northwest passagesMARCH 2016 | VOLUME LIV “WHERE YOU KNOW THAT YOU BELONG”

A Tribute to History

Joseph: A Truly Amazing Show

By Daniel Ogbonna ’18

By Avery Hatch ’16

SPORTS pg 10Faith pg 2 Feature pg 8

On

F e b r u a r y 24th, the N o r t h w e s t Catholic com-munity wel-comed the Civil Rights Arts Proj-ect to the Richard Rice Auditorium for the Black Histo-ry Month presenta-tion, commemorating the school’s thirtieth year of recognizing the efforts and accomplish-ments of African Ameri-cans. The Civil Rights Art Project is an ensemble of actors under the direction of Mr. Allan Marshall who tour the country commemo-rating not only the sacrifices and struggles of the Civil Rights Move-ment, but the legacies and impact of the local heroes in 1960’s Bir-mingham, Alabama. The group’s dramatization of the 1963 March on Birmingham was performed by actors Ilona Wilcox playing Ruth

Greenberg, Shemeka Wright play-ing Diane Nash, and Alizae Pow-ell playing Freda McCarter. Their presentation highlighted the tenac-ity of the courageous local leaders, and looked to touch the minds of today’s youth and educate them about perseverance and the im-portance of standing for what is right. The emotion portrayed in their presentation shone through, as the phrase “FREE IN ’63!”,

was shouted across the audito-rium seats by faculty and students. The group made sure to capture the central theme of per-sistence in all of life’s obstacles, and stressed the importance that each individual has the potential in or-der to make a difference. In an in-terview after the presentation, the actors were asked what prompted them into taking on such heavy roles in a significant topic. The

youngest, Alizae Powell (Freda McCarter) stated, “It’s a unique form of storytelling, and with the prominent presence of injustice still present today, the message is just as important. I think that the stories of these real women, and the courage of these chil-dren in our skit, is key for today’s youth to making an impact.” In addition to the video representations of the March on

Birmingham archived from the CBS Televi-

sion Station, the peak of

their perfor-mance was the

silence in the au-ditorium, as the

words “None can be free, until all are

free” were spoken by Ilona Wilcox (Ruth

Greenberg). Other highlights include the

contribution of the students and faculty

as spirituals and hymns like “A Change Gonna

Come” and “When the Saints” and “Ain’t Gonna Let No-body Turn Me Around” were sung. The school community was grateful and highly apprecia-tive to host the Civil Rights Arts Project. Dean of Students and Chair of the Fine and Performing Arts Department, Mrs. Margaret Williamson said “Every year, I am very pleased by the efforts of our guest speakers, and I speak for all of us, in that the Civil Rights Arts Project helped shed new light, that all of us can learn from.”

There are few shows like Jo-seph and the Amazing Tech-nicolor Dreamcoat. Artistic

Director Mrs. Sara Avery agrees, saying, “The musical follows the biblical story of Joseph from the Book of Genesis, about the 11th of Jacob’s twelve sons. Joseph is his father’s favorite and, out of jealousy, his brothers sell him into slavery. Joseph uses his ability to interpret dreams to win favor in Egypt and eventually become the right hand of the Pharaoh.” The musical has the unique ability to appeal to anyone in the audience, with its familiar Biblical basis, its bright colors, and score that ex-tends among genres. Mrs. Avery continued to describe that “Rather than being written in one musical style, Joseph has songs from a vari-ety of genres, including rock, pop, country western, calypso, etc.” Da-mian Mackay-Morgan ’17, who is cast as Jacob, agreed that this show is a fitting choice for the North-

west Catholic community, saying “I am very excited for this show this year. I am so happy that this musical can incorporate the reli-gious themes at our school and also be so much fun to perform. This show brings feelings of disappoint-ment, hurt and unhappiness alive on stage, but also focuses on suc-cess, joy and fulfillment, which are emotions many of us high school-ers feel from day to day.” The indi-viduality of the show is what makes it a perfect pick for the Northwest Catholic Spring 2016 production. In recent years, the Northwest Catholic Dramateurs have gone from being good at their jobs to being unbelievable, put-ting on productions of professional quality. Anyone who has witnessed a recent Dramateurs production can speak to the universal appeal and sense of wonder they evoke, whether it is with pools of water in Metamorphoses, giant elephants in Barnum, or real rain in Singin’

in the Rain. This ability to create such beautiful and moving, yet still fleeting and temporary art is what attracts many to the join the Dramateurs. Once someone joins the group, they quickly go on to find that their castmates are more like family. Sarah Lazor ’19, a new member cast as a featured dancer this year, commented, “I was in-stantly welcomed into the com-munity. The Dramateurs are an ex-traordinarily kind and welcoming group of individuals”. Mrs. Avery, Artistic Director of all Dramateurs productions, is the supportive fig-ure who pushes each and every student to realize their ability and utilize their talent in a way that will bring audience members joy. Joseph in particular does an outstanding job with this concept, as it features many talented individuals in prom-inent roles, while still being built around a unifying strong chorus.

Easter around the worldA tribute to Mrs. Williamson’s time at NWC

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Student athlete spotlight on Christian Mackay-Morgan

From center, clockwise: Anthony Lenczewski ’16, Brendan Wlo-chowski ’18, Christopher Ravosa ’17, Johnny Collas ’19, David Ogbonna ’17, Ava Demartino ’18, Gia Fenton ’17, Eliza Wizner

’18, Chyanne Gordon ’17, Kat Morelli ’19, Daniel Ogbonna ’18, Julia Christolini ’16, John Sullivan ’18, James Sullivan

’18, Natiel Cooper ’18, Charlie Gfeller ’18, and Jack Carew ’16 rehearse the blocking in Act Two of the show.

Members of The Civil Rights Arts Project Ilona Wilcox and Sheme-ka Wright began the portrayal of the 1963 March on Birmingham for Northwest Catholic’s Black History Month presentation with a

scene about social segregation.

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“Two of my g reate s t role model s a re A f r ica n

A mer ica n: My fa ther,

because of h i s suppor t

a nd love , a nd my da nce

teacher Joe le te - -She ’s accompl i shed so much,

she ’s tenac ious a nd a ha rd worker.”-Va n ia h Dela nc y ’16

“To me , Black

His tor y Month mea ns

to honor a nd pay

re spec t to the l ive s

ded icated to s t a nd ing

up for soc ia l ju s t ice ,

a nd recogn iz ing how

the i r e f for t s have

shaped the f utu re s

of ch i ld ren now, a nd

those to come .”

-Ca meron Ayers ’17

Continued on page 4

EditorialMARCH 20162passages

Letter from the Academic Dean

STAFFEditor-in-Chief

Avery Hatch

Executive BoardAbigail Herron Julia ChristoliniMegan GrandellEmily GrandellMolly MullenDylan Rispoli

Emma Schumaker

Staff Writers & EditorsCaroline Banevicius

Sarah NeubertDaniel OgbonnaTaryn Nguyen Caroline GillSophie Argay Alex Kanya Erin Tully

Jessica EskanderJack Carew

Haley Duarte

Staff PhotographersDaniel Ogbonna

AdvisorMiss Kate Morran

Special Thanks to:Ms. Kimberly Spera

Mrs. Boyle

Northwest PassagesNorthwest Catholic

High School29 Wampanoag Drive

West Hartford, CT 06117Phone: (860)236-4221Fax: (860) 586-0911

Northwest Passages benefits directly from the William J.

Klein ‘65 Fund, established by Cathleen Collins ‘65.

*Editor’s Note: Opinions expressed

in Northwest Passages are not necessarily those of the

editorial staff.

