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Page 4 The Walrus: School News & Entertainment April 2010 2010 School Elections: Students seek Hope, Change, and Free Healthcare for All BY NICK CHAPPEL ‘11 The school year is ending. Seniors are going off to their individual colleges, and the juniors are soon to become the oldest students in the school. With old age comes great responsibility. Brad Walker, who has done an excellent job as School President will be leaving St. Sebastian's School, and leaving an open spot for a new leader of the school. Ryan McCarthy will be opening up a new spot for Vice-President as well. The Junior class, as well as the Sophomore class, has stepped up to the challenge to take over the offices in Student Council. David Leith, Tom Keefe, Lou Heck, Patrick McLaughlin, and I will be running for President of the Student Body. A supposed candidate for Vice-President is Lucas Mykulak. Tom Murphy will be running for Secretary of Treasurer, and the rest of the spots are still open for candidates who have not made up their minds yet. People ask, “Why run for a spot in Student Council?” Many think that all Student Council does is help set up for dances and do the recycling around the school. This, for starters, is false. Student Council does more than these two tasks mentioned, what else would the hour and a half meetings after school on Thursdays be for? I was speaking recently with Mr. Drummond about my course TOP CHED - Top 5 Press Conference Meltdowns BY EDMUND MURPHY After watching all the commercials, reviewing the countless YouTube videos, and reading page after page of ESPN: The Magazine, I’ve come to a conclusion about sports humor: nothing is funnier in the world of sports we know and love, than a good old press-conference meltdown. We love to see the most outlandish and overly emotional athletes in the world sit down at the podium after a big loss, or sometimes a crucial win, and make absolute fools of themselves. We love watching coaches verbally smite the reports asking them questions as they ruthlessly punish the table with Tyson-esque punches and splatter the microphone with spit as they rant and rave. Though its been hard to select my all time favorites, I’ve chosen what I consider a fairly solid Top 5 Sports Meltdowns of all time, as I never cease to get a laugh from each of these melodramatic, cringeinducing rants. 5) Jim Mora: PLAYOFFS?!?! In November 2001, the Indianapolis Colts had just lost to the San Francisco 49ers, leaving the Colts with a repulsive 4-6 record. In a postgame press conference, Jim Mora, the then-head coach of the Colts, was asked about the Colts’ playoff chances. He responded: “What’s that? Playoffs? Don’t talk about – playoffs? You kiddin’ me? Playoffs? I just hope we can win a game!” The specific tone he uses while enunciating the word “playoffs” is like that of a frustrated and dumbfounded infant, but the real gem of this speech is his rhetorically advanced repetition of “playoffs”. He must have been a great poet back in the day. 4) Terrell Owens Gets Real Emotional In 2008, Terrell Owens and his Cowboys had just lost a crucial game against the rival New York Giants. While taking questions from reporters on where to place the blame for the loss, Owens suddenly broke down into tears, saying: “You guys can point the finger at him [ Dallas QB Tony Romo], you can talk about the vacation, and if you do that, that’s really unfair…it’s really unfair…that’s my teammate! That’s my quarterback! And if you guys do that, man, it’s unfair…” This clip gets me especially because Terrell Owens is a player notorious for placing the blame for losses square on the shoulder of his teammates and quarterbacks. He’s rocking his blocker shades and snuffling as he pleads the Associated Press to please God don’t blame my quarterback. I’m not buying it. selections for next year, and when I told him I wanted to run for School President, but wasn’t sure, he said to me, “Honestly, why not? It’s your last year at St. Sebastian’s. What do you want people to remember you as?” Hearing these words was the first time I had been truly inspired to run for something, though I am Vice-President of the Junior class right now. I have never been as urged to run for a spot in office as I am after hearing those words of Mr. Drummond. I encourage everyone running or considering running for office to take his words into account as you prepare for your upcoming year. The school has many potential leaders. Right now, I would be happy if any of the five students running for President won, because they are all great leaders. David Leith has been a football stud ever since 7th grade. Tom Keefe has been running plays and performing in them since he has been at this school. Lou Heck. Patrick McLaughlin knows how to make people laugh and how to set a good example for his fellow classmates and the rest of the school. I love making people