The Crusader

X Press

The Newspaper of Wildwood Catholic High School Winter 2017

Every year we look forward to Catholic Schools Week when

we celebrate all the elements that make Catholic education so

valuable.

The celebration begins on Sunday, Jan. 29 with a special Mass

in St. Ann Church for both Wildwood Catholic High School and

Cape Trinity Catholic School, which encompasses Pre-K through

eighth grade. Students from both schools will participate in the

Mass with readings and bringing the gifts up to the altar.

Monday is Teacher Appreciation Day when students visit and

bring treats to all the teachers in their rooms. On Tuesday, the

Crusader Club, our parent association, will treat the teachers to a

very special lunch.

Wednesday is reserved for the Freshman Retreat and a Faculty

meeting.

And then on Thursday students get to show off what they’ve

learned in our Jeopardy–style Knowledge Bowl that will be held

in the auditorium.

And to conclude the week, there will be a Student Apprecia-

tion Day Breakfast with honored guest Senator Jeff Van Drew

who will make a presentation.

The whole week promises to be another enjoyable and mean-

ingful celebration

of the people and

values that have

equipped multi-

tudes of graduates

to succeed in life.

We want to

thank Art teacher

Mary Walsh for

planning the

events.

By Jonathan Feraco

Once again, Father Yvans

Jazon is journeying to Haiti with even

more participants than last year. This

year’s group will have about 20 people.

The initial trip took place in 2010, in

order to help those suffering from the

disastrous earthquake that killed about

220,000 people, including some of Fa-

ther’s friends and family.

Jan. 12 was the 7th anniversary of the

earthquake.

Father takes the trip every year, back

to his home village where he grew up.

In an interview, he stated, “They are

hungry for help.”

The Haitians lack food, clothing,

shelter, and especially education, some-

thing the group aims to improve.

They do this by supporting an orphan-

age in Haiti, and they help pay for

clothing and education costs.

This group of volunteers, along with

Father, go to help the Haitians rebuild

in any way they can.

While in Haiti, they stay in a private

home, for there are many diseases in

the country.

The trip is Jan. 14 through 21.

They depart from New York, and fly

directly to Port-au-Prince.

During this mission, the volunteers

help anyone in need with supplies and

essentials for living, such as education,

clothing, food, and recreation.

This year, one of the main focuses of

the trip is to provide portable light.

WCHS Travels to Haiti to Do God’s Work

Fr. Yvans with a little friend in Haiti Photo credit: Julie Roche

See “Haiti” page 5

Time Again to Celebrate Catholic Schools

Photo credit: Edward Karapcik

Page 2 WCHS News Winter 2017

Singing and Painting One’s Way to College By Mae Mathis

Talk about college is buzzing through the senior

hallway, which is filled with ambitious young men

and women with different plans for their futures.

Seniors Caroline Inderwies and Fred Spiewak are two

who stand out from the rest. Inderwies plans to pursue

graphic design and Spiewak will study music.

Today, many art students battle the stigma that they are

wasting their money with useless degrees.

Inderwies said, “It would be so much easier to play it

safe, but to try for what makes you happy is more im-

portant.” Ever since she was little, she’s loved “drawing

and creating things.” For her future career, “there are so

many opportunities for graphic design right now because

of social media. It’s growing.”

Spiewak “loves music and wouldn’t enjoy anything

else.” Fred’s music degree will not be useless either. He

plans on using it to “perform and teach.”

Colleges are an investment for the future. Inderwies

and Spiewak must be serious when deciding what school

deserves their talent, time and money.

Inderwies doesn’t just look for a school with an arts

program but how “well-known” it is. Right now,

“Temple, Northeastern, and UNC Charlotte” are on her

list of top schools.

When searching for a music school, Spiewak “looks for

schools with good teachers and reputation.” Fred likes

Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York be-

cause it is “well known and has a great program.

The application process for arts schools is different.

Inderwies explains, “Art programs require a portfolio

which is a lot of work. On

top of writing my college

essay and applying, I have

to constantly be working on

pieces for my portfolio.”

Spiewak explains that he

must take time to audition

for the music schools. Fred

must practice his audition

pieces in order to make a

good impression.

Inderwies is always

working on improving her-

self “inside and outside the

art room.”

“Ms. Walsh can only teach

me so much, be-

cause just like

anything else, if I

don’t practice on

my own, I can

never improve.

