By Taras Holovko & Kevin Stephen

MANAGING EDITORS

New Jersey is said to be the most competitive state in terms of college admissions. Despite that, seven St. Joe’s students were accepted to Ivy League schools.

For these seniors, the accep-tances represented a culmination of their efforts and dedication throughout high school. “I feel incredible,” said Agustin Zavala, who is attending Princeton Uni-versity next year. “The fact that all those years of hard work paid off is amazing.”

Throughout their four years

at St. Joe’s, the students have impressive resumes.

Robert Barrett:A valuable member of The

Vignette staff and the College Bowl team, Barrett utilized his outstanding academic perfor-mance throughout high school to vie for an envied spot on the Cornell accepted list. As an established writer and editor for St. Joe’s esteemed literary magazine, The Vignette, Barrett wrote a stunning application essay.

Accepted to and attending Cornell.

Carter Coudriet:In his four years at St. Joe’s,

Coudriet involved himself in nearly every facet of high school. As one of the most accomplished students in extracurriculars, he earned positions as Student Coun-cil President, Editor-in-Chief of The Falcon, and involved him-self in National Honor Society and a variety of academic clubs. He focused his efforts outside of school in the NJ Youth and Government Program, becoming the Editor-in-Chief of the Press Corps, attending the Conference on National Affairs multiple times, and leading the St. Joseph MUN/YAG delegation to new heights.

Accepted to and attending University of Pennsylvania.

Jon Frey:Moving in a unique direction,

Frey, the President of the National Honor Society, took his place on the nationally accredited College Bowl team, contributing to the team’s success in its history compe-titions for the last four years. Frey has also been an active member of our school’s Model UN & Youth and Government delegation. Out-side of school, Frey made it his duty to serve his community, par-ticipating in a missionary project to Tijuana, Mexico annually. He has also been awarded Eagle Rank, the highest award in Scouting, for his accomplishments.

Accepted to and attending Brown.

By Carson CoudrietSCHOOL NEWS EDITOR

Despite being one of the most stressful stages of life, high school can still be a time of great personal growth. Each graduate walks out of high school with feelings of pride and accomplishment, and Justin Lin and Anmol Johal have done more than enough to deserve said feelings of satisfaction.

Lin has earned the title of Valedictorian for the St. Joseph Class of 2016 by attaining the highest GPA, and Johal has followed, becoming Salutatorian after accumulating the second-highest GPA in his four years.

Valedictorian Justin Lin has proven that he is deserving of this title both in and out of the classroom. During his four years, Lin recorded an approximate 4.86 GPA, although that barely scratches the surface of his accomplishments.

At St. Joe’s, Lin served as a member of the Math League, along with Science League, Science National Honor Society, Asian Club, the College Bowl team, the History Bowl team, and, for two years, the Spring Basket-ball League.

Outside of St. Joe’s, Justin Lin has done his best to give back to the community.

“I often volunteer at my church youth group, along with various volunteering at my local library and nursing home,” stated the Class of 2014 Valedictorian.

Lin will look to continue his excellence at Cornell University - College of Engineer-ing, as he joins six other Falcons in the 2014 graduating class attending Ivy League Schools. Right now, he is deciding between majoring in Chemical Engineering or Electronic and Computer Science.

Salutatorian Anmol Johal has produced a resume just as impressive throughout his career at St. Joe’s, also scoring a GPA in the 4.8 range. Johal was also extremely busy in extracurricular activities, taking part in sev-eral clubs, including Medical Club, Psychol-ogy Club, Spring Basketball, Flag Football, Vignette, Science League, and Math League, along with Science NHS and the National Honor Society.

The Salutatorian was also an active partici-pant in volunteer work outside of St. Joe’s, spending a lot of his time volunteering at JFK Hospital. The Rutgers-bound Johal plans to utilize his medical background in the future, as he hopes to major in biology and then attend medical school to become a surgeon. “Eventually, I’d like to open up a hospital or a really big group practice,” said Johal, as he discussed his plans for the future.

Along with their own individual successes, Lin and Johal are still immensely grateful to St. Joe’s.

“The teachers really care about what they teach and really help you develop a love for

learning,” remarked Justin Lin. “Also, with such a great senior class and underclassmen moving up, you really feel challenged to reach your full potential.”

Of course, St. Joe’s has been a place of huge personal development for all students, and will

surely be missed by the Class of 2014. Lin agreed: “Most of all, I’ll miss the really close bond you have with your friends at St. Joe’s.”

After four years, Justin Lin and Anmol Johal have truly earned the titles of Valedictorian and Salutatorian.

By Lucas PickSTAFF WRITER

In 2011, 3,244 New Jersey car crashes involved the use of cellular devices. Thirty-one percent of all traffic fatalities resulted from DUIs. Collisions have consistently been the leading cause of teenage death both in-state and nationwide.

U Got Brains is a statewide organi-zation dedicated to encouraging safe driving and limiting accidents among young motorists. Since 2011, St. Joe’s has been spreading the word of safe driving through the U Got Brains Champion Schools Program.

U Got Brains Champion Schools Program aims to serve the teenage community by supporting safe and

responsible driving. For the past three years, U Got Brains has sponsored a con-test which has suc-cessfully expanded to approximately sixty high schools. Participating schools create projects with revolving themes that include short movies and com-munity contact.

In 2011, St. Joe’s won a driving simulator for their project, Death by Texting. Returning to the program in 2013, the Falcons presented Into the Dark, which addressed the issue of drunk driving. The 2014 endeav-or was coordinated by ten students from S.A.D.D. in conjunction with the Film Club, and was moderated by

Mr. Eugene Tyrell ’75 and Dr. Adele Ellis. The movie, titled A Car is a Weapon when You Treat it Like a Toy, focuses on the dangers of recklessness driving, texting, racing, drinking and even changing the radio station while on the road.

As part of the project, participants sent parts of their video to Brothers of the Sacred Heart schools across the country. They also recruited a State Farm representative to speak to

Our Finest Falcons –

Valedictorian Justin Lin and Salutatorian Anmol Johal

Falcons take on the Ivy League

2014 Sports Report Card

PAGE 5

PAGE 3

Vol. LVI Number 6 The Student Newspaper of St. Joseph High School May 2014/Graduation

stjoes.orgValedictorian Justin Lin

By Greg BurtonSTAFF WRITER

This coming August, a group of St. Joe’s students will head down to West Virginia for a week to participate in this year’s ses-sion of the JusticeworX program. This program is facilitated by the Center for Faith Justice, and orga-nized by St. Joe’s alumnus Rocky Balsamo. As in past years, over the course of the week students will serve the West Virginia com-munity through volunteer actions, like local construction projects. In addition, a new element of the program has been introduced this year, allowing students who are unable to go to Appalachia to help with service projects in Trenton.

Last year, St. Joseph students, along with students from other

New Jersey schools, took part in this same JusticeworX pro-gram. Projects over the course of the week included putting up dry wall and framing at the Dunlow, WV community center, helping to construct a new deck for an impoverished family, and organiz-ing books in a nearby library. Jack Malague ’15, a student who partic-ipated in the program last summer, commented that “I’m so lucky to be able to live in a place like Metuchen… and it seems like my duty as a Catholic and as a human being to help the people that aren’t so lucky. JusticeworX allowed me, and the other people on the trip, to fulfill that duty.” Students in West Virginia and Trenton will have that same opportunity to serve their community, and will represent St. Joe’s while doing so.

As stated by the program website, “JusticeworX instills in young people an awareness of social justice through experiences of faith in action,” and it is these experiences that SJHS students will be a part of over the course of a week this summer. Along with other NJ high school students, members of the St. Joes com-munity will get a chance, through the JusticeworX program, to give back to those who need their help the most.

JusticeworX goes to West Virginia, Trenton

Continued on page 2

Summer Movie PreviewThe Falcon

stjoes.orgSalutatorian Anmol Johal

St. Joe’s got brains

faithjustice.org

Continued on page 3

ugotbrains.com

2 THE FALCON May 2014

By Liam FormisanoSTAFF WRITER

Throughout the course of the year, St. Joe’s students have ben-efited from numerous opportunities to learn from international students, both home and abroad. This year, British and French exchange stu-dents were welcomed into the Falcon community as they visited the US on their school breaks. Exchange programs, like the ones St. Joe’s participates in, are widely recognized as beneficial for all par-ties involved because they allow for inter-cultural learning.

The popularity of such exchange programs is a direct reflection of the ever-increasing interconnected-ness of the world as a whole. Study Abroad programs at colleges and universities have seen even greater growth than their high school coun-terparts as more and more students realize the importance of having a global perspective in this day and age. In fact, many schools today are including study abroad as key component of a complete education because of the numerous benefits of international study. The cultural immersion and education offered

by exchange programs draws over 3.7 million students annually to venture from their home for such a life-changing experience.

It is for those reasons that the international students visited St. Joe’s this year. Beginning with the British “invasion” in October and culminating in the second semester experience with the French stu-dents, Falcons were able to have classes, eat meals, and altogether bond with students from other countries.

St. Joe’s students seeking to fur-ther immerse themselves in for-

eign life and culture are offered the opportunity to venture to Europe this summer as exchange students. There are still openings for the trip to England this summer that runs from June 29 to July 8. Also, inter-ested Falcons can choose to fly to France and spend June 17 to July 1 as exchange students. Addition-ally, St. Joe’s families are needed to host students from Brazil when they visit the school next year from October 5 to 17. Anyone interested in these immersive and impactful experiences can contact either Mr. Walsh or Mrs. Ciktor.

