By Dan MooreEditor-In-Chief

Rita’s International Exchange Program recently concluded its second annual cultural exchange with several students traveling to Australia to live with the young men who had visited Rita this past October.

Sophomores Dan McGrath and Alex Summerfelt, along with juniors Pat Boline, Vince Riggio, and Kyle Toth, traveled to Syd-ney, Australia under the supervision of Mathematics teacher Mr. Josh Blaszak. Rita’s International Exchange Program Director, Mrs. Jodi McLawhorn, coordinated the voyage.

After a send off and blessing from Rita’s President Fr. Tom Mc-Carthy, OSA; Rita’s Principal Mrs. Sally Deenihan; and the par-ticipants families, the Australian envoy departed from Chicago on Saturday, April 4th on a fl ight to Los Angeles. From there, they arrived in Sydney on Monday, April 6th.

THE RITA STUDENTS spent three days shadowing their hosting peers at the cooperating exchange school, St. Augustine’s College, which is also an Augustinian school.

The participants arrived just as St. Augustine’s was fi nishing its fi rst term of classes. In Australia, the schools run on a different schedule of academic terms than the United States. Just as schools in the United States typically have a long vacation in the summer (June through August) and other shorter periods of time off during the year, Australian schools have a long break during their sum-mer season. However, the summer season in Australia is during the months of December and January.

As the Ritamen shadowed their hosts, they were able to sit in on some classes and attend their Annual Easter Liturgy and Easter Road Race (a relay competition between grade levels).

Once the school went “on holiday” for two weeks, Rita’s stu-dents had the opportunity to completely immerse themselves in Australian culture.

The group attended the “Annual Royal Easter Show,” an event that was originated in order to bring the country to the city. Tra-ditional rural activities (such as wood chopping and livestock dis-plays) are combined with a carnival of sorts at this event.

The event also allowed the group to experience the Austra-lian excitement surrounding famous “Easter Show Bags.” These popular bags are sacks fi lled with hodgepodge objects that can be purchased for various prices.

THERE WERE MANY highlights of the experience. The beach life and surfi ng is one of the most popular aspects of the Australia culture. Rita’s students became immersed in this beach culture with frequent beach outings and some of the young men even partook in surf school and hit the waves numerous times.

Very similar to the way time is spent by the Rita students while at home in the United States, sports were very much a part of their cultural experience. However, as baseball, volleyball, lacrosse and other popular American sports were taking place in Chicago, the Rita students were learning the basics of rugby and the Austra-lian Football League.

Two major types of rugby are played in Australia, rugby league and rugby union – each with its own unique set of rules and plays. Rita’s students had the chance to begin understanding the types of rugby played, but also had the opportunity to see the Manly Sea Eagles, one of the professional teams, play.

A couple of the participants, their hosts, and Mr. Blaszak were also given the chance to see the Sydney Swans play Australian Football. Australian football, while played with a type of rugby

ball, is an different from rugby and is also nothing like American football.

VISITS TO SYDNEY Wildlife World, and the Sydney Aquar-ium gave Rita’s students the chance to learn about and see the famous creatures of Australia. The students saw Koalas, Kanga-roos, and sharks, but also realized some of the most deadliest of wildlife, including snakes and birds, are native to Australia.

McGrath, Summerfelt, and Mr. Blaszak were able to get an up-close view of kangaroos when they were treated by their hosts to golf. While on the golf course groups of kangaroos came bouncing along. All three were able to get within feet of the kangaroos.

Other highlights of the exchange include: swimming with sharks on Australia’s Gold Coast, learning to play snooker (a form of billiards) and lawn bowling (a popular Australian activity), and visits to other landmarks such as the famous Bondi Beach, the AMP Tower observatory deck overlooking the city of Sydney, and “the Gap” cliffside.

Eager to learn all they could about the Australian culture, the students also made a strong effort to try Australian cuisine. The Rita students ate several different entrees and deserts native to the country including kangaroo. However, the Rita students also had to make a few trips to the local McDonald’s (“Mackers” as many in Australia call it) to compare the menu.

A CLOSING DINNER was held two nights before the Rita participants departed, where they gathered together with their ex-change hosts and Mr. Gary Coultier, the Executive Offi cer of the International Students Program at St. Augustine’s College.

The evening commemorated a successful conclusion to the fi rst ever exchange between Rita and St. Augustine’s. During the

dinner, St. Augustine’s College presented Rita with a framed blue gum leaf (a favorite of Koala bears) imprinted with the Australian fl ag as a token of their gratitude toward Rita and the participants.

After 30 plus hours of traveling, Rita’s exchange participants returned to the United States on Saturday, April 25th.

“Overall, we all had a wonderful experience and I was very pleased by what took place during our three week visit,” said Mr. Blaszak.

“The young men and I learned so much about the Australian culture. We took part in many experiences that were once in a lifetime opportunities for us. I hope these Rita students share their new found knowledge with their classmates. I also hope other Rita students will try to make an attempt to take part in future cul-tural exchanges,” he said.For personal refl ections from some of the students

who traveled to Australia please see page 2.

The Ritan

In This Issue

Ritamen travel to AustraliaA Student Publication of

Saint Rita of Casica High School7740 South Western Avenue

Chicago, Illinois 60620

Volume Eighty. Number Four. � ursday, May 28, 2009

Page 2Band tours and performs in Italy.

Photo courtesy of Ms. Jodi McLawhorn

Page 3Where is the Class of 2009 headed?

Photo courtesy of Mr. Josh BlaszakSTANDING OUTSIDE ST. Augustine’s College in Sydney, Aus-tralia are (front left to right) junior Vince Riggio, Mathematics teacher Mr. Josh Blaszak, juniors Kyle Toth and Pat Boline, (back left to right) sophomores Alex Summerfelt and Dan McGrath.

Page 4Microso� ready to launch Windows 7.

Page 5Seniors re� ect on Rita experience.

Page 6Mustang Volleyball wins Tournament.

Page 7Track members are State Quali� ers.

Photo courtesy of Institutional Advancement

Photo courtesy of Mr. Josh BlaszakSOPHOMORE ALEX SUMMERFELT attempts to get close to a couple kangaroos. Seeing kangaroos was only part of the culture experience the students received.

Photo courtesy of Institutional Advancement

Dedicated faculty and sta� celebrate years of

service to RitaFr. Walter McNicholas, OSA - 40 YearsMs. Letitia Olinger - 25 YearsFr. Jerry Van Overbeek, OSA - 20 YearsMr. Wes Benek - 15 YearsFr. Tom McCarthy, OSA - 15 YearsMr. Paul Harrington - 10 YearsMrs. Jodi McLawhorn - 10 YearsMr. Joe Partacz - 10 YearsMr. Brendan Coughlan - 5 YearsMr. Tony Miranda - 5 YearsMr. Jerry Pazin - 5 YearsMrs. Katie Palmer - 5 Years

By Robert CarrollSophomore Writer

This past Friday, May 22nd, marked the celebration of Rita’s own patroness saint, St. Rita of Cascia.

As the students, faculty, and staff prepare for the end of another successful year, the entire Rita family took time to turn atten-tion toward St. Rita is a special way.

Those from the Rita community and sur-rounding areas gathered to offer up prayers as part of a nine day novena, asking St. Rita for guidance, strength, and her inter-cession.

