The Dart

"All the news that is fitting and to the point." Volume XIII, Issue I Fall 2013

Red Sox Beard Survey

by Marty White

As you know (hopefully), the Boston

Red Sox won the World Series and grew

amazing beards to go along with it. I went

around the school, surveying various students

on whose beard they liked the most. Mike

Napoli won with six votes, even though Luke

Diggins ’18 called it, “Disgusting.” Coming in

second with five votes was David Ortiz. In third

with four votes was Johnny Gomes. I’m

surprised Gomes didn’t take first because it was

his idea to grow beards in the first place. He

also, in my opinion, had the most flowing beard

of all of them. In fourth place were Jarrod

“Salty” or “The Saltine” Saltalamaccia and

Dustin Pedroia with two votes each. Finally,

tied for fifth with one vote, Brandon Workman,

David Ross, the security guard who let the

players out of the bullpen when Koji finished

the Series, and… Babe Ruth. No idea where that

came from, but Babe Ruth made it on to our list.

If it wasn’t obvious, I would choose

Johnny Gomes for the best beard. I might say I

am a bit biased because he did a lot for the team.

He sang with the Dropkick Murphys before the

duck boats left. He came up with the idea to

have the Boston Strong 617 jersey in the

dugout. He also came up with the “hard hats” as

well as the beards. I have to say I am quite

disappointed (not really) that our students did

not pick Johnny Gomes. If you can’t tell, I’m a

complete “Gomes-ist.”

Congratulations to the Boston Red Sox

on an absolutely stellar “worst to first” season.

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Homecoming 2013

by Will Fox and Henry DeMatteo

Homecoming this year was a great success

and memory for all who attended. Varsity Cross

Country started Homecoming with a bang by

defeating Rivers on Friday. Although Varsity

Football and Varsity Soccer both were defeated, it

was still a great time. On the other hand, Junior

Varsity Soccer pulled out an impressive 1-0 win in

a defensive showdown.

The Varsity Football game was an intense

matchup right from the opening kickoff. We

quickly jumped to a 7-0 lead. But Belmont Hill,

who struggled to score a touchdown, edged their

way back into the game with two field goals. The

teams exchanged defensive stops until Belmont Hill

kicked a lucky field goal to take the lead. The

Arrows mounted a comeback in the last minute,

threatening to take back the lead, but, unfortunately,

a strip fumble recovered by Belmont Hill crushed

all hope for the Arrows. Belmont Hill took a knee

and sealed the win. Everyone was disappointed, but

we all knew the Arrows had played a great game.

Varsity Soccer also lost a heartbreaker.

They fell down 2-0 early in the game. They did not

give up and managed to score a goal and almost

scored another. However, it wasn’t enough to

complete the comeback. They ended up losing 2-1.

Junior Varsity Soccer was the only win on

Saturday. Although they didn’t get many

spectators, everyone was pumped that they won. It

was a defensive showdown, with the Arrows

scoring a late goal to seal a 1-0 win.

We couldn’t talk about Homecoming

without mentioning the festivities. Eighty dozen

donuts were brought as well as hot chocolate.

There was a special service tent for all returning

alumni and their families. Everyone stocked up on

Arrows’ gear at the merchandise tent. There were

also a mini basketball hoop to shoot on and a course

where you could race friends.

Homecoming was a great success that

everyone will remember for a long time. It has

been one of the highlights of the year so far, and

hopefully there will be many more to come. We all

look forward to Homecoming next year!

Worst To First

by Patrick DuFour

When the 2012 Red Sox season was over,

large expectations had fallen short, as the Red Sox

ended their season with 69 wins and 93 losses--

their first losing season since 1997. Days later,

manager Bobby Valentine was fired.

Now when the 2013 season started, there

were small expectations. A low radar manager John

Farrell was signed along with unknown players like

Johnny Gomes and Koji Uehara, but after winning a

total of 108 games this year, the Red Sox are World

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Champions again. The Red Sox cruised through the

first round of the playoffs by beating the Tampa

Bay Rays in four games. Next, came the pitching

battle. The Tigers threw three aces at the Sox who

handled them well. In the sixth game of the ALCS,

Shane Victorino proved to us that every little thing

would, in fact, be alright, by crushing a two-strike

grand slam over the Green Monster, sending his

team to the World Series for the first time in six

years.

