10 Activities The Ritan • Wednesday, May 14, 2008

St. Rita Marching Band: A Year of Successful Sound

BY DAN SCHERGEN
The Marching Mustangs have won more awards
than any other sport or activity, they play at all
the Football games and assemblies, and they hold
one of the school’s most successful fundraisers.
This year the marching band played at the bas-
ketball games, and at the Kennedy Cup. The
Jazz Band played at the Ritz Carlton, the Alumni
Banquet, and the Mothers Club Fashion Show.
Bandapalooza, which was held April 5th, is
one of the largest recruitment efforts for the
school. The Spring Concert on May 7th fea-
tured some of the greatest pieces composed
for a symphonic band. All the members of the
band and its family would like to thank you for
all your support of the Marching Mustangs this
year and hope to have a great season next year.

Students Already Pros at St. Rita’s Newest Activity

BY JOE CAREY
Considering how big St. Rita’s rivalries with Mt. Carmel and Brother Rice this well” said senior Andrew Barksdale. The varsity Rugby team will
are, it’s almost inconceivable that Rita students ever played on those schools’ have three more games this year before going to the state playoffs.
rugby teams. Prior to this year, if you were a student at St. Rita and you
wanted to play rugby in high school, you had to play for another high school.
St. Rita’s inaugural rugby season started under the lights versus Brother
Rice on April 3rd with an exciting 14-8 win. “That was one of the most ex-
citing sporting events I have ever played in” said senior player Rigoberto
Gomez, Jr. “We started out the season right with a huge win versus Rice.”
The rugby team, which is coached by Mike Fleming, then continued on
for wins against Montini, 27-10, and Waubonsie Valley 21-10. This year
has been a huge success for the Rugby team, and in their first year no less. It
is unusual for a high school sport to let a school start out at the varsity level
in a sport that they had not had previously, because a varsity team needs ex-
perienced players to be competitive. However, that was not the case for the
rugby team, which played both varsity and junior varsity games this year.
“It was really fun playing rugby for Rita, I am ecstatic that we played St. Rita’s first Rugby team

Pride Week: St. Rita’s Pride and Joy

One of St. Rita’s longest-standing traditions is Pride Week.
Pride Week is a series of five days over which students, facul-
ty, and staff quite simply demonstrate their pride: pride in their
school, pride in their skills, and pride in themselves. Through
a series of spirit days, students were given the opportunity not
only to display uniform pride in their school, but also the chance
to let their unique personalities shine through. Highlights of this
year’s Pride Week included a dodgeball tournament between the
classes, a series of outdoor activities, the Junior/Senior intramu-
ral basketball championship game, the Student Council/Faculty
basketball game, a final round of Stango, and an early dismissal.

Juan Barrios: dodgeball master. Ms. Condon holding Declan Palmer, her Bishop Rassas confirms Andrew Hibbard. Jerry Ponio goes for the dunk.
4-month-old 2nd cousin.
 The Ritan • Wednesday, May 14, 2008 Sports 11

Water Polo takes 3rd in Catholic League

BY MIKE MCARDLE
The St. Rita Water Polo team traveled to Fenwick for the annual Catho- ing by Ruben Velazquez helped to push the Mustangs through to the end
lic League Tournament to compete for what is one of the final sets of to take 3rd in the tournament for the first time since 1999.
games for the year. Tensions were high, enter- The Mustangs will travel to Sectionals the
ing the tournament on Thursday with a game following week to attempt to carry the mo-
against St. Pat’s, with whom the Mustangs mentum forward to tough games against Br.
had gone 1 and 1 with during the course of Rice and Lyons.
the season. Although the Mustangs had in the With the season coming to a close, I asked
weeks preceding the Catholic League Tourna- some of the team members what their best
ment faced a series of difficult losses, they memories of the year were. Mike Rimkus
were able to pull it together when it mattered. had this to say: “Winning third was great, but
The game was a nail-biter to the end, won seeing Coach Knibbs get a yellow card was
9-8 in the final 3 seconds of the match. Solid the icing on the cake.” Tom (TQ) Qualter
defense, led by goalie Mitch Condon, along explained that the assistant coach, a St. Rita
with a strong offensive attack were able to grad, “missed most of our games because he
overcome a strong effort from St. Pat’s in a was at home watching Toy Story.” Others
back and forth match. In winning, the Mus- offered their favorite quotes from the season
tangs were able to advance to the second day (many of which came from the Head Coach
of the tournament, a feat that has gone un- himself).
accomplished since 2004 for the water polo The top three were:
team. A few members of the 2008 team “Protect the ball like it’s a baby and there is
On Saturday the Mustangs played at 9:00 am and lost to a more awake an Amber Alert.”
Fenwick team, 14-3 which put them in the 3rd place game against “You guys can’t make it to the Olympics for swimming, but you can
Loyola, another strong opponent who was fresh off an upset victory over make it to the Special Olympics for Water Polo.”
Ignatius. The game, as expected, was a battle until the end; but ultimate- “You guys are playing street corner water polo.”
ly the Mustangs were able to come away with the win. Once again the I would just like to take the time to congratulate all the seniors on their
team played great defense led by their goalie and Luciano Garcia in the season and wish all of the underclassmen luck next year. Go Mustangs!
D-hole. On the offensive end, strong passing along with dead-on shoot

Volleyball hoping for success in Regionals

BY DAVID SCHRADER
Your St. Rita Spiking Mustangs are rounding out the end of
this season. With the Varsity team having a record of 13-10
as of press time and going 7-1 in the Catholic League, they
appear to be able to make for some tough competition in the
State Playoffs. The Junior-Varsity team is having an even bet-
ter year going a solid 9-3, also at press time.
Coach Jill Nagel has said how much more the team has
come together as a team to pull through in a big win against
Oaklawn in the Oaklawn Invitational. The team came down
from losing the first game to rallying and winning the next
two, but then falling to Elk Grove in the Championship game.
However, the win has provided a morale boost as the team
proceeds into the playoffs.
Coach Nagel has said how proud she is of her team, and that The 2008 Varsity Squad
a lot of the players have exceeded expectation. With a little
above half the team returning next year, and the JV team look-
ing so good, look for our Volleyball team to truly turn some
heads in the standings next year.

