Dialogue 2013 -14, Issue1

The Devon Dialogueproudly publishing for five decadesDevon Preparatory Schoolvolume v, issue i | october 2013

Helping the Less FortunateDevon Prep’s summer mission trip to Oil City helped those in need. See page 2.

Cutting-Edge TechnologyThe Devon Prep Computer Lab is fitted with brand new computers.See Below

The Crisis in SyriaThe recent events in Syria have plunged the international community into a divisive debate. See Page 7

Solar CarThe Devon Prep Solar Car Team travels to Dallas, Texas to compete in the Solar Car Challenge.See Page 2

High Fives for i5sMarco DiLeonardo ’14

T his sum mer, Devon Prep’s computer lab took a massive leap into t he new age of tech nolog y. T he Pa rents’ Associat ion g raciously f u l f i l led a request to replace t he old computers w it h some of t he newest, fastest machines on t he ma rket. Each one is insta l led w it h i5 processing units a nd ot her sof t wa re prog ra ms prev iously unava i lable to Devon Prep st udents. Not on ly does t h is benef it t he speci f ic computer classes at Devon, but a lso ser ves a g reater pur pose to severa l di f ferent courses a nd clubs. T he Chem ist r y Club is be able to use Vir t ua l Chem ist r y Lab, a prog ra m t hat ca n simu late di f ferent chem ica l react ions a nd t he physics classes ca n ut i l ize Ver nier sof t wa re for va r ious labs. T he new touch screens f unct ion much l i ke t hose of tablets, w it h t heir mu lt i-touch feat ures. T he new computers have been ent husiast ica l ly received by Devonites a nd w i l l a l low t he computer lab to rema in up-to-date wel l into t he foreseeable f ut ure.

Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, and High SpiritsJames Lucas ’15

T he t i me-honored t rad it ion of t he Devon P rep Fa m i ly Back-to-School P icn ic has a lway s ser ved as a fa m i ly or iented i nt roduc t ion i nto a not her yea r of Devon l i fe. Here, ex per ienced Devon ites a nd t hei r fa m i l ies ca n i nt roduce newcomers to Devon. On Wed nesday, Aug ust 28, t h is yea r ’s Fa m i ly P icn ic was received w it h g reat ent husiasm. St udent s a nd fa m i l ies showed t hei r school spi r it i n at tend i ng t h is a n nua l end-of-su m mer ac t iv it y.

T h is yea r ’s picn ic, orga n i zed by M rs. Mega n Clement i a nd r u n by ma ny volu nteers, welcomed ma ny ret u r n i ng st udent s as wel l as some new ones, i nclud i ng t he Class of 2020. T he newcomers were welcomed w it h open a r ms i nto t he Devon fa m i ly. T he Fa m i ly P icn ic is a cha nce for

st udent s of a l l g rades to get to k now t hei r classmates. T he Fa m i ly P icn ic for ms con nec t ions bet ween st udent s a nd fa m i l ies, rei n forci ng t he cohesive com mu n it y of Devon.

T he Fa m i ly P icn ic was ent husiast ica l ly received by a l l t he st udent s at tend i ng. “L ast yea r, 340 people R S V P’d to at tend. T h is yea r, 507 people R S V P’d. T here were so ma ny more,” sa id M rs. Clement i . T here was lot s of food a nd ga mes of vol leyba l l a nd footba l l . T he sk y was clea r a nd t he temperat u re was per fec t . T he sl ig ht hu m id it y d id not h i ng to da mpen t he spi r it s of t he st udent s a nd t hei r fa m i l ies. T he n ig ht c u l m i nated i n ra f f le d raw i ngs, ma rk i ng t he close of t he su m mer a nd t he sta r t of t he new school yea r.

HomecomingMarco DiLeonardo ’14 & Landon Farnsworth ’15

A new school yea r br ings a l l t he g reat t radit ions Devon Prep has to of fer. One of t he most prom inent is t he a nnua l Homecom ing event. T his yea r’s Homecom ing bega n w it h a ta i lgate before a soccer ga me on October 4t h. Devonites watched t he va rsit y tea m ta ke on Academy of t he New Church in a compet it ive non-leag ue matchup whi le enjoy ing burgers a nd hot dogs, prepa red by Devon st udents. Ma ny st udents, pa rents, a nd a lum n i ca me out to ta ke pa r t in t he Homecom ing fest iv it ies. T he nex t evening, upper school students and t heir dates attended a sem i-for ma l da nce in Ca lasa nct ius Ha l l, led by D.J. A nt hony TuTone. T he a nnua l Homecom ing soccer ga mes a nd da nces have g iven Devon Prep st udents count less memor ies, a nd t his

yea r’s was no di f ferent!

New touch screen computers arrive at Devon. Devon students enjoy a tailgate before the game.

2 Dialogue NewsGetting Down and Dirty in Oil City

Rieve Bule ’15

Coming of f of a great 2011 – 2012 year

in which t he team had come in 2nd

place in t he Solar Car Challenge in

Dallas, Texas, t he Devon Prep Solar Car

Club worked assiduously to improve

t heir car t hroughout t he 2012 – 2013

school year. The team’s main object ive

was to l ighten t he car, so t hat it could

go faster.

The team arrived in Dallas on

Saturday, July 20, 2013. The fol low ing

t wo days were spent scrut ineering,

a process in which t he judges of t he

competit ion check t he dif ferent parts of

t he car such as t he electronics, brak ing,

and steering. The team passed t hrough

t his w it hout much trouble.