Game one of the series can be summarized

by bad errors. The rusty Cardinals let the Red Sox

score eight runs and win game one by a score of 8-

1. The defensive blunders by the Cardinals kept

them out of the game. Mike Napoli had a bases

clearing triple to drive in three, while David Ortiz

had a two- run homerun. Game Two started off with

the Cardinals scoring an early run. Then in the

sixth, Ortiz hit a two run home run to left to take the

lead. In the seventh, a bad throw by Craig Breslow

led to the Cardinals scoring an extra run on a

sacrifice fly, giving them the lead. The Cardinals

ended up winning game two 4-2. Game three was

full of controversy. In the bottom of the ninth, the

game tied with runners on second and third,

controversy struck. Dustin Pedroia fielded the ball

and threw the runner out at home. Then catcher

Jarrod Saltalamacchia threw wild to third, the ball

passing by an outstretched Will Middlebrooks.

Daniel Nava scooped up the wayward ball in left

and threw to home in time to catch the runner who

had tripped over Middlebrooks while rounding

third. Not so fast, though- the third base umpire

called obstruction on Middlebrooks, and game three

ended in a walk off 5-4 win for the Cardinals.

Game four was won by one hit and one player,

Johnny Gomes. In the top of the sixth, the game

tied, Johnny Gomes sent a rope over the left field

fence. His first hit of the series ended up being the

game winner for the Red Sox 4-2. Game 5 was a

classic. Jon Lester won his third game in his World

Series career by tossing a 7 and 2/3 inning gem.

David Ross, David Ortiz, and Jacoby Ellsbury all

had RBI’s to help win the game 3-1. Up 3-2 in the

series, the Red Sox headed back to Fenway to finish

it off. Game six was over by the fifth inning. Shane

Victorino hit a bases clearing double to open a 3-0

lead. Then Stephen Drew knocked one out of the

park, his first in the postseason. Then the Sox

tacked on two more, and the game was over. The

Cardinals tried to put up a fight but were only able

to put one run on the board. The Red Sox won game

six by a score of 6-1. Claiming their third World

Series title within a ten year span, the Sox finished

off their incredible season with another

championship- from worst to first in one year. Can

you believe it?

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Patriots Update

by Nate Kocho and J.P. Milbury

Despite the lack of a productive receiving

core, Tom Brady and the Patriots have managed to

reach a 7-3 record, and going into week 12, find

themselves atop the AFC East. Over the offseason,

the Pats lost the majority of their top yard producers

including Wes Welker, Aaron Hernandez, Brandon

Lloyd, and Deion Branch. Patriots’ management

attempted to make up for these losses by signing

former Rams wide receiver Danny Amendola.

Amendola has been somewhat dynamic; however,

he has been battling a concussion, which has

deprived him of performing to his greatest ability.

In comparison to previous years, the Patriot

defense is thriving as of late. New England is

ranked fifth in total tackles with 709 and fourth in

interceptions with 12 on the year. Their defense has

been able to feed off of the play of Chandler Jones

and Aqib Talib. Chandler Jones is ranked fifth in

the NFL with 9.5 sacks, and despite missing two

games, Aqib Talib trails only Alterraun Verner, and

DeAndre Levy with four picks this season. Even

though their defense may be improving, the loss of

Vince Wilfork to a torn Achilles suffered against

the Atlanta Falcons will certainly slow them down.

After hearing that Wilfork was out for the season,

head coach Bill Belichick said, “He’s an

outstanding player, we all know that, and there’s no

way to replace him with one guy.”

This Patriots’ squad is arguably their worst

roster on paper in recent memory. However, Tom

Brady has shown extreme poise and competitive

fire leading his team to a commendable record

going into their biggest tilt of the year against

Peyton Manning and the Broncos.

Golden State Warriors

by Mudia Onaiwu

Do you want to know which is the best

basketball team in the West Conference of the

NBA? Do you want to know our potential 2014

NBA Champions? I’ll tell you; it’s the Golden State

Warriors. Right now they are 8-4 and #1 in the

Pacific Conference, which consists of the LA

Lakers, LA Clippers, Sacramento Spurs, and

Phoenix Suns. The Warriors’ main threat is their

point guard Stephen Curry. Right now he averages

19.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 8.7 assists per game.

Those types of numbers show how much work he

puts in for his team, and those are the types of

numbers that will lead the Warriors to a

championship. Another threat that is putting in work

is Clay Thompson. Clay averages 20.6 points, 2.9

rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. As you can see,

he takes part in scoring points for his team. Stephen

and he create a dynamic duo for their team. But

they are not all that the Golden State Warriors have,

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for they also have a new superstar who goes by the

name of Andre Iguodala. He averages 13.5 points,

4.3 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game. He puts up

good numbers for the team. That’s part of the

reason why I like him, but I mostly like the way he

can slam the ball down when he reaches the rim.