Matt Quinn going up for a hit

Jack Patton, Mike Newton and Dan Smith get ready to recieve a serve
12 Sports The Ritan • Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Photos by Jim Crist
Baseball has sights set on trip to State
BY TIM MCNICHOLAS
On a cool Saturday afternoon in mid-April, the St. Rita Mustangs begin
their first game of a doubleheader against conference rival Providence
Catholic. Both teams go into the game with a strong swagger, confident
that they will earn a victory. As a crisp breeze goes through the dugouts,
a slugfest gradually develops on the field. Rita battles back from a sig-
nificant deficit, but falls short in the end.
The team goes into their second game only wiser. Smiles remain on
the players’ faces, and their confidence does not diminish. The Mustangs
defeat the Celtics in the second game, winning 15-11 in another high
scoring affair.
This is the trend that has seemed to persist with the team all year.
Through each game and each error, they learn. They play not only to
win, but to improve. “We had tough losses early on in the season, but we
learned from our mistakes and got after it in our next game,” said junior
infielder Kevin Austin.
The team not only craves improvement, but has managed to display a
maximum effort on the field all year, which is something that has become
rare in any sport. Their fighting attitude and constant yearn for greater
knowledge of the game mix perfectly and, luckily for them, translate into
a win more often than not.
Still, it is difficult to determine the origin of their great efforts. Perhaps
the leadership of seniors like Tony Zych, Diego Martinez, or Kenny
Stoklosa has fueled the win-or-die-trying attitude. Zych, a Louisville
commit, has played a significant role in the team’s success through both
his bat and his arm, while Martinez and Stoklosa have produced two of
the team’s highest batting averages.
Perhaps the source of power comes from talented juniors like Dan Dis-
pensa, Angelo Burrage, and Justin Kopale, or surpising underclassmen
Shane Conlon and Anthony Andres. Or perhaps the coaching staff is truly
the mastermind behind every performance. After all, head coach Mike
Zunica is the owner of a 313-111 record since he took over the team 11
years ago. The conclusion I have adopted is that it is a combination of
these factors and more that drives the Mustangs on their peculiar ride. A
ride that, so far, has been smooth but not perfect.
Similar to the 2007 squad, the Mustangs faced early adversity by losing
to Lincoln-Way Central and St. Ignatius. Last year’s team went deep into
the playoffs, but fell short in a heartbreaker to Washington in the super-
sectionals. However, last year’s tragic ending has only added fuel to the
team’s fire, and this year the Mustangs feel confident that they can finish
the job. In order to finish the job, the team’s ride would have to take them
to their destination: a destination shared by every high school baseball
team in Illinois. “To bring a state championship baseball trophy through
the doors of St. Rita,” replied Austin when questioned on his ultimate
goal for the season. This is a scenario that, in my opinion, is not unlikely.
The kind of performance the team displayed against Providence in their
double-header is far from uncommon. After their 3-4 loss to St. Ignatius,
Rita regrouped and defeated the same team 10-0 the next day. The next
week, the team picked up a victory over powerhouse rival Mount Carmel,
but ended up splitting the series. In their next game after the loss to the
Caravan, the Mustangs crushed a talented De La Salle team.
“Our strong point is team chemistry,” says Scott Mariner, a junior
pitcher who doubles as an infielder. Perhaps chemistry is just the sum of
all of the Mustangs’ strong points. Another theory is that it is just another
forte in the team’s array of intangibles. Whatever the case may be, the
team does possess great chemistry, which is a powerful aspect of base-
ball. It allows a team to cope with the ups and downs of the long season
ahead, and makes adjusting and improving after losses, like Rita has done
all year, significantly easier. The team knows that as a whole they have to
give a maximum effort day in and day out.
Maybe it is impossible to determine exactly what drives the Mustangs.
Nonetheless, the driver on the ride is not important to the team; only the
destination concerns them. The team strengthens as the rides go on. The
difference between this year and last year, however, is that the team now
knows the route. No more almosts, no more close losses late in the play-
offs. The Mustangs look to reach their destination in 2008, and will settle
for nothing less than a state title.
 The

Ritan
Inside the Ritan
Seniors’ Futures............................2
News..............................................5
Reviews.........................................7
Sports............................................11

Vol. 79 No. 5 St. Rita High School, Chicago, IL 60620 Wednesday, May 14, 2008 “Veritas, Unitas, Caritas”

St. Rita Once Again Going International

BY JOE CAREY
The St. Rita International exchange program has expanded 100%
since last year to bring the grand total of countries involved in our
program to two. St. Augustine’s College (high schools are called
colleges in Australia and many other countries) is the next school
that will send students to St. Rita. St. Augustine’s is an all male
Catholic school in Sydney, Australia which teaches boys from 5th
through 12th grade.
St. Augustine’s recently celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2006.
St. Augustine’s has an athletic program that features Basketball,
Cricket, Rowing, and Soccer. Students at St. Augustine’s are re-
quired to wear a shirt and tie, socks which are as long as baseball
socks, a blazer and dress shoes.
The students from St. Augustine’s in Australia will be here for
three weeks next fall, and St. Rita students will be going over there
in the summer of ‘09. St. Augustine’s students outside their school in Sydney
Also, St. Rita students will complete the exchange with the Ger-
man students that came over here last fall when they go to Germany
in June for three weeks. German students will again be coming to to
Rita in the fall of ‘09. The St. Rita exchange program has also been
trying to set up an exchange program with an Augustinian school in
Ireland for 2009.

Some facts about Australia are:

-It has a population of 20.1 million people.
-The seasons in Australia are opposite of those in America. For
instance, it is cold in Australia in July, and warm in December.
-Australian law imposes fines on people who do not vote and do not
wear seat belts.
-Australia is the smallest continent in the world but the sixth largest
country in the world. Fr. Tom and Mrs. McLawhorn with Mr. Gary Coulter from St. Augustine College

Alumni Banquet Comes Home for First Time

BY DAN SCHERGEN
St. Rita’s Slogan for this school year has been “Pride and Tradi-
tion never graduate.” True, pride and tradition never do graduate
– but people do. St. Rita honored those people at the alumni ban-
quet on April 18. The banquet took place for the very first time in
its 72-year history on our very own campus. Many attendees had
never been at the new campus, which we moved to in 1990. There
was at least one person from every graduating class, except for
three years, since 1942. The fifty-year class had eighty representa-
tives, and the 25-year class, Father Tom’s class, was fifty strong.
Guidance counselor Father Walter McNicholas, a graduate of 1944,
received the Crest of Saint Augustine award.
The night did not end there, in true Saint Rita fashion. There
was a video on the history of Saint Rita High School. The video
Man of the Year Dr. Gerardo Greico was made by two alumni, Mike Maione of 1952 and Javier Solorio
from 2002. Some alumni took a tour of the new campus including
the academic wing and class rooms, Mrozek Plaza, and the 100
Year Museum. All of the classes took their pictures in the chapel
and had a wonderful meal. There were also alumni inducted into
the Hall of Fame, and many athletic and academic awards given
throughout the night. The Man of the Year was awarded to Dr.
Gerardo Greico from 1972.
The night was a night to remember for the 600 alumni, Father
Tom, and the whole Saint Rita Family. The theme of “Pride and
Tradition never graduate” was definitely present at the Alumni Ban-
quet and in the school that night. The love of the Saint Rita family
was in the room as the alumni visited their past and saw the future
of Saint Rita of Cascia. We can only hope that next year’s Alumni
Banquet will host an even greater number of alumni, and an even
greater sense of pride.
Members of the Class of 2002
2 Seniors’ Future Plans The Ritan • Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Class of ‘08 headed for... Nix, Sean