Tuesday was t he f irst driv ing day for

t he team. The team had a lack luster

start. Less t han f ive miles into t he

race, one of t he sprockets broke, and

as it f lew off, it tore t he brake l ine.

Unfortunately, it took t he team almost

t he whole day to f i x it. A f ter it was f i xed,

t he team drove 22.3 miles to f inish of f

t he day, f inishing 9t h in t heir 10 team

div ision and 12t h overall (out of 14).

A f ter t he bad start, t he team k new t hey

had to recover lost ground, and t heir

t rue potential began to show. A lmost

ever y day af ter, t he team f inished in

t he top f ive of t heir div ision.

The team had a dif ferent schedule

each day, sometimes wak ing up as early

as 5:30 to get ready. This year’s road race

was ver y dif ferent from last year’s t rack

race. To ensure safet y, t hree ot her cars

were necessar y to compete in t he race.

There needed to be a lead car and t wo

chase cars. One chase car’s role was to

stay as close to t he solar car as possible

and to prevent anot her car in bet ween

it and t he lead car. Each person on t he

team had a dif ferent responsibil it y.

There was a safet y of f icer who f lagged

traf f ic (when t he solar car needed to

pull over or be trai lered), t hree drivers,

a telemetr y person (who gat hered t he

car’s data), a weat her person (who

made sure t he weat her was clear), and

a nav igat ion person (who made sure

t hat t hey were going on t he r ight track).

Each day, a dif ferent judge sat in t he

f irst chase car and made sure t hat t hey

were doing ever y t hing r ight and abiding

by t he rules. There were penalt ies i f

t he rules weren’t fol lowed (t he most

infamous one being: losing a mile for

ever y t ime you go outside w it hout a

hat). We also had a media stop on most

of t he days. They also made many

media stops, talk ing to crowds about

t he solar car.

On Wednesday t he team earned

second place (76.1 miles); on Thursday,

t he team earned fourt h (90.3 miles); on

Saturday, t he team earned fourt h (86.7

miles); on Sunday, t he team t ied for f irst

w it h eight ot her teams (66.1 miles); on

t he last day, Sunday, t he team earned

6t h (42.7 miles). The team ended w it h

516.6 miles out of an 888.3 available

miles earning 4t h in t heir div ision and

5t h overall.

A l l in al l, it was a successful race.

Hopefully, t he team can improve on t he

car and get a better place t his school

year.

Sun Shines on the Solar Car TeamSoham Bharne ‘15, Associate Editor for News

John Burke ’14 prepares to race.

The Devon Solar Car team placed 5th overall.

This past summer, Devon Preparator y School broug ht eig hteen st udent volu nteers f rom va r ious g rades to t he Cat hol ic Hea r t Work Ca mp i n Oi l Cit y, i n wester n Pen ns ylva n ia. T here, t hey spent a week at Vena ngo Cat hol ic H ig h School a nd pa r t ic ipated i n a va r iet y of ac t iv it ies centered on ser v ice work wh ich helps t he su r rou nd i ng com mu n it y.

T he Devon chaperones, M r. Joseph L ew is, M r. George Beot hy ’68, a nd M r. Sa m You ng , each led sma l l g roups of st udent s to loca l homes where t hey worked toget her i n a nd a rou nd t he houses. Some of t he work i nvolved pa i nt i ng , scrapi ng , clea n i ng , spack l i ng , cau l k i ng , c ut t i ng wood, lay i ng dow n a l i noleu m f loor, replaci ng a k itchen cou nter-top, a nd more.

W h i le per for m i ng t hese ser v ices, ma ny of t he st udent s i nterac ted w it h t he fa m i l ies t hey were helpi ng a nd sha red ref resh i ng ex per iences as t hey got to k now t hem persona l ly.

W hen not doi ng ser v ice work , t he st udent s pa r t ic ipated i n da i ly ca mp ac t iv it ies, l i ke goi ng to mor n i ng Mass, at tend i ng t he ever-excit i ng even i ng prog ra ms, a nd si ng i ng a long to music played by t he musicia n Ch r is Bray. T he st udent s were a lso g iven t he cha nce to m i ng le w it h people f rom t he ot her schools t hat were at tend i ng t he ca mp. T here were st udent s t here f rom Ca nada, A r i zona, M ich iga n, F lor ida, Oh io, New York , a nd ot her places a rou nd t he cou nt r y, each represent i ng t hei r school proud ly.

T he ser v ice t r ip was broug ht to a close w it h a t h r i l l i ng t r ip to t he nea rby t heme pa rk , K noebels. W it h a f resh perspec t ive ga i ned a nd t he sat isfac t ion of helpi ng so ma ny people, t he st udent s ret u r ned home a f ter a long week of ha rd work .

Devon students paint a house for a needy family.

3

Tidal Wave of MusicMichael Nicolas ’16

It’s the beginning of another year at Devon, as well as the beginning of another year of singing for the members of Devon Prep’s Choral Tide and Rip Tide. Open to any and all Devon Prep students, Choral Tide and Rip Tide offer the chance to express oneself in a fun and creative way. During a Choral or Rip Tide practice, there is never a lack of enthusiasm. Directed by Dr. Valentin Radu, Choral Tide hosts a multitude of students from all grades. Some have been singing throughout all of high school while others have only just been introduced to the world of music. Whether a person is a newcomer or a music veteran, the atmosphere in Devon’s Choral Tide is one of excitement and fun. To sing in Choral Tide is not difficult, and for those who are just learning the fundamentals of the music, more often than not, one can find an experienced member more than willing to assist.

