September 27, 2007 - Archbishop Rummel High School

September 27, 2007 Volume 46, Number 1mark your calendaraiders’DigestSeptember 28 th 8:00 p.m. Dance in Raider GymOctober 2 nd 6:30 p.m. Poster NightOctober 6 th 2:00 p.m. Varsity Footballvs. Jesuit @ YenniOctober 9 th -12 th1st Quarter EXAMSNew Admissions Initiatives:Aiming For Excellenceby Christopher Freyder ‘08 and Matthew Pinero ‘08To even the most casual observer, it isobvious that our school has undergonevarious changes the past couple ofyears. Some disagree to these changesyet others are excited for the change.The underlying fact is that ArchbishopRummel is receiving a long neededfacelift. Surface changes such as newcurriculum are evident. However, onecould easily miss the background tasksand changes that are taking place. One ofthese changes revolves around the wayour school tackles the admissions process.It is well worth mentioning exactly whatis taking place and the reasons why theschool has undertaken the grand task ofmaking sure that Archbishop RummelHigh School becomes a household name inthe community.So the admissions program is changing,but precisely what is being done to changeit? Not only have many existing programs,such as Raider-for-a-Day, been reevaluated,but entirely new programs have beencarefully created. A new ambassador groupbrings a fresh take to the act of recruitingnew Raiders. Our ambassador group is astudent-orientated program that consistsof 50 to 60 Rummel Raiders of all gradelevels. The job of these ambassadors is toattend events such as student orientationand Open House. Having more studentsat these events will help potential Raidersgrow more comfortable in the Rummelcommunity and let parents know that wetake pride in our school’s activities. Inaddition, a new home visit program hasbeen developed for further recruiting.Students and teachers will take advantageof this new program to visit grammarschools and educate them on the missionof Archbishop Rummel.Undoubtedly, the question that mostpeople are asking concerning the changesis “Why?” For years, Rummel has donethings the same way and has been verysuccessful in doing so – so why all of thischange? “The hurricane forced people tothink about how and why you do things.Because of the hurricane, the communityis smaller and thus has fewer students tochoose from. It forced us to look at whatwe do, how we do it, and how we can do itbetter,” says Mr. Joseph Serio, AdmissionsDirector, of the reasoning behind the newprogram. “Not everyone realizes the goodthings we have to offer here. We have alot of great students here, and this is ourchance to show off the students.”The previous program was by nomeans flawed, but in this post-Katrinaenvironment it is clear that the programneeded revamping. The main focus behindthe program is to get members of thecommunity excited about Rummel, andthese changes will give a much-neededboost of Raider Pride to the entire NewOrleans metro area. “We are confident¤ ADMISSIONS - Students and teachers spoke with prospective students at a recentrecruiting event at the Ponchartrain Center in Kenner. Back Row: Mr. ThomasMoran, Mr. Michael Scalco, Mr. Michael Begg, Mr. Casey Cadella, and Mr. JosephSerio. Front Row: Brandt Becnel, Kyle Odinet, Evan Nicoll, and Andrew Mahoney.we have something new and exciting hereat Rummel and we want people to knowabout it.”Regardless of whether one agrees withthe changes taking place or not, Rummelis heading in a new direction. The ultimategoal is to make Archbishop RummelHigh School the premier school in theNew Orleans area and the adjustmentstaking place are setting the stage for thisto happen. For years, Archbishop Rummelhas had the potential to be the best schoolin the area and what better time to act on itbut now? As Mr. Serio puts it, “Excellenceis our goal. Aim for it.” This is exactlywhat Archbishop Rummel High School isdoing – aiming for excellence.