laugh as well, and I like to think that I know how to lead a proper example for everyone else in the school. There is even a lot of depth at the Vice-President position. Lucas Mykulak has ran the Junior class and is 3) Mike Gundy… In one of the most awkward and absurd moments in pressconference history, Oklahoma State head football Coach Mike Gundy absolutely erupted on the Associated Press. No questions, so interruptions, just a straight up, unadulterated rant. Here are a few ridiculously insane snippets: “If you have a child someday, you’ll understand how it feels. But you obviously don’t have a child. I do. If your child goes down the street and somebody makes fun of him because he dropped a pass in a pickup game, or says he’s fat, and he comes home crying to his mom, you’d understand. But you haven’t had that.” Gundy is speaking about a reporter who wrote an article on one of his players who had dropped a crucial pass in State’s previous game (one which the won). If you didn’t notice, Gundy actually tells the reporter that he doesn’t have children. The reporter could very easily have a wife, and actually multiple children, and by the commutative property, we can reason that Gundy is an absolute fool. Not to mention the “fat” comment. Completely out of context, out of line, and really adds nothing to his failing argument. Here’s one of his closing statements: “Are you kidding me? Where are we at in society today? Come after me! I’m a man! I’m 40! I’m not a kid! Write something about me! Or the coaches. Don’t write about a kid that does everything right, that’s heart is broken, and then say the coaches say he was scared! That ain’t true!” ‘Nuff said. 2) Dennis Green: THEY ARE WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE! After a loss to the Chicago Bears, Dennis Green, Arizona Cardinals head football coach, was not taking things lightly in the postgame press-conference. When asked about his approach to playing a team like Chicago, Green got fired up: “The Bears are who we thought they were! That’s why we took the damn field! (Smacks microphone) Now if you want to crown them, crown their ***! But they are who we thought they were, and we let ‘em off the hook!” The best part of Green’s tirade though is the awkward silence that follows his last words. During the silence, he simply turns respectfully, and leaves the podium. Greens angry mug makes this a speech for all the ages to behold. well liked by everyone. He leads by example in the classroom as well as out on the athletic field, and would make a great Vice President. And last but not least (out of the people who have signed up or made a claim to thinking about signing up for running for a spot in office), Tom Murphy. Who would be a better Secretary of Treasury than Tom Murphy? He is the only Junior in AP Stats, and takes Calculus BC. Being a student who is doubling up in math, Tom Murphy is without a doubt the best choice for Secretary of theTreasury. I guarantee that absolutely nothing will go wrong with keeping track of money at St. Sebastian’s if Tom Murphy is put in charge of something that he can do in his sleep. This years elections are going to produce great results, and no matter who wins at what position, it is safe to say that we will be in good hands. Make sure you are in Corporate Chapel on Monday, April 26. The speeches will be funny, but remember not to vote for the Dane Cook of the Speeches, but to vote for the person who you think truly best fits and best deserves to serve St. Sebastian's School as President. This being said, it will be tough when it all comes down to it, because we have such promising leaders running. Make good judgments, and enjoy the candidates, their speeches, and the rest of the school year. 1) We Talkin ‘Bout Practice! Allen Iverson’s hallmark “Practice rant” is, and probably will always be my all time favorite. Many will make the push for Gundy’s Oklahoma State rant, but I guess we must agree to disagree. Come on now, the man says the word “practice” over twenty times in a span of about five minutes. Here are a few of the best Iverson quotes from the press-conference, on "If Coach tells you that I missed practice, then that's that. I may have missed one practice this year but if somebody says he missed one practice of all the practices this year, then that's enough to get a whole lot started.” “It's easy to sum it up if you're just talking about practice. We're sitting here, and I'm supposed to be the franchise player, and we're talking about practice. I mean listen, we're sitting here talking about practice, not a game, not a game, not a game, but we're talking about practice. Not the game that I go out there and die for and play every game last it's my last but we're talking about practice, man. How silly is that?” “We're talking about practice, man. We're talking about practice. We're talking about practice. We're not talking about the