In addition to Choral Tide is the prestigious Rip Tide, directed by Mrs. Donna Radu. Much smaller than Choral Tide, the members of Rip Tide are those Devon Prep students who were invited to join due to their particular enthusiasm for

singing. During the winter, Rip Tide will be singing Christmas carols at several nursing homes. Amongst the many songs performed in years past were classics such as “The Twelve Days of Christmas” and “Dry Bones.”

Even sooner than that is the highly anticipated fall concert. From the very first practice up to the concert, both Choral and Rip Tide devote all of their time preparing for this event. For weeks on end, the members of the two groups rehearse and practice, so that they can do their very best during the performance itself. The subject matter of the songs sung during the event varies, but what can be assured is that all songs performed by both Rip and Choral Tide are fun, classic, and memorable. The fall concert will surely be a spectacle, and for those members of the Choral and Rip Tide, a chance to show off their skills.

Things are looking optimistic this year for Choral and Rip Tide. To be a part of it is to be a part of a musical community. Both groups are always willing to accept new members. The whole Devon community is wishing the best of luck and another productive and successful year for both Choral and Rip Tide.

Twelve Angry MenCJ Nave ’15

One of the most influential movies of all time is coming to Devon Prep. That’s right, Devon Prep’s fall drama is the seminal Twelve Angry Men, written by Reginald Rose and turned into a very famous film of the same name in 1957. The show provides an insight into a New York City courtroom in which a jury is deliberating on a murder case. The cast consists of twelve jurors, a judge, and a guard, with CJ Nave ’15 as the protagonist Juror 8 and Patrick Shields in the antagonistic role of Juror 3. The remaining roles are filled

by other talented Devon actors.The show features an intense deliberation

where tensions often run high. The diverse cast of characters includes a bigot, an advertising agent, and even an eastern European immigrant. Mr. Paul Recupero, the show’s director and director of previous Devon productions The Phantom of the Opera, Our Town, and The Scarlet Pimpernel, told the cast, “This is a very different show from any others you’ve ever done.” All twelve jurors are on stage throughout the play. As

the play progresses, each character reveals his own specific traits and back stories. As story evolves and the traits and background stories of all the characters are revealed, Juror 8 attempts to convince his fellow jurors that there is a reasonable doubt about the guilt of the accused. With all the work that is required to put on a production like this one, support your fellow classmates and friends and come see Twelve Angry Men on November 1, 2, and 3. You will not regret it.

On September 12, the freshman class took its first trip of the year to Delco Christian for the tradition known as Adventure Day. This trip was a fun-filled day consisting of different team building activities. One such activity, the obstacle course, required a great amount of cooperation and teamwork. The members of the freshman class had to work together and put themselves in real-life situations which required trust in the people they would be spending the next four years with. The most challenging part of the course was getting each person over a 15 foot wall. One by one, they lifted and supported each person over the wall until they all had made it. In addition to conquering the obstacles, they all got to know a little more about themselves and meet new friends. As the day drew to a close, the freshman class realized that the purpose of the day was far beyond having a good time on ropes and logs; it taught them how to work as a team, stay together, and trust in each other as brothers in the Devon Prep family.

Adventure EducationLuke Farnsworth ’17

Charity in CAPable HandsShyamal Patel ’16

A new school year has beg un and members of t he Christ ian Act ion Program, or CAP, are ready to help people t hroughout t he area w it h bot h t heir t ime and generosit y. CAP gives students a chance to give back to t he communit y, while prov iding t hem w it h Christ ian Ser v ice hours.

Last year, CAP ran several programs, including Up For A Cause, St. Edmund’s Christmas Part y, t he canned food drive, and more. During Up For A Cause, bot h middle and high school students stayed up al l night long and raised over t hirt y t housand dollars for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. This money went towards helping sick children in need of serious medical care.

At St. Edmund’s Christmas part y, Devon Prep students gave t heir t ime to help t he mentally challenged adults in t he St. Edmund’s Home.

They did al l k inds of Christmas Act iv it ies from mak ing gingerbread cook ies to watching Christmas classics l ike “Frost y t he Snow man.” In t he end, t he students’ t ime paid of f when t hey saw t he smiling faces of t he adults t hey celebrated Christmas w it h.

In addit ion, CAP is in charge of t he Har vest Tide Food Drive, which brings t housands of cans to t he soup k itchens during Thanksgiv ing. This past year Devon was proud to have donated over f ive t housand cans and over f i f t y turkeys.

Ever y year, t he Christ ian Act ion Program gives students t he opportunit y to help t he communit y. W het her it is t hrough giv ing t ime or food to t he needy, t he Christ ian Act ion Program prov ides t he opportunit y to help t he less fortunate.

One of the best parts of Devon Prep is that you can always get involved. What better way is there to get involved than to join Student Council? Student Council deals with everything from restocking the vending machines in the cafeteria to planning events such as Battle of the Bands. Student Council is the bridge from the students to the administration, usually dealing directly with Headmaster Fr. James Shea ’66, Assistant Headmaster Mr. Larry Iezzi, and our wonderful Student Council moderator Ms. Barbara Medina. Ms. Medina works very hard in making sure Student Council’s endeavors run smoothly.