– • –Curriculum Enhancements Address Changing TimesRummel Students to Reap Benefitsby Kittu Pannu ’08 and Bryce Cohen ‘08The changing landscape of educationin the New Orleans area after HurricaneKatrina forced Archbishop Rummel HighSchool to take a critical look at all areasof the school, including curriculum. Mr.John Gabriel, Assistant Principal, sums itup well: “We know we have to do a betterjob preparing Rummel students for theACT and TOPS.” Knowing we neededto critically look at curriculum issues,Mr. Michael Begg, President, assembleda committee during the first semester oflast school year to review all curriculumrelatedissues.The group critically reviewed all courseofferings and the school’s Honors Program.It then communicated the new offerings tothe school community and to prospectivestudents and their parents.When reviewing courses the committeeasked whether they counted towardsTOPS, they were NCAA Clearinghouseeligible, and if they enhanced ACT scores.The review meant some long-standing,popular electives were removed fromthe curriculum. In their place, however,¤ HOMECOMING COURT – (from left to right), Reney Mascari, Bayley Eck, Kristen Hale, QUEENCourtney Cordes, Taylor Lacombe, Alexis Hughes, Alyssa Barre’. The queen and her court will bepresented at the Homecoming Football game and the Homecoming dance.Rummel added new electives such asCreative Writing and Biology II. Requiredcourses now include ACT Prep for allstudents and three years of Latin and twoyears of a modern foreign language for allhonors students.According to Mr. Gabriel, the Class of2011 will be the first class to come underthe revised honors program. To graduatewith honors from Archbishop RummelHigh School a student will now need 34credit hours, including three years of Latin,two years of a modern foreign languageand a half credit of ACTPrep. Mr. Gabriel said,“We now have a true honorsprogram.”Mr. Gabriel said thatthe changes implementedby Archbishop Rummelare ahead of curriculumrequirements and trendsbeing announced by theState of Louisiana in Core4 (state’s new curriculumrequirements). Every schoolin the state will need tomake adjustments in theircurriculum to be in line withthe new state requirements.Archbishop Rummel HighSchool is now in theenviable position of beingon the leading edge ofchanges in the state. “The date for Core4 implementation has been set by the statefor the 2008 - 2009 school year. We areahead of the curve.”The ultimate goal of all of these changesis a noticeable improvement in studentacademic performance, giving them moreoptions for college and more opportunitiesfor competitive scholarships. Both Mr.Gabriel and Mr. Michael Mahoney, ACTPrep teacher, expect big improvementsin ACT scores. Mr. Mahoney is alreadyseeing increases in student scores asthey take practice tests in class. He alsoindicated that several seniors have evenadded the class as an elective in order toboost their ACT scores as they prepare totake the test one more time.All of these changes in curriculumwere well received by prospectivestudents yielding a large crop of academicscholarship students for the 2007 – 2008school year. We had one of our bestyears ever at feeder schools like ChristianBrothers.Addressing the natural apprehensivenessthat results from any type of change, Mr.Gabriel stated it is important to rememberthat, “We are not trying to be like anotherschool; we are simply trying to be a betterRummel.”And all students will certainly benefitfrom that.– • –

September 27, 2007 RAIDERS’ Digest Page 3Inspired by His Past,Teaches the Futureby Vinh Lam ‘11A new inspirational hope dawns uponthe incoming eighth grade students thisyear for the very first time. Mr. ChuckStall, the new language arts teacher, hascome to Archbishop Rummel with brandnew techniques and tricks tothe trade.“I became a teacherbecause I can remember allof the times I sat in a deskwatching teachers lecturewith little or no effort orenthusiasm,” said Mr. Stall.“I want to be a teacher thatis always enthusiastic whenI step into the classroom.”Mr. Stall not only teaches,but also coaches the eighthgrade football and varsitywrestling teams. He dedicates most of histime to school and after school activitiesand has never felt more at home. “Thefirst time I stepped into my classroomwith all those new faces, I instantly knewRummel was going to be an excellent workenvironment.”Mr. Stall has enjoyed teaching muchmore than he could have ever imagined. “IThe start of a new school year means anew class of hopeful eighth graders. Theseeighth graders make many adjustments totheir new school, however they are not theonly ones making adjustments. Every yearthere are always new faculty membersthat must cope with theirnew surroundings. In somecases, these teachers areexperiencing their first yearof teaching; in other cases,teachers join the RaiderFamily after many years ofteaching experience.Ms. Janet Tedesco is onethat is new to the RaiderFamily for the 2007-2008school year. She is ateacher