Photo by Dr. M. Gubernat

Congratulations to the 2006-07 Falcon newspaper editors!

Chris McGovern, Matt Velez, Jon Ramteke, Mike Varco, KevinGuidette, Greg Myer, Allan Zhang, (not pictured: Steve Polansky).

STUDENT COUNCILOFFICERS 2006-07

INSIDE:

ROBOTICS Page 3

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SSaintaint JJoSephoSeph h.S.h.S.Vol. XLVIII Number 6 The Student Newspaper of Saint Joseph High School, Metuchen, N.J. May 2006

ValediCTorian & SaluTaTorian:

By Lucas ZavalaStaff Writer

The selection of valedictorianand salutatorian of the senior classis a timeless tradition honored byhigh schools around the country.The titles of valedictorian andsalutatorian represent more thana few numbers on a transcript.These denominations are sym-bolic of four years of hard work,determination, and passion forlearning. The valedictorian andsalutatorian of the Class of 2006are ideal examples of these virtues.At Senior Awards Night,

Matthew Sheptuck was namedvaledictorian and awarded theAlumni Scholarship Award forGeneral Excellence in memory ofThomas Platko. Jason Rodriguez

received the Salutatorian Awardin memory of Brother Gilbert. Inaddition to being presented withthese prestigious titles, both Mattand Jason will have importantroles in upcoming graduationevents. Jason assisted in the Bac-

calaureate Mass on May 13, read-ing a passage from Scripture. Mattwill prepare and deliver a speechto those in attendance at the grad-uation ceremony on May 24, whichwill be held at St. Francis Cathe-dral.Besides maintaining a 4.715

GPA over his four years at St.Joe’s, Matt has participated in sev-eral after school activities andclubs. He was an officer in theYoung Statesmen Club, the Sec-retary of the Investment Club, and

Copy Editor of the Year-book, as well as a mem-ber of the NHS, SpanishNHS, and Vignette liter-ary staff. Matt is alsodeeply involved in vol-unteer services at his localparish and hospital. Jason, who earned a

GPA of 4.624, partici-pated in several extra cur-ricular activities, includ-ing baseball, Flag Foot-ball, Student Council, andCampus Ministry. He wasthe Senior Class Presi-dent, Director of PeerMediation, and a mem-ber of the NHS and Spanish NHS. Both students are models of

well-rounded scholars, dedicatedto being a part of the St. Joe’s

community in as many ways aspossible. Though the titles of vale-dictorian and salutatorian are evi-dence of great personal achieve-

ment, Matt gave credit to“God and the St. Joe’s teach-ers, whose support and moti-vation fueled me to workhard and excel.”As the 2005-2006 school

year draws to a close, Mattand Jason move on to big-ger and better things. Mattwill attend Georgetown Uni-versity in the fall, while Jasonwill attend the University ofPennsylvania. These com-petitive, academic collegeswill challenge them men-tally; however, armed withthe knowledge, skill, andmorals acquired from their

teachers at St. Joe’s, Jason andMatt are sure to succeed.

Photo by Dr. M. Gubernat

Matt and Jason celebrate four years of hard work.

By Greg MyerAssociate Editor

The students accepted into theNational Honor Society for the2006-2007 school year will beexperiencing an adjustment inthe Society, as a new moderatorhas been appointed. Mr. CarlSantiago said that he will, “assumethe command with this year’sincoming candidates,” hinting atsome of the changes that will take

place.Most importantly, Mr. Santia-go plans to have a stricter approachto meeting attendance. As mod-erator, he wants to reconsider thecurrent policy on NHS excusedabsences for the monthly meetings.On top of this, he plans to keepa closer eye on members whoattend, and more importantly, donot attend events during the schoolyear.“I’d like to tighten the reins on

attendance for different eventsover the year,” said Mr. Santia-go. “I’ll be holding each studentaccountable for his responsibil-ities.”As seniors and NHS membersnext year, the inductees can expectto be prepared for the challengesthey will face as college studentsthrough a tougher attendance pol-icy. This policy, like many oth-er similar school policies, demandsexcellence.

French Exchange ProgramBy Jon RamtekeManaging Editor

From April 6 to April 21, St.Joe’s had the pleasure of hostingfourteen students from l’Instutiondes Chartreux in Lyon, France.This is the third year that theexchange has occurred, and thisyear was arguably the most suc-cessful yet. Because most of the French stu-dents attended St. Joe’s for only oneday before Easter break, they hadplenty of free time to spend withtheir hosts to see the sights, includ-ing New York City. L’Institutiondes Chartreux organized a trip tothe Exchange Commodity, andMr. Fischer brought the students

and their hosts to the UnitedNations. Hosts also introducedthe students to such quintessen-tial New York experiences as TimeSquare at night, the musical Chica-go, and Central Park. “I love it. I cannot say anythingelse,” commented Maxime Flo-rentin on his first time in NewYork, which included his stand-ing in the middle of 53rd Streetto stare flabbergasted at the famoussteel canyons.In addition to New York, theFrench students experienced Amer-ican culture – everything frommanhunt to kitsch shops by theshore. Language barriers quicklycrumbled during soccer games(which the French naturally won),

chess matches, picnics, and theFrench students’ looks of aston-ishment when seeing lacrosseplayed for the first time.Now that the students havereturned to their homes across thepond, the hosts eagerly anticipatetraveling to France this summerto reunite with the students whohave left an impression on theirlives. “The exchange program givesour students the opportunity tolearn about another culture,” saidDr. Mercedes Brand, one of thecoordinators of the program.Indeed, the hosts have learned toabandon stereotypes, welcomestrangers, and respect the customsof others.

Spring College Tour

Big City, Close CommunityBy Stephen PolanskyManaging Editor

On April 6, approximately 40 St.Joe’s students met by the guidancetrailer at 6:45 a.m. for the SpringCollege Tour. The charter bus leftby 7 a.m. to visit three colleges:Iona College, Manhattan College,and Fordham University.The first stop was Iona College,a school run by the Christian Broth-ers. The suburban campus is locat-ed in New Rochelle, just outsideof New York City. “I liked Ionabecause the small campus madeit feel comfortable,” commentedjunior Andrew Nguyen. The students then visited Man-hattan College, which is actuallylocated in the Bronx.The highlight of theManhattan Collegetour was seeing thedorms and gymwhere the currentManhattan studentslive and exercise.Junior Michael Lodafelt that ManhattanCollege “gave a

close, tight knit community feel-ing in a city-like atmosphere.”The final visit was to FordhamUniversity’s Rose Hill campus,which is also located in the Bronx.The admissions staff at FordhamUniversity prepared a presenta-tion and then students exploredthe campus. Anthony Faria likedFordham because “the campuswas amazing. It felt like a reallyeasy place to fit into.” The tourended with the students beingtreated to dinner in the Fordhamcafeteria where they had the oppor-tunity to dine with current stu-dents. The college tour provided St.Joe’s students with the opportu-nity to visit colleges they other-

wise might not haveconsidered. Roel Mercadosummed up the expe-rience by comment-ing, “We had a taste of urban andsuburban settings andgot an idea of different kinds ofcampus life.”

Mr. Santiago as NHS Moderator

Photo by Robin Lapitan

Students from Lyon, France, enjoyed their visit to the U.S.A.

Photo by Dr. M. Gubernat

Students visited New York colleges in April.