That’s why I like the Golden State Warriors.

NHL Update and Predictions

by James Mooney

So far in this year’s NHL season, the

Western Conference is off to a great start. The first

four teams in the Western Conference, the Ducks,

Sharks, Coyotes and Blackhawks, are also the four

leading teams in the NHL. However, in the Eastern

Conference, the only teams showing much promise

right now are the Bruins and Lightning. The Bruins

are coming off a Stanley Cup finals loss but have

strengthened their offense with an old star, Iginla

and a Dallas star, Eriksson. Their defense remains

strong with returning Zdeno Chara and young

bloods, Dougie Hamilton and Torey Krug. Also, the

Bruins have arguably the best goalie in the East,

Tuukka Rask. However, I believe the Lightning

will drop in the standings very quickly due to the

loss of their star player, Stephen Stamkos. The Red

Wings, a perennial powerhouse in the West, is now

in the East and destined to dominate.

Although they are in second place in the

Western Conference, I believe that the Sharks will

make it further into the playoffs this year rather than

getting knocked out in the first round as in the past

few years by a new team every year. I believe they

will make it far because of the leadership of an old

player, Joe Thornton, and a young Czech, Thomas

Hetrl. Also, surprisingly the Coyotes, a recent

expansion team, are off to a good start in

comparison to their previous seasons filled with

losses. Although they lack in youth, they are

abundant in experience and know how to win. I feel

the Blackhawks can also go far because the former

champions have an almost completely intact copy

of the team they had last year, which clearly

worked, as they are the defending Stanley Cup

champions. Finally, in the conference finals, I

believe the Red Wings will play the Bruins and the

Coyotes will play the Sharks. In the Stanley Cup I

believe the Bruins will return and play the Coyotes.

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Boston Bruins

by Alex Gainey

Over the past few years, the Boston Bruins

have had very successful seasons and have gone

deep into the playoffs. This includes one Stanley

Cup victory and, last year, a Stanley Cup finals

defeat. After their loss the team seemed to in for

some major trades, but they did not turn out to be.

The Bruins first announced that they would

not be bringing back veteran player Jaromir Jagr

and that Nathan Horton would not resign with the

team. The biggest news of all was the trade that sent

Tyler Seguin and Rich Peverley to Dallas in

exchange for star forward Loui Eriksson and young

gun Reilly Smith who were both expected to be

major contributors. They got their last big offseason

acquisition with the signing of the experienced

Jarome Iginla who, at last year’s trade deadline,

decided to go to Pittsburgh instead of to Boston.

When it comes to the defensive part of

hockey, the Bruins are one of the best in the game.

It is a full team effort in the defensive zone with

people going down to block shots, and passing lanes

being covered by sprawled pucks. It also helps to

have Tuukka Rask, one of the best and highest paid

goalies in the NHL, in between the pipes for you.

The playoffs were filled with big

performances, but some of the most notable were

from Matt Bartkowski and Torey Krug who had

very high expectations going into this season and

have so far lived up to the hype. The Bruins picked

up this season right where they left off by winning

eight of their first eleven games with big wins

against Anaheim and San Jose, Jarome Iginla

contributing a point in each game. After a brief two-

game losing streak the feisty Bruins, led by Captain

Zdeno Chara, went on to win six of their next seven

games and are currently the number one team in the

Eastern Conference and Atlantic Division. If the

Bruins keep their current pace up, they are set for

another deep playoff run. Go Bruins.

Fourth Football

by Johnny Stankard and Tomas O’Brien

Some people say 2-6-0 is a failure of a

season… but for us it felt like 6-2-0. Last season,

with a team of 30 kids, our record was a stunning 0-

8. With ten returning players, we didn’t expect any

success, but with Kurt Saraceno’s motivational

speeches, we pulled out two thrilling wins over

Xaverian! We had two very close games against

the undefeated Nobles and Belmont Hill teams.

Everyone worked hard, and the newcomers helped

us out a lot. Overall we feel that this season was a

fun experience and a success. We would like to

thank Coaches Morelli and Stanton for their help

and encouragement.

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Fifth Football

by Alex Cherry and Nate Kocho

The seventh grade football team had a very

successful season. Led by Coach Tremblay and

Coach McCarthy, they finished with a 6-1 record.

The team got off to a solid start with a three-game

win streak, with victories against Canton Middle

School, Milton Academy, and Roxbury Latin. All of

the games were absolute blowouts. With some

outstanding right tackle, running back, quarterback,

and tight end play, the team was playing well

together. The first loss came from Belmont Hill.

