The Viking Voice, February 2005

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The Viking Voice is Archbishop Wood Catholic High School's student newspaper, which today publishes exclusively online.

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ARCHBISHOP WOOD CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL’S
V VOL OL UME UME XI V XI V, , N NUMBER UMBER 4 4 WWW WWW. . VI KI NGV VI KI NGVOI CE OI CE . . OR ORG G T TUESD UESDA AY Y, , F FEBR EBRU UAR ARY Y 15, 15, 2005 2005
voice The viking
Eagles fell to the Patriots
>> >> A A SEMI SEMI - - MONTHL MONTHLY Y JOURN JOURNAL AL OF OF EVENTS EVENTS A AT T W WOOD OOD, , AR AROUND OUND AMERICA AMERICA AND AND A ACR CROSS OSS THE THE W WORLD ORLD T T- 2/15/05 - 2/15/05
» INDEX
COLUMNS, EDITORIALS 2-4
LOCAL, WORLD NEWS 5, 8
THE DATING GAME 6-7
SPORTS 9-10
ENTERTAINMENT 11-12
» INSIDE
Editor’s Desk
Encounter qualms,
search filters,
Warminster’s image,
and more.
» Page 2
The Champion
Senior Tim Bruno went
on to affirm his title as
Shakespeare champi-
on of recitation.
» Page 3
Crossfire Cancelled
Comedian Jon Stewart
is showing that even he
can effect change in
TV political debate.
» Page 5
Paintball has come
If you love paintball,
and would love to
play in a Wood
league, check this out.
» Page 8
Player Profiles
The Viking Voice
profiles Rosie
Tarnowski, and Matt
Spadafora.
» Page 10
The Dating Game
Wood couples go
head-to-head in a
battle of relationships.
» Pages 6, 7
NHL still locked out
The NHL labor dispute
continues with no end
in sight. What’s going
on behind the scenes?
» Page 9
Hide, do not seek
Robert DeNiro stars in
a disappointing ‘Hide
and Seek’, another B-
list DeNiro flick.
» Page 12
Warminster, Penna. — One of the
distinct hallmarks of a Catholic edu-
cation has always been a uniform.
The uniform serves to identify us as
Catholic students, and symbolize our
unity in faith.
Why then is the uniform such an
disliked component of student life at
Wood? Is there anything that could
be done to encourage both partici-
pation and appreciation of the
dress code at Wood?
In a recent interview with Mr.
Mangin, The Viking Voice posed ques-
tions such as these in order to find a
level ground on which students and
administration members can meet to
settle differences caused by the
dress code.
Mr. Mangin was first asked what
he believed was the purpose of the
dress code. He said,
"It is essential to the maturing
process at Wood that we cultivate a
sense of pride in our students,” he
said. “Personal appearance is a
reflection of self-image. Our uniform
policy expresses the traditional val-
ues of our Catholic identity, and our
unity as a community of believers. It
is what separates us from the 'other'
schools."
Mr. Mangin pointed out that what
the school tries to do with the dress
code is cultivate self-respect. The
dress code is not intended as a pun-
ishment, or a hassle, it is meant to
encourage students to take pride in
their appearance, and prepare
them for a future in the professional
world.
One of the largest sources of con-
flict between teachers and students
in recent years has been the I.D.
cards and lanyards that students are
required to wear.
Many students refuse to wear
lanyards because of a keen fashion
sense. Mr. Mangin was asked why
the I.D./swipe cards were imple-
mented, and whether or not an
alternative to lanyards has ever
been discussed. He replied, "Stricter
safety measures were an obvi-
ousnecessity after 9-11. The I.D.
cards identify students within the
‘MANGIN’ CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
BY TIM MCLAUGHLIN ‘05
» STAFF WRITER
The dress code, always a
source of controversy at
Wood, is changing. Find
out what we uncovered
and what’s in store.
Interview: Mangin’s dress code
Jacksonville, FLA. — A 13-3 regular season
record, another NFC East title, the number one
seed in the playoffs, and an appearance in the
Super Bowl.
It was a successful season for the Philadelphia
Eagles, getting to their first Super Bowl since the
1980 season. But they aren't nearly satisfied with
being known as second best.
"The ultimate goal was not to be satisfied just
to get to the Super Bowl," said Philadelphia
Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens. "Our goal is
to win it. We came up short. We let the game slip
away."
Owens, who was playing on a broken bone in
his foot, caught nine passes for 122 yards. He
made several key catches on the night including a
key first down late in the fourth quarter that set
up Greg Lewis' 30 yard touchdown grab.
This was Donovan McNabb's third touchdown
pass of the night. He also threw for 357 yard
while completing 30 of his 51 attempts. Despite
these impressive numbers, McNabb showed his
Super Bowl inexperience by throwing three inter-
ceptions, two of which were deep in the Patriots'
end of the field.
McNabb also came up short in leading the
Eagles back from ten points down. Instead of
running a no-huddle offense to save time,
McNabb took his time getting to the line of scrim-
mage after every play, wasting valuable seconds.
Some attribute this lack of urgency to
McNabb's apparent sickness during the game.
McNabb was so sick he was having trouble relay-
ing the plays to his players. "He didn't get a play
call in one time," center Hank Fraley said. "He
mumbled and Freddie Mitchell yelled out the
play we were trying to bring in. He was puking at
the same time, trying to hold it in."
Andy Reid's coaching decisions were also ques-
tioned, as he too is partly responsible for the
team wasting time in the waning minutes of the
game.
Many analysts also question Reid's decision to
try an onsides kick late. They felt that if the
Eagles had kicked deep, they would have had
better field position for their final drive. Despite
the questionable decisions, there is no doubt Reid
is one of the best coaches in the NFL.
The team isn't dwelling on the painful loss how-
ever, as they are already looking forward to next
year. "We'll be back here again next year," said
the confident Owens.
Whether or not Owens' prediction comes true
BY JOE TAYLOR ‘05
» SPORTS EDITOR
In a hard fought match, Reid
and the Philadelphia Eagles
fell to the New England
Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX
by a mere three points.
PHOTOGRAPHS COMPILED BY TIM WISNIEWSKI ‘06
‘EAGLES’ CONTINUED ON PAGE 9
Coach Andy Reid and Quarterback Donovan McNabb failed to lead the Eagles to victory in Super
Bowl XXXIX in Jacksonville, Fla. on Sun., Feb. 6. The Eagles fell late to a tough Patriots surge.
PHOTOGRAPHED BY TIM MCLAUGHLIN ‘05
Assistant Principal Mr. Don Mangin spoke to The Viking Voice about the
ongoing dress code controversy, and where dress is headed for the future.
» TURN TO PAGE 9 FOR MORE
EAGLES SPORTS COVERAGE
EDITOR’S DESK: OUR TOWN NEEDS US
THE VIKING VOICE
This issue marks the fourth for
the school year, and with that
said, we’re still working toward
innovation. I might be a senior, but
I’m not a lame duck yet.
I’d like to welcome Rev. Chris
Walsh (below) and senior Tim
McLaughlin (page eight) as our
newest columnists, for general
reflections and art, respectively.
We were also fortunate enough
to have freshman Chris Snyder
join our staff.
We’re still working with the stu-
dent council and Aramark to get
better student services in the
school store and the cafeteria in
general. Progress is being made.
I’m also working on two other
projects, both too early to talk
about explicitly at the moment,
but if they get off the ground,
they’ll be happening this spring,
and they’ll be good.
Let me know, as always, what
you think of this issue, Wood.
Enjoy.
WARMINSTER, CLASSY?
Not apparently.
I lived in Warminster until I was
12 before moving to Lansdale,
and in the course of going to
Nativity every day for grade
school I got to see lots of great
sights:
Kmart with it’s expansively
wasteful parking lot, the lot
where the old home was razed
and where Fox Chase Bank now
sits, the lovely Warminster plaza,
with its ever-crumbling parking
lot, and the beautiful intersection
of York and Street Roads;
scarred by a billboard, an enor-
mous Drug Emporium (now a
“giant” book sale, though soon to
be razed as well, probably in
favor of a Starbucks). Across from
Nativity were, up until a few
weeks ago, extremely shady bars
and repair shops.
This was just a small sample of
Warminster, yet in more recent
years it has seen more fields van-
ish for more strip malls, more dig-
nity pass with disappearing trees,
and now, unbelievably, an inter-
state-grade billboard on the
property of the United Church of
Christ. The last straw.
I’m not saying Warminster is
any worse than other towns, but
we could at least make an
attempt at beautification. Where
are the coffee houses? Where
are the book stores? Where is
logical zoning? Warminster does-
n’t even have a main street.
Warminster is becoming the
New Jersey of an otherwise his-
toric Bucks County: merely a
speedway to get somewhere bet-
ter.
This billboard is absolutely
terrible and, frankly, embarrass-
ing. Large trees were cut down to
install it, and somehow it passed
what zoning laws may or may not
have been in place.
This is where we, the students,
come in. We do a lot for and
within Wood, but why not boost
the image of Wood and the
image of the town by becoming
actively involved in civil affairs?
Attend town meetings, petition
the zoning boards, protest if need
be, get permission to plant more
trees around hideous atrocities
like the new billboard. Do some-
thing. Warminster needs our help.
LITERARY MAGAZINE
As a public service to the staff
of the Literary Magazine, which
got a late start this year, I’d like
to remind everyone that submis-
sions of poetry and prose are
being accepted
now, and can be
dropped off in
either the form
attached to The
Viking Voice’s
office, room 312,
or can be left in
The Viking Voice
mailbox in the
Activities office,
for those of you
who don’t like to
venture near Mr.
Krantz’s room dur-
ing mid-day.
Drop your work
off sooner rather
than later, please.
Staff positions are
also available.
SEARCH FILTER
It has come to the attention of
the news staff that the
Archdiocese search filter operat-
ing on Wood’s network could use
some tweaks.
Try typing in “social security” on
google; it’s disallowed. Try typing
in “positions”, and the filter has no
problem bringing up sites offering
tips about good positions for sex-
ual intercourse.
Small examples, but telling
ones. Maybe it has come time that
Wood petition the Archdiocese to
create a more logical, effective
network filter.
ENCOUNTER
Wood’s February Encounter is
about to kick off, scheduled for
this Thursday, so it seems appro-
priate to let those underclassmen
who still hang on to the lie that
Encounter is some kind of “cult”
know that there could be nothing
further from the truth.
Even if you think I’m lying,
remember: life is defined by the
decisions you make and the risks
you take. You might be comfort-
able enough in life to criticize
Encounter and verbally harass
those who go on Encounter, but are
you brave enough to take a risk
and go on it for yourself?
P PA AGE GE 2 | E 2 | EDI T DI TOR OR’ ’ S S D DESK ESK & C & COL OL UMNS UMNS F FEBR EBRU UAR ARY Y 15, 15, 2005 2005
- TOM SHAKELY; EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
[email protected]
‘Warminster is
becoming the New
Jersey of an other-
wise historic Bucks
County: merely a
speedway to get
somewhere better.’
The
Viking Voice
February 15 Issue; Printed Feb. 12
Next Issue: [Tentative] Apr. 11
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
TOM SHAKELY ‘05
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
KRISTA SZYMBORSKI ‘05
NEWS & EDITORIAL EDITOR
KATE LEGNETTI ‘05
SPORTS EDITOR
JOE TAYLOR ‘05
FEATURES EDITOR
JEN MCCANN ‘05
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
ED GOODWIN ‘06
FACULTY ADVISOR
MR. WILLIAM DEVLIN
COLUMNISTS
FR. CHRIS WALSH
TIM MCLAUGHLIN ‘05
ERIC SNYDER ‘05
JOHN TRAN ‘05
CHIP COATES ‘06
PAUL GRABANIA ‘06
MATT KUHNER ‘06
MAGGIE MARSHALL ‘06
TIM WISNIEWSKI ‘06
RENEE BRIELMANN ‘08
GENERAL STAFF
STEPHANIE BOAG ‘05
KEVIN BUCHER ‘05
MAEGEN MARIN ‘05
JOHN MLODZINSKI ‘05
ANDREA ORZEHOSKI ‘05
PHIL SCHWARZ ‘05
EDDIE WADDINGTON ‘05
SEAN WHALEN ‘05
BRIAN ZEIGER ‘05
KERRY DUBYK ‘06
JEN MICKLOW ‘06
TIM OSBORNE ‘06
ERIC CLAYTON ‘07
MEGEN DONOVAN ‘07
MIKE ROONEY ‘07
CHRIS SNYDER ‘08
Mission Statement
the viking voice of Archbishop
Wood Catholic High School intends
to stay true to Catholic values and
principles, while at the same time
upholding professional journalistic
standards through reporting and
by questioning the status quo. We
seek to serve as catalyst of and
liason for the student’s voice and
action as individuals and Catholics.