Nolen, Michael
O’Brien, Daniel
Eastern Illinois University
University of Dubuque
Moraine Valley
Community College
Here we present the future plans of the class of 2008, who have been awarded over $7 million in scholarships as of press O’Connell, Robert Saint Xavier University
time. The information has been compiled and edited by the staff of The Ritan, with the generous assistance of the St. Rita O’Donnell, Matthew University of Illinois at
Guidance Department, from information provided by the students themselves, as far as it was available at the time we went
Urbana-Champaign
to press. We would like to express our gratitude to Sr. Mary Alice Hoff and Mrs. Beth Arey for their help. We have taken
every possible precaution to insure completeness and accuracy, but there may have been changes even after we sent this O’Dwyer, Brendan Moraine Valley
information to press. Community College
O’Neal, Matthew Moraine Valley
Adams, Christopher University of Iowa German, Jacob Lewis University Community College
Adams, Kyle Southern Illinois Ginger, Luke University of St. Thomas Omastiak, Mark University of Iowa
University Carbondale Glowacki, Robert Marquette University Only, Raphael Paine College
Agnew, Mavohn Undecided Gomez, Rigoberto Western Illinois University Osborn, Taylor University of Dubuque
Altman, Michael Eastern Illinois University Gonzalez, Fernando Harold Washington Pacelli, Nicholas University of Iowa
Alvarado, Jesus Harold Washington College Panick, Eric St. Joseph’s College
College Gross, Patrick University of Illinois at Parkison, Brandon Northern Illinois
Atkinson, Stephen Iowa Wesleyan College Urbana-Champaign University
Avila, Max DePaul University Harney, Thomas University of Illinois at Patrick, Daniel Illinois State University
Balcitis, Joshua Purdue University Urbana-Champaign Patton, John Indiana University
Barksdale, Andrew Cornell College Heaney, Thomas Parkland College Bloomington
Barrios, Juan Harold Washington Herbst, Michael Marquette University Peter, Terence Quincy University
College Holmes, Brian University of Arkansas Phan, Hieu University of Illinois
Basic, Brian DePaul University at Pine Bluff at Chicago
Bentley, Zachary Adrian College Holmes, Michael University of Arkansas Popek, Brian St. Ambrose University
Boike, Christopher University of Illinois at at Pine Bluff Prosapio, Vincent Moraine Valley
Urbana-Champaign Hudson, Brandon Southern Illinois Community College
Borlee, Matthew Purdue University University Carbondale Quinn, Matthew University of Illinois at
Brennan, Antonio Saint Xavier University Hunter, Charles University of Notre Dame Urbana-Champaign
Bretz, James Lewis University Jackson, Kenneth Purdue University Quiter, Matthew Undecided
Bretz, Joseph Lewis University Janecek, Leonardo University of Illinois Rappold, Anthony University of Iowa
Broderick, Mitchell Loyola University Chicago at Chicago Reilly, Brian University of Iowa
Bukowski, Thomas Illinois State University Jedlowski, Zakary Illinois State University Rimkus, Michael Lindenwood University
Burke, Austin llinois State University Jerome, Mozar Quincy University Riordan, Michael Moraine Valley
Calderon, Jesse University of Iowa Johnson, Benjamin Richard J. Daley College Community College
Capouch, Maxwell Lewis University Kafka, Jason Bemidji State University Rivera, Ricardo Lindenwood University
Carey, Joseph Marquette University Kazlauskas, Jason Moraine Valley Robinson, Charles Southern Illinois
Carone, Edward Saint Xavier University Community College University Carbondale
Castillo, Alfonso University of Illinois at Kelly, Sean University of Illinois at Rowan, John Eastern Illinois University
Urbana-Champaign Urbana-Champaign Russell, Roshawn Undecided
Cavanaugh, Matthew University of Illinois at Kennedy, Timothy Moraine Valley Sablich, Michael DeVry University
Urbana-Champaign Community College Sanchez, Jeremy Saint Xavier University
Charles, Samuel Columbia College Chicago Kenny, Christopher United States Air Force Santiago, Daniel Harold Washington College
Chladek, Thomas Work Kerr, James Parkland College Santiago, Michael Western Illinois University
Ciaglia, Nicholas DePaul University Khani, Ryan Undecided Schumacher, Daniel Eastern Illinois University
Ciolli, John University of St. Francis Kinsella, Ryne United States Air Force Shannon, Randall Western Illinois University
(Indiana) Kisel, Adam Saint Xavier University Shaw, Melvin Undecided
Clancy, Daniel Work Knibbs, Luke University of Illinois at Sheehan, Kevin Joliet Junior College
Clancy, Matthew Illinois State University Urbana-Champaign Sinta, Sebastian Undecided
Clancy, Patrick Saint Xavier University Konrath, James University of Iowa Smialek, Andrew DePaul University
Clifford, Zachary Moraine Valley Kopec, Daniel North Central College Smith, Brandon Undecided
Community College Kordas, Kevin Ripon College Smith, Daniel University of St. Francis
Coen, William Western Illinois University Kossifos, Nicholas Moraine Valley Sojka, James Southern Illinois
Cornfield, Kevin Western Illinois University Community College University Carbondale
Cozzie, Michael University of Dayton Koziol, Kevin Bradley University Spells, Rashad Undecided
Crosby, Emanuel North Park University Kurtovich, Michael Illinois State University Stoklosa, Kenneth Kentucky Wesleyan
Darling, Daniel Moraine Valley Lavelle, Richard Eastern Illinois University College
Community College Ledezma, Edward Lincoln Technical Institute Storck, Nicholas Illinois State University
Deanes, Ian Southern Illinois Leslie, Sean University of St. Francis Suarez, Adrian University of Missouri
University Carbondale Lick, Jamie University of Iowa at Columbia
Dinneen, Martin Moraine Valley Lo, Jay Northern Illinois Sullivan, Michael Undecided
Community College University Tellado, Mark Undecided
Doig, Thomas University of Iowa Lofton, Darian Lewis University Tkaczuk, Anthony Undecided
Donahue, James Moraine Valley Longo, Charles Robert Morris College Toomey, Matthew Undecided
Community College Lostroscio, Matthew Spoon River College Topps, David Eastern Illinois University
Downs, John Moraine Valley Love, Antwan Columbia College Chicago Torres, Garrett Illinois State University
Community College Lugo, Jeremy University of Illinois at Tryban, Andrew Undecided
Dudek, Steven Illinois State University Urbana-Champaign Ulanski, Jacob University of Iowa
Dullen, D’Marcus Eastern Illinois University Lynch, Patrick Illinois State University Ulloa, Marc Undecided
Dust, Daniel Western Illinois University Macias, Ivan Undecided Velazquez, Ruben University of Iowa
Early, Robert Harold Washington Maestre, Jesse Moraine Valley Veliz, Gabriel Undecided
College Community College Ventresca, Alec Dominican University
Easton, Ryan Moraine Valley Majka, John United States Viramontes, Cutberto Saint Xavier University
Community College Naval Academy White, Martin Undecided
Egan, Brendan Work Martin, Christopher University of Illinois at Williams, Phillip Columbia College Chicago
Flaherty, Stephen Northwestern University Urbana-Champaign Wilson, Anthony Chicago State University
Fleming, Darius University of Notre Dame Martinez, Diego Mesa Community College Wilson, Dennis Northern Michigan
Foley, Matthew Illinois State University McArdle, Michael Villanova University University
Frye, Michael Chicago State University McCarthy, Kevin DePaul University Wojnicki, Louis Heartland Community
Gaines, Vernell Jackson State University McGovern, Kevin Undecided College
Galeher, Kevin Western Michigan McGowan, Drew Cornell University Zaczek, Felix University of Notre Dame
University Migawa, Michael University of Zimmerman, Stephen Northern Illinois
Garcia, Joel Heartland Community Wisconsin-Parkside University
College Mullen, Michael Eastern Illinois University Zych, Anthony University of Louisville
Garcia, Luciano University of Illinois at Murphy, Daniel Work
Urbana-Champaign Nava, Alejandro University of Illinois God Bless and Good Luck
Garcia, Matthew Michigan State University- at Chicago in your future endeavours!
Gee, Branden Undecided Nevin, Joseph University of Iowa
 The Ritan • Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Senior Reflections
By Mike Herbst
Graduation is almost here. It’s
scary to think that I’ll be an alum-
nus of St. Rita High School in a short
time. I can’t believe how quickly
these last four years have gone by,
as it seems that it was only a little
while ago that school ended at 2:07
p.m., there were nine periods in
a day and the tables in the “dining
hall” were square. In writing this
reflection, I could talk about every-
thing we’ve all heard before: that
Rita is has made me who I am to-
day and that it was the best decision
I’ve ever made to come here. All
that stuff is true for everyone and it
goes without saying. Instead, I want
to talk about the things that I have
experienced here at Rita that I will
remember for the rest of my life…
Varsity Soccer
Anyone that knows me knows how
much of a fervor I have for soccer.
I’ve been playing the sport since
I was five and love nothing more
than spending an entire Saturday
morning watching English Premier
League soccer. My freshman year,
I was fortunate to make the varsity
squad and have been even luckier to
By Joe Carey
There has been a Carey from my
family at St. Rita for each of the
past 14 years. My grandfather, three
older brothers, four cousins and one
uncle have all attended here at one
time, so needless to say everyone
knew where I was going taking the
entrance exam at in my eight grade
year. I didn’t even bother looking at
any other high schools; I had been
around Rita my whole life and I was
comfortable here. However I was ex-
tremely nervous about going to high
play in every game of my four-year
career. It’s been through soccer at
St. Rita that I’ve met some of my
best friends and made many great
memories, like playing at Toyota
Park my junior year or scoring a
goal in my very last game. I would
give anything to put on the St. Rita
jersey and step out onto the field un-
der the lights one more time. That
said, I have two pieces of advice
for the underclassman. First, go
out and support your friends if they
play a sport. Coming from some-
one who has played home games
in front of “crowds” that consisted
only of my and my teammates’
parents, it meant a lot in my senior
year to see a few of my friends in
the stands. Second, cherish every
moment you compete in a sport for
St. Rita. Don’t take for granted that
you are representing your school and
try to make the most of every game,
because you’ll be playing in your
Senior Night before you know it.
Mr. Parolin’s English Class
Freshman Year
For those who don’t know Mr.
Parolin, he taught English here at
St. Rita from 2004-2006. He was
probably the funniest and most de-
manding teacher I’ve had a Rita.
Whether it was playing Trivial Pur-
suit for extra credit points, spending
way too much time quoting Anchor-
man, or debating whether or not Jim
Caviezel was related to Kevin Mc-
Carthy, something funny happened
almost every class period. Don’t get
me wrong, though, his class was in
no way easy. That was one of the
hardest A’s I’ve ever had to earn
in my time at St. Rita. That class
really set the tone for the transi-
tion from grammar school to high
school and showed me that it would
take some work to do well here.
school. I remember taking up golf
the summer prior to my freshman
year for the specific reason of be-
ing able to say that I played a sport
in high school. That turned out to be
one of the best decisions of my ca-
reer at Rita because some of the best
times I had while in high school were
playing golf with other Rita kids at
Marquette golf course. Despite be-
ing the worst player in my class on
the team every year, (I shot a 99 on 9
holes freshman year), I enjoyed play-
ing at different courses every week.
Everybody remembers how nerve-
racking the first day of school was
freshman year. I remember feeling
sick on my first day at Rita because I
was afraid of freshman hazing by se-
niors. I would have been an obvious
target because I looked like I should
have been starting 6th grade, not high
school, (I still do look like that). What
I came to find out that first day was
that everybody gets their fair share of
jokes at their expense at Rita, and that
is what I like best about it here. No-
body takes the kidding around here
too seriously. You shouldn’t go to an
all boy Catholic high school if you
can’t take a joke. The jokes were what
made school fun almost everyday.
Senior Reflections 3
Senior Year
Senior year has been everything Month in Pictures...
everyone has said it would be, with
Senioritis kicking in as soon as we
got back from Christmas break. So
far, it has been probably the most fun
year of my life. Back in September,
in soccer, we captured our second
consecutive conference champion-
ship and had a lot of fun in the pro-
cess. In December, I went on the trip
to Spain and came back with some
unforgettable memories. Although I
didn’t have my clothes or any money
until the sixth day of the trip (thanks
Lufthansa and BBVA), the trip was
a blast. I’ll never forget the night
we spent walking all over Madrid
looking for an ATM, seeing Maurice
Onayemi attempting to ride a camel
in Morocco, or Juan Barrios almost
getting his stuff stolen by a macaque
in Gibraltar. In January, we received
the first snow day in my four years
at St. Rita, something I thought
would take an apocalyptic blizzard
to cause. Then in March it was my
turn on Kairos, which was some-
thing you just have to experience
yourself to understand. Since then, Luke Ginger walking drunk... well, simulating walking
I’ve been coasting towards gradua- drunk in one of the Sheriff’s Department’s educational
tion, just enjoying the last parts of demonstrations.
senior year. I have mixed feelings
thinking about leaving St. Rita. I’m
excited for college and the challeng-
es it will bring. However, a big part
of me wants to stay at Rita just little
bit longer. I’m going to miss goofing
around with my friends in class. I’m
going to miss the family atmosphere
at school. I remember when I came
to shadow back in eighth grade, it
was the day of Mustang Olympics.
After watching that, I knew this is
where I wanted to spend the next
four years of my life. St. Rita has be-
come my second home and I’m go-
ing to carry the memories of my time
here with me for the rest of my life.
If you have ever been to a St. Rita-
Mt. Carmel football game, you know Alumni speaker Tom Hopkins ‘07 speaks to students at
how exciting the game is each and ev- Confirmation and Senior Farewell Mass on May 7.
ery year. The football team went 2-2
versus Carmel in my four years here,
and every single game was close. The
most exciting by far for me was this
year’s game at Mt. Carmel because
it was the #1 ranked mustangs versus
the # 3 ranked Caravan. There was
so much hype to the game, ESPN ra-
dio even came for a post-game show.
Everyone in the student section wore
white, and even though the football
team lost, it was a great football game.
My Senior Year has passed
by in a flash. In the Lasky’s class, I
was a permanent “Volunteer” when
it came to doing problems on the
board. I actually played in some golf
matches. My self-esteem has risen to
a point where I almost don’t weep
when I see the sunlight. This has
been the best year in my time here.
I’m sure that the fourteen kids who
will read this article can recall Fa-
ther Tom saying that your four years
here will fly by real quick. I used to
roll my eyes when he said that. It is Junior Matt McGeever performing at the
now May in my senior year. Whoa. Annual Band Spring Concert.
4 Senior Reflections
Senior Reflections
By Dan Schumacher
To put into a few paragraphs what
these past 4 years have meant to me
is impossible. I can tell you my ex-
periences throughout the years at this
school, but there is nothing like truly
experiencing it. I came into this in-
stitution with 8 guys from my grade
school, a third generation Ritaman
following the footsteps of many peo-
ple in my family. Growing up I heard
stories of what a great time high
school was, and how there is only
1 school on the South Side: Rita.
As a kid I attended Rita football and
hockey games; I knew the fight song
before the 5th grade. As I watched the
football team run out onto the field
when the fight song played, all I could
think was “I want to be a part of this
someday.” The eighth grade came
By Chris Adams
though the school
years went by fast I can still remember every home-
room I was in, the order of my classes, and what rooms
they were in. I might not remember all the things
I was supposed to, but it’s the thought that counts.
As a freshman, it didn’t take me to long to get adjusted
to my surrounding and the lifestyle at school. However,
meeting all these new kids was a little weird. I came to
The Ritan • Wednesday, May 14, 2008
around and there was no doubt in my this type of “family” stuff at other
mind where I would be testing on schools, and that is why this place
that cold winter morning in January. is special. There is nothing like ex-
My first few days at Rita were periencing hard work paying off.
awkward, just as they are for ev- To put on the SR is not just a privi-
ery freshman. As we walked into lege, it is an honor. I would do any-
the chapel on orientation day I was thing to throw on the shoulder pads,
greeted by Fr. Tom. I’ll never for- strap up the helmet, and put on the
get him telling us, “This is your SR one more time. Wearing the SR
home. If you work hard you will be is like wearing your family name.
walking across this altar to receive What does St. Rita mean to me? We
your diploma before you know are a family. It’s sharing the good and
it.” Home it is, and where has the the bad times together, helping each By Mike McArdle
time gone? Less than 15 days until other along the way, and enjoying ev- As I look back on the past four years of my
graduation and it seems like yes- ery step of the journey. Three Catho- life, I cannot help but be astonished by all
terday I heard that speech. St. Rita lic League Championships, one City that has happened. I’m not going to lie and
truly has been a “home away from title, and a State Championship ring say that everything has been great and that
home” for me. A home consists of represent the Class of 2008’s love nothing has ever been bad. But in the end,
a family who loves and cares for for one another. Our commitment to I know that my experience here within the
one another, and that is what this not let each other down, and to al- walls of St. Rita has helped to make me the
place is. Friendships I have made ways be our best. Hard work pays person I am today.
here I know will last a lifetime. off. Coming to St. Rita has been the
I still remember sitting in Spanish 1 for
Being a part of the football team is best decision I have made thus far. homeroom my first day at St. Rita, not know-
my most cherished memory of high This place has taught me life les-
ing a soul and thinking that I had all the time
school. When I was a kid I knew I sons which will help me to succeed in the world before me. The fact that I will be
wanted to be a part of this great tra- in whatever I encounter. I have en-
leaving in only a few short weeks, days, min-
dition of St. Rita Football. Although joyed my time here, but I know I can utes, seconds (believe me, I’ve been counting
weight lifting at 6 a.m. in the off-sea- handle anything that life throws at
down) is just plain shocking. I know I will
son sounded terrible, it showed me the me because of what I have learned. miss St. Rita, it has become my home over the
true meaning of “hard work.” Three- To put on the SR one more time... All
course of the last four years, but at the same
a-days in the August heat was hell, we can do is watch in the stands now, time I am ready to leave. Some might take that
but wow does “hard work” pay off. but Friday nights under the lights for
the wrong way, but I think that the fact that I
There is no better feeling in the world 4 years were the best nights of our am ready to leave tells you something about St.
than running onto the field on a Fri- lives. St. Rita High School is love.
Rita. I am ready. St. Rita has made me ready.
day night with the guys you practice Enjoy your time here underclass- As I sit down to write this, neglecting my home-
with, while the band plays the fight men, it is over before you know it.
work because “senioritis” has set in, memories
song and the crowd is on their feet. from the past four years stream through my
I have had coaches who aren’t just
mind in short clips and stills. I remember sit-
“coaches.” They are true men who ting in chapel the first mass and being shocked
taught me lessons of life that I will
away by the band my Freshman and (I hate to
carry with me forever. You don’t find admit it) Junior years, and watching the Fresh-
men on the other two. I remember the amaz-
ing 3 cookies for $1, and still pray that they’ll
bring it back, even though it’s too late for me.
I remember back when we didn’t have all the
When I look SR from Sutherland along with 7 of my classmates; but
luxurious couches, and when a cafeteria was
back at my four being in all honors classes (no offence to my Sutherland
called a cafeteria. I remember the State Game
years at Saint brothers) I rarely saw any of them except at lunch and
and driving back from U of I singing “Trib-
Rita, I think to French class. So in all my classes were new faces and
ute” with my best friend. I remember playing
myself, “Where personalities. Nowadays, I know most of my classmates
in Coach Knibbs’ Commander Cup, and work-
has the time on a personal level due to seeing them almost everyday
ing the Valentine Dinner Dance, and more. I
gone?” That for the past four years. I also have been lucky to estab-
remember it all and see that this place – this
might sound a lish friendships with a few teachers and faculty mem-
school – has become such a big part of my life.
little cliché, but bers, which I hope to continue even after graduation.
When I walk across the altar and receive
it’s 100 percent Last but not least, I want to preach to you for a mo-
my diploma on that rapidly approaching Sun-
true. Every ment. GET INVOLVED! I know we have all heard this
day of May 18th, I do so with the knowledge
year goes by from our parents and it’s been pushed down our throats
that for better or worse, this place is now a
slightly faster, since freshman orientation, but what they are saying is
part of me. To the underclassmen – cherish
and before you completely true. Being active in either a club or a sport (it
the time you have here. I know you hear it
know it you’re doesn’t really matter) makes you know a lot more people
a lot, but it slips through your fingers faster
heading off to then if you just left out the doors every single day at 2:17.
than you realize. And to my fellow seniors
college. Even Also it makes you feel a great sense of pride in yourself.
– know that I am your Rita-brother forever.
One of my regrets in my life was not being active in any
of the major sports teams. I can’t imagine how it feels to
win a State championship or Kennedy Cup or any other
championship for that matter. Saint Rita also has taught
me a lot about myself and the direction of where/what
I want to be in life. When it comes to getting as much
out of SR as I did, all you have to do is be yourself.
Fashion Show