By Stephan KozubEDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Over its long and varied history, The Falcon has been a source of news and entertainment for stu-dents, and, in some cases, a source of change in the school. Likewise, the newspaper itself has undergone several alterations since its incep-tion. The changes coming this year, however, are numerous even by The Falcon’s standards. Here’s a look at some of the changes currently in the works:

1.) Website: Possibly the big-gest update coming to The Fal-con will be the development of an online edition. With the addition of an Online Editor and an Assis-tant Online Editor to the editorial board, the groundwork for this goal has already been laid. The idea behind this is to make articles more accessible to readers, and give the writers the ability to publish more articles to cover more topics than are allowed by the confines of an eight page newspaper. While this is still a work in progress, keep an eye

out for The Falcon’s online edition in the coming year.

2.) Subject Editors: For those that have read past editions of The Fal-con, they’ll notice the absence of the Associate Editor position. In order to stream line the editorial process and add more structure to the edit-ing process and the newspaper as a whole, the Associate Editor posi-tions have been replaced by subject editors. These include: Schools News Editor; U.S. & World News Editor; Clubs & Activities Editor; Opinion Editor; and also the already

existing role of Sports Editor.3.) Set Topic Pages: Previously,

the only page that had a set topic and location in the newspaper was the sports page. Going along with having subject editors, there will be set pages corresponding to each topic. For example, there will be a set page for articles covering U.S. and World news, and a set page for Clubs & Activities updates. The purpose of this is to add more structure to the paper so it is easier to read and so the newspaper looks more professional and appealing overall.

By Michael DrabichCLUBS & ACTIVITIES EDITOR

Seeing a production by the St. Joseph Theater Com-pany was an eye-opening and unforgettable experience. Upon entering the gathering space outside the cafeteria for an eve-ning performance of their lat-est spring musical, Paint Your Wagon, one could sense the hustle and bustle of preparation before the start of the show.

After purchasing my tickets, I found a seat, settled in, and began flicking through my play bill. I waited with bated breath for the dimming of the lights and the hum of the opening overture. My ears were met pleasantly with the sound of cheery and rollicking tunes that captured the hearts of audi-ence members and the core of the play’s setting, effortlessly beckoning me into the western frontier of nineteenth century Americana.

Paint Your Wagon was originally on Broadway in the 1950s, and was made into a film in 1969 starring Clint East-wood, Jean Seberg, and Lee Marvin. The story illustrates the frontier lifestyle during the California Gold Rush in a charming yarn based around a passionate group of dreamers with a touch of musicality.

The protagonist Ben Rum-son, played by senior David Siy, is a likable character with a caring heart who wants the

best for his town of Rumson, and its noble population of 900, almost all of whom are men, as the story opens, with the excep-tion of Rumson’s daughter Jen-nifer. David Siy’s enthralling performance of this patriarch figure was the musical’s central character development.

The set and costume design contributed to making the per-formance a feasible period piece. I was very impressed by the professionalism and work-manship that made the play all the more enjoyable. The cast and crew of Paint Your Wagon should be proud of the work they put forth.

The show was exceedingly entertaining and enjoyed by all. If one thing can be said for them, the St. Joseph Theater Company certainly deserves their own round of applause.

The new face of The Falcon

SPRING PLAY REVIEW:

‘Paint Your Wagon’

Published by the students of St. Joseph High School

145 Plainfield Ave., Metuchen, NJ 08840

732-549-7600 ext 261 www.stjoes.org

Volume LVI, No. 6 May 2014/ Graduation

Editor-in-Chief: Stephan KozubManaging Editors: Taras HolovkoKevin Stephen

Online Editor:Anthony Colucci

Assistant Online Editor:Brendan MoreauSchool News Editor:Carson Coudriet

US & World News Editor:Adekunle Balogun

Clubs & Activities Editor:Michael Drabich

Opinion Editor:Sean HollandSports Editor:

Brandon GoldyHead Photographer Peter Coronato

Staff Writers:Greg Burton

Max ChadwickCJ Connet

Liam FormisanoJohn FrescoTrevor JonesRohan Mishra

Thomas MorrisonElrod OwusuLucas Pick

John Henry RiccardiMohit VarmaGeorge Ibuna

Carter CoudrietKyle TerracianoKaranveer JohalCharlie Butrico

Sijo DevasiaLuke O’KeefeDylan Oelkers

Faculty Moderator: Dr. Robert Longhi, ‘81

Principal: Mr. John Anderson, ‘70

President: Mr. Lawrence Walsh, ‘68

The Falcon welcomes articles from stu-dents, parents and faculty members for consideration for publication. All arti-cles are subject to editing. The opinions expressed in The Falcon do not neces-sarily represent the opinions of faculty or administration. Opinions expressed in any column except those of the editors are not necessarily those of the editors.

Graphics and Printing by Media Trends, Metuchen, NJ

(732) 548-7088

Students get global perspectives

Photo by Michael Drabich

FAREWELL EDITORIALWhat does it mean to be a Falcon?

By Carter CoudrietRETIRING EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

How does one sum up the last four years?

I will actually start with Nikhil Mathur, who was the first to show me what being a Falcon means. As I walked out of the Freshman Student Council Election after Freshman Cup, some kid I had never seen before pulled me aside and said, “Hey Carter, I want to let you know I voted for you, and I thought your speech was cool.”

It was a small interchange, but unfor-gettable. Such random and unprompted support seemed incredible, yet I soon found that this sort of casual friendli-ness was the norm in the St. Joes com-munity. Even the weirder interactions I shared (name five cereals, Buzy) evolved into lasting bonds with an amazing group of friends.

Perhaps the coolest facet of being a Falcon is that group itself, comprised of a plethora of backgrounds yet still able to strive cohesively. Walking down the hallway, I could fist-bump friends as diverse as Jack Mehr and Kyle Grz-eszczak and think nothing of it. That is one of many wonders at St. Joe’s: you are able to be yourself and still mesh with anybody else willing to embrace the brotherhood.

This familial feeling, paired with the facilitative academic atmosphere, brought us even closer together. Meisenbacher, who is now my best friend, and I became friends because we would constantly face off in Mr. Hayman’s class (I still have the first pop quiz on which I scored a 100, you a 90. Bang bang.). Farley and I would stay up past midnight a couple nights a week junior year just to help each other study for AP Chemistry or peer review for English. At St. Joe’s, the academic aspect of school was not isolated; it was

blended in with our social lives, which helped each of us succeed at the high level we did.

However, that does not mean that the community was confined to classroom matters. One of my fondest Falcon memories was the legendary Battle of Plainfield Avenue, when James Ziemba directed probably a quarter of the stu-dent body over to Bishop Ahr, where Matt Olivo delivered the biggest hit I have ever seen, Vikas and Nico stormed the field at halftime, and Andrew Rush sealed our first football victory over the Trojans down the road. Even the Rock Incident brought us together, as we all observed in awe the awesome (but obviously against the rules and therefore not the St. Joe’s Way) feat accomplished by Luke Syslo, Chris Welle, and company.

However, no moment epitomizes what being a Falcon means to me bet-ter than one that took place hundreds of miles away in West Virginia on JusticeworX. One of the nights of the service retreat, I sat with ten of the other seniors about two hours after curfew, squeezed into a remote corner of the barrack and eating snacks we smuggled in. We were not having any profound or cathartic conversation; we were simply talking as if we had known each other our whole lives.

That is what being a Falcon means. It means embracing the brotherhood on all levels, from cheering at games to opening up to each other in the school store to simply standing together to promote what is right for the Student Body. No obstacle, whether economic, bureaucratic, or emotional, will be too big for us, for we will always be Fal-cons, and we will always flock together.

One last thing. A ton of people have played an incredible role in my high school career, but none were more

© Roland Nagy/123RF.COMMany schools today include study abroad as a key educational com-ponent .

Haochen Li:Indubitably the most mathemat-

ically inclined of the troupe, Li, an international student, achieved state and national recognition for his achievement in our Math League and Science League com-petitions. A National AP Scholar, Haochen attained twelve 5’s on AP exams in his first three years of high school, as well as perfect scores on several subject SAT tests.

Accepted to and attending Princeton.

Justin Lin:The valedictorian of the Class

of 2014 (refer to front page article), Lin also concentrated on the sciences, attending the New Jersey Governor’s School of Engineering and Technology in the summer of his senior year. Accepted to and attending Cornell.

Mark Tamakloe: Fellow graduating students

chose one word to describe

Tamakloe: hardworking. Mark diversified his resume by par-taking in numerous activities in school, including Science League, NHS, Umoja Club, French Club, Medical Club, and winter and spring track. Out of school, Tamakloe has served his com-munity as an altar server for ten years. He was awarded the acco-lade of National Achievement Semifinalist this year. Accepted to Princeton, University

of Pennsylvania. Attending Princeton.

Agustin Zavala:Zavala, the #2 scorer in New

Jersey for the 2012-2013 Chem-istry I Science League competi-tion, concentrated his focus on the field of science, attending the Governor’s School for Science at Princeton with Lin in the summer of 2013. Additionally, he thrives outside of school as a dexterous concert pianist, having performed at Carnegie Hall two times.Accepted to Princeton, Columbia,

Yale, University of Pennsylva-nia. Attending Princeton.

