pg. 20 football pg. 13 the anchor - saint clement school · 2015. 11. 5. · highlights of the...

NOVEMBER 2015 THE ANCHOR

New 3D Printers Offer Students Chance To Print Their Own Creations

By Catherine Foster

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Staff Bios

pg. 20

THE ANCHOR

Cross Country Receives Positive Reviews pg. 4

Teachers Who Played College Sports pg. 2

FLAG FOOTBALL

PG. 13

HALLOWEEN PARTY PG. 2

This summer, St. Clement School was given two 3D printers. A generous donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, provided the printers for the media center and is very supportive of using technology in schools. Ms. Jahraus, the technology teacher, reached out to some schools and libraries that have 3D printers to find out what the best brand of printers would be for children to be able to use. The printers that the school decided on are Flashforge brand and sell for just over $1,000 apiece.

Ms. Jahraus hopes to do a unit in technology class on 3D printing with all the students. Starting with the middle schoolers, students will be able to print their own creations. Some of Ms. Jahraus’ ideas of things that students will be able to create are key chains, bookmarks, and even Christmas ornaments. Since print jobs can take hours, students may only be able to print once, but eighth graders may get to print multiple times because it is their last year at St. Clement. Continued on page 8


SCHOOL NEWS

Teachers Talk About Their Experiences Playing College Sports

By Will Foster

8th Graders Host All-School Halloween Party: “Willy Wonka and the Creepy Candy Factory”

By Liam Dahlborn

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Several of St. Clement’s middle school teachers participated in collegiate athletics. That includes science teacher Donna Terrasi, math teachers Chris Miedema and Aly Wray, and literature and language arts teacher Patrick Sitzer.

Terrasi played both soccer and softball while attending Loyola University in Chicago in the late 1980s. She walked on to both teams.

She described the softball program, which was Division I, as, “extremely rigorous.”

“We played/practiced six days a week (Sundays were generally off unless we were traveling),” she said. “Practices were generally two hours with added time for weight training (cardio conditioning was typically built into the two-hour practice slot). Occasionally there would be two practices in a day. Continued on page 9

The Oompa Loompas invaded St. Clement School on Friday, October 30. Willy Wonka and the Creepy Candy Factory was the theme of this year’s all-school Halloween party. Hosted by the 8th graders, the party ran from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. It featured two haunted houses with the Willy Wonka theme. There was a junior haunted house for the younger children and a scary haunted house for the

older kids. Dance parties were one of the highlights of the evening. There was a family dance for the lower grades and dance parties for each grade in the upper classes. Also, the night featured a movie house with childcare, a photo booth, and many games. There were lots of tasty treats, including hot dogs, pizza, popcorn, cotton candy, homemade desserts, and so much more. Continued on page 7


A New Teacher At St. Clement: Ms. Patterson By Alex Lezotte

Teachers’ Dream Pets By Olivia Moore

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Ms. Sarah Patterson (who teaches 4th Grade West) completed her B.S. (Bachelor of Science) at Villanova University and her Master’s in Special and Elementary Education at DePaul University. She also has endorsements in language arts and social studies, and holds a Learning Behavior Specialist License. Ms. Patterson chose St. Clement School to teach at over any other options she may have had because St. Clement reminded her of her grade school growing up. Also, she really liked the community at St. Clement. So far Ms. Patterson likes the students and the staff at St. Clement. “They are so welcoming and helpful,” she said.

This is her first job as a teacher, but not her first real job. In college, she babysat a lot and she worked in the office of New Jersey

Governor Chris Christie. In his office, she did jobs such as government relations and helped with town hall meetings. She also reached out to citizens in times of need (like Hurricane Sandy). Ms. Patterson currently lives in Lincoln Park. She grew up in Hinsdale, Illinois, and Lincoln Park. Ms. Patterson enjoys teaching writing most so far, and she is great at teaching other subjects, too. Outside of school, Ms. Patterson enjoys watching football, especially our Chicago Bears, and her favorite movie genre to watch is comedy. And lastly, she likes to go for runs and hang out with her family and friends. St. Clement students and faculty should be thankful for any new staff they get every year.

The Anchor: If you could have any pet in the world, what would it be?

Annie Matchinga: I would have at least one dwarf flying squirrel as my pet. I would have them because they are adorable little fluff balls that have the ability to glide across a room. I would name my pet Francisco. I would train it to sit on my shoulder and then do my bidding.

Ms. Otter: I would obviously have an otter. Because they are friendly, fun, cute, and fluffy. I would need to know the personality of my otter.

Mrs. Terrasi: I would have the Penguins of Madagascar as a pet. I would have these as a pet because they are so funny and I would have so many things to do.

Mr. Sitzer: I would say a moose. I would want one because it would be the most majestic, and also I could ride it down the street and people could say, “Wow, look how majestic that is and look how majestic that rider is.” That is why I would pick a moose as my pet.


Student Council Hosts Movie Night On the Roof By Colin Linnen

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Middle schoolers were ecstatic with the surprise of stepping out onto the roof as it was transformed into a temporary movie theater. On Thursday, October 1, the Student Council hosted a welcome back event for all 6th-8th grade students. On the rooftop, an inflatable giant screen occupied the basketball court as students watched the movie, The Sandlot. This was the first time that any sort of event like this has happened on the rooftop. Students enjoyed playing on the rooftop and having pizza, followed by sitting down to watch the movie on the big screen.