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern... Knocks ‘em Dead!
By David Schrader
The St. Rita Theater Group
capped off all its hard work
with two showings of Tom
Stoppard’s play Rosencrantz
and Guildenstern are Dead.
Since the beginning of Feb-
ruary, they worked meticu-
lously after school so every-
body could learn their lines
and movements on stage
just right.
In the beginning of the
play, the titular characters of
Rosencrantz and Guilden-
stern are flipping a coin and
it always lands heads. As
the law of probability states,
that is nigh impossible. Yet
the coin always manages
to land heads. This sets the
tone for the play.
Rosencrantz always called
for heads. Therefore, it was
to be that heads was shown.
The play tries to wrestle
with the ideas of predestina-
tion, and characters attempt-
ing to prevent the fate they
The Ritan •Wednesday, May 14, 2008
were meant to undergo. It’s
like they know someone
penned what were to happen
to them, and Guildenstern
refuses to acknowledge it,
while the more pensive Ros-
encrantz accepts their fate
and just goes with the flow.
At the end, they are cut down
by a fate to which their own
friend handed them over.
It’s a fitting play. All the
parts were played by guys,
which is how it was meant to
be shown (Senor Enright’s
words). Yet there is still
something unsettling about
Ophelia having a manly
face. It really is not some-
thing I wish to see again.
Jack Howard and Dan
Moore were wonderful as
the main duo of actors, re-
citing all their many lines
perfectly. Those practice
sessions paid off, for if they
did make a mistake the au-
dience had no idea, as the
show went on without even
News 5
the slightest of hitches.
Matt Goosherst also did a
fine job as the leader of the
Tragedians, a roaming the-
ater troupe. Even our own
Augustinian Volunteer, Mr.
Ray Knight, was in the play
portraying the role of the
Prince of Denmark, Hamlet.
Through hard work and
practice was the play able to
come together. A new back-
ground piece of a beautiful
blue sky will be used for fu-
ture plays. The stage crew
must also be credited for
rigging up the background
to the ceiling to slide in and
out for set changes.
Yes, all of the theater
group’s hard work has paid
off. With another two suc-
cessful shows under their
belt, next year will only be-
come easier and that much
better.

