- holding. The Warner Brother’s production is an overall uplift-ing story of a young boy’s search for the answers to many of life’s questions. I would give Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close four out of five stars.

KT Opinion: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

By Anthony Parker ‘14Only a year after putting on the dark, ambitious production

of Les Misérables, RFA will be putting on another musical that is comparatively heavy in some ways, but lighter in others.

The 2012 RFA musical will be Jesus Christ Superstar. It is a rock opera written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. The plot focuses on the last days of the life of Jesus Christ. It debuted on Broadway in 1971 and ran until 1973, with two different reviv-als, one in 2000 and one up and coming in 2012.

The show has caused controversy over the years; it has drawn criticism from religions that do not believe in Jesus, as they believe

it glorifies Christianity. “Despite what some people say, the show is actually non-religious,” remarked Mike Tamburrino, the Stage Manager for the show. “It doesn’t show Jesus taking part in any miracles or doing anything spiritual; he is portrayed simply as a man. The biblical story is presented for in a historical context.” Due to this, Catholics criticize it for not portraying Jesus as divine.

The director for the show this year is once again Mr. Meiss. He stated that this is a show he has wanted to do for years.

Auditions for the show were held January 9 and 10. They con-sisted of a dancing audition and a singing audition, along with an announcement of an event that would be the first time it has

been done here at RFA. The musical would be cast gender-blind. That means that a girl could be cast as a male charac-ter, and a male can even be cast as a female. While the latter did not happen, there were some noticeable casting.

The cast was announced January 13. Dan Goewey will play the role of Jesus, Judas will be played by Quiana Holmes, Mary Magdalene will be played by Carly Bovi, Pilate will be played by Callahan Hughes, Herod will be played by Alex Martin, Caiaphas is played by Thomas Draper, Annas by Christina Hernandez, Simon will be played by Nicolette Darois, and Peter will be played

by Jake Pohl. Besides these main characters, there are nearly a hundred students involved either on stage in ensemble roles, in the orchestra, or backstage in the stage crew. “The number of students is constantly evolving,” said Mr. Meiss.

The shows will be on March 29, 30, and 31. Come and see the next great RFA musical!

rFa to stage Jesus Christ superstar

By Josie Emmanuele ‘14About 25 percent of RFA

students are failing physical education class this year. To help lower this number, there will be another option for stu-dents who don’t change during P.E.

If a student can’t participate or does not change into gym clothes, they will have the option of walking the indoor track. By doing so, they can earn one out of four points for the day. RFA principal Mr. Benson discussed how these measures can lower the failing rate. He explained, “Students who participate, pass. It’s just that simple.” Physical Education is a require-ment from the state, and has learning standards like the rest of the courses; students cannot meet these requirements by just walking the track. Mr. Benson says that this will hopefully help them realize that they have to do something, so they might as well change and receive the full credit. Mr. Benson explained, “By not participating, you are

only hurting yourself.”Their overall goal is to try

and motivate the students.One solution to this prob-

lem, besides walking the track, is to have eleventh and twelfth grade students choose the skill level they want to compete at, instead of having them choose the activity they want to par-ticipate in. The two options are competitive and non-competi-tive.

Another solution to the problem is having all girls/all boys gym classes. In order to do this, the gym coaches would have to talk to the guidance counselors about setting up certain periods for a girls’ and a guys’ gym class. Coaches feel that more students would par-ticipate in gym class, and espe-cially swim class as well.

Different coaches and differ-ent classes are trying different things. Coach Harjung says, “If you are one of those kids who does not participate in gym, talk to your gym teacher about how you can improve your grade.”

high failing rate sparks p.e. policy changes

REACH FOR THE STARS — Senior Carly Bovi closes her eyes and outstretch-es her arm during the show.

STANDING OVATION — The crowd stands and cheers after junior Quiana Holmes rocked the house with a fantastic final note.

KICK! — Senior Kobie Reed lifts the leg of his partner, Andrea Barrios ‘13, during one of many choreographed dance moves.

THE SINGING LIONS — The Penn State show choir finishes their first act with a bang.

FANTASTIC FOUR — (From top, clockwise) Dan Goewey ‘12, Joe Trips ‘13, Quiana Holmes ‘13, and Krista MacDonald ‘13 show off their voices.