Even just doo-

dling on the top of

my notebook is

practicing.”

If anyone can

overcome this stig-

ma, it is these two

individuals. They possess the talent, courage, and support

system to succeed in these competitive fields.

By Alex Sakena

As a high school

senior, applying to

colleges can be very over-

whelming. I had the grades

for my reach schools, but I

fell short when it came

down to the SAT.

So here are the questions:

Are SAT scores really that

important and should they

affect my chances of getting

into college?

I have never been a good

standardized test taker. I

always found myself sitting

down during those long

tests and sometimes just

staring down at the paper. I

believe these aptitude tests

favor certain types of think-

ers.

This sparks the question

of why some students strug-

gle in school, and yet they

do very well on the SAT.

Then there are the stu-

dents, like me, who do de-

cently well in school, but

could never crack the SAT.

Here is the truth. For top

schools like Harvard, Duke,

and Stanford, a low SAT

score can affect your chanc-

es greatly of being admitted.

This doesn’t necessarily

mean a high SAT score will

guarantee your admission to

those top notch universities,

but it will help.

This also doesn’t mean

you won't get into any

schools with a low SAT

score. Many great schools

such as Wake Forest, New

York University, and Saint

Joseph’s University have

chosen to go “test optional”

for struggling test takers.

Ultimately, SAT scores

will only affect your chanc-

es of being admitted into

America’s top universities.

With schools now going

test optional, people should-

n’t let the SAT discourage

them. If you have the GPA,

extracurricular activities,

and anything else that looks

good on an application,

you're golden for getting

into college.

Artwork by Caroline Inderwies

SATs: Genuine Evaluation or Necessary Evil?

Fred sings his heart out on stage. Photo by: Julie Roche

Page 3 WCHS News Winter 2017

40 Days of Sacrifice: Preparation and Self-Improvement

By William Gloede

Academic Challenge

is frequently men-

tioned on the morning an-

nouncements, but what is it?

"It's a competition among

high schools," said Ms.

Craig Gras, club moderator

and coach. It’s "like Jeop-

ardy but more academically

oriented."

The competition is among

28 teams in 14 schools in

this district, each school

sending two teams.

There is no national com-

petition, but many other dis-

tricts have a similar pro-

gram.

In recent years, Wildwood

Catholic's Academic Chal-

lenge team has "done well,

considering that most of our

students on Academic Chal-

lenge [are involved in other

activities] as well, “last year

coming in 5th in the 25 team

competition.

Overall, Academic Chal-

lenge is a valuable extracur-

ricular experience.

Bring It On: Crusaders Accept the Challenge

Worshipping Differently, Together

By Hanna Grimes

Why do you have

black cross on your fore-

head?, you may be asked

throughout the day. Well,

because it’s Ash Wednes-

day, the first day of Lent.

Lent is exactly 40 days

before Easter. So we Catho-

lics are preparing for Easter

by receiving ashes signify-

ing that we are people of

Christ.

We will have mass March

1 to begin our observance of

Lent. Many people during

these 40 days “give up”

something or even better, try

to do random acts of kind-

ness each day leading up to

Easter.

Are you having trouble

thinking of something to

“give up” or some ideas to

make a positive impact,

here’s some ideas

1. If you feel the need to

gossip about someone, say a

prayer for them instead.

2. Talk to people you nor-

mally don’t talk too.

3. Eat healthier.

4. Take a day off social me-

dia.

5. Call/ Visit your grandpar-

ents .

6. Perform random acts of

kindness during the week.

7. Donate money to an or-

ganization/volunteer more.

8. Forgive mistakes.

9. Smile more .

10. Be you :)

By Dillon Barry

Most of us practice one reli-

gion and celebrate the holidays

with that certain religion. But what

happens when your parents are of two

different religions?

Senior Dan Moses is one of those

people whose parents celebrate two

different faiths. His Dad is a practic-

ing Methodist who sings at his local Methodist Church.

And his mother is Jewish. She helped encouraged Dan and

his twin brother Josh to learn about the faith and to hope-

fully pass it down to their future families as well.

Dan stated that, “I celebrate the Jewish faith and have

had my bar mitzvah, but I do attend Christmas Mass and

some other Masses here and there due to my father being a

Methodist, but even though I celebrate the Jewish faith my

father explains to me what he was

taught and about what they believe in

as Methodists.