Discipulus ViridisBy Emma Schumaker ’19

What is LEADS? Is it just a class or is there more to it? Why do I have to

take it? How and why did it start? LEADS which stands for Leadership, Engagement, Account-ability, Determination, and Service is a program which began eight or nine years ago with two ideas that were floating around in education. The first of these ideas was called a “Capstone” project. There was a wide variety of definitions of the Capstone Project, but basically it was a project that was the culmina-tion of senior year. Some of these projects lasted the entire senior year; others were shorter. The sec-ond concept is called “The Gradu-ate at Graduation.” With this concept, some high schools have defined the characteristics that their graduates are striving towards. These concepts at NWC include the following characteristics: Open

to Growth, Intellectually Com-petent / Distinguished, Religious, Loving, Committed to Doing Jus-tice, and Developing as Leaders. Finally, the concept of leadership was proposed. It was then decided that NWC, as part of its mission, should also help students to develop their poten-tial as leaders, as young men and women who can make a contri-bution to their world. The cur-rent LEADS program was de-veloped based on all three ideas. LEADS 9 is very similar to its predecessor, Guidance 9. The major topics of transitioning to high school and joining the NWC community are the same. The addi-tional elements include reflections on where students find themselves along the path to the six qualities. The students write three reflec-tions, and they are stored online so that the students can refer to these

ideas over the course of four years. The Sophomore LEADS Class (LEADS 10) focuses on ser-vant leadership and social justice. It is offered in the spring semester and “pairs” with the sophomore religion class, “Living as a Disciple of Jesus Christ in Society” which includes the Sophomore Service Project. Students will continue to complete reflections on their progress towards graduation goals. Other topics include: motivation, conflict resolution, accountability, networking, and civic engagement. Junior year LEADS (LEADS 11) will focus on skills associated with the college process. Skills such as interviewing, resume writing, and social skills will be in-cluded. The reflective process will continue. The class will be offered in the second semester and students will examine the lives and contri-butions of several, major Catholic

leaders as part of both LEADS 11 and their U.S. History course. In senior year (LEADS 12), students will finalize their reflections on what a Northwest Catholic graduate is. In ad-dition there will be practi-cal information on personal finance as part of helping students move towards in-dependent living as they prepare to move off to college. So, in summary, LEADS is a class, but there is much more to it. It is an opportunity to work on many important life skills. Skills that make each of us much more successful. LEADS will provide opportunities to explore the world of employment and discover what people actually do in their jobs and the skills that are needed. Finally, there’s the really fun part. Who doesn’t want to solve team build-ing and leadership problems on a

ropes course in Middletown? Or, who doesn’t want to see what a surgeon, a lawyer, or even a candle-stick maker really does? These will all be part of the LEADS Program. Listen to announcements … read the newsletter, and see what excit-ing opportunities are there for you.

-Mr. John Cusson

Academic Dean, Mr. John Cusson

“Disc ipu lus V i r id i s” i s the bra inch i ld of f re shma n Emma Schuma ker. The t it le t ra nslate s f rom Lat in to “The Green Student”. Here “Green” does not le t the f ick le New Eng la nd spr ing br ing h im down. Instead ,

he proud ly shows of f the accompl i shment s of the N WC student s that a re a l l a round h im.

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editorial MARCH 2016 3passages

OpEd

Brooklyn is a Book Win

By Jessica Eskander ’16

By Sarah Neubert ’16

Hans Christian Andersen, famous Danish fairytale author, wrote, “To travel

is to live.” Whether you have ever flown on a plane before, are tak-ing a school trip to France and England or to Germany, have been on a long car trip to a new place, or have maybe read a book or watched a movie set in a for-eign locale, there is no denying that experiencing another culture broadens our perspectives and

shows us how another side lives. In the past few years, a study of ecumenism and interre-ligious dialogue has been imple-mented into the senior religion curriculum, fostering an aware-ness for other world religions. While one of the most interest-ing aspects is noting where one’s religion intersects with another, it can be just as fascinating to realize that among Christianity, the di-verse cultures bring much variety,

a phenomenon which can be observed by looking at how dif-ferent countries celebrate Easter. At NWC this year, we celebrated the Triduum with a Holy Thursday Tenebrae ser-vice, a somber prayer service complete with light and sound effects. Meanwhile, on Holy Thursday in England, the queen followed the annual tradition of giving out silver coins to recog-nize senior citizens who have served their Church and com-munity. Bermudians on Good Friday flew homemade kites to represent Jesus’s Ascension into Heaven, and citizens of Corfu, Greeks are known to throw pots and pans out of their windows on Holy Saturday to welcome in spring. On the Christian Ortho-dox Easter, which will take place on May 1st this year, thousands of faithful flock to Jerusalem, Israel to celebrate the Easter liturgy in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, wherein lies the tomb of Jesus. Back in the United States, Easter traditions vary among the states, only twelve of which rec-ognize Good Friday as an official holiday, Connecticut included. Lent began with parades in New

Orleans for the infamous Mardi Gras and ended with a parade in New York City on Easter, dur-ing which people donned bon-nets and wandered the streets. The next day, Easter Monday, was spent in the White House by participating in the annual Eas-ter Egg Roll, where children use spoons to push eggs down a hill.

Andersen’s full quote reads, “To move, to breathe, to fly, to float, / To gain all while you give, / To roam the roads of lands remote, / To travel is to live.” If you get a chance to roam a new land or two in the near future, take a sec-ond to breathe in the culture and gain as much as you can from the experience, for “To travel is to live.” Bon voyage!

Brooklyn is a story of choic-es. The Colm Tóibín novel, whose film adap-

tion was surrounded by Oscar buzz as it was nominated in the best picture category, details the choices of twenty some-thing Eilis Lacy. We first meet Eilis in 1950s Ireland, where she is deeply embedded in her daily routine and is seemingly content, despite her struggle to find substantial employment or a husband. After observing Eilis’ perpetual standstill, her ambitious and compassion-ate sister Rose, a successful bookkeeper in the quaint Irish town, makes arrangements for Eilis to travel overseas and pursue job opportunities in New York City. Rose’s will for Eilis to change her life is not matched by Eilis herself, who makes the journey more to ap-pease her beloved widowed mother and sister than for her-self. Upon her rocky journey and arrival to America, Eilis

finds that her resistance to change is inef-fective against the tides of American culture. Homesickness plagues her new beginning, constantly absorbing her emotions and hin-dering her social and professional prospects. Just as she begins to loose faith, Father Flood, a friend of Rose’s who helped Eilis get to America, takes note of her de-spair, and enrolls her in night bookkeeping class. Eilis’ natural ability and drive allow her to thrive in the difficult course, and she finally begins to find the opportunity that is so rumored about in America. The once reclusive Eilis then meets Tony, a sweet and endearing Italian plumber whose love for the Dodgers is only comparable to his feelings for Eilis. Despite his lack of formal educa-tion, Tony is hard working and successful, allowing for him to show Eilis a promis-ing future for them together. Just when all seemed to be falling in place, trauma rocks Eilis’ new world, forcing her back to Ireland for a time. There she is faced with a diffi-cult decision; stay and live the life she had always imagined, close to her mother and now brimming with opportunity, or return-ing to Tony and her new life in America. It is clear most high schoolers have no intention of dropping valuable Netflix

time to read a book about 1950s immigra-tion, but Brooklyn is so much more than that. Brooklyn has something for everyone. It is a story of love, a story of success, a story of troubled times, and a story of hope, all wrapped into one brilliant novel. Tóibín’s portrayal of Eilis’ difficult decisions was so raw, I felt as though I had the pressure of choosing the course of the fictional charac-ters life. Vivid descriptions of 1950’s Brook-lyn, but universally relatable characters, made reading and enjoying effortless. In a time of all of our lives where we are all posed with important questions about our own lives, it is comforting to be able to read and identify with Eilis and her struggles. So when mak-ing the choice of what to do this weekend, I implore you to choose Brooklyn.

On Horseshoe Bay Beach in Bermuda people gather to fly color-ful kites on Good Friday. Kites are assembled by participants out of colorful tissue paper, bamboo rods, sticks, and metal. They are

flown to symbolize Jesus’ Acension to Heaven.

Maunday Thursday was celebrated on March 24. The day included

a ceremony during which the Queen distributed red and white purses containing Maundy Money to senior citizens to recognize their dedication and service to the Church and their community.

Pictured above is the cover of Brooklyn, a novel by Colm Toibin that has recently attracted media

attention worldwide.

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Sound Interesting?If Brooklyn sounds like the book for you, scan the QR code to the right to be taken to the Amazon listing of the novel! Quick and easy access to the story millions are talking about.

FeaturesMARCH 20164passages

Comparing Countries Comes to NWC

Mock Worked Hard Around the Clock Art Students Remember

Joseph Con’t

Head of the History Department, Mr. Paul Fitzpatrick, poses with one AP Comparative Government resource.

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A r t s tudent s Ava Dema r t ino ’18 a nd Ma r y Vela zquez ’19

a re ha rd at work on thei r por t ra it s .