GROUP PHOTO! — The Rhapsody Show Choir poses wth the Penn State Singing Lions before the show.

CARRyING HIS WEIGHT — Senior Dan Goewey lifts his partner during the grand finale performance of “SIng, Sing, Sing!”

MOVE WITH THE MUSIC — (Top Row) Joe Trips ‘13, Jake Loson ‘12, Joey Mastraccio ‘12, Alex Martin ‘12, (Middle Row) Xavier Cruz ‘12, David Deeley ‘13, Connor Butters ‘12, (Bottom Row) Jake Pohl ‘13, and Kevin Utter ‘14.

END SCENE — The show ends with a rendition of “Sing, Sing, Sing!” which was performed by both show choirs at the same time.

HE DOES MORE THAN BEATBOX — Senior Alex Martin swings during the performance.

SOMEBODy TO LOVE — Junior Cal Hughes holds Rebecca Coffman ‘14.

Photos By:Mike Verostek ‘12

Anthony Parker ‘14

The award winning…

Principal - Mark BensonFaculty AdvisersWendy Waters • Jennifer Nelson

Editor-in-ChiefMichael Tamburrino

Layout EditorMichael Verostek

Website EditorEmily Mumpton

KT StaffBrooke Cole • Lindsay D’Aiuto • Josie Emmanuele • Mckenzie O’Herien • Anthony Parker • Lauren Popovich

Journalism Class WritersChristy Armstrong • Elizabeth Bamford • Alaia Cauthen • Alyssa Cavalier • Audrey Dutt • Jessica Fazio • Johnathan Fletcher • Yakira Hutchin-son • Kaitlyn Lansing • Brianna Moselle • Morgan Murphy • Alexa Sanzone • Sydney Schlieder

-Special Thanks to Liz Gleasman-

Published by Rome Free Academy High School, 95 Dart Circle, Rome, NY 13441, courtesy of the Rome Sentinel Company.

e-Mail: [email protected] website: http://www.rfakt.com

March 29-31 at 7:30PM

SIMON SAyS — (Above) Freshman Lauren Impicciatore ‘15 practices the number “Simon Zealotes” from the upcoming musical. (Left) The entire cast gathers around Dan Goewey in the “Trial by Pilate” scene.


TRIAL By CAL — (Above)Cal Hughes ‘13 playing the role of Pilate condemns Jesus, played by Dan Goewey ‘12, to die on the cross. (Below) The cast of Jesus Christ Superstar hails Caesar with a Roman salute during the “Trial by Pilate” scene. —Photos by Mike Verostek ‘12

BLAS — The entire cast gathers around Dan Goewey in the “Trial by Pilate” scene. This is the first rock opera ever performed at RFA.


Page 4 XXX 2012 RFA Knight Times RFA Knight Times XXXX 2012 Page 5 CLUB OR FEATURE

Boys varsity hockey achieves 21-1-0 seasonBy Mike Verostek ‘12

The RFA Boys Varsity Hockey team repeated last year’s success in its 2011-2012 campaign by finishing with a fantas-tic regular season record of 21-1-0, which resulted in a trip to the playoffs. After victories over Corcoran and Central Square at home, RFA met West Genesee in the Section III Division I championship game in Utica, where they were ultimately defeated 1-0 in a nail-biter. Nonetheless, RFA’s 2011-2012 season was one of the most successful in the school’s history as coach Greg Cuthbertson continues to produce successful teams.

Coach Cuthbertson took over as head coach during the 2004-2005 season, and has since led his squads to 6 playoff appearances, including this year’s run to the championship game. Cuthbertson though has yet to earn RFA its 14th sec-tional title, which was last won by Rome in 1991. Last season, RFA also earned a trip to the Section III Division I Playoffs after an impressive season, but was defeat-ed by West Genesee 2-1 after a controversial call late in the third period. Following this defeat, multiple starting seniors on the RFA team graduated, leaving this year’s seniors with big shoes to fill. However, the Black Knights obviously had no trouble starting this year right where they left off last season. The team began the season with a winning streak before suffering their first loss of the season to Potsdam on January 7. The team continued an otherwise flawless regular season,