game. We're talking about practice. When you come to the arena, and you see me play, you've seen me play right, you've seen me give everything I've got, but we're talking about practice right now.” Iverson makes it very clear that we’re talking about practice, not the actual game. He begins by actually not speaking coherent English, and ends by solidifying his awful point: that he can’t make his teammates better by practicing, and that the franchise player doesn’t need to practice. He gives a great message to all aspiring youth athletes out there, and an even better public speaking lesson. There they are, the five top rants in recent memory; they have been chronicled in commercials, written in blogs, and documented online; there are few worse rants than these. So whether it’s Gundy telling you that you don’t have a child, or Mora discouraging you from speaking about the playoffs, we can all learn something from these rants: The ten second “think about what your about to say and whether it will come off as really stupid” rule. Maybe meltdowns teach us something after all. Poets to Visit St. Sebs: Harrison, Abbott to Work With Students During The School Day BY TOM NUNAN ‘11 St. Sebastian’s has traditionally done a good job of observing April as National Poetry Month. Already this year seniors Ned Kingsley and Joe Albanese have treated the School community to excellent recitations of decidedly varied poems, as many other students have done in the past during Corporate Chapel. Occasionally, our School is fortunate enough to welcome members from outside the immediate School community to discuss poetry. During the 2005-2006 school year, former Poet Laureate of the United States Billy Collins came to St. Seb’s to discuss poetry in general and to read some of his own poems. (Many still recall Collins’ poem “The Lanyard,” which many students believe to be pointless and mundane, but a poem which I, on the contrary, believe has received much unfair criticism.) This school year proves to be an extra special one, as St. Sebastian’s will soon welcome not only one, but two distinguished American poets. On April 22, local poet Jeffrey Harrison will visit the School. According to his Web site, Mr. Harrison has written four volumes of poetry. He has been honored with fellowships from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. Such prestigious publications as The New Republic, The New Yorker, and The Yale Review have included Harrison’s work in their editions. Such notable educational institutions as Phillips Academy and the College of the Holy Cross have counted Mr. Harrison among their faculty. The St. Sebastian’s English Department has chosen four poems from Harrison’s collection “The Names of Things” to be focal points of Mr. Harrison’s visit. I have previewed these poems (titled “Our Other Sister,” “Family Dog,” “The Names of Things,” and “Convenience Store”) and without giving away too much, I can say that all four of them contain original, unexpected situations. They read with reasonable ease and should be widely <strong>enjoyed</strong>. The second poet which St. Sebastian’s is fortunate enough to be able to host this year, Anthony Abbott, is slated to come on April 29, exactly a week after Mr. Harrison does. One of Mr. Abbott’s former students at Davidson College is St. Sebastian’s own English teacher Mr. James Jenkins. According to the biography of Abbott found on Davidson’s Web site, “Professor Abbott's major fields of interest include (1) modern drama, (2) creative writing with emphasis on poetry, and (3) religion and literature.” He has written five books of original poetry, two novels, and two non-fiction works concerning drama, according to his personal Web site. He is a graduate of the Fay School in Southborough, MA and of Harvard University. The English Department has chosen three poems from Abbott’s newest poetry collection New & Selected; Poems 1989-2009 to discuss in special depth. “Growing Up,” “My Dog, the Lover,” and “One Talent Man” are thought provoking in a manner to similar to Mr. Harrison’s work. By studying these poems, I suspect we will continue to find the quotation oft uttered by Headmaster Burke to be true: “Poetry makes the strange familiar and the familiar strange.” According to English Department Chair Mr. Chris Lynch, both poets will meet with groups of English classes during the school day to talk about their own poems and about the craft of poetry. The School is hoping to make the visitation of poets to St. Seb’s even more of a traditional event. Mr. Lynch hopes that by meeting and talking with Mr. Harrison and Mr. Abbott, we will “gain an understanding of what it means to be a working poet in today’s world.” We need to remember that poetry, like the other art forms, is still very much a contemporary phenomenon. Legendary figures like Homer, William Shakespeare, and Robert Frost are rightly hailed for their extraordinary