Sheptuck and Rodriguez

By John NolanStaff Writer

“Senior Awards Night is anopportunity for the St. Joe’s com-munity of students, parents, fac-ulty, staff, and administration tocome together to celebrate theachievements of our graduatingclass,” said Mr. Fischer, Dean ofStudies and organizer of SeniorAwards Night. Continuing a St. Joe’s tradi-

tion, Senior Awards Night washeld on Tuesday, May 23, in theVincent Maglio Gymnasium at6:00 p.m., with approximately450 people in attendance. Invit-ed seniors were presented awardsin three areas: academics, athlet-ics, and extracurricular activities.Deacon Rich McCarron began

the evening with a prayer. Mr.Lawrence Walsh, principal, fol-lowed with introductory remarksto prelude the award presenta-tions.The first awards of the night

were given to seniors who par-ticipated in a school club or activ-

ity that is an academic team, schoolpublication, Honor Society, orservice organization. Modera-tors from over 30 clubs and activ-ities honored student participantsbased on qualifications unique toeach group. The Activities Direc-tor, Dr. Martine Gubernat,announced the winners of the Fal-con Achievement and Meritori-ous Service awards.Following the clubs and activ-

ities awards, Mr. Craig Martin,head of the English Department,presented the Robert Frost Liter-ary Contest certificates. The annu-al contest, which is sponsored bythe English Department, awardsfirst, second, third, and honorablemention prizes in fiction, nonfic-tion, and poetry.Next, Mr. Jerry Smith, Ath-

letic Director, named the recipi-ents of the athletic awards fromall 13 varsity sports. Highlight-ing this portion of the ceremonywas the presentation of the Schol-ar Athlete Award.Senior Awards Night contin-

ued with the academic awards

presentations. The Summa CumLaude award was given to stu-dents with a Grade Point Aver-age (GPA) of 4.4 or higher overfour years (excluding the fourthquarter of senior year). The MagnaCum Laude award was given tostudents with a GPA of 4.0 to4.3999. The Cum Laude awardwent to students with a GPA of3.8 to 3.9999. Several memorial awards and

scholarships were presented inhonor of faculty who have passedaway. One such scholarship wasthe Lorraine Noble MemorialScholarship, which remembersthe late St. Joe’s history teacher byhonoring a student who plans onpursuing a career in education.Scholarships from local organi-zations were also presented bygroup representatives. The evening continued with

the distribution of the academicdepartment awards by the depart-ment heads. The English, FineArts, Mathematics, Religion, Sci-ence, and History Departmentseach presented two awards, whilethe World Languages Departmentgave two awards per language forFrench, German, and Spanish.Senior Awards Night concluded

with the presentation of the Salu-tatorian and Valedictorian Awards.This year’s salutatorian, JasonRodriguez (University of Penn-sylvania Class of 2010), receivedthe Salutatorian Award in mem-ory of Brother Gilbert for earn-ing the second highest cumula-tive GPA over four years. Final-ly, St. Joe’s most prestigious award,which is the Valedictorian orAlumni Scholarship Award forGeneral Excellence in memoryof Thomas Platko, went toMatthew Sheptuck (GeorgetownUniversity Class of 2010) for hav-ing the highest cumulative GPAover four years.Senior Awards Night was a

very gratifying experience for allwho participated. It was anevening that showcased the fineststudents in the SJHS Class of2006. “The moment the studentsreceive their award is the culmination of many years of hardwork and dedication,” said Mr. Fischer.

2 THE FALCON May 2006

By Tom BacsikRetiring Editor-in-Chief

A few weeks ago, while inthe midst of searching for anelusive twenty dollar bill tofund a need for gasoline, I dis-covered each of my school IDssince freshman year. I com-pared my picture from my firstyear to that of this year. I cameto the conclusion that it wasnot only my face that hadchanged but also my entire per-son as well. Not only had Ilost that boyish grin, but alsowho I was as a teenager andas a student had been irrevo-cably altered as well…for thebest.Almost four years have

passed since I sat in the mug-gy History-turned Mathemat-ics wing, asking, “What haveI gotten myself into?” Both ofmy older brothers had attend-ed St. Joe’s, but I still had noidea what to expect. To thisday, I still don’t! One of themany things that I have learned

at this school over the past fouryears is that every day comeswith its own surprises. Be ita snow day, a reprieve from aseemingly insurmountable test,or the news that a beloved friendor teacher has passedaway…each day at St. Joe’shas brought its own unique-ness.For me, the “St. Joseph High

School Experience” has beenan amazing one. Whether itwas watching my first volley-ball game or seeing my “Edi-tor-in-Chief” byline, I haveenough happy memories to lasta lifetime. I have also had myshare of painful times as well.Throughout my years here, Ihave come to realize that St.Joseph High School is not mere-ly an institution, a business, oran athletic powerhouse. It isfirst and foremost a family.Now, what do I say to under-

classmen? In place of thestereotypical words of wisdom,let me say…have fun! School-work is most important, espe-

cially on the road to college,but I think all too often stu-dents forget to have fun in theprocess. High school is oneof the best times in a person’slife, so letting it pass by unrec-ognized would be a mistake.Keep up your grades and con-tinue to build that collegerésumé, but make time to catcha volleyball match or join apick-up game of ultimate Fris-bee every once in a while.Those are the activities whereone builds friendships and tru-ly finds the charism of theBrothers of the Sacred Heart.To say that high school went

by in an instant is merely anunderstatement. I am sad thatI must leave St. Joe’s, but I amanxious to begin my collegeexperience at the Universityof Notre Dame. As the last ofthree “Bacsik boys” to gradu-ate from SJHS and go on toND, I too can finally evolvefrom “Here we go St. Joe’s!”to “Here come the Irish!” Youknow what? It’s time…

ediTorial

It’s Time…

Published by the students of st. Joseph High school145 Plainfield ave., Metuchen, nJ 08840

Volume XlViii, no. 6 • May 2006

The Falcon welcomes articles from students, parents and faculty members for con-sideration for publication. All articles are subject to editing. The opinions expressedin The Falcon do not necessarily represent the opinions of faculty or administra-tion. Opinions expressed in any column except those of the editors are not neces-sarily those of the editors.

Graphics and Printing by Media trends,

Metuchen, nJ (732) 225-4555

Editor-in-Chief: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mike Varco Managing Editor: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stephen Polansky. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jon RamtekeAssociate Editors:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kevin Guidette, Greg Myer, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Matt Velez, Allan Zhang Sports Editor: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chris McGovernStaff Writers: . . . . . . . . . . Tom Bacsik, Mark Del Monaco, Mike Ferris. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jack Fitzhenry, Brendan Gilmartin, Robin Lapitan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alex Mosko, Casey Naiduk, John Nolan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Moll, Chris McGovern, Russell Pepe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Matt Roth, Lucas ZavalaTechnology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mr. George MilliganFaculty Adviser. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dr. Martine GubernatPrincipal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mr. Lawrence WalshPresident . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Br. Dennis Wermert S.C.

Senior awardS nighT

ChangeS aT ST. Joe’S

Anderson, Principal;Bergin, Vice Principal

By Matthew KuchtyakStaff Writer

As many already know, St. Joe’swill see a few changes next year.One of these changes that may bethe most important to the studentsis that Mr. Anderson, the currentAssistant Principal/Dean of Stu-dents, will become the Principal andMs. Bergin, the current O’NeilHall House Dean, will becomethe new Assistant Principal/Deanof Students. One of the biggest questions

has been if their policies woulddiffer at all. According to Mr.Anderson, however, the majorityof things are already set in place,with the handbook still being ineffect. Ms. Bergin also agrees that no

drastic changes are in the cardsright now. With her philosophy,Ms. Bergin considers “supervi-sion to be the glue of a success-

ful school,” which most likelymeans that there won’t be manychanges next year.Mr. Anderson noted that his

decisions next year as principalwill continue to be based solelyon what is the best for the schooland all of the people involved inthe St. Joe’s community. Also,he will try to continue enforcingthe school rules and said, “I’ll tryand carry the detention slips withme to help out.”As advice for Ms. Bergin, Mr.

Anderson stated, “My advice toMs. Bergin is to go by the factsas presented to her and make thebest judgment she can. Don’ttake things personally and go bythe rules.” As with any administrative

moves, minor changes are alwaysimminent, but the school will mostlikely continue to operate as usu-al next year and for many yearsto come.

By Matthew VelezAssociate Editor

There was food, music, andgood times at the Freshman/Sophomore Semi-Formal, heldon April 1 from 7:30-11:00p.m.The Semi-Formal, whichtook place in the VincentMaglio Gymnasium, wasattended by about 200 stu-dents. The St. Joe’s studentsand their dates enjoyed saladand a hot buffet.According to Student Coun-cil moderator Mr. Donald Bryn-er, the overall feedback waspositive. “They had a goodtime; the music and food were

good. I didn’t hear any com-plaints,” he said.The Semi-Formal attributedits aesthetic success to the dec-orations put up by the Moth-ers Club for their annual CardParty. In keeping with thetheme, “Surfing USA,” deco-rations included everything thatreminds people of a trip to thebeach: surfboards, sharks, palmtrees, and station wagons withwooden panels.The Card Party, which tookplace the day before the Semi-Formal, was also a winner,according to moderator Broth-er John Spalding. “It’s alwaysa success. The ladies work welltogether and put in a lot of work

Class of 2006 Shows AnotherYear of Academic Excellence

By Russell PepeStaff Writer

As the seniors finish their fouryears at St. Joe’s, they look for-ward to approximately two monthsof rest and relaxation before theyhead off to college in the fall.After all the applications, exams,and early morning calls for theSATs, it seemed unmistakably evi-dent that the hours of studyingfinally paid off for the students.Students graduating this yearwill move on to the next level ofeducation in 17 different statesacross the nation, as well as theDistrict of Columbia, and two for-eign countries: Scotland andSwitzerland. This totals 99 dif-ferent universities for the Classof ‘06.With only 39% of graduatesremaining in the state for college,the other 61% will look to add to

their St. Joseph’s education out-side of New Jersey. Compared tolast year, this is an increase of 5%of students moving to universi-ties out of state.Above all, this year’s senior classholds its greatest accomplishmentin the area of scholarship money.As of May 1, the Class of ‘06received nearly $12 million in schol-arships, a number that is still grow-ing rapidly, according to Ms. Yan-naco, Director of Guidance.All freshmen come into St. Joe’sas equals, with a clean slate ontowhich they will etch their highschool experience. Through hardwork and perseverance, studentswork toward being granted admis-sion to the top colleges and uni-versities in the country. The Class of 2006 has yet againproved to be another group ofbright students yielded by St.Joseph High School.