Dan celebrates both the Passover

and the Easter holiday in his household

and says, “Even though it's two differ-

ent faiths, I enjoy learning about both

and what each one celebrates because

you don't get many parents with two

different faiths, so it's always some-

thing new and interesting each time.’’

Though the parents are of two different faiths they all

support one another and celebrate openly about their reli-

gion.

Dan couldn't be happier about his faith and how he cele-

brates these special religious holidays.

Ah, winter! Ah...who needs it?

By Willis Wareham

I don’t like winter at all. Instead of walking or rid-

ing my bike, I have to look for a ride all the time to avoid

the cold. I try to stay indoors. I don’t even want to get out

of bed on cold mornings in January, February, and

March.

And so...

I’m really looking

forward to spring!

Page 4 WCHS Celebrations Winter 2017

By Limmy Feng

Chinese New Year, known in modern Chinese as the "Spring Festival," is

an important Chinese festival celebrated at the turn of the traditional lunisolar Chi-

nese calendar. Celebrations traditionally run from the evening preceding the first

day, to the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first calendar month. The first

day of the New Year falls on the new moon between Jan. 21 and Feb. 20.

In 2017, the first day of the Chinese New Year is on Jan. 28.

Festival: A great way to start the New Year

February Loves Romance

By Maggie Peters

Did you know approximately 150 million Val-

entine's Day cards are exchanged annually, making Val-

entine's Day the second most popular card-sending holi-

day after Christmas?

Although Valentine’s Day is a

holiday used to celebrate the

ones you love, the legend be-

hind it is a dark one.

According to History.com,

Valentine's Day originated from

the Legend of St. Valentine.

While there are many stories

about St. Valentine, a popular

one is that St. Valentine was a

kind-hearted priest who married

By Rian Lawley

On Feb. 10, the

junior class will

receive their class rings at

the traditional Ring Day

ceremony. This is a big step

for the junior class and an

important milestone for

them and their parents.

During the Ring Day cer-

emony, there is a Mass held

in the auditorium which

young couples against the wishes of Emperor Claudius II.

The Emperor was against men marrying during wartime.

For performing these secret weddings, he was sent to pris-

on. While in jail it is believed he wrote letters to the jailer's

daughter, signing them "from your Valentine."

He was later beheaded for his deeds on Feb.14.

The halls of Wildwood Catholic have brought many cou-

ples together. Sophomore homeroom

and Spanish teacher, Mrs. Victoria

Bolle, met her husband here.

They were in the same grade and at-

tended both junior and senior proms

together.

Their first date was when he asked her

to go see the movie “Kramer vs. Kra-

mer” at the movies.

Mrs. Bolle and her husband later at-

tended the same college, Glassboro

State College, now Rowan University.

Closer to Graduation family and friends can par-

ticipate in and witness them

receive their rings.

Blessing the rings is a

reminder of the strong faith

at this school. As a tradi-

tion, once the students re-

ceive their rings they are

then turned, towards the

pinky, the number of their

graduation year by friends,

family members, or teach-

ers or their choice. They do

this to send them on with

good luck and many bless-

ings on their journey as up-

perclassmen.

By Caitlin McMullan

As the new year rolls along, some may be finding

a way to motivate themselves, but others may

just be marking their calendar yet another day.

After conducting a poll on twitter, I found that 53 per-

cent of the 35 students I asked still use a New Year’s Res-

olution to ring in the new year on the right path.

These resolutions vary from outrageous to motivational.

Victoria Bacino and Bill Bolle in yearbook photos, 1981

Resolve to make the New Year better?

Senior Natalie Montgomery says that she would like to

try to run every day, which would lead to a healthier life-

style.

Some of the outrageous (and pretty far-fetched) like

senior Zack Frame said that he would like to “meet

Drake or Bryson Tiller.”

So after this quick poll, I conclude that it’s not a dead

fad. It’s alive as ever. Whether you believe in this fad or

not, there’s nothing wrong with becoming the person you

yearn to be this new year!

Page 5 WCHS Community Ministry Winter 2017

By Thomas Piro

What makes a Cath-

olic School, Catho-

lic?

It’s a school filled with

disciples of Christ. On Dec.

15, our junior class showed

their discipleship by partici-

pating in their retreat.