Student Council’s main responsibility is to run a great majority of the events Devon has to offer, including Homecoming weekend in October, Battle of the Bands in February, and Prom in May. Some upcoming events include a Middle School Mixer on Friday, December 6, the Christmas Semiformal on Friday, December 20, and an Open Mic Night in December. These events are hugely popular and the proceeds go toward improving Devon Prep and future Devon events.

Student Council is one of the best things to get involved in at Devon Prep, and it is an absolute blast. If you are interested in helping out at a Student Council-sponsored event, feel free to ask Ms. Medina or any Student Council member.

Student Council UpdateCJ Nave ’15

4 Dialogue Sports

As a fresh new school year begins, Devon Prep’s athletic program fields its fall sports: soccer, golf, and cross-country. As was the case last year, there are three soccer teams. Mr. Jeff Jewitt has returned to Devon Prep for his fourth year to lead the Devon varsity soccer team as Head Coach. Along with his Assistant Coach Neal Regino, who coached the Devon junior varsity soccer team in 2009, Coach Jewitt is building a formidable team. The Devon varsity soccer team opened its season with a 1-0 win vs. Haverford High School on August 30th followed by victories against Valley Forge Military Academy, Calvary Christian Academy, and Church

Farm School. Notable players were Andrew Shannon ’15, Jimmy Loftus ’17, Tanner Daggett ’16, and Drew Brekus ’14.

The junior varsity soccer team started off the year with a new coach, Mr. Tim McNally. Rebounding from a defeat to Haverford High School, the junior varsity team crushed Archbishop Carroll on September 7th in a 6-2 victory. Notable performances were given by Devon Laut ’17 who has racked up six goals in three games. Following in the footsteps of the other two teams, the Devon third soccer team, led by Coach Mark Leach and Coach Ed McNichol ’09 won their opener against Church Farm School on September 10th. The team continued to improve, winning their following game against Westtown.

The Cross Country team has had a very fast start to the season. Head Coach Paul Sanborn ’64 and Assistant Coach Dave Evans ’08 led the Wolf Pack to a 3-0 record defeating Bristol, Christopher Dock, and Jenkintown, currently ranked fifth in the state for the Single A Division, on September 10th. Jack Roth ’14, James O’Shea ’14, Lucas Watson ’15 and James Enderle ’15 all placed in the top six.

The final success story of the Fall 2013 sports season belongs to the golf team. Led

by Mr. Frank Casey, a longtime Devon Prep coach, the team has continued the success of last year. Eric DiPietro ’15 tied the Devon Prep golf record of 33 strokes in a single round while playing against Lower Moreland. The team’s current record is 4-7 after beating both Lower Moreland and Delaware County Christian twice.

As golf comes to a close, both soccer and cross-country are in full swing. The Tide has carried on Devon Prep’s tradition of success through the first half of the Fall season and the prospects for continuing this success throughout the second half are high.

Fall Sports ReviewWill Moreno ‘15

Varsity Soccer Tackles the OppositionSean Bevan ’14, Associate Editor for Sports

The varsity soccer team has made a dramatic turn around since Mr. Jeffrey Jewitt took over the team. Last year, for the first time in many years, the varsity soccer team won their division in the Bicentennial Athletic League (BAL) and made it to the district playoffs. Since then, the team graduated nine senior players and also lost its Assistant Coach David Walz, father of D.J. Walz ’12. With this in mind, the million dollar question entering into the 2013 season is: can the Tide win their league again?

Over the summer, Mr. Neil Regino was brought on to be Assistant Coach of the team. Coach Regino attended The Shipley School and played under Mr. Jewitt there. He had also coached Devon’s Freshman Soccer Team during the 2007 season. With his past experience, Coach Neil jumped right into his new role and began to help Mr. Jewitt construct the new varsity team.

By the time August 5th, the beginning of the fall season, had come around, the team was beginning to take form. However, after one week of minicamp, two weeks of tryouts, and two scrimmages against The Shipley School and Lower Moreland High School, the team was still unsure of what the season would bring.

On August 30th, the team played Haverford High School in their first match of the season. For the first time in nearly a decade, the Tide defeated them by a score of 1-0, giving the team a 1-0 record

for the first time in years. Energized by their victory, the team proceeded to defeat Valley Forge Military Academy, also by a score of 1-0, the following Wednesday. On August 7th, the team suffered an overtime loss to Archbishop Carroll High School in a hard fought, thrilling game, with the tying goal being scored just as time expired.

League play began the following week, with games against Calvary Christian, the Church Farm School, and Faith Christian. By week’s end, the team was

2-1 in the B.A.L. with a 4-2 overall record because of their 5-1 victory over Calvary and their 3-0 victory over Church Farm. The following week, the team also defeated Mast Charter 5-2 moving to 3-1 in the B.A.L. and 5-2 overall.

With the season not even half way over, the team is still practicing hard in the hopes of making it back to the district playoff. With time still remaining, the question still has yet to be answered: can they win their league again?

Jonathan Liu ’14 fends off another player.

The Devon Prep XC Team has had a great start.

Andrew Brekus ’14 fires at the goal.