Mrs. Jodi McLawhorn: Familiar Face Fits into Two New Functions
Mrs. McLawhorn with exchange students in the computer lab
By David Huang
There is nothing new about the presence of Mrs. Jodi McLawhorn at St. Rita High School; her talents and
dedication have been on view here for at least 15 years. But 2007-08 has been the first full school year in
which she has been working in two entirely new capacities, so we decided to speak to her about her new
responsibilities.
Mrs. McLawhorn has been working here part-time since 1992, when she became the woodwind instructor,
with the St. Rita Band in various capacities. She also directs the Ritanettes, and since 1999 she has served as
the Band’s administrative director. However, her connection goes even farther back than that: she actually
started playing with our Band when she was in the seventh grade, continuing through her years at Maria
High School. During that time one of her bandmates was a certain tuba player named Tom McCarthy, whom
you know know with a “Father” in front of his name and an “OSA” after it as president of our high school.
Mrs. McLawhorn attended DePaul University and VanderCook College of Music, earning a Bachelor’s
degree in Music Education. She continues to take graduate-level courses in electronic music (“e-music”
for short). She says her favorite thing about herself is “being the best mother in the whole world,” and her
favorite movie is Braveheart. She lists The Doors as her favorite band, which works out nicely since she and
St. Rita Band Director Ms. Cindy Gradek have gotten to know their former keyboard player Ray Manzarek
’57 quite well.
So, how is Mrs. McLawhorn’s position different now? She is in fact a full-time employee of St. Rita,
having added two new positions to the ones she already held. Last year, when we began to develop our
International Exchange Program, she applied for and got the position of director. She has headed the pro-
gram through its first successful school year, including an exchange of visits by teachers and the first visit
of students from Hamburg to St. Rita, and the upcoming visit of our first group of Ritamen to Germany for
three weeks in June.
Besides that, she also officially became a member of the faculty this year, teaching an E-music class. Her
teaching responsibilities will also expand soon: she is scheduled to begin teaching an Advanced Placement
class in Music Theory starting next school year. She said she has been very happy working here, and looks
forward to better things ahead.