Newsroom/Production
North Building; Room 312
Awards
the viking voice has won awards
from the Catholic Standard and
Times in 2003 and 2004 for the
following: first place for best news
article and editorial, second place
for best layout and third place for
best photography.
Letters
the viking voice accepts letters
to the editor via email to
[email protected]. You can
also drop off letters in our mailbox
in the Activities Office.
Policy Notice
The material appearing within—
articles, editorials, online content,
etc—reflect neither the views of
the school administration nor the
views of the viking voice staff,
but merely the philosophy of the
respective author.
Search for the perfect wing
For many years I have had a
hunger deep within myself. It is a
hunger for the perfect Buffalo
Chicken Wing!
This hunger, which in many
ways has become a "quest", has
led me on journeys throughout the
United States and into Canada.
I know that many of you find
this hard to believe given my lean
figure and otherwise healthy
lifestyle, but quite simply, I love
good wings!
Last April 28, one of my long
standing dreams came true as I
made a pilgrimage to the Anchor
Bar and Grill in Buffalo, New
York (for the novice wing lover,
the Anchor Bar is where, on a glo-
rious Friday night in 1964,
Theresa Bellissimo, the Anchor Bar
owner's mother, prepared the first
order of Buffalo Wings).
Since eating the Original
Buffalo Wing, I must admit the
bar has been raised and my
demand for quality wings has
increased. The average wing sim-
ply will not do.
Like many of you, I often leave
the table dissatisfied with the way
many establishments prepare this
most delightful of the poultry
dishes! However, every now and
then I am pleasantly surprised.
A few
weeks ago I
got together
with a friend
from college
(I graduated
from Temple
Un i v e r s i t y
where I had
the opportu-
nity to sam-
ple wings from a variety of ven-
ues in the Greater North
Philadelphia area).
We decided to meet at a
Pizzeria Uno in Langhorne. Since
I had already eaten dinner, I did
not intend to order anything but a
few fermented malt beverages.
Much to my delight, everything
changed when people at the next
table received an order of
Pizzeria Uno's "Chicago Style"
Buffalo Wings.
The aroma was enticing. The
color was inviting. The garnish of
celery and blue cheese was too
much to resist. My quest for good
wings had been heightened.
When the waitress returned, I
placed my order! I took a chance
and ordered 25 wings (I figured
that if I didn't like them I would
pass them off to a few students in
my 7th period who do not have a
mature "wing palate").
As my buddy told me about his
first year of marriage and his
new job, my mind wondered in
anticipation of the wings. Would
they be as good as they looked?
Had I found a wing that would
satisfy me?
The moment came. I was not
disappointed. They were amaz-
ing! I had been to Pizzeria Uno
before but never imagined that
they were capable of such a won-
derful thing.
The outside of the wing was
fried perfectly, allowing for just
the right amount of crunch. The
sauce had a challenging burn, yet
was never overwhelming.
The meat was well above aver-
age and the blue cheese dressing
was fresh. As the barley and hop
beverages flowed and the con-
versation continues, the wings
were consumed one by one (my
friend confessed he thought of
asking for one but was afraid of
rejection).
I have not made a return trip to
this point, but I assure you it is on
the horizon.
I am happy to say that Pizzeria
Uno offers a wing that Mrs.
Bellissimo and I can endorse!
FR. CHRIS WALSH
HEAVENLY THOUGHTS
FR. CHRIS WALSH IS OUR CAMPUS
MINISTER, AND WRITES A MORE
RELAXED COLUMN IN EACH ISSUE.
F FEBR EBRU UAR ARY Y 15, 15, 2005 2005 C COL OL UMNS UMNS & & E EDI T DI TORI ALS ORI ALS | P | PA AGE GE 3 3
Feature: All the world’s a chessboard
Researching new galaxies.
War on the frontier. Acceptance
to a college. Death of a loved
one. Emergence of a friendship.
Considering the great significance
of just these few life realities, it
seems that to equate the world
with something so trivial as a
game board would be to have a
20/400 vision of an inestimable
gift. Nonetheless, if you consider
the game of chess, it shares a few
traits with the great "game" of
life.
When I graduated from Wood
in 2003, being a member of the
chess team was not one of the
extra-curricular involvements I
could claim next to my picture in
the yearbook. Even still, I've
played the game often enough to
remember that the ultimate goal
is to go after the king—to follow
him with your men. Thinking of the
objective in these words, the first
similarity between chess and the
world hearkens quickly to my
mind. Our objective, as people in
the world, is just that: to follow the
King. And, in
our pursuit of
the almighty
King, we are to
draw all the
men around us
to follow Him,
also.
Another thing
I remember about the rules of
chess is that, next to the king, the
most important piece is the queen.
She can slide around the board
with nearly free domain, yet her
initial placement is the one closest
to the king. Among mankind, she
is the best able to serve the king
because of the extraordinary
powers granted to her. In the
same way, we have the Virgin
Queen to admire in this world, as
she is the most potent intercessor
we have in the next world.
Tremendous power has been
entrusted to her as the Mother of
the King. She can make great
and large movements, but only
because they stem from the initial
closeness of her relationship with
His Majesty.
The last thing I remember
about chess is that victory comes
easiest to the player who thinks
ahead and thinks broadly.
Openness of thought, I recall,
helps to spice the game with cre-
ative maneuvers, and forethought,
memory tells me, is the key to win-
ning the game. Likewise, the best,
most direct way to achieve success
in life is to practice a bit of
advance thinking. Indeed, the
happiest people in life are those
who plan in advance and have a
wide worldview.
Yes, the inestimable gift of our
world is very much like a chess
set. For young
people living in
this world, like
you and me, it is
our primary
work to follow
Jesus Christ, the
King of Kings.
Then, with the
compassionate intercession of His
most august Mother, we can come
to know clearly His will for us.
And, by the grace and wisdom of
the Holy Spirit, the Lord asks us to
practice a degree of forethought
in discerning His will for our lives.
We must learn to overcome our
selfishness and begin to live out of
love for the vocation to which our
Father calls us. We must, as
Servant of God Fulton J. Sheen
wrote, become as those who have
"turned their backs upon the
world, and become for the gener-
ation in which we live other
Christs—living, potent witnesses
to the Love that died, that we
might live with Love" (Calvary
and the Mass, 1936).
Like a chessboard, it's all black
and white. We may not be sure
which square to move to next, but,
through prayer, we can come to
share a little glimpse of the all-
knowing foresight of the great
Ancient of Days. Through prayer,
we can keep our vocational
roadmaps "in check."
BY DAVE FRIEL, CLASS OF ‘03
» SPECIAL ALUMNI GUEST WRITER
There are countless distrac-
tions to living a good life, but
there is a way to stay true to
ourselves and God: prayer.
DAVE FRIEL SERVED AS EDITOR OF THE VIKING VOICE DURING THE 2002-2003
SCHOOL YEAR, AND IS NOW A STUDENT AT ST. CHARLES SEMENARY. COMMENTS
AND OTHER FEEDBACK CAN BE SENT TO HIM VIA EMAIL: [email protected].
‘We may not be sure where to
move next, but through prayer we
can keep our vocational roadmaps
in check.’
Bruno retains Shakespeare crown
William Shakespeare's master-
pieces were brought back to life as
Wood students competed in the annu-
al recitation competition last month.
Over a dozen participants recited
lines from Shakespeare's best works,
which included A Midsummer Night's
Dream, Othello, Romeo and Juliet,
Macbeth, and The Merchant of Venice.
The purpose of this competition is to
encourage students' knowledge of
Shakespeare and help them to com-
municate this knowledge effectively.
Participants chose any one of
Shakespeare's many pieces, reciting
no more than 20 verses or 17 lines of
prose.
The order was chosen shortly
before the competition by a lottery
method. A team of judges was
formed from every school depart-
ment to form a well-rounded group.
They based their decision on the
student's performance and memo-
rization of the material.
Contestants briefly described what
they would be reciting before actual-
ly performing. During the competition,
it was impossible to tell who would
win, since each student was so well
rehearsed and animated in their per-
formance.
In the end, senior Tim Bruno main-
tained his position as Wood's
Shakespeare competition champion.
His comedic performance from A
Midsummer Night's Dream blew
everyone away, and secured his
place in the running to win the grand
prize.
Everyone who participated
received a certificate recognizing his
participation, and Tim received a gift
certificate to Barnes and Noble and
his second complete edition of
Shakespeare's plays.
He also won the chance to com-
pete in the Philadelphia competition,
where he has the chance of winning a
trip to compete in New York City.
The winner of the New York com-
petition receives the grand prize—a
two week trip this summer to England.
Be sure to wish Tim good luck as he
heads to the next phase of the com-
petition!
BY JEN MICKLOW ‘06
» STAFF WRITER
Senior Tim Bruno maintained
his title as Shakespeare mas-
ter in this year’s annual recita-
tion competition.
PHOTOGRAPHED BY JEN MCCANN ‘05
Senior champion Tim Bruno and Mr. Joe Velten pose with
a bust of Shakespeare after the copetition’s conclusion.
‘MANGIN’
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
school, so the cards must be visible at all
times. Safety is another reason why we
don't want students opening doors for
people without I.D. cards. Most students'
parents are required to wear some sort
of I.D. at work. The lanyards were the
most economical method for keeping I.D.
cards visible. If a cheaper, and more
convenient device were presented, it
would certainly be considered."
The Viking Voice first heard rumor on
Jan. 20 in the hallways of Wood that
next year girls will have to wear pants
rather than the standard skorts. The
Viking Voice jumped on the chance to set-
tle this rumor, and posed the question to
Mr. Mangin.
"Yes, we are changing the dress code
for the incoming freshmen. They must
wear school regulation pants, which are
to be purchased at Flynn and O'Hara.
All other slacks will not be permitted,
and one will be written up for being out
of dress code. Upperclassmen will still
be able to purchase skorts, and wear
them at regulation length. Failure to
comply will result in a dress code viola-
tion, and students may be required to
purchase slacks."
The obvious question stills remains.
What can we do to encourage students
to follow the dress code? "We need to
develop in students a sense of pride in
their appearance,” Mr. Mangin said.
“The purpose of the dress code is to
instill that pride in our maturing students,
so that they may keep Catholic values
with them throughout their adult life."
The sweaters required by the dress
code are, to most students, a huge incon-
venience. Some students' sweaters don't
fit them, and many other students simply
find them very uncomfortable. At the last
student council meeting, the suggestion
was made for a possible alternative to
the sweater. The current sweaters are
100% acrylic. Acrylic materials general-
ly provide much less warmth than cotton,
and the material used in the sweaters is
particularly coarse. Could an alterna-
tive, such as a sweater made partly of
cotton, be feasible? Mr. Mangin had no
comment on this issue, but he did say that
the uniform is constantly being altered to
make it easier for students to follow, and
more affordable for parents to pur-
chase.
It is the hope of The Viking Voice that
the students and the administration can
reach an equitable arrangement for the
requirements and subsequent enforce-
ment of the dress code.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Big-Little Day
To the Editor:
It seems all too routine
these days; the bell rings, a
long stream of students file
from classrooms, and in the
relatively small amount of
time we have to get from
one class to another, one
never fails to hear, "Would
these stupid freshmen
move?" or "Just plow through
the freshmen."