Pic tu red r ight to le f t : Jenna Creighton ’17, Jack Ca rew ’16 , R achel Su l l iva n

’16 , There sa Dao ’16 , K at ie Hoelzer ’16 , Cla ra Ba rnes ’18 , E lha n Moha mood ’16 , Ol iv ia Emma nuel ’16 , Je s s ica E ska nder ’16 , Br ya nna Ledwige ’17, Dyla n R ispo-l i ’18 , Ca rlos Fig uroa ’17, a nd Brenda n Gi l l ’17, who were a l l proud members of

the Mock Tr ia l tea m that th i s yea r.

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Next September members of the senior class of 2017 will be the first group of students

to be offered the opportunity to take a new AP Comparative Government course. This class will explore six dif-ferent countries through their po-litical, economic, and social systems. The six countries that students will learn about will be The United King-dom, Russia, China, Iran, Nigeria, and Mexico. In addition to investi-gating the six basic countries, there are multiple conceptual topics which will be taught first to give students a basis on political sciences. After this class students will have new skills in government such as being able to distinguish between a normative and empirical statement, identifying terms such as a nation and a state, and noticing similarities and differences between economic, social, and po-litical systems. Mr. Paul Fitzpatrick, who will be teaching the course, says, “I am very much looking forward to this class and am gratified by the level of interest students have shown.” For those who are consider-ing taking this course or have already signed up for it and wonder what it will be like, it can easily be compared to other Social Studies courses North-

west Catholic students have taken. This new course will almost act as an extended civics class, that all students took as sophomores, or a multiplied AP United States Government class which is also offered to seniors. The best way to look at this new course is that it will act as Civics times six. The civics class students have already taken the study of the basic prin-ciples of the American political system while this class will take the countries learned about and compare and contrast the political systems of six uniquely different countries. Mr. Paul Fitzpatrick also recommends to any students taking the course next year that joining model UN and rep-resenting one of the classes six coun-tries would be an interesting way to experience the class. Ally Voelker ’17 is planning on taking the course next year and says, “I’m really inter-ested in taking Comparative Govern-ment next year because taking a step back from my own way of thinking (for example, a single president who can serve up to eight years) and tak-ing a look at how different coun-tries operate in terms of their execu-tive legislation truly fascinates me.” This course will not only

act as civics magnified by six, but will also seem like the current AP United States History and AP United States Government classes times six in that the course will go as in depth as these do but not just with the United States. This class will have a greater workload than some courses that students have taken before but it will act as a great way for seniors to get a world perspec-tive before leaving Northwest. By taking this new class, students will be able to expand their political scope and get a glimpse into something brand new.

The Northwest Catholic Mock Trial team had an extremely successful 2015-2016 season.

The Prosecution team displayed a strong performance during their first case at the New Britain Superior Court on December 7, 2015, beating their opponent, Avon High School Defense Team. The team attracted a large stu-dent support section, as many were interested in learning about the trial and watching their classmates take on the role of attorneys and witnesses of a potential murder case. A week later, the Northwest Catholic Defense went up against Conard Prosecution in a riveting trial that had many objec-tions and passionate statements. After

securing victories from these first two trials, NWC proceeded to the next round, which was held at Northwest Cath-olic High School in the Mortensen Theater. A large audience ap-peared to watch the NWC De-fense team take on the West Haven Prosecu-tion on January. Witnes s Olivia Em-manuel ’16 was noted for her skill of quickly inserting her opinion before

answering the Attorney’s question, in order to sway the judge’s opinion while also answering in a “yes or no format”. Olivia has been a member of the Mock Trial team for four years, and her favorite part of the club is “the fact that so many different students have come to work together on the team. I also enjoy the idea that the goal in each trial is trying to outwit the other side, even when the facts are so split down the middle”. Mod-erator Ms. Keating-McKeon also en-joyed the season, and summed it up in one word: rewarding. When asked what is something people would be surprised to learn about Mock Trial,

Ms. Keating-McKeon said, “It is as much fun as it is hard work. We are always laughing during practices”. The team practiced on Mon-day and Thursday from 2:30-4:30 each week, but the work did not stop there. Christian Dunn ’16 says he met with other members to practice on weekends also. “The only way to ad-vance through the competition was to really spend time mastering our craft. I think most people would be surprised to know how close we really became as a team this year”. Despite a sport conflict, Christian joined the team this year after making it a priority to be a member of the club and learn more about law, a subject he is interested in. There were fifty six teams in the first round, and Northwest Catho-lic made it to the final eight. Despite their loss on January 28, 2016 against Trumbull, the Mock Trial team did an outstanding job this season, and had fun working hard together as a team effort.

Re h e a r s a l s , which began in February

of 2016, have proven to be an incredible experience for both new and returning cast members. The musical offers many catchy tracks with the potential for captivat-ing choreography, as well as some moments in the script that bring laughs to rehearsals. Joseph and the Amazing Technicol-or Dreamcoat promises to evolve into an eye catching, spectacular show that will also end up tugging on the heart-strings of every member of the audience. The Dramateurs hope to see many enthusiastic faces from the community in the Richard Rice Auditorium on Friday April 1 at 7:30 pm, Saturday April 2 at 7:30 pm, and Sunday April 3 at 2:00 pm for the show! Tickets are $16 at the door.

Ma n y North-w e s t

Catholic art stu-dents are par-ticipating in The Memory Project under the tutelage of Ms. Marquis. The Memory Proj-ect is a nonprofit organization that involves art teach-ers and students in creating portraits for children world-wide. The por-traits often portray children who have gone through chal-lenges such as ne-glect, abuse, loss of parents, and extreme poverty. Through their por-traits, the children gain feel-ings of value and importance, knowing others around the world recognize and care about them. The project serves to incorporate art, cre-ativity, kindness, and global awareness. Photos of children are sent from global charities, schools, and care centers in multiple countries and pro-vided to participating art pro-grams. Once complete, por-traits are delivered to children. The delivery process is video taped and shared with the in-volved art program members.

Since 2004, the project has delivered more than 80,000 portraits for children in 35 countries. Emily Miller ’18 comments on the project, “This project has been one of my favorite things to par-ticipate in so far this year. Our entire class is very grateful to have the opportunity to make a difference in these children’s lives”.

By Julia Christolini ’16

By Caroline Gill ’16 By Avery Hatch ’16

“This yea r ’s c a s t k nows what they have to do f rom the beg inn ing of th i s proce s s to the day we open in order to put on a n awesome show.”

-A nthony L enczewsk i ’16 ( Joseph)

“The season was rewarding because the students are enthusiastic, committed, hardworking and have been a pleasure to coach”.

-Ms. Keating-McKeon

FEATURES MARCH 2016 5passages

Elysia Calloway ’16, Darius Cygler ’16, and Mr. McElroy

What would people be surprised to learn about you?

Elysia Calloway: That I am a very good singer. I actually performed in talent shows at my middle school.

Andrew McElroy: I graduated from one of the last three all male colleges in the country

Darius Cygler: My grandma looks like Betty White if you squint

How many days could you last in solitary confinement? How would you do it?

AM: 2 or 3 days. I have little kids. so I’d welcome the peace and quiet, time to sleep late and read, but I’d eventually want to talk to someone.

DC: If you gave me a cat toy I could last a couple of years

If you could be anyone else at NWC who would you be?

EC: Señora Barret. All sass with a lot of class.

AM: Mr. Martin. Everybody loves him.

DC: Mr. Ohlheiser, so that I could stare at myself in the mirror all day and flex

What words of wisdom do you live by?

EC: Weird is just a side effect of being awesome.

AM: “The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.”- Plato

DC: Don’t put both feet in your mouth at the same time or else you won’t have a leg to stand on.

What three things can you not live without?

EC: My mom, music, and movies.

AM: My family, tv and books.

DC: My family, friends, and the little plastic things at the end of the shoelace.

What’s your favorite joke?

EC: Person 1: Hey, person crossing the street! YOLO! Person 2: Yeah You Only Live

Once Bro! Whoo! Person 1: More like You Outta Look Out!

AM: Why couldn’t the bicycle stand up? - Because it was two tired

DC: What does an egg say when its turnt? Omlette!

What is the first thing you do in the morning?

EC: I wish that my alarm clock wasn’t actually going off.

AM: Hit the snooze button DC: Pray for a delay

What annoys you the most?

EC: When people’s words don’t match their actions.

AM: Excessive government

What would your first action as President of the United States be?

EC: I would make America great again. Although I would not do it by building a HUGE wall.

AM: Disband the Department of Education

DC: Build a wall around Donald Trump

If the whole world was listening, what would you say?

EC: Stop whatever you’re doing and do what makes you happy. Just do it like Nike.