The theme was Casting

your Nets. The goal was to

show them that being a dis-

ciple of Christ is not weird

or abnormal but a way to

spread the Gospel and live a

life dedicated to Christ.

Emma McCoy said the

retreat “was fun” and she

“learned a lot about” her-

self. She found the witness

talks to be “cool.”

Irving Fenonchio

“enjoyed the retreat.” He

found the small group dis-

cussions to be the highlight

of the day because it was a

place “to talk about our

faith.”

The Retreat

was run by Anthony Fucci,

Jessica Sherwen, Katie

McCann, Janice

Schumann, and seniors Mae

Mathis, Maggie Peters, Fred

Spiewak and me.

Students began the day

with a prayer service fol-

lowed by breaking into two

groups. One group went into

a living room setting and

talked about how life is

challenging and

that we can lose our focus

on our goal in life.

Then they all thought of

who their safety nets are in

their lives and prayed for

them.

The other group stayed in

the chapel and talked about

the mercy of God.

They watched a few

scenes from “Finding

Nemo” to show, in a mod-

ern way, God’s love for us

and how he would do any-

thing for his children as

Marlin the clownfish did.

After participating in

these activities, three senior

retreat leaders gave witness

talks about how faith is im-

portant in their lives.

Then they had small

group discussions to finish

the day.

The retreat was held at the

Marianist Retreat House in

Cape May Point.

Fucci and Sherwen have

been facilitating retreats for

over 15 years and this is

their second for Wildwood

Catholic.

Fucci loves seeing the

“transformation” from the

beginning of the retreat to

the end.

Sherwen loves to watch

students experience that

“click” and then “apply

their faith to real life.”

“Haiti” from page 1

The group is to bring 1,750 solar lights to provide for

three villages and six schools.

They also plan to bring 1000 soccer balls, for in Haiti,

soccer, or football as they call it, is the fastest way to a

child’s heart. In an interview with Father, he stated if a

Haitian child were hungry and was offered food or a soc-

cer ball, they’d choose the soccer ball.

When asked about what it’s like to see the face of a

happy Haitian child, Father stated that he, “sees the face

of Jesus Christ in everyone of them.”

It’s because the Haitians are always happy, no matter

what situation they live in.

Photo credit: Katie McCann

A Day of Reflection for Juniors

Fr. Joseph Wallace during last year’s trip to Haiti Photo credit: Julie Roche

“Love is not patronizing and charity isn't about pity, it is about love.

Charity and love are the same -- with charity you give love, so don't

just give money but reach out your hand instead.” ― St. Mother Teresa

Page 6 WCHS Sports Winter 2017

Girls still in it to win it

By Dominic Lopresti

Another exciting

season is in the works for

WCHS girls basketball.

The team is led by seniors

and captains Caitlin McMul-

lan, Mary Gomez, and Lau-

ren Moretti.

The team looks to take its

season one game at a time

and avoid looking too far

into the future but have goals

set.

McMullan says that the

team should “compete for

Cape Atlantic League cham-

pionship and win the confer-

ence.”

Though the end of the sea-

son is far away since it ends

in March, there is a whole

lot of basketball to be played

until then including the all

important Middle Matchup

on Jan. 27.

The Crusaders look to

make a statement this game

and stun the Middle Town-

ship team as they look to

stay in good form throughout

the rigorous season.

Though the end of the sea-

son may be in March, it may

seem to go by quickly for

By Alex Sakena

The Boys Basketball

Team is looking to have a

tremendous season.

After last year’s loss in

the first round of the CAL

tournament and falling to

Gill St. Bernard in the South

Jersey semi-final game,

Catholic craves winning

both the CAL and South

Jersey championships this

year.

With increased talent

coming in, both senior

captains, Ryan Legler

and Trey Smith, are on

the same page with the

expectations of this sea-

son. Smith says, “Every

year we always have two

goals we want to accom-

plish: winning a CAL

Title, as well as a South

Jersey Title.”

Legler adds to that by

noting “the ex-

pectations are

higher this season

because of the

talent we have.”

Both Legler and

Smith take their

captain responsi-

Crusaders Look to Shoot their Way to the CAL Title

Photo credit: Austin Thompson

bilities seri-

ously and

look to lead

by example.