work, but their legendary statuses often make us forget that the present time still teems with poets producing fabulous work. Our own English teacher Mr. Brian Simoneau is a working poet. As the days of arrival for Mr. Harrison and Mr. Abbott come closer, we are all encouraged to keep appreciating this month’s emphasis on poetry. Pay careful attention to the upcoming Corporate Chapel recitations, and make note of any supplementary studies on poetry which teachers may be incorporating in their classes. Do not be afraid to explore poems and poets on your own. Many poems contain several layers of meaning despite their brevity. A short amount of reading can precipitate spontaneous, healthy, enjoyable analysis. Most importantly, as trite as this may seem, we are encouraged to keep an open mind about the poetry we experience. Let us try not to dismiss immediately certain poems by saying “that’s not really a poem” or “I could do that.” After all, poetry is a craft. The poet may have spent considerable time and effort to generate his or her work. There is most likely an explanation behind each poem’s seemingly ordinary aspects. Movies with Mike “The Ghost Writer” and close friend, who had originally espionage, made the film more believable and original. The female lead been the ghost writer, had recently BY MIKE SANDERSON ‘10 died rather mysteriously. Naturally in the film is portrayed by someone It’s getting ridiculous at this point. I really don’t know how I do it. I had been worrying for the past couple weeks that my column would limp into the spring season, as I had seen no advertisements for any enticing movies in the month of April. Thankfully, I was visited by a savior in the form of our own Mrs. Madsen, who told me she had been very pleasantly surprised by “The Ghost Writer”. I proposed it as the topic for my next column at the Walrus meeting, and I was met with stunned silence and general incredulity. To be fair to my colleagues, it had made very little at the box office, and I didn’t exactly have the highest of expectations either. I can, however, happily say that I found “The Ghost Writer” to be thoroughly entertaining, while also offering a refreshingly intellectual script, which you will soon find earns it a favorable review. The story is centered on an up and coming British “ghostwriter,” which is essentially a professional writer who helps celebrities or public figures write their memoirs. “The Ghost” (the protagonist is never actually given a name) is offered a job ghostwriting the memoirs of Adam Lang, a fictional former British Prime Minister, modeled not so subtly after Tony Blair. As a quick aside, there are a lot of political overtones to this film. I tend to be annoyed when films get all preachy and beat me over the head with their agendas, but at the end of the day it wasn’t so overt that it detracted from the film. Anyway, the Ghost quickly realizes that this will not be nearly as relaxing as his other books have been. He learns that his contract would stipulate total confidentiality, he must fly to Lang’s personal safehouse on an island to work on the manuscript, and he must complete the 624 page work in only a month’s time. Most troubling of all, the Ghost learns that he has been called in after the rough draft has been completed because Lang’s aide our protagonist is very reluctant to take the job, but the opportunity to write about such a high profile figure, and also the $250,000 paycheck for a month’s work, ultimately persuade him to get involved. The story really gets good when, soon after The Ghost arrives at Lang’s private complex and begins work on the memoirs, a former member of Lang’s cabinet accuses him of ordering the torture of terror suspects, and Lang goes on trial for crimes against humanity. I’m afraid if I say anything more I’ll spoil something, so take my word that the intrigue and conspiracy The Ghost uncovers, particularly in regards to his predecessor, during the events of the investigation about Lang make for a very entertaining film. I found the script to be very well written, with a number of witty one liners that provide a few laugh out loud moments in an otherwise dramatic film. Even more impressive than that to me was the direction the plot took after its fairly formulaic beginning; I really didn’t have an inkling of how it all would end up, and I found the ending to be surprisingly realistic, not overly dramatized, but ultimately more than satisfactory. As for a cast breakdown, there are some very impressive names attached to this one, which surprised me considering it seemed to have a relatively low budget and limited release. Pierce Brosnan is probably the most renowned actor in the film, and plays Prime Minister Lang, proving resoudingly that he can still bring the heat in a strong supporting role. Ewan McGregor I haven’t really been a fan of since seeing The Phantom Menace, but he does a nice job in this