Granted that's common in
every school, but this year it
seems even more prevalent,
especially between the
freshmen and seniors.
While it's normally diffi-
cult for the freshmen and
seniors to relate, as fresh-
man tend to shy away from
the seniors and seniors tend
to look upon the freshmen as
an annoyance, usually at
Wood there is something to
break the slight tension: Big-
Little Day.
That brings me to my
question; what happened to
Big-Little Day? For some
reason it's just disappeared
this year.
There's no point in having
it now, either, because one,
the school year is half over,
and two, everyone has set-
tled back into the school
scene.
So what made this year
different from every previ-
ous one? Was this day for
freshmen and seniors taken
away to reprimand our sen-
ior class, or just simply a con-
fusion of scheduling?
Either way, most of the
senior girls, and quite a few
freshmen too, are not happy
about these events. This is
the one bonding experience
we have in our school
between the oldest and
youngest students, and in
turn, there is a little bit more
understanding between the
two grades.
When you spend an
entire morning or afternoon
with someone, you're bound
to understand and appreci-
ate him or her a little more
than when you just move
away from or push him or
her out of the way in the
halls.
Why Wood took this
event away this year is still a
mystery to most, and without
an explanation, there's
bound to be some bitterness
towards the school board.
Now the question is; what
will they take away next?
ANDREA ORZEHOSKI
Senior
» GO TO PAGE 8 FOR THE
STUDENT COUNCIL’S RESPONSE
The Viking Voice welcomes all appropriate letters.
Your name and year must be included with your letter,
and will be printed unless you specify otherwise.
Your letter may be edited for space or clarity.
Please email it to “[email protected]” as a
Microsoft Word attachment.
Publish your voice in ours—write us a letter!
P PA AGE GE 4 | 4 | W WOOD OOD N NEWS EWS & & C COL OL UMNS UMNS F FEBR EBRU UAR ARY Y 15, 15, 2005 2005
A new music group has
emerged from Wood these last
couple months. It has a good
sound, good rhythm, and best of
all, lots of enthusiasm. So who
exactly is this new group? It's the
new music ministry group of
Archbishop Wood, conducted by
Mr. William Monaghan
and coordinated by
Mrs. June Matwijec,
the faculty advisor
and a Religion
teacher at Wood.
First off, you may
be wondering, "Why
did the music ministry
change all of a sudden?"
"Bill Monaghan has been ask-
ing to get involved at the school.
Since he has a lot of experience
working with youth in music min-
istry, it seemed appropriate to
ask him to help with the group,"
said Mr. Gary Zimmaro
Mr. Zimmaro also said that he
and Monaghan are going to be
working together soon with music
ministry.
As previously stated,
Monaghan, a Wood graduate, is
very involved in music ministry in
other parishes around the area.
Wanting to become involved at
his alma mater again, he began
to help out with the music ministry
here at Wood.
A spirited and talented indi-
vidual, Monaghan has brought a
contemporary style of Christian
music to Wood's liturgies, some of
which are his original composi-
tions. The students in the group
are just as spirited as their direc-
tor.
Many of them know Monaghan
from St. Vincent's Parish in
Richboro, hence some of the new
faces that students have seen up
front for school liturgies. The stu-
dents in this group are extremely
enthusiastic to be there. It shows
when they sing at practice, and
more importantly during the
school liturgies in front of the stu-
dent body, faculty, and adminis-
tration.
In addition to the student musi-
cians and singers, Mr. Ted Keener,
a Math teacher at Wood, has
also joined the group, accompa-
nying the singers on acoustic gui-
tar. Keener has also worked with
Monaghan in "The Word" (written
by Monaghan), featured at St.
Vincent's Parish at the end of last
year.
Together, the all-around effect
created by the group's music is
extremely noteworthy and has
definitely received the attention
of the students and faculty at
Wood.
With all these
talented individuals
working together, it
is no wonder that
wonderful and
vibrant music is cre-
ated, and this group
and new style of
liturgical music will be here to
stay.
It should be interesting to see
what effect this music group has
at various Wood assemblies.
If you're interested in being a
part of the music ministry group,
see Mrs. Matwijec in Room 333
for more details.
All are invited to join.
BY STEPHANIE BOAG ‘05
» STAFF WRITER
We may be just another
Catholic school, but at
Wood, our actions speak
louder than our words.
Joyful noise rocks
throughout Wood
PHOTOGRAPHED BY TOM SHAKELY ‘05
Bill Monaghan leads the new music group at Wood whose focus is spirited and lively praise and worship.
So here I am, more than
halfway through my senior year,
and I’m still not completely sure
what these past four years have
meant to me.
I walk these halls, the halls that
I’ve walked for three years now (I
transferred to Wood my sopho-
more year), and I wonder what I’ll
remember most about my years
here. Will it be the parties I’ve
gone to, the awards I’ve won, the
tests I’ve taken, the information
I’ve “learned”, the friendships
that were ruined because of
petty arguments or the friends I
have now that mean more to me
than they will ever know?
I walk these halls, changing
classes, going to lunch, rushing out
to my car in an attempt to make it
to work on
time, and I
see people
whom I used
to be so
close with—
the girl who
was my first
real friend
when I
moved here,
the guy I was
so close with until Thanksgiving of
last year, the girl who threw me
my surprise 16
th
birthday party,
the guy I used to laugh at when
he did cartwheels on my front
lawn.
We pass each other now, smil-
ing smiles that are transparent
and fake, or we don’t acknowl-
edge each other at all, and I
wonder: will I leave Wood with
them not knowing how much they
meant to me? Will they graduate
with out ever knowing how much I
remember the good times, when
we would have sleepovers and
they would collapse on my kitchen
floor in a heap of giggles, or that
time they attempted to teach me
that chapter in geometry that
involved “similar and congruent
geometric figures”, or that sum-
mer night that two of these peo-
ple came to my house and I
pushed one of them into a bush.
I sit here now writing this,
remembering all the fun we used
to have and I can’t help but smile.
I also sit here, wondering how it
all went so wrong, how we let it
get this bad. I can remember
about the time we stopped talk-
ing, but I can’t remember why.
It’s our senior year, and I won-
der if I’m the only person who
misses some of the friendships I
once had. I don’t think that I am. I
think that most of us have friend-
ships that we’ve lost; friendships
that we wish hadn’t ended.
I wonder if this is how life will
be. I wonder if next year, we’ll all
make new friends, friends who we
will connect with and love as much
as we love our friends now. I also
wonder if we will loose touch with
these people as well.
Come our senior year of col-
lege, will we see some of these
people on campus and ignore
them just as we ignore our former
friends here? Or is college differ-
ent? Is life in general different?
Will we live the duration of our
lives constantly making and loos-
ing friends? I’d like to think that
the answer to that question is no.
I think that high school is a
learning experience when it
comes to friendships. I think that
these past four years have taught
us the value of true friends,
friends who make you laugh so
hard you cry, and friends who
hold your hand when you need
them.
According to my calculations,
we have 111 days until
Graduation. 111 days to re-con-
nect with the friends we’ve lost, or
lost touch with. For those of us
who have lost friendships, we
know things will never be the way
they were. But for our last 111
days here at Wood, we can smile
real smiles at our former friends,
we can ask them how they are,
and we can remember the good
times together.
I wonder what I’ll be thinking
when I toss my cap in the air on
June 6. Some days I think that I’ll
be relieved that it’s over. There
are other days, though, when I
know that I will miss Wood.
I know that it’s cheesy and over
done, but they keep telling us that
these are the best days of our
lives—we’ve got 111 left.
I hope everyone has as much
fun in those 111 days as I’m plan-
ning on having.
KATE’S COLUMN APPEARS IN EACH
ISSUE. SHE CAN BE CONTACTED VIA
EMAIL: [email protected].
KATE LEGNETTI
KATE’S KORNER
111 days left
‘A spirited and talented indi-
vidual, Monaghan has brough a
contemporary style of Christian
music to Wood’s liturgies.’
Is it better to multi-task or minimize?
Dear Helga,
I have a friend who used to be
awesome, he was one of the nicest
people I'd ever met. Now he's
like... changed. He's become really
insensitive and kind of obnoxious.
What do I do? Is there anything I
could do or do I just let it go?
Sincerely,
Friend of Newborn Jerk
Dear Friend of a Newborn Jerk,
This situation happens all too
often during adolescence. The
first thing to think about is if any-
thing has happened in your
friend's life recently.
Occasionally, when a trauma-
tizing event affects someone, he
or she will become obsessed with
his or her own life. Usually peo-
ple won't even realize they're
coming off as rude or obnoxious!
Ask your friend if anything is
troubling him, and listen carefully.
Maybe he needs your help,
instead of you needing mine.
If he doesn't want to talk, then
give him some space. Perhaps he
needs some time alone to work
out whatever is bothering him.
Otherwise, don't give up the
friendship. It is a terrible thing to
lose.
Dear Helga,
My parents wanted me to join
all these clubs and activities so I'd
have an "excellent" college appli-
cation.
Well, now I feel really stretched
out! Should I quit all of my activ-
ities or stick with it until I graduate
and/or die of stress?
Signed, No Free Time
Dear No Free Time,
Your parents only want what's
best for you. They want to see
you go to a great college, get a
high-paying job, and buy them a
condominium in Norway.
Unfortunately, being involved
in too many extracurricular activi-
ties is doing the opposite—how
can one do well on the actual
academic aspect of high school
when they have to worry about
deadlines, auditions, trials, sports,
and exams at the same time?
Evaluate every positive and neg-
ative thing about each activity:
which ones are related to what
you want to do in life? Which
ones are genuinely enjoyable?
Which ones did you only get
involved with because your par-
ents made you? After picking the
ones you want to keep participat-
ing in, tell your parents about
your decision. Colleges generally
won't be impressed with an entire
page mere half-commitments.
Dear Helga,
What did you do for Valentine’s
Day?
Signed, Dateless
Dear Dateless,
I had a pleasant evening, you?
Oh, wait—nevermind!
SEND QUESTIONS TO HELGA VIA EMAIL:
[email protected] OR DROP
OFF QUESTIONS IN THE NEWSPAPER
BOX IN THE ACTIVITES OFFICE.
ASK HELGA
F FEBR EBRU UAR ARY Y 15, 15, 2005 2005 L LOCAL OCAL & & W WORLD ORLD N NEWS EWS | P | PA AGE GE 5 5
Stewart’s crusade meets success
Washington, D.C. — Earlier last
month, CNN's political debate televi-
sion show Crossfire was cancelled.
James Carville, a frequent guest on
Crossfire, claims the cancellation was
anticipated; however, many viewers of
the show beg to differ after seeing The
Daily Show's John Stewart appearance
on the show and his widely publicized
criticism of its nature.
In mid October, Stewart took a
break from his satiric news program on
Comedy Central to join Crossfire hosts
Tucker Carlson and Paul Begala in
what they thought would be a typical
political issue toss-up. Instead, Stewart
began by taking aim at Crossfire and
other shows, claiming that they "hurt
America" by debating political issues
and never coming to a resolution rather
than giving the public the facts.
Carlson made a note of Stewart's
show being even less informative, to
which Stewart replied that his show
comes on after puppets making prank
phone calls, and that his show is purely
comedic. Begala called Crossfire a
debate show, and Stewart said it's "like
saying pro wrestling is a show about
athletic competition...you're doing the-
ater, when you should be doing
debate." The hosts strayed off this
topic leaving Stewart frustrated.
It would appear, however, that
Stewart's criticism stuck. Crossfire is now
defunct, though there are still plenty of
shows on TV that are of the same mold
as Crossfire. No one can definitively
say whether or not it was Stewart's
comments that hastened the cancella-
tion of the show, but many throughout
the media would like to believe so.
As arstechnica.com quoted about
such political discussion shows, "…what
becomes news are the discussions them-
selves, and the journalists don't spend
enough time asking whether or not any
of this garbage is actually correct, or
engaging in real debate."