Smith

states, “Good

leaders must

lead by ex-

ample be-

cause by

walking your

talk, you start to become a

person others want to fol-

low. And that when leaders

say one thing, but then do

another, people begin to

lose their trust, which is a

critical element of a pro-

ductive leader.”

Legler uses his captain

responsibilities to make

sure his teammates “learn

and accept the Wildwood

Catholic way. [They] do

things differently than

many other programs.

[They] adopt a family at-

mosphere.” He will also

make sure everyone will

work their hardest and

“leave it all out on the

court.”

Along with Smith and

Legler, juniors Caleb

Fields, Charles Fields and

freshman Taj Thweatt

round out the team’s start-

ing lineup. Junior Matthew

Capozzoli, transfer

Marquel Matthews, and

freshman Jahlil White pro-

vide depth to the team.

Check wildwoodcatho-

lic.org for the final stand-

ings.

Photo credit: Austin Thompson

senior Caitlin McMullan as she looks to reach the exclu-

sive 1,000 Point Club. McMullan will attend Goldey-

Beacom college, while senior Lauren Moretti is current-

ly being recruited by colleges.

Page 7 WCHS Sports Winter 2017

By Alicia Forrest

The basketball

players of Wildwood

Catholic showed off

their talent on the court at

the Boardwalk Classic

Tournament Dec. 26-31.

These athletes finished

off this six day tourna-

ment with a 2-1 record

for the boy’s team, and a

3-0 record for the girl’s

team.

The girl’s victory

meant a lot, to both the

team and their coach, as

they remember a former

Wildwood Catholic bas-

ketball player, Genny

Farnan, who recently

passed away due to can-

cer.

Captain and senior,

Caitlin McMullan said,

“it was a really special

win because we won it

for Genny Farnan, who

was a really successful

basketball player. We

kept her spirit with us

while we played and got

the job done.”

While our players

dominated the courts,

several Wildwood Catho-

lic students volunteered

at the concession stands

which took place at the

tournament.

The reasoning behind

the Boardwalk Classic is

to help raise scholarship

money for graduating

seniors. Since the Board-

walk Classic is the larg-

est basketball tournament

in the country, a lot of

scholarship money is

raised.

Crusaders with the Win

(and the Trophy to prove i t ! )

Where’s our Mascot?

By Hennessey Barry

Two years ago our last mascot, Hayden Garra-

brant, graduated from the halls of Wildwood Catholic. So

it’s been two years since our enthusiastic, committed mas-

cot, The Crusader, rallied the fans at our basketball

games, and we want him back.

Cheer Coach Carin Vey said, “The mascot promotes

better spirit and energy to the boys’ and girls’ basketball

games and the team.”

The cheer team agrees, especially

senior Maggie Peters who says, “the

mascot brings a greater atmosphere to

the gym.”

The Crusader adds to our school

spirit and without him it’s been a little

dull.

The cheerleaders also state, “the

mascot brought a new life to the cheer

squad.”

The mascot fired up the crowd with

energy, getting everyone laughing and

cheering on the team. The mascot is

the true example of school spirit.

If you are interested in becoming the mascot, sign up in

the Wildwood Catholic Business Office. There are no spe-

cific qualifications to be the mascot, just get up and show

your school spirit.

Hip, Hip, Hooray!

By: Dillon Barry

People think cheerleading is not hard to do and

anyone can do it, but in reality it is physically

demanding and can cause serious injuries.

While most of us are watching the game and cheering

for our team, people barely notice the hard work the

cheerleaders actually put in, considering they practice six

hours a week.

Senior Co-Captain Hennessey

Barry states that practices consist of

“sidelines, complex stunts and rou-

tine dances. Practices can last as

long as an hour or two at the

WCHS gymnasium.”

‘’Even though cheerleading may

not seem dangerous, there have

been incidents where people would

get kicked right in the nose, but we

always get right back up and con-

tinue!’’ says Hennessey.

People may not consider cheerlead-

ing a sport but the cheerleaders dis-

agree. Hennessey said, ‘’We have as much passion and

dedication as the other sports teams in the school. We do

physical activities and sweat as much as people that do

sports as well.``

The cheerleaders hope to see many fans at the basket-

ball games cheering on Wildwood Catholic.