A lot of work was put into transforming the rooftop for the movie. A huge 12-foot high movie screen was set up on the sport court. There was a photo backdrop of a giant baseball stadium for students to take pictures (including “selfies”). There were lots of lights and baseball-themed decorations, while students strolled in on a giant red carpet, Hollywood style! In one part of the roof, there was a large table filled with food, which disappeared very quickly. It consisted of pizza, popcorn, soda, Twizzlers, and additional movie snacks. The students truly enjoyed the food, according to some of their comments I overheard at movie night.

The Sandlot, a baseball movie released in 1993, was chosen by the Student Council for the event. Students reviewed the movie quite positively. Sandlot is about a new kid in town who befriends a group of boys. They all enjoy

playing baseball every day, all day, and play in a sandlot. I won’t spoil too much, but parts of the movie involve a certain vicious dog behind the fence of the sandlot, and losing something with great value to the dog.

Several students were interviewed about the event, and what they enjoyed most during the event. Sam Cushman, a seventh grader, said his favorite part of the movie night was, “Being able to hang out with friends, relax, and enjoy a movie.” Alex Lezotte, a sixth grader, said what most surprised him about how the rooftop was decorated was, “I enjoyed all the lights and baseball decorations. It made the roof look really cool!” Nina Hand, another sixth grader, when asked for a food review, indicated that she, “especially enjoyed the pizza.” Eighth grader Paul Smith mentioned his favorite part of the entire movie was, “When the two teams faced off at the sandlot.” When asked to rate the number of stars, out of five, she would give the movie night on the roof, Olivia Moore, a seventh grader, said, “I would give it five stars!”

The St. Clement Middle School gave the movie night on the roof rave reviews! It was a big success! Students would like to thank the Student Council, our generous teacher chaperones, and everyone who helped make this movie night possible! If you missed it, hopefully the school will be able to do another one, and possibly even a future movie night for younger grades!


How The School Has Changed Since Last Year By Paul Smith

Interview With Math Teacher Mr. Miedema By Annabelle Graham and Mary Jane Darrow

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St. Clement School has undergone many changes since last year, including the installation of new air conditioning, the hiring of new teachers, and much more. One of the biggest and most important changes to St. Clement is the addition of our new teachers and staff. There are a total of 14 new teachers at St. Clement this year. They are Ms. Arnold, who teaches Pre-K; Ms. Blackall, who is the Pre-K assistant; Mrs. Connolly, who teaches 2nd grade; Ms. Dowdle, who teaches Pre-K; Ms. Garcia, who teaches 3rd grade; Ms. Groves, who teaches Kindergarten; Mrs. Hayes, who is our new reading specialist; Mr. Hiromura, who has 6th grade advisory and teaches social studies; Ms. Kurek, who teaches 5th grade; Ms. MacDonald, who teaches kindergarten; Mr. Miedema, who teaches

math; Ms. Patterson, who teaches 4th grade; Ms. Tarnacki, who teaches 5th grade; and Ms. Weaver, who teaches kindergarten. We are very happy to have them with us at St. Clement!

Another great change to the school this year is the installation of air conditioning in the upper hallway of the third floor. This is great for middle schoolers going to and from classes, students coming out from recess, and anyone else who is in that area. This is also especially great in the beginning of the school year and spring and early summer. In addition, Ms. Reade has been moved to the first floor next to Pre-K, and Mr. Miedema has moved into Ms. Reade’s old room. We have many changes to our school this year that will make this school year a great one!

We got a chance to interview Mr. Miedema. If you did not know, he is one of the middle school math teachers and this is his first year teaching at St. Clement School. He is a great teacher so far. We asked him eight questions. Here are our questions and what he said in response:

Q: What College did you go to?

A: I went to DePaul.

Q: What did you major in while in college?

A: Secondary education: math.

Q: What made you want to be a teacher?

A: I like to see people succeed.

Q: What is your favorite thing about St. Clement School so far?

A: The friendly people, students, and staff.

Q: Why did you choose St. Clement School to teach at?

A: Mostly because it was close to home and because I heard really good things about it. Continued on page 6


Students’ and Teachers’ Thoughts About The Newly-Installed Air Conditioning

By Finn Kibby

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Interview With Math Teacher Mr. Miedema Continued from page 5 Q: Why do you prefer math over any other subjects?

A: It’s the subject I’m best at.

Q: If you could change one thing about St. Clement, what would it be?

A: Outdoor playground; we need a backyard on the ground.

Q: What do you like to do outside of school?

A: Any kind of sport, running, basketball, football, and spending time with the family.

We really enjoyed interviewing Mr. Miedema, and if you are in fifth grade or lower, look forward to having him as a teacher soon!

A recent Anchor survey shows that St. Clement middle schoolers and their teachers have mixed opinions about the newly installed air conditioning. In fact, 6th graders were more prone to disliking the air conditioning because they felt too cold. Other students, including 7th graders Aidan Dan and Connor Quinn, said the air conditioning was good when used at the right times, but not when it’s been cold out. Sam Cushman said, “Yeah, the AC’s pretty cool.” Almost every single 8th grader either likes the air conditioning, or doesn’t really notice it.