They must have put some steroids in their milk and

cookies because we were obviously the better team

coming into the game. We started out the game too

cocky for our own good, and they took advantage.

They quickly scored a touchdown and then

followed up with a two-point conversion. The

Arrows responded with an eighty yard touchdown

by Will Frisoli. The squad then failed to convert the

two points. Belmont Hill scored again before half

time. The score at half was 16-6 Belmont Hill.

Belmont ended up scoring one more touchdown,

therefore finalizing their 22-6 victory. The team was

rattled. Most of us had never experienced a loss in

football before, and it was excruciatingly painful.

We rebounded, winning the next game 30-14 versus

Moses Brown. It was a relieving victory for the

team, and it was good to have another win under

our belts. The next game against BC High was as

easy as pie, ending in a 32-16 victory for the

Arrows. The Fessenden game was much harder, but

thanks to two amazing runs from Frisoli, we sealed

the 38-24 victory in the fourth quarter.

It was not just about football. We all learned

from and about each other. It was a great bonding

experience for the new students. We would like to

give a special thanks to Coach Tremblay and Coach

McCarthy for giving their time and effort to the

team. Also a shout out to Griffin Wagner for the

unreal tackle in the last game against Fessenden,

and a thank you to the trainers for helping us out

during practice and the games.

Fourth Soccer

by Michael Twohig and Peter Murphy

The Fourth Soccer Team headed by Coaches

Schell and Dagdigian had a very successful season.

Led by experienced players like Soree Kaba,

Michael Twohig, and Matt Wolpe, the largely

inexperienced team had a surprisingly great season,

losing only three games. At first, the seventh and

eighth graders were separated into two different

teams. The much larger eighth grade team had

greater success than the novice seventh grade team

largely because the teams we played were

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composed of eighth and ninth graders. However,

the first loss the team suffered was against the BC

High Team, whom the eighth grade team played.

BC High’s two star players ran the field and left

many of the fastest players on our team in the dust.

After what must have been an inspirational speech

from Coach Schell, our eighth grade team shot back

with three points, reducing the final deficit to one.

The next notable event was the exciting

Derby Tournament. Coach Dagdigian handpicked a

seventh and eighth grade team to go down to Derby

and compete for the prestigious first place trophy.

This elite team played their hearts out and beat

Nobles, a very strong team, and crushed Derby in a

fun game. The final game resulted in a tie against

the Fay School. This allowed us to win the

tournament, a feat that the previous Fourth Soccer

Team did not accomplish, and we were able to bring

home the first place trophy.

After the Derby Tournament the season

went on with many successes for both the eighth

and seventh grade teams. This paved road hit a

detour when the eighth grade went up against

Thayer, a very skilled team. We were down by two

points at half time. After an especially rousing

speech by Coach Schell, we shot back with a goal in

the first minute. However, it still looked as though

we were going to lose the game until Soree Kaba

put in a ball off a corner kick from Twohig in the

last two minutes. Our sideline erupted in happiness,

and we managed to pull off a convincing tie. This

was a fitting end to a season that would go down in

the books as probably one of the most successful

seasons in Fourth Soccer history.

Derby Tournament

by Justin Charles

Waking up at 6:15 am on a Saturday when

most people don’t have anything to do until later in

the day is a big turn off for most. For me though, it

wasn’t going to be so bad. I thought to myself, “Oh,

it will just be like any other school morning.” But I

was dead wrong.

As everyone started to fill the bus, you could

see that there were many tired faces. Some people

were still eating their breakfast as they came

through the door. Some didn’t have breakfast at all.

As we grouped towards the bus, we were greeted by

a voice from the bus driver. “TAKE OFF YOUR

CLEATS,” the voice yelled. We all obeyed.

The bus ride was unusually quiet because

most of us were sleeping. Before we knew it, we

were in Hingham at Derby Academy for the Annual

Derby Soccer Tournament. As we walked off the

bus, it appeared that our opponents had been there

for a while before us. We got there just in time to

pass the ball around, run a half lap, and take some

shots.

Our first game was against Noble &

Greenough. The eighth graders on our team started

to explain that the Nobles team might be the best

team in the tournament. As the game started, Nobles

took many shots from outside the box, but we kept

them from taking any shots from inside the penalty

box. It was a very back and forth game. Both teams

took the same number of shots. But we had the

better chances of the two teams. The breakthrough

goal didn’t come till the second half. The ball was

moved around and then hit over the defense and

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finished by eighth grader Tyler Capello. The

sideline erupted in cheers. The game finished 1-0.