Falcons take on Ivy LeagueContinued from page 1

Continued on page 3

May 2014 THE FALCON 3

By Mohit VarmaSTAFF WRITER

With summer just around the cor-ner, spending your days at the mov-ies is always the perfect pastime, and some of the movies coming out this summer are simply a must-watch.

The epic action movie, “The Edge of Tomorrow,” makes its debut on June 6. This movie unfolds in the

near future, where an unassailable alien race has hit Earth in a merci-less assault. The movie is based on the acclaimed novel “All You Need is Kill” by Hiroshi Sakurazaka, and definitely seems to be an interesting watch, with the plot based on the responsibility of one sole man to save the world all by himself.

Releasing on June 13, the hilari-ous duo of Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum return in their new movie “22

Jump Street.” In this sequel, the duo goes undercover at a local college on a journey of self-realization.

Debuting on July 11, “The Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” is a high budget sci-fi movie. A growing nation of genetically evolved apes is threatened by a band of human survivors and a catastrophic virus. Both sides are brought to the brink of war, which will decide who is actually the most dominant species on this planet.

Finally, releasing on August 15, “The Giver” has attracted a lot of attention. The film is based on Lois Lowry’s novel of the same name, which was the winner the 1994 New-bury Medal and sold over 10 million copies worldwide. The plot of the film will be the same as that of the novel, which centered on the main character living in a colorless, ideal world of conformity.

By Karanveer JohalRETIRING ASSOCIATE EDITOR

From television, to radio, to newspapers and mail, to the (rela-tively) new medium of the Inter-net, information is available to people in a multitude of ways. As the world expands the ways it exchanges information, groups must change along with them as they branch out to utilize these new mediums. St. Joseph High School is no different. Until recently, the only real force St. Joe’s held on the World Wide Web was its home website, stjoes.org, where it hosts a mass of information.

However, because the recent emergence of popular social

media has led to the influx of students, parents, and a l u m n i o n specific sites,

St. Joe’s has taken steps to reach out and connect to those people.

As of now, both a Facebook page and a Twitter handle have been created to connect to peo-ple online and spread the word of St. Joe’s. They also serve to highlight the accomplishments of our students, most recently including Senior Karl Anthony Towns’ selection and participation in the McDonald’s All-American Game at Chicago’s United Center. Additionally, the sites serve as

online locations where members of the high school community can be continually updated on the various events happening around St. Joes, whether it be Student Council-run Car Shows, Volley-ball and Lacrosse games, or the ever-exciting FIRST Robotics competition.

No matter what it is, St. Joe’s is taking strides to make sure the community is up to date in all that the school has to offer. Expect to see the administration pushing for more involvement through the online social media channels with the students, or a spread of St. Joe’s influence to other social media sites in the coming school years.

By Sijo DevasiaSTAFF WRITER

With the school year coming to a close and events seeming to die down, one event stands supremely unique, energy-packed, and well-attended: the Senior Cup. Senior Cup took place on April 14, where the seniors were able to miss classes and reunite with their individual homeroom classes from freshman year.

The homerooms for the Class of 2014 sported the names: Longhi’s Longhorns, Mahoney’s Misfits, Viral’s Variables, Hayman’s Hur-ricanez, The Burzerkers, Guber-naut’s Argonauts, and Brother Matt’s Brothers. The winner from freshman year of 2010-2011 was Mahoney’s Misfits. However, they lost their title unexpectedly to the new victors, Hayman’s Hurricanez.

The event itself was moderated by Ms. Backlund with juniors serv-ing as event coordinators. Games were broken into 40 minute slots which pitted one team against another. Events included Kickball, Volleyball, Frisbee, and Steal the Bag. “I felt the overall atmosphere of the day was thrilling, and I felt that I truly carried the team in all activities,” said Team Captain Chase Uy of Brother Matt’s Brothers. “I particularly loved Frisbee, in which I scored nearly nine times.”

The day ended with a selection of three students from each senior cup team to participate in a round of knockout. “I couldn’t imagine a more successful, well-planned, and amazing way to end of the

senior year,” said Team Captain Christopher Francis Habijan of The Burzekers. “Though my team lost, I felt we, as an entire student body, personified the Falcon Spirit.”

The majority of seniors thought the weather was ideal, and the activities were well explained and coordinated.

“I can’t imagine what I am going to do when I leave St. Joe’s,” said senior Luke O’ Keefe.”It will always hold a special place in my heart.”

By Kyle TerraccianoRETIRING MANAGING EDITOR

1. On April 6, Student Council held its first annual car show. A whop-

ping 112 cars turned out for the event, and $3,500 was raised. All proceeds from the event benefited an alum-nus who is suffering from a rare form of bone cancer. The car show was spearheaded by senior Sean Quigley. “Running the event was an amazing experience. It required a lot of plan-ning and organization. Combining my love for cars and knowing this fundraiser was giving back to help

someone in need made it that much more rewarding. My parents instilled in me to always give back, so end-ing my years at St. Joe’s doing that couldn’t have made it any better,” Sean Quigley said.

2. In March, the Robotics team won one of the six district competitions

(Clifton) in MAR. MAR stands for Mid-Atlantic Robotics and consists of all of the teams in New Jersey, Delaware, and eastern Pennsylvania. After a day and a half of seeding matches, Falcon Robotics ranked third at the Clifton District Competition, and pulled off the

victory in the elimination rounds. This is the second time that Falcon Robot-ics has won a competition; the first big win occurred when the Class of 2014 members were freshmen. The team’s win was definitely a great way for the seniors to end their careers.

3. Last month, Campus Ministry col-lected Easter Baskets for Women

Aware, an organization committed to ending domestic violence in the lives of women, children and men. Another collection was held for the organization for Mother’s Day in early May. Students are encouraged to

contribute what they can to charity collections held by Campus Ministry.

Every item donated goes to helping someone in need.

4. On April 4-6, delegates from St. Joe’s attended the Youth and

Government Conference in Trenton. St. Joe’s had a number of award winners and multiple students were elected as officers for next year.

5.Senior John Selesky IV was named the Edison Rotary Senior

of the Month. At the award ceremony, the other 19 Falcons named as Stu-dents of the Month over the course of the school year were also honored.

Driver’s Education classes about the risks of unsafe driving. All students will sign a pledge promising to act responsibly in motor vehicles. Stu-dents and parents alike will receive car magnets, reminding them to fol-low the “St. Joe’s Way,” even on the road.

Between March 31 and April 9, fourteen French exchange students from the Brothers’ school in Lyon visited the campus. To expand out-reach beyond the United States, the French students were invited to watch A Car is A Weapon when You Treat it Like a Toy and test the school’s new driving simulator. They also shared differences between teen driving in France and the United States.

In France, there is not anything equivalent to the GDL program uti-lized here, but instead, drivers are taught domestically and may obtain a license at eighteen. They commented negatively about how the driving and drinking age coincides in France.Overall, the French students were impressed by the project.

Dr. Ellis, Mr. Tyrell, and participat-ing students feel that the 2014 U Got Brains project has met with success. An online poll is available at the U Got Brains website until May 19. Start voting! So far, St. Joe’s has received over 400 votes and looks forward to continued support from the school and local communities. While hoping hard work meets success, students are content with achieving a larger goal – helping the community by encouraging safe driving.

U Got Brains

Photo by John AndersonSenior Cup teams competed against each other in volley-ball as well as in several other activities.

SENIOR CUP: Hurricanez Blow Away Competition

By CJ ConnetSTAFF WRITER

The fourth annual Saint Joe’s Spring 3-on-3 Basketball Tour-nament was a grand contribution toward the Saint Joe’s community. About 90 students, spread out through 19 teams, participated in the tournament.

The tournament raised an astounding $550, to be donated to the Kevin Reihnhart Foundation and the Wounded Warriors Project. After several exciting games over the course of the tournament, it was The Fighting Irish consisting of Captain Aaron Washington, Raven Owen, Pat Kirk, and Aring-ton Joiner that defeated Gamboa’s Goons in the championship game.

A crowd gathered during break in the gym to witness this champi-onship game on May 1st. A similar crowd was also assembled on April 30 to watch the semi-final games in which the first-seeded team in the Eastern Division, Gamboa’s Goons, defeated the third-seeded Better than the Sixers 40 -28, and the first-seeded team in the West-ern Division, The Fighting Irish,

defeated the second-seeded team, Rob Noonan, 42-38.

On May 2, Matt Scull of The Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Aaron Washington of The Fighting Irish, Tyler Vitale of The Wacky Waving Arm-Flailing Inflatable Tube Men, Brandon Goldy of Rob Noonan, and Killian Gundry of Better than the Sixers were named as the All Spring Basketball team.

Also, the Coach Yunker Hustle Award went to Anthony Patikows-ki of Dream Team 2.2. Captain of Gamboa’s Goons, Junior Danny Gamboa, who was named the league’s MVP, gave his opinion on the tournament: “It was an amazing experience to get to play some basketball especially when all the while it’s raising money for our veterans. The games were always a good time with friendly competition and camaraderie. I urge everyone who can to partici-pate in the tournament next year.”

Most of the tournament was held outside on the blacktop, but due to inhibiting weather the semi-final round and the championship round were held in the gym at break.

Sports Debate Club

thegiverfilm.com“The Giver” comes out Aug. 15.