The Daily Show's crew, along with
Stewart, released America (The Book)
this September, which has spent 15
weeks on The New York Times best sell-
er list for hardcover nonfiction, and was
named "Book of the Year" by Publishers
Weekly, the industry trade magazine.
The book was recently banned in
libraries of Mississippi, as well as Wal-
Mart, who refuses to stock it.
The reason: on page 99 of the book,
where Supreme Court justices' faces
are superimposed over naked bodies,
the book asks you to "restore their dig-
nity by matching each Justice with his
John Stewart, host of Comedy
Central’s ‘The Daily Show’, laid
down some harsh words on
CNN’s ‘Crossfire’. Shortly after,
‘Crossfire’ was cancelled.
BY TIM WISNIEWSKI ‘06
» STAFF WRITER
PHOTOGRAPHS COMPILED BY TIM WISNIEWSKI ‘06
‘Crossfire’, ended up on the chopping block at the Cable News Network (CNN) shortly after
widely publicized criticism by Comedy Central’s John Stewart.
or her respective robe." This controversial page
in the book has forced librarians to refer to it
as an "adult book" and say it severely hurt
Supreme Court Justices' feelings.
The ban was lifted a few days after it was
put in place by a 5-2 vote of the librarian
board in Mississippi.
Ironically, the CBS chairman, Leslie Moonves,
is considering finding a place for John Stewart
as part of the multi-anchor replacement for
Dan Rather, who leaves CBS news next month.
Moonves is looking for something more "cutting
edge".
Stewart definitely fits that picture.
» SEE THE CROSSFIRE EPISODE THAT IGNITED THE
FIRESTORM AT HTTP://WWW.AMENDONE.ORG/CROSSFIRE
Rachel’s Vineyard
reps talk at Wood
On Thur. Jan. 20, representa-
tives from Rachel's Vineyard visit-
ed Archbishop Wood to speak
about the psychological effects of
abortion on the men and women
involved.
Rachel's Vineyard is a post-
abortion center that offers thera-
py and help for anyone suffering
from symptoms such as guilt,
depression, eating disorders, sui-
cidal urges and other problems.
Matt Farmer, the featured
speaker, addressed Wood stu-
dents with the male perspective
on abortion, an often-overlooked
topic in the Pro-Life
Movement.
Members of The
Viking Voice interviewed
Mr. Farmer after his
presentation.
Farmer believes that
the "[abortion] problem
is just beginning." He
believes that so much
trauma is not worth
$400 to $500, and that
it is hard to communicate
these subjects to high
school students. He also
commented on the
National Right to Life
Committee, a political
group dedicated to making
reforms favoring "legal protection
to protect human life [National
Right to Life's mission statement]."
"Right now," Farmer says, "people
are addressing the issues that
need to be addressed."
Still, many students do not
understand the debate over life
or abortion. Farmer adds, "[The]
MTV generation makes it hard to
convince kids that sex before
marriage isn't worth it," comment-
ing on the emotional and health
risks involved.
Still, he believes that Christian
magazines, articles on the now
Pro-Life Jane Roe, and Fox News
present substantial evidence that
abortion is wrong. In addition,
Farmer feels that President
George W. Bush's convictions aid
the Pro-Life movement and that
"more people are fighting for
Pro-Life."
Unfortunately, Farmer never
sees abortion as being made ille-
gal or ending, stating that "So
much is put on the 'freedom of
choice.'" Still, he believes that
organizations such as Rachel's
Vineyard and National Right to
Life work so that the numbers
decline, adding that Planned
Parenthood's private funding is
already dwindling.
Farmer concluded the inter-
view by saying that post-abor-
tionists in our school community
could visit Fr. Chris Walsh or their
local pastors for help.
He also stressed visiting crisis
pregnancy centers for healing.
"The hardest step...takes humility,"
he says, and there will be other
people dealing with the same
problems and emotions.
He emphasized that abortion is
not a valid choice, and that "there
are other avenues available."
BY MAGGIE MARSHALL ‘06
» STAFF WRITER
Matt Farmer came to
Wood to speak on the
emotional and long-term
effects of abortion from a
male perspective.
EVENTS
So it's time for you to buy a
new computer. What kind of
power do you need? Desktop or
laptop? Who should you order
from? With all these things to
worry about, it can be an ordeal
decided what PC is right for you.
First things first: you need to
decide what you want to use it
for. For the simpler things, like
instant messaging, e-mailing,
surfing the web, and typing
papers, a relatively cheap com-
puter is all you'll need.
However, if you want
a computer that can
play the newest games
and run at break-neck
speeds, you’ll probably
want something on the
pricier side.
Another thing to think
about is whether or not
you want a desktop or
a laptop. Laptops and
desktops are essentially the
same, but a laptop offers
greater mobility and conven-
ience (at the cost of a higher
price tag).
Another thing to consider is
what you will need in terms of
video cards and RAM.
Video cards are what allow
you to look at your screen and
see a picture, but only gamers
will need a powerful card, like
the newest cards from ATI and
Nvidia. Unless you plan to do
some heavy gaming, a more
basic card will do fine.
For RAM, the stuff that lets
you run more than one program
without crashing, the more the
merrier, although normal use
won't require more than about
256 to 512 megabytes of RAM.
Possibly one of the biggest
concerns about computers is
hard drive space. Forty giga-
bytes seems like a lot, but once
you get to installing bigger and
better programs it can disap-
pear pretty fast. The best bet
is to get a hard drive with
around 80 gigs of space, so you
won't have to worry about run-
ning out of memory later.
With the seniors
heading off to col-
lege in the rapidly
approaching fall,
buying their own com-
puter becomes a real
concern.
Everyone wants to
keep in touch with his
friends and family
from school, and it's
not like one’s college is going to
just give him a computer. Since
the average college student
likes being able to type his or
her notes, most people opt to
buy a laptop so they can take
their PC wherever they go.
As for who to buy a computer
from, there are many choices.
Gateway and Hewlett
Packard have always been per-
sonal favorites of mine, but a lot
of people like Dell.
Even less well-known stores,
like IBuyPower, can help you find
the computer you need at a
price that won't break the bank.
Good luck in all your comput-
er [mis]adventures!
SO YOU WANT
A NEW PC?
PAUL GRABANIA
POLITECH
PHOTOGRAPHED BY TOM SHAKELY ‘05
Fr. Chris Walsh talks with Matt Farmer and Viking Voice writer Maggie Marshall.
P PA AGE GE 6 | F 6 | FEA EATURES TURES F FEBR EBRU UAR ARY Y 15, 15, 2005 2005 F FEA EATURES TURES | P | PA AGE GE 7 7
As my deadline for this issue
quickly approached, and then
passed, I found myself sifting
through a mess of ideas with no
clear topic to write about.
It occurred to me at 10:30 the
night before my absolute final
deadline, running on only about
two hours of sleep was probably
my biggest problem.
So I have come to the conclu-
sion that stress—an ugly, yet
familiar word for most Wood stu-
dents, should be my topic of
choice.
Stress, simply defined as “a
constraining force or influence,”
can wreak havoc on your life.
Having a few emotional
breakdowns of my own from time
to time, I know firsthand the pres-
sures each day can bring. Here
are some tips to help ease some
of your every day stress.
First things first: getting to
school on time. Just one tiny flaw
in your morning routine could eas-
ily send you plummeting head
first into a day full of stress. Bad
hair day? Don't sweat it; you look
won der f u l .
Out of milk?
Oh well, no
F r o s t e d
Flakes today.
Grab a piece
of fruit
i n s t e a d ;
you're going
to need it.
The bell
rings and
you're sitting in that dreaded
anatomy class. Oh no, you forgot
your textbook. Not being pre-
pared for class is a major stress
factor for many students. “Test”—
possibly the worst four letter
word ever uttered by a teacher.
But honestly now, they do give us
plenty of time to prepare. Use the
time to your advantage and don't
wait until the night before to
study.
As editors, captains and presi-
dents of various clubs, sports and
activities the lives of a Wood sen-
ior can get pretty hectic. For
underclassmen who are intending
to move into these leadership
positions next year, try to avoid
overextending yourself. Being
involved is great, and I highly rec-
ommend it, but realize when
enough is enough; you can only
do so much.
Lastly, try to remember that the
people you interact with on a
daily basis should make you feel
more relaxed and comfortable
with yourself. Avoid hanging out
with people who live overly
stressful lives in order to minimize
the stress in your own life. Also,
everyone should have someone
they can rely on when things get a
little bit out of hand.
Hopefully my words of wisdom
can help you find peace and sol-
ace in your own life. If that does-
n't work remember the words a
wise man, Ferris Bueller, once
said.
"Life moves pretty fast. If you
don't slow down to take a look at
it once in a while, you could miss
it."
Stress
sucks
JEN MCCANN
WOOD CHIPS
The Viking Voice
presents
The Viking Voice presents the third annual Viking Dating Game! Each year, select couples are chosen to be tested on their knowledge of one another.
Since it’s Valentine’s season, it’s only fitting to see which guys and girls know the most about each other.
with photos by Tom Shakely
the viking dating game
1. Her Eye Color: Brown+
2. Her Nickname: KP-
3. Her Fav.TV Show: 1 Tree Hill+
4. Her Fav.Clothing: Uniform-
5. Her Fav.Store: AE-
6. Precipitation: Snow-
7. First Date: Homecoming+
8. Her Phone Number: Wrong!
9. Their Song: The Waiting+
10. Her Fav.Band: Elvis-
1. His Eye Color: Brn/Grn+
2. His Nickname: Mike Man+
3. His Fav.TV Show: Sports+
4. His Fav.Clothing: Snow hat-
5. His Fav.Store: Assumpt. School-
6. Precipitation: Snow-
7. First Date: Homecoming+
8. His Phone Number: Wrong!
9. Their Song: The Waiting+
10. His Fav.Band: Pearl Jam+
Mike Piselli and Kristen Pollock
Dating Since March 2004
Number Correct: 4
Number Wrong: 6
Number Correct: 6
Number Wrong: 4
John McFadden and Lauren Harold
Dating Since Sept 27, 2002
1. Her Eye Color: Brown+
2. Her Nickname: Sceech-
3. First Date: Ichiban+
4. Piercings/Tattoos: Five+
5. Her Fav.Band: Tupac-
6. Her Fav.Sport: Basketball+
7. Her Fav.Color: Pink+
8. Coke or Pepsi: Pepsi+
9. Her Fav.Store: Hollister-
10. Precipitation: Snow+
1. His Eye Color: Hazel+
2. His Nickname: Primetime+
3. First Date: Ichiban+
4. Piercings/Tattoos: Three-
5. His Fav.Band: Tupac+
6. His Fav.Sport: Football+
7. His Fav.Color: Blue+
8. Coke or Pepsi: Pepsi+
9. His Fav.Store: Burlington+
10. Precipitation: Snow+
Number Correct: 7
Number Wrong: 3
Number Correct: 9
Number Wrong: 1
Daniella Saracino and Corey Filer
Dating Since August 19, 2004
1. His Middle Name: William+
2. His Nickname: Files+
3. Coke or Pepsi? Pepsi+
4. First Date: Beach+
5. Piercings/Tattoos: None+
6. His Fav.Band: O.A.R.+
7. His Fav.TV Show: Queer Eye-
8. His Fav.Sport: Basketball+
9. His Fav.Color: Pink-
10. His Fav.Store: Hollister+
1. Her Middle Name: Zeda-
2. Her Nickname: Dan-
3. Coke or Pepsi? Pepsi+
4. First Date: Didn’t Know-
5. Piercings/Tattoos: Seven-
6. Her Fav.Band: Spice Girls-
7. Her Fav.TV Show: Opera-
8. Her Fav.Sport: Basketball+
9. Her Fav.Color: Black-
10. Her Fav.Store: Hot Topic-
Number Correct: 8
Number Wrong: 2
Number Correct: 2
Number Wrong: 8
Chris Nelson and Laurie Wartman
Dating Since December 23, 2001
1. Her Nickname: None-
2. First Date: New Years+
3. Coke or Pepsi? Coke-
4. Her Phone Number: Correct
5. Her Fav.Band: Dave Matthews+
6. Her Fav.TV Shows: The OC+
7. Her Fav.Clothing: Jeans+
8. Her Fav.Movie: Armageddon+
9. Her Fav.Store: American Eagle+
10. Precipitation: Snow+
1. His Nickname: Slugger-
2. First Date: New Years+
3. Coke or Pepsi? Pepsi-
4. His Phone Number: Correct
5. His Fav.Band: O.A.R.+
6. His Fav.TV Shows: O.C. Choppers+
7. His Fav.Clothing: Shoes-
8. His Fav.Movie: Didn’t Know-
9. His Fav.Store: American Eagle+
10. Precipitation: Snow+
Number Correct: 8
Number Wrong: 2
F FEBR EBRU UAR ARY Y 15, 15, 2005 2005 F FEA EATURES TURES | P | PA AGE GE 7 7
With so much love in the air,
the Masked Phantom has decided
to hold his own "Dating Game"
with his one true love, his X-Box.