one playing a well meaning writer in way over his head, quite comically at times. He was a good fit for this one; he’s not the typical male lead for a thriller, but this isn’t a typical thriller. His intellectual character, who frequently showed his ineptness in matters of I am totally unfamiliar with, Olivia Williams, who plays Ruth Lang. She is probably the most complex and interesting character in the film, and Williams’ portrayal is second only to that of McGregor. Perhaps some of the reason this very good film didn’t get more attention at the box office is that it was directed by Roman Polanski, whose troubles with laws regarding the legal age of sexual consent have been well documented. His recent arrest garnered a lot of negative publicity which may have reflected on the film. Say what you will about his personal life, but Polanski did a very good job with this film. The only major problem I have with the film, aside from a number of smaller blips, is the painfully obvious last minute editing to nab a PG 13 rating. They literally dubbed over profanity with PG 13 caliber alternatives, and it really detracts from some of the scenes. Especially when characters are screaming expletives, it’s just really awkward to clearly see what their lips are saying and hear “freaking” dubbed over. It’s like watching Die Hard on FX; it’s still a fine movie, but “Yippee-ki-yay, Melonfarmer!” doesn’t really have the same ring to it. Bottom line: The Ghost Writer is very good, and is a refreshing diversion from cookie cutter political thrillers. A very well written, acted, and directed film, that is very close to being a top tier thriller, save for the brutal decision to dub over expletives and what some people may find a lackluster conclusion. The limited release could make it tough to catch this one in theaters, so if you can’t see it on the big screen I highly recommend renting it or watching it on demand in a month or so, because it is definitely worth the price of admission. I give it four stars out of five, and again extend my thanks and congratulations to Mrs. Madsen for discovering this very solid under the radar film.
April 2010 The Walrus: School News Page 5 School May Be Over, But Senior Service Begins BY NICK CREEGAN ‘11 As the hot sun beats down on the Boston area, the days grow longer, and the nights shrink shorter, the idea of summer has begun to creep into the minds of those on the St. Sebastian’s campus. As the month of May nears with each passing day, the dreams of senior summer are fresh in the minds of those about to graduate. The ease of senior spring is coming to a gradual end, and everyone has begun to consider long days on the beach and with friends. However, even after classes and exams have finally finished for seniors, there will still be work to be done. As is a tradition at St. Sebastian’s school, each senior is required to end their academic career in service to a charitable foundation of their own. The senior class consistently chooses a variety of service opportunities to pursue as their final high school year comes to a close. The service program has annually been a staple component of the St. Sebastian’s education. As assistant headmaster Mr. Nerbonne describes, the senior service project is essentially “part of the educational process […] students get even more out of it than they put in.” In other words, senior projects are not just another way to shoo students away from the hectic campuses of high schools. Instead, they are a way to both finalize and solidify the education that has taken place over the past four years. They apply the teachings from specific classroom discussions, especially theology, to real world situations and experiences. Working at a senior service project, as St. Sebastian’s sees, is a sort of double edged sword. Obviously, the students’ work substantially helps give back and support their community without monetary reward; however, there is another side to such work. The community and service program also gives back to the students, teaching and instructing them on how to face practical, and even the most impractical, situations. Many seniors have opted to work at different types of projects. Groups of students will begin work at elderly homes, youth organizations, or hospitals for the disabled during the month of May. A large group of seniors are pursuing work with the disabled at Boston College, while others are working with veterans at the VFW Hospital in the nearby town of West Roxbury. However, the location of the service is not nearly important as the work completed, as the mission suggests. The true purpose of the service project transcends the minor details of age or ability. Instead, the service project looks to draw on the common themes and wisdom that can be gained from any work with the less fortunate. As Kevin Lynch ’10, who will begin work at the Italian Children’s Home in May, describes, “I