Irish top Goons for Spring Basketball title

Movies 2014 – Summer Edition

Continued from page 1

Photo by CJ ConnetStudents of the Sports Debate Club gather to discuss the annual NFL Draft and share their predictions on what athletes the teams will draft.

St. Joe’s reaches out with social media

The Falcon Fast Five

imperative than that lady in the Dean’s Office who gives out detentions, candy, and legitimate guidance to hundreds of us. Most people do not know that our first year at St. Joe’s was my mom’s as well, so in a way, our gradu-ation is hers, too. Therefore, on behalf of St. Joe’s, thank you to the beautiful, intelligent, incred-ible Mrs. Coudriet, who showed me most of all what it means to be a Falcon.

To be a FalconContinued from page 2

Photo by Peter CoronatoSt. Joe’s had its first annual car show in April.

imdb.comTom Cruise stars in “The Edge of Tomorrow.”

4 THE FALCON May 2014

By Adekunle BalogunU.S. AND WORLD NEWS EDITOR

As the world changes and grows, people feel the effects of both wonderful events and extreme calamities. Sadly, on April 16, 2014, a true tragedy occurred: a South Korean ferry, traveling from Incheon to Jeju, sank near the southwest coast of the country.

As if the initial catastrophe was not enough, the details surround-ing the sinking have increased the grief felt by families and friends. As one lead after another is released, this story becomes a mixing pot of questions without answers. What caused this ferry, carrying nearly 300 South Korean youth, to sink? And why did these events turn out how they did?

What seemed to start as an enjoyable journey took a turn for the worse within a short amount of time. Passing the coast of South Korea, the ferry began to danger-ously tilt. According to the LA Times, as a first reaction, the pas-sengers made jokes and compared the ferry to the Titanic. By the time they realized that they were in a serious situation, it was too late.

The ferry was transporting a total of 476 people when it cap-sized and sank. Among those

passengers were 325 high school students. By the following day, 213 people had been confirmed as killed in the accident and 81 were declared missing.

However, what really created a stir and what many directly blamed for the entire incident is the fact that the crew, 14 members and the captain, abandoned the ship as it was sinking. Accord-ing to the LA Times, the ferry’s captain, Lee Joon-seok, was seen being helped into a rescue boat while hundreds were drowning in the sinking ferry.

On our own Falcon campus,

students and faculty gave their thoughts on the story. When asked to share his opinion on the situa-tion, Br. Ron said, “Knowing that the captain and crew did little to help, it is a true tragedy, espe-cially with all the young people who died. Overall, this was a sad situation.”

Rober t Joseph Mar t in J r. affirmed Br. Ron’s comments, saying, “The South Korean ferry incident was a real tragedy. It is just a reminder of how the world can be and how the world changes. We have to look at how to fix these problems in the future.”

By Greg BurtonSTAFF WRITER

Ever since protestors forced the resignation of President Victor Yanukovych in February, events in Ukraine have quickly grown in significance on the world stage. After Mr. Yanukovych resigned, Pro-Russian troops occupied the region known as Crimea, which then voted by referendum to join Russia. Russia proceeded to annex Crimea, leading to both a foreign and domes-tic struggle for Ukraine.

Recently, further strife has arisen within Ukraine, with Pro-Russian rebels (thought to be or be led by Russian troops) seizing or attempt-ing to take control of multiple administrative centers in the eastern Ukrainian provinces of Kharkiv, Svyotogorsk, and Donetsk. This, along with a buildup of Russian land and air forces near the Ukrainian border, has led to a transfer of many Ukrainian troops to the east of the nation. These events have resulted in a demand by Russian President Vladimir Putin that Ukraine remove her troops from the southeast of the country.

In addition to foreign troubles, Ukraine faces domestic upheaval

as well. Ukraine’s acting president, Oleksandr Turchynov, has issued a decree that, in light of possible military action in the near future, men from the ages of eighteen to twenty-five will be drafted into the Ukrainian Armed Forces. This will bolster the weak defense forces that Ukraine has now, which are estimated to stand at roughly 70,000 men.

With a crucial presidential elec-tion coming up, the internal spot-light for Ukraine falls primarily on one candidate, Yulia Timoshenko, who announced her candidacy after being released from a prison sentence imposed by Mr. Yanukovych. Ms. Timoshenko leads the polls in her campaign, and has proposed initia-tives to get her nation back on track, such as the entry of Ukraine into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Over the past months, Ukraine has risen to be an important issue on the international stage. The events of recent days, along with events yet to come, will influence international affairs. Some have speculated that if the situation deteriorates further, a second Cold War could arise. With impending elections, mobilization, and insurgency, the nation is in flux and the world must watch and wait.

By Thomas MorrisonSTAFF WRITER

The XL1 is a new concept car by Volkswagen that gets an astounding 283 miles per gallon. Driving across America, coast to coast, in the XL1, would cost no more than $60.

The XL1 has all the visible aspects of an exotic supercar. It has a streamlined design, butterfly wing doors, a carbon fiber body, and is a solid 45.4 inches tall, lower than a Lamborghini Gallardo. The XL1 is a supercar of a different origin and it paints a picture of what cars will look like in the future.

A two-cylinder turbo diesel engine sits in the trunk, right next to a smaller electric motor. The XL1 puts out 68 horsepower, which is relatively low, but with such high mpg, something has to be sacrificed. It goes from 0-60 in around 12 seconds, but can cruise comfortably on the highway. Electronically limited to 99 miles an hour, the XL1 can be driven like any other car on the road, which actually doesn’t seem too impractical.

Although Volkswagen’s new model lacks certain features like power steering, power breaks, and the

beautiful noise of a giant engine guzzling gas on a highway, the rest of the automobile industry might be headed in the same direction. Volkswagen only made 250 units and the price of the car is predicted to rise to $120,000, but when cars like these hit the production line, the industry is going to change dramatically. This environmentally friendly beast, a pretty good guess of what the future holds, is simply the product of true engineering brilliance and pure ingenuity.

By A Concerned Student

Every year, the commencement of fall marks the dawn of college application season. As the trees begin to lose their leaves from the bitter weather, the seniors start to lose their sanity from the stress.

The whole college process is nothing to joke about, especially for the ravenous overachiever seeking juicy acceptance letters from those tantalizing top-tier universities. He’s not daunted by that single digit percent acceptance rate, yet is completely ignorant of the fact that his score of four on the Advanced Placement U.S History exam is soon going to be the bane of his miserable existence. He shouldn’t have included that on his applica-tion unless he wanted it to be hung up on the “wall of shame” in the admissions department.

Even if one is stressed about his statistically slim chances of being accepted, it’s no big deal. He just needs to pick up a 2400 on his SAT, grab seven 800’s on subject tests, score thirteen 5’s on self-studied AP exams, work six internships, obtain leadership positions in twelve clubs,

be a three-sport varsity athlete, and go on a volunteering trip to Africa. Then maybe that gray-suited alumnus reading his application won’t stamp the papers he passion-ately poured his heart and soul into with a large red “REJECTED.” If the pretentious preppy is fortunate enough to attract the attention of the bureaucrat, his Common App essay has to cleverly cajole the admissions officer into admitting him into one of the top universities in the nation.

A common complaint of the college-bound senior often con-cerns the inequity of the admissions process: “Oh, the injustice of it all!” The unappreciative student laments his deferral from universities, but completely disregards the everyday elementary amenities that he is fortunate to have compared to the impecunious citizens of impover-ished nations. Basic everyday needs as well as luxuries are provided right under his nose, yet he fails to sniff anything but his struggle for scholarly schooling.

Surely, his futile efforts for edifi-cation eclipse the real world prob-lems of those third-world denizens.

Moreover, the student forgets to be grateful for the right to querulously whine about it all. He’s not the one living in fear of being apprehended for lampooning the public school system. At least the United States government doesn’t monitor what he searches online.

In the end, an overly ambitious aspirant tends to neglect cogently considering his priorities when applying to colleges. If his defini-tion of self-actualization is “driving oneself to the grave from innumer-able sleepless nights with six cans of Red Bull at three in the morn-ing,” then he’ll be at the very top of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs in twenty years.

When leaving the house on week-ends and sleeping more than five hours per night for someone is rare, the student is most likely bound for an education, and later an occupa-tion, where he’ll halve his time in a state of slumber. In the end, the student’s success is measured nei-ther by “the number of breaths he takes” nor “the moments that take his breath away,” as Maya Angelou once said, but by the stress he suf-fers and the suffering he stresses.

By Sean HollandOPINION EDITOR

One year ago, the people of Boston stood witness to one of the deadliest acts of terrorism on U.S. soil since the events of 9/11. On April 15, the one year anniversary of the Boston Mara-thon Bombings, the people of Boston stood strong in solemn silence to commemorate the tragic events of a day that will live on in infamy.

A procession, including the family of the bombing’s young-est victim, led the way to the site of the bombing where 3,000 survivors, first responders, and dignitaries attended the memorial ceremony.

At the event, Vice President Joe Biden provided powerful remarks: “America will never, ever, ever stand down. We are Boston. We are America. We respond, we endure, we over-come, and we own the finish

line.” On April 21, the date of the

2014 Boston Marathon, thou-sands of runners came out to send the message that neither Boston nor America will ever give in to terrorism and fear.

For an event branded into the minds and hearts of an entire nation, no words can truly sum up the suffering that the city of Boston endured, but solace can be found in the heroism of those who came to the aid of those in need at a time of crisis for the city.