winning their last 11 games before entering their champi-onship match. The Black Knights were led on the ice by senior Garrett Reilley, who ended his RFA career third on the all-time points scored list in school history. This season Reilley had 29 goals and 19 assists. In addition to Reilley’s outstanding play, senior Mike Pekarski netted 10 goals and had 14 assists; sophomore Tyler Williams had six goals and 15 assists; sophomore Joey Rutkowski had eight goals and eight assists; senior Ryan Reilley scored six goals and had 10 assists; sophomore Justin Hussey tallied 10 goals with six assists; senior Eric Joyce had 15 points; and Mike Seifert totaled 12 points over the course of this season. The Black Knights’ defense was stellar this year; it totaled four shutouts and only 31 goals allowed during a regular season where the team gave up a mere 1.4 goals per game. Junior netminder Andrew Ross went 12-1 with a 1.23 GAA and a .90 save percentage while senior goalie Connor Miller went 5-0 with a 1.2 GAA and a .91 save percentage. The Black Knights will be losing eight seniors this offsea-son. In addition to those listed above, seniors Logan Fournier, Michael Vacheresse, and Randy Linderman will also be departing. Despite their final loss of the season against West Genesee where the Black Knights were only able to put five shots on goal all night, the team still stood strong against the unde-feated Wildcats, who went on to claim their fifth consecutive Section III Division I hockey title. The Knights should be proud of their accomplishments this year, as they played at an unprecedented high level throughout. The team and its sup-porters should look forward to another extraordinary perfor-mance in 2013.

READy FOR ANyTHING — Senior Connor Miller prepares himself for an incoming shot. —Photo subitted by Mike Verostek Sr.

1 ON 2 — Sophomore Justin Hussey makes a move against the West Gen-esee defense. RFA was defeated by West Genny 1-0.

—Photo submitted by Mike Verostek Sr.

PLEASE STAND AND REMOVE yOUR HELMETS — The RFA Hockey Team stands for the National Anthem prior to the start of the Section III Division I title game against West Genesee.

—Photo submitted by Mike Verostek Sr.

By Mike Verostek ‘12The RFA boys bowling team

finished the season with a 7-9 record overall this season. This year’s roster consisted of Logan Evans ‘15, Lucas Falcone ‘15, Joe Reno ‘15, John Iacone ‘13, Tom Hluska ‘13, Joel Wenndt ‘12, Ryan Hughes ‘12, Kyle Snell ‘12, Derek Wenndt ‘14, and Thomas Hoalm ‘15. Hlus-ka was the top bowler on the

squad which earned him a spot on the Boys Section III all-star team. Hluska averaged 206 pins per game this season, and also bowled his first perfect game. The boys team was coached this season by Dave Nimmo.

The girls bowling team fin-ished the season with a 9-5 overall record. The team was led by freshman Korena Kin-ney who was also selected to

bowl for the Girls Section III all-star team. Kinney averaged 185 pins per game this season. Along with Kinney, the girls roster consisted of Olivia Der-away ‘15, Megan Durgan ‘15, Courtney Fiorenza ‘14, Alexia Gualtieri ‘14, Rebecca Lubey ‘15, and Samantha Simmons ‘13. The girls were coached this season by Rich Bird.

Boys and girls varsity bowling wrap-up

PEP TALK — Girls bowling coach Rich Bird gives his players a lesson prior to the start of a match at King Pin Lanes in Rome. —Photo by Mike Verostek ‘12

By Lindsay D’Aiuto ‘12 Kaysie Gregory, a senior at

Rome Free Academy, has been recruited by Central Michigan University to play field hockey. Gregory received a full athletic scholarship from the university. The Chippewas are a Division I team based out of Mount Pleasant, Michigan. CMU is a part of the Mid-American Conference, and competes with schools such as Ohio University, Ball State, and Missouri State.

Gregory played four years of varsity field hockey at RFA. She’s also played on four sec-tionals teams. All of these teams reached sectional finals and three were sectionals champi-ons. Gregory also broke the RFA record for most assists in a single career. This year she was named Most Valuable Mid-fielder and received the pres-tigious Black R award. Over her career, Gregory has been named All-State player, All-

Region Player, Post Standard CNY All Star Team Member, and All-League First Team.