Photos by Ms. G. christopoulos

‘Surfing USA’ a Hit

By Michael FerrisStaff Writer

Students attending St. Joe’s aresure to be accustomed to the phrase,“Where excellence is a habit, nota goal.” Although all students pos-sess unique qualities that benefitthe school community, two stu-dents in particular have taken thissaying to the next level. In April, both Michael Varco

and Roel Mercado received thedignified honor of being accept-ed into this summer’s Governor’sSchool program. Admittance intothis scholarship program is excep-tionally hard to obtain and canonly be earned by well-roundedstudents.Michael Varco, a junior, received

his letter of acceptance on April17. Michael will be attending theEnvironmental School at Stock-

ton College from July 2 throughJuly 29. “It’s really an honor tohave been accepted, and I am look-ing forward to this great experi-ence,” said Michael enthusiasti-cally. Roel Mercado, also a junior,

was thrilled to learn of his admis-sion into the Governor’s Schoolon April 12. Roel will be study-ing in the science field at DrewUniversity from July 16 to August12. “I am looking forward toenhancing my education,” remarkedRoel. Both students are eager about

the upcoming summer programs.The Governor’s School programwill allow for exceptional studentssuch as these two individuals todelve into areas most other stu-dents are only able to skim overin core courses. This opportuni-ty is sure to be beneficial for both

May 2006 THE FALCON 3

BR. MIKE’S MOVIE REVIEWS

By Casey NaidukRetiring Associate Editor

Hey now, guys, this is Brother’s lastreview this year. Make sure that you don’tmiss them! And, eyy, stay out of jail.Also, watch out for Crazy Ted… He’scrazy. No, seriously! The kid’s out of hismind.

Lucky Number Slevin — Broth-er loved, loved, loved this movie.This is just one of those greatmovies- great twist, interesting,plenty of action… And wait,there’s more! HeHe. Steinbren-ner bought some clutch playersfor this one. Ben Kingsley wasgreat. Morgan Freeman is an All-Star actor. Brother always rootsfor him. He’s like the Harry Dou-glass of acting, if you catch whatI’m getting at, guys. Slevin issupposed to win (9 to 1 odds);

only he doesn’t. Now this is ironicalbecause they doped up the other horses.Eyy! I’m serious. HeHe. They reallydoped up actual horses. Stuff happens.Bad guys. Bruce Willis is in it, too. YadaYada Yada. Lucy Liu’s funny to look at;she’s in it… Brother approves. It’s worthmowing lawns to pay for the ticket. Goon! Get outta here. See it! Eyy, see itBrother said. If you’re still reading this,you’re obviously not seeing it. Brother

gives this one a wholesome III.I’ll admit it had 3.5 star poten-tial.Benchwarmers — Fel-

las… Brother doesn’t knowwhether or not to recommendthis one to you. The Post gaveit one half of a star. They saidit was actually one of the worstmovies ever made. They foundit about as funny as a book ofmatches, you and I might say.To be blunt, this movie is SO

bad that it’s great. I mean, it’s pathetic.That guy who played Napoleon Dynamite-he’s so goofy, I love him. Regardless ofits ratings, I found this movie to be very fun-ny. Some things are hilarious. Take thismovie, for example. Brother loved thecast: John Heder, David Spade, Rob Schnei-der, and the guy who plays the Billion-aire, with a “B,” is a funny guy. Napoleon,though…HeHe. That guy cracks me up.Just looking at him makes me laugh. Broth-er loves the way he walks, the way he talks,his mannerisms… C’mon, they’re great.That guy is a NERD. I was giggling likean idiot-boy from start to finish. I wasthere by myself laughing like a fool. Itwas great. Brother loved it almost as muchas my daily breakfast sausage sandwich.Brother gives this one II 1/2.These next two movies, guys, are

typical, good action movies. Brother doesn’t have too much to say about them.I mean, eyy, they’re good movies. Do they compete with that Napoleon

goofball? No, what could? But they’restill good.V for Vendetta— I liked it. It’s

got the action. Bim Boo Ba and dare Isay, da Bit. The hero wears a mask, sothat’s always cool. The action part I like.Brother gives this one III.Inside Man— Denzel – very good

acting. This film is very suspenseful. Sus-pense is fun. Hostage situ-ation in a bank. Foldinglaundry is always good,but rather than do that,see this.Brotherg iv e st h i sfinalmovief o r

By Brendan GilmartinRetiring Managing Editor

As another summer approach-es, students and teachers alikeare planning some fun ways tospend their time off. Mr. Jenkins, Mr. O’Boyle, andMr. Santiago will travel to Lyon,France for 15 days in July to staywith the Brothers of the SacredHeart, where they will partici-pate in the CIAC program. Mr.O’Boyle commented, “It is a pro-gram that educates in the spiritof the Brothers. I am excited tospend some time in France; somefamily of mine will visit me thereas well.” Br. Michael Migacz will bemoving to Queens, New York toa Brothers of the Sacred Heartresidence to “research a mis-sionary position in the UnitedStates.”Ms. Dwyer recently purchased

a townhouse in Washington TownCenter in Robbinsville and looksforward to spending time there.“It is newly built so I am veryexcited. It should be completedby late summer.”Nick Figueroa, freshman, is“going to Cancun, Mexico for aweek right after finals. I am veryexcited!” Hani Mayassi, junior, is “goingto play tennis a lot and visit somefamily in Portugal. Hopefully Imight get up to Vermont for afew weeks as well.” Ms. Wesp will be traveling toCosta Rica, accompanying a pro-fessor from Columbia Univer-sity where she is currently in thegraduate program. “We’ll be vis-iting schools to study how math-ematics is taught differently. Allclasses — from elementary schoolto the university level — will betaught in Spanish.”Marcus Fowler, junior, is doing

“nothing too strenuous — just atriathalon or two… I’m gonnatake it easy this summer. I’ll beattending a camp for high schoolstudents at West Point, whichshould be an experience.” Ms. Backlund will be spend-ing a week in upstate New Yorkat Lake Chataqua. “We have beenvacationing there with anotherfamily for 15 years now, so it’salways a fun week.”Mark Kenny, junior, is “goingto Ireland and I’m super excit-ed! We’ll be going to Dublinand other parts for 15 days inJune.” Dan “the man” Purcell, senior,“will be driving cross country…both ways… and chilling hard.” Faculty and students certainlyhave some fun trips and vacations planned. I hope every-one stays safe, wears sunscreen,and of course, does the summerreading.

French and German NHS Inductions

By Michael VarcoEditor-in-Chief

Select students in the St. Joe’scommunity are inducted intothe French and German HonorSocieties every year. These cur-rent juniors, must meet certainrequirements in order to be nom-inated by their language teach-ers. The requirements are as fol-lows: each student must havean “A” average in his currentlanguage semester, a 3.0 GPAor higher in his eleventh gradeyear, and a cumulative GPA of3.5 in all subjects for the pastthree years in high school. Boththe French and German HonorSociety requirements are estab-lished by their respective lan-guage associations. The French Honor Societyguidelines are established bythe American Association ofTeachers of French, and the Ger-man Honor Society guidelinesby the American Associationof Teachers of German. Once a student has met thenecessary nomination require-ments, he is given five charac-ter reference forms, which mustbe filled out by past or currentteachers. Afterwards, all forms

are given to an anonymous com-mittee, which includes teachersand members of the schooladministration. Along with thesecharacter forms, the committeeis given each applicant’s behav-ioral record from Mr. Ander-son. Each student who successful-ly meets all requirements is invit-ed to join his respective HonorSociety. This year, eleven Frenchstudents have been nominatedby moderator Dr. Brand, andfifteen German students havebeen nominated by moderatorMs. Rhomberg. In past years, induction cere-monies for each Honor Societywere held separately. This year,however, Honor Societies (includ-ing the Science, Art, French,German, and Spanish) will holdone inclusive induction cere-mony at the beginning of nextyear. This change is designedto make attendance easier forparents, since there will not bemultiple ceremonies on differ-ent days.Dr. Brand commented on theinduction process, saying, “It’sbeen my privilege to work withstudents of this caliber, and Iam looking forward to moregood work from them next year.”