AM: You can do better

DC: Snape kills Dumbledore

If you could ask God one question, what would it be?

EC: Do you like the additions we’ve added to your creation?

AM: What did I do to deserve three daughters?

DC: How much do you bench?

If you could have only food for the rest of your life (assuming that this strange situation would not affect your health), which food would you choose?

EC: My mom’s grilled cheese with ham.

AM: Steak

DC: Mayonnaise

If you had to choose to give up one of your five senses, which would you choose and why?

EC: Touch. For example food: I can see it, I hear my mom tell me that my grilled cheese with ham is ready, I can smell it, and I can just eat off the plate with my mouth. It’s like eating with your hands tied behind your back. I thought this all through as you can see.

DC: Definitely smell, with that gone I might be able to get close to Paul Baranski.

Who is your hero, and why?

EC: Chris Herron. I just remember him being at school for a presentation and I watched his documentary and I was really moved by his message. He is very relatable to my generation which is what I think is most important.

AM: My grandfather. He was the nicest, kindest, faithful person I’ve ever known. He graduated from Notre Dame in three years, fought at the Battle of the Bulge, and raised six kids

DC: My mom, because she is really nice

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?

EC: New York City. I love the city life and Jimmy Fallon. Okay I would mostly be there for Jimmy Fallon.

AM: Coronado Island

DC: Somewhere exotic, like Fiji or Rocky Hill

As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? AM: President

DC: I wanted to be a giraffe, but my mom shot that career choice down pretty quick

What would be the title of your autobiography?

EC: Just Call Me Lee Lee

AM: I Told You So

DC: “How to not be a giraffe”

What about Northwest Catholic surprised you when you came here?

EC: It was where I belonged.

AM: How nice everyone is

Elysia Calloway ’16

How many days could you last in solitary confinement?I would not do well in solitary confinement. I always have to be talk-ing to someone about something. I think I would actually go crazy

in solitary confinement.

Darius Cygler ’16

What about NWC surprised you when you came here?I had no idea you could have honey mustard with every lunch, but

you can, and I did.

Mr. Andrew McElroy

If you had to choose to give up one of your five senses, which would you choose and why?

Hearing. I have three little girls. The yelling is only going to get worse.

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Inside Out:

NewsMARCH 20166passages

The Rice is Renovated

NWC Students are Unified Soup for a Good Cause

The Empt y Bowls or-ga n izat ion logo.

Pic tu red above a re the N WC members of Uni f ied Theater, Sa ra h Loit z ’18 , E l i zabeth Va nda l ’19, Br ig id Gauth ier ’16 ,

A na Ma ng in i ’ 16 , Ma r y Joerg ’16 , Gabr ie l la Fenton ’17, Jack Ca rew ’16 , A nna Benton ’17, A l l i son St r id ’17, Ma r i s sa La mb ’17, Maddy Mesk i l l ’18 , Nicole Mea h la ’18 , A nderson Murphy ’17, Mega n Gra ndel l ’16 , Da r ius Cylger ’16 , Je s s ica

E ska nder ’16 , Emi ly Gra ndel l ’16 , Rober t a L ina re s ’16 , Ju l ia Chr i s tol in i ’16 , a nd A mel ia Ja na sk ie ’16 .

Before : Choreographer of the spr ing musica l s , Mis s K ate Morra n, pose s in f ront of the empt y, pre -reno, R icha rd

R ice Aud itor ium.

A f ter : The beaut i f u l ly rennovated aud i-tor ium, featu r ing 730 new seat s , a s wel l

a s new f loor ing.

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T he R ice Aud itor ium ha s been a work in progre s s for t he l a s t f ive yea r s . The replac ing of t he s t a ge cu r t a in s ,

t he add it ion of a i r cond it ion ing , t he en-la rg ing of t he s t a ge , t he plac ing of perma-nent s t a i r s , t he remova l of a sbe s tos , a nd im-provement s made on the sound a nd l ight ing s y s tems have a l l been wonder f u l adva nce-ment s , but someth ing wa s s t i l l mi s s ing. Th i s yea r, Nor thwest Cathol ic dec ided to reno-vate a l l 730 seat s a nd replace the c a rpet ing w ith in the aud itor ium. The exc itement for t h i s new add it ion ha s been unconta inable . Mr. R icha rd R ice , for whom the aud i-tor ium i s na med, wa s the Nor thwest Cathol ic Di rec tor of Gu ida nce for a number of yea r s . A f ter he pa s sed away sudden ly in 1982 , t he au-d itor ium wa s na med for h im. The por t ra it of Mr. R ice c a n be seen in the ent ra nce to Gu id-a nce Of f ic e . However, t he renovat ion of t he aud itor ium took a lot of generos it y a nd e f for t f rom ma ny a lumni, pa rent s , g ra ndpa rent s , a nd f r iend s a s a pa r t of t he 50th A nniver sa r y Proj-ec t s . Ma ny of t he se thought f u l cont r ibut ions w i l l be recogn i z ed on plaque s found on the seat s . In pa r t icu la r, donor s who have g reat ly cont r ibuted to the 50th Aud itor ium Projec t s a re The Ma x imi l i a n E . & Ma r ion O. Hof f-ma n Foundat ion, shown by a plaque on the t icke t booth, The Wi l l i a m & A l ic e Mor tensen Foundat ion, recogn i z ed by a plaque on the le f t s ide of t he s t a ge , a nd a nother founda-t ion that ha s chosen to rema in a nonymous . The renovated aud itor ium wi l l have

a n incred ible impac t on the school . The aud itor ium i s ver y impor t a nt to Nor thwest Cathol ic due to the f ac t t hat t h i s aud itor i-um i s u sed for school Ma s se s , rehea r sa l s for t he da nce a nd theater depa r tment s , a nd for shows a nd pre sentat ions of va r iou s k ind s . A s Mrs . Sa ra Aver y, A r t i s t ic Di rec tor of t he N WC Dra mateur s , put it , “Ever y th ing hap -pens in the R ice Aud itor ium! With the new renovat ion, I fee l t hat t he school w i l l become even more un i f ied a nd w i l l re f lec t t he g reat sense of communit y seen at Nor thwest Catho-l ic .” Mr. Dav id Eust i s , Ch ie f Admin i s t rator, a l so added h i s opin ion about the R ice Aud i-tor ium, s t at ing that , “The R ice Aud itor ium wi l l add a lot to school . It w i l l be a f u l ly f unc t iona l a rea where the whole Nor thwest Cathol ic Communit y c a n come together.” A s the aud itor ium comes toge ther, piece by piece , it i s e v ident that t he f ina l ren-ovat ion w i l l cont r ibute g reat ly to the school, w i l l a l low so much more to occur w ith in the school communit y, a nd w i l l re f lec t t he Nor th-wes t pr ide we a re k nown for. A n exc ited per-former, Ca rol ine Chappe l l ’19 comment s , “I ’m rea l ly look ing for wa rd to rehea r s ing a nd per forming in the new aud itor ium. I be l ie ve it w i l l be a g reat env i ronment for both per form-er s a nd aud ience member s .” Come see the new aud itor ium for your se l f ! The aud itor ium w i l l be home to the spr ing music a l on Apr i l 1-3, t he spr ing in s t rumenta l a nd chora l concer t on May 17, a nd the spr ing da nce rec it a l on May 19.