5

New Records Broken

Andrew Hayden ‘15

L i ke t he vegetable w it h t he sa me na me, t he ga me of squash is ver y hea lt hy for t hose who pa r ta ke of it . T he fast-paced a nd f u n ga me of squash is played i ndoors i n a fou r-wa l led cou r t w it h a long-ha nd led racquet a nd a sma l l r ubber ba l l . Usua l ly played by t wo people, it ca n a lso be played by fou r (doubles). Squash was der ived f rom a n ea rl ier ga me t hat or ig i nated i n Eng la nd ca l led R acquet s. T he na me Squash was bor n when a sof ter r ubber ba l l t hat squashes— of ten leav i ng a ma rk when it h it s t he cou r t ’s side wa l l— replaced t he ha rd ba l l used i n t he ea rl ier ga me.

Accord i ng to a 2003 a r t icle i n Forbes Maga z i ne ra n k i ng t he ten hea lt h iest spor t s, “[Squash] has conven ience on it s side, as 30 m i nutes on t he squash cou r t prov ides a n i mpressive ca rd io respi rator y workout.” Because t he ga me i nvolves nea rly consta nt

movement, it bu i lds st reng t h a nd endu ra nce i n t he lower body. Forbes ra n ked squash as t he #1 hea lt h iest spor t on t he basis of cr iter ia i nclud i ng ca rd io respi rator y benef it s, ca lor ie bu r n a nd moderate i nju r y r isk .

I n add it ion to bei ng lot s of f u n, squash is ver y ef f ic ient . It prov ides a good workout i n a relat ively shor t t i me, wh ich let s you keep up w it h you r homework a nd ot her i nterest s wh i le st ay i ng hea lt hy. It is a n idea l spor t for st udent s at Devon P rep.

On September 10, a sma l l, but ent husiast ic Devon P rep Squash Club st a r ted t ra i n i ng at nea rby Ber w y n Squash a nd Fit ness Club. Devon h ig h school a nd m idd le school st udent s t ra i n a nd pa r t ic ipate i n rou nd robi n tou r na ment s t wo to t h ree t i mes per week a long w it h boy s a nd g i rls f rom ot her a rea schools. Accord i ng to Ber w y n Squash Ma nager Dom i n ic

Hug hes, “Squash is a ga me t hat is eas y to lea r n but ca n ta ke a l i fet i me to f u l ly master.” L ong t i me squash players cont i nue to enjoy t he ga me for decades.

I n add it ion to keepi ng players f rom becom i ng vegetables, squash of fers a not her va luable benef it . I n a n a r t icle ent it led, “A nd for Spor t s, K id, P ut Dow n ‘Squash’” T he New York Ti mes sa id “. . . a h ig h percentage of t he nat ion’s most prest ig ious col leges f ield tea ms. Squash pros a nd coaches say t hat i n t he last few yea rs t he spor t has seen a sha r p i ncrease i n pa r t ic ipat ion by ch i ld ren a nd teenagers, some of whose pa rent s seem to have one eye on t he ba l l a nd t he ot her on col lege appl icat ions.”

For f u n, f it ness a nd a possible edge i n col lege ad m issions, Devon P rep st udent s m ig ht wa nt to g ive squash a t r y.

Russell Emery ‘15

More Than Just a Vegetable

Cross Fit TrainingJefferson Toro ‘14, Associate Editor for Entertainment

L ately, Devon P rep has had a n abu nda nce of ta lent w it h i n it s at h let ic prog ra ms. Not on ly have t he tea ms been doi ng ver y wel l, but i nd iv idua ls have a lso proven to be except iona l at t hei r respec t ive spor t s. Du r i ng t he ten n is season, bot h Drew Brek us ’14 a nd Ben Conser ’14 broke t he prev ious record of eig ht w i ns i n one season w it h ten w i ns each i n si ng les. Bot h tea m mates d isplayed rema rk able ded icat ion to t he ga me as wel l as t hei r rema rk able ta lent . T hei r records w i l l hopef u l ly boost school i nterest i n ten n is wh ich is s lowly becom i ng a prom i nent Devon

spor t . T he ot her record brea ker of t he

201 2-1 3 spor t s season was Zach Schel lenger ’14, who broke t he record for most st r i keout s i n one season by a Devon P rep baseba l l player. Zach is a n i ncred ible asset for t he Devon tea m, a nd it w i l l be excit i ng to see what he ca n do i n t h is upcom i ng season.

T hese t h ree players have made t he Devon com mu n it y proud w it h t hei r out st a nd i ng at h let ic ach ievement s. Ever ybody is look i ng for wa rd to seei ng not on ly t hese players, but a l l Devon P rep at h letes i n t he 201 3-14 spor t s yea r.

W hat is Cross Fit ness? It is on ly t he most dema nd i ng a nd sat isf y i ng prog ra m at Devon P rep. L ed by Da r i n Ba ker a nd h is assista nt, Cross Fit ness is a combi nat ion of f lex ibi l it y a nd a naerobic exercises a l l compac ted i nto one hou r. From squat s a nd bu r pees to su icides, Cross Fit ness pushes t he phy sica l l i m it of t he hu ma n body.

Before sta r t i ng Cross Fit ness si x yea rs ago, Da r i n Ba ker spent seventeen yea rs of h is l i fe on Wa l l St reet, u nt i l decid i ng t hat he wa nted to help cha nge l ives. Si nce t hen, Ba ker has helped hu nd reds of people a nd st udent s of a l l shapes a nd si zes become f it . He cont i nua l ly helps k ids i n Great Va l ley, Dow n i ng tow n West, Dow n i ng tow n East, a nd Conestoga, a nd t ra i ns players i n lacrosse, soccer, a nd f ield hockey, shapi ng f labby st udent s i nto g reat at h letes.