who teaches Geometry, AlgebraII, and Pre-Calculus. Ms. Tedesco teacheson the Senior High Campus and can oftentimes be found in her room 117.While reflecting on her first few weeksof teaching in the Raider Family, Ms.Tedesco said, “These past few weeks havebeen interesting and hectic. I am trying tolearn the routine here at my new school. Ifeel the excitement of a new eighth grader,but I have the experience of an activesenior.”love teaching. The hardest part is keepingthe students focused and keeping fun andlearning balanced to the point where thestudents develop a knack for learningthemselves.”During his younger years,Mr. Stall attended BrotherMartin High School where hemet the person who inspiredhim to become a teacher andwhat he calls the ‘ultimatemotivator’ – Mr. Tom Moran.Mr. Moran is currently theArchbishop Rummel Directorof Institutional Advancement.“Mr. Moran taught me morethan math in math class. Hetaught me how to be a manwho is responsible for hisactions. I use things now as a teacher that Ilearned from him back in high school.”Mr. Stall graduated from Millsapscollege where he was a football player.“I plan on teaching here for as long as Ipossibly can and would like to continue tointerest students in learning.”– • –Feeling Right at Homeby Jared Quinn ‘08STAFF WRITERSAndre Gaudet '11Ryan Bonfanti '11Vinh Lam '11Michael Truxillo '09Alex Ferrara '09Aaron Kennedy '09aiders’DigestAlthough this is not Ms. Tedesco’sfirst teaching job, she feels the samestress as any new teacher would. “I amspending a lot of time preparing myselffor the classroom, getting use to newprocedures, and acclimating myself to anew environment.”She does not like tocompare the schools whereshe has taught, but shedid say that each school isdifferent. “The atmospherehere at Rummel is morerelaxed. It feels more likea family at Rummel incomparison with the otherschools I have taught.”Ms. Tedesco alreadynotices the importance of Raider Pridearound her new campus. “The first dayof school increased my Raider Pride,because I watched as the whole school sattogether like a family to watch the StudentCouncil’s presentation. The one thing thattruly impacted me the most is how theschool has made me feel like a memberof the Raider Family in a short amount oftime.”– • –Evan Nicoll '08Kittu Pannu '08Jared Quinn '08Ryan LeGuluche '08Dave Waguespack '08Brian Maurice '08Christopher Freyder '08,Editor In ChiefMatthew Pinero '08,Assistant EditorTaylor Hill '08Bryce Cohen '08Chris Seeman '08Ryan Austin '08PHOTOGRAPHY STAFFChris Parent ‘08 Keegan McGuire ‘09 Tim Autin ‘10Mr. Casey Cadella ‘03Mr. Dane BrackvitchMr. Bill ArthursRaiders’ Digest ModeratorRaiders’ Digest Assistant ModeratorPhotograph ModeratorThe Raiders’ Digest is the student newspaper of Archbishop Rummel HighSchool. Archbishop Rummel High School is located in Metairie, Louisiana. TheRaiders’ Digest welcomes letters to the editor. All submissions should be sentto digest@rummelraiders.com or 1901 Severn Avenue, Metairie, LA 70001.BLACKBelt TackeLearns LifeLessonsby Taylor Hill ‘08Bryce Tacke, a dominant 4’9” 75-pound aspiring 8 th grade member of theRummel band, is a living contradiction tothe general saying “size matters.” For fiveyears, Bryce has been actively training atthe World Martial Arts center in Kennerand recently earned the coveted blackbelt.In a world where “black belts” are givenout like it’s Christmas in July, Bryce hasearned his recognition at one of the fewplaces that does not follow this norm.“Practice, practice, practice,” Bryceexplained, “The key is to have lots ofpatience and to practice every day.”Not only did Bryce have to performthirty-nine various punches, twenty-sixkicks and thirty-nine self-defense moves,he also had to know the name of each one as well as it’s Korean name. Add in executingeach move flawlessly and you have yourself a 75-pound black belt that could bring P.J.Lonergan to his knees.“Martial arts isn’t just about fighting; fighting never solves anything,” Bryce said,“Mainly, it builds patience and instills in you the need to practice.” Bryce also notedthat he has never been in a fight and hopes to never be in one, “I took martial arts so thatI could defend myself, not so that I could start fights.”With a good head on his shoulders, Bryce Tacke brings even more diversity tothe Raider Family and hopefully will inspire others like him that anyone is capableof accomplishing their goals as long as they remain dedicated and strive to betterthemselves. Ultimately, Bryce is proof to the world that there is a martial arts worldoutside of Chuck Norris and Bruce Lee that promises more than fighting. Martial artscommands ambition, but its rewards of fortitude and endurance will last a life time. Plus,I was amused watching Bryce palm heel my collection of pencils into submission.