Our next game was much easier. We played

Derby Academy. From the beginning of the game,

we dominated possession of the ball. Though it

seemed as if we had thirty chances in the game, we

ended up winning 4-0, two of the goals scored by

Tyler Capello, the other two by Justin Charles and

Jake Milbury.

In the last game we played Fenn School.

Most of our players were tired by the start of this

game, which ended in a tie 1-1, Tyler Capello

scoring yet again. We could have won that game.

Even though we tied, we still won the tournament

with an overall record of 2-0-1.

Although all of the trophies that the teams were

given were similar, we still took great pride in

winning the tournament. Soree Kaba received the

trophy and presented it to the School at Corporate

Chapel the following Monday.

Middle School Cross Country

by Patrick Ryan and Jack Moffatt

This team was the smallest it has ever been

in the history of St. Sebastian’s. With only four

runners, the team did not have the required number

of people to score in any of the races. There were

many students who joined but then quit because

they did not enjoy it. Also, there was only one

veteran with a year of experience. While you might

think that this might have led to an unsuccessful

season, this is quite opposite to what actually

happened.

The four runners, Marty White, Patrick

Ryan, Jack Moffatt, and Samuel Cullen, were led by

Mr. Rest and Mr. Thomasy. These great coaches

pushed us to our limits by showing us proper

running form and how to find strength even when

we were close to the point of exhaustion. This

improved us in running as well as in life. We

learned to push through even when it was easier to

give up and stop. This applied to our races as well

as our lives. When no one is there to cheer you on,

it is all up to you to find the strength to power on

and finish strong. This built our characters and

helped us to understand how to continue through the

week even when buffeted by hours of work and

other extracurricular activities. Throughout the

entire season we managed to become stronger and

faster runners, making all of us able to shave over a

minute off our times.

So if you are thinking about running,

definitely join next year. It is a great experience

that makes you competitive, get in shape, and learn

many life lessons.

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Eighth Grade Flag Football

by Ryan Curran and Jack Kerwin

The season started with high hopes for

Teams Six, Seven, and Eight. Team Six’s most

valuable connections consisted of the Curran to

Kerwin quarterback-receiver relationship. Along

with the ball hawking Kurt Saraceno on defense,

our team was looking pretty solid. Team Seven

started the season with swelled heads; they thought

they were pretty big, to say the least. Their

confidence was trampled when Team Eight beat

them by a wide margin. As the season continued,

the big three had their ups, downs, and triumphs.

About five weeks into the season, the teams fell into

their ruts. Little by little, Team Three made their

way to the top of the food chain. Dominating the

league’s most talented team, Team Six had an

unfair loss when they had to play with only four

players while Team Three had eight. This unfair

win over Team Six gave Team Three an easy road

to the championship game, where they would play

Team Seven. The day finally came. The game

beginning at approximately 2:45 on a cold and wet

Thursday afternoon, Team Seven dominated. Led

by Jimmy Scannell, who scored almost all of their

touchdowns, Team Seven ended up with the 49-7

victory and with the league championship, Team

Three taking second and Team Six claiming third.

The season didn’t turn out as successfully as we had

hoped, but it was very enjoyable- from Kurt

celebrating after an interception to the close games

that were won by the last second Hail Marys. This

year of flag football was great, and we hope next

season will be even better.

Open House

by Patrick Ryan

On October 17, St. Sebastian’s held the

Open House, an event that allows prospective

students and their families a chance to learn more

about the school. They receive tours and learn

about the various clubs, sports, and activities

available.

The success of this event is mainly based on

how many students come to give tours and represent

extracurricular activities. This year there was a big

turnout. Some students might have come for the

pizza, but I believe that most came to help the

school. With many students from all grades

attending, we were able to give the families the best

picture of St. Sebastian’s they could have. Every

student was able to give honest truths and tell the

families a little bit about life at this great school.

It started with a group of two to three

students being assigned to give a handful of families

a tour of the school. Along the way stops were

made, and the parents and children learned about

different classes, chapel speeches, and many other

things about our school. The tour guides also gave

helpful information to the parents as they went

through the tour. After walking through the

academic, fine arts, and athletic buildings, both the

tour guides and families went to Ward Hall where

various sports, extracurricular activities, and clubs

were represented. Here people could gain new

information about things that interested them while

snacking on the delicious foods that had been

prepared.