This perseverance in the face of danger shows that regardless of the magnitude of the attack, or the length of mourning, the people of America will remain strong.

As the nation moves forward from this time of great suffering and as the perseverance of the Boston people is memorialized, only two words can describe those heroes who acted selfless-ly in a time of crisis: “Boston Strong.”

A South Korean Tragedy

Satire: The Suffering of Success

The Ins and Outs of Ukraine

Boston Bombings – One Year Later

Google imagesHundreds of passengers have been pronounced dead or missing since the ferry capsized in April off the South Korean coast.

CURRENT EVENTS

Yahoo imagesViolence and tensions are on the rise as Pro-Russian militants con-tinue to fight Ukrainians in the Crimea and Eastern Ukraine.

nbcnews.comThe Boston Bombings left four dead and hundreds injured, several of whom are still recovering. First responders, other participants in the marathon and bystanders all rushed to help the injured.

i-uv.comAt 283 mpg, the Volkswagen XL1 revolutionizes the industry of fuel efficient cars.

VOLKSWAGON XL1:

Revolutionary concept meets reality

May 2014 THE FALCON 5

Sports Report Card — 2014

Photos by Peter Coronato, Neel Jha and Normandy Studio

By Brandon GoldySPORTS EDITOR

and Anthony ColucciWEB EDITOR

FOOTBALL – AThe football team performed better than

anyone expected, finishing with a final record of 9-1. Winning the White Division with a 9-0 in-conference record was truly the highlight of the season. Under the direc-tion of new head coach Casey Ransone, the team showed determination throughout the season and displayed a desire to succeed, especially in the offseason and during much of the summer. While several of the team’s key seniors will graduate, including run-ning back Matt Olivo, they return many vital players and look to repeat as White Division Champs.

SOCCER – B Under new head coach Brian Jenkins ’98,

the soccer team finished 10 – 10. While the Falcons did not finish as well as they expected, only three team members will be graduating, and the team will return in the fall with almost all of its starters. Glimpses of what the future could hold for the young soccer team came in some of the bigger games of the season, including a close game with perennial state power Scotch Plains that ended with a loss of only 1-0. Expecta-tions are high for next season’s team, with numerous highly skilled rising seniors.

CROSS COUNTRY – B-After losing a very deep senior class to

graduation last year, the St. Joe’s Cross Coun-try team found itself in a rebuilding phase. Chief runner in Coach O’Reilly’s lineup, senior Brandon D’Souza, led the Falcons down the stretch while establishing himself as one of the top runners in New Jersey. The team finished strong with a season record of 5-4 for dual meets, 6th place at the GMC, and 13th place at the state meet.

SWIMMING – AAs the swim team won their 37th con-

secutive county title, most would consider the success of this year’s team to be common. In addition to this, the team finished as Division Champs with a final state ranking of 17th. With the graduation of many key seniors, next year’s success will be dependent on the work put in during the offseason in order to maintain the sacred county title run.

BASKETBALL – A+ The basketball team was yet another suc-

cess story, but this year’s was even greater. Finishing as Red Division Champs and win-ning the GMC title for an unprecedented 5th straight season were not even the highlights for this extremely talented team. The team won the Non-Public A State Championship for the third straight year, and returned to the Tournament of Champions, going on to win the entire tournament. The graduations of 5 key seniors will create a challenging offseason for the Falcons who will look to rebuild this year’s powerhouse.

BOWLING – AFull of individual and team awards, the

bowling team had a successful season. The team won a GMC division championship, finished with a 16-3-1 match record, and looks to keep up the success next year. Along with the players’ accomplishments this season, Head Coach Mr. Fischer was named GMC Coach of the Year. While a few key players will be graduating (Rob Kostakos, Matt Loda and Chris Broderick), there will be an influx of upcoming talent from the sophomore class.

WINTER TRACK – B+Winter track had a very solid season. The team

achieved a third place in the GMC Relays, 5th in State Relays, 2nd overall in the GMCs, and finished 3rd in the State Group Championship. Seniors Pat Conlon and Nick Krute both com-peted in the Winter Meet of Champions for shot put, along with the squad’s 4x400 relay team.

HOCKEY – AAdding to an exciting winter sport season,

the hockey team notched a 13-6-2 record and its 3rd consecutive county championship. The team played many exciting matches against top state talent and finished their season ranked #16 in the state.

TENNIS – AAfter years of mediocrity, last year’s St.

Joe’s tennis team impressed many, and this year’s Falcons did not disappoint. Led by Captain Karanveer Johal, the tennis team had an 8-1 record as of May 4, with its only loss being to Bishop Ahr. Look for the Falcons to continue reestablishing themselves as a top program in New Jersey moving forward with a deep sophomore class, highlighted by Adrian Lee, a nationally and state ranked player who has been the team’s one seed since his freshman season.

LACROSSE – B+As of May 4, lacrosse had an 8-9 record,

unreflective of its talent and season. Eight of the nine losses came out of conference to state and national powers including Summit, Lawrenceville Prep, and Bergen Catholic, as well as two of the top teams in New Eng-land, Bishop Guertin (N.H.) and Needham Broughton (Mass.). The only GMC St. Joe’s loss came to Old Bridge on May 3. Even with the graduation of four varsity players, the team’s battle-tested schedule will make for an experienced group of underclassmen moving toward the future, while also pre-paring the Falcons for this year’s state and county tournaments.

GOLF – B+Following its fourth straight GMC title,

St. Joe’s golf team lost two of the best players in the program’s short history in Brian Fitzpatrick and Steven Taraska. With only two seniors on the team, head coach Mr. Lechner faced the unknown coming into the 2014 season. As of May 4, and

due to a rainy spring, the Falcons were 7-3, only losing to South Brunswick, East Brunswick, and Wall. St. Joe’s has a lot of potential for next year with the return of a very deep junior class including 2013 All-County selection Gabe Rivera, and a talented sophomore class including Tom Summers, Chris Taraska and Peter Coro-nato. Expect them to continue their repu-tation as one of New Jersey’s consistently dominant teams.

VOLLEYBALL – AAfter losing a strong senior class to

graduation, Coach Mr. Cabrita ‘91 was challenged with a rebuilding season and took a young team of players lacking expe-rience and molded them into a solid group capable of beating anyone in the state on any day.

BASEBALL – AThe Falcons turned many heads this

year after a disappointing 2013. As of April 30, St. Joe’s was 12-3, including five shutouts and multiple out of conference wins over perennial powers like Marist, Gloucester Tech, and Caravel (DE). After a mediocre performance last season that was described as “anemic” in a preseason preview, St. Joe’s saw a major improve-ment in 2014 with a team average of .307. Heading into next season, the Falcons will lose a few of its vital players, like Brandon Bielak, to graduation, but a strong nucleus of underclassmen is already rising to fill the seniors’ shoes.

SPRING TRACK – BMuch like the Cross Country Team,

the Track Team felt the Class of 2013’s void this past year. Even with the loss of that talented senior class and under a new coaching staff, the Falcons held their own in both the winter and spring seasons. At the GMC Relays, the team tied for 4th with Monroe, and the shot put team, consisting of Pat Conlon, Brandon Ozbalik, and Nick Krimin, took first place.

FALL

WINTER

SPRING

6 THE FALCON May 2014

By Max ChadwickSTAFF WRITER

Saint Joseph’s has been domi-nant in numerous sports this year. Most notably, our varsity basket-ball team won the Tournament of Champions, crowning the team the best in New Jersey. However, another team has also stood out this year.

The Falcon Chess Team had one of the best seasons in recent school history. Led by Captain Terence Coelho, the Chess Team finished 5th in the state. Coelho said, “I think we improved signifi-cantly this year. We did much bet-ter than we fared in recent years.”

The Falcon Chess Team finally got back to their winning streak in 2014, making this year’s per-formance the most impressive

since 2000, and was marked by a win at a prestigious tournament in Raleigh, North Carolina. St. Joe’s has also won the New Jer-sey Chess State Championship three times.

This year’s team had major improvements from some key players. Most notably was senior Phillip DeQuina, who improved

his score from a 300 to a 1200. Additionally, the team may be competing for more state cham-pionships as some young names stand out.

One name to remember is freshman Dylan Finn. Terence says, “We obviously had leader-ship from the upperclassmen. However, Dylan was one of the brightest stars on the JV team. I believe he will be a young leader next year. I am definitely looking forward to seeing some JV kids step up.”

For anyone interested in joining the Chess Team, you must first join the club. The top 10 in the club qualify for the team, which competes against 42 other teams in the Shore High School Chess League. The team meets every Wednesday.

By Elrod Owusu-AsumengSTAFF WRITER

Are you curious about the mechanics of our U.S. government? If so, there is an edifying club known as Youth and Government that will satiate your inquisi-tive personality. Youth and Government, also known as Y.A.G., gives students the opportunity to partici-pate in model state government at the state capitol in Trenton, NJ. A participant has the chance to work within any of the three branches of our government: executive, legislative, and judicial.

This club/activity is also a competition among schools. This year for three days, almost 50 St. Joe’s Falcons set out for Trenton, NJ, determined to dominate in this competition. The results were quite impressive. The school itself was able to win an award of its own, “Outstanding Delegation,” due to the efforts of club leaders Stephan Kozub, Carson Coudriet, Kevin Stephen, and Adekunle Balogun, as well as the efforts of every student that attended.