The Masked Phantom
(1) My X-Box’s Eye Color: Green
Wrong! - Brown
(2) Favorite Song: “Beep”
Wrong! -
The Beatles, “Come Together”
(3) Middle Name: “-”
Wrong! - Quoc-An Tan
(4) Wawa or 7-11: 7-11
Wrong! - Wawa
(5) Beverage: X-Box needs none
Wrong! - Coke
(6) Favorite movie: Mallrats
Wrong! - Jackie Chan "Legend
of the Drunken Master"
(7) Favorite store:
William
Sonoma
Wrong! -
Toys ‘r’ Us
(8) Right or
Left Handed:
Quadra-
dexerous
Wrong! -
Right
(9) Favorite
article of
clothing:
Sweater
Wrong! - Santa boxers
(10) First date: A night of sweet,
passionate gaming.
The masked phantom got zero
(0) of ten (10) correct.
The X-Box
(1) My Phantom’s Eye Color:
Black
Wrong! - Green
(2) Favorite Song: Backstreet
Boys, “I want it that way”
Wrong! - “Beep”
(3) Middle Name: Toucan Sam
Wrong! - “-”
(4) Wawa or 7-11: 7-11
Correct!
(5) Beverage: Pepsi
Correct!
(6) Favorite movie:
Sixteen Candles
Wrong! - Mallrats
(7) Favorite store: Bed, Bath &
Beyond
Wrong! - William Sonoma
(8) Right or Left Handed: Left
Wrong! - Quadradexerous
(9) Favorite article of clothing:
Mittens
Wrong! - Sweater
(10) First date: I think we fell
asleep watching an I love Lucy
marathon
The X-box got two (2) of ten
(10) correct.
Hmm, so somehow my own X-
box beat me. It knows more about
me than I know about it. It, with it’s
parts and bolts and....peaceful,
sweet, lovely humming.
Ah, true love does exist.
MASKED PHANTOM
REAL DATING GAME
True
Love
me! Each year, select couples are chosen to be tested on their knowledge of one another.
itting to see which guys and girls know the most about each other.
viking dating game
Regina Jervis and Luke Momorella
Dating Since March 22, 2002
1. Her Eye Color: Blue+
2. Her Middle Name: Helen+
3. Their Song: None+
4. Wawa or 7-11? 7-11+
5. Right or Left Handed? Right+
6. Her Piercings/Tattoos: Seven-
7. Her Fav.TV Show: Simpsons+
8. Her Fav.Sport: Softball+
9. Her Fav.Clothing: Socks-
10. Her Fav.Store: Hot Topic+
1. His Eye Color: Grn/Yellow+
2. His Middle Name: Anthony+
3. Their Song: None+
4. Wawa or 7-11? Wawa+
5. Right or Left Handed? Right+
6. His Piercings/Tattoos: None+
7. His Fav.TV Show: Simpsons+
8. His Fav.Sport: Soccer+
9. His Fav.Clothing: T-Shirts-
10. His Fav.Store: Wal-Mart-
Number Correct: 8
Number Wrong: 2
Number Correct: 8
Number Wrong: 2
Natalie Corey and Kevin McMinn
Dating Since October 30, 2004
1. His Nickname: Big Kev+
2. Their Song: Sometimes-
3. First Date: Didn’t Know-
4. His Phone Number: Wrong!
5. His Fav.Band: Tom Petty+
6. His Fav.TV Show: Home Improv.+
7. His Fav.Clothing: Sweatshirts+
8. His Fav.Color: Blue+
9. His Fav.Movie: Braveheart+
10. Precipitation: Rain+
1. Her Nickname: Nat Face+
2. Their Song: Heart Will Go On-
3. First Date: Brunswick Zone-
4. Her Phone Number: Correct
5. Her Fav.Band: Tom Petty+
6. Her Fav.TV Show: Friends+
7. Her Fav.Clothing: Butterflies+
8. Her Fav.Color: Pink+
9. Her Fav.Movie: Clueless+
10. Precipitation: Snow+
Number Correct: 7
Number Wrong: 3
Number Correct: 8
Number Wrong: 2
Chris Nelson and Laurie Wartman
Dating Since December 23, 2001
1. His Nickname: Slugger-
2. First Date: New Years+
3. Coke or Pepsi? Pepsi-
4. His Phone Number: Correct
5. His Fav.Band: O.A.R.+
6. His Fav.TV Shows: O.C. Choppers+
7. His Fav.Clothing: Shoes-
8. His Fav.Movie: Didn’t Know-
9. His Fav.Store: American Eagle+
10. Precipitation: Snow+
Number Correct: 6
Number Wrong: 4
Krista Szymborski and Greg Thomas
Dating Since December 20, 2003
1. His Middle Name: Clarence+
2. His Nickname: Baby+
3. First Date: Christmas Party+
4. His Phone Number: Wrong!
5. His Fav.Band: Bob Dylan+
6. His Fav. Clothing: Football Hat-
7. His Fav.Color: Green+
8. His Fav.Movie: Muppets Xmas-
9. His Fav.Store: American Eagle+
10. Precipitation: Snow+
1. Her Middle Name: Marie+
2. Her Nickname: Kris-
3. First Date: Dec 19+
4. Her Phone Number: In my cell-
5. Her Fav.Band: Billy Joel+
6. Her Fav. Clothing: Jeans+
7. Her Fav.Color: Pink+
8. Her Fav.Movie: Notebook+
9. Her Fav.Store: Didn’t Know-
10. Precipitation: Rain-
Number Correct: 7
Number Wrong: 3
Number Correct: 6
Number Wrong: 4
P PA AGE GE 8 | N 8 | NEWS EWS & F & FEA EATURES TURES F FEBR EBRU UAR ARY Y 15, 15, 2005 2005
Hello everyone. Now that
we’re into the second semester,
the student council has a new
sense of direction and some qual-
ity things in planning.
First off, I’d like to thank every-
one for your generosity in giving
to help the tsunami relief efforts.
As a school, we raised over 1500
dollars. It’s proof that we really
can make a difference if the
whole school community gets
involved.
Something that we’re going to
bring back is the ping pong tour-
nament that took place two years
ago. If all goes as planned, it will
take place this month. Stay tuned
to the morning announcements for
information regarding the finals,
which we plan to have one night
in the gym.
This should
be a lot of
fun, I know
I’m looking
forward to it.
M a r c h
Madness will
take place
again this
year (in
March, obvi-
ously). For those of you who don’t
know about it, March Madness is
a 3 on 3 basketball tournament.
Games are after school, and
each team is allowed two subs,
for a total of five players maxi-
mum per team. Dan McGinley is
going to be in charge of this, so
look for him on tv for forthcoming
information.
As far as Big Little Day, I apol-
ogize for not getting this together
earlier, there were a few things
that contributed to it being late.
The executive board has come up
with what I think is an excellent
modification of the old Big Little
Day setup. The name is tentative-
ly changed to Hello-Goodbye
Day. It will be sort of like last
year’s senior field day, but for
both freshman and seniors (the
senior field day is also still taking
place this May). We think that
having it be a little less structured
will allow people to enjoy it a lit-
tle more. We’re going to wait for
spring weather to have this, so
expect to get more information
about it shortly after the weather
gets nicer.
Another event that we are
hoping to host is something called
Archbishop Wood Idol. Similar in
setup to American Idol, we hope
to allow a few students a day to
tryout on the morning announce-
ments. Those chosen as finalists
will compete one night in the
auditorium, and one overall win-
ner will be named the Wood Idol.
Dates for this are still undecided;
but whenever it happens, I expect
this to be extremely entertaining.
On a totally different note, the
Eagle’s season is over, and
Philadelphia still doesn’t have a
championship. It’s sort of depress-
ing to think that no Wood students
were alive the last time a Philly
team won a championship. Still,
the year 2005 is still young.
I mean, how can you not be
optimistic when the Flyers are
undefeated in February?
Until next time,
Eric
ERIC IS PRESIDENT OF THE STUDENT
COUNCIL AT WOOD. HIS COLUMN
APPEARS IN EACH ISSUE.
ERIC ‘OUTKAST’ SNYDER
STUDENT COUNCIL
On a totally
different note
Chastity, abstinence, the “I’m
worth the wait” stickers, and
many other phrases and words
are seen everywhere in our envi-
ronment. We all know what these
messages imply: refraining from
sex. Why should we refrain from
something so attractive and
engrossing? Is it just because
God says so? That may be a
good enough a reason for some,
but not for others. What will
someone who practices chastity in
everyday life receive to make
everyday life better?
God did not create the idea
of abstinence to be a killjoy or to
suck the fun from life but to pro-
tect us and show us how to save
the gift of ourselves for mar-
riage.
Our sexuality is a gift so
unequalled that we must cherish it
and not let it slip away. If we
respect ourselves enough to real-
ize that our bodies are holy we
will understand the real fruits of
living chastely.
I can say that ever since I
decided to live chastely there has
been an unfathomable change in
my complete self. My faith has
never been stronger, I have
increased self-respect and
knowledge of self-worth, and I
receive respect from peers
instead of contempt as one might
suspect. It seems the most direct
effect of living chastely has been
on the relationships in my life.
Dating is a completely differ-
ent experience that surpasses
anything that could be accom-
plished in an unchaste relation-
ship. Instead of concentrating on
the physical traits of the opposite
sex, you
focus more
on who they
are emotion-
ally and spir-
itually.
Instead of
wasting time
and energy
with anxieties
about how
you might
come off to your boyfriend or
girlfriend, spend that time
respecting each other by
acknowledging the fact that they
are more than an object. Instead
of having sex to prove your love,
symbolize being together in a
different, more creative, non-sex-
ual way.
Three things that chastity-
minded couples could do are:
1. Double date—it is a great
way to develop friendships and
enjoy time together.
2. Watch movies and spend
time together with others—this
helps to avoid temptations.
3. Hold hands—symbolize
love through this incredible
expression of togetherness.
Chastity is not something that
has no meaning or that is intend-
ed to be a shackle on teenager’s
freedom and pleasure. It is
something that is real and the
benefits are greater than one
could imagine without actually
trying it. I encourage anyone
who wants a strong, versatile,
romantic, loving, and respectable
relationship to give chastity a try.
Prove your affection through
abstinence this Valentines season.
Chastity is the only way to live
and the real way to love.
The pro-life club is not only
centered on abortion but on
many topics that involve respect-
ing life.
Chastity is a major aspect of
the pro-life movement because it
entails self-respect and seeing
others with love instead of as
objects. If you are interested in
joining the pro-life club, contact
Mrs. Matwijec for more informa-
tion.
AFFECTION THROUGH
ABSTINENCE?
MATT KUHNER
PRO-LIFE GROUP
MATT IS TREASURER OF THE PRO-LIFE
GROUP AT WOOD. HIS COLUMN
APPEARS IN EACH ISSUE.