After that, everyone gathered in the church

and listened to speeches given by Griffin Wagner

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(Class of ’19), Eric Jeremiah (Class of ’17), and

Daniel Fulham (Class of ’14). They gave their

views on the school and why it is the best school for

them. Mr. Burke also spoke, telling the parents that

their children will be loved, cared for, and involved

in the community if they attend St. Sebastian’s.

Following the speeches, families could leave or stay

and visit more activity stations in Ward Hall.

Open House was a huge success. If you

didn’t attend to help, you missed out on a great

opportunity to tell others about our great school.

Eighth Grade Retreat

by Neil Melley

This year for our retreat we went to the

Boston College Retreat Center in Dover. We

watched the movie Stand by Me, which is about

four young friends who set out on an adventure.

Gordie, Chris, Teddy and Vern go looking for the

missing body of a local teenager - found by a gang

of older boys. This is a story of boys hanging out

and growing up. I found this movie very

interesting. Half way through the movie we went

down to a room where we had snack. When snack

was over, we talked about the movie and then went

back upstairs and watched the rest of the movie.

After the movie we reflected on its themes before

we had lunch, went outside, and played soccer. The

game got a little physical, so we stopped. The day

ended with Mass celebrated by Father Arens. I

believe all of my classmates got something out of

the day. The retreat really furthered our friendship

with each other.

Seventh Grade Retreat

by Jack Moffatt

The seventh grade class took a trip to the

Boston College Retreat Center in Dover in October.

This minimal dress code day offered a chance for

the members of the seventh grade to relax, reflect,

and have a good time with one another.

The day started with a showing of the movie

Remember the Titans, a story about the racial

merging of a football team and their triumphant yet

tragic story of dominance. About a third of the way

through the film, our class spilt into groups of seven

or eight and played a game of sharing random facts

with one another as a way of bonding and getting to

know one another better.

After this activity we continued to watch

another third of the movie and then again paused for

another break. This time, we broke for a snack and a

group discussion. The grade split into two groups.

One group had a rest and a bite to eat in the “living

room,” while the other had a group discussion

outside in a courtyard. We discussed how the team

had to adjust to one another. In the movie, the team

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had to socialize and learn about one another.

After each group had had its chance at both

activities, we watched the end of the movie. At its

conclusion we all reflected on our thoughts about

the film and what we could take from the movie

into real life. This session of reflection ended after

we had a short yet thoughtful discussion on some of

the questions that the movie raised, such as, “How

did the team’s coach help to unify the team?”

This reflection was then followed by an

awesome lunch of calzones. The lunch was a great

time for us to reflect on our day so far and talk

about what was still to come. After lunch we went

out to a field where we were allowed to run around

with various sports balls and have a good time.

This day concluded with Mass at a small

altar in the front of the retreat center. This Mass was

a calming way to close out a great day at the retreat

center. The retreat was a great day for the seventh

graders to unwind and connect with God. I felt as if

everybody in the grade benefited from the trip on

both a social and spiritual level. The movie

Remember the Titians and the closing Mass

strengthened the spiritual connection of the grade,

while the lunch and outdoor games strengthened the

social connection. I think that I can speak for the

rest of my class in saying that we loved the retreat

experience this year. I can’t wait to go back next

year.

Jillian’s

by J.P. Milbury

In November the seventh and eighth graders

took a trip to Jillian’s in Boston. With the option of

playing pool, ping pong, and bowling, it was a very

eventful afternoon. We were able to enjoy ourselves

thoroughly and to meet the girls at NCDS for the

first time. On top of all these fun and games, the

students were really able to become closer to one

another. According to Michael Fotiades, “The

seventh grade students were really able to bond and

enjoy each other out of school for the first time this

year.” Despite the lack of attendance from a

majority of the eighth graders, many who did go

had a fantastic time including Jake Milbury, who

said, “I had a great time at Jillian’s and I thoroughly

enjoyed hanging out with my friends.” Many others

agreed with these words. Jillian’s was a wonderful

event, and we are thankful that we had the

opportunity to go.

Ceramics Trip

by Patrick Ryan

On November 18 Marlon Matthews, James

Ryan, and Patrick Ryan traveled with Mrs. Ellis, the

ceramics teacher, to Gorse Mill Studios in

Needham. There we met Steve Branfman, a potter

who specializes in Raku pottery.