St. Joe’s students compete in national Robotics Competition

By Stephen PolanskyManaging Editor

On Wednesday April 26, the St. Joe’sRobotics Team departed for Atlanta,GA to take part in the 2006 World Cham-pionships. The annual event, held in the GeorgiaDome, comprised over three hundredteams and drew tens of thousands ofpeople from nearly a dozen countries.Over the course of three days, qualifi-cation matches were held across fourdivisions that culminated with the bestteams competing in the finals.The St. Joe’s team competed in theArchimedes division with perenni-al favorites such as Team 75 fromHillsborough, NJ and Team 555 fromMontclair, NJ. St. Joe’s performedoutstandingly in seven high-inten-sity matches. At the close of thequalification matches, St. Joe’s wasranked 50th in its division. “The event was amazing,” said teammember Bill Flaherty. “We com-peted and did well against some ofthe best teams in the world.”In addition to the main roboticscompetition, events were also heldfor 7th and 8th graders as a precur-sor to the high school event. In theGeorgia World Congress Center,adjacent to the Dome, over thirty-five colleges sent representatives tostaff “college row” and this yearover 8 million dollars in scholar-

ships were offered to participants. Various companies also sent proto-types of upcoming products for teammembers to demo, such as a humanoidrobot from Microsoft, upcoming soft-ware from Autodesk, and a full scalereplica of the NASA Mars Rover. “We had a great time and we dis-covered a lot of ideas for next year,”commented junior Robert Flanagan.As the Robotics season nears its end,the entire team reflects on its accom-plishments and looks forward to anoth-er successful season next year.

Governor’s School summer for two of St. Joe’s brightest

Photos by Mr. carmine salerno

Robotics team members make adjustments on Joe the Robot.

Summer 2006 Plans

4 THE FALCON May 2006

Senior CupCompetition fierce,Fun priceless

By Roseller LapitanStaff Writer

A person who passed by andglanced towards the fields of St.Joe’s on May 1, would have seenmost unexpected events. The air was filled with sounds

of feverish competition. Fromthe baseball and lacrosse fields,cries of “Out of bounds,”“Foul!”and “Do NOT take thepopsicles!” could be heard amongfree-spirited laughter. On the other side of school, a thunderous beat of “We Will Rock You” wasstomped and clapped in unisonby spectators in the stands asthey paid respect to the com-petitors on the volleyball courtin the Vincent Maglio Gymna-sium.Amidst all the bedlam and

hoopla, one thing was appar-ently clear to both the onlookersand participants: Who else couldlay claim to this day other thanthe Senior Class of 2006?Four years ago, these same

students participated in similarevents dubbed the Freshman

Cup, where students were putinto teams based upon theirrespective homerooms. Througha series of mostly relay-typecompetitions, a winning class(Gubernat’s Gladiators) wasnamed and granted the honor(and bragging rights) of earn-ing the Freshman Cup.Ms. Michele Palmer, Direc-

tor of Campus Ministry and coor-

dinator of both the Senior andFreshman Cup, commented onthis year’s Senior Cup, “Thingshave come full circle for thesestudents.” Being on the same teams as

they were in their freshman yearwas bittersweet to most students,who still can’t believe how quick-ly their four years at St. Joe’shave passed.

By Michael FerrisStaff Writer

Determination and success aretraits commonly found in the stu-dents at St. Joe’s, but make nomistake that they know how toenjoy themselves and help othersin the process. Such was the case on April 25

when the St. Joe’s communitycame together to watch the con-cluding events of the second annu-al Survivor Contest. Survivorgives students and teachers theopportunity to come together andcompete for a worthy cause.This year’s proceeds were pre-

sented to Water for Waslala, agroup operated by the St. Augus-tinian Brothers at Villanova Uni-versity. The group’s focus is pro-viding water systems to commu-nities in Waslala, Nicaragua. The

$1,000 dollar donation from St.Joe’s will be greatly appreciated.The generosity of the students andthe Student Council made thisyear’s campaign successful, eas-ily outpacing last year’s total of$430 dollars. Thirteen teams, each composed

of one teacher and one student,competed over a three week spanto be crowned the Survivor cham-pion. The highest monetary totalwas raised by the duo of Dr. Mer-cedes Brand and her son, JamesBrand. The next stage of the compe-

tition included games such as athree legged race, knockout, jumprope, bat spin, and dodge ball.Ms. Toni Ippolito and Phil Lind-ner, filling in for Sean Baptiste,were proclaimed champions ofthis year’s Survivor.Once again the stu-

dents have shown their interestin helping the community aroundthem. “It’s wonderful to see the con-

stant generosity of the St. Joe’scommunity and I’m glad we wereable to come together and havesome fun while fundraising,” saidMichele Palmer, Director of Cam-pus Ministry. With the popularity of the

fundraiser and the willingness ofthe students to participate, thisevent is sure to see nothing butsuccess in the future.

Senior adViCe

Take it from us, guys; we’ve been there and back

By Tom BacsikRetiring Editor-in-Chief

“Study abroad if possible inhigh school. If you are lookingfor a challenge, it will change yourlife.” – Brendan Gilmartin“Work hard...get involved...and

HAVE FUN. The next four yearsgo by quickly.” – Jason Rodriguez“In Brother Paul’s AP Physics

class, the key to success is to stayawake for reviews and tests. This will lead to being at the top of the class as well as jeal-ousy from fellow classmates.” – Andrew Carlson“Take as many accelerated and

AP courses as possible becauseit’s not the amount of work thatyou do. It’s not the amount ofcredits you’ll get. It’s not thegrades you’ll get, but what you

LEARN that matters…to indi-rectly quote Mr. O’Boyle.” – Ted Midura“Be careful what you do…you

never know when it’s going tocome back to haunt you.” – George Helock“Never, under any circumstance,

have a “Yo’ Momma” battle inthe Campus Ministry office.”–Sean Gahagan“If you have any desire to

win at St. Joe’s, either play vol-leyball or join the swim team.” – John Moll“Learn with passion, and enjoy

the memorable St. Joe’s experi-ence.” – Robin Lapitan“Never tell Mr. Bryner your

books are too heavy…he has a tendency to tear them inhalf. Quite a teddy bear…” – Tom Bacsik

Senior ReflectionsSenior Reflections

By Casey NaidukRetiring Associate Editor

Ray McDonough— “I’m goingto miss the long breaks and thetime Mr. Anderson read announce-ments in Ebonics.”

Errol Watson — “I’m going tomiss unnecessary snow days.”Daniel Blanchfield — “I’m

going to really miss playing forthe hockey team. #3, Baby! Let’sgo Rangers!”

John Moll – “I’ll miss the friend-ships that I’ve made in school andon the volleyball court.”

Charles Dunn— “Philosophyand rhetoric with Mr. Powers.”

Chris Basilico — “Hangingout in Campus Ministry.”

Tom Layton — “I’m going tomiss chicken tenders at break andthe 3 Club.”

Nick DeBari — “Hanging outin the Admissions Office withMrs. K.”

Sean Gahagan – “Doing lastminute homework during break.”

Brendan Gilmartin – “I willmiss many of the teachers whohave changed my life in these past

four years most particularly FrauRhomberg, Mr. O’Boyle, Mr. Pow-ers, and Mr. Miniscalco. Theseteachers have changed the way Ithink and form opinions, whichis an invaluable lesson.”

Mark Del Monaco – “I willmiss not being able to see my bestfriends everyday. Also the cama-raderie that I have with everyoneand the sense of community.”

Tom Bacsik – “I’m really goingto miss the friends I’ve madethrough the volleyball team. Itwas a very important part of my St.Joe’s experience and it’s some-thing I’m going to miss at col-lege.”

Casey Naiduk – “I’m going tomiss the diversity of St. Joe’s, inevery sense. Everyone has hisown style and personality, and it’sOK. People, not walls, make aplace, and the people I’ll miss fromSt. Joe’s made my four-year highschool experience the best, andthey will stay with me forever.”