The Anchor also spoke with different teachers around middle school about the air conditioning. Science teacher Mrs. Terrasi said, “I feel a little but spoiled by it, knowing that the students and teachers on the 1st and 2nd floors are without the AC.” The air conditioning creates a better learning environment for middle school students, because they no longer have to deal with the environmental factor of hot temperatures in classrooms. Religion teacher Ms. Otter said, “The AC makes the room less stuffy and makes it easier to teach.” Some other teachers who also liked the air conditioning include Mr. Sitzer, Ms. Eslinger, Mr. Hiromura, Sr. Rojas, and Ms. Herold. If you get a chance, remember to thank Mr. Eslinger for supervising the installation of the air conditioning, and for keeping it running so nicely for us so that we can learn in a better environment.


A New Student: Nicholas Rief By Maeve Deely and Ava Owens

There are many new students at St. Clement this year. We got to interview a new student in middle school. His name is Nicholas Rief and he is in sixth grade. It was very interesting to learn more about him.

Q: What school did you attend before you came to St. Clement?

A: I went to Saint Benedict Elementary.

Q: What is your favorite part about St. Clement so far?

A: I really like the rooftop.

Q: What are you looking forward to this year?

A: The haunted house at the Halloween party.

Q: Do you have any siblings that are also at St. Clement?

A: My sister Sophie is in 8A.

Q: Are you planning to play any school sports this year?

A: I am planning to play baseball and basketball.

Q: How is St. Clement different from your old school? How is it similar?

A: St. Clement is smaller than my old school. We also had to pay for our laptops and we didn’t have iMacs in our computer lab. St. Clement and Saint Benedict have similar classrooms.

It was very fun to interview Nick and learn more about him. We hope Nick and all the new students enjoy St. Clement so far, and have a great year.

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Halloween Party Continued from page 2 The eighth graders created the scary haunted house and dressed up as frightening characters from the classic book and movie, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. They also ran the games and other activities. During the month of October, the entire class sold chances for the Golden Ticket Raffle. One raffle ticket cost $10, three raffle tickets cost $25, and 13 raffle tickets cost $100. This year, there were some great prizes. The grand prize was $1,000 in cash, second prize was $500 in cash, third prize was four Chicago Bears tickets, fourth prize was an iPad Mini, fifth prize was $250 in cash, and sixth prize was a Fitbit Charge HR.

All tickets, including raffle tickets, could be purchased online at events.org/halloweenparty. Admission wristbands cost $15 online and $20 at the door. People could buy an unlimited access wristband to the haunted houses for $10. There also were food and game tickets that could be purchased at a discount online, 60 tickets for $40 and 25 tickets for $20. At the party, additional tickets were sold for $1 each. St. Clement alumni got a discount, getting an admission wristband, haunted house wristband, and five tickets for only $10. The last day for online orders was Thursday, October 29. All of the profits will help fund the 8th grade trip to Washington D.C. The Class of 2016 thanks you for joining Willy Wonka and his Oompa Loompas for a night of fun, family, friends, and of course lots of candy!


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3D Printers Continued from page 1 Ms. Jahraus is looking forward to having the students create 3D models on Sketchup and Tinkercad (these designs can then be printed by the 3D printer). Last year, 3D design was an option for the science fair, and Ms. Jahraus thinks it will be allowed this year as well. “All of the students will learn a lot about 3D design and the new, innovative technology at St. Clement,” says Ms. Jahraus.

In an interview, Ms. Jahraus explained how the printers work. On the back of the 3D printers are two large spools of filament. One is blue, which is made out of plant-based materials, and the other is a plastic white filament, although there are many other colors of filament for sale. When you print your design, the filament goes through two black tubes and into the extruders, which then heat up in order to melt the plastic. The extruders then begin to go side to side to print layers to create the design. It is possible for the print job to take as little as fifteen minutes, but it could also take up to two hours.

Nina Hand, a sixth grader, said, “I’m really excited to learn about how the printers work and I am looking forward to getting to make objects with them.”

Anchors created using one of St. Clement’s 3D printers in the media center. (This photo, and photo on page 1 of St. Clement’s two 3D printers, courtesy of Ms. Jahraus)


Teachers Talk About Their Experiences Playing College Sports

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Continued from page 2 “For soccer the schedule was a little less intense (maybe 4 times per week -- sometimes more with travel) because it was a club sport,” she said. “Loyola did not have a women's varsity soccer team yet -- my club team eventually evolved into their varsity team … We were competing with other club teams, but also had games against varsity programs.

“It seems that these days it is expected that in order to play a sport at a higher level … you have to focus solely on that sport and play at the club/travel level in the offseason. Things were different when I played. We did condition in the offseason, but there actually was an offseason! … I had a chance to do a lot of other things in the offseason and even in season. I worked as a waitress to help pay for school expenses, I was in a musical and worked in the theater department at Loyola, and a few other things. So I could pursue a lot of interests. It might not have been the same at a larger school more focused on athletics.”

Miedema ran Division I cross country and track for DePaul University in Chicago from 2010-2014. In his senior year, he placed first for DePaul in all six cross country events.

“We had practice seven days a week, including lifting, hard workouts and easy runs,” he said. “Our sport ran from August to June. That included cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track … Our program was rigorous, as we would run 8-12 miles per day and on Sundays we would do long runs of 16 miles.