There he showed us how to glaze with the

Raku glaze onto our Raku pots that we made at

school earlier. Both the glaze and the pots need to

be able to withstand an extremely fast cool down

time without cracking. While we were doing that,

he explained the origins of the Raku firing

technique. It is traditionally believed to have

started in Japan when nomadic people wanted to be

able to create pots and then take them when they

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travel on the same day. Then a ruler enjoyed how a

family made Raku pots and took them in so that

they could create pots for him. Later on in

America, a man accidently dropped a pot down a

hill when it was still very hot. Exposure to the

grass, dirt, and other materials gave the pot unique

patterns and colors.

So this brings us to today’s method. Steve

put our pots in the outdoor kiln to “cook” them. He

told us that in approximately one and a half hours,

when the glaze started to melt, we would take the

glowing orange pots out. If we wanted to give our

pots a more bronze or copper look, we could

immediately place them in a trash can containing

sawdust and wood chips. This would cause the pot

to be in an environment of complete smoke,

changing the outcome of the colors by darkening it.

If we wanted our pots to be more turquoise, then we

could spray them with water and let them cool for a

couple of seconds before putting them in the trash

can. We were all pleased with how our pots came

out with different styles and colors.

I think we all enjoyed the trip very much,

learning new things and being amazed by Steve’s

skill and knowledge. If you are considering joining

a club, come to the ceramics room on Monday and

be ready to sign up for any available workshops that

come up this year.

The 39 Steps

Play Reviw

by Marty White and AJ Santosuosso

The 39 Steps is a game of cat and mouse

between Richard Hannay, played by Jack Goldman

‘14, and Professor Jordan, Desmond DiGiovanni

‘14. The professor is trying to take a British air

ministry secret regarding the new silent engines.

The play starts with Hannay reflecting on his

adventures, which start when he attends a West End

show. The show is a production of “Mr. Memory.”

Mr. Memory is played by Owen Finnegan ‘16 and

the Compere, his assistant, is played by Mac Morris

‘15. In this scene, we also meet Annabella Schmidt,

played by Isabelle Paredes (Montrose). Annabella

does not reveal her true identity until she and

Hannay are in Hannay’s trashy London flat

(Hannay’s first love affair [That’s right; there’s

more]) due to a pistol being fired by Annabella at

the Mr. Memory show. In the middle of the night,

however, Hannay is awakened by the dying

Annabella. She reveals to him that Hannay must

reach a building called Alt-Na-Shellach and then

promptly drops dead from a knife wound caused by

the enemy’s thugs. Hannay is blamed, and with the

greatest speed he boards a train to Scotland to find

Dr. Jordan in Alt-Na-Shallach. On the train the

bumbling duo of Officers David Korzeniowski and

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Sean Harrington attempt to arrest him. At first he is

able to avoid them due to a flashy disguise with

Pamela, Maggie Fitzgerald (Spoiler alert: future

love affair [Shocker!]). However, he must jump off

the roof of the train because Pamela is not willing to

sit with a “murderer with an attractive mustache.”

He proceeds to the Crofter’s (played by Marlon

Matthews [a.k.a Golden Voice]) “hoose,” where he

meets his second love affair (the Crofter’s wife

[Awkward]), played by Ellis Quinn. The police find

him because the Crofter sells him out even after

Hannay gives him five pounds. Hannay jumps out

the window and proceeds to Alt-Na-Shellach. There

he meets the Professor and his wife (Katherine

Melley). The Professor then reveals the fact that he

is actually the person who wishes to unleash the 39

clues and destroy the world. He decides that

Hannay knows too much and must be eliminated.

To find out what happens to Hannay, the Professor,

Pamela, and everyone else, get the DVD from the

AV studio, Des, or Jack Goldman!

Debate

by Jake Milbury

The Debate Club has had a very successful

year thus far. We started off with a great debate at

Roxbury Latin, where the team saw great results.

When we hosted the next debate in the ISL, St.

Sebastian’s was solid as usual. Two of our own

debaters, Brian Craven and Matt Eldridge, were

asked to fill in for missing debaters from Belmont

Hill. They turned out to have the best record for the

Belmont Hill team. The next tournament was

featured at Andover. The team didn’t fare too well

at Andover, so the team is looking to recover at the

next tournament on December 8 at Hotchkiss. The

team is always looking for new members, and

middle school is a great time to start. St Sebastian’s

hopes to continue to win many more awards in the

future as we have done in years past.

Math Club

by Henry DeMatteo

Math Club has been a great experience for

everyone who has attended. The Club meets on

Tuesdays after school in Mrs. Atwood’s classroom

almost every week. When the members arrive,

there is always some sort of snack waiting. When

everyone has eaten enough cookies or chips, we

begin with the math. At first, the members take a

difficult math assessment and use former tests to

practice. These problems are very difficult, and all

who attempt the math are greatly challenged. No

one has ever seen these problems, and no one is

able to get all of the problems on the practice test

correct.