A good handful of our Falcons were also recipients of individual awards. Two of our delegates, Ethan Donnelly and Kevin Stephen, were able to get their bills passed into legislation. Leadership positions for next year were obtained by Greg Burton, Taras Holovko, Carson Coudriet, and Kevin Stephen. Chris-tian Holgado was chosen as Premier Press Delegate, and both Jay Selesky and Kevin Stephen were named Premier Statesmen of their legislative chambers.

Finally, delegates Carter Coudriet, Donald Ross, and Karanveer Johal, were picked as attendees of the prestigious Conference on National Affairs in North Carolina, and delegates Greg Burton, Adekunle

Balogun, Jay Selesky, and Carson Coudriet were selected as alternates.

A lot of the St. Joe’s Y.AG participants also take part in Model UN, which is another edifying oppor-tunity designed to imitate the committees of the United Nations.

“It was a great experience; a very fun and produc-tive weekend that showcased how much can get accomplished by high school students. The bills really showcased the creativity and care that people have for their community and New Jersey,” said Robert Rizzi, a Y.A.G. participant.

By Dylan OelkersSTAFF WRITER

The Math League team had an exceptional season this year, rank-ing itself among some of the best teams in the nation. The Junior Varsity and Varsity teams alike made a name for themselves as they competed in many contests throughout the year.

The J. V. team competed in the Catholic League, which has three different contests: Algebra II, Geometry, and Advanced Math. The team placed second in their division for Algebra II, first in their division for Geometry, and first in the nation for Advanced Math. Freshman Jim Chen was ranked first individually in the team’s divi-sion for Algebra II; he competed against 150 other students from 13 teams.

The Varsity team competed just as well as the J.V. students, if not better. The team came in first in Middlesex County for the New Jersey Math League (NJML); many

of the competitions that the varsity team competed in were from this association. As for the Catholic League, the team was ranked first in the nation. Senior member Haochen Li was ranked first in the state of New Jersey, and achieved the top score in all of the contests in which he competed. Other top senior scor-ers, including David Siy, Agustin Zavala, and Terence Coehlo, helped in attaining such prestige for the St. Joe’s team.

“This is the best we’ve had in twenty years,” said Ms. Muratore, head of the Varsity team. “I’m very proud of their accomplishments and wish them the best in college.”

The Varsity group has also com-peted in many more competitions overall this year, contending against others at universities such as Princ-eton and Columbia. The team will also be taking quite a large hit next year with the loss of many talented seniors. However, younger talent such as rising juniors Cyril Med-abalimi and CJ Connett are looking to take the graduates’ places.

By John FrescoSTAFF WRITER

This year, the College Bowl team had a fantastic season. The A team, made up of Jack Mehr, Greg Burton, Justin Lin, and Dan Blackburn, won many tourna-ments and events. Their first win of the season came at the inaugural tournament at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). After that victory, they proceeded to place in the top 3 at nearly every other tournament they competed in.

The team competed in the National History Bee and Bowl, finishing ninth in the country. Team member Jack Mehr placed 13th individually. Toward the end of May, the team will also be competing at the PACE National Scholastic Competition, and on May 17 they will compete in the New Jersey State Championship.

Along with the team’s achieve-ments, Jack Mehr, the team cap-tain, was voted as the New Jersey

Player of the Year for the second year in a row. Due to his success this season, Jack has also been selected to attend the National All Star Tournament in Ohio this June.

Overall, the College Bowl team has had a great year, and team members are very excited about how they performed.

Vincent Argent, one of the nov-

ice members of the team, said that it was “a really fun year. Everyone was respectful of one another and had tons of fun being a part of the team. Hopefully we have another really great year again next year.”

With junior Greg Burton filling Jack Mehr’s role as team cap-tain, the team looks forward to yet another successful year.

Courtesy of NJYAGSenior Karanveer Johal, along with several oth-er St. Joe’s students, participated at the annual Youth & Government Conference in April.

A successful year for YAG

By Rohan MishraSTAFF WRITER

Team 1626: Falcon Robotics won its first district event this year at Clifton High School with the help of Team 869: The Power Chords (Middlesex High School) and Team 1257: Parallel Universe (The Union County Vocational Techni-cal School), but unfortunately was unable to advance past the regional and could not make it to the World Finals held in St. Louis, Missouri.

“Our win was really exciting for us, as it was the second time the robotics team had won a major event in four years,” said team member and graduate of the Class of 2014, John Selesky IV, when asked about the Clifton event on the weekend of March 21.

The team was given six weeks to build their robot, adher-ing to a certain set of specifications given to them by the organizer of the league, called “First.” All members, even newer members who may have had little knowledge in the field of robotics, worked on the robot. The team was set back by the many snow days, mid-term week, and general technicalities, but was

able to pull through in the end.Additionally, Falcon Robotics

volunteered for many community service projects and hosted their own robotics events aimed toward encouraging young children to pursue a career in science. These included a Bike Drive in November where they collected 170+ bikes, and a visit to the Somerset library to demonstrate last year’s robot. The team visited that same library this May and was met with great enthusiasm.

Falcon Robotics is student run, making it one of the most versatile teams because of each and every team member’s willingness to cooperate and work hard. Falcon Robotics is always looking for more members who fit that description and are interested in the field of engineering.

Growing numbers, growing competition

St. Joe’s ‘King’ of Chess

ACADEMIC TEAMS REPORT

ROBOTICS

MATH LEAGUE

SCIENCE LEAGUE

COLLEGE BOWL

CHESS TEAM

corporate-games.ro

By George IbunaSTAFF WRITER

As the school year comes to a close, we often take time to remem-ber our achievements both as indi-viduals and as a whole. One of the achievements that can be shared by a large portion of the St. Joe’s community is the performance of the Science League. With over 100 participants, Science League presents just another side of St. Joe’s unity.

Moderated by Ms. McNamara and Sr. Clare, Science League is a competition between schools that takes place over the course of four tests per year. Students decide on a subject and take the test after school. St. Joe’s has participated in this competition for seven years.

This year, participation skyrock-eted to over 100, heavily saturated in Chemistry I. Luckily, this surge of attendance also came with a great amount of talent. St. Joe’s placed among the Top 10 schools overall, and also took first place in three

of six subjects among Catholic schools: Physics C; Chem I; and Chem II. These are the League’s first awards in both Chem I and Physics C, and their third award for Chem II.

Aside from the school awards, the individual awards are equally impressive. Chem 1 was spear-headed by Kevin Stephen and Taras Holovko, both scoring within the top 0.1 percent of competitors in the state, and followed closely by Jason Cariaga, August Bratti, and Adekunle Balogun, who all were in the top 10 percent of the state. All of the above will receive Cer-tificates of Achievement, as well as individual awards.

Physics C was led by Agustin Zavala, one of the few to qualify for the USA Chem Olympiad. Chem II was led by Haochen Li and Mike Nitzsche, and both will receive individual awards in the state as well as a plaque. Lastly, there were two individual awards for Physics C, leading to a total of nine indi-vidual awards.

Photo by Greg BurtonCollege Bowl Team members left to right) Dan Blackburn, Jack Mehr, Greg Burton, Justin Lin, Robert Barrett, and Coach Ed Powers.

Photo by Rohan MishraThe robotics team had a successful season.

May 2014 THE FALCON 7

By Luke O’KeefeSTAFF WRITER

As the spring track team prepares for its peak competition season, the Falcons have demonstrated their ability to challenge the likes of other GMC powerhouses.

“The team is looking strong,” captain Anthony Cerchio said. “We have a good shot at placing in GMC Championships.”

The team started the season with a 84-56 victory over Piscataway, with athletes in the 400m inter-mediate hurdles, 1600m run, pole vault, and javelin sweeping their respective events.

Facing Old Bridge, the Falcons fell two points short of a victory, with the final event being the decid-ing factor for their loss. Even in the loss, sophomore Tim Iannuzzo took first place in the javelin throw, Nick Krute took first in both the shot put and discus throw, Michael Horn won the long jump, Andrew Horberg won both the 200m and 100m dashes, Brandon D’Souza secured a first place finish in the 3200, and the 4x400 team also

took first. Sophomore Nicholas Krimin

stood out at the Metuchen Bull-dog Series #2 Meet, where he set a new meet record with his shot put performance. Kyle Midtlying, also a sophomore, is aiming to break the school long jump record set by John Chacko 23 years ago. With performances that have con-tinuously improved as the season

progressed, Midtlying is now 4.75” behind the record; however, he has many more chances during this season and the four seasons ahead of him to break the record.

At the Moorestown Invitational on April 12, the Falcons faced off against many South Jersey teams to take home a second place finish behind defending meet champions, Willingboro. St. Joe’s totaled 36 medals, with a notable performance by D’Souza placing second in the 1500m.

The tough competition from the best teams in the county proved to be quite a challenge at the GMC Relays held on April 29 and May 1. The Falcons, however, worked together to bring their relay teams to noteworthy finishes. The 4x1600m, pole vault, and the discus relays each placed third, while the shot put relay, led by senior Bran-don Ozbalik, finished in first place.

After tying Monroe for a fourth place finish at GMC Relays, the team looks to drop time and add distance as they challenge their competition at the GMC Champi-onship Meet later this season.