George Helock – “The phe-nomenal teaching staff.”

Ken Estrellas – “Simply put,everything.”

Photos by Mike Varco

St. Joe’s student/teacher teams competed for bragging rights in this year’s Survivor competition.

Photos by Dr. M. Gubernat

SurvivorSurvivor : : MetuchenMetuchen

Crazy HatDay 2006

Photos by Dr. M. Gubernat

May 2006 THE FALCON 5

Sports Report Card — 2005-2006

SoccerThe Falcon soccer team had a sur-

prisingly unimpressive year. After mak-ing noise as one of the county’s top com-petitors last year, the St. Joe’s soccer teamamassed a record of 10-10, four gamesworse than last years 14-10 record. Thesoccer team won the first and secondround of the county tournament and lostin the first round of the state tournament.Though the bar was set high for this year’steam, the Falcons were not extraordinary.Grade: C

Cross CountryThe St. Joe’s cross-country team had

a very poor season as a result of injuriesto key runners. The team put together arecord of 2-5 and did not win a meet in thecounty or state tournament. Errol Wat-son performed well during the season,however. Grade: D

BasketballThe St. Joe’s basketball team improved

immensely from last year. The Falconscompiled a record of 21-6, won the RedDivision County Tournament, and madethe semi-finals of the state tournamentwith only two returning starters from lastyear’s varsity squad. “The team reallysurpassed all expectations,” said athlet-ic director Jerry Smith. Grade: A

HockeyThe St. Joe’s hockey team had a record

of 13-8-3, one of their best records ineight years. The team did not win thecounty or state tournament, but improvedgreatly from last year’s record of 10-9-2. The team also lost many key playersto club teams that met outside of school. Grade: B

SwimmingThe St. Joe’s swimming team achieved

the ultimate honor this year. The Swim-ming Falcons won the Raider Invitation-al, The Pirate Invitational, their 28th con-secutive county tournament, and their22nd state tournament. Having a recordof 16-1 and being ranked number one inthe state, the swimming team attainedgreatness this year. Grade: A+

BowlingThe bowling team had a very good

year. Putting together a 21-7-1 recordwas not an easy task for a team who losttheir top bowler to graduation last year.The bowling squad finished second in thestate sectionals and number 12 in thestate. Grade: B

Winter TrackThe winter track team struggled this

year. Top individual performances came

from shot putter Miguel Perez, runnerKevin Lipovsky, and sprinter Errol Wat-son who broke the school record in the55 meter dash with a time of 6.4 seconds.Errol, who made the All-Conference team,also finished third in high hurdles andsecond in the state.Grade: C-

LacrosseThe St. Joe’s lacrosse team won their

first 11 games and continued on a suc-cessful streak throughout the season. Hav-ing won more times in their first eightgames than the previous season total, thelacrosse team has shown dramatic improve-ment from last year. With a more disci-plined offense and defense, the lacrosseteam has shown great hope for the future.Grade: A

BaseballAfter an early season 9-1 record, the

St. Joe’s baseball team lost four straightgames. This losing streak dropped theFalcons out of their number two spot inthe local rankings. Though they do nothit well, the St. Joe’s Falcons possess oneof the best pitchers in the state, MattOwens. They lost to East Brunswick inthe county tournament last year. Will theywin the big game this year?Grade: B+

GolfThe very inconsistent St. Joe’s golfing

team started out with a record of 4-7. Atthis point they are playing for the love ofthe game. The season highlight was ahole-in-one by freshman Chris Jacques,the first in school history.Grade: C-

VolleyballThe volleyball team went undefeated

in 19 games in-state. They also finishedfirst in the Rhode Island Tournament.With the team boasting the talent of DanDeverin, John Moll, Kurt Backlund andDrew Colon, they had better be amazing.Great things are expected of this team inthe present and future. Grade: A+

Spring TrackSpring track started out with an easi-

ly forgotten record of 1-2. Led by shot-putter Eric Plummer and long jumperCarl Luxoj, the spring track team wasexpected to be more successful. The PennRelays took place April 28th and the Fal-cons made a decent showing. Grade: C+

TennisThe tennis team had a decent year.

They placed well in the GMC Tourna-ment and managed to keep their recordabove .500. Though they faced a coach-ing change, the team adapted well andplayed competitively. Grade: B

By Kevin GuidetteAssociate Editor

Every year, St. Joe’s swimming is a dominant force.Much of the team’s success is due to the outstandingcoaching of the former St. Joe’s swimmer, Coach SteveWhittington ‘92. This year the swimming Falcons went16-1 and won their 28th county tournament and their22nd state tournament. Year in and out, Coach Whittington produces suc-

cessful teams and earns St. Joe’s students a day off fromschool to celebrate his team’s state championship vic-tories. Congratulations, Mr. Whittington!

CoaCh oF The Year:

Mr. Whittington

Photo by Mike Varco

Mr. whittington

By Mark Del MonacoRetiring Associate Editor

With the loss of two key con-tributors early in the season inErrol Watson and Eric Plummer,the spring track team had a rockystart. The team made an early seasonappearance at the GMC CoachesRelays, which was highlightedwith a win by the triple jump teamof junior Carl Luxhoj and sopho-more Albert Bastien. Also, thejavelin and pole vault teams finishedthird. So far the team has com-prised a dual meet record of 1-2,with a win over Perth Amboy andlosses to South Brunswick andEast Brunswick. On April 29, the team traveled tothe prestigious Penn Relays Car-nival where the 4x400 team ofjuniors Kevin Lipovsky, MikeGeorge, Carl Luxhoj, and seniorJeff Pierik-Page competed. Theteam had to qualify during theindoor season and achieve a timeof 3:45 or better to be eligible.They finished 4th in their heat in3:31. Another highlight this seasonwas senior Mike Fanelli compet-

ing in the steeplechase. Mike trav-eled to the Iona Prep Invitationaland finished 3rd in 10:50. Thattime qualified him for the North-east Regional later in the year.The steeplechase is not run in NewJersey so he had to travel to NewYork.With the relay season all but

done, the team now looks forwardto the championship season andsome tough divisional meets. CoachTrojanowski remarked, “We havehad some tough dual meet lossesbut we hope to rebound and runwell. We now will focus on theGMC’s, NJCTC’s, and theParochial A State Meet.”

Michael FerrisStaff Writer

The tennis team got off to aspectacular start with a 5-1 recordafter the first 6 matches. Unfor-tunately, the team stumbled dur-ing the next 7 matches, sufferinga few losses that really struck at theheart of the team. The “roughpatch,” as head coach Mr. GeorgeMilligan described the skid, leftthe team with a disappointing 6-7 mark. “I really feel that the team is

coming back now,” stated CoachMilligan. He seemed very confi-dent that the players were start-ing to regain their footing andwere ready to turn their seasonaround. There is no better place to

improve their game than in theGMC Tournament. Hani Mayas-si and Scott Taylor have beenpreparing for their semi-final match-es on April 28. “There are a lotof good teams and athletes, but Iam confident in our abilities,”remarked Mayassi. Scott and Hani will look to

change this team’s fortune in theupcoming matches. “They areboth playing at the top of theirgame right now,” said Coach Milligan.Eight individual matches remain

in the season, which the playersare eager to win. The future ofthis talented team has yet to berevealed, but with the strong deter-mination of both the coach andthe players, success is not too faroff the horizon.

By Jack FitzhenryStaff Writer

The Falcon lacrosse team hascompleted the first part of theirseason with a flawless record.Under the leadership of CoachMarc Moreau, the team hasamassed nine wins and has notsuffered a single defeat. The varsity squad beat coun-

ty rivals South Brunswick and OldBridge and out-of-county teams,such as Hillsborough and NorthHunterdon. Coach Moreau had this to say

about the team’s early season suc-cess, “The highlight has not beenany one player but that they areplaying together as a team.” Asfor the rest of the schedule, Coach

Moreau admitted that one of thehardest things to do is to beat ateam twice. They will have to dojust that in upcoming matchessuch as Edison, who they beat 11to 5 in their first meeting.Some of the varsity’s goals for

the late season include having thebest record in the county and win-ning the GMC tournament. In the state tournament, where theteam is likely to meet state powers Mountain Lakes and Delbarton, the goal, according toCoach Moreau, is just to go as far as possible. “We shouldn’t be worried so

much about who our opponent is,”said Coach Moreau. “We just needto be worried about playing a St.Joe’s brand of lacrosse.”