O n Ma rch 15, at 6 :00 P.M, Nor th-wes t Cathol ic

hos ted a n Empt y Bowl s d inner in the c a fe . Th i s d inner wa s open to the publ ic a nd featu red bowl s t hat were created by Nor thwest Cathol ic s tu-dent s . Pa r t ic ipa nt s in the event suppor ted both s tu-dent s’ a r t i s t ic expre s s ion a nd hungr y member s of t he loc a l communit y by pay ing a sma l l a mount for a bowl f i l led w ith de-l ic iou s soup prepa red by Mr. Aver y h imse l f . Mr. Aver y say s , “Helping pre -pa re the soup for Empt y Bowl s a nd pa r t ic ipat-ing in the mea l it s e l f i s a t ru ly happy exper ience for me each yea r. The wa rm goodne s s of f re sh soup br ing s out a gener-ou s spi r it in a l l who s top by for a t a s te . Yum!” Pro -ceed s f rom the event were donated to the House of Bread in Ha r t ford , wh ich prov ide s food, she lter, housing a nd educat ion to the most needy of t he Ha r t ford communit y. Empt y Bowl s d in-ner s do not on ly occur at Nor thwest Cathol ic , but they a re a nat iona l g ra s s -root s orga n i z at ion

that work s to suppor t lo -c a l orga n i z at ions in the f ight a ga ins t hunger. Ms. Oate s moderate s Nor th-wes t Cathol ic’s chapter of Empt y Bowl s , wh ich f a-c i l it a te s one soup d inner a nd one ic e c rea m soc ia l per yea r wh ich a re open to both the school com-munit y a nd the genera l publ ic . Empt y Bowl s i s a g reat way of combin-ing s tudent t a lent a nd ser v ing immed iate com-munit y. A nyone c a n join the c lub at Nor thwest by volunteer ing to he lp cra f t a nd g la z e bowl s for t he d inner, or s imply pa r t ic i-pat ing in the eat ing of t he soup at t he d inner. The Empt y Bowl s hos t s it s f ina l e vent of t he yea r on Apr i l 24 at 2:30 pm. Ma ke su re to s top by the c a fe for t he ic e c rea m so -c ia l !O ne of the ma-

jor core va lue s of Nor thwest Catho-

l ic i s “ser v ic e to commu-n it y on a l l le ve l s , w ith in a contex t of awa rene s s of t he g loba l d imension of mod-ern l i fe” a s s t ated in the mi s s ion s t atement . Uni f ied Theater, a s we l l a s ma ny other c lubs at N WC , i s not on ly a ser v ic e to commu-n it y but a l so a g reat le a rn-ing exper ience a nd a lot of f un. Uni f ied Theater i s a c lub where s tudent s

f rom Nor thwest Cathol ic a nd s tudent s f rom Inten-s ive Educat ion Academy work together to put on a un ique a nd in spi r ing show. The ma in purpose of Uni-f ied Theater i s to “put the spot l ight on abi l it y” wh ich mea ns per formers work to -ge ther no mat ter t he i r le v-e l of abi l it y to create t he i r play. Ma r y Joerg ’16 , Se-n ior L eader, s ay s what she l i ke s t he most about Uni-f ied Theater i s “ge t t ing to meet new people a nd ex-

pre s s t he idea of be ing un i f ied a nd being w ith people of d i f fer-ent abi l it ie s a nd create some-th ing a ma z ing.” Becau se Uni-f ied Theater i s a l l about the s tudent s , it ’s run most ly by the s tudent s . It g ive s s tudent s of a l l abi l it ie s

a cha nce to un i-f y a nd create a wonder f u l pro -duc t ion. Ever y yea r t he theme of t he produc t ion i s d i f ferent a s i s t he scr ipt a nd the ac tor s a nd ac t re s se s . Th i s

yea r ’s t heme wa s “Braver y”. “We chose Braver y a s our theme becau se ever y yea r we l i ke to bu i ld our play s a round impor t a nt le s sons that people not on ly in the play, but a l so in the aud i-ence c a n le a rn f rom” say s Ma r y Joerg ’16 . Th i s yea r ’s produc t ion ‘Braver y ’ wa s on Ma rch 4th at 7:00 pm in the Nor thwest Cathol ic R icha rd R ice Aud itor ium.

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By Sophie Argay ’19

By Haley Duarte ’18 By Jack Carew ’16

News MARCH 2016 7passages

NWC Takes on Berklee

Give Blood, Save Lives

Members of the Ja zz Choi r, Kev in Kea rns ’16 , Dav id Ogbonna ’17, Ja mes a nd John Su l l iva n ’18 , Da nie l Ogbonna ’18 , Gabr ie l la Fenton ’17, Emi ly Dr i scol l ’17, Lauren Ma ng ine ’16 , a nd A l ly son Voelker ’17

per formed at the Berk ley Music Fe s t iva l w ith mentor Mr. Da nie l Aver y ’97.

Sa muel Spa k ’16 , Kev in Ke-a rns ’16 , Mr. Da nie l Luddy ’03,

Peter Chapma n ’16 , a nd Ia n D’A rca ngelo ’16 a re a l l smi le s a t the Berk ley Music Fe s t iva l

a f ter the i r pa r t ic ipat ion in Big Ba nd wa s ack nowledged .

Jonatha n W i l l ia ms ’16 a nd Stephen Na horney ’16 s ign in to the blood d r ive w ith Mrs . Jenni fer Montoney.

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O n Februa r y 6 , 2016 the Nor thwest Cathol ic Big Ba nd

a nd Ja z z Choi r d rove to Boston to at tend the Berk-lee Ja z z Fe s t iva l , wh ich i s considered to be one of t he top Ja z z compet it ions in the world . The tourna-ment i s broken up into d i f-ferent c ategor ie s ba sed on school s i z e , w ith Nor th-wes t compet ing in l a rger ensemble s 5 c l a s s . A s the

Berk lee High School Ja z z Fe s t iva l website de scr ibe s , “In recent yea r s , t he fe s -t iva l ha s g rown at t rac t ing c lose to 200 ensemble s in-c lud ing sma l l ja z z a nd vo -c a l ensemble s . The 2015 fe s t iva l a lone had more tha n 200 ensemble s a nd over 3,000 s tudent musi-c ia ns pa r t ic ipat ing , ma k-ing it t he count r y ’s l a rge s t h igh school ja z z fe s t iva l .”

This compe-t it ion i s a ma-jor e vent for

t he Nor thwest Mu-s ic Depa r tment , a s it prov ide s s tudent music ia ns a n oppor-tun it y to compete w ith t a lented per-formers f rom a round the count r y, a nd to play for profe s -s iona l adjud ic ator s . Each g roup rece ive s a de t a i led commen-t a r y on thei r per for-ma nce , prov ided by a Berk lee judge , g iv-ing the music ia ns a cha nce to ge t adv ic e a nd encouragement f rom profe s s iona l s w ith yea r s of expe-r ience . Mr. Da nie l Luddy ’03, Di rec-tor of Ins t rumenta l Music , s a id , “The

Berk lee Ja z z Fe s t iva l i s a n internat iona l , renowned fe s t iva l for h igh school music s tudent s . Our s tu-dent s t y pic a l ly a re top f ive in our c l a s s i f ic at ion.” Th i s yea r for t he f i r s t t ime ever t he Big Ba nd placed f i r s t in the the i r c l a s s i f i -c at ion. Wi l l Moust a k a k i s ’16 , who play s t rumpet in the Big Ba nd, commented on the w in say ing , “[Berk-lee] i s t he bigge s t e vent of

t he yea r for u s a nd it wa s wonder f u l k nowing we re -c e ived such a g reat honor. I a lway s have a lot of f un play ing a nd l i s ten ing to other s .” In add it ion to the Big Ba nd, t he Ja z z choi r a l so competed in the fe s -t iva l . A l ly son Voe lker ’17, a f i r s t yea r Ja z z Choi r member, com-mented on the op -por tun it y say ing , “I ’m rea l ly exc ited to f ina l ly per form songs that we’ve been rehea r s ing s ince September. Berk lee of fer s u s a un ique oppor tu-n it y to sha re a l l of ou r ha rd work w ith p r o f e s s i o n a l s . ” A big con-g ratu lat ions to a l l who competed a nd placed at Berk lee inc lud ing Sa ra h Je s sen ’17 who won the Judge ’s Choice awa rd for her per-forma nce in the Big Ba nd, Kev in Kea rns ’16 for h i s s te l l a r per for-ma nce in the Ja z z Choi r, a nd for t he member s of t he Big Ba nd, who ea rned a huge awa rd by plac ing f i r s t over-

a l l in the i r c ategor y. You c a n watch both g roups per form at Ja z z Night on May 7th a nd the Spr ing Concer t on May 17th.

E ver y t wo seconds , someone in the United St ate s need s blood. For most people in

the Nor thwest Cathol ic commu-n it y, a donat ion of a pint of blood i s not a big dea l . On the other ha nd, to a s ick or dy ing pat ient , a donat ion s ign i f ie s t he hope of l i fe . Th i s i s why Ma rch 8th, t he day of t he spr ing blood d r ive , wa s such a n impor t a nt day at Nor thwest .

Each donat ion of blood saved up to th ree l ive s , g iv ing the se th ree people a second cha nce . Those who have donated be fore under s t a nd the g reat fee l-ing that comes w ith a blood do-nat ion. Giv ing blood i s a t ru ly a lt ru i s t ic ac t ion – there i s no payment , a nd no t ime-of f . Ye t , people s t i l l ma ke t ime a nd th i s ma ke s donat ions so a ma z ing.