“When outdoor track finished, we would have a two week to three week break

and then we would start training again in the summer, which was our offseason.”

One of Miedema’s teammates was St. Clement middle school social studies teacher Ben Hiromura.

Wray was also a Division I athlete at DePaul, playing soccer there from 2008-2010. During her junior and senior years of high school, she was recruited by several colleges, including Michigan State, Northwestern, Wisconsin, Iowa, and DePaul. She ended up choosing Iowa, but after playing soccer there her freshman year she transferred to DePaul.

“Our games were scheduled on Fridays and Sundays. We would practice Tuesday through Thursday, and Saturday,” she said. “Each practice lasted about 2 to 2 ½ hours and games would be a total of 4-5 hours with locker room preparation, warm-ups, game time, cool-downs and ice baths. Our only day off was Monday … I had to commit a lot of time and give up personal things and the normal college experience to be a part of the program. I do not regret choosing this route, but it was definitely a different one from my close friends and people I went to class with.

“Our only offseason was our summer break. We would train all year round. Winter workouts consisted of weights and sprints with some short-sided games in the DePaul gyms. Spring season would be practices, strength, and conditioning, and friendly games with schools in the area (Northwestern, Marquette, and Wisconsin, to name a few).”

Sitzer ran Division III cross country and track for St. John’s University in Continued on page 10


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Teachers Who Played College Sports Continued from page 9 Collegeville, Minnesota, from 2009-2011.

“My love for running has always been in the training, not necessarily in the competing, which is why a Division III school was a good fit for me,” he said. “The geography of Saint John’s is uniquely positioned at the cusp of the rolling farmland of central Minnesota, and the forests and lakes of the northern part of the state. My favorite memories of athletics in college are the long runs I could go on through the trails in the woods and on the rolling back roads of Collegeville. We would run year-round, so even though the winters were brutally cold, getting out for a 10-mile run in 10-below weather taught me a lot about commitment and dedication.

“Practice was every weekday at 4:15 p.m. … with meets on Saturdays. You were expected to be on time and ready to go for every practice and every meet. Our coach made the point that everybody had homework, everybody had big tests to study for, and everybody had lots of reading to do, so it would have been self-centered to skip practice or a meet with the justification that you had too much other stuff to do. Part of the commitment of being a student athlete is that you balance your studies with athletics. I would say that we had a fairly rigorous program, with between 1.5 and 2 hours of practice every day.

“There isn’t really on off-season for running … because the cross country season leads into the track season, and track leads into summer.”

Terrasi, Miedema, Wray, and Sitzer all had started playing the sports they would

eventually play in college by the time they finished middle school.

The four all had different goals for their athletic careers at the time they were in college, some loftier than others.

“I went into the cross country and track programs at Saint John’s with the hope of becoming a better runner and learning how to train at a higher level … I never had aspirations to become a professional athlete,” Sitzer said.

“I have never had any aspirations of becoming a pro athlete,” Terrasi said. “I absolutely love sports and all I wanted from college sports was the opportunity to continue to play.”

“I hoped to [develop] a work ethic that would lead me to national meets,” Miedema said, “as well as the possibility of making an Olympic team.”

“I wanted to grow as a player and learn more about the game,” said Wray. “I didn’t feel done with the sport after high school; I felt like I had more to accomplish ... I learned a lot about teamwork and coaching styles that I took away for my own coaching and even with teaching.

“It was something that I always thought about -- how great would it be to get paid to play soccer?! However, I found myself very physically and mentally tired after finishing college soccer and felt like I needed a little break (my mind and my body!). I enjoy playing for fun now, and don’t regret my decision.”

Finding time for things other than sports was a challenge for all four. Continued on page 11


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Teachers Who Played College Sports Continued from page 10 “The biggest challenge I faced was balancing my social, academic, and athletic careers,” Miedema said. “At times, athletics took up the majority of my time and then academics had to come second and friends took a back seat.”

“The biggest challenge … of college sports was working to balance your time,” said Sitzer. “You needed to make a plan every single day for studying, based on the unchangeable fact that you’d have a few hours of practice.”

“I really loved my team,” Wray said. “However, it was hard to find time to meet people outside of my team and others that attended school. If I met people in classes, it was hard to find time to actually hang out with them! On top of that, being able to find time for my academics could be a challenge. Especially on the road, all of us would squeeze in study sessions on the planes or buses, or have study halls in our hotel rooms.

“The travel could get to be too much! If it were a home season, most (but not all) games were played at home,” she continued. “This was great because we did not have to travel during the weekends. This switched off and when we had away seasons, we were barely in Chicago. We would travel from Thursday morning to Sunday night, have Monday off and then practice Tuesday and Wednesday at home, then travel again until Sunday. It was a different experience than most college students and limited your personal time; you were always on your coach's time and schedule. It could be very exhausting, a lot of hotel rooms and eating out and packing/unpacking.”

Despite these challenges, all four have a positive view of their experience with college sports.

“My favorite part of college sports were learning to be a better runner, getting to be part of a really welcoming team, and making some friendships that I’ll have the rest of my life,” Sitzer said. “Running made me a more balanced person and taught me a lot about work ethic. Running is a pretty low-profile sport -- you don’t see many front pages of sports sections in newspapers or highlight reels on SportsCenter of running highlights, and I think that’s an important reality of learning to love running. It’s not about attention, it’s not about talking down to another team, and it’s definitely not to go out and prove you’re super tough compared to everyone else around you. It’s about keeping your head down and working to improve yourself a little more each day, whether someone knows you’re going out for a long run or not. You’ve just got to lace up your shoes and go get your miles in.”