Some prayed and will continue to St. Rita for her intercession in what may be though of as desperate cases, as St. Rita is know to be the patroness of impossible causes.

DURING THE FEAST day observance the entire school community gathered in the St. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel for a novena service, where each student, facul-ty, and staff members were presented with rose petals, a symbol of St. Rita.

The following is a brief history of the life and legacy of St. Rita of Cascia. Rita Lotti was born in 1381 in Roccaporena, Italy.

Marrying at twelve years old, Rita had long dreamed of becoming a nun, but she had already been promised in marriage to Paolo Mancini. With Paolo, Rita bore two

sons.One day Paolo, while on his way home

from work, was ambushed and killed. Rita feared that her sons would seek revenge for their father’s murder. Therefore, before the sons were able carry out their vendetta, Rita prayed to God to not allow any more kill-ing. Her sons then died a short time later from natural causes, preventing them from taking part in the murderous violence.

In 1407, at the age of 36, Rita became an

Augustinian nun at the Santa Maria Madd-alena motherhouse in Cascia. However, when Rita fi rst went to the convent she was denied a habit three times because of her connection to the hostility that existed in Cascia.

THROUGH THE intercession of three patron saints and her persistence, Rita was eventually allowed into the Augustinian order following her success in bringing about piece between the opposing parties

in Cascia.Later in life, a wound appeared on her

forehead as if she was pierced by a thorn from the crown Christ bore on his passion. This external sign of stigmatization more closely connected Rita to the suffering of Jesus, a desire she had.

Laypeople who came to the convent were invited to talk to Rita for counseling. When a nun fell ill, Rita was there to take care of them. Rita died of tuberculosis in 1457.

Before her death, however, Rita made a request for a rose. While this may not immediately appear a diffi cult task, it was January and to the woman she asked, the request seemed impossible. As the woman returned home, though, she encountered a single rose exactly where Rita had told her it would be. Thus, the rose has become symbolic of St. Rita.

Rita was beatifi ed in 1626 and in 1900 was canonized as St. Rita of Cascia.

Spanish, South American, Filipino, Irish, and American groups still remember her name in popularity. Italian groups are the most committed, and even high school communities such as our own are very de-vout. In 1946, a basilica was built in Cas-cia with a hospital, school, and orphanage.

Further information on St. Rita’s life and legacy can be found at www.stritahs.com by clicking on the spirituality tab.

Photo by Al SmithTHE AUGUSTINIANS OF the Rita community preside over a special St. Rita Feast Day novena. This service was one of many observances of Rita’s own patroness saint.

NEWSPage 2 May 28, 2009

Community celebrates feast of St. Rita

By Dan Moore Editor-In-Chief

During Easter vacation, Rita’s Mustang Band embarked on a jour-ney to our patroness St. Rita of Cascia’s native Italy. This is the sec-ond time the band has taken this trip, which originated four years ago as a part of the school’s centennial celebration.

The Mustangs fi rst arrived in Venice, and later traveled to Flor-ence, Piza, and Lucca. From there, the band came to the town of Cascia.

WHILE IN CASCIA, the band had the privilege of performing for the nuns in the Augustinian convent where St. Rita herself once served. The band then visited Montecatini, Montefalco, and Rome, where they concluded their trip.

The entire band, accompanied by family, friends to Rita, and the likes of Rita President Fr. Tom McCarthy, Band Director Ms. Cindy Gradek, and Assistant Band Director Mrs. Jodi McLawhorn, partici-pated in this nine-day excursion. They gave a total of three perfor-mances and also engaged in a religious retreat-type experience.

Band performs in Italy duringE a s t e r b r e a k

By Dan McGrath Sophomore Participant

My experience in Australia was defi nitely once in a lifetime, and I learned so much in my three weeks there.

The Australian culture had extreme differences but also had extreme similarities. The food for one, was relatively the same but I was able to try many new things such as kangaroo.

I noticed that the way many people dressed was also different from the United States. Some people tended to dress in what I would consider 80s style clothing. They wore bright colors and would rarely wear socks with shoes.

Places are also very lenient when it comes to a dress code. If you were to walk into a store or restaurant without shoes or a shirt, you would not be denied service. At times it almost appeared as though they encouraged a relax dress code.

The athletic culture is also different from the one found in the United States. For one they do not play all the same sports. They also do not make as big of a deal about them, except for rugby which they are very passionate about. When it comes to other sports they do not seem to be overly passionate.

The beach was the place to be and transportation revolved a lot around water. People ride water taxis, ferries, and many roads run along the shore.

I was glad I was able to learn what I did, and it truly was a trip of a lifetime. I would not have done anything different.

By Pat Boline Junior Participant

My trip to Australia was one I will never forget. Before going to Australia I barely knew anything about the country, and now I know a lot about it.

One thing that I found most interesting was how similar it was to the United States. I noticed that the media industry is practically the same. I saw many stores that we have over here, and I saw many of the same commercials on TV.

I was able to learn a lot about the education system in Australia, and I was impressed by what I was able to see of St. Augustine’s College.

It was not entirely different from Rita, but there were many things I liked. They have their lockers outside, which I found interesting. In my opinion, their classrooms were not as nice as they are at Rita, but they had great technology in the school. Most of

the rooms had SMART Boards, and the library was very up-to-date with technology. They even had a Mac Lab for those who are more comfortable with Mac computers.

One other difference I noticed was that each day students would attend a different set of classes. The time that each class met for was longer though.

The people were also very welcoming in Austra-lia, especially those we stayed with. The families I stayed with were very nice and were great to me the entire trip. They truly made me feel right at home.

If other Rita students get a chance to have take part in an opportunity like this I recommend they do.

By Kyle Toth Junior Participant

I would have to say from day one, I never expected the trip to be as fun and educational as it was.

When we fi rst arrived in Australia it was very weird. It was almost as though we were still in the United States. However, once we made it to the front of the airport we were greeted by our Australian hosts.

We all started talking, and it was as if we had just seen them yesterday. The fi rst thing that made me realize that I was in Australia was driving on the left side of the road, then many other signs of Australia started to follow.

When we arrived we went straight to school, where I noticed several differences. It appears a little more relaxed. Students had recess periods and are able to use that time to relax or use computers.

The fi rst day I was there as soon as I left school I went straight to the beach. I wanted to see the oceans that the Australians get to see everyday. It is simply put a completely different lifestyle than ours.

The thing I made sure I did everyday was surfi ng. It was something I wanted to do and it was fun.

During my second week I was able to travel North to Yamba Beach. It is known as the best surfi ng spot in Australia. I spent the week there with my host family and it was probably one of the best weeks. I did a lot of surfi ng, and experience so much of the life that comes with being a teenager in Australia.

I was invited by my host family to return in the fu-ture and believe that I am going to. I miss Australia already and it is now where I believe I am going to move when I get older.

It was a trip well worth going on. I learned a lot, made many friends, and had some unbelievable ad-ventures.

Students reflect on Australia

Photo courtesy of Mrs. Jodi McLawhornTHE MUSTANG BAND gathers with their families, Rita faculty and staff, as well as friends of Rita on the roof of St. Monica’s in Rome, Italy. The roof overlooks St. Peter’s Basilica and was one stop on their trip.