BASEBALL UPDATE

By Anothony ColucciONLINE EDITOR

Along with many 2014 graduates who will compete at the Division II and III levels next year, eight St. Joe’s seniors are set to play Division I sports after graduation, including Jethro Pepe to Delaware and Michael Cintron to Rutgers for football, Bran-don Bielak to Notre Dame for base-ball, and Mike Allen to the US Naval Academy for lacrosse.

In basketball, four of the five start-ers from this season will play Division I next year: Karl Towns (Kentucky); Wade Baldwin (Vanderbilt); Raven Owen (Canisius); and Marques Townes (Farliegh Dickinson).

While all of these National Letters of Intent signing ceremonies were taking place at St. Joe’s, there were countless former Falcons competing and thriving at the next levels.

Perhaps the biggest success for an individual sport was lacrosse. Head coach Mr. Moreau has sent 13 play-

ers to play in college in the last four years, including Kevin Cernuto ’10 and Eddy Lubowicki ’12.

In his senior season at St. John’s, Cernuto scored his 100th career goal and had 30 on the season as of April 28, while playing alongside Harry Burke ’12. Cernuto was also drafted by the Chesapeake Bay Hawks 48th overall in the 2014 MLL Collegiate Draft. Lubowicki, a sophomore at Notre Dame, had 5 goals and 5 assists while helping the Irish to an 8-5 record also as of April 28.

Quenton Decosey ’12 was one of many former GMC champions to play basketball in college this year, averaging 15.4 points per game and establishing himself as a potential star in the AAC. In soccer, Brandon Allen ‘12 led Georgetown to a 14-5-2 record with team highs in goals (11) and total points (27).

One former St. Joe’s student excelled this past year on a stage even higher than college: John Carl-son. Carlson, a defenseman for the

Washington Capitals who attended St. Joe’s for two years, was a mem-ber of the 2014 US Olympic Team and scored a goal in the US’s 7-1 win over Slovakia.

Look for more Falcons to leave their mark, not just at St. Joe’s, but also in the next steps of their athletic careers.

By Anthony ColucciONLINE EDITOR

The 2014 St. Joseph baseball team has been the perfect storm, blending a talented senior class highlighted by Notre Dame-signee and likely MLB First Year Player Draft pick Brandon Bielak with a deep group of up and coming underclassmen including USA National Team member and freshman phenom Justin Willis.

That perfect storm has not been limited to the experience factor.

After struggling offensively for the last two years, St. Joe’s, a pro-gram prided on pitching and defense, has found its stroke at the plate this year to complement an elite staff and stellar fielding. Bielak, along with fellow senior and longtime teammate Dan Iannaccone as well as junior Mark Bobko have helped lead this Falcon team to a .315 batting average through 21 games.

“Coming into this year, a lot of people underestimated us,” Ian-naccone said. “We have just been trying to prove them wrong all year and now want to keep it rolling into

the postseason.Bielak and Bobko have helped

anchor one of the state’s best pitch-ing rotations that also includes senior Jack Harlan, Willis and reliever Yanni Vayas. The St. Joe’s pitching staff, with a team ERA of 2.10, has been brilliant all year, giv-ing its team the opportunity to win on any given day.

The Falcons faced a demanding schedule in 2014 which will more than prepare them for the state and

county tournaments after facing and beating some of the state’s best talents. Out of conference, St. Joe’s, who was 15-6 as of May 8, notched victories over Marist High School and Gloucester Tech as well as the number two team in Delaware, Cara-vel Academy. The Falcons split their season series with both Old Bridge and East Brunswick, the top two seeds in the GMC Tournament.

“This is the only time that mat-ters,” third year head coach Steve Bucchignano said. “I would have liked to have won the division, but now in counties and states, it’s going to be up to us to decide what hap-pens and we are looking to make something special out of this year.

“We have the pitching, defense and offense. Now all we need to do is be all-in.”

Going “All-in” as their pre-season motivational speaker Gian Paul Gonzalez instilled in them will be vital to the Falcons efforts to winning the program’s fourth state championship and sixth county title, the first since they won four in six years from 2004-2009.

GOLF UPDATE

By Trevor JonesSTAFF WRITER

Every spring, the St. Joe’s Golf team emerges to take on the best teams in the county and the state. This year is no different, with multiple matchups against top county opponents including Old Bridge and East Brunswick.

While the team’s focus has been on winning crucial GMC matches to qualify for the GMC tourna-ment, it has also been regrouping as a team and finding key players to step up into big roles left behind from last year’s stellar class.

The graduation of major players like Brian Fitzpatrick and Steve Taraska has allowed younger play-ers like Gabe Rivera to take on the leading role.

“Players like Brian and Steve are the kind that can never truly be replaced,” Rivera, a 2013 All-County selection, said. “They accomplished so much with this program and elevated it to what it is today. All we can do is prog-ress as a team and keep moving forward with the sight of a GMC championship in our mind.”

Including Fitzpatrick and Taras-ka, the Falcons lost seven seniors due to graduation. Along with Rivera, Hartej Gill has made it clear that he wants nothing less

than a championship through his play on the green.

“Now that we are moving toward the GMC tournament, every match becomes more impor-tant than the last,” Gill said. “As a team we’ve developed greatly to give us the best chance of repeat-ing our success from previous years. The key to our success will be getting hot at the right time, which we are more than capable of doing.”

St. Joe’s past success includes four consecutive GMC titles and multiple state tournament appear-ances.

Falcon Golf hits the green

VOLLEYBALL UPDATE

By John Henry RiccardiSTAFF WRITER

Saint Joseph Volleyball has had a great season thus far, recently increasing their record to 15-5. Under the leadership and guidance of their coach, Miguel Cabrita, and senior cap-tains Andrew Goyer, George Whitman, and Thomas Burrell, they are currently ranked fifth in the state.

In addition to this, the team has had a long line of success due to their consistent play throughout the years. Currently, the sky is the limit for this team, as they are head into the “Super Six Show-case.” Their performance in these games will have a huge impact on where they rank in the remainder of the season.

Among the team’s recent string of victories are the defeats of the fifth-, seventh-, eighth- and

tenth-ranked teams in the state. These teams include: CBA, who has always been a challenge to defeat; Hillsborough; Old Bridge; and Fair Lawn. Hopefully, when it comes time for the team to bat-tle for the Non-Public A State Championship, they will be able to continue their streak of success and claim the title.

Heading forward, the team is looking for a good amount of wins against some tough competi-tion that will ultimately help spur them into playing well in the state tournament.

Over the course of the remain-ing part of the season, the team looks to finish their season on their own terms. Good teams are good for a reason: consistency when it comes to talent, focus, and hard work. It can definitely be said that the Volleyball team has done exactly that over the course of the 2014 season.

Photo by Trevor Jones Senior Hartej Gill, one of the team’s best golfers, has high hopes for the remainder of the season.Photo by Anthony Colucci

The baseball team has had a successful season thus far and look to continue this success through the end of the season.

Photo by Peter Coronato

Team members like senior Chris Coleman have been prac-ticing intensely to ensure their success in meets this season.

SPRING TRACK & FIELD UPDATE

Falcons thundering into post-season

FALCON SPORTSFormer Falcons excel beyond St. Joe’s

Spring Track holding its own in GMC

By Brendan MoreauASSISTANT WEB EDITOR

Up and down is a great way to describe the St. Joe’s 2014 lacrosse season. Although their record of 8-10 entering the GMC Tourna-ment doesn’t prove it, the St. Joe’s lacrosse team could be a dangerous force come time for the tournament.

The Falcons started out the year by winning three of their first four games, which included a big time win over defending Non-Public B state champion Rutgers Prep. After a disappointing loss to a pesky Old Bridge team, the Falcons bounced back with a one-goal victory over Scotch Plains 13-2.

Throughout the season, the Fal-cons have constantly struggled against some of the state’s best competition. Some notable losses came to #1 Bergen Catholic, #2 Summit, and #4 Mountain Lakes. The team also shipped up to Boston over spring break to play Needham High School, the #2 team in Massa-chusetts, and Bishop Guertin, the #2 team in New Hampshire, who both handed the Falcons brutal losses.

Leading the Falcons lacrosse team this year are four talented

senior captains that will continue their lacrosse careers in college: Drew Ross; Kyle Stenberg; Andrew Monahan; and Michael Allen. Ross, an attackman, will play at Washington and Lee; Stenberg, an attackman/midfielder, will con-tinue to play at Merrimack College; Monahan, a midfielder, will play at Montclair State University; and Michael Allen, a senior defenseman, will play Division I lacrosse at the United States Naval Academy. Sten-berg also tallied his one-hundredth career point against state power-house Mountain Lakes on April 22.

All four have been members of the varsity team since their fresh-man season, and each of them hope to turn four years of varsity experi-ence into a memorable end to their St. Joe’s lacrosse career.

While Coach Moreau believes his team has the talent to make a deep run in not only the upcoming GMC tournament, but the state tournament as well, he sums up the main problem the team has to address before they can defeat any high caliber opponents: “We crush teams we know we can beat, but against top teams in the state we don’t show up to play.”

LACROSSE UPDATE

Photo by Marlo Williamson Former St. Joe’s basketball star Quenton Decosey continues to shine on the court at Temple University.