Photo by: Austin Thompson

The first ever Genny Farnan Bracket Trophy Photo credit: Caitlin McMullan

Page 8 WCHS Family Winter 2017

S po tl ight on Exc el l e nt Educa t ors

By Dominic Lopresti

“The greatest gift I've

ever received was the

gift of reading.” An Albright

College graduate and a teach-

er since 1967, Craig Gras had

taught at Holy Spirit and

Wildwood Catholic. Gras has

been teaching here since

2000.

Gras has been collecting

information the average per-

son would think of as useless

or odd.

She competes in competi-

tions based on her knowledge

and also is the coach of the

academic challenge team at

Wildwood Catholic. Gras

enjoys coaching the team

because it not only challeng-

es her but she walks away

knowing more than when she

arrived at an academic chal-

lenge event.

She began collecting this

knowledge when she was

young as her father also gath-

ered info that is obscure or

odd.

But what does Gras credit

all her knowledge to? Read-

ing! Gras grew up without a

TV until she was 14 and

would spend her nights read-

ing. She believes this gave

her the knowledge and the

spark of curiosity to go out

and learn more as she went

on to get a master’s degree in

History.

She also believes that

“Catcher and the Rye” is the

book that everyone should

read once in their lifetime.

She stands by the fact that

this book has stood the test of

time and earned a read by all

high school students.

Though she can't name any

specific book that is her fa-

vorite she did say her favorite

author is Jane Austen.

By Caitlin McMullan

Just three short

years ago, Ms.

Kane was just like any

ordinary teacher. Arriv-

ing just before the stu-

dents and leaving at

about the same time as

her co-workers.

Now, fast forward

three years and she is

arriving at school at 7:30

a.m. and not leaving until

9:30 p.m. most nights.

This just goes to show

the dedication and love

Kane has for her job and

for Wildwood Catholic.

After going to high

school here and then

working at WCHS for all

but ten years of her

teaching career, Kane

says that she

“fiercely believes in

the mission of

WCHS” and that is

one of the reasons

that her transition

from teacher to Aca-

demic Dean went so

smoothly.

Although she loves

being Dean because of

the interaction she gets to

have all day long with

students, parents, and

faculty, Kane would not

leave teaching behind.

Right now, she teaches

college level French and

History to students.

When Kane is not at

WCHS doing office

work, conducting meet-

ings, or looking out for

her students, she enjoys

traveling and attending

various sporting events.

If she is not in her office

after school, you can al-

ways find her at the field,

court, track or pool that

the sporting event of the

day is being held.

Mrs. Gras: The “secret” of her success Ms. Kane: Fiercely dedicated to WCHS

By Tahtiyana Camba

Junior Emma

McCoy spends

much of her time either tak-

ing photographs. McCoy

loves how much a picture

can capture the beauty of

scene. "A picture says

1,000 words," truly describes

McCoy’s view of photog-

raphy.

When she steps outside

her room the world becomes

her canvas, from the banis-

ters and shimmering win-

dows of her home, to ice

rinks with her friends.

McCoy said,

“Photography is an amazing

Emma McCoy, Photographer art and it's

really a part

of my life. I

love it.”

Right: an example of how McCoy

captures the feeling

of a moment

Mrs. Kane in her office helping student Tommy Piro on a tablet

Photo by Joey Catanoso

Mrs. Gras in the Doherty Room Photo credit: Dominic Lopresti

Don't worry when you are not recognized, but strive to be

worthy of recognition. Abraham Lincoln

Page 9 WCHS Family Winter 2017

By Casey Manera

The average high school students are drowning

in grades, college applications, and scholarship opportuni-

ties, and they often fail to pull away from their school

work and learn about new cultures, religions, and people.

Here at Catholic we have the opportunity to meet peo-

ple from other cultures right here in our very own school.

Our Chinese students are ones who ultimately dove

straight into an alien world. I have been curious as to how

these incredible individuals happen to find our miniscule

Catholic school and how they like it compared to the cha-

otic and overcrowded schools in their countries.

One student who favors our calm and quiet atmosphere

is Jingbin Zhu, more commonly known as Ben.

He told me how “it was up to [him]” to study abroad

and explore the world. He had the opportunity to go to

other countries to study, but he was “interested in study-

ing America” and becoming more accustomed to our cul-

ture.

Zhu had the option to study anywhere in

the U.S. He could have studied amongst

the hustle and bustle in New York City

or amongst the fame hungry, burnt-out

actors in Los Angeles.