May 28, 2009 SENIOR DECISIONS Page 3

AllenAlvarezAndersonAntonelliArdolinoAustinBallingBentleyBeristainBeyerBischoffBisiulesBokoskiBoydBoyd, Jr.BozykBuckleyBurrageCahillCampbellCarrollCastroChaneyChristensenCiagliaCimoch, Jr.ClemensCloonanCondonConneryCristCrossDamico IIIDanielsDelaneyDemmingDiazDiDominicisDineenDispensaDonahueDownesDunnEnsworth IIIEsterhammer-FicEtheridgeFalkenbergFashingbauerFitzgeraldFloresForanFord, Jr.GarrettGillGoldenGoldrickGoodayGranadosHabisohnHallHarasHarneyHealyHendersonHernandezHerreraHigginbothan IIHodorowichHoganHopkinsHuangIsaJachimJamalJanaviciusJewersKatsKeatingKennedyKiehnKinneyKirkel

KodisKopaleKoutrasKramerLachajewskiLewis IIILorangerLynnMaikischMaloneMarcianoMarinierMartinMartinezMcCarthyMcCormackMcCormickMcGeeverMcLaughlin, Jr.McNicholasMikutisMillerMlodzinskiMontagMooreMosbyMunizziMurphyMurrayNelsonNesisNewtonO'ConnorO'Connor IIIOlivoOnayemiO'NeillOrtizOwens IIIPettitPhillipsPiccirilloPicekPlattPonio, Jr.PortwoodQualter, Jr.QuinnRichardsonRickertRitchieRodriguezRohanRoseRyan, Jr.SoderlundSodipoSotoStelterStephensStirnStorinoStrapleSullivanVanderhamVargasVenegasVillanuevaVillasenorVitkauskasWaddyWaltonWelchWhiteWilkesWilsonWojnickiWolskiWongYu IIIZemkeZuklic

BrianJulioColinAlecNicholasKevinEdwardLukeJonathanTimothyRyanJohnMatthewBrianTommyMarkSeanAngeloJosephEricRyanDanielChristopherKurtDanielChristopherJoshuaJackMitchellJohnJamesBrandonLawrenceAhmadJohnRyanErickJosephDylanDanielKyleMatthewMichaelWilliamAugustineNicholasRobertDavidDanielPaulBrianAlanLawrenceSeanDanielJohnKennethKurtMatthewMichaelTheodoreDanielMartinThomasHectorFrankWarrenAdamPatrickMartinDavidMusaKevinKhalilAntanasWilliamAndrewThomasMichaelKevinMichaelMartin

KellenJustinPhilipThomasDanielEddieJohnDanielPatrickMartinDavidScottMichaelGilbertoPatrickKevinJosephMatthewDanielTimothyBryantRandallBrandonJackDanielChetMatthewKevinMarkJacobNicholasMichaelThomasJohnAnthonyMauriceDanielBradulTommyCurtisThomasNicolasJacobMichaelGeraldMarcellRichardJamesBenjaminErikChristianManuelThomasJoshuaDanielAndrewJordanJoseElliotSeamusJamesMatthewDavidBrendanMichaelAdamRaymondMichaelDanielAlexanderDamonJamereMichaelKyelJonathanAndrewNikoBartAlexanderManuelAlexanderJoseph

Fontbonne UniversityWright State UniversityWestern Michigan UniversityMoraine Valley Community CollegeParkland CollegeIllinois State UniversityWestern Illinois UniversityRichard J. Daley CollegeMarquette UniversityUniversity of Illinois Urbana - ChampaignEastern Illinois UniversityCentral Michigan UniversityKirkwood Community CollegeUniversity of MichiganUniversity of DaytonUniversity of DaytonMoraine Valley Community CollegeSaint Xavier UniversityQuincy UniversitySt. Ambrose UniversityBenedictine UniversityTruman State UniversityMoraine Valley Community CollegeUniversity of Illinois Urbana - ChampaignUniversity of ChicagoUnited States National GuardSaint Xavier UniversityUniversity of Illinois Urbana - ChampaignWestern Illinois UniversityMoraine Valley Community CollegeWestern Illinois UniversityNorthern Illinois UniversityUniversity of IowaUniversity of IowaMerrimack CollegeNorthern Illinois UniversityMerrimack CollegeMorraine Valley Community CollegeNorthern Illinois UniversityNorthern Michigan UniversityUnited States Marine CorpsUniversity of Illinois Urbana - ChampaignJunior CollegeMoraine Valley Community CollegeUniversity of Wisconsin - MadisonRichard J. Daley CollegeLindenwood UniversitySouthern Illinois University CarbondaleUniversity of ChicagoBenedictine UniversityUnited State Air ForceUndecidedUniversity of Illinois Urbana - ChampaignUniversity of Colorado - BoulderUniversity of Hawaii - HiloMorraine Valley Community CollegeSt. Ambrose UniversityNortheastern Illinois UniversityMorton CollegeUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignMorraine Valley Community CollegeIndiana University - BloomingtonVillanova UniversityKirkwood Community CollegeSouthern Illinois UniversityEdwardsvilleUniversity of Notre DameRichard J. Daley CollegeUndecidedIllinois State UniversityCarthage College RedmenNorthern Illinois UniversityIllinois State UniversityMorraine Valley Community CollegeMarquette UniversitySt. Louis UniversityWestern Michigan UniversityIllinois State UniversityUndecidedBenedictine UniversityQuincy UniversityCarthage College Moraine Valley Community College

University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignMorton CollegeWestern Illinois UniversityJunior HockeyWestern Illinois UniversityEastern Illinois UniversityMoraine Valley Community CollegeManchester CollegeBradley UniversitySaint Xavier UniversityWestern Illinois UniversitySt. Ambrose UniversityMoraine Valley Community CollegeSaint Louis UniversityUnited States NavyUniversity of Illinois at ChicagoWestern Michigan UniversityIllinois State UniversityJohn Carroll UniversityCollege of DuPageWestern Illinois UniversityNortheastern Illinois UniversitySouthern Nazarene UniversityUnited States ArmyUniversity of IowaMoraine Valley Community CollegeUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignMoraine Valley Community CollegeLindenwood UniversityUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignBarton County Community CollegeCardinal Stritch UniversityColumbia College ChicagoParkland CollegeWestern Illinois UniversityJudson UniversityWestern Illinois UniversityParkland CollegeWestern Illinois UniversitySaint Louis UniversityMorraine Valley Community CollegeMoraine Valley Community CollegeSt. Ambrose UniversityCommunity CollegeCommunity CollegeIllinois State UniversityLoyola UniversityNorwich UniversityUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignMoraine Valley Community CollegeUnited States Marine CorpsSouthern Nazarene UniversitySaint Xavier UniversityKirkwood Community CollegeUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignDePaul UniversityDePaul UniversityLewis UniversityUniversity of MiamiMiami UniversityUniversity of St. ThomasMoraine Valley Community CollegeUniversity of New MexicoRichard J. Daley CollegeLoras CollegeJoliet Junior CollegeMorraine Valley Community CollegeUniversity of ConnecticutUniversity of IowaUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignMoraine Valley Community CollegeUndecidedUniversity of Illinois at Springfi eldValparaiso UniversityMoraine Valley Community CollegeSt. Ambrose UniversityIllinois State UniversityProvidence CollegeSt. Norbert CollegeSaint Louis UniversityParkland College

What’s next for graduating seniors?

Congratulations St. Rita Class of 2009!