just hope to make a difference in the lives of a few kids that haven’t been as fortunate as me.” Such a quote sums up the major purpose of senior purpose. As such a well-off, gifted environment, St. Sebastian’s is nearly obligated to give back to the community. The senior service project is an excellent opportunity and technique that the school community uses to spread their talents and benefits beyond the everyday environment. The senior service project is, in essence, an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. The students will gain the wisdom and experience that accompanies work and aid. Furthermore, as Kevin Lynch described, the school community pursues the opportunity to “make a difference” in the lives of many. What Time is it Anyway? BY TOM MURPHY ‘11 If you have been at Sebs lately and have not been the perfect student, finding yourself gazing upon the clock positioned somewhere around the classroom, you will definitely know of the conundrum that I speak of. For a period of around two days last month all of the clocks around the school were stopped making them only correct twice a day. However, there were some exceptions to this rule as Mr. Cressotti, Ms. Callini’s pi clock, which no one can read anyway, and one clock in the McCulloch room had immunity from this terrible virus as they were not apart of the school system and were brought from some other source. Now these two days were some of the worst days in the history of Sebs for many of us, as in each and every class we were stuck there believing that even though it had felt like an eternity the clock claimed that no time at all had passed. People had to resort to either wearing wrist watches or checking their phones in order to check what time it was. This was terrible for many as teachers could now clearly see if they were not paying attention, or caring about what was occurring during the class, as checking a wristwatch or grabbing ones phone is much more obvious than the casual gaze towards the clock to see how much longer the class must continue. Also with the increase in wristwatches there was an increase in carpal tunnel, too, as kids’ wrists could not withstand the newfound massive weight on their wrists. Also detentions drastically increased for this monstrous time period of two days, as kids who did not desire carpel tunnel and resorted to their phones were constantly caught innocently checking the time. However, many teachers thought that they were doing the unthinkable, texting during class, which almost never occurs at this school or many others, and as a result kids phones were taken and detentions were, given even with the constant explanation that the reason for the phone check was not a text from a lovely lady, but instead was in order to discover what the time was. This unfortunately was not the only averse effect of the sudden ceasing of the clocks, as after school kids found themselves completely unaware of what time it was, making them late for rides, and late for practice. As a result coaches and parents alike were infuriated by the tardiness of their kids or players, and all they could say was simply that the clocks at school didn’t work, but parents and coaches were not hearing any of it. Also the effects of the stopping of the clocks had some after affects as well. One of the clocks in Ward Hall is still not working and there is a gaping hole where the clock used to be. Also the clock in Mr. Goulet’s room is stopped and has been since before the incident, it still has not been fixed and people who have classes in this room may forever be stuck having no idea what time it truly is, only hoping that the clock happens to be right just this one time, because it is right twice a day. Unlike the clocks at Seb’s, Big Ben is always on time. The Red Sox celebrate after winning the 2007 World Series a mere two-and-a-half years ago. The Red Sox are Back , But Are They Ready to Make A World Series Run in 2010? BY TOM HOFF ‘11 On Easter Night, the Red Sox began their season with the Yankees in town. They began with new players, both position players and pitchers, from last year. In baseball, the start of the year with new players always brings a lot of questions. Will guys such as Adrian Beltre, Marco Scutaro, Mike Cameron, and John Lackey be the keys to put the Red Sox over the top, from a contender of the past two years to a world series winner this year? Will they become complacent with new contracts? (The same can be asked about Josh Beckett.) Or, will the Red Sox be the same as last year, a wild card team who will be bounced in the first round? Hopefully, they’ll follow their three-year pattern of winning the World Series like 2004 and 2007. However, there is a lot that needs to be examined with this Red Sox team. Theo Epstein and the Red Sox organization chose to follow statistics this offseason. I’m not going to bore you with stats that seem unimportant