A side f rom t he phy sica l benef it s of Cross Fit , it a lso a l lev iates st ress. Du r i ng a session, t here isn’t t i me to t h i n k about t he nex t qu i z , test , or homework ; what l it t le t i me you have to you rsel f is t he t i me you have to get a d r i n k of water. A lt houg h you may feel sore a f ter wa rds, com i ng one step closer to get t i ng i n shape is wel l wor t h it . T here’s a lway s room for a nyone who wa nt s to joi n, so get f it now !Zach Schellenger ’14 breaks the record for most strikouts in a single season.

6 Dialogue Editorials

For t he past t wo sum mers, I have worked under Dr. Wa lter Koch, Professor of Pha r macolog y at Temple. I melted when I set f i rst g la nce upon t he new g rad school bui lding on t he Temple Universit y Hospita l ca mpus t he sum mer a f ter my f resh ma n yea r a nd I st i l l look at it w it h t he sa me a ma zement a f ter work ing t here for t wo sum mers. It ’s my k ind of bui lding. It has g ia nt g low ing bacter ia ha ng ing f rom t he cei l ing of t he t hree stor y lobby a nd has va r ious d isplays bor rowed f rom t he Mut ter Museum concer ning med ica l h istor y. Going t here ever y mor ning was a t reat t hat I was pr iv i leged enoug h to enjoy. I worked in a resea rch lab w it h fa nc y mach ines a nd intel l igent people. My resea rch dea lt w it h bet ter ing tech niques t hat cou ld t heoret ica l ly cure genet ic hy per t rophy of t he hea r t, a major cont r ibutor to hea r t-fa i lu re. As a n exa mple, I ra n a n ex per iment t hat probed for a gene which is k now n to slow dow n a nd even stop ca rdio-hy per t rophy f rom happening by reg u lat ing t he protein

HDAC5.

Work ing a nd get t ing pa id was a fa ntast ic ex per ience. From not work ing much ever to work ing for t y hou rs a week, I qu ick ly adjusted f rom t he Devon Prep school day. T he people I got to work w it h cou ld have pa rag raphs devoted to each of t hem— perhaps even pages— but I

have neit her t he t ime nor t he space to prov ide a n adequate descr ipt ion of t hese cha racters. You wou ld t h in k t hat in a sta rk wh ite lab t hat you wou ld be work ing w it h people w it h sta rk wh ite persona l it ies but t hat was not t he case for t h is crew. T hese people come f rom a l l over t he world. T here were people f rom Bra zi l, Ch ina, Korea, Ita ly, Ger ma ny, Ba ng ladesh a nd ma ny ot her places, each w it h lessons to teach a nd stor ies to tel l. Each person was able to teach me a l it t le about t he world a nd about t he f ield of scient i f ic resea rch, d raw ing me in to t h is speci f ic l ine of work even more. T he fact t hat science br ings t he whole world toget her is somet h ing t hat I t h in k is ma r velous. T h is ex per ience rea l ly helped me f ig u re out t hat science is for me. I st rong ly encou rage ot her st udents to go out a nd pu rsue inter nsh ips because t hey cou ld rea l ly help w it h t he impossible quest ion imposed on us h ig h-school st udents: “W hat do you wa nt to do for t he rest of you r l i fe?”

Deciphering DNAAndrew Loper ‘15

Shadowing Alumni

Landon Farnsworth ’15As a junior, I always have the future

on my mind: there are so many paths to go down and experiences to have from this point in life. I have always had a great interest in law and wanted to know what it is like and if I would like it. Last year, the Alumni Office had a new idea for a “mentor program” in which Father Richard Wyzykiewicz ’61 and Mr. Dave Evans ’08 would bring inf luential alumni to Devon to speak to a small group in the conference room. When I heard Father Rich announcing to the school that two law yers would be coming to the next mentor program meeting, I jumped on the idea and attended. This was a great opportunity that not many other schools give you. The two law yers were very informative and I learned a lot. Afterward, I was able to obtain Assistant District Attorney of Delaware County Michael Hill ’03’s contact information in hopes to get more information and maybe visit the courthouse. He was very enthusiastic and willing to help me and gave the idea of shadowing him to be able to see first-hand what it is like to be a law yer.

In late August, I contacted him and the date was set. I woke up extremely early and left for the long drive to

the Media courthouse. I arrived and right away we re-introduced ourselves before it was off to the courthouse. I was able to see him in action up close with many cases. I learned a lot because he told me what he was doing as it was going on and what he was trying to convince the judge of as he prosecuted defendants. He also introduced me to other assistant district attorneys that were with him and the public defense attorneys. I was also able to meet the judge who was extremely nice. After a few hours in the courthouse, we went to the judge’s office where the judge discusses the following weeks’ cases with all the assistant district attorneys and public defense attorneys he worked with. It went very quickly and made me appreciate how many cases Mr. Hill takes on every day. After a lunch break we went to his cubicle where he showed me what he does to prepare for upcoming cases. He then brought me to meet the District Attorney and many other high up executives. It was awesome being able to meet these people, have real conversations, and have them know my name. Next, Mr. Hill gave me a tour of the entire courthouse. I saw interesting departments such as

the forensics office, among others. He also introduced me to the intense sport that is “blind tennis,” a very popular game in the office where two people throw a ball back and forth in two separate cubicles but are unable to see the other person. It was very amusing seeing that no matter where you were in the workplace, there was always a little room for fun. To end the day, we went and watched a trial concerning a robbery. During this, Mr. Hill explained to me what each side was attempting to do and critiqued their examinations of witnesses and style. We heard their closing arguments and he told me to make sure not to drag it on in any way, such as describing what it is like to buy a first house which we witnessed in that particular closing argument. After all the excitement of the day, I left and thanked him again.