With the current state of the economy, people are going back to the simpler things in life. Man by very nature is a creature who plans. We dream for a future that is ideal and plan a way to achieve it.

With the world as it is, it is becoming difficult to plan for anything. Everything is just too volatile now to have a sure thing.

JUST RECENTLY I found out that Bank of Amer-ica is about to go bankrupt. America’s bank is unable to pay for its debts. How?

Did the investors of the banks lose it all to bookies when Mine That Bird won the Kentucky Derby? I mean, where did all of the money go, and more im-portantly, what will be liquidated if they file for bank-ruptcy? Does this mean they will sell off the MLB or the New England Patriots to pay off their debt?

This was bad news for me. Granted, my money is insured up to $100,000, which I’m nowhere near. Thankfully, the government can easily back the $1400 I have saved for 17 years. However, I began to think. Can the government back the hundreds of thousands in the banks when one of the banks fails?

That’s when I realized that these aren’t questions I should be pondering. I should just live my life and do my best to make the situation the best. Other Ameri-cans I believe are doing the same thing.

MOVIE SALES ARE going to rise as people try escapism and become enraptured in a story that isn’t their own, if only for a couple of hours.

Currently, I have read the amount of affairs has begun to increase. The website MarriedAndLooking has seen an increase of 25% of membership in the past six months.

Statistically, sales of condoms have increased by 5% in the fourth quarter of last year. Jim Daniels, the marketing Vice President of Trojan suggests, “the sales increases may be due to U.S. residents finding cheaper modes of entertainment during the economic crisis.”

Due to the costs that are involved with divorce, some people are not divorcing rather they are stay-ing together. They are agreeing to lead separate lives under the same roof.

PEOPLE ARE SIMPLY looking for ways to live in the present, to seize the moment and couldn’t care less about the future.

What’s the point of all of this? To be honest, there is no real point.

What’s trying to be said is that humans will revert back to their instincts, to what’s easier to do, and start looking at the small things that brings a smile to their face. It takes a crisis to realize what is truly good in your life.

Please note, the editorial is a written view of one St. Rita High School student. It does not necessarily reflect the views of others at St. Rita or the school as an institution.

By Marty MaloneEditor-in-Chief

Windows Vista has been just about as popular as Presi-dent Richard Nixon’s decision to invade Cambodia.

Ever since Vista has been released to the main stream, it has received less than stellar reviews – most notably the popular “Mac vs. PC” commercials by Apple Inc. These commercials not only got the public thinking Windows Vista was a failure as an operating system, but that Apple’s Mac operating system, OSX, was a much better choice for users.

TO SAY THE least, things were not looking good for Vista. People were thus losing faith in Microsoft, and the company knew it needed to do something drastic. Wel-come the development and introduction of Windows 7.

Windows 7, Microsoft’s successor to Windows Vista, is everything Vista should have been – and more. And all of these changes are not in fact credited to the minds at Microsoft.

Back in January, Microsoft began giving away beta – or test – copies of its new Windows 7 software to users for free. This may seem like a silly idea, but Microsoft knew it couldn’t afford another failure like Vista, so their idea was to give away free temporary copies of Windows 7 in order to gain feedback from future users of the final ver-sion.

This plan worked for the company. Microsoft reported that over 2,000 bugs in the Windows 7 software code were

fixed – all thanks to the feedback of the nearly 2.5 million beta testers.

Apart from new minor stability features, Microsoft has worked hard to incorporate as many new features as pos-sible into Windows 7 without adding too much bulk. This is good news for netbook users. Microsoft is adamant on making Windows 7 the number one choice for users who buy netbooks, which are the fastest growing sector in com-puter sales.

NEW KEY FEATURES that are sure to entice new cus-tomers are Remote Media Sharing, which lets users share all of their music, photos, and videos to any computer in the world – granted it has an internet access and the proper user ID and password.

The new version also has a virtual Windows XP mode which allows users to open up any program in a virtual Windows XP operating system, all on the same Windows 7 machine.

Microsoft has also made strides to make vast improve-ments in networking and battery life for laptops.

It is clear that many see Windows 7 as a big band-aid for many of Vista’s problems. Frustrated Vista users can only hope that Microsoft will be cutting them a deal on the price to upgrade to Windows 7 from Vista.

If you’re looking to get a sneak peak of all that Win-dows 7 has to offer, you could look online at all of the walk-through videos and read the countless articles about all its new features – or you could download the Windows 7 release candidate today from microsoft.com.

EditorialAre people turning to simpler things?

� e Ritan is a publication of the students of St. Rita of Cascia High School, 7740 S. Western Ave., Chicago IL 60620. Phone: 773-925-6600 ext. 6668. Letters to the editors can be dropped o� at the Mel SchreierRitan O� ce located in the academic wing on the northwest end of the second � oor, submitted via email to jblaszak@stritahs.com or given to Mr. Josh Blaszak in Room 206.

Editors-in-Chief: Marty Malone and Dan MoorePolitical Editor: Adam VargasAssistant Editor: Dave Schrader

Sta� Writers: Luke Bentley, Brian Boyd, Bob Carroll, Brad Dorng, Cesar Morales, Bobby Raehl, Craig Sabath, and Kyel White

Photographers: David Huang and Al Smith

Artists: Matt Gooseherst

Moderator: Mr. Josh Blaszak

Page 4 May 28, 2009STUDENT VIEWS

Out with the troublesome Vista...Microsoft readies Windows 7

Obama looks to the future, but has much work ahead

By Adam VargasPolitical Editor

President Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected into office in 1932, the time when the Stock Market Crash of 1929 and Great Depression were crip-pling millions of Americans around the country. Voices cried for change and made themselves heard with a dramatic shift in Congress in favor of the Democrats.

With the majority on his side, plus the obvious need for some govern-ment action, FDR managed to have every bill he proposed pass during the first few months of office, known by historians as the First Hundred Days. Such legislation included the Emergency Bank Act (which led to citizens again keeping their money in banks) and the Public Works Admin-istration (which created jobs for the unemployed).

Despite President Barack Obama clearly not having as easy a time as President Roosevelt had with pass-ing legislation, the Democratic suc-cess of the 2008 elections along with the economic struggles recent times have seen have brought about many onlookers interested in seeing how President Obama’s first hundred days would play out.

AS MANY EXPECTED, President Obama hit the ground running. Dur-ing his first week in office he signed an executive order to close Guan-tanamo Bay, a detention facility for high-priority criminals that has been criticized for years concerning pris-oner treatment and torture measures, within a year. He also signed an order banning crude interrogation mea-sures on any United States “terror” detainee, making it clear that tactics

such as waterboarding are illegal and unacceptable.

At present time: clearing out Guan-tanamo has hit two snags in the road as (1) the United States has been unable to find proper facilities to relocate the prisoners (Europe and U.S. prisons have both rejected the request) and (2) Obama’s administration has real-ized that the camp lacks proper filing of detainee evidence – a problem that could take months to fix.

Concerning foreign affairs, Presi-dent Obama announced on February 18th that 17,000 additional troops would be placed in Afghanistan, where, in keeping with his presiden-tial campaign, he stated military focus should be.

ON FEBRUARY 27th, President Obama discussed with Marines an exit strategy from Iraq that would have all combat brigades out of the country by the end of August 2010.

At present time: the White House is still sticking by their return date of August 31, 2010. While it looks good on paper, it would look better if it happened. Here’s to hoping com-plications don’t arise.