When asked to compare high school and college athletics, Terrasi said, “College sports was on a whole new level from high school sports to me -- the talent, the expectations, the pace of the game. Everything was elevated, and while at first that was intimidating, I really enjoyed the challenge! For many players the transition was probably not as dramatic, but I had never played travel or club ball in any sport … so I was seeing a lot of new sides of athletics.”

“College sports were much more rigorous, and much more independent, especially when it came to distance running,” Sitzer said. “In high school, we might have had a coach come out on a run with us on a bike to keep an eye on us, but in college, we were simply expected to take care of the mileage that we needed.” Continued on page 12


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Teachers Who Played College Sports Continued from page 11 After their college years were over, all four stayed involved in their sports.

Miedema still trains and occasionally enters local 5Ks and other races. Wray plays in various local leagues. “It’s really fun to go out and play for fun now,” she said. “I am still very competitive, but I find mostly enjoyment out of playing with people that still love the game and love to play as well.”

For a while after college, Terrasi played on softball and soccer teams with some of her college teammates, but, “As I've gotten older and have family commitments, I haven't been able to commit to a team for a while,” she said. “I am far more active in the other two sports I played (in high school, not college), which are volleyball and basketball, as I coach those sports, and still play volleyball a little more regularly.”

Sitzer, meanwhile, still runs, “and I have grown to love it even more since leaving Saint John’s,” he said. He ran his first marathon in early October, and he and Miedema, as well as Hiromura, coached the St. Clement cross country team this fall.

When asked what advice she had for kids who wanted to play college sports, Terrasi said, “I would encourage kids to enjoy a lot of different sports (especially before high school!); since they are still figuring out what might appeal, it is healthier for their bodies to not overly focus on a particular sport at an early age, and it's fun! And even once they start to focus a little more on a sport they love, I would advise them to always have the love of the game be of primary importance -- not the winning/losing or level of play. Enjoy the sport

and appreciate your teammates, coaches, and the opportunity to play!”

“I would recommend that students who are interested give college sports a try because of the focus it gives you, the lessons you’ll learn, and the friendships you’ll gain,” Sitzer said.

Said Wray, “If you are serious about the sport and playing in college, make your decision based on the school and academics before the sport. You could love the coach and teammates, but if you are not content with the school and your classes, you are not going to be completely happy. If something were to happen (you decide to retire early or get hurt, etc.) you want to be happy with the school and the environment you are in. Playing a college sport is not easy, but it’s a special and unique thing that not everyone has the opportunity to do.”


SCHOOL SPORTS Junior High Flag Football Seeks A Three-Peat

By Richard Deutsch

Cross Country Receives Positive Reviews As Season Ends

By Nina Hand

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This year, the St. Clement 7th and 8th grade flag football team kicked off their season with a dominant win over Hardey Prep 7th grade, 35-0. I talked to quarterback Colin Summerhill (8th) about the win. “I am feeling really confident about this year’s team,” he said. “Yes, I believe we can get the three-peat. Our 1st team offense is all 8th graders. Come to all of the games to cheer us on.”

The third game was against St. Josaphat, which proved to be a dominant victory, following one from the previous week against St. Alphonsus. The game started off well, with a touchdown reception by Branden Tait (8th) from Noah Klein (7th). The defense then got off to a booming start, with an interception, leading to a touchdown return by Wesley Dinehart (8th). The next drive by the offense was capped off by a 50-yard touchdown run from Noah Klein (7th), ripping through the St. Josaphat defense. The defense then had another stop, leading to a touchdown catch by CJ Johnson (8th). At halftime the score was 30-0, with the defense extending a 5-half

shutout streak. The first drive of the second half got them close to the goal line, with Ben Mariani (7th) catching another touchdown, on a slant route, and kicker Luke Hales (8th) knocking in a textbook extra point. The final drive for St. Josaphat ended the game, with Wesley Dinehart (8th) having his second interception, and returning it five yards as the whistle blew. The game ended 38-0.

I spoke to wide receiver and linebacker Branden Tait. “Our biggest challenge this year will be stopping the Hardey Prep (8th grade) offense,” he said. “I definitely think we can get the three-peat this year.” The next game was against Immaculate Conception-Saint Joseph, or ICSJ. The Dolphins fell to the Wolverines 19-3, with the team breaking its shutout streak, another dominant win before the next week’s daunting challenge. The team then faced their biggest challenge yet, Hardey Prep 8th grade. It was a hard fought defensive battle, as Hardey Prep shutout the team, 19-0. “Every team has an off day,’’ CJ Johnson said. “We had one today.”

St. Clement’s cross country program changed this year. The season ended in early October, and many of the runners enjoyed it. There were new coaches this year, and also a new practice format. This year there are two new coaches. Mr. Miedema, who teaches

middle school math, and Mr. Sitzer, a middle school English teacher, both joined Mr. Hiromura (the middle school social studies teacher who had coached in previous years). Continued on page 14


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Cross Country Continued from page 13 They had a new plan of action for the season. “We are working with different age groups,” Mr. Hiromura explained. “We split up the 5th graders into one group, the 6th grade into one group, and the 7th and 8th graders are together [in another group]. This way we can focus on their strengths and what they need to work on.” The cross country team also did greetings, and during practice runners would have buddies to run with. This way, the runners to got to know each other better.