8 THE FALCON May 2014

Marc Acevedo ........................................... Loyola UniversityScott Aitken .................................................SUNY GeneseoKeith Alexander ........................ The College of New JerseyMichael Allen ..........................Naval Academy Prep SchoolJoseph Almeida ........................ Coastal Carolina UniversityJohn Angel ..................................... University of MississippiAmanjot Arora ...................New York Institute of TechnologyWade Baldwin IV .................................Vanderbilt UniversityJoseph Baron .......................................New York UniversityRobert Barrett .......................................... Cornell UniversityNicholas Battaglia ...........................Northeastern UniversityEric Bessette ........................................American UniversityBrandon Bielak ..................... The University of Notre DamePatrick Bogart ......................................... Rutgers UniversityDylan Bonanno .............................University of ConnecticutLorenzo Borromeo .................................. Rutgers UniversityChristopher Broderick ...........................Syracuse UniversityThomas Burrell IV ...............Stevens Institute of TechnologyCharles Butrico ............................................ Boston CollegeMichael Buzy ............................................... Boston CollegeMarc Cavallo ....................................University of PittsburghAnthony Cerchio .................Stevens Institute of TechnologyRonald Charles ................................................ Virginia TechWilliam Cheng ........................................ Rutgers UniversityEric Christensen ..........................Colorado State UniversityBrandon Ciambruschini .....................Penn State UniversityMichael Cintron ....................................... Rutgers UniversityJonathan Ciocon ................................. Seton Hall UniversityRyan Codilla ....................................... Seton Hall UniversityTerence Coelho ...................................... Rutgers UniversityChristopher Colman ............................ Seton Hall UniversityThomas Comiskey ............................University of DelawarePatrick Conlon .............................................SUNY MaritimeAntonio Correia ...........................Middlesex County CollegeCarter Coudriet .......................... University of PennsylvaniaMichael Cox .............. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical UniversityAndrew Cunningham ................Stevens Inst. of TechnologyBrandon D’Souza .................United States Naval AcademyStephen Dalina ....................................... Rutgers UniversityBrandon Daniel ............... Rochester Institute of TechnologyBrandon DelMonaco ................................Towson UniversityPhillip Dequina .................................. University of MichiganSijo Devasia ...................................................King’s CollegeMichael Donato ..................................... Fordham UniversityZachary Doring ....................................... Rutgers UniversitySean Downey ...............Mason Gross at Rutgers UniversityGregory Doyle .................................... Seton Hall UniversityPeter Dresch ............................. The College of New JerseyAnthony Egri .......Vaughn Col. of Aeronautics & TechnologyFrederick Eyer III ...................... The College of New JerseyJeffrey Faller ...................................Sacred Heart UniversityJohn Fares ..................................University of Rhode IslandJoseph Farley ....................... The University of Notre DameVincent Favaloro ................................Penn State UniversityChristopher Fernandes .....................University of KentuckyLouis Ferrara ......................................St. Joseph UniversityRyan Fischer .................................... University of ScrantonNicolau Francisco ................. Fairleigh Dickinson UniversityJonathan Frey ...................University of Southern CaliforniaNicholas Ganescu ...................................... Kean UniversityDaniel Garb .............. University of Massachusetts-AmherstHartej Gill ..............................................New York University

Manuel Gomez-Bera ...... Rochester Institute of TechnologyAndrew Goyer ....................................... Providence CollegeHunter Greis .............................................Lafayette CollegeKyle Grzeszczak .........................Middlesex County CollegeKilian Gundry ...........................Johnson & Wales UniversityChristopher Habijan ............New Jersey Inst. of TechnologyAntoine Haddad ...................................... Rutgers UniversityJack Harlan ........................................... Villanova UniversityChristian Holgado ................................... Rutgers UniversityRyan Hollender ............... Rochester Institute of TechnologyAndrew Horberg ......................................... Rider UniversityMatthew Hutnick ...............................University of LouisvilleDaniel Iannaccone .................................. Rutgers UniversityAustin James .............................................................. UCLANeel Jha ................................................. Rutgers UniversityAnmol Johal ............................................ Rutgers UniversityKaranveer Johal ................................Penn State UniversityArrington Joyner Corniffe .......................... Drexel UniversityMatthew Kachersky ............................Monmouth UniversityMohamed Kebbay .................................... Bryant UniversityBrendan King .....................................Penn State UniversityBrian King ..............................................................VillanovaPatrick Kirk .......... Richard Stockton College of New JerseyRobert Kostakos ..........................................Pace UniversityMichael Kravanja .................................... Rutgers UniversityNicholas Krute ....................Stevens Institute of TechnologyEric Kumar ........................... Valley Forge Military AcademyBrendan Lawyer ..................................... Rutgers UniversityChristopher Lee ...................................... Rutgers UniversityRyan Lenczewski ................................ Seton Hall UniversityDaniel Letso ........................................ Seton Hall UniversityHaochen Li ...........................................Princeton UniversityTimothy Li ................................................Bentley UniversityJustin Lin ................................................. Cornell UniversityMatthew Loda ............................................. Kean UniversityMatthew Lolarga ...................................Syracuse UniversityAnthony Lombardi ...................................... Kean UniversityJan Loyota ..................................Middlesex County CollegeNicholas Lurie ............................................. Rider UniversityCalvin Mahony ...............................West Chester UniversityKolton Marino ................Raritan Valley Community CollegeKarnvir Mashiana .................................... Rutgers UniversityNikhil Mathur ........................................... Rutgers UniversityGregory Mayers ...................................... Rutgers UniversityPatrick McGonigle .........................................King’s CollegeJack Mehr ............................................University of VirginiaAndrew Meisenbacher .......... The University of Notre DameAntonio Melchionna .............George Washington UniversityBrandon Micale ....................................... Rutgers UniversityKyle Miller ............................................... Rutgers UniversityMichael Mohin .............................Montclair State UniversityAndrew Monahan ........................Montclair State UniversityNicholas Morisi ...................................Quinnipiac UniversityVikas Munjal .......................................Ohio State UniversityDaniel Muscianesi ............ Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteAlex Napper ................................................Dowling CollegeAndrew Nguyen .................................. Seton Hall UniversityKyle O’Connor ........................................ Rutgers UniversityLuke O’Keefe ...............................College of the Holy CrossDylan Oelkers .......................................New York UniversityMatthew Olivo ............................... University of New HavenWilliam Olson ..........................................Catholic University

Michael Onyeze ...................................... Rutgers UniversityRaven Owen ..............................................Canisius CollegeBrandon Ozbalik .........................Middlesex County CollegeShiv Patel ......................... Washington University, St. LouisAnthony Patikowski ......................................Rollins CollegeJethro Pepe ......................................University of DelawareTyler Pituk ................................................. Loyola UniversityManish Polavarapu ...................................Boston UniversitySean Quigley ..................................Sacred Heart UniversityDanver Quintin ........................................ Rutgers UniversityDrew Robinson ...................................... Widener UniversityFelipe Rodriguez ...............................Penn State UniversityDrew Ross ..........................Washington and Lee UniversityMatthew Salerno ..................................... Rutgers UniversityElie Samaha .................New Jersey Institute of TechnologySahildeep Sandhu ........................... Philadelphia UniversityNicolas Sandstrom ................................. Rutgers UniversityJohn Selesky ...........................University of South CarolinaBrian Shaughnessy ...............................University of MaineHareet Singh .................New Jersey Institute of TechnologyDavid Siy ............................................... DeSales UniversityNicholas Skiba ................................West Virginia UniversityScott Smith ............................................. Furman UniversityConnor Soles ...................................... Marywood UniversityThomas Sorrentino ................................... Loyola UniversityJames Sosinski ....................................... Rutgers UniversityMark Sosnowski .................Stevens Institute of TechnologyVictor Sotelo ...........................................Catholic UniversityAlejandro Sotillo ....................United States Naval AcademyGeorge Stavrianidis ................................ Rutgers UniversityKyle Stenberg .........................................Merrimack CollegeJakob Stolzenberg ............ Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteBrian Sullivan ......................Stevens Institute of TechnologyGregory Sutton .... Richard Stockton College of New JerseyRobert Switzer ............................... Arizona State UniversityLuke Syslo ............................................. Manhattan CollegeMark-Avery Tamakloe ...........................Princeton UniversityKyle Terracciano ...........................University of ConnecticutBrian Thomas .......................................American UniversityJake Thomas ....................................... Ball State UniversityDylan Thompson ........................................ Kean UniversityRaajith Thota .......................................... Rutgers UniversityEric Tomsky .............................................. Loyola UniversityNicholas Torrisi ................................... Seton Hall UniversityMarques Townes .................. Fairleigh Dickinson UniversityKarl-Anthony Towns ..........................University of KentuckySteven Tran ............................................ Rutgers UniversityJohn Trask .......................................... Seton Hall UniversityChase Uy ...........................................College of the AtlanticIoannis Vayas ......................................... Rutgers UniversityJosh Vilson ............................................. Rutgers UniversityNicholas VonOhlen ................................. Rutgers UniversityWilliam Walsh ....................... Fairleigh Dickinson UniversityGeorge Wanjau .................................Penn State UniversityAaron Washington ...................... Delaware State UniversityChristopher Welle ............................................ Iona CollegeJay Weng .................................. The College of New JerseyCarl Wickman ....................Ramapo College of New JerseyGeorge Witteman ........................................ Vassar CollegeJiazheng Yuan .................................. University of MichiganAugustin Zavala ....................................Princeton University

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St. Joseph High School Class of 2014FINAL COLLEGE CHOICE LIST