Chris McGovernSports Editor

For some teams, the loss ofeleven seniors to graduation canserve as a convenient excuse for aletdown the following season. TheFalcons are not one of those teams.They have played solid baseball,boasting a record of 14-10 as ofMay 16.The team began the season with

a six-game winning streak,beating the likes of Edisonand Roselle Catholic.Led by St. Johns-bound

pitcher Matt Owens, the ros-ter fuses youth and veteranexperience. Assistant coachBob Yunker affirmed that theteam has “come together.” Sophomores Brian Koster

and Shawn Hille are key piecesto the necessary youth move-ment. Koster was given thechance to start at third basedue to Nico Vargas’ season-ending knee injury. Hille addsdepth to a strong pitching staff.The Falcons are one of the

top contenders for the GMCcrown, along with SouthBrunswick and Edison.

To be in a position to make a runat the title, the team must avoiddropping games to inferior oppo-nents. Responding to a loss againstOld Bridge on April 20 after beat-ing the same team handily the pre-vious day, Coach Yunker asserted,“We have to handle our businessand beat the teams we’re supposedto beat.”

By John MollRetiring Associate Editor

The Falcon volleyball teamcontinues its quest for a sec-ond state title. Most of theteam’s motivation stems fromthe 2002 championship ban-ner that sits lonely in the uppercorner of the gymnasium. The Falcons are currently

ranked number one in the stateand have maintained their objec-tive to be dominant. With a 21-2 record, key victories havecome against the number tworanked East Brunswick Bearsand the number five rankedOld Bridge Knights. The team prevailed at the

Rhode Island Invitational bygoing undefeated and tri-umphing against the defend-ing Rhode Island State Cham-pions, Bishop Hendrickson.The keys to the squad’s suc-

cess lie within the middle block-ing and hitting by Alan Zas-trow and Drew Colon. At 6’3”,Matt Scott is the tallest and

arguably the best all-aroundsetter in the state. The junioropposite, Keith MacDonald,provides great passing alongwith Kurt Backlund, the defen-sive specialist. Dan Deverinand John Moll provide sheerpower and possess leadershipskills. The starters are chal-lenged in every practice by thebench players who exhibit agritty and relentless work eth-ic every time they step foot onthe court.The team’s only loss

occurred in the final match ofthe Clifton tournament whenthey faced the volleyball pow-erhouse, Freedom High Schoolof Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Volleyball manager Tom

Bacsik stated, “In four years,I have never seen the type ofteam chemistry that this teamhas. When you have a groupof guys that has as much talent as we do and they interact well with each other, you’ve got a dominantteam.”

golF updaTe

By Matthew KuchtyakStaff Writer

St. Joe’s golf team has had anup and down season this spring.The team’s current record is 8-8,and their record in GMC play is 6-3. The team has played many tal-

ented teams so far, including Chris-tian Brothers Academy and Ora-tory Prep. “It’s no secret we playone of the toughest schedules,”said Mr. Lechner, golf team coach.“In four of our losses, we lost totop twenty teams in the state.”For the rest of the season, the

focus will be on the upcomingcounty tournament. The easier

part of the schedule is coming up,but the team must not lose con-centration and must keep tryingto achieve the highest seed pos-sible. The outlook is positive,however, and the team’s potentialshould be fulfilled in the upcom-ing matches.Some congratulatory notes

should be made for two playerson the team. Sean Fitzpatrick, ajunior and assistant captain on theteam, qualified for the state tour-nament. Chris Jacques, a fresh-man, registered the first hole-in-onein school history when he madehis ace on the par 3, second holeat Metuchen Golf and CountryClub last month.

6 THE FALCON May 2006

Photo by Mark Del Monaco

The track team is working hard to improve their record.

Photo by normandy studios

Ivan Gonzalez backhands a return shot.

Photo by Mike Varco

The new lacrosse coach hashad a positive impact thisseason.

Photo by Mike Varco

The baseball squad hopes to qualifyfor postseason play.

Photo by normandy studios

John Moll hand-passes to a team-mate.

laCroSSe updaTe

VolleYball updaTe

TenniS updaTe

TraCK updaTe

baSeball updaTe

Falcon SPORTS

May 2006 THE FALCON 7

By Jack FitzhenryStaff Writer

With the school year com-ing to a close, two of the lasttasks of the out-going StudentCouncil were the junior andsenior proms. The representa-tives and officers from both thejunior and senior classes cametogether to organize their class-es’ proms with the help andguidance of moderators Mr.Bryner and Mr. Jenkins. The junior class officers

decided on a theme of “JerseyNights” for their prom. TheJunior prom, occurring on May5, took place at the Villa Lib-erty in South Brunswick. Theentertainment chosen for thenight was a D.J., and ticketswere sold at $125 per couple.The night was an exciting onewith nearly a hundred couplesin attendance.The senior class decided that

“Let the Good Times Roll”would be the theme for theirprom, which was held at the

Excelsior in Manalapan on May15. As with the junior prom, aD.J. was chosen to providemusic. Tickets were sold at$115 per couple and approxi-mately one hundred couplesattended.As the current Student Coun-

cil officers finish their term,elections were held for nextyear’s officers and representa-tives during the first week inMay. Class representatives willbe selected in September. The current Student Coun-

cil officers are Sean Gilmartin(President), Leo Tabayoyong(Vice President), Parks Pirkle(Treasurer), and Al Carpeto(Secretary), and they have hadmany successes in their terms.Certainly their greatest effortthis year was organizing theKatrina Relief Drive. Concerning the Council’s

efforts, moderator Mr. Brynerpraised this year’s team. “Withthe help and organization of theCouncil, the school really cametogether.”

STudenT CounCil updaTe CuTure ClubS updaTe

aCadeMiC TeaMS updaTe

College BowlThe College Bowl team has

had a great season this year, addingto the record of many other suc-cessful seasons. Out of the thir-ty-five competitions in which theteam participated, they had twen-ty-three wins and only twelvelosses. In the oldest and largest tour-

nament in the state, the Bridge-water Raritan Invitational Tour-nament of Excellence (BRITE),the team made it all the way tothe Final Four out of nearly sev-enty schools. College Bowlersthen suffered a heartbreaking lossby a score of 920 to 910, a lossby only one question.“If we had a little more luck

that day, we would have gone tothe finals,” said Mr. Ed Powers,

who has been moderator of theteam for twenty-three years.

—Greg Myer

Math LeagueThe Math League has enjoyed

success this year due to hard-working students who are dedi-cated to improving their ownmath skill while contributing tothe team’s effort. The team par-ticipated in both the New Jerseyand Catholic Conference con-tests, competing against localand national schools.Many students showed up con-

sistently to compete. Most notablyamong them were juniors JohnBufe and Gerald Ngo. Bufereceived a cumulative varsityscore of 387 out of a possible400 points. Ngo, in JV, scored a

perfect 400, meaning that in fourCatholic Conference contests hehad no wrong answers.As a whole, the Math League

had a successful year, with thevarsity team placing second inthe Catholic Conference and theJV team placing first. In a nation-al contest called Math Fax, whichincludes geometry, algebra II,and advanced math, the teamplaced first in all three subjects.Ms. Muratore, the moderator

of the Varsity Math League, isoptimistic about next year’s team.Many current freshmen, sopho-mores, and juniors who are com-mitted and consistent high-scor-ers will be returning for the 2006-2007 season.

—Greg Myer

Debate Club After nearly two months of

preparing, the Debate Club trav-eled to the St. Peter’s CollegeOratorical Contest held at theGuarnari Center in Jersey City.The team went head-to-head withother high school students andperformed above and beyondexpectations. Moderator Ms. Christopou-

los commented, “The contest wasvery competitive with over 100high school students.”The competitors had to recite

speeches from political figureswho made great contributions toAmerica. Rohit Biswas choseBenjamin Franklin and The Rev-olutionary War. Mark McGov-ern selected Abraham Lincoln,

and Jason Maloney choseE.V. Debs. St. Joe’s lone competitor to

reach the finals was sophomoreHilliard Branch, who spoke onthe effectiveness and contribu-tions of Dr. Martin Luther KingJr. Hilliard went through fiverounds and made it to the finals,which was limited to only sixstudents.The Debate Club will wrap

up its first year by initiating newmembers and teaching them howto debate through in-school train-ing, where they will debate oth-er members of the team. Theywill then turn their focus to anoratorical contest in the fall.