Mrs. Marge Hopkins working at her desk in the reception area. Her ties to St. Rita go back
thirty years to when her brothers went here. She now works in the afternoons in the front office. Mr. Partacz contemplating his life without hair. St. Rita raised over 30,000
Her three sons, ‘Tom 07, Marty ‘09, and Liam ‘11 chose St. Rita as well. She likes working dollars for children’s cancer research on March 17th.
here at St. Rita, and enjoys being in the same school as her two children, Marty and Liam.
6 Opinions The Ritan • Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Cost of War: A Different View Reel Big Fish: Not Just a One Hit Wonder
Band’s 6th album its best, according to Gus Brehan Esterhammer-Fic
Saddam Hussein was never accused of being a humanitarian. In
fact, he murdered hundreds of thousands of his own citizens, took By Augustine Esterham- rock and you have Reel formances during one tour,
away the Iraqi people’s civil rights, and was responsible for insti- mer-Fic Big Fish. Topics in their and parts were overdubbed
gating two major wars in the Middle East. That is why some of us The 90s were not easy songs range from anger at to clean up any mistakes.
have never been able to understand the outrage over invading Iraq. on ska/punk band Reel the state of the music scene “When you’re at a con-
There was a brutal dictator in power, who besides trying to assas- Big Fish. If you listen (see “Turn the Radio Off” cert,” frontman Aaron Bar-
sinate a U.S. President (George H.W. Bush), was an enemy of all to their music at all, it’ll and “Don’t Start a Band”), ret explains in an interview,
freedom-loving countries of the world. likely become apparent to mocking social standards “you’re dancing, and there
We all now know that there were no weapons of mass destruction that the band doesn’t like (see “Trendy” and “Date- are people bumping into
in Iraq, but we have the benefit of hindsight. In 2003, there was the people at the top of the less Losers”), to covers of you, and the music’s really
an intelligence report stating that Saddam Hussein had acquired music business. Failing 80s songs, which I’d have loud. You don’t notice if
dangerous weapons of mass destruction. Iraq was our biggest en- time after time to release to say sound better than the the band plays the wrong
emy in that region, and Hussein would not allow United Nations a chart topper, other than originals (“Take On Me,” note. If you listen to it later,
inspectors to search his country for WMDs. So what was President 1996’s ‘Sellout,’ and con- “Kiss Me Deadly”). One of it doesn’t sound as good.
Bush supposed to think when he was handed a report by the CIA stantly suffering through the band’s strengths is their What we’re trying to do is
stating that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, and multiple line-up changes, style of singing amusingly bring a live experience to
Hussein was not allowing his country to be searched? And does the all the odds were in favor negative lyrics to upbeat other listeners at home.”
fact that Hussein did not have those weapons in 2003 mean that he of RBF going down in his- music. The dvd includes one
would not have acquired those weapons in the future? tory as your typical one-hit Don’t be thrown off full recorded performance,
The Ritan’s most recent editorial critiqued the Iraq war from an wonders. So it’s a wonder by the fact that Our Live about four interviews, and
economic point of view; this is a look at why the Iraq war is not they’ve made it through the Album is Better than Yours even commentary on the
responsible for the current mini-recession. Last month’s editorial past sixteen years to release is a live performance. The concert. The quality is great
stated many things that could have been done with the $500 billion six studio albums and six quality is so good that, here, too.
spent on the war. What it didn’t say is that those $500 billion have demos and EPs to date. other than hearing the So is there any reason not
helped create jobs, economic activity, and most importantly tax For those of you who crowd and the band’s ban- to buy this amazing three-
dollars. For instance, 8.3 million bullets are fired a month in Iraq. don’t know what ska is, al- ter between songs, you can disc set? Unless you need
Those bullets are made in American factories, which hire hundreds low me to blow your mind: barely tell that it’s live. The the extra $20 for food or
of employees. Those employees will help the economy by paying take a jazz guitar, now add truth is, the band cheated. something useless like that,
taxes on the money they make, not to mention spending money in a horn section. There you The cds are made up of re- then no. 5 out of 5
American stores. Every purchase made in those American stores are. Now add some punk cordings from several per-
is taxed by the government. Those stores pay taxes on the money
they made, and perhaps pay their employees extra or make im-
provements in their store. The owners of the stores will spend the
extra cash they made in other American stores, and the pattern of
spending goes on and on and on.
The recession or major decline in economic activity that this
country is heading for was probably not caused entirely by the Iraq
war. That is not to say that the war didn’t contribute to the reces-
sion; it did. However, the main reasons for it are foreclosed houses
and high gas prices. In this decade, banks started making loans for
houses to anyone who wanted one. Many families were unable to
keep making the loan payments. In 2007, 1.3 million families lost
their houses because of the “payment” problem. That is 1.3 million
families who lost everything they owned to the banks, everything,
and even more families are expected to lose their homes this year.
The loss of those homes, combined with extremely high gas prices,
is what caused the recession. LEFT: Miss Condon holds Declan Palmer RIGHT: Joe Carey ‘08 gets ready to catch egg in egg toss
The truth about this war, and every other war for that matter, is
that history will judge it one way or another. Nobody is denying
that this war has been run poorly. The armed forces should have
invaded Iraq with the 400,000 troops they planned from the begin-
ning, instead of the fewer than 200,000 troops that actually went
into Iraq. Also, the Iraq war has contributed to the national debt, if
not to the degree that last month’s editorial stated. If we are ever
to bring stability to the Middle East, then action is needed now.
We all remember what September 11th was like for America; if
we are to be sure that something like that will never happen again,
we need to stabilize the Middle East. Surely everyone agrees that
Iraq would have been a problem at some point in the near future
no matter what. It’s a tragedy each and every time a soldier dies in
Iraq, so why waste their lives by abandoning the effort for which
they made the ultimate sacrifice?
LEFT: Mr. Knight in his role as Hamlet. RIGHT: Brian Reilly ‘08 with a weird look on his face.