Then there’s the economy. While many were hoping President George W. Bush’s exit from the White House would mean a fast revival of the stock market, the Dow Jones instead fell 332 points on Inauguration Day.

To those moaning and groaning – and ignoring President Obama’s call for patience and confidence – I say enjoy drinking from a glass half empty.

While his $825 billion stimulus package has come under criticism (it doesn’t help when major C.E.O.s are more concerned about their private jets’ gas tanks approaching empty than actually fixing their companies

struggles), I think there’s been a dra-matic positive shift these past few months in the people’s confidence towards the economy.

Efforts are clearly being made to save what is still afloat and cut losses as major car brands like Hummer, Pontiac, and Saturn all take begin to shut their doors forever.

In fact, considering that the econ-omy was shown to be the most impor-tant issue on the voter’s mind during the 2008 presidential election, it’s fairly interesting to note that President Obama’s hundred days Gallup poll said that 56% of Americans said he has done an excellent/good job thus far (in contrast to 20% saying he has done a poor / terrible job).

At present time: the Dow Jones dropped 62 points, settling at 8,268.64 points. That’s a slight improvement over Inauguration Day’s 7,949.09 point settling. Expect the numbers to rise, slowly but surely.

SO, WHILE THE country wasn’t in as bad of conditions as it was when President Roosevelt was elected into office some 77 years ago, it was heading in the wrong direction before President Obama was elected last No-vember.

However, if you listen closely to any of his speeches concerning to-day’s conditions, President Obama will remind you that he thinks we are in some of the toughest times in American history.

It’s critical that we, both young and old, do our parts to ensure the con-tinued success of our country and safety of future generations in other matters – let the economy ride itself out. It won’t happen overnight, but if you peer your eyes closely into the distance – yeah, that’s the light at the end of the tunnel.

By Adam VargasPolitical Editor

I was talking with my mom about Rita after graduation yesterday and we came to discussing how exciting it is that my brother, Peter, will be attending the school next year.

It truly is exciting for a great reason: I believe Rita is the greatest high school one will ever find. At Rita a students is going to get a great education, an amazing strengthen-ing of his faith, and yes, even an excellent sporting career – but here’s the catch: you have to want them.

I feel so strongly that if you take out all that you can from your experiences at Rita you’ll be nothing but happy and successful in life. Yes, what you can get here is that good. Because of this, I wanted to make a few tips to my Rita brothers to ensure that they use their time at Rita to the fullest.

TO THE INCOMING FRESHMEN: Grammar school was definitely a great place to find out who you are – and you’ll have more of the same at Rita. However, the simi-larities between grammar school and high school don’t go on for very long and you’ll have to do some adjusting. I hope these tips help you to look forward to Rita and all that comes with the school.

(1) Never, give up. I can remember how nervous I was for my freshmen orientation. I’m sure you will be ner-vous too. It’s a big leap from grammar school to high school and no one knows ahead of time what to expect. Don’t let those nerves get the best of you, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes!

During the entrance exams I completely finished the Mathematics section before I realized I had filled all the bubbles in under the Reading section. Then I managed to be late for orientation and had to walk into the chapel by myself with Fr. Tom’s eyes staring right at me. I was also under the impression that orientation ended after lunch that day – so I left school two hours before I was supposed to. Next, I was accidentally late for my first official day of classes. Needless to say, I was off to a terrible start.

I was sure I had already developed a reputation among teachers for being a bad apple. I was wrong. My Latin teacher, Mr. Rohn, allowed me into class and told me to not be late again. And so I wasn’t late again. In fact, after four years I was never again in trouble for being late. You can’t let bad starts define you in a school that you are at for four years. So please, don’t ever get frustrated or give up. Everyone makes mistakes. It’s those that overcome their mistakes that are successful.

(2) Don’t be a 2:17 man. I remember when Mr. Quinn came to my grammar school in 8th grade. He gave a great speech about how great Rita is. One of the quotes that still sticks with me is him reminding us to not be “2:07 men” (yeah, Rita used to get out a few minutes earlier). The advice could not be better.

Let me explain: Rita has so many great extra-curricular activities constantly going on after school, be it sports or clubs, which no one should be running for their car at 2:17 to race home. Stay! Be involved! Get to know your classmates through common interests. You can’t get to know others and they can’t get to know you if you are a 2:17 man.

(3) Trust in your teachers. I’m still thankful Mr. Rohn didn’t send me down to the dean that first day. The fact is every teacher at Rita wants you to succeed, and as much as it may seem like it from time to time, they are not actu-ally out to get you.

Actually, when they are being hard on you – that’s just them trying to get you to reach your potential. Many teachers are alumni from Rita, and others have had their kids go to here. That should be a clear indication of how

much they believe in the message being given at our school. So, don’t be afraid to let them get to know you.

Raise your hand during class, go to them after school for questions, and show you care. They’re going to know your names soon enough anyways, so wouldn’t you rather they learn it in a positive light?

(4) Be open to letting your faith grow as well. I wasn’t considering Rita at all until I went on a retreat here my 8th grade year. Then suddenly the school was the front-runner. You’re lucky enough to have one of the most beautiful chapels around, and you’re going to use it a lot. You’re going to pray before every class and then at the end of the day. You’re going to go on some of the best re-treats a Catholic school could give, Kairos being the best experience of your young life (go on Kairos your senior year!). You’re going to do all of these things and none of it will mean anything at all if you don’t let it. Open up your mind and soul, and experience God.

(4) Be yourself and try your best. When I got into my car the morning of the high school entrance exams, I still couldn’t decide where I wanted to go. All my friends seemed to be going to Marist, but Rita seemed like the school that fit me.

At Rita, you won’t have to worry about distractions. There are no girls to try to impress, no upperclassmen out to get you, and that goofball from grammar school that always got you in trouble probably didn’t make it in. It’s just you and the road to success. Now take with you the friends you’ll make at Rita, the great teachers there to help you, and God.

TO THE INCOMING SOPHOMORES: Remember how nervous you were when you walked through those doors as freshmen? Well, now that’s all behind you and suddenly there are these little guys ready to take your place. I’m sure you remember how relieved you were to find out that the older guys had no plans of bothering you. Be sure to return the favor as you continue to climb the ladder of high school.

Also, I’d like to remind you that high school is four years long. Sooner than you know it, your college choices will be looking at semester grades for eight semesters. So, I’m sure many of you are still mentally exhausted from giving freshmen year your all, but now is not the time to relax. Trust me; sophomore year is filled with a lot of fun

to keep you going strong, so keep up the good work.TO THE INCOMING JUNIORS: Becoming upper-

classmen means more than just getting your junior rings and some neat electives. Classes this year are structured to help you get the highest score possible on the ACT. Because of this, you’ll find that some of your classes are pretty difficult. Keep up with your work and you’re due to be amazed come time for that ACT score to come in the mail. I personally knew very little about grammar before coming to Rita. And then suddenly, after taking my junior year English class with Mr. Nee, I was able to manage a 34 on the English portion of the ACT.

Visit colleges, consider majors, and work hard on your applications. Don’t worry about money issues. There’s no way I’d be able to afford a Notre Dame education on my own, but thanks to all that Rita gave me, I’m going to the great university taken care of completely by scholar-ships.

Listen closely: colleges know about Rita. If you man-age good grades from this school then they know you’re ready for the next level of education, and they’ll want you at their schools.