—Mark Del Monaco

Sr. Clare at Six Flags WildBy Michael VarcoEditor-in-Chief

On April 8, from 9:00 a.m.until 2:00 p.m., Sr. Clare’s roleas teacher changed to that of astudent as she took part in a“behind the scenes” Safari tourat Great Adventure. Since thetheme park’s opening in 1974,Sr. Clare has had the opportuni-ty to visit the Safari Park twice. Sponsored by the New Jersey

Biology Teachers Association,twenty-five biology teachers fromNew Jersey were invited to spendthe day together, free of charge,touring the safari jungle and lis-

tening to a veterinarian tour guidedescribe the lifestyles of the ani-mals at the park. There were many different ani-

mals, including elks, llamas, rhi-nos, elephants, zebras, and elands.The veterinarian described how theanimals are cared for, fed, andeach given a name. The veteri-narian also explained that everynight, all of the 1,200 animalsare brought indoors and everymorning, they are returned to theoutdoors once again. The goal of the safari program

is to develop an educational pro-gram of biology for both studentsand adults, while maintaining an

enjoyable and interesting envi-ronment for all. While there, Sr.Clare had the opportunity to seetwo rhinos getting their hornsshaved, as well as to pass by abull elephant, standing at abouttwelve feet tall. Before the tripwas finished, Sr. Clare was giv-en a first-hand look at brown bearswaving to the vet. When asked about her per-

sonal thoughts regarding her trip,Sr. Clare responded, “A trip behindthe scenes is like an experienceevery biology teacher would loveto have. It’s extremely educa-tional and enjoyable for every-body.”

Thanks to Ms. Hands and Ms. Capone, Yearbook moderators,

as well as the Yearbook staff for sharing photos with

The Falcon newspaper throughout the year.

By Jonathan RamtekeManaging Editor

Junior year is quickly approach-ing for sophomores. Although theirthoughts are turning to the free-dom that summer offers, they mustplan for the upcoming challenges.As juniors, they must begin thecollege admissions process, man-age an immense amount of home-work, and, perhaps most daunt-ing of all, prepare for the SAT’s. “Make lists of your abilities,

preferences, and personal quali-ties,” advises the College Board.“List things you may want to studyand do in college.” Students couldmake productive use of their sum-mer free time by researching careerinterests and potential colleges.Juniors are also advised to begin

planning for senior year as early aspossible. By planning ahead, juniors

will have a better understandingof what they want out of their edu-cation. This is especially impor-tant to keep in mind when studentsvisit colleges.One repeated complaint of cur-

rent juniors is the added home-work. “I have more work to do,”said junior Jonathan Chua. “Ifyou’re taking AP courses, youhave to worry about that andSAT’s.” Careful time management can

alleviate this problem. JuniorNicholas Modzelewski’s methodis to “plan everything by a sched-ule.”Junior year is indeed difficult,

but it should not be torture. “Don’toverwork yourself,” recommend-ed Jonathan. Finding the balance between

study and leisure is crucial for suc-cess.

Junior year is closer than it appears…

Photos by Mr. M. cabrita

Umoja Club The Umoja Club has kept

busy all year and looks to endthe year strongly. During cultural week, the

members held a poetry reading,conducted a much anticipatedfood fest, and read cultural prayersover the daily announcements.In addition, the group hopes toplan a trip to Harlem by the endof the school year. Under the guidance of mod-

erator Ms. Ippolito and presi-dent Eric Plummer, the Club hasinitiated an international pro-ject. Members recently starteda pen-pal program with an all-girl school in Kenya, also runby the Brothers of the SacredHeart. When asked about how the

year has been, Plummer stated,“This year has been a transitionyear because of our new mod-erator, Ms. Ippolito, who is sub-stituting for Ms. Cunningham.We all have learned from eachother. She taught us and we taughther.”

—Allan Zhang

United Cultural Club A less familiar cultural club

exists at St. Joe’s known as theUnited Cultural Club. Whilethis group does not meet regularlylike the other cultural clubs, itis nonetheless very functionalin coordinating the schedule forthe Cultural Weeks.The United Cultural Club,

started just two years ago, beginsmeeting after Christmas Break.Representatives from every cul-

tural club attend the meetingsto decide which club will beassigned specific weeks in whichto inform the student body abouttheir culture and lead the schoolin ethnic prayers.Moderator Deacon Rich had

nothing but praise for the rep-resentatives. “They coordinat-ed very nicely, worked out thebest times, and were open andeasy to work with,” he com-mented.

—Matt Velez

Spanish Heritage ClubThe Adelante Club planned

many events this year, includ-ing participating in the collab-orative Food Festival, hosting aguest speaker who discussed col-lege life and living with a Span-ish background, watching TheCount of Monte Cristo afterschool, saying prayers, and spon-soring a Hispanic geographycontest during its cultural week. What is in store next year for

the Adelante Club? “I want todo more cultural activities, likegoing to an art museum,” saidmoderator Ms. Alicia Bonelli. According to Ms. Bonelli,

the club will also change its namefrom Adelante (meaning “for-ward” in Spanish) to SpanishHeritage Club, so that collegeswill recognize the club’s inten-tions.

—Matthew Velez

Polish Club The Polish Club has had a

very eventful and culture-filledyear.

Members held two food festsfeaturing delicious, homemadePolish treats that were thoroughlyenjoyed by all of the participants.The group also went on a paint-ball trip and challenged the IrishClub to a spirited game of FlagFootball.During their cultural week,

members of the Club read aloudPolish prayers before the after-noon announcements. The mem-bers also planned a mass led bya Polish priest, which was a hugesuccess.According to Dan Marrazo, a

freshman, “The Polish Club hasbeen a good way for me to meetnew people. It has also helpedto make my transition to highschool much easier and morefun.”

—Allan Zhang

Asian Cultural ClubThe Asian Cultural Club is

one of the most active clubs at St.Joe’s. Members immerse them-selves in many aspects of Asiancultures, whether it be discussingthe philosophical virtues of Hin-duism with a Hindu priest froma local New Jersey temple orenjoying popular Asian cuisine.A unique aspect of the Club

is that it promotes unity betweenall of the school’s cultural clubs,a goal Ken Estrellas, President ofthe Club, worked towards. “Our club is not just Asia,”

said Ken Estrellas, President ofthe Club, “but incorporates allcultures. We try to bring allgroups together.”

—Alex Mosko

8 THE FALCON May 2006

ClaSS Of 2006

name College name College name College

Patrick Ambrus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fordham, NY

Timothy Antoniszyn . . . . . . . . West Chester Univ., PA

Mohammad Anwar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rutgers-Cook

Thomas Archibald . . . . . . . William Paterson Univ. NJ

Christopher Argonish . . . . . . . . Goucher College, MD

Michael Atehortua . . . . . . . . . . . . . St. Peter’s College

Aaron Bach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Moravian College, PA

Kurt Backlund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ramapo College, NJ

Thomas Bacsik . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Notre Dame

John Baginsky . . . . . . . . . . William Paterson Univ. NJ

Bill Balthazard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lehigh, PA

Sean Baptiste . . . . . . . . . . . . Fairleigh Dickinson, NJ

Nicholas Bardzilowski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rutgers

Christopher Basilico . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lehigh, PA

Michael Basti. . . . . . . . . . . . . Susquehanna Univ., PA

Craig Bauer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . West Virginia Univ.

Daniel Beninato . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rider Univ., NJ

Michael Bennett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fairfield Univ., CT

Christopher Bennett. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Villanova, PA

Robert Besner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rowan Univ., NJ

Charles Birri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Franciscan U., OH

Robert Blabolil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Catholic U., DC

Daniel Blanchfield . . . . . . . . . . . . . King’s College, PA

William Boturla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Monmouth Univ., PA

Paul Brandenburg . . . . . . . . . James Madison U., VA

Jastindeep Brar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rutgers College

Mark Brubaker. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Loyola College, MD

Philip Campos. . . . . . . . . . Middlesex County College

Andrew Carlson. . . . . . . . . . . Northeastern Univ., MA

Kevin Carpenter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Boston College

Alfred Carpetto. . . . . . . . . . . Muhlenberg College, PA

Dennis Casey . . . . . . . . . . Middlesex County College

Gregory Caulfield . . . . . . . . . . University of Maryland

Philip Chang. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rutgers

David Chin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bloomfield College, NJ

Joseph Chmielewski . . . . . . Montclair State Univ., NJ

James Clarkin . . . . . . . . . . George Washington Univ.