– • –Students’Safety Netby Evan Nicoll ‘08As Archbishop Rummel students know,there are many changes being made aroundthe school, both internally and externally.One such internal change is the creation ofthe Student Formation position occupiedby Mr. Doug Neill ‘98.In many cases, students and parents donot know why the position was created andwhat it does for the student body. “We takestudents from where they are, and we findout where they need to be. We can thenwork to get to that point,” states Mr. Neill.Mr. Michael Begg, President ofArchbishop Rummel High School, adds,“Student Formation places a neededemphasis on making sure we continue tosee all of our students through the eyesof faith as our LaSallian tradition callsus to do. It is our hope that the StudentFormation position will help to broadenthe safety net for all of our students whomay struggle in any way.”Mr. Neill helps the students to set goalsand teaches them how to strive for thosegoals throughout the school day. “Eachstudent has a different goal, which isunique to that particular student,” says Mr.Neill.One may notice that Student Formationseems much like the school’s guidancecounselors. Mr. Neill says that this is nottrue. Counselors are for a specific gradelevels, whereas Mr. Neill’s spectrum isthe school as a whole. Mr. Neill worksclosely with the guidance counselors tobenefit the student throughout the processof achieving their goals. “I make sure thatthere is communication between everybody,including the guidance counselors, Mr.Flair, and Mr. Paci,” says Mr. Neill.Mr. Neill also helped to establish thetutoring program in the mornings in Room¤ THE KARATE KID - Eighth grader ByrceTacke has trained and mastered theWorld Martial Arts to become a blackbelt.111. The National Honor Society membersare the tutors, and he is the facilitator tomake sure that the students are gettingthe help that they deserve. All studentsare welcomed to the tutoring lab in themornings from 7:00 a.m. to 7:20 a.m.before homeroom.Mr. Neill has already introduced himselfto the entire student body through classlevel meetings, the 8 th grade religionclasses, and individual meetings withstudents.Future plans consist of establishinga program for parents that will result inmore parent involvement. Mr. Neill hopesto have this program up and running inthe second semester of the school year.“Students come to school from 7 a.m. to 3p.m., which is close to 8 hours. Parents seetheir children for the other 16 hours. Thisis why we need parents on board becausethe parents will make the teachers’ jobsmore effective.”As the school year progresses, Mr. Neillhopes the students come to find they havemany options and opportunities to getmany different types of assistance. “It isessential that the students realize I am notthe only resource when trying to find help orrelief from stress. I am ‘just another door’as are the teachers, guidance counselors,and administrators at Archbishop RummelHigh School.”– • –

SPORTSStrong Core Wrestlersby Matthew Pinero ‘08For the third time in three years, the RaiderWrestling Team has a new coaching staff,but despite the inconsistency at the top, theRaiders are more confident than ever.A major factor in the team’s confidenceis their familiarity with new head coach,Mr. Rod Cusachs. Coach Cusachs was anassistant coach for the Raiders for severalyears before taking the head coaching job atChalmette High last school year. When thehead coaching job at Rummel was offered tohim, Coach Cusachs accepted the job.“The idea of coming back to Rummel isexciting because it is an opportunity to teachand profess my Christian faith along withbeing able to be the head coach of the sport Ilove,” Coach Cusachs says.Along with Coach Cusachs, new assistantcoach, Mr. Chuck Stall, thinks the Raidershave a significant chance to bring home thestate title this year. “For the last couple ofyears Rummel has had very strong teams, butthey always peaked too early in the year. Thisyear we have a very strong core of wrestlerson the team and as coaches we just need tomake sure these guys peak at the right time.If we do that, I think we have a great chance,”explains Coach Stall.The Raiders have already begun their preseasonconditioning and look forward tohaving the support of the student body thisyear at all home events. The season officiallybegins in late October.Cheerleading Year-Roundby Andre Gaudet ‘11The Rummel Cheer Squad is especiallyknown for cheering at pep rallies, footballand basketball games, and out-of-statecompetitions. What many people do notrealize is that the cheerleaders work yearround.