Gregory said, “ It is an hon-or to be selected as a Division I athlete and I am incredibly excited to play for CMU.”

Kaysie gregory to play di field hockey at CMU

STRIKE! — Senior Joel Wenndt (Left), freshman Logan Evans (middle), and senior Ryan Hughes roll during a match versus Camden.


By Lauren Popovich ‘13The RFA Black Knights

boys ended their season with a fine record of 12-7. It conclud-ed on the newly remodeled Stan “Buddy” Evans Court, located in the Strough Junior High gymnasium. Unfortunately, the 9th seeded West Genesee Wild-cats would rob the 8th seeded Knights from moving on in sectionals with a final score of 69-65. This was five play-ers’ last season in a black and orange uniform. Steve Eychner, Jon Griggs, Justin Henry, Lloyd Parkmond, and Aaron Tennant are all seniors that played their last game for the Black Knights on February 14.

Led by Coach Nick Medicis, the Black Knights triumphed over talented schools such as New Hartford, Whitesboro, and Notre Dame. Spencer Kahler, a junior member of the squad, had nothing but positive words in regards to the team.

“We worked hard and never gave up. The fire, persistence and intensity were all always there. Even though the season ended in a way we didn’t think it would, we were still proud that we brought something back to the community that hasn’t been around in a long time,” said Kahler.

Fellow junior Jeffery Cooke added, “It was a great year; we just came up a little short in the end.”

The end of the season cer-

tainly was heartbreaking for players and fans alike. There was an energy in the stands that seemed to almost propel the players forward at times. However, the Black Knights are certainly improving from previous years and will keep up

this trend if Coach Medicis has anything to do with it.

“I’m going to miss this group of seniors. They worked hard and put in a lot of blood, sweat and tears. All 5 are moving on to play college athletics. Steve will be playing baseball next year. Justin, Aaron, Jon and Lloyd are all going to play col-lege basketball next year. I wish

them all the best of luck. We return some good players next year and will look to build upon the success of this year’s team,” said Medicis.

Coach Medicis deserves a tremendous amount of credit for his performance in leading the Black Knights this season. As if transitioning from Syra-cuse to Rome was not enough, Medicis also had to move game facilities. The boys squad has always played their games where they practice: in the RFA gymnasium. However, this year they moved to the beauti-fully remodeled Stan “Buddy” Evans court in the Strough gymnasium.

“The transition to Strough was great- a great atmosphere to play basketball and (it) really got our student body involved which is great to see. Hope-fully we will see the same type of response to our team next year,” Medicis commented.

At first the transition was different for players, parents, and fans alike, but everyone began to adjust very quickly. The fans, known as the “Zoo Crew” for their ferocious cheer-ing tactics, showed support in a more enthusiastic way than ever before. These fans, along with everyone else, will cer-tainly begin to notice boys’ basketball in an innovative and improved fashion.

rFa boys basketball season a success

MAKING A MOVE — Senior Kaysie Gregory makes a move towards the ball. Gregory was recruited by Central Michigan University. —Photo submitted by Mackenzie D’Aiuto

SPORTSPage 4 February/March 2012 RFA Knight Times

By Lindsay D’Aiuto ‘14For the past two seasons,

Antonio Deluco ‘13(126 lb. weight class) has been the only member of the RFA wrestling team to reach the state level.

Deluco ended last season with a 37-5 record. Before reaching the state level, Anto-nio won the Section 3 wrestling tournament, making him the third wrestler in RFA history to win sectionals twice.

“Getting to state was just another accomplishment I’ve always wanted to achieve, hopefully getting to finals and experiencing it” Deluco said.

During his off-season Delu-co says he works out three times

a day, using methods such as wrestling in a Greco Roman style and a freestyle.

“Next year will be a good set-up for sectionals, the seniors leaving will give me a chance to be top seeded,” said Deluco of his chances for returning to states next year.

deluco wrestles again at state level

THE NEXT MICHAEL JORDAN? — Senior Lloyd Parkmond tosses up a free throw during a game at Stan “Buddy” Evans Gymnasium.


Antonio Deluco

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Documents

Knight Times -Issue #2