John Clyde. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Catholic U., DC

James Colline. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fairfield Univ., CT

Anthony Corrente . . . . . . . . . . . . Loyola College, MD

Nicholas DeBari. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Univ. of Scranton

Mark DelMonaco . . . . . . . . . . . LaSalle University, PA

Thomas DeLorenzo . . . . . . St. Joseph University, PA

Kyle DePew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Providence College, RI

Daniel Deverin . . . . . . . . . . . . . Univ. of Rhode Island

Calvin DeVries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tufts

Robert DiDario . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kean Univ., NJ

Kevin Dillon . . . . . . . . . . . Rochester Institute of Tech

Antonio Dominguez . . . . . . St. Joseph University, PA

Christopher Duggan. . . . . . . East Stroudsburg U., PA

Charles Dunn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lehigh, PA

Kyle Encinas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . American U., DC

Daniel Erhardt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Montclair University

Kenneth Estrellas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brown

Anthony Etzold . . . . . . . . . . St. Joseph University, PA

Anthony Falgares . . . . . . . . . . McDaniel College, MD

Michael Fanelli . . . . . . . . . . . . U.S. Military Academy

Brian Farley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Felician College, NJ

Gregory Fatianow . . . . . . . Middlesex County College

Sean Fernandes . . . . . . . . . . . . Caldwell College, NJ

Nicholas Filippis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . The College of N.J.

William Flanagan, Jr. . . . . . . . . . Ramapo College, NJ

Michael Gaetano . . . . . . . Delaware Community Coll.

Sean Gahagan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Loyola College, MD

Daniel Garrihy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Boston College

Sean Gilmartin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bucknell, PA

Brendan Gilmartin . . . . . . . George Washington Univ.

Stefan Gramp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Georgetown

Hardeep Grewal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rutgers

Geoffrey Grochmal. . . . . . . George Washington Univ.

Eric Groething. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N.J. City State Univ.

Juan Guerra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N.Y.U.

Michael Guibleo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Quinnipiac, CT

Lucas Hadyka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Music Career

Jeffrey Hancaviz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . U.S. Army

Michael Harris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ramapo College, NJ

Glenn Hayes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fordham, NY

Thomas Heaney . . . . . . . . . . . . . St. John’s Univ., NY

George Helock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rider Univ., NJ

Ryan Hendriksen. . . . . . . . . University of the Arts, PA

Ryan Herits . . . . . . . . . . . . . Trinity-Pawling Prep, NY

David Heuwetter . . . . . . . . . . . . U.S. Naval Academy

Richard Hille . . . . . . . . . . . . St. Joseph University, PA

Jeffrey Horvath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kean Univ., NJ

Timothy Hughes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Univ. of Scranton

Christopher Hurler . . . . . . . . . . . . The College of N.J.

Julian Isidro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Villanova, PA

Scott Jenkins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The College of N.J.

John Jenks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . University of Florida

Matthew Jensen . . . . . . . . . . . . . Loyola College, MD

Justin Johnson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Univ. of Scranton

Ryan Kaczka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Univ. of Scranton

Andrew Kampe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Old Dominion, VA

John Karczewski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hofstra Univ., NY

Edward Kebbekus . . . . . . . . . West Chester Univ., PA

Kevin Kibala. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The College of N.J.

Brian Kilijanski . . . . . . . . . Middlesex County College

Mark Koza . . . . . . . . . . . . U. of St. Andews, Scotland

Vincent Langone. . . . . . . . Middlesex County College

Roseller Lapitan. . . . . . . . . . . . . Rutgers-Engineering

Thomas Layton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Villanova, PA

Sean Leary . . . . . . . . . . . . Middlesex County College

James Leithauser . . . . . . . . . Northeastern Univ., MA

Michael Licciardi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rutgers

Philip Lindner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Univ. of Scranton

Vincent Lopez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rutgers

John Lucas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Monmouth Univ., NJ

Joseph Maccie . . . . . . . . . Middlesex County College

Michael Madalone . . . . . . . . . . . . . SUNY - Purchase

Justin Maiure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N.Y. Film Academy

Justin Malone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seton Hall Univ.

Joseph Martin . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sacred Heart Univ. CT

Ryan McDaid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Boston College

Raymond McDonough . . . . . . . . Loyola College, MD

Travis McDougal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seton Hall Univ.

Michael McQueeney . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seton Hall Univ.

Giuliano Messina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Univ. of Hartford

Theodore Midura . . . . . . . . . . . . Rutgers Engineering

John Moll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Villanova, PA

Justin Morgan . . . . . . . . . . . Washington College, MD

Christopher Morrell . . . . Amer. Acad. of Dramatic Arts

John Mount, Jr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The College of N.J.

Ryan Murray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Full Sail

Casey Naiduk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The College of N.J.

Jesse Nanton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seton Hall Univ.

Marc Negri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NJIT

Ramon Negron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lehigh, PA

Brent Nicoll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Univ. of Virginia

Eric Nielsen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SUNY - Albany

John Nolan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Boston College

Connor O’Brien-Smith . . . . . . . . . . Philadelphia Univ.

Jason Olenchak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Univ. of Hartford

Victor Otero. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rutgers-Pharmacy

Lester Owens. . . . . . . . . . . College of Mt. St. Vincent

Matthew Owens . . . . . . . . . . . . . St. John’s Univ., NY

Gregory Owsiany . . . . . . . . St. Joseph University, PA

John Pacheco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rutgers

Matthew Pana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seton Hall Univ.

David Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kean Univ., NJ

Matthew Parkinson . . . . . . . . . . . Loyola College, MD

Hemal Patel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Northeastern Univ., MA

Sumeet Patel . . . . . . . . . . . Univ. of the Sciences, PA

Joseph Pawelczak . . . . . . . . . . . Monmouth Univ., NJ

Miguel Perez. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Penn State

Jeremy Peters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N.J.I.T.

Christopher Phan. . . . . . . . . . . . Rutgers Engineering

Jeffrey Pierik-Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N.J.I.T.

Andrew Pinto . . . . . . . . . . Middlesex County College

Parks Pirkle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bucknell, PA

Eric Plummer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Princeton

Tyler Preston . . . . . . . . . . . Univ. of the Sciences, PA

Adam Pruss. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pratt Institute

Edward Prybylko . . . . . . . . . . . . Frostburg State, MD

Daniel Purcell . . . . . . . . . Saint Michael’s College, VT

Joseph Raviola . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cornell

Christopher Reed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rowan Univ., NJ

Sterling Reese. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Drew University, NJ

Matthew Reilley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kean Univ., NJ

Daniel Rizzolo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Univ. of Delaware

Jason Rodriguez . . . . . . . . . . . Univ. of Pennsylvania

Joseph Ruggieri . . . . . . . Saint Michael’s College, VT

Robert Saylo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rennselaer

Peter Schirripa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DePaul U., IL

Andrew Schultz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Quinnipiac, CT

Matthew Scott . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ramapo College, NJ

Matthew Sheptuck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Georgetown

Mark Simsuangco. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Arizona State U.

Anthony Smith Jr . . . . . . . Middlesex County College

Gregory Solimo . . . . . . . . . . Montclair State Univ., NJ

Nicholas Sosnovich . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ohio State Univ.

Gregory Spear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rutgers

Joseph Sperlazzo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rutgers

Sean Stachowiak . . . . . . . . . . . . . Manhattan College

Jeffrey Steward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Villanova, PA

Francois Suhr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rutgers

Matthew Szabo. . . . . . . . . . . . Univ. of Bridgeport, CT

Gregory Szaro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rider Univ., NJ

Ryan Szur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Penn State

Leo Tabayoyong . . . . . . . . . . Northeastern Univ., MA

Ian Taylor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fordham, NY

Scott Taylor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The College of N.J.

Matthew Tietjen . . . . . . . . . . Florida Institute of Tech.

Vincent Trasente . . . . . . . . . . . . . The College of N.J.

Anthony Tunnero . . . . . . . . . . . . . Drew University, NJ

Christopher Turkiewicz . . . . . . . . The College of N.J.

Sandy Tzetzos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rutgers

Francis Varrichio. . . . . . . . . . . Coast Guard Academy

Joseph Vastola . . . . . . . . . Middlesex County College

Daniel Verello. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The College of N.J.

John Virack. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . St. Peter’s College, NJ

Errol Watson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Univ. of Connecticut

Kenneth Widgeon . . . . . . . . . . The Hotchkiss School

Eric Wilkinson . . . . . . . . . . . . Franklin College, Switz.

William Woodard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hope College, MI

Thomas Zaniewski . . . . . . . . . . Drexel University, PA

Alan Zastrow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rutgers

Matthew Zelehoski . . . . . . . . . . Seton Hall University

Daniel Zygiel . . . . . . . . . . Raritan Valley Comm. Coll.