The Ritan
Published by the students of St. Rita High School, 7740 S. West-
ern Ave., Chicago, IL. 60620. Phone: (773) 925-6600.

Chief Editors: Joe Carey, Mike Herbst

Editors: Marty Malone, Dan Moore, Dave Schrader

Writers: Chris Adams, Juan Barrios, Luke Bentley, Brian Boyd,

Joe Cahill, Joe Carey, Mike Herbst, David Huang, Mike Ken-
nedy, Marty Malone, Mike McArdle, Dan Moore, Dan Moriarty,
Brandon Parkison, Dave Schrader, Jason Torres
Photographers: Juan Barrios, Matt Bokoski, Brandon Cross,
Mozar Jerome, Kyle Sheehan, Michael Allocca

Moderator: Mr. Michael Allocca

LEFT: Coach Kuska at the Prep Bowl Pep Rally RIGHT: Harry Potter, meet Lord Voldemort
 The Ritan • Wednesday, May 14, 2008 Opinion 7
Harold and Kumar Prove Not All Sequels are Bad
Doogie Howser is by far the best part of this movie Photo Courtesy of IMDB.com
By David Schrader
Harold and Kumar: Escape from Guantanamo Bay is the sequel to
the ever-popular title Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, where the
aforementioned characters go on a quest of epic proportions for some
hamburgers. Many laughs were to be had.
The sequel begins exactly where the first movie left off. Harold and
Kumar are on their way to Amsterdam when they meet up with Kumar’s
ex-girlfriend and her fiancée, a man with many strong political ties. They
talk pleasantries and then move onto the plane. There, Kumar engages
in some inhalation of a hallucinogenic substance in a device that rhymes
This is not an angry little boy, but actually part of a weird love triangle.
Photo courtesy of morethings.com
St. Rita’s Hiking Club went on a trip last fall down to Starved Rock. On the left a lovely picture of the foliage from late last year around some of the canyon walls.On the right is a photo of the group that
boldly conquered the wilderness.
with the word “wrong.”
So, being from Asia, the people on the plane believe them to be
terrorists and they head off to Guantanamo Bay. They escape from
the lightly guarded jail-cell and are off on another whimsical ad-
venture to rid themselves of the moniker of being called terrorists
by crashing a wedding in Texas. They then meet up with one of the
worst George Bush impersonators I can think of, and live happily
ever after.
The movie is funny. With all of the garbage movies like Meet
the Spartans and Superhero Movie coming out, it’s nice to see that
some people have taken the time to write a movie that’s genuinely
funny.
Not only is the movie funny, it also has a very strong racial mes-
sage to relay. During one scene, a man tries to persuade a couple
of men of the Jewish faith to snitch on Harold and Kumar’s where-
abouts by dropping about $7 worth of pennies on the table in front
of them. That is wrong on about 700 levels, and the joke is rightly
targeted not at the Jewish characters, but at the ignorance of the
anti-Semitic character.
Still, the jokes they do on the expense of some of these racial
issues are pretty hilarious. They hit the right whack-a-mole and came up
with a good way of getting a few laughs but also proving a serious point
in today’s society.
This is a wonderful sequel to a wonderful movie. It does everything
it’s supposed to do: expand the storyline, show what happens when you
eat a fast-food burger, and allow Doogie Howser to indulge in some seri-
ously unconventional behavior. All movies should include these things,
and I applaud Harold and Kumar for doing so. It shall receive a 4.5 out
of 5. God bless the U.S.A.
Classic Movie Review: Freaks
BY SEAN MCCORMICK
“Gooble gobble, gooble gobble, we accept her, one of us, one of us,” is the creepy chant of
the freaks, accepting a not-so-accepting Cleopatra at the wedding feast. Grotesque, comical,
and strange, Freaks, a once-banned film, is about freaks. Literally. This cult classic is about
the lives of “circus freaks,” and what got it banned in some locations for many years also
makes it highly disturbing today. The director, Tod Browning – who also made the classic
Dracula starring Bela Lugosi – cast many actual circus freaks, rather than professional ac-
tors, in the movie.
The story is built around one freak in particular, a midget named Hans. Although engaged
to another midget, Hans falls in love with the vicious gold digger and beautiful acrobat
named Cleopatra, who takes advantage of Hans and his frequent gifts and later tries to snatch
his Benjamins. Cleopatra and her lover, Hercules the strongman, together discover Hans has
inherited an enormous fortune and is leaving the circus. Basically, Cleopatra plans to marry
Hans, take his money, and murder him because she’s a gold digger and that’s what gold dig-
gers do. This leads her to an ugly fate that will disfigure her foxiness for as long as she lives.
A bearded lady, dwarfs, “pinheads,” a man with no legs, a woman with no arms (who
nevertheless uses eating utensils), a hermaphrodite, conjoined twins who can feel each oth-
ers’ senses, and a man with no legs and arms who can still light his cigarette (it’s pretty sick,
not gonna lie) all steal the show completely from the plot. The acting quality and jobs of the
freaks are obviously not that great, but the real actors are just fine.
The length of the film is only 62 minutes, and the movie is in black-and-white (1932), but
it’s still a great film! Morally, it teaches you to treat others equally despite physical or mental
disfigurations, or you will get turned into an ugly bird thing. It gets 5 out of 5 stars, because
it’s just that amazing.
Photos by Mr. Stan Kastelic
8 Opinion The Ritan • Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Into the Wild is Truly a Classic