But he was trying to escape the mass

population, to become an individual ra-

ther than just another face in the crowd.

So he chose our school because of its small size and

quiet nature. While talking to him, I discovered how mea-

sly our six-hour school day is compared to their ten-hour

school day in China.

Back in China Zhu’s day began at 7 a.m. and ended at

5:20 p.m. However, two hours a day were reserved for

lunch and a nap if needed. Also there was a 10-minute

break between classes to provide students with a small

break. Students stay on campus from Sunday evening to

Thursday and are given Friday through Saturday off.

Zhu is very content in our small resort town. He said

though he misses his friends and the food back in China,

he is happy here in America with our great steaks and

burgers.

By Hennessey Barry

Ever wonder what

it’s like to have a sibling

sharing the same age, birth-

day and life together?

Being a twin myself and

the stories I have to tell, I

decided to interview sets of

twins in Wildwood Catho-

lic and get the scoop on

their lives. There are stu-

dents who have twins in

Wildwood Catholic: Dan

and Josh Moses, Cameron

and Carson Denham, Alicia

and Brendan Forrest, Cole

and Neil McIntyre, Dillon

Barry and me.

Dan, Cameron, and Ali-

cia all go to Wildwood

Catholic, while their other

halves attend different

schools.

Alicia Forrest states,

“Growing up with a twin,

we shared a lot of stuff, but

not anymore.” Being a twin

is a lot different when

you’re older. There are dif-

ferent stages of being a

twin, for example, you still

share the same birthday,

but your mom isn’t dress-

ing you up in matching

clothes anymore.

When I asked the stu-

dents about what it’s like

having a twin, Cameron

Denham states, “I only

know what it’s like being a

Colliding Cultures

Twins Dillon and Hennessey Barry, both journal-

ism students. Photo credit: Colleen Hughes

WC’s Dynamic Duos

Zhu’s Math class in China. Photo Credit: Math teacher Yuanxian Chen

twin, I don’t know what it

would feel like to not have

one.” I agree with this

statement, I wouldn’t know

what it would be like not to

have a second half, that’s

all I ever known.

Twins who are very hard

to tell apart since they are

practically the same per-

son, are Cole and

Neil. When I asked

about what their

favorite thing

about being a twin

is, they both stated,

“we can mess with

people.” One per-

son might think

they are talking to

Cole,

when in reality, they are

talking to Neil. They both

agree they wouldn’t change

it for the world.

Being a twin can be both

a blessing and a curse. You

will always have them by

your side, even when you

don’t want them there.

Photo credit: Dominic Lopresti

Page 10 WCHS Opinion Winter 2017

C a n ’ t an y o n e w ri te an y m o r e?

By Rian Lawley

Believe it or not,

some students do not

know how to write or even

understand cursive hand-

writing even when it should

be a basic necessity. This is

not just a problem here, but

all around the United States.

When I was a second grader,

we had to learn cursive. Af-

ter that, up until 6th grade, I

had to write in cursive on

tests, quizzes, and home-

work.

The Iowa Tests of Basic

Skills and PSAT's have a

statement on the back of the

test packet stating that you

will not cheat. You have to

write out the paragraph. This

used to require cursive writ-

ing. Many of my classmates

did not know how to write in

cursive and I had also strug-

gled since I had not written

in cursive for over three

years.

The next year the packet

read that you may write it in

print or cursive.

Senior Casey Manera said,

"The test makers are catch-

ing up the time and accept-

ing the fact that kids nowa-

days can't write in cursive."

This should come as a sur-

prise to many for whom

learning cursive in grade

school was mandatory.

People should learn to

write in cursive for their sig-

natures for credit cards and

checks and licenses. But it

seems cursive handwriting is

slowly fading away.

It’s good to be a senior By Jonathan Freaco

Just how good is it

to be a senior and

enjoy the privileges that

come with it? We all look

forward to our senior year

of high school as the last

big hoorah, and trust me, it

comes with many privileg-

es. Privileges are chosen by

having the seniors write

down their ideas on what

they would enjoy. They’re

reviewed and approved by

Ms. Kane. If acceptable, she

will consent to it.

Privileges change from

year to year. Some of this

year’s include: early dismis-

sal during Enrichment peri-

od, at least one dress down

day per month, the ability to

leave school if they have a

substitute teacher for last

mod, or they can eat

breakfast in the cafete-

ria first mod if there is a

substitute teacher.