The atmosphere at blood d r ive s i s one of authent ic compa s-s ion a s e ver y per son donat ing i s t a k ing t ime out of t he i r day in order to he lp someone they w i l l probably never meet , wh i le expec t ing noth ing in re tu rn. Blood donat ion i s a s a fe , s imple four- s tep proce s s : reg-i s t r at ion, med ic a l h i s tor y a nd min i-phys ic a l , donat ion a nd re -f re shment s . The whole proce s s w i l l t a ke about one hour a nd f i f teen minute s , wherea s t he ac-tua l blood donat ion on ly t a ke s ten to t we lve minute s . For s tu-dent s , t h i s mea ns mi s s ing about t wo c la s se s , but it i s de f in ite ly wor th doing the ma ke-up work for t he cha nce to save l ive s . The blood d r ive f it s into

Nor thwest ’s commitment to ser-v ic e . Mrs . Montoney, modera-tor of Student Counci l a nd blood d r ive coord inator, s ay s , “At Nor thwest we cha l lenge our s tu-dent s to be re sponsible c it i z ens that demonst rate compa s s ion for other s . Nat ionwide , someone need s a un it of blood ever y t wo to th ree seconds a nd most of u s w i l l need blood in our l i fe t ime. Exposing our s tudent s to th i s l i f e sav ing mi s s ion ea r ly he lps to cu lt ivate l i fe - long donors to f i l l

t he need for blood.” Fi r s t t ime donator, Abbey Fit z s immons ’16 say s , “I wa s sc a red at f i r s t to do -nate , but I ’m g lad I d id a nd w i l l de f in ite ly be ma k ing a nother do -nat ion.” At the blood d r ive th i s pa s t November, 52 un it s of blood were col lec ted , s av ing up to 156 l ive s . Dur ing the Ma rch blood d r ive , 56 un it s were col lec ted . The blood d r ive pre sent s a l l donor s w ith a un ique oppor-tun it y : t he oppor tun it y to save l ive s . I f you a re a blood donor, you a re a hero to someone, some-where who rece ived the g rac iou s g i f t of l i fe .

By Erin Tully ’16

By Caroline Banevicius ’16

“I choose to donate because I k now that g iv ing blood i s rea l ly s imple and ea sy, but can ac tua l ly t remendously help people who might need it . I ’ve donated t w ice and plan to donate in the f uture , a s wel l .”

-Adam Sorrent ino ’16

Lion’s LegacyMARCH 20168passages

Mrs. Williamson Reflects

Mrs. Williamson On Resiliance and Positivity

-Passages Volume XXXVIIINovember 2001

Following the 9/11/01 Attacks

-Passages Volume XLII

June 2004

R ecent ly it wa s a nnounced that Nor thwest Cathol ic’s be loved pr inc ipa l , Mrs . Ma rga re t Wi l l i a mson, w i l l be le av ing Nor thwest Cathol ic to t a ke the pos it ion of pr inc ipa l at St . Ma r y ’s School in Simsbur y beg inn ing Ju ly 1, 2016. A s she s t ated in a n ema i l to s tu-dent s , she “.. .w i l l a lway s ‘ bleed g reen’”, a nd the member s of t he Nor thwest Cathol ic communit y w i l l a lway s hold her in the i r hea r t s

a nd prayer s . The Pa s sage s s t a f f wou ld l i ke to ded ic ate t he fol low ing t wo page s to Mrs . Wi l l i a mson a nd a l l she ha s done for t he school a nd it s s tudent s .

M a rga re t Wi l l i a mson ha s ser ved a s Pr inc ipa l of Nor thwest Cathol ic s ince 2000, a l so ser v ing a s Pr inc ipa l /Chie f Admin i s t rator f rom 2009 th rough Februa r y of 2013. She bega n her c a reer at Nor thwest Cathol ic a s V ice Pr inc ipa l in 1987. Pr ior to that , she t aught French, Spa n i sh a nd soc iolog y at Not re Da me Academy in Waterbur y, C T. Ma rga re t ha s a Ma ster ’s Degree in French L iteratu re f rom

the Cathol ic Univer s it y of A mer ic a a nd a 6th Yea r Degree in Educat iona l Admin i s t rat ion f rom the Univer s it y of Connec t icut . She rece ived the NCE A 2011 Cathol ic Seconda r y Educat ion Awa rd a nd the 2010 -2011 A rchd ioce sa n Di s t ingu i shed Cathol ic School Admin i s t rator Awa rd .

Lion’s LegacyMARCH 2016 9passages

Staff Favorite: Mrs. Williamson Gives Advice

Mrs. Williamson On Northwest Catholic

-Passages Volume XX

February 1991

-Passages Volume XLXINovember 2011

Lions LeadMARCH 201610passages

Mackay-Morgan Runs Circles around Competition

Indoor track captain Chris-tian Mackay-Morgan ’16 ran during the indoor season and looks forward to the outside

season this spring.

Northwest Catholic recently renovated the fitness center to include all new fitness ma-chines, weights, and state-of-the-art equip-

ment.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Dale Hoyt presented the football on Thursday, Febru-

ary 11, 2016.

An up close shot of the foot-ball in honor of Doug Widell.

Stronger Than Ever NWC Home to Gold

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R unning sensat ion Chr i s t i a n Mack ay-Morga n ’16 ha s

proven to be qu ite t he powerhouse for t he Nor th-wes t Cathol ic indoor t rack tea m over t he pa s t fou r yea r s . Th i s yea r in pa r-t icu la r ha s been a record se t t ing yea r for Mack ay-Morga n ’16 , he lping to sol id i f y h im a s t he t rue corner s tone of t he indoor t rack tea m. Running a myr iad of e vent s , w ith the 300 meter be ing h i s ma in event , Mack ay-Morga n ’16 wa s able to qua l i f y for t he nat iona l cha mpionsh ips in th ree event s . He qua l i f ied for t he 200m (running the event in 22 seconds), t he 400 meter (49 seconds) a nd the 4x 200 meter re l ay ; a te a m he i s on w ith Da-mia n Mack ay-Morga n ’17, Jon Gra nata ’16 a nd A sa Gues t ’17. The t rack s t a r cu r rent ly hold s t he school record in the 400 a nd 600 meter da sh a nd i s on the 4x4 re l ay, consi s t ing of Bla ke Greens lade ’16 , Da mia n Mack ay-Morga n ’17, Jayden Mc Ada ms ’16 a nd h imse l f, wh ich a l so hold s t he school record .

Unsurpr i s ing ly, Mack ay-Morga n ’16 i s a l so the CCC Cha mpion in the 600 meter da sh (1 minute 24 seconds) a nd i s A l l-Conference in the 300 meter da sh (35 seconds). Not on ly i s Chr i s -t i a n Mack ay-Morga n ’16 a n a s se t to the tea m in mat ter s of runn ing , but a l so in le ad ing the tea m. “I t h ink it i s impor t a nt for a le ader on the t rack tea m to a lway s work a s ha rd a s t hey pos s ibly c a n to se t a n exa mple for t he other te a m member s to show them that t hey c a n do th i s too a nd that t hey c a n succeed ,” say s t he four yea r va r s it y runner. Not on ly ha s he he lped le ad the tea m to a succe s s f u l s e a son by be ing a mode l ath le te in wa rm-ups a nd workout s , but a l so of f t he t rack , lend-ing adv ic e a nd mot iva-t ion to other member s of t he tea m. It i s c le a r t hat when it comes to running , a s ind iv idua l of a spor t a s it may be , Mack ay-Morga n ’16 ha s t he whole te a m on h i s mind, not ju s t h im-se l f . “To me, what i s most impor t a nt be fore I g radu-

ate i s to repre sent a n idea that you c a n do a ny th ing you wa nt to do a nd you c a n be a ny th ing you wa nt to be . I t h ink a rea l le ader le ave s beh ind that hope for a l l h i s te a mmate s a nd that i s what I t r y to do,” a s ser t s t he co -c apta in. Ta lk ing w ith the adept runner it i s c le a r to see that h i s pa s s ion for t he spor t i s not ju s t due to h i s s te l l a r t imes . He enjoy s t he re spec t a nd f r iend sh ip that t here i s be t ween com-pet itor s a nd the cut a nd d r y natu re of t he spor t . He cred it s t he spor t for tu rn ing h im into a more focu sed a nd determined per son— qua l it ie s he ha s proved to have t ime a nd t ime aga in a s seen in h i s r ace t imes . Mack ay-Mor-ga n ’16 f ind s sat i s f ac t ion in both open event s a nd re l ay s . “In open event s you c a n have more pr ide in your se l f a s you a lone ra n the race a nd c a n ap -prec iate your solo e f for t s ,” s ay s t he CCC Cha mpion. He f ind s re l ay s to be ex-c it ing a nd f u l f i l l ing due to the a spec t of te a mwork involved . The re l ay s ac t a s

a n out le t for h im to run w ith f r iend s , a s t hey a l l work together to succeed . The f utu re hold s much more running for Mack ay-Morga n ‘16 . Mack ay-Morga n a nd the Boys’ 4x 200 f in i shed 10th in New Eng la nd, w ith Chr i s t i a n f in i sh ing 5th in the 300 m, ea rn ing h imse l f A l l New Eng la nd Honors . Hi s indoor sea son i s be ing prompt ly fol lowed up w ith pa r t ic ipat ion in outdoor t rack dur ing the spr ing. He pla ns to run at t he Di-v i s ion I le ve l a t e it her t he Univer s it y of Connec t icut or Brown Univer s it y. It i s more tha n f a i r to say that Mack ay-Morga n ‘16 ha s ach ieved h i s goa l of le av-ing beh ind a legac y for h i s te a mmate s .