Got art? Philly does
The walk down Benjamin
Franklin Parkway towards the
Philadelphia Museum of Art
seems like something out of a
book. The Museum itself has an
imposing effect on the area
around it. It stands alone on top
of a hill, giving it the effect of a
giant among ants. The most
magnificent spectacle of all; how-
ever, lies within the Museum walls.
On a rainy Jan. 2, The Viking
Voice staff
members Jen
McCann, Tom
Shakely as
well as
myself visit-
ed the muse-
um for the
first ever
A R T i f a c t s
column in The
Viking Voice.
After a slight detour through
the city (we meant to walk to
Thirtieth Street Station, honestly)
we found ourselves immersed in a
fantastical playground of culture.
Our first stop in the museum was
the Modern and Contemporary
Art Department (Picasso and Van
Gogh fans, begin salivating). This
department seemed to have
something for everyone. There
were Van Gogh's Sunflowers,
Picasso's Three Musicians, and
even a broken folding chair that
managed to fit its way into the
sculpture room.
The Modern and Contem-
porary Art Department singularly
embodies the museum's mission of
become an encyclopedic source
of art history. The museum's hall-
mark is its varied collection of art
from almost every time period.
Our stop at the Armor gallery
seemed to prove just how eclectic
the museum really is. Inside the
gallery was everything from suits
of armor to Civil War era rifles.
The unique feature of the
museum; however, was not any
specific exhibit, rather it was its
use of the "in situ" technique.
The "in situ" technique sur-
rounds the viewer in an environ-
ment that is concordant with the
art being displayed. For exam-
ple, the Asian Art department is
home to the reception hall of a
Japanese Nobleman. Each piece
of wood in the hallway was disas-
sembled at its original location,
and rebuilt inside the museum. The
Asian Art department also uses
the "in situ" technique in its repli-
ca of three Japanese Teahouses.
The room that contains the
Teahouses is set-up to look like a
small part of a town, with every-
thing from a cobblestone walk-
way to a bamboo garden. The
entire Museum attempts to
immerse the visitor into the distinct
world of each exhibit. The visitor
really feels as if he or she is walk-
ing down a small Japanese walk-
way, or visiting a French
Cathedral in the European Art
Department.
The best day to visit the muse-
um is Sunday, because admission
is whatever the visitor wants to
pay. You can pay as little as one
dollar for admission.
The train is the simplest mode
of transportation, because park-
ing can be a problem near the
museum. From the Warminster
Station it costs a little less than
five dollars both ways, but it's
much faster than a car.
The museum is a unique adven-
ture that anyone can enjoy, and it
provides a great alternative to a
movie on the weekends.
TIM MCLAUGHLIN
ARTIFACTS
PHOTOGRAPHED BY TOM SHAKELY ‘05
Paintball club
Currently Wood is home to
many student clubs; such as lan-
guage clubs, chess club, and aca-
demic clubs. Recently, some stu-
dents urged for something a little
more unique and exciting.
This idea was for a more
active, innovative, exhiliratinng
activity: a paintball club.
Following in the example of
colleges around the world and
high schools as close as New
Jersey, these students hope that
this club will persuade more peo-
ple to get involved in this thrill
that is paintball.
The sport of paintball has
recently exploded with more than
eight million participants. It has
had TV spots on cable television
stations like ESPN 2, Spike TV, and
FOX.
Paintball is an very intense,
fast-moving activity, with many
game types including elimination
and capture the flag. The player
wears a certified mask and uses a
paintball marker to “shoot” at his
opponent.
It tends to hold true that the
more expensive the marker is, the
better quality it is. If played cor-
rectly, one will only leave with at
most a few bruises: and a craving
for more time on the field. Also, to
help people further enjoy their
experience, there is a wide range
of extra protective equipment
available.
The young students that started
the group have already come up
with some great ideas. At the
meetings, members talk over
strategy, watch and learn from
paintball videos, and go over
proper saftey. The biggest plan
these experienced players have is
to divide members into teams and
form a Wood League. The league
games would be played at local
paintball facilities, which will
hopefully give discounts for the
league. Under the leadership of
Mr. Webb, who himself plays
paintball, the club will only
improve as it grows.
Students with all levels experi-
ence are welcome to join.
Paintballs are relatively cheap,
along with the entry fee to the
facilities. If you’re interested in
joining, see Mr. Webb.
Wood now has its own club
for paintball players and
enthusiaists. Get ready for
some action!
BY CHRIS SNYDER ‘08
» STAFF WRITER
F FEBR EBRU UAR ARY Y 15, 15, 2005 2005 S SPOR PORTS TS | P | PA AGE GE 9 9
‘EAGLES’
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
depends on who the Eagles' man-
age to sign in the off-season.
With key players such as Brian
Westbrook, Corey Simon, Chad
Lewis, and Jeremiah Trotter due
for new contracts, the team will
have to use a good chunk of its
17.3 million dollars of free space
under the salary cap to resign
these players.
The Eagles' will also use the
draft to fill some of its holes.
Some positions that will probably
be bolstered through the draft
are running back, the offensive
line, tight end, and outside line-
backer.
The team is fortunate to have
its whole staff back as well, most
notably defensive coordinator
Jim Johnson. Johnson's strange
defensive schemes have left some
of the NFL's best players, like
Michael Vick in this years NFC
title game, confused and ineffec-
tive.
Another reason the Birds
should be considered the NFC's
favorite next year is the lack of
talent in the rest of the confer-
ence. The Atlanta Falcons are the
next best team in the conference
according to many, yet there is an
undeniable gap between the two
teams.
Other teams that could chal-
lenge for the title are the Green
Bay Packers, the Minnesota
Vikings, and the Seattle
Seahawks; however, it would take
a huge drop from the Eagles for
these teams to challenge them for
the title.
It'll be another seven months or
so until the Eagles walk onto the
field again for a meaningful
game, but already players and
fans all over Philly are excited
for next season.
With a second straight
appearance in the Super Bowl
looking probable, there are lots
of reasons to be counting the
days until kickoff.
NHL labor dispute drags on and on
One Hundred twenty-six days
and counting. That is how many
days the owners in the National
Hockey League have locked out
their players. The origins of the
lockout are quite clear. Faced
with financial troubles and sky-
rocketing player salaries, the
owners felt that they needed to
take a drastic step to try and get
a salary cap to curb growth of
the player's contracts.
On Sept. 15, 2004, NHL com-
missioner Gary Bettman
announced that the lockout had
begun, and that there would be
no more hockey until a new
Collective Bargaining Agreement
is in place. For almost three
months, there were no formal
negotiations between either
party. Finally, on Dec. 2, 2004,
the National Hockey League
Player's Association (NHLPA) invit-
ed the NHL to Toronto to begin
the first formal bargaining ses-
sion. This, however, did not solve
the problem.
Trying to salvage the season,
the NHLPA submitted a proposal
that included a 24 percent roll-
back in player salaries. The NHL,
still firm in their belief of needing
a hard salary cap, rejected the
proposal and submitted a counter
proposal, which was soundly
rejected. All talks officially died
down again until Jan. 19, 2005.
At first these meetings seemed
promising, but they quickly died
down again and broke off on Jan.
20. As of the time of writing, the
NHL is in extreme danger of
being the first North American
professional sports league to lose
an entire season due to a labor
dispute.
While this entire dispute has
drawn on, players have been
flocking to European leagues to
play hockey. New York Rangers
superstar Jaromir Jagr just lifted
his new Russian team to the
European Cup championship.
Other notable players are also
enjoying success in Italian,
German, Swedish and other
leagues. Players home in the
United States are very worried
about the state of the game.
American Chris Pronger has said
that he doesn't expect to play
until 2006. Ex-player and current
owner Wayne Gretzky has stated
that if a collective bargaining
agreement is not in place by the
end of this year, the NHL may not
start playing for another two
years. This would surely spell the
demise of a sport which has
already seen lagging attendance
in some cities.
The state of the NHL, as it was
prior to the lockout, was not sus-
tainable. If the NHL does not get
back on the ice soon, many fran-
chises will fold due to lack of sup-
port. The NHL and NHLPA need
to come together and work out a
solution or the sport as we know it
will never be the same.
BY SEAN WHALEN ‘05
» STAFF WRITER
If the two sides don’t come
to an agreement soon,
hockey as we know it in
America might never be
the same again.
WWW.SKYXPRESS.NET
A straightforward sign of protest is posted on the sidewalk of this small town for passersby to see. Many
fans and players have become annoyed with the lack of progress in resolving the lockout.
Chuck Bednarik, Eagles
champion from the 1960
team, now roots for who-
ever the opponent is.
BY JOHN MLODZINSKI ‘05
» STAFF WRITER
After the pain of the loss in
which they came so close to
being Super Bowl champions
wears off, many people will
begin to ask many questions.
Some will ask why Andy Reid
didn't manage the clock better.
Others will ask why they ever
questioned Terrell Owen's ability
to play. Many will ask what hap-
pened to all the players being so
loose prior to the game.
However one question that many
will ask doesn't even involve the
current Eagles' players.
It is that of Chuck Bednarik,
one of the greatest Eagles' of all
time, and why he rooted against
the Eagles in the Super Bowl.
Bednarik played for the
Eagles from 1949 to 1962, at
times playing both center and
linebacker. He was known for his
ferocious hits that often left
opponents unconscious.
However, he will best be
remembered for his game saving
tackle that prevented Jim Taylor
of the Packers from scoring, and
gave the Eagles the NFL champi-
onship.
Now Bednarik will be remem-
bered for rooting against the
team he once played for. He
said that he hopes that his 1960
Eagles team remains the last one
to win a championship.
He hopes it never changes.
Bednarik said today's players
are overpaid, and spend too
much time in the spotlight, and
not enough time concentrating on
the game. He went as far as to
call Terrell Owens a "jerk."
He doesn't let anyone forget
that he played almost the entire
championship game in 1960.
Bednarik's grudge against the
Eagles goes back to the 1996
season. That year he had just
written a book and asked Eagles'
owner Jeffrey Lurie to buy 100
of them and distribute them to
the players.
Lurie refused stating that the
Eagles aren't allowed to give
gifts to their players. He has
resented Lurie ever since.
He does not resent everyone,
however, saying that he likes
Andy Reid and that Reid reminds
him of Buck Shaw, the coach of
the Eagles' 1960 team.
Although he will not admit it
publicly, many believe that
Bednarik has fallen on hard
times.
A few years ago he sold his
championship ring and Hall of
Fame ring. In his best season he
didn't make 27,000. The Patriots
will get more than that in Super
Bowl bonuses alone. He had to
work a part time job in a con-
struction company.
One can only hope that as the
year progresses, this does not
turn into a major distraction that
affects the team and tarnishes
Bednarik's legendary reputation
here in Philadelphia.
Piselli and Filer, like siblings
When Corey Filer calls Mike
Piselli to his house for a game
of ping-pong, it usually starts
out as a friendly match. By the
time it's over, Mike is usually
wrestling Corey to the ground
after another humiliating
defeat.
The two seniors live merely
two houses away from each
other and have been best
friends since their grade
school days at Assumption
B.V.M.
The boys, both starters for
Wood's undefeated basket-
ball team, are "like brother
and sister, with Mike being the
sister," says senior guard Pat
Binder.
"At practice they are play-
ing gracefully one minute,"
added Binder, "and the next
minute they are in a catfight."
Despite their differing per-
sonalities, Mike and Corey are
always together. Their friend-
ship has a good balance, as
Mike is more emotional and
excitable, while Corey is very
calm and laid back. Both are
humorous and easy to get
along with, so it is no surprise
that they are at the top of
Coach Sette's list.
When it comes to basket-
ball, they have both similar
and different traits. Both put
out maximum effort on every
play, doing what it takes for
Wood to win. Their individual
games are different, though.
Mike is more of a rebounder
and defender, whereas Corey
is a very good scorer and drib-
bler.
They mesh just as well on the
court as they do off, explained
junior Chris Crawford, "You can
tell they've played with each
other for a long time. They
both always seem to know
what the other is going to do at
any given moment. They have
a unique chemisty."