TO THE INCOMING SENIORS: Maybe it has to do with the ACT, maybe it has to do with the amount of electives you can take senior year, I’m not quite sure. It seems, though, that there’s a belief that your junior year is the hardest and that senior year is a walk in the park. I don’t want to throw you into panic mode, but I have to admit that my senior year was by far the hardest. Those AP classes can be brutal when they want to be. Just know that you’re getting started on your freshmen year of col-lege ahead of schedule. I’m sure that next year won’t be nearly as rude of an awakening for me because I chose not to dilly-dally my last year of high school.

Look back upon the last three years. Doesn’t it seem like they’ve flown by? Well, now multiply that speed by three to put your last year into perspective. Before you know it you’re going to be reminiscing on all the great times you had at Rita and already missing the comfort and joy that came with every day. I’m not sure what I’ll end up doing in life. Maybe I’ll come back and teach students at this beautiful high school – who knows? All I know is that I have Rita to thank for whatever successes I have in life. I pray that the same holds true for you.

May 28, 2009 Page 5SENIOR REFLECTIONS

By Marty MaloneEditor-In-Chief

Looking back, I really didn’t even choose to come to Rita. I actually live a lot closer to St. Laurence. But my older brother went there and he didn’t like it – so when he chose to come to Rita for his junior and senior years, it was sort of a given that I would come here too.

The only bit of “research” I did on Rita was come here for a Columbus Day shadow day – which didn’t really give me a real sense of the school.

However, if anyone ever asked me what the best de-

cision I’ve ever made in my life up to this point was, I would answer – without a doubt – that it was to come to St. Rita of Cascia High School.

ACTUALLY, TO COME to St. Rita…” doesn’t do our school justice. I’m sure there are some other high school newspapers that may be publishing some sort of senior reflection pieces where the senior writer says that their best decision yet was “to come to X High School.”

When you’re dealing with Rita though, you are deal-ing with a family. So to correct myself, joining the St. Rita of Cascia High School family was the best deci-sion I have made in my life so far.

Editor-In-Chief:

Joining the Rita family was my best decision yet

Senior Vargas passes on advice as he leaves

Congratulations!Rita Class of 2009

receives over $10, 000,000

in scholarship offers

Volleyball wins Catholic League Tournament By Brian Boyd

Senior Writer

The Mustang Varsity Volleyball team hasn’t been too fa-miliar with having a target on their backs. Judging from this season, they have adjusted quickly.

Ranked 40th in ESPN Rise’s ranking of the top 100 high school volleyball teams in the nation, preseason, the Mus-tangs have high hopes heading into the playoffs.

Despite an opening loss to Providence, the players and coaches have recuperated and look to be fi nishing strong.

Led by seniors Pat Hogan, Colin Andersen, John Bisi-ules, Mike Newton, Andy Kats, Dave Fashingbauer, and Nick Ardolino, the Mustangs feel like they can play with anyone.

IN THEIR FIRST tournament of the year, the Marist Invitational, the Mustangs had a solid showing, going 4-1 and fi nishing fi fth in the tough tournament.

The Mustangs then proceeded to defeat Chicago Catho-lic League nemesis Br. Rice handily in two sets

Out of all the triumphs of the regular season, though, two

in particular stand out in the players’ eyes. The Mustangs defeated Sandburg, who was ranked 11th in the nation in the preseason, and also took fourth at the Tiger Classic, a tournament regarded by many as one of the toughest in the state.

THESE HUGE PERFORMANCES are a testament to the resilience of the team, which was often beleaguered by injuries.

“We really have a lot of talent on the time, but we didn’t start jelling until late in the season due to injuries,” said Andy Kats, an integral part of the lineup.

“All of us play really well when healthy,” he said.With the state playoffs looming on the horizon, the

Mustangs will settle for nothing less than a good showing downstate.

Taking an 18-8 record into the CCL tourney, the Mus-tangs know they’re in for a challenge. With teams such as Providence, Loyola, and Br. Rice in the tournament, they will undoubtedly have to bring their A game.

The playoffs prove to be just as tough although the team

is confi dent.“I feel that our team has a great shot of making it to state,

as long as we keep our heads on straight for the regional and

sectional games,” said Mike Newton. “With our senior leadership and underclassmen such

as Tanner [Pannozo] and Joe Biros playing so well, we should do great,” he said.

Although the road may be formidable, the Mustangs are poised for a run in the state playoffs. Rita is going after its 10th consecutive regional title.

THE MUSTANGS ARE already fulfi lling one their playoff goals. This past weekend the Mustangs won the CCL Tournament for the fi rst time. At the time of this writing, the Mustangs are moving on to state competition where they hope to be successful as well.

Rita Volleyball will also not be the end of the road for several senior players, John Bisiules and Andrew Kats re-cently signed letters of intent to play at St. Ambrose Uni-versity.

MUSTANG SPORTS & ACTIVITIESPage 6 May 28, 2009

Ritamen help serve homeless volunteering at local P.A.D.S.

By David Schrader Assistant Editor

Rita’s video game club has had a busy year. Members met every other Wednesday to play and socialize with one another.

During the fi rst semester, there was a Halo 3 tournament. Halo 3 is a video game for the Xbox 360. For the tournament, competitors played with a partner in two-on-two split-screen combat.

The winners of this tournament were juniors Sterling Carrington and Kyle Toth. Those who chose to compete each paid an entry fee, which allowed the winning pair to take home half of an $80 pot with the other half being donated to the Augustinian Missions.

DURING THE SECOND semester, there was an NBA 2K9 tournament. Here participants chose an NBA team to play as for the entirety of the tournament. Once a team was chosen no other person was allowed to play as that team. Matches were one-on-one affairs. The winner of this tournament was sophomore Marshawn Tobin.

For the last meeting of the year, a decidedly old-school feel was present. Students dug out their Nintendo 64s from the closet and competed in such classics as 007 Goldeneye and Starfox 64.

Tournament play was only part of what the club was about this year. Being able to just bring in games and spend time with one another was a huge focus of the club. Next year looks to continue this trend with more participants, more games, and more TVs to play them on.

Photo courtesy of Institutional AdvancementTHE MUSTANGS WORK to block the opponent. Rita’s Varsity Volleyball team recently won the Chicago Catholic League Tournament. They now look on to the state playoffs.

Videogames lead to play and socializing for Mustang students

By Brad DorngFreshman Writer

Founded in 1993 by Sr. Therese DelGenio, P.A.D.S. (Public Action to Deliver Shelter) is a homeless shelter offering nutritious meals and an environment that nurtures mutual respect and per-sonal dignity.

Through counseling, mentoring, and case manage-ment homeless men and women are encouraged to visit the shelter in order to a make and meet a goal towards a better and healthier lifestyle.

FOR THE PAST several years, Rita students, accompanied by various faculty and staff mem-bers, support the shelter every Wednesday evening. These individuals help serve dinner, distribute cloth-ing, and most importantly socialize and deliver hope to those in need.

P.A.D.S. provides food, clothing, and some time for shelter during the day, a service especially vi-tal when the homeless simply need to get inside for some warmth or dry conditions. Those who visit P.A.D.S. also get to meet new people or get a check-up from a doctor from time to time.

So many of the hundreds of Rita students who have gone to the shelter remark that it was an amaz-ing experience, and not only a service opportunity, but also a learning experience.