“Over the summer we went to TigerElite’s gym to learn competition routinesthat we will use later in the year. At thecamp we also prepared for further footballexperiences by working on stunts and cheerroutines,” described cheering captain ColinAshley.Competition routines are vital to the team’sperformance and should be organized in awell-sophisticated, well-managed manner tohelp the team perform at its highest potential.Even one misstep, too early or too late, andthe team loses points.In order to achieve their potential, thecheering captains have set goals for theteam that they hope to accomplish. Teamcaptain Bayley Eck says, “I want the squadto be closer. Bringing the team’s reputationup is a main priority and improving ourperformance more and more.” CaptainReney Mascari adds, “I want more boys tojoin. It’s so much fun for the cheerleaderswhen the student body gets involved! Youwon’t look stupid...it’s the cool thing to do!Have fun! Go Raiders!”The cheerleaders represent our schoolthe best way possible – by cheering on theathletic teams. Head coach Lee Hotard hasa goal of his own for the team. “My goalfor the team is to hopefully go to UCANationals, compete, and be in the top tenin the nation.” Lee Hotard graduated fromRummel in 2005 and is back to coach theteam he dedicated so much time to as astudent. “We are hoping for many greatthings from the cheerleaders this year.”RAIDERFootball OpensDistrict Oct 6 thby Brian Maurice ‘08 andAaron Kennedy ‘09The 2007 Raider football team has bigshoes to fill. A spot in the State semifinals,an 11 – 3 overall record, and a perfect 4 –0 district record are the accomplishmentsleft by last year’s squad. The 2007 teamis now ready to make its mark.On the offensive side of the ball,senior quarterback and team captain,Matthew Fury leads the way. ProtectingFury is a veteran offensive line led byfour experienced seniors Jeremy Gemar,Stephen Gonzales, P.J. Lonergan, andChris Lopinto.When not protecting Fury, the offensiveline opens holes for senior AndrelJohnson and junior Jarrell Johnson.These Raider backs both rushed for over1,000 yards last year and are expected topost impressive numbers again this year.The 2007 receiving core is led by seniorsRAIDERBasketballPreviewby Ryan LeGuluche ‘08The Raider Basketball team startedits important weightlifting andconditioning program for the 2007– 2008 basketball season during themonth of September.Coach Mister Kirkwood knowsthe fall is a pivotal time in theyoung season, “Weightlifting andconditioning are always tough; that’swhy I lift with the team to encouragethem to work harder. Havingendurance and staying in shape helpsteams get through long seasons, preventsinjuries, and helps the players meshtogether as a team.”Last season the Raiders began witha record of 17 – 8 in their non-districtschedule with a big 30 point win overHahnville, and wins against GravesCounty, KY and Calloway County, KYin the team’s trip to Fort Walton Beach.The Raiders were on a high and lookingto win a district title, but that soonchanged when district play began.The Raiders went 2 – 6 in district, withthree of their first six losses totaling onlyeight points. Senior Captain DarrellWilliams reminisces, “The last seconddefeat against Jesuit was a back breaker.It killed our hopes of winning district.”Ending with a 20 – 15 record, theRaiders failed to make the playoffsfor the first time in Coach SteveAlfonso’s tenure as head coach. Coach¤ RAIDER FOOTBALL - Raider Football Players #41 Chris Randle and #5 JarvisWalker upend an opponent in a recent Friday night battle on the gridiron.Brian Maurice, Mike Wisecarver, andRyan Benoit.Defensively, the Raiders are young,but talented. The pre-district gameswill allow this unit to gain valuableexperience before opening district playon October 6 against Jesuit.As they move to new positions thisyear, team captains Andrew Nuzzolilloand Blake Smith provide unselfish andvaluable leadership for the defense withsenior Derek Neupert leading a veryyoung linebacker corps.The secondary consists of seniorPaul Bruno, junior Aaron Kennedy, andsophomore Michael Langley – all firstyear starters. Junior Jarvis Walker playsstrong safety and Andrel Johnson playssome corner as well.