This friendship may seem
surprising due to their different
personalities, but Binder was
quick to point out that "oppo-
sites attract."
So what will they do when
college comes and it's time for
the two to separate? Predicts
Binder, "I think that when they
have to leave one another it
will be a heartfelt moment, but
I believe that they'll stay in
touch with each other, proba-
bly through late night phone
calls.”
These two Wood seniors
have a strong bond both
on and off the basketball
court.
BY JOE TAYLOR ‘05
» SPORTS EDITOR
FORMER EAGLE ROOTED FOR PATS
PHOTOGRAPHED BY TOM SHAKELY ‘05
Seniors Mike Piselli and Corey Filer.
P PA AGE GE 10 | S 10 | SPOR PORTS TS F FEBR EBRU UAR ARY Y 15, 15, 2005 2005
Senior boys basketball play-
er Matt Spadafora recently
reached an historic point in
his career: surpassing 1000
scoring points.
BY MIKE ROONEY ‘07
» STAFF WRITER
Matt Spadafora has always
had a passion for basketball.
Ever since third grade, Matt has
been playing America's new
pastime sport. He believes that
this is mainly because of the
passion that his own dad passed
on to him, due to the fact that his
dad played a lot when he was
younger. Matt also has a passion
for basketball outside of the
high school arena. Though he
has no favorite team, Matt said
that his favorite event to watch is
the NCAA tournaments.
When asked about his
accomplishment at entering the
1000 Point Club, Spadafora
was very humble with his reply.
He commented on the fact that
he was very surprised, yet was
also expecting it because of
how many people were updat-
ing him on how many points he
had beforehand. Hard work
and determination allowed him
to make it to be one of the select
few who made the Club.
Spadafora believes that the
main reason that he made the
1000 Point Club is that he was
able to play Varsity ball as a
freshman. He explained that
making the team allowed him
the opportunity to score more
often and give him the experi-
ence of a Varsity level.
Matt gave a lot of due praise
to the Varsity basketball team.
With their record at an excep-
tional 8-1, they have been per-
forming well as a unit. Matt com-
mented that this "unit" has
"excellent defense [and] can
really spread the ball around."
But the most important part of
making a good team is the prac-
tice routine, which includes
stretching, drills, and the basic
shooting around practice.
Spadafora has high hopes
for his team as they move into
the home strech.
PROFILE: Spadafora
PHOTOGRAPHED BY TOM SHAKELY ‘05
Sixers are still alive
At three games under .500,
most teams would already be
thinking about keeping thems-
selves out of
the base-
ment of their
division, but
not the
Philadelphia
76ers.
At 23-26,
the Sixers
are merely
1.5 games
behind the division leading Boston
Celtics.
This year's team is once again
led by and extremely dependent
on perennial All-Star Allen
Iverson. New coach Jim O'Brien
moved Iverson from shooting
guard to point
guard this sea-
son, and it has
proved to be a
smart move.
Iverson is
leading the
league in
points per
game (29.0), he's third in steals
per game (2.16), sixth in assists
per game (7.6) and he's still log-
ging his 40 plus minutes a night
for the team despite a sore shoul-
der.
Iverson's move has allowed him
to not only score, but also to cre-
ate for his team. He is so danger-
ous in the open court that O'Brien
figured he might as well bring the
ball up, because the team is at its
best when the ball is in Iverson's
hands.
For the most part, his help has
come from the youth of the team.
With two good options on the
wing, Iverson can use his fantastic
dribbling skills to penetrate the
defense before swinging the ball
outside to either Kyle Korver or
Andre Iguodala.
Korver is in his second year
with the team and he's having a
very solid year. At 12 points a
game, his perimeter shooting is
imperative for this deep, which
depends on the three point shot
heavily.
On the other wing is the Sixers'
first round pick from this past
draft, Andre Iguodala. Iguodala
gives the team more athleticism
on the wing, something that is nec-
essary to be successful in this new
system.
Iguodala is a player who can
do just about anything, but
O'Brien would like to see him
assert himself more offensively.
"Andre is a good scorer," O'Brien
said. "It's not that he's playing
poorly, we just would like to see
him do more on the offensive end
and step his game up another
level."
Inside, the Sixers use a four
man rotation of Kenny Thomas,
Samuel Dalembert, Marc Jackson,
and Corliss Williamson.
Thomas, Jackson, and
Williamson are depended on
more offensively, as all three of
them are scoring in the double
figures this season.
Defensively, Dalembert is the
shot blocker in the middle, record-
ing nearly two blocks a game.
He leads the Sixers in rebounds
as well with nearly seven per
game.
If the Sixers' are going
to contend for the division
title, they have to keep
Allen Iverson healthy, and
keep the offensive support
coming from the role play-
ers on this team.
This isn't one of the bet-
ter Sixers' teams in recent years,
but if they can take advantage of
a weak Atlantic Division, they
could see themselves back in the
playoffs this year.
JOE TAYLOR
SPORTS IN REVIEW
JOE WRITES SPORTS COMMENTARY FOR
EACH ISSUE. HE CAN BE CONTACTED VIA
EMAIL: [email protected].
‘Iverson is leading the league
in points per game, he’s third in
steals, sixth in assists, and still
logging 40 plus mins a night.’
Tarnowski towers
inside for Wood girls
Rosie Tarnowski lives for the
game of basketball. She's
always playing, whether it's with
Wood, her AAU team, or against
her older brothers in the drive-
way. Wherever you find Rosie,
you can often find a basketball.
That's what made the begin-
ning of this season so hard for the
six foot freshman. She was sup-
posed to be a starter for the
Vikings as a power forward,
playing down low alongside jun-
ior Nicole Arciadiacono. But due
to an untimely injury, Rosie had to
wait to show the PCL what some
of the top college coaches in the
country already knew; that she's
an outstanding basketball player.
Tarnowski tore her meniscus
and was to be out for a little of a
month. The injury may have
dampened Rosie's spirits at the
time, but it sure didn't weaken her
love for the sport. She immedi-
ately began rehabbing. It was
hard and painful work, but it was
worth it. She returned just in time
for the girl's trip to Arizona,
something Rosie definitely didn't
want to miss out on.
Rosie played well in her first
few games back, scoring her fair
share of points and pulling down
many rebounds while coming off
the bench. For most freshmen
these types of numbers and min-
utes would have been reason to
celebrate, but Rosie isn't your typ-
ical freshman athlete. She was
determined to get into the start-
ing lineup and she soon did thanks
to her hard work and great play.
Rosie's best games have come in
the biggest ones for her team.
At Ryan, a game which Wood
won in overtime, she scored
eleven points. She followed this
up with an even better game at
St. Huberts, where she scored 13
points including eight in the fourth
quarter. These are the types of
performances that have college
coaches recruiting her as just a
freshman.
Some schools such as Virginia,
Penn State, Kentucky, UMass, and
Cornell have already contacted
her. The attention doesn't
just include letters and con-
versations with her coaches
however.
Illinois is so high on
Rosie that they already
invited her to a recent
game they played at St.
Joe's University.
Division one basketball at the
college level is very tough, but this
just excites Tarnowski, who is used
to tough competition. Her AAU
team, Fencor, won the national
championship this past year for
the second time in three years.
Winning something so presti-
gious is a rare accomplishment
most kids won't achieve once, let
alone twice. Rosie is a starter
and co-captain on the team full of
girls who will all most likely go on
to play division one basketball.
If you see Rosie in the hallways
at Wood, make sure you take a
good look; you may see her on TV
one day. It's also one of those
rare times you will see her without
a basketball.
BY JOE TAYLOR ‘05
» SPORTS EDITOR
Success on the basketball
court is nothing new for
Rosie Tarnowski. As a
freshman starter, the six
foot star is already playing
a huge role for the Vikings.
PHOTOGRAPHED BY JEN MCCANN ‘05
Freshman Rosie Tarnowski is
brining a lot to the court early.
‘Tarnowski lives for
basketball, whether
with Wood or her
AAU team.’
Under new head coach Jack
Fitzpatrick and assistants
Terrance Oliver, Kevin Schimdt,
and Newt Hill the Vikings were
looking strong going into the sea-
son.
After coming so close to win-
ning the championship last year
the Vikings came into the season
with the look of determination.
Looking strong in the Catholic
League the Vikings finished up
the regular season 11-1 as a
team.
Coach Fitzpatrick did a great
job with the kids on the team this
year, in the means of conditioning
and practice. After losing Coach
Mullin, the team really believed in
Coach Fitzpatrick and Fitzpatrick
gained the team's respect right
away.
The team which was lead by
co-captains Drew Martin and
Eddie Waddington had help from
eight other seniors on the team:
Dennis Troxel, Sean Hayden,
Drew Meister, Brian Howard,
Chris Ochnich, Jim Fitzgerald,
Steve Bednarik, and Christian
Szblaski.
What is so special about this
team is that they all bonded as
one, and became great friends
while doing so.
Everybody on the team had a
little part in the success, and with-
out the connection that this group
of young men had these kids
would be not contending for
another Catholic League Title.
PHOTOGRAPH
OF THE MOMENT
Solid wrestling
The Viking wrestling team
has had a great season this
year, both during the
matches and in training
with each other.
BY EDDIE WADDINGTON ‘05
» STAFF WRITER
F FEBR EBRU UAR ARY Y 15, 15, 2005 2005 E ENTER NTERT TAI NMENT AI NMENT | P | PA AGE GE 11 11
Valentine’s Day may already be over (guys everywhere rejoice), but the perfect date can still exist, so
The Viking Voice asked a student from each year:
WHAT IS YOUR VISION OF A PERFECT DATE WITH YOUR SWEETHEART?
C CHA HATTERBO TTERBOX X: : Perfection Is a Happy Meal
CHATTERBOX IS A STUDENT SURVEY FEATURE THAT APPEARS IN EACH ISSUE OF The Viking Voice. INTERVIEWS AND PHOTOS BY TIM WISNIEWSKI.
We'd take a walk on the beach at
nighttime.
- Freshmen C.J. Davis
We'd go to a Wiffle Bat Mafia
and In Dire Need concert and then
go home to watch ‘Napoleon
Dynamite.’
- Junior Mandi Scheider
A trip to South Street, followed by
a concert and the mall. I'd make
him pay for all of it.
- Sophomore Brittany Evans
We'd take a trip to McDonalds and
get a happy meal for each of us
and then frolick in the ball pit.
- Senior Bryan Howard
POETRY CORNER
» Untitled Love Poem
by Maggie Marshall; Junior
Lovely rose, in solitude
Shall you stay in spirits low
Pondering this interlude
My love that you will never know
Crimson rose, thy petals burning
Passion raging through the stem
How then will you stop this yearning
For one that you but call a friend?
For sleeping rose shall ne'er awake
For sleeping rose, no life is there
Thy sleeping rose, from soil take
To please the eye of lady fair
Slowly dying, wither now
Frozen in thy pantomime
Ne'er the blushing will renew
Be consumed by sands of time.
‘Ray’ shows another kind of music
RAY (B+)
It's funny how people can be
very into music, but never really
learn much about the people
making the music. They don't
bother to think about how the
artists got to where they are.
Until, that is, the stories are
told. Ray Charles Robinson was
a very popular musician, with an
incredible past, all revealed in
Ray. It's truly an amazing story,
with ups and downs, but my job
isn't to get emotional about the
lives of musicians.
I'll start by saying the direct-
ing of Ray was very poor—he
tried to transition directly from
present time to Ray's childhood,
in some impoverished village,
and it made the story hard to
follow. Interestingly, ugly sig-
nage appeared on the screen at
somewhat random times saying
things like "RAY CHARLES: Live
9PM" and "Ray Charles Goes
Platinum." There was no other
form of graphical inserts in the
film, and these seemed entirely
out of place. The only directing I
cared for was the withdrawal
scene. Ray was coming off hero-
in and having hallucinations, and
the footage displayed on the
screen was pretty fitting.
I would see this movie simply
for the story—forget my direc-
tor bashing.