BY TIM MCNICHOLAS
In 1992, a 23-year-old free spirit named Christopher Mc-
Candless set off on a journey that would separate him from
all the burdens of modern society. After graduating from
Emory University in Atlanta, GA, McCandless began his
cross-country adventure by donating his $24,000 of savings
to charity, burning all evidence of his existence, unofficially
changing his name to Alexander Supertramp, and naturally
adjusting to his new role of a hitchhiker. Ultimately, he hoped
to find himself alone in the Alaskan wilderness, at one with
the nature and complete freedom around him. Into the Wild is
the remarkable true story of his campaign.
McCandless (Emile Hirsch), now Alex Supertramp, is an
industrious young man who finds himself disenchanted with
the unforgiving cruelty and unnecessary materialism he finds
in society every day. After living up to the educational expec-
tations of his overprotective mother and abusive father for his
entire life, Alex decides to embark on the journey that will
finally establish his freedom. The protagonist does his best to hitchhike to Alaska Photo Courtesy of IMDB

The most heartwarming aspects of this tale are the events

and people Alex encounters throughout the movie. His first
adventure begins when he finds his first ride after becoming a hitchhiker. A married couple gladly invites him into their hippie-bus. They camp out for
the next few nights on a beach, where the couple grows closer not only to Alex, but also to each other. Alex helps them with their marital troubles and
experiences his first true moments of his idea of freedom alone on the beach although it is apparent that the comfort he can only find in Alaska is far
from fulfilled.
After finding a friend and employer in farmer Wayne Westenburg (Vince Vaughn), riding several railroads across America, reuniting with his
freethinking friends in California, coming upon an aging mentor in Ron Franz (Hal Holbrook), and participating in countless other adventures, Alex
finally finds himself physically, mentally, and financially ready for his “Great Alaskan Adventure.” He hitchhikes one last time, as an Alaskan trucker
drives him to the entrance of the wilderness.
Despite the film’s lengthy duration, director Sean Penn falls nothing short of amazing in illustrating the story of Christopher McCandless. A perfect
soundtrack from Pearl Jam front man Eddie Vedder takes this already great film to another level. Into the Wild is an exciting story that will strengthen
your view of all the aspects of everyday life. It will help you to better understand the world and to better understand yourself.
5 out of 5 stars

Street Kings doesn’t rise above average, except in its cast

House is just about to yell at the Last King of Scotland
BY DAVID SCHRADER
Street Kings has by far one of the best casts around.
Keanu Reeves, Forest Whitaker, Hugh Laurie, and Ced-
ric the Entertainer highlight the cast with their years of
acting experience. They help push a plot that shouldn’t
make any sense into something that almost seems routine.
The film centers on the idea of corruption. Any-
thing you can think of that might go wrong with
cops – bribery, tampering with evidence, shooting
on a suspect without being fired upon – it’s all here.
Ludlow (Reeves) is a loose-cannon cop who doesn’t play
by the rules, but still gets the job done. That is, until his for-
mer partner is about to rat him out to an Internal Affairs of-
ficer (Laurie). When Ludlow goes to confront him (in a con-
venience store), two gang members run in and shoot up the
place, not taking any money. Ludlow now spirals down the
rest of the movie trying to find these killers, but soon happens
Photo courtesy of IMDB upon a secret that involves corruption of his entire department.
The sad thing about the story is that even though it’s not orig-
inal at all, it still thinks it is. Everything in this movie is pretty
generic and done before. The one thing I hate in movies is dou-
ble-crosses at the end that are barely played out. It’s why I didn’t
care for The Departed, and is also why this movie irks me so.
That being said, this movie was fun to watch. I en-
joyed myself wholeheartedly and took in a feel of what
the L.A. world was really like thanks to its fantastic cast.
While definitely not the best movie around, or even com-
ing out recently, it still felt to me like it was worth my
time. Maybe I’m just another sucker for Keanu’s doughy
brown eyes. Either way, I give Street Kings a 3.5 out of 5.

Neo means business in this movie Photo courtesy of IMDB

 The Ritan • Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Video Game Review: from Mediocre
to Better to Even Better
BY DAVID SCHRADER
With the release of Grand
Theft Auto 4 out now, you
may be pondering, “Should
I play another game or keep
my mistress GTA happy?”
Well lucky for you, I could
care less about GTA, and
have some substitute games
that should vie for your free-
time. They are Army of Two,
Mario Kart Wii, and Shin Me-
gami Tensei: Persona 3 FES.
Army of Two came out
for both the Playstation 3
and Xbox 360. It’s a game
about two mercenaries
who are trying to uncover
a conspiracy whilst earn-
ing money from hits that
the Army thinks is too risky.
The game looks wonder-
ful and is a blast to play with
a friend. That being said,
the game is criminally short
and there’s basically no rea-
son to go back and play a
second time. So just rent it,
have a blast for an afternoon,
then go on with your life.
Mario Kart Wii is, well,
for the Wii. Each game
comes packaged in with a
steering wheel shell that al-
lows for you to turn and
do back-flips while look-
St. Rita Art Show Successful as Usual
BY DAN MOORE
Every year, Art teacher Mrs. Robyn Kurnat organizes a display one!). Guests often admire the impressive artwork submissions be-
of some of her students’ most high-quality work. The gallery, usu- fore the band show, during intermission, and often after the show
ally up for two or three days, is planned in conjunction with the as well. Pictured below are some of the works that were featured.
Spring Band Concert (two artistic celebrations for the price of
ing even more like an idiot.
While during the short time
I played it did feel fine, I’d
imagine you could only play
it for a short time. The only
thing holding the controller up
is you holding your arms out. I
don’t want tennis elbow with-
out actually playing tennis.
That being said, the game
is fun. Online is great and I
experience very little lag.
The new courses are a delight
to play and can create some
hectic races. The blue and red
turtle shells are in full force
here so nobody is ever truly in
the lead. The bikes and trick
system are entertaining too.
It’s Mario Kart, so it’s fun.
Persona 3 FES is a role-
playing game for that love-
able little old system called
the Playstation 2. While being
on this inferior system, the
graphics aren’t halfway ter-
rible. While a little muddled,
they purpose their job for
when the awesome cut-scenes
come in and look fantastic.
The game is long, too. I’m
rounding out hour 20 with no
end in sight. However, that’s
a good thing as this game has
a better story than most Hol-
Opinion 9
lywood movies (though with
garbage coming out like Prom
Night, that ain’t saying much.)
A bad thing, the game is
weird. One of the main ele-
ments of the game is having
your teen protagonist take
himself out of the competi-
tion so a monster can come
out and wreck a house in bat-
tle. There’s also a teacher-stu-
dent relationship, and you go
around beating up shadows.
Army of Two is a fun lit-
tle title but not really wor-
thy of anything. It shall
receive a 2.5 out of 5.
Mario Kart Wii is also a
fun little title, only it de-
serves all the praise it can
garnish. It gets a 4 out of 5.
Persona 3 FES is a weird lit-
tle game and receives what it
can get. I highly recommend it
with a 4.5 out of 5 because of
how engaging the storyline is.