Many of the runners enjoyed pushing themselves at practices, and just coming to practices. “Everyone did different things at practices. The fifth graders were pushing themselves really hard,” said Mr. Hiromura, “the 6th grade did lots of great workouts. And the 7th and 8th graders were, of course, very competitive!”

The junior varsity girls recently got 1st place as a team at the Latin Prep Elementary Invitational meet. Their top 3 runners, in order, were 6th grader Catherine Foster, fellow 6th grader Nina Hand, and 5th grader Tara Wirtschoreck. The three girls all finished within a few seconds of each other, and their time was around 6:44.

Some of the runners had the same great positive energy about cross country as Mr. Hiromura. “I really liked coming to practices,” Catherine said. “The coaches were great at pushing me to be the best that I can be. They always encouraged me.”

Here are some other runners’ thoughts on cross country:

“Practices were my favorite because I could go at my own pace; in races, I couldn’t really run at my normal pace because I was pushing myself. The hardest thing about meets, for me, was what I ate ahead of time.” - 5th grader Riley Baden

“Meets and practices made me feel so accomplished after I was done running.” - 7th grader Margaret Meyers

“There is so much energy at the meets because you were nervous and excited at the same time. At practices we would always push and cheer each other on. I loved just being with my teammates and that I got to know other runners outside of my grade! I am so thankful that I got to run this year.” - 8th grader Elizabeth Cassell

Many runners from this year’s team will be back next season and are looking forward to it!


OPINION

Many 6th Graders Outraged Over Not Being Able To Have Daily Snack

By Greg Schaefer

ENTERTAINMENT

Summer And Fall Music By Magda Saliba and Nora Deely

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Many 6th graders are outraged with the fact that they are not allowed to have a daily snack while 7th and 8th graders are. To many 6th graders, this is unjustifiable. “This isn’t fair!” said 6th grader Ava Owens. “Middle school should unite and have snack as one!”

We still need to know why this is happening. Why would grades seven and eight get snack, but not the rest of middle school? When asked, middle school science teacher Mrs. Terrasi said, “The 7th and 8th graders have morning snack because their lunch time is 45 minutes after 6th grade’s lunch time at 11:15.”

Even with this explanation, dissatisfaction remains. “I feel awful, because by the end of the day, I am starving!” said 6th grader Joey Siciliano. The 6th graders don’t believe in middle school segregation. If the 7th and 8th graders can fit snack into their schedule, then surely the 6th graders can. This must be true because everybody says that 7th and 8th graders are very busy, but there isn’t as much of a workload in 6th grade. If the 6th graders eat earlier, then their snack could be in the afternoon.

So what can be done about this problem? Give the 6th graders an afternoon snack!

This summer there were many songs that were played on the radio, but we wanted to see what songs St. Clement students actually liked the most from summer 2015. We took a survey based on 1-5 (1 being least liked and 5 being most liked) of how much 8B’s 8th graders (and 8B advisory teacher Mr. Sitzer) liked this summer’s “jams.”

The most liked songs of the summer that were tied for first place are Justin Bieber’s

“What Do You Mean?,” Ed Sheeran’s “Photograph,” “Worth It” from Fifth Harmony, and Adam Lambert’s “Ghost Town.”

The songs tied for least liked music of the summer were Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song” and “Cheerleader” from Omi.

While all these songs were great, we know it may be boring to listen to the same Continued on page 16


Ariana Grande Concert At The United Center By Georgia Sularz, Sydney O’Brien, and Lily Kibby

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Summer and Fall Music Continued from page 15 music over and over again. If you are getting a bit tired of listening to these summer tunes, here are some new albums that have been or will be released this fall so you can jam out to them!

Recently Released:

Lana Del Rey: “Honeymoon”

Selena Gomez: “Revival”

The 1975: “Love Me” (single)

Demi Lovato: “Confident”

5 Seconds of Summer: “Sounds Good, Feels Good”

Carrie Underwood: “Storyteller”

The Neighbourhood: “Wipe Out”

November Releases:

Little Mix : “Get Weird” - November 6

Charlie Puth: “Nine Track Mind” - November 6

One Direction: “Made In The A.M.” - November 13

Justin Bieber: (Title TBA) - November 13

December Releases:

Pope Francis: “Wake Up!” - December 27

Releases with dates to be announced:

Kanye West: “SWISH”

Ariana Grande: “Moonlight”

Drake: “View from the 6”

Summer of 2015 had many great hits, but we hope that everyone can find a new favorite fall song to listen to on repeat while sipping on a pumpkin spice latte (or something pumpkin flavored, because that’s what fall is for, right?)

Ariana Grande has moved from teen TV star to pop sensation with the release of her second album and recent concert tour. On Friday, October 2, she performed to an almost sold out crowd at the United Center. Her four-octave voice makes her one of today's most talented pop stars.