and are hard to understand; that’s my brother’s job. However, I will say that the team chose to go with a system of run prevention. All of the position players that they acquired are great defensively and have been huge run-preventers for their whole careers. Now, Cameron is in center field, with Ellsbury in left, replacing a below-average fielder in Jason Bay. Now, Marco Scutaro and Adrian Beltre are on the left side of the infield. They are great defensively. However, the most important thing about the left side of the infield is that we no longer have to watch Julio Lugo play shortstop anymore. Seriously, wouldn’t it be better to watch me play short than Lugo? I think even I’d be less painful to watch. Along with Cameron, Beltre, and Scutaro, John Lackey is a big part of the team’s new makeup. Now, the Sox have an ace in the third spot. Their starting pitching is probably unmatched, one through five. If they get a good season out of either Daisuke or Wakefield as the fifth starter, their season should be carried by their pitching. However, the problem is that, in this day and age, teams can’t be completely carried by one aspect of a game with so many integral parts. The pitching is great, and their fielding should be great, if these stats are as true as we hope. They also have good hitters. However, the team lacks something in the lineup. They lack a feared hitter. If you really think about it, is there a guy that the other teams in the league will feel a need to intentionally walk? Probably not, unless someone is having a near-perfect game at the dish already. They don’t have a hitter who inflicts real fear into another team, in particular a power hitter. David Ortiz isn’t the power hitter he once was. Manny and Jason Bay are gone. Youkilis isn’t that guy and won’t be. He’s a good hitter who does everything well, but doesn’t inflict much fear into other teams. This is the Red Sox’s second greatest weakness. Is a power hitter necessary to do really well? Well, having one power hitter always works much better, as shown by recent champions. Last year’s Yankees had a great power hitter or three. The 2008 Phillies had Ryan Howard and Chase Utley. The 2007 Red Sox had Ortiz and Manny. The 2006 Cardinals had Pujols, whom any team can win with, and the list goes on. Yet, the argument can be made that the Red Sox are so dominant in the other facets of the game that a true power hitter isn’t needed. But, that brings me to the Sox’s greatest weakness: Their division. If they were in any other division in the league, everyone could pencil, actually more like pen, them in for a division win. However, they’re in a division with two of the other top four teams in all of the MLB. 90 wins may not be enough for even a wild card spot, because the Yankees have as many dollars behind their team as the number of USBs that Lou Heck has in his collection, and the Rays have a desire to win this year because of their contracts in a small market. It’ll be a battle the entire year, and, unfortunately, the Red Sox may emerge as the third team of that group. The AL East and its powerhouse teams may prove to bring out the Red Sox’s lack of a power hitter. If the entire season may come down to head-to-head games, the Red Sox may need more than what they have. Can’t you see the following situation?: The Red Sox need one run in a low scoring, extra inning game, but can’t get it because they can’t string a rally together. Meanwhile, A-Rod or Teixeira or Evan Longoria comes to the plate, and he ends the game for the team when the Red Sox missed their chances to do so earlier in the game. Only a few of those one run games which the Red Sox lose could mean that they lose their playoff spot to the Rays or Yankees. Yet, there is one solution, one that unfairly favors big market teams in the league, and those who have a fan base which will support the team’s moves. It’s called a trade. It’s what brought Dave Roberts, Josh Beckett, and Victor Martinez here. It’s what could bring Adrian Gonzalez, Miguel Cabrera, or another power guy here. The Sox may get Gonzalez because the Padres still need to start from scratch. They could get Cabrera because the Tigers organization does well when things around them are going well, but the opposite is also true. If you really want the Red Sox to get Cabrera, then you should root for the auto industries in Detroit to take another hit. Personally, I have trouble rooting for something so devastating, even though I really like Cabrera. Gonzalez is rumored to happen, but he loves San Diego, and the Padres may want to keep him in order to, if nothing else, sell tickets. They could still get a great package for him next offseason. In my opinion, the previous paragraph is the key to the Red Sox season. To compete with the two teams in their division, get through a tough American League, and then beat the best team that the National League has to offer, they’ll