I had a great day in which I not only learned a lot but had a great time. I would like to thank Mr. Hill again for having me and Fr. Rich and Mr. Evans for organizing the Devon mentor program and allowing me to have the opportunity to do this. This hopefully is my first step in eventually going to law school and becoming a successful law yer like Mr. Hill!

An experiment for the gene regulating the HDAC5 protein.

7Another Rwanda?Joshua Lieberman ’15

Civil war and internal strife have ravaged the middle eastern nation of Syria. Historically, as the trade crossroads bet ween Asia and Europe, it once ser ved as the center of the Islamic world and endured the colonization of France and England. A nation whose histor y has been as tumultuous as its location, Syria is now facing one of its most tr ying circumstances at the end of the Arab Spring.

Syria’s independence was followed by many years of shak y regimes and foreign-inf luenced polit ics. Relative order was not established until the election of Hafez Al-Assad with the rise of the Ba’ath Socialist Part y and the start of a long and stil l continuing anti-western government period. Bashar Al-Assad, the son of Hafez, inherited the polit ical position of president of Syria after his father’s death and has continued his father’s polit ical agenda. At the turn of the centur y, discontent with this traditionally autocratic government system grew to breaking points. Formal disputes bet ween the incumbent leader and his government and the opposition factions began in November of 2011 and have festered into the catastrophe of a civil war. With hundreds of thousands dead and approximately six million Syrians displaced in neighboring nations, it is the worst domestic tragedy to affect the ancient nation.

The question of international inter vention or resolution of this dispute is a serious topic of debate on the international stage. Foreign nations’ stances on the conf lict have heated and cooled in the argument due to the complexit y of the dilemma. It is diff icult to verif y which side in the conf lict is less inf luenced by Islamic terrorist groups: the Ba’ath Part y supports Hezbollah while simultaneously there are reports of Al Qaeda members in the ranks of the resistance. The whole war is nothing more than a polit ical dispute bet ween factions and parties. The only losers in the civil war are the innocent cit izens of the countr y.

However, on the international stage, there is inadequate focus on civilian losses. The Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China have both expressed heav y opposition to foreign inter vention in Syria, for reasons unclear other than violations of sovereignt y. By doing so, they hope to avoid any formal actions against the regime of Bashar Al-Assad. Even with the advent of the use of chemical weapons in the war by the Assad government, Russia and China’s solutions to this v iolation of the UN’s

chemical weapons ban is nothing more than a transfer of these weapons to a UN weapons council; no immediate punishment would be administered.

So at the end of the day, what is to be done about the Syrian civil war? Some would argue that it is not in the best interests of foreign nations to aid the Syrians. However, as the United States has often displayed throughout histor y, it believes it is the world’s keeper of peace. It seems as if it is the U.S.A.’s dut y almost to protect the world’s innocents from the perils of t yranny and cruelt y. The United States involvement in Iraq was based on the idea that the Saddam Hussein regime had weapons of mass destruction that would threaten peaceful nations nearby. This concept of American Exceptionalism, demonstrated through our international involvements (for the supposed greater good of the world), is an underlying concept in the talks of this current debacle in Syria. Former President Clinton spoke on the incident and alluded to its similarit ies to the Rwandan civil war in which Rwanda suffered a mass genocide of approximately f ive hundred thousand to one million people. This conf lict was left relatively ignored by foreign nations and was consideredto be one of the greatest genocidal catastrophes of the Twentieth Centur y. Mr. Clinton also alluded to the even more tragic Republican Congolese Genocide which resulted in the deaths of six million. This genocide and civil war went virtually ignored by foreign inter vention and to a degree was rumored to have been almost entirely funded by US corporations and economic interests. Both of these conf licts were left as longstanding examples of Western indifference to international catastrophe and remain a bitter counterpoint to the effectiveness and good-nature of western foreign policy. Mr. Clinton, like many others, is drawing attention to the fact that the worsening of the conf lict would result in irreversibly catastrophic events.

With already more than one hundred and ten thousand deaths in the war alone with more than six million displaced, this civil war is proving to be one of the more severe of the Twent y-First Centur y. Neglecting this war could mean the loss of thousands more lives. W hile the decision of action in regards to Syria stil l remains nothing more than table-talk, there are thousands suffering in and outside of Syria due to the divisive civil war. Inter vention would have serious drawbacks both internally and internationally for foreign nations, but a refusal to inter vene or mediate could be equally disastrous, not only for Syria but also for nations that have traditionally been the famed “peace-keepers” of the international world. Can world leaders allow such a catastrophe to worsen? Will this be another Rwanda?

Al Qaeda members have infiltrated the ranks of the Syrian rebels.

Civil war has wreaked havoc upon civilian infrastructure.