Augustinian Volunteer, Mr. Joe Toomey, described his trips to P.A.D.S. in words such as “eye-opening, rewarding, and a great time.”

He is happy to visit P.A.D.S and help, but is also saddened when he sees the same people he helped, on the street corner when the shelter closes.

“We are so fortunate to be riding in a warm car, and can look forward to going home to a warm and cozy house, when they don’t know what direction to start heading,” said Mr. Toomey.

“East, West, North, and South, these great people try to search for a safe place to sleep, we truly don’t know how lucky we are,” he said.

The aid that is provided to the homeless is greatly appreciated, especially aid given by Rita students such as sophomore Connor Wilson.

Wilson spoke of his visit to the P.A.D.S. saying, “it was a great experience. It makes you feel good inside, helping other people.”

“AT FIRST YOU are nervous around all these people, but then half way through your time there, you are sitting at a table fi nding out about the life of the homeless,” he said.

Sr. Therese and other volunteers are always look-ing for more help from people donating their old clothes, blankets, and most of all their time.

Cooks and local churches and organizations help to provide meals, and volunteers are always present to ensure the homeless have a positive experience while at the shelter.

Overall, the Rita students and faculty have been very pleased with their experiences at P.A.D.S. and they look forward to continuing to be of service in the years ahead.

Photo courtesy of Institutional AdvancementSENIOR DAVE FASHINGBAUER spikes the ball. Fashingbauer has been a key senior in gaining success for the Mustangs. The team hopes to retain success with its underclassmen.

Water Polo looks ahead

May 28, 2009 MUSTANG SPORTS Page 7

By Craig SabbathFreshman Writer

The Mustang Track team is wrapping up its second season under Head Coach Tony Sosnowski.

Following the season, Coach Sosnowski expressed a strong sense of pride in the strength, speed, and leaping capabilities that was exhibited by players such as junior Bruce Gaston, sophomore Mark Bonds, and freshmen Tony Hicks and Cody Leach.

Coach Sosnowski was also astounded by the work ethic of many players.

“Several athletes have made signifi cant strides this season and put their best per-formances in at the end of the season,” said Coach Sosnowski.

This does not come as a surprise, howev-er, considering Coach Sosnowski expected nothing less than the best from each track member.

“REGARDLESS OF HOW you fi nish in a particular event or how you perform in practice on any given day, you have to get back up the next day and make yourself better. If you can’t do that, then you don’t belong on track and fi eld. If you can do that, then the opportunities for your future are endless,” said Coach Sosnowski.

This season, the Mustangs’ work ethic was witnessed in the numerous outstand-ing performances made not only by up-perclassmen, but also by sophomores and freshmen.

The freshmen/sophomore Mustangs closed out their season moving up from twelfth place a year ago to a fourth place fi nish in the Chicago Catholic League.

Mark Bonds was the CCL Champion in the long jump at 20 feet and 3 inches. The four by 100 meter relay team of sopho-mores Anthony Davis, Marshawn Tobin, Mark Bonds, and freshman Derri Person ran a near-meet record 44.10 seconds.

The Mustangs also received solid perfor-

mances in several other events.The four by 800 relay team of sopho-

mores Mike Bocardo, Aamir Walton, freshmen Mark Murphy, and Albert Alfano placed fourth.

Mark Bonds placed second in the 100 and 200 meter dashes.

Anthony Davis placed fi fth in the 200 meter dash, and he was part of the four by 200 meter relay team with Marshawn Tobin, Derri Person, and Cody Leach that fi nished in third place.

Marshawn Tobin placed in the 100 me-ter dash and took home fourth in the long jump. Freshman Tony Hicks took second in the triple jump, seventh in the 110 hur-dles, and third in the high jump.

Cody Leach also placed in the triple jump with a fourth place fi nish. Jack Shea-han placed sixth in the shot put.

The four by 400 relay team of sopho-more Jack Leiser, Aamir Walton, freshmen Raymond Farris, and Jake Golding placed seventh. Mitch Saffold took home sixth in the long and triple jump.

The Varsity Mustangs also had a suc-cessful fi nish to their regular season. They competed at a high level and had several elite performances.

The four by 100 meter relay team of An-thony Davis, junior Javier Green, Ahmad Daniels, and Mark Bonds were victorious winning the CCL Championship with a time of 43.46 seconds.

Mark Bonds won another Champion-ship by running an 11.01 second 100 meter dash.

TONY HICKS AND CODY Leach each placed fourth and fi fth respectively in the triple jump, with Hicks also placing fi fth in the high jump.

The Mustangs hope for continued suc-cessful performances over the next several years.

“Our guys expect to win now and in the future,” said Coach Sosnowski comment-

ing on the difference of St. Rita athletes.Echoing Ricky Bobby’s “If you ain’t

fi rst, you’re last,” motto, he continued, “Coming in second place means we are the fi rst loser in a competition, and this mental-ity has driven our athletes, especially our younger athletes, to compete at a very high level. Essentially, we are competing with a chip on our shoulder to prove how good we can be.”

Although the Mustangs are losing a few seniors, the team is retaining a large num-ber of underclassmen.

“Several of our key varsity athletes come from the Frosh/Soph Team and will make huge contributions in the future,” Coach Sosnowski remarked.

Optimistic about the future, he contin-ued, “Sophomores Mark Bonds, Anthony Davis, Javier Green, and Marshawn Tobin already are part of a top four by 100 Relay

Team. Freshmen Cody Leach and Tony Hicks are also potential state qualifi ers in another year.

“FOR THE DISTANCE runners, fresh-men Albert Alfano and Mark Murphy, along with sophomore Mike Bocardo, will form the core of our distance team.

“Sophomore Jack Sheahan should be a threat in both the shot put and discus on varsity. Sophomores Jack Leiser and Aamir Walton will lead the 400 Meter runners. Plus, sophomore Mitch Saffold should also make some big contributions in the long and triple jump.”

As the season approaches an end, the Mustangs are still succeeding. The follow-ing are state qualifi ers in the four by 100 meter relay: Anthony Davis, Javier Green, Ahmad Daniels, and Mark Bonds. Bruce Gaston also qualifi ed in the shot put and discus.

Successful season for track and � eld

By Brian BoydSenior Writer

Returning only two starters from a solid varsity squad last year, Rita’s Water Polo team, led by se-nior Mitch Condon, knew they were going to be in for a tumultuous journey.

The Mustangs fi nished with a 4-20 record, losing to Br. Rice in the fi rst round of the state playoffs. The sub-500 record does not indicate the persever-ance, toughness, and talent this team possesses, though.

THE EMERGENCE OF key players such as sophomore Connor LePretre added to the team’s potential. Aided by assistant coach Terry Shlayer, a Rita grad and former goalie, young players made great strides.

Despite the losing record, the Mustangs did play well against top-tier competition.

Against St. Patrick in the Chicago Catholic League tournament, the Mustangs played their best fi rst half of the year, with Mitch Condon scoring 5 goals in the fi rst quarter. At home, against number 11 ranked Loyola, the Mustangs had a good show-ing as well.

The team looks to rebuild and have a successful season next year.

“This year was strictly a rebuilding year,” said Mitch Condon, “The three seniors that are on the team tried their best to help the young players be-come better. It was a fun season even without a lot of success.”