Grande popped up through a trap door in the stage to start her show with her hit song “Bang Bang” (which was sung with Jessie J and Nicki Minaj). She sang very well on both her slow and fast songs. The concert had great special effects, flames, and fog. People in the audience even wore cat ears that blinked in sync with the music. Her costume changes

were fast and fun. She opened one number, "Be My Baby," by floating down on a cloud. For her next song, "Right There,” she descended from a chandelier. The show lasted from the opening act of Prince Royce at 7:30 p.m. until Grande finished with an encore of the song "Problem" around 10:30 p.m.

The crowd was mostly made up of teens, preteens, and parents. They definitely enjoyed the show. There was lots of screaming and cheering. Most fans of Grande were standing up and taking pictures and videos. They were also singing with her if they knew the song. Overall, the fans were so excited to be at the concert. Continued on page 17


Ariana Grande Concert

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Continued from page 16 Grande was born in Boca Raton, Florida. She started her career in the Broadway musical 13. After that she played a girl named Cat Valentine on the TV show Victorious. After four seasons of Victorious, she began another show called Sam & Cat, which ended in 2014. She continued to perform in TV shows, on stage, and in films until she began her music career. She already had some experience with singing, having been featured on the Victorious soundtrack.

The Ariana Grande concert was a huge success, although there were a few flaws. Grande has a lot of fans, and when she was late for her concert in Chicago, her fans were a bit disappointed. (She has cancelled several concerts in the past.) The music was a little louder than normal, and fans went home with sore ears. But overall, the concert was very fun and exciting to watch.

The Anchor interviewed 6th grader Isabel Gonzalez, who attended the concert, to find out her thoughts on the concert.

The Anchor: Did you like the concert? If so, why?

Isabel: I liked the Ariana Grande concert because it was lively and the opening act was exiting!

The Anchor: What was your favorite song?

Isabel: “Best Mistake,” because the outfits and choreography were thrilling! Also, there was a chandelier to light up the stage!

The Anchor: What would you add to or change from the concert?

Isabel: The concert was great, except the volume could’ve been quieter.

Now that it is fall, it is a great time to go apple picking, carve pumpkins, and go trick-or-treating. But fall is also a great time for entertainment, as many new video games, movies, and books are released or become available for pre-order. Read on, and you will find out about the new smash hits for kids and teens arriving just in time for Christmas.

Video Games:

Forza Motorsport 6 (released September 15)

The Forza games keep coming! For Microsoft’s 10-year anniversary with Forza, they decided to make the 6th Forza with the highest resolution and the most amazing detail. Cars come in different shapes and sizes. This one hit the number one list, but was knocked off by Call Of Duty: Black Ops III. The game is selling for $59.99 on Xbox One. Rated E.

Need for Speed (releases on November 3)

Based in Los Angeles, you get to customize and tune your car the way you want, and drive it around LA at high speeds dodging police officers and other cars as you race down narrow streets. The game is not yet rated. It will be available on PS4 and Xbox One. Continued on page 18

New Entertainment This Fall By Sam Cushman


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New Fall Entertainment Continued from page 17 NBA 2K16 (released on September 29)

NBA 2K is back with improved graphics, and Michael Jordan on the cover. Fans will have more options to customize their character while playing in the NBA, including a new MyCareer experience created by filmmaker Spike Lee. Rated E10+. This is the most true to life NBA game.

Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer (released on September 25)

Design homes for your favorite Animal Crossing villagers and invite new villagers to your game with amiibo cards and leave your decorations all over the town. Rated E.

Skylanders: SuperChargers (released on September 20)

SuperChargers are coming to stores near you. Ride in new vehicles and take adventures across the sea to stop Kaos and save Skylands. Rated E10+.

Movies:

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (releases on December 18)

All Star Wars fans should be jumping out of their seats for this movie! Luke, Han Solo, Chewy and all the old gang are coming back. Prepare for some intense space battles and much more.

Peanuts: The Movie (released on November 3)

Charlie Brown is back, this time in a 3D adventure with Snoopy, Linus and Sally. Rated G.

Goosebumps (released on October 16)

Based on the bestselling book series, a new adventure comes with Jack Black as R.L. Stine.

Follow a teenager’s adventure as he opened up the locked books of grueling tales.

Pan (released on October 9)

Don’t be too excited for this movie unless you are a diehard Peter Pan fan. Critics from around the world gave this movie .5 to one star reviews.

The Good Dinosaur (releases on November 25)

A young dinosaur befriends a small boy by a river. They live in a place where dinosaurs never died and get to interact with humans. Sure to be a classic for dinosaur lovers who can’t handle the heat of Jurassic World.

Alvin and The Chipmunks: The Road Chip (releases December 23)

Alvin’s back. Again. And this time the gang is taking a road trip (sorry, I meant a a road chip) trying to stop David from proposing to his girlfriend. Could be a fun way to spend the day before Christmas Eve, as the clock moves slower than ever.

Books:

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Old School by Jeff Kinney

Favorite character Greg Heffley is given an impossible task: to survive as his town decides to ban electronics.

Timmy Failure: Sanitized For Your Protection by Stephan Pastis

In this 4th volume of Timmy’s memoirs, Timmy has to take a cross country road trip with a crazy cast of characters that sends him on a hilarious journey.

Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone: Illustrated by JK Rowling and Jim Kay

Harry Potter fans will be excited to hear that Continued on page 19


PROFESSIONAL SPORTS Cubs Nearly Reach World Series

By Brendan Summerhill

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New Fall Entertainent Continued from page 18 the books will now be available in spectacular illustrated full color editions. A good thing to put on a Christmas list!

Wizard Cadet: Intergalactic Wizard Scout Chronicles v.2 by Rodney W. Hartman

In this second book, Richard, a Cadet at the Scout Academy, has been given the task of finding a missing scientist.

The Amazing Book is Not on Fire by Dan Howell and Phil Lester

Two of the world’s biggest YouTube stars write a hilarious book about their friendship, and heartfelt struggles. An ideal gift for the hard-to-shop-for teen.

Captain Underpants, and the Sensational Saga Sir Stinks-A-Lot

The 12th and final epic novel in the Captain Underpants series features Sir Stinks-A-Lot, who smells worse than the sandwich at the bottom of your backpack from the first day of school.

It was finally the year for the Chicago Cubs -- almost. Going into the season, everybody had two questions for Joe Maddon. The first question they had for him was, “Are they too young?” They were wondering if they were too young because their infield was all under the age of 25, except for Anthony Rizzo. Recently, many Cubs infielders and outfielders had still been in the minor leagues, where they had only played 120 games in a season, in comparison to the 162 in an MLB season. The second question was if they had a good pitching staff. This was asked because their pitching staff is also so young.

Jake Arrieta might win the Cy Young award this year. Arrieta became the first Cubs pitcher since 2001 to have twenty wins in a season, and also was the first pitcher in MLB to reach twenty wins this season.

The Chicago Cubs were the Cinderella team everybody was talking about, until they

were eliminated from the postseason on October 21, as the Mets completed a sweep in the NLCS. The Cubs didn’t have anything to lose, for multiple reasons. The first reason was that they will have a very similar squad, if not exactly the same one, next year. The second reason was that this is the first year the Cubs were supposed to be good -- they will likely have many more chances to win a World Series.

Every single season, everyone in Chicago is asking, “Is it the year?” I thought it was the year for a lot of reasons I already told you. When I saw them play in the playoffs, it was weird because they haven’t been good in a while. They must have felt a lot of pressure. But they had to block out all the noise because they had millions of people watching them around the world.


STAFF BIOS

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The Anchor has many new staff members this year. Here is some information about each of them:

Alex Lezotte is a 6th grader who likes to play hockey, baseball, and basketball. His favorite type of food is Italian, and he loves popcorn. Alex is 11 years old. He is looking forward to being part of the newspaper and is excited to see his byline in its pages.

Annabelle Graham is a 6th grader who enjoys playing volleyball. This year on newspaper, she is excited to write articles because she loves to write.

Ava Owens is a 6th grader. She plays basketball and volleyball and is excited to interview a lot of people. She hopes everyone enjoys The Anchor and that the staff does a great job.

Brendan Summerhill is a 6th grader who runs cross country and plays basketball for St. Clement. He also plays hockey and baseball outside of school. He loves writing and is excited to start writing articles.

Catherine Foster is a sixth grader who plays the piano and runs cross country and track. Last year, she drew pictures for The Anchor, and she is looking forward to contributing articles this year.

Colin Linnen is a 7th grader who runs cross country, plays basketball, baseball, and golf, and enjoys many other sports. He is also the St. Clement Student Council secretary. He is excited to be part of The Anchor this year, and he enjoys writing.

Georgia Sularz is a 6th grader. She likes to play soccer, hockey, and volleyball, and is excited to be in newspaper.

Greg Schaefer is in 6th grade. He’s been at St. Clement since Pre-K. He plays basketball

and tennis, and runs cross country and track. He also plays piano. He loves to write, and looks forward to writing for The Anchor to share information with the St. Clement community!

Lily Kibby is in 6th grade, and she plays volleyball for the school team. Her favorite subjects are literature and language arts. She cannot wait to write articles for the newspaper this year.

Maeve Deely is in 6th grade. She plays basketball and is thinking about joining the volleyball team for school. What excites her most about joining the newspaper is meeting and interviewing new people.

Mary Jane Darrow is a 6th grader. She is 11 years old and loves to play basketball and softball. She has a sister, Avery, in 8th grade, and a 1-year-old dog named Frankie. She is glad to be on the 2015-2016 newspaper staff.

Nina Hand is in 6th grade. She runs cross-country and track. She also plays basketball for a travel basketball team, and the school team. She is thrilled to write for The Anchor this year!

Nora Deely is an eighth grader. She is very excited to be on the newspaper staff for her last year of school at St. Clement. She likes to write and loves to include other people’s opinions in her articles. In her free time she likes to play guitar and spend time with her friends. She is looking forward to seeing how future issues will turn out and she hopes everyone enjoys them.

Sydney O'Brien is in sixth grade. She is excited to write about St. Clement's big events and upcoming events for the graduates. She plays volleyball and tennis, and loves going to afterschool activities.

This is the first issue of The Anchor for the 2015-2016 school year. This issue was published on November 6, 2015. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Will Foster/ASSISTANT EDITOR: Sam Cushman/FACULTY MODERATOR: Mrs. Donna Terrasi/FACULTY ADVISOR: Ms. Annie Matchinga. If you would like to join the staff of The Anchor, email Will Foster ([email protected]) or Mrs. Donna Terrasi ([email protected]).

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