T he Nor thwest Cath-ol ic Fitne s s Cen-ter ha s been a v it a l

pa r t of t he N WC ath le t ic t r ad it ion s ince it s incep-t ion. Ea r l ier t h i s yea r, t he Ath le t ic Depa r tment e lec t-ed to renovate the Fitne s s Center due to a generous donat ion f rom the Da mica f a mi ly. New equ ipment a nd f loor ing wa s put in dur ing the Chr i s tma s vac at ion. Accord ing to Ath le t ic Di-rec tor Mr. Mat thew Ma r-tore l l i ’03, t he idea for t he renovat ion c a me for th a s a re su lt of increa s ing inter-e s t in the f itne s s c enter ’s a menit ie s . Old equ ipment

wa s exa m-ined dur-ing a pre -l i m i n a r y update of some of t he c enter ’s f e a t u r e s , p r o m p t i n g the con-s i d e r a t i o n to com-ple te ly re -

mode l t he space . He s t ate s t hat , “a lot of t he e q u i p m e n t

wa s outdated , a nd we had some sa fe t y concerns”. Ath le t ic A s s i s t a nt Mr. Keith Blum concurred , s ay ing that “some of t he equ ipment had been there for over f i f teen yea r s”. The updated f ac i l it y in-c lude s new c a rd io -ba sed mach ine s , such a s t read-mi l l s , e l l ipt ic a l s , a nd exer-c i se bike s . It a l so fe atu re s new weight s , inc lud ing dumbbel l s a nd plate s , a s we l l a s s e vera l other t y pe s of equ ipment . W hen a sked about the benef it s to te a m ca ma rader ie t hat t he Fit-ne s s Center of fer s , Ma r-

tore l l i s a id that , “when-ever you c a n ge t a g roup of people in one room, w ith the sa me common goa l , to work together towa rd s it , t hat ’s a lway s going to bu i ld c a ma rader ie .” In re f-erence to f utu re pla ns for t he updated Fitne s s Cen-ter, Ma r tore l l i s a id that , “we a re going to be add ing some other t h ing s .. .t y pe s of s t at ions for a nybody- boy s , g i r l s , adu lt s , te ach-er s - [t he Fitne s s Center] re a l ly benef it s t he ent i re school communit y, not ju s t t he s tudent-ath le te s”. In terms of t he e f fec t s on the school ’s spor t s te a ms , Ma r tore l l i s a id that , “the new equ ipment br ing s in new ways for people to ex-erc i se , a nd rea l ly focu s on thei r body a nd ma k ing it a s s t rong a s pos s ible to be able to compete th rough-out the i r s e a sons”, t hereby d ra s t ic a l ly improv ing the f utu re of Nor thwest ath-le t ic s . The Fitne s s Center ha s been cr it ic a l to the pa s t v ic tor ie s t hat our school ha s accumu lated a nd now N WC’s ath le t ic legac y w i l l cont inue to bu i ld w ith each pa s s ing sea son.

N orthwest Cath-ol ic i s one of more tha n 2 ,000

h igh school s t h rough-out the count r y to re -c e ive a Golden Footba l l t h rough the NFL’s Super Bowl Honor Rol l in it i a-t ive . In accorda nce w ith th i s yea r ’s Super Bowl 50, t he NFL s t a r ted the Super Bowl High School Honor Rol l progra m to ack nowledge school s a nd communit ie s t hat have d i rec t ly in f luenced Super Bowl h i s tor y. The ded i-c at ion of t he se coach-e s a nd player s a f fec ted the ga me for t he be t ter. A Golden Footba l l wa s pre sented to Nor th-wes t Cathol ic by Dr. Da le R . Hoy t , Super intendent of School s for t he A rch-d ioce se of Ha r t ford , dur-ing a spec ia l c eremony on Thursday, Februa r y 11, 2016 , in honor of Doug Wide l l , a g raduate of t he now-c losed South Cath-ol ic High School, who played for Boston Col lege a nd then wa s a second-round NFL d ra f t pick in 1989 for t he Denver Broncos , play ing in Su-per Bowl X X I V. T h e

emblem joins a d i splay at Nor thwest Cathol ic t hat wa s added in 2014 to honor South Cathol ic a nd showca se some re le va nt memorabi l i a .

By Alex Kanya ’18 By Avery Hatch ’16

By Molly Mullen ’16

“Christ ian i s the per fec t mix of ha rd work, natura l t a lent and the desi re to be the best that he can be .”

-Mr. Pat r ick Wi l l iamson ’99, Indoor Track Coach

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Sports MARCH 201611passages

Boys’ Ice Hockey

Captains: Mike Camasso ’16, Henry McKenna ’16, JJ Foster ’16 Assistants: Anthony Ceolin ’17, Nick Alzuguray ’16Record: 15-5 (Regular Season), 1-2 (Post Season) Captain Quote: “The highlight of our season was going on that eight game win streak early on. This year we set a team record for most points in a season. We have a tough play-off schedule coming up and we hope to play our best hockey, so that we can go as far as we can. Our goal is to bring NWC its first hockey state championship,” Captain JJ Foster ’16 comments. Fan Quote: “I like going to the hockey games because of the great atmosphere and fan participation. They’re a great team and I enjoyed coming out to watch them,” Bryan De-neen ’16 remarks. Standout Performance: This season, everyone played well, but goalie Mike Camasso ’16 proved to be a dominating force on the ice. The team had an eight game winning streak towards the beginning of the season, due to a large contribution of the saves Mike Camas-so made. In their game against South Windsor, Mike Camasso ’16 saved 17 shots, leading the team to a 2-0 victory. The captain also made 31 saves against Hamden, which North-west beat with a final score of 7-4. Post Regular Season: The boys made it to the CCC Championship after defeating Glastonbury by a score of 4-1, where Captain Mike Camasso ’16 made 22 saves. They played an extremely hard fought game against Simsbury in the conference Champion-ship, but ultimately lost to Simsbury by a close score of 1-0. In the first round of the state tournament in Division I, the boys scored two goals, by Anthony Ceolin ’17 and Anthony Giannone ’16 while Mike Camasso ’16 made 17 saves, but lost a tough game against Hamden 5-2. The team had an incredible season this year and the seniors will be greatly missed.

Swimming and DivingCaptains: Abby Oostendorp ’16, Erin Tully ’16Record: 3-12 Swimmer’s Perspective: “The team was super close and really bonded this year and joining as a senior they really welcomed me to the team,” remarks senior Grace Vincens ’16. Fellow swimmer Frankie Link ‘17 also remarked, “Joining the swim team this year was a huge change but I’m glad I did it because I got to meet a whole new group of people and now they’re some of my closest friends. If you think your sport is hard, try doing it without breathing!” Season Highlights: In their first meet, Northwest was victorious over Plainville with a score of 96-83. Northwest Catholic also defeated East Catholic in the infamous “Holy War” with a score of 99-78. Their third win was against Hartford Public in which they won by a score of 87-53. Post Season: Four swimmers qualified for states at the CCC Championship, that is Natalie Smith ’17, Laura Kunkel ’17, Justin Lam ’18, and Matthew Villani ’19.