need a power hitter. They need someone who makes the other team’s fans say, “Shoot, he’s up.” IF they get someone like Gonzalez or Cabrera at the deadline, they can win. In fact, my prediction is that, if the Red Sox don’t get a power hitter / fear-inflictor, they’ll miss the playoffs. However, if Theo does pull off such a great trade, they’ll win the World Series, and continue that three year pattern. Teams Look to Knock off Kingsley and Albanese in School’s Third Annual MOOT Court Competition BY A. DEMATTEO ‘11 The St. Sebastian's Moot court competition is in its third year, under the leadership of Mr. Cleary, as the tradition continues. However this year there were some notable changes to the format of the tournament this year compared to the previous two years at St. Sebastian's, and all the years it happened while Mr. Cleary was at Concord Carlisle. Twenty-one teams instead of the usual sixteen were allowed to compete in this year's round of cases. These extra teams made for an extra round of cases, where a lottery would decide which teams were forced to do an extra round. This extra round also caused an enormous drag on the tournament this year. For those of you who do not know what the Moot Court Competition is a special type of debate, where the participation students are given a series of famous Supreme Court cases to debate against each other. All the cases are debatable and do not have a clear cut winner on either side, making them ideal to argue. The goal of the students is to convince the judges, Mr. Cleary and Mr. Nerbonne for the lower rounds. Mr. Schell will be the third judge in the semi-final round, which will be in the evening to allow parents to attend. In the final round, there will be real judges, courtesy of Mr. Albertson's connections. This year the Moot Court competition is nearly done with the second round of trials. At the moment it is moving along quite nicely, but it took nearly five weeks to complete the preliminary round of five cases, because everyone's schedules were so diverse. Thankfully it was started several weeks earlier in the year to make up for the added round of cases. There had to be changes, because of the extended time spent on the first round, so now the date is set, and if you cannot make it, your team forfeits the trial. Furthermore Mr. Cleary is rethinking the idea of having as many teams as possible sign up, because of the inordinate amount of time the competition has already taken. Every year there are a few forfeits, but it is understandable, because as Mr. Cleary puts it, "a person who wants to be involved with it (Moot Court) has five other things, and they are busy." It is also important to note that because the tournament is a lottery some very competitive teams did not even make the second round. Currently there are still ten teams in the tournament. There are four teams still in the second round, while the other six have already completed it and are waiting for the third round to begin. The teams still competing in the second round are: Hodgson and Sweeney vs. Bacic and Smith, and Balboni and D’Amato vs. the self proclaimed “Super Team” of seniors Harrington and Kinlan. These teams will be arguing the case of Escobedo vs. Illinois. This case has to do with a suspected criminal’s right to an attorney. In 1964, the case went before the Supreme Court after it had been overturned in the Illinois state courts once then returned to the guilty verdict. When it went before the Supreme Court, in was in direct correlation with the Gideon vs. Wainwright case, which just a year before, acknowledged a Constitutional right for all citizens to a lawyer. In this case Escobedo sued for a mistrial based on the fact that he was denied the right to consult with his lawyer, and the Courts ruled in his favor, five to four. The six other teams plus the two who survive the rest of the second round, will be given the next case either later this week or early the next. The six teams in the quarter finals consist of Dillon and Peck, Marino and Mulroy, Franco and Keefe, McCarthy and O’Malley, McMillan and Wallace, and Albanese and Kingsley, last year’s champions. It should be noted however that never in the history of the Moot Court Competition has a team won two years running, so history may be made in Albanese and Kingsley can repeat last year’s triumph. Over all the Moot Court Competition is a great experience for everyone who participates in it. Because it is designed for all the cases argued to be debatable, neither side has a noticeable advantage over the other. When the students go into the rooms for the trial with only their notes and speeches to help them it is a battle of who has prepared the best for the case, which will determine the outcome. The Moot Court Competition is fun to watch and I encourage everyone to be there for the final round sometime in May.
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