The good
o u t we i g h s
the bad with
the incredi-
ble acting of
Jamie Foxx,
who plays
the part of
Ray Charles
perfectly, fit-
ting his
annoying, yet assertive role. It's
amazing how Ray made it
through life and his career with-
out his sight and without being
pushed around.
SAW (C+)
One word: overrated.
If you've seen the movie
Se7en, you'll know after watch-
ing this that they're very similar.
They exploited the fact that
people cringe at gore and body
parts, and built up the suspense
throughout the film leaving the
audience with an absolutely dis-
appointing ending. I asked
myself why I sat through an hour
and a half for that.
They started out with an inter-
esting idea, where the killer
wants to help people learn to
love life, but never went any-
where with it.
This was similar to Shaun of
the Dead, reviewed in the
January Issue of The Viking Voice,
where they never expanded on
their idea of being "dead" in
everyday life.
I would have liked the film if
they didn't leave out that part.
At the very least, however, it
was entertaining. The scenes
where people tried to solve the
puzzle of freeing their legs from
shackles was rewarding from the
boring dialogue of the rest of
the film. Also, if you're faint at
heart, make sure to watch Saw
with a buddy.
TIM WISNIEWSKI
RATED RENTALS
TIM REVIEWS MOVIES THAT ARE COM-
ING TO DVD. FILM SUGGESTIONS CAN
BE MADE TO TIM VIA EMAIL TO:
[email protected].
WWW.IMDB.COM
Jamie Foxx plays Ray Charles in ‘Ray’, the autobiographical, musical
drama documenting the ups and downs of Charles’ life.
Some people say a good book
takes you out of this world and
into somewhere entirely different.
Clive Barker's Abarat certainly
does that.
The book follows the improba-
ble story of Candy Quackenbush,
a resident of an extremely boring
town in Minnesota called
Chickentown. One day after an
altercation with her teacher over
Candy's incessant doodling, she
runs away and follows a giant
cloud. After wandering in a field
she comes across John Mischief, a
strange creature whose seven
brothers' shrunken, but living,
heads reside on antlerlike projec-
tions on his head. He tells her that
in the very field where they stand,
there was once a harbor. Yes, a
harbor in Minnesota. She is then
introduced to Mendelsen Shape,
a fearsome creature who is chas-
ing Mischief
and now
Candy.
To escape,
Candy solves
a puzzle and
summons the
Sea of
Izabella. She
then decides
she's sick and
tired of
Chickentown, and is ready to face
whatever strange land is ahead
of her.
Candy follows Mischief into the
Abarat, a archipelago where
each island represents each hour
of the day.
Here she meets many wild
creatures, like the half-fish-half-
human Sea-Skippers, a pair of
clown brothers whose facial fea-
tures scurry across their faces like
spiders, and the horrifying armies
of sewn-together beings called
Stitchlings. She soon learns the
Islands are in a constant battle,
night against day, and that her
role in this strange land is larger
than she thinks.
When I read this book, I was
strongly reminded of Alice's
Adventures in Wonderland by
Lewis Carroll. The idea of a
young girl being tired of her sur-
roundings and escaping into a
exotic and somewhat confusing
land is present in both stories.
Something else they have in com-
mon is Disney got their hands on
both of them. The Abarat logo
has already been copyrighted
and plans for a movie are in the
works.
I really loved this book.
Although it can move slowly, the
descriptions are so rich that you
almost enjoy the slow bits. I just
hope that the other three books
will live up to it's standards.
BOOK SUGGESTIONS CAN BE MADE TO
RENEE EITHER BY DROPPING A NOTE IN
THE NEWSPAPER MAILBOX IN THE
ACTIVITIES OFFICE, OR VIA EMAIL TO:
[email protected].
RENEE BRIELMANN
ON THE SHELF
‘Abarat’ an odd read
Junior Prom Plans
Crossroads; November 1971
The Class of ‘73 is having its
Junior Prom on February 25,
1972 in the girl’s gym under the
supervision of Fr. Jack Williams
and Mr. Anthony Piperno.
This year’s theme is “Threshold
of a Dream”, taken from the
Moody Blues composition. This
year each homeroom delegated
two representatives as members
of the Junior Prom Committee.
Auditions were held on
November 13 to pick a group to
play at the Prom. No plans have
yet been made for the Post
Prom.
Also, plans are being looked
into by certain Juniors to have
the Class of ‘73’s elections on, or
around this February, so that the
usual confusion about class plans
which usually persists at the
beginning of Senior year will be
avoided.
Upcoming Flicks
Wood Winds; October 1986
Movies! Movies! Movies! Here
is your personal guide to the hot
new flicks of the fall. Read on to
find the movie that’s right for you
(and your date!).
STAND BY ME: This film is
about four twelve year old boys
who learn that there is a corpse
in the woods nearby. They
decide to camp out in the woods
to look for the body. Along the
way they encounter quite a few
struggles among each other and
within themselves. The boys help
each other with their problems
and they learn more about their
feelings during their adventure.
FROM THE
ARCHIVES
CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF WOOD
P PA AGE GE 12 | E 12 | ENTER NTERT TAI NMENT AI NMENT F FEBR EBRU UAR ARY Y 15, 15, 2005 2005
Usually when a movie has a
name like Robert DeNiro
attached to it, you would think it
has to be good.
Sadly, with Hide and Seek, that
was not the case. As far as hor-
ror/psychological thrillers go, this
was one of the worst I've ever
seen.
Putting his life back together
after his wife's recent suicide, psy-
chologist Jack Calloway (De Niro)
decides to move with his daughter
from their New York City apart-
ment to an old house in upstate
New York.
After arriving, Jack tries in vain
to find friends for his lonely
daughter, who is showing tell tale
signs of post-traumatic stress syn-
drome and depression.
Unknown to him at first, his
daughter has developed an
imaginary friend named Charlie.
She begins by only mentioning
Charlie occasionally, but she
eventually becomes infatuated
with him.
As soon as this happens, so do
bad things around the house. Jack
finds writing on the wall blaming
him for his wife's death and when
he asks Emily about it, she says
that Charlie did it. More terrible
things happen in this the house, all
of which Emily blames on Charlie.
So is Charlie a real person, or is
Emily just lying? The answer is so
obvious, you should ask for a
refund at the end.
There were so many things
wrong with this movie.
First off, the story was incredi-
bly predicable. Everything in the
movie has been done before
many times, and pulled off better.
The acting wasn't too bad, but
when the script is terrible there
isn't much you can do. There was
a lot of promise with this movie
too, because the basic idea was
good enough. I can't understand
why the suspense (or lack thereof)
was so bland and unoriginal. I
went away feeling as if I had
seen this movie before.
Robert De Niro did a good job
of playing psychologist Jack, but I
still don't understand why he
would have signed on.
I guess maybe he didn't read
the script but only saw the pay-
check.
This movie basically falls under
a list of mediocre movies DeNiro
has made recently, especially
since 2000.
I guess instead of seeing prom-
ise he only sees dollar signs.
Overall, stay away from this
movie. Let it hide, but don't seek
it.
DeNiro stars in another
bland and unoriginal ‘sus-
pense’ flick, hinting that he
might not be interested in
anything but the cash.
BY TIM OSBORNE ‘06
» STAFF WRITER
MOVIES.GO.COM
Robert DeNiro (right) addresses Dakota Fanning in ‘Hide and Seek’, Deniro’s latest movie that was
recieved with lackluster response from critics and fans, seen as another so-called B-list film for DeNiro.
Hide and [do not] seek this movie
If you play an instrument, or
would like to, and dream of per-
forming in real venues or can't
find like-minded musicians to per-
form with, there may be a solu-
tion.
The Paul Green School of Rock
Music, founded in Philadelphia in
1998, is a performance based
music school for kids and
teenagers. The students not only
receive weekly private lessons in
their instrument of choice, they
also have weekly rehearsals with
the other students to prepare for
a seasonal performance. These
aren't just boring recitals though,
they're real rock concerts at such
venues as the TLA, The Trocadero,
The philosophy behind it is that
students will become better,
faster, if they're put onstage. It's
very competitive and goal orient-
ed. Once you become skillful
enough to impress Paul Green
himself, you may be invited to join
the All-Stars who tour for a cou-
ple of weeks every summer to
places like the West Coast and
Europe.
The School of Rock has opened
up several new locations in the
past few years, including one in
Bucks County, which opened last
November. I had been to one of
the Philly location's concerts, so
when I heard there was going to
be one near me I joined right
away. I couldn't be happier with
that decision.
At the end of January we had
our first show, Pink Floyd's 'The
Wall', at the Moose Lodge in
Doylestown. If you haven't been
onstage before, I highly recom-
mend it. It's very addictive. On the
29th, the Paul Green School of
Rock had a "Best of the Season"
show at the TLA and some of my
fellow Rock-Schoolers and I were
invited to perform 3 of our songs.
There is no way I would have
had the opportunity to play at a
place like that if I hadn't joined
the school. The show was sold out,
and there's nothing more amazing
then seeing a sea of people in
front of you cheering.
Also, it's a great way to make
friends. Everybody already
shares a common interest: music.
Being onstage with a group of
other kids really brings you
together.
If this sounds like something
you would be interested in, more
information can be found at
www.schoolofrock.com.
WWW.GAMESPOT.COM
Resident Evil 4 stars Leon S. Kennedy, also the star of RE2, as a government agent searching for the
United States’ President’s missing daughter in a remote part of Europe.
RE4 breaths new life
Resident Evil 4 is the latest in a
long running franchise of
Survival/Horror games by
Capcom. Resident Evil is the most
popular and famous of the genre
setting the bar for other
Survival/Horror games like the
Silent Hill series.
The Resident Evil story started
out on the outskirts of Raccoon
City where up in a mansion called
the Spencer Estate the Umbrella
Corporation was up to something
very dastardly, they had created
what they called the "T-Virus."
Unfortunately in a lab accident
the virus was loosed and every-
one in the mansion was infected
and turned in zombies. The man-
sion was destroyed and the threat
was considered gone until without
warning the zombies descended
upon Raccoon City and quickly
overran the city turning the bulk
of the population into zombies.
So you escape the city just as
an atom bomb goes off and
wipes out the zombies once and
for all. Resident Evil 4 takes
place six years later with
Resident Evil 2's Leon S. Kennedy
as the main character, where you
are now a government agent
looking for the president's missing
daughter and you search leads
you to a small village in rural
Europe.
You soon find that the villagers
are very hostile, very intelligent,
and they are most certainly not
zombies.
As you uncover the games plot
you will, other than these
"humans" you
will have to
fight enor-
mous abomi-
nations that
are truly
something to
behold, note
that you will
not won't
want to
gawk at them too long lest you be
squashed/eaten.
Resident Evil 4 is the first in the
series that truly breaks the mold
and redefines the genre. First off
the camera which in the older
games stayed at a fixed point on
a pre-rendered background
which was one of the reasons
some people did not like them,
Resident Evil 4 however opts for a
third person camera in a fully 3-D
environment. Graphically this is
one of the most gorgeous games I
have ever seen everything from
the character models to the
weather effects are superbly
done and do a great job giving
the game its creepy aura. The
audio is also very well done, while
not nearly as terrifying as what
you will hear in the Silent Hill
series it does a great job in creat-
ing suspense. The controls are a
huge improvement over the older
games and really puts and
emphasis on action, something
rarely done in this genre.
This game is just fun to play; it
is a truly unique experience that
you cannot get in any other game.
Right now it is only out for
Gamecube, but Capcom has said
they want to get a PS2 port of the
game out by the end of the year.
Not everyone will love this
game, but if you enjoy some old-
fashioned action, it’s worth giving
this a try.
CHIP COATES
GAMING
CHIP REVIEWS VIDEO GAMES IN EACH
ISSUE. HE CAN BE CONTACTED VIA
EMAIL: CHIP@VIKINGVOICEORG.
School of rock
WWW.SCHOOLOFROCK.COM
Members from the School of Rock school in Philadelphia perform live
in concert in July 2004.
BY RENEE BRIELMANN ‘08
» STAFF WRITER

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