Captains: Stephen Laffin ’16, Patrick Lazor ’16, Aaron Renker ’16, Connor Daly ’16Record: 15-5 (Regular Season), 3-1 (Post-season) Captain’s Quote: Captain Connor Daly ’16 comments, “We’ve had a really enjoy-able and successful year. I’m really proud of how the team has grown since my fresh-man year and I can’t wait to finish strong in states.” Coach’s Quote: Coach Mirabello remarks, “The greatest challenge the team has faced is the demanding schedule. We played one of the toughest schedules we have ever faced. I’m proud of how the team competed in this challenge. It is our hope that the team plays its best basketball of the year during March.” Standout Performance: While everyone on the team was instrumental in getting the team to qualify for the state tournament, the seniors this season stepped up and all played well. In the team’s state tournament game against Nonnewaug, Connor Daly ’16 scored 14 points, while during their quarterfinals game, Stephen Laffin ’16 scored 16 points and Aaron Renker ’16 and Patrick Lazor ’16 played well. Post Regular Season: The team made it to the state semifinals this year and excelled in every game they played. Defeating Nonnewaug in the second round of the Class M tournament, with a score of 52-39, the boys’ team advanced to the quarterfinals. Next, the boys took on Abbott Tech and advanced to the semifinals with a final score of 56-35. At the semifinal game against Notre Dame- Fairfield, the team played very well and kept the game close, ultimately losing by a score of 81-79.

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Captain Aaron Renker ’16 stands ready for the ball. Tucker Alissi ’17 gets ready for the faceoff, while teammates An-thony Gianonne ’17 and Paul Arel ’19 help from the sides.

Dawid Karpiej ’18 swims the Butterfly at a home swim meet.

The NWC Cheerleaders holding up their first place trophy from the Windsor Warrior Challenge.

Captains: Christal Riley’16, Filamena Vukaj ’17Coach’s Quote: “Our biggest accomplishment was getting first place at the Windsor War-rior Competition. The girls had a flawless and clean routine which impressed the judges. We’re excited for next winter to go back and defend our title. Although we don’t cheer in the spring, we are looking forward to having some team practices and workouts, open to anyone looking to tryout in the fall, to maintain and gain some skills for the fall season,” says Coach Courtney Ramos. Season Highlights: Because of the change in recent years, the girls have been able to add stunts and flying to their cheerleading routines, which makes for an exhilarating routine on the sidelines and a new competitive edge at competitions. They took first place at the Wind-sor Warrior Competition and represented Northwest spectacularly. At games, the cheerlead-ers’ smiling faces and perfected routines make for a spirited performance. Looking Ahead: Even though the girls do not practice in the spring, with such a young team, the future looks bright and the girls’ skills will only be improving. The seniors that have been involved with the team are greatly appreciated by the fans and entire Northwest community.

Cheerleading

Boys’ Basketball

SportsMARCH 201612passages

Girls’ BasketballCaptains: Emily Kalinski ’16, Elleana Paradise ’17Record: 3-15-1 Captain Quote: “Being a part of the girls’ hockey team this year was an experience that I will never forget. Even though this season was difficult considering it was the first time we ever played together and we were a new team competing against teams that have been playing against each other for years, we worked hard to get better and played each game with determination and passion for the sport,” said Senior Emily Kalinski ’16. Breaking Down the Victories: The girls team defeated Guilford by a score of 6-3 to secure the first win in school history, as the program is completely new this year. The following week, the team went on to defeat Lauralton Hall by a score of 4-0, giving goalie Gianni Molinari ’17 a shutout. In their third victory of the season, the hockey team was victorious in a close game against Notre-Dame Fairfield with a score of 2-1. Looking Ahead: After their first year as a program, the girls have a bright future ahead of them. Goalie Gianna Molinari ’17 had some amazing saves on the ice this season and will hopefully continue to help the team on the defensive end next year.

Captains: Mackenzie Tibball ’16, Erin Feeney ’16Record: 13-7 (Regular season), 2-2 (Post season) Captain Quote: “This season has been very tough and we have had some re-ally tough games but we were able to finish with a good regular season record. We look forward to taking one game at a time and getting back to Mohegan Sun this year,” remarks Mackenzie Tibball ’16. A Word with the Manager: “The girls had another great season this year and it was especially exciting to see Lauren break the school record for most points in one game with 41 points. As a manager, I enjoyed going to all the games but the best part was spending time with my great friends who were both on the team and my fellow mangers,” remarked Caroline Banevicius ’16. Standout Performance: The girls came out strong this season, recording a five game winning streak in their first 5 games, which was very impressive against big schools such as Simsbury. During this intense matchup, Captain Macken-zie Tibball ’16 scored 12 points, while Lizzy Jacobs ’17 scored 17 points. Over winter break, the girls’ team was also victorious in the “Holy War” against long-time rival East Catholic. Also happening this season, Lauren Murphy ’17 broke the single game point school record from 1990 in the game against Bristol Eastern scoring 41 points. Post Regular Season: In the first round of the state tournament, the team defeated Bristol Eastern with a score of 87-63 with 16 points from Elysia Calloway ’16 and 13 points by Erin Feeney ’16. In their next game against East Lyme, the girls defeated them 62-32 with 18 points from Lauren Murphy ’17 and Erin Feeney ’16 with 16 points. In the quarterfinals, the girls lost a tough game against Capital Prep with a final score of 61-43 but the whole team played their best and looks forward to a great season next year.

Girls’ Ice Hockey

Girls’ Indoor TrackCaptains: Claire Hurtado ’16, Rachel Ogbonna ’16, Alicia Palmer ’16, Brittney Lundy ’16Captain Quote: “This season has been great. Everyone has worked hard and our ef-forts have paid off. We made a lot progress since the beginning of the season and we are so proud of our accomplishments,” Claire Hurtado ’16 states. Season Highlights: At the Hispanic Games in New York City, the girls’ 4x4 relay, the group of Claire Hurtado ’16, Alicia Palmer ’16, Rachael Ogbonna ’16, and Kathryn Shea ’18, ran a 4:23, taking 6th place. At the Yale Track Classic, the girls 4x4 improved their time running a 4:22, while Christina Colliton ’16 qualified for states in the 3000m. Rachel Ogbonna ’16 and Kiana Woods ’19 broke 8 seconds in the 55m dash, thus qualifying for states. Kathryn Shea ’18 ran a mile in 5:29:31, a personal record for her. Post Season: Claire Hurtado ’16, Rachel Ogbonna ’16, Alicia Palmer ’16, and Kathryn Shea ’18 finished in second place at the CCC Championship and earned All-Conference honors. Katherine Jacobs ’18 place fourth place in the 55m hurdles. At the Class S State Championship, the girls placed eighth overall.

Boys’ Indoor TrackCaptains: Christian Mackay-Morgan ’16, Sam Spak ’16, Jayden McAdams ’16Runner’s Quote: “We had a great season with people going to nationals for the first time in a few years and a lot of fun! We had a lot of good opportunities to better ourselves, for example when we practiced for a week at the University of St. Joseph to do something dif-ferent,” remarked Senior Jack Carew ’16. Season Highlights: At the Hispanic Games in New York City, the boys’ 4x4 relay, made up of Jayden McAdams ’16, Damian Mackay-Morgan ’17, Christian Mackay-Morgan ’16, and Blake Greenslade ’16, broke the school record with a time of 3:34:14. At the Yale Track Classic, the boys 4 x200, comprised of Damian Mackay-Morgan ’17, Christian Mackay-Morgan ’16, Asa Guest ’17, and Jon Granata ’16, ran their event in 1:32:21, quali-fying for nationals and going down in the records as the second fastest in school history. While Asa Guest ’17 qualified for states in the 55m dash, Christian Mackay-Morgan ’16 qualified for nationals in the 200m dash and finished in fourth place in the 300m. Brian Waterston ’17 also qualified for states in the 3000m. Post Season: Asa Guest ’17 finished third place in the 55m hurdles and earned All-Conference, while Christian Mackay-Morgan ’16 finished first in the 600m and third in the 300m, also earning All-Conference at the CCC Championship. At the Class S State Championship, the boys placed third overall.

Indoor Track

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To the right: Captain Mackenzie Tib-ball ’16 dribbles down the court at a

home game.

Captain Rachael Ogbonna ’16 gets ready to hand off the baton at a relay at an indoor track meet. Captain Samuel Spak ’16 at a indoor track meet

while running a relay.

The Mercy-Northwest Girls’ Hockey team made their debut this year and were a part a new program that will be at Northwest for years to

come.