8 A Century of SentimentAndrew Bright ‘14, Editor-in-Chief

Editorial Board

Editor-in-Chief: Andrew Bright ’14Deputy Editors-in-Chief: Patrick Shields ’14 & James Stanish ’14Photography Editor: Michael Lawrence ’14Digital Editor: Kevin Sheng ’14Faculty Moderator: Mr. Lawrence Theuer

Associate Editor for Entertainment: Jefferson Toro ’14Associate Editors for News: Michael Horbowy ’14 & Soham Bharne ’15 Associate Editor for Editorials: Jackson Misko ’14 Associate Editor for Sports: Sean Bevan ’14

All photos, unless otherwise noted, taken by newspaper staff or Ms. Rose Lombardo, for Devon Preparatory School.Special thanks to Fr. Shea for his tireless assistance and guidance.

© 2013 Devon Prep

A cool, autumn breeze sifts through the open windows of Calasanctius Hall. The verdure brought in by spring slowly recedes, and in its place, leaves of crimson and brown settle. The trees lining the driveway burst into color, forming a collage of reds, greens, yellows, and browns. The voices of students and athletes can be heard in the distance blending with the sounds of birds frantically preparing for winter. Autumn is a time of change, and it is well reflected in the Devon campus.

As I sit here and write this, I think back five autumns ago to the beginning of my eighth grade year, the year when I first entered Devon. I was in middle school and much of my time was spent in Calasanctius Hall. At that time in my Devon life, Calasanctius contained all the essence of the Devon experience. I attended classes in it, I laughed with friends in it, and I graduated from middle school in it. As I moved up to the Upper School, I still visited Calasanctius for French class and after-school functions. Yet, the power of Calasanctius Hall to captivate me was still well alive. Even now, Calasanctius has a sentimental appeal to it.

This year marks the one hundredth autumn Calasanctius has witnessed. Built in 1913 by Dr. Charles Matthew Lea, the mansion that was later to be called Calasanctius Hall was first situated upon the twenty acre area known as Westthorpe Farm. Seven years later, Dr. Lea enlarged the size of Westthorpe Farm to one hundred and three acres. The original mansion and property were much different in comparison to its present day counterpart. The original entrance to the mansion was located at the present-day intersection of Connestoga Road, Valley Forge Road and Hunters Lane, and the current entrance to Devon was the servants’ entrance. After the death of Dr. Lea in 1927, the mansion and farm remained in Charlotte Lea’s name until her death in 1945, at which time the mansion and farm were sold to a housing developer. In 1955, the Piarist Fathers purchased the land and mansion, and on September 8, 1956, Devon Preparatory School opened its doors to fourty-nine students.

Calasanctius contains within it a unique history; some of it recorded, most not. Every student, every educator, every parent who has ever set foot in Calasanctius has left some mark and most of these are forgotten. And I feel that this history is much more interesting than the one which is recorded. In Calasanctius Hall, one hundred years-worth of memories was created and countless lives were influenced. Even when these words have faded from this paper, and I am all but a memory, the spirit of Calasanctius shall shine on, lighting the way for a new generation. So, Calasanctius Hall, here is to a hundred more years.

Engineering for a Brighter FutureRussell Emery ’15

A large percentage of Devon Prep alumni are engineers. This may be in part a result of t he r igorous AP physics course t hat Devon Prep’s Headmaster, Fr. James Shea ’66, teaches to many juniors, as well as AP Calculus AB and BC. As a r ising junior who hopes to study engineering, I decided to sharpen my sk i l ls t his summer by enroll ing in a college engineering course.

Offered by Johns Hopk ins Universit y’s W hit ing School of Engineering, t he “Engineering Innovations” program took place in July on t he campus of Montgomer y Count y Communit y College in Blue Bell, PA, and was attended by students from a variet y of area schools. A lt hough four weeks of ful l-day classes might sound l ike a negative to some, I woke up ever y day excited to go to t he Engineering Innovations program.

Ever y week we were introduced to one or t wo new engineering disciplines. We learned t he basics of civ i l, structural, material, and chemical engineering, as well as some computer science and physics. The course spanned topics such as calculat ing t he forces on complex trusses to convert ing bet ween hexadecimal, octal, binar y and decimal number systems by hand. In addit ion to helping me learn more about t he subject I hope to study in college, t his material has been helpful going into AP Physics w it h Fr. Shea.

There were many hands-on labs which introduced us to experimental techniques and t he problems engineers face as well as a lot of Excel spreadsheets. Students were put into groups to work on designing and building elevated bridges. The bridges were to be constructed of spaghett i of var y ing t hick nesses and 2-part epox y. I was pleased t hat my group’s bridge had t he second best rat io of bridge mass to mass supported. Because I part icipated in a similar contest for t he Science Oly mpiad in middle school, I had a good understanding of bridge building concepts t hat I could leverage in t his project.

We not only learned basic engineering concepts, but also why engineering is such an important f ield and why A merica needs more engineers. Our instructors, Dr. Vidya Nandikolla and Mr. Frederick Schlick, told us what steps students usually go t hrough as t hey progress towards an engineering degree. We also heard a presentat ion from Montgomer y Count y Communit y College on t he need for more engineering majors in t he United States. Ever y tool used for ever y job in t he world had to be engineered. In short, engineers are t he future of our societ y. China has four t imes more engineers graduating per year t han t he U.S. Since t he Space Race, t he number of engineers in t he U.S. has declined, and now A merican companies are forced to look for engineering graduates in China and India. In addit ion to prov iding me w it h information about various engineering disciplines, t he course I took t his summer conf irmed my desire to study engineering in college.

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