Senior privileges will

always be hit or miss

with everyone, some

privileges are not ac-

ceptable, such as facial

hair, sweatshirts, and

knee socks rather than

tights for the girls. But

many seniors are more

than pleased with the

privileges they are

granted.

Senior Dillon Barry

said, “I think they’re

awesome!” However,

although he enjoys the

privileges he was grant-

ed, he would also enjoy

Seniors enjoy the annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Dress Down Day. Photo credit: Edward Karapcik

1613 Route 47, Rio Grande, 600-1114

being able to go to A&LP,

a nice corner deli across the

street. Former students used

to be permitted and to Bar-

ry, “it seemed like a lot of

fun,” since he wants to

“mix it up” with a lunch

outside of school.

During school hours, the

school is responsible for the

students, so if the students

go to A&LP, there is a pos-

sibility it could lead to trou-

ble. So the administrators

feel it’s necessary for all

students to eat in the cafete-

ria and not allow them out-

side of school for lunch.

As a junior, I know the

desire for senior year and

all that comes with it. I tru-

ly believe that having privi-

leges as a senior is much

needed and appreciated.

Another senior, Dominic

Lopresti, states that the

privileges “make senior

year worth it.”

Although I’m uncertain

about the privileges my

class will be granted next

year, I’m very enthusiastic

to enjoy what so many sen-

iors before us have en-

joyed.

The Crusader X Press

1500 Central Avenue North Wildwood, NJ 08260

Editor-in-Chief: Mrs. Carolyn Miller

Managing Editor: Dr. Carolyn Mee

Staff Reporters: Tahtiyana Camba’18

Jonathan Feraco ‘18

William Gloede ‘18

Willis Wareham ‘18

Dillon Barry ‘17

Hennessey Barry ‘17

Joseph Catanoso ‘17

Alexa Davis ‘17

Limmy Feng ‘17

Alicia Forrest ‘17

Hanna Grimes ‘17

Rian Lawley ‘17

Dominic Lopresti ‘17

Casey Manera ‘17

Mae Mathis ‘17

Caitlin McMullan ‘17

Mary Kate Monichetti ‘17

Maggie Peters ‘17

Thomas Piro ‘17

Alex Sakena ‘17

CrusaderXpress@wildwoodcatholic.org

C re a t i ve C r u s a d e rs c o m p i l e d b y M a e M a t h i s

Page 11 WCHS The Arts Winter 2017

“Dopey Makes It Rain”

by Fred Spiewak ‘17

"Life in Paint"

by Olaf Feria ‘17

By Alexa Davis

Godspell will bring the

audience through the

gospels of Matthew, Mark,

Luke and John through the

characters who represent them.

Art teacher and director Ms.

Mary Walsh selected it be-

cause if its “religious content.”

Father Wallace asked about

the idea of doing the play and

they applied for the rights of

the 2012 revised version.

Walsh is excited for the play-

ing saying “I think the kids are

going to do a great job, with

the scenes and clothing you

can do it however you want, so

ours will be the Atlantic City

Boardwalk and the costumes

will be a mix of Victorian and

modern streetwear.”

Play rehearsals begin on Jan.

12, and will be based around

basketball, Mock Trial and

other school activities so that

students will be free to join in

the play.

There is almost always a

practice on Sunday dedicated

mostly to choreography. Jessi-

ca Donahue a former WCHS

student, is the choreographer

while music is done by An-

drew Hink.

There’s no cost for the sets

because they are made mostly

by Mr. Rich Bishoff, using all

found materials.

Thankfully sets pieces were

“Godspell,” our spring play is “sent from heaven above.”

Mary Walsh stands amid a plethora of costumes.

Photo credit: Alexa Davis

donated by those who produced a movie in the area

last year.

Costumes are both handmade and bought., but if a

costume is needed it will either be created by Mrs.

Linda Bischoff or bought.

Thanks to help and dedication of Walsh and

members of the WCHS family, the play will be as

amazing as ever.

Make sure you come out to see the play in our

auditorium.

NONPROFIT ORG

US POSTAGE

PAID

Permit 169

Wildwood Catholic High School

1500 Central Ave.

North Wildwood, NJ 08260

Become a member of the Crusader family. Register for the 2017-18 school year.

Call the Business Office at 609-522-7257.