Eventually, when everyone manages to

complete enough of the practice tests, we have to

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take the real test. When the people taking the test

began to attempt to solve the problems, they were

so difficult that almost everyone was perplexed.

Everyone, however, was able to complete the test in

the thirty minutes we were given. Math Club is one

of the greatest clubs for the seventh and eighth

grade.

Lego Robotics

by Marty White

Lego Robotics has been different for the

eighth graders this year because we are really trying

to go to the annual competition on December 7.

The object of the competition is to create a robot

that accomplishes a series of missions related to a

specific world problem and then to do a project

related to that problem. This year’s subject is

Nature’s Fury.

Our project is going to be on how to prevent

and protect against flooding. It’s hard to prepare a

robot for the competition because we only have one

meeting during homeroom, but some dedicated

members have been going after school to get the job

done.

One of the missions involves moving a tree

so that a loose branch will not fall on electrical

wires. These missions teach kids programming and

help prepare us for the high school robotics team.

Some of the tasks we have had to

accomplish have been building the missions, taking

inventory on the pieces, and beginning a robot.

Each of these projects has taken a few days. The

original plan was for each team (seventh and eighth)

to build a robot and have them compete against

each other, but as the days we have left dwindle, we

may have to combine teams and work together if we

are to make it to the competition. Hopefully we can

pull together as one team and finish strong to

perform well at the upcoming competition.

Communications Club

by Patrick Barron

The Communications Club is a terrific club

where you can get experience doing all sorts of

things in a studio. This is the club that reads the

announcements in the morning and afternoon. If

you don’t want to get on screen and read the

announcements, there are plenty of other jobs that

need to be done. You could be the camera man,

control the sound, read the announcements, or set

the scene or music. If you want a future in

television or in a news room, this is a great place to

start.

This club adds to one of the things our school

cares about the most, public speaking. Public

speaking is a skill that almost every job requires,

and this club gives you practice reading the

announcements behind a screen. My favorite job

available is reading because my friends get to see

me on the screen. The Communications Club is a

great and fun way to get involved at St. Sebastian’s

and meet awesome people.

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Marley and Me

Book Review

by A.J. Santosuosso

If you enjoy books that cause you to never

stop reading and can closely relate to your life, then

Marley and Me is your book. Marley and Me is the

story of John and Jenny Grogan, a recently married

couple, who move to southern Florida. They

quickly decide that they want to have children;

however, John notices that every living thing that he

and Jenny care for dies within a matter of days.

They decide it would be better to take care of a dog.

John and Jenny then travel to the breeder where

they look at Labrador retrievers. They quickly

decide on a small, male one. Unfortunately, they

cannot take him home immediately because he

needs to be nurtured by his mother. During this

time, however, Jenny needs to travel for work.

While she is on this trip, it is time for their dog to

come home. When John makes it to the breeder, he

finds the dog to be twice as large as when they first

bought him. On the way home John begins to

realize their dog’s craziness, for whenever John

makes contact with him, he begins to beat his tail to

the rhythm of Bob Marley. This gives John the idea

to call him Marley. Once they arrive home, John

sets up Marley’s living quarters in the garage.

Naturally, like any other dog’s first night, he is

unable to stay alone for more than a few minutes.

This is a recurring theme for the next few weeks.

After Jenny comes back from her trip, the happy

face of Marley greets her. After two months or so,

John and Jenny discover that they will soon be

having a child. After the birth of their healthy child,

Marley comes down with a problem when his

stomach flips and he struggles with keeping

anything down and has no energy. Thankfully, the

vets are able to insert a “tube” into his stomach and

flip it back to normal. After John and Jenny have

two more kids, they realize that their house in

Florida isn’t big enough, and so they decide to

move to Pennsylvania. Here they encounter yet

another problem with Marley when he experiences

another stomach flip. I won’t spoil the end for you

because that is no way to learn about a book.

Overall, I found it an entertaining and fun book to

read. It relates so closely to my life and family, I

could not stop reading it. If you are looking for a

book to read on a long car trip or a book just for

entertainment, Marley and Me is your book.

From the Dart Staff:

Thanks to all the 7th and 8th grade students

who worked so hard on their articles.

We welcome new writers, cartoonists, and

photographers for future issues of the Dart.

Editors: Patrick DuFour, Patrick Ryan, Marty White

Faculty moderators: Mr. Cornish, Mr. Deschenes