¤ NEW RAIDER GYM - With the help of insurance proceeds, the Raider Gym recentlyreceived a much needed million dollar facelift. A new hardwood floor has beenlaid along with a fresh coat of paint on the walls and refurbished bleachers. Theroof has been replaced and new banners hung. The Raider Community is lookingforward to many great events in the Raider Gym.Alfonso remembers, “We played threesophomores, who hopefully gainedexperience that will pay off this season.Anytime a team goes into the season withyoung players, you can expect bumps inthe road.”Now, looking forward to the 2007 –2008 basketball season, the Raiders havea very promising team. “We are going tobe very prepared this season,” remarkedCoach Mister Kirkwood. The Raidersonly lost two of their starters from lastyear, Scott Buisson and Matt Pittman.On the other hand, the Raiders arereturning 8 of the top 10 players: SeniorCaptains Darrell Williams and RyanLeGuluche, Senior Marcus Brown, andJuniors Terrence Prince, Darius Henry,Matt Blanke, Melvin Ursin, and PatrickGreen. “Our returning eight players arevery experienced, hard working, anddedicated to the team,” remarked juniorcenter Darius Henry.Saints Reviewby Chris Seeman ‘08 and Ryan Bonfanti ‘11Through nearly 7 quarters of football, the once-explosive NewOrleans Saints offense scored the exact same amount of TDsas my grandmother. Without a well-established running game,opponents have been able to hone in on Saints receivers andknock Drew Brees off his rhythm.Expectations for the defense were certainly not as high as forthe offense going into the year, but their performance has beennearly as putrid. In two weeks, the Saints defense has given up atotal of 72 points. The only reason the defense escaped an “F” isbecause the offense has put them in many bad situations resultingin points due to turnovers. A new approach is certainly necessaryif the Saints wish to improve on the defensive side of the ball.The oft-overlooked special teams unit is the only passableThe Raiders opened the season witha disappointing 21 – 6 loss againstArchbishop Shaw in the battle for themegaphone. The team bounced backnicely with a 28 – 6 victory againstMcDonogh 35 and a dominating 39 – 0defeat of South Lafourche.In the South Lafourche game Fury, whowas recently named scholar athlete of theweek by ABC’s Friday Night Football,was 6 for 7 passing for 140 yards and 4touchdowns. Wisecarver pulled down 4catches for 114 yards and 3 touchdowns.Captain Nuzzolillo said, “The loss toShaw was tough for everyone, but that isin the past. Now we are just focused onthe bigger picture, which is making theplayoffs and getting our chance at a statechampionship.”– • –The Raiders have a very strongnon-district schedule this year with agame against the 4A State ChampionsPeabody as well as contests againstReserve Christian and Destrehan. Forthe annual Christmas trip, the Raiderswill go to Sulphur for the Sulphur HighTournament.The district schedule will be a challengeas it is every year. The Raiders opendistrict on January 15 with returningdistrict opponent Chalmette on the road,in “The Parish.” The Raiders finish uptheir district schedule with four of theirlast five games at home with the lasthome game against Jesuit on February12. This game could be very importantto the district standings and could evendetermine the district championship.Mark your schedules Raider fans –basketball season is right around thecorner.– • –squad on this Saints’ team. The booming punts of second yearpunter Steve Weatherford have been one of the few bright spotsso far. First year Saint and Dolphins transplant, Olindo Marehas missed two of his three field goal attempts so far this year.Where is John Carney?Second year head coach Sean Payton abandoned the runearly in the opener against the Colts, even when the game wasknotted up at 10. In the Buccaneers game, Payton showedmany questionable formations on third down and short. Paytonminimized the use of Deuce McAllister, who is unquestionablythe Saints best short yardage back. Sean Payton has failed inthe play calling aspect of his job. The team simply did not lookready to play. This team is due for some summer school.