By Cesar Morales Freshman Writer

Under the leadership of new Head Coach Brian Gilbert, the lacrosse team has been doing a tremendous job ever since the season began. As the season winds down the team is looking toward a successful fi nish.

Thanks to the Mustangs’ strong, physical defense and quick offense, they have come up victorious against many opponents including: Taft 14-0, Sandburg 10-4, and Wheaton North 8-6, and Mather 18-1. At the time of this writing, the Mustangs record stands at 11-5 with losses to schools such as Lyons Township 12-1 and Marian Catholic 11-3.

Rita’s defenders are stronger and bigger, which gives them

a great advantage, and the offense is quick with good shooting skills. This is likely due to the team’s successful practices.

A GREAT GAME this year was played against Vernon Hills, whom the Mustangs beat 11-6. Rita had a strong ef-fort from junior Ryan Gallagher and senior Alex Zemke, and played well as a team to beat Vernon Hills in a close game.

There was a wonderful play when sophomore Arman Cas-tillo had an excellent face-off and quickly passed the ball to Zemke, and then Zemke passed the ball to Gallagher to score.

Key players for the Mustangs are really helping to bring home the wins. These include Gallagher and Zemke, as well as juniors Ryan Nolan and Walker Dunne.

On offense, Gallagher is #2 in the state with 46 goals and 28 assists. Zemke is #1 with 47 goals and 30 assists. On de-fense, Dunne has 80 ground-balls and Nolan has 72.

Another important player is Castillo, who is leading the team in face-offs.

The defense is playing tough and the team has had a couple of shutouts. There have also been many great plays by the goalie, junior Bryan Przepiora.

The Mustangs have consis-tently looked strong with the defense always ready to go. The biggest match-up for Rita will come in their last home game, which is against #1 ranked St. Ignatius.

When asked about the team, Coach Gilbert said, “The team is looking strong. They have a chance at the Metro League Lacrosse Cup this year.”

Lacrosse plays hard under new coach

Photo courtesy of Institutional AdvancementRITA’S TRACK AND fi eld team is currently wrapping up its second season under Coach Tony Sosnowski. Several Mustangs are state qualifi ers, including: the four by 100 meter relay team of sophomores Anthony Davis, Ahmad Daniels, Mark Bonds, and junior Javier Green. Junior Bruce Gaston also qualifi ed in the shot put and discus.

Photo courtesy of Institutional AdvancementJUNIOR WALKER DUNNE, center, looks to help the Mustangs on their quest to win the La-crosse Cup. The Mustangs have had a successful season under new Head Coach Brian Gilbert.

Page 8 May 28, 2009MUSTANG BASEBALL

By Luke Bentley Senior Writer

It’s hard for people not to have high expectations of a team that begins the season ranked number one by three top newspapers and ranked 20th in the nation by Baseball America Magazine.

The Varsity Mustangs Baseball team has defi nitely lived up to these expectations. Once again Rita has had a very successful start to its season.

The Mustangs started off the season in fi ne fashion with a victory over Oak Lawn 12-1. They looked great the next fi ve games defeating Joliet Catholic, Richards, Bloomington, and Simeon.

NEXT UP, THE Mustangs took on a very underrated Whitney Young team. The Dolphins jumped out to an early 4-0 start in the fi rst inning and the Mustangs couldn’t catch up. Even with the help from senior Angelo Burrage’s grand slam, the Mustangs fell 7-6 to Young and received their fi rst loss.

After the loss, Rita got back on the win-ning track with nine straight victories. The Mustangs took on a tough Lincoln-Way Central team 5-3, then Kimberly High School from Kimberly, Wisconsin.

With a stud ace on the mound, Kimberly kept Rita’s hits to a minimum. In the sev-enth inning though, senior Kevin Jachim knocked in the winning run with a single to give the Mustangs a 3-2 win.

No more than 30 minutes later, the

Mustangs took on rival St Laurence and came out on top 4-3, but it took an extra inning to do so. Junior Kyle Stearns hit a line drive single over second base to give the Mustangs a victory.

Things kept looking up when the Swinging Mustangs beat Oak Forest 13-3. They then beat Marist 6-4 at Standard Bank Stadium, home of the Windy City Thunderbolts. The runs kept coming in abundance when they beat Stagg 12-2, St. Ignatius 11-1, St. Joseph’s 7-4, and Reavis 16-0.

The Mustangs hit a bit of a dry spell, though, when they played St. Ignatius for the second time. The Wolfpack blanked the Mustangs 10-0 and gave them their second loss and fi rst loss in the Chicago Catholic League.

Rita didn’t take long to get over it though, when they beat rival Mt. Carmel 10-0. The Mustangs jumped on the Caravan early with the help of senior pitcher Scott Marinier, who shut out Mt. Carmel through fi ve innings, and sophomore Dan Potempa who hit a three-run home run.

WHEN THE MUSTANGS faced Mt. Carmel for a second time, they were pre-pared for a different Mt. Carmel team. They were correct as the Caravan came out swinging in game two. They had the lead over the Mustangs 9-7 going into the top of the seventh. The Mustangs rallied for a four-run inning and came out on top 11-9.

“We tried to give it away, we lost the edge, but we played well and with a great

effort from Shane Conlon, we were able to win a tough CCL game on the road,” said

Head Coach Mike Zunica. Things got a little easier as they

played in two CCL crossover games beating Seton 7-0 by for-feit and Hales-Franciscan 28-0. Next up, the Mustangs took on DeLaSalle, where they won 5-2 in an exciting game.

When things seemed to be going so well, Rita had tough luck on the road in a double-header at Providence. They won the fi rst game 7-2 behind junior pitcher Shane Conlon on the hill. The second game wasn’t so easy, though.

THE CELTICS CAME out swinging as they led 10-0 at the end of the fourth inning. The Mustangs didn’t give up though. They climbed back and were down 10-4 going into the bottom of the seventh. With a grand slam from Dan Potempa, the Mustangs were within one run from the Celtics. They couldn’t climb all the way back, however, and despite a valiant effort came up short 10-9.

In the thick of CCL play, the Mustangs continued to battle

with their Catholic foes. They traveled to Loyola and beat the Ramblers 11-1. Then they toped DeLaSalle 15-5. In their second game with Loyola, the Mustangs battled back from a 3-0 defi cit and came out on top 6-3.

Hungry for that elusive CCL title, the Mustangs took on Fenwick in a double-header and were victorious 5-1 and 2-1.

Rita also beat Bishop MacNamara 7-1 before losing to the Br. Rice Crusaders 10-6. Only a few days later, the Mustangs took on the Crusaders to take back a win of 4-0.

Marinier pitched all seven innings in the second Br. Rice game and is now 9-0. He had 10 strikeouts and allowed only four hits. Shane Conlon and seniors Dan Dispensa and Angelo Burrage all had solo homeruns in the fi rst inning.

“We are really coming along. We get better everyday. I love the make-up of our team and we have a great group of guys. I am really looking forward to the playoffs,” said Coach Zunica.

Coach Zunica went on to comment on the future of the season saying, “I hope we continue to get better. We want do whatever it takes to win a state champion-ship.”

The Mustangs fi nished their regular sea-son play on Monday with a victory over Benet and are currently in the playoffs.

Varsity Mustangs living up to expectations

Future looks bright for freshmen playersBy Bobby Raehl

Freshman Writer

Much hype led up to the 2009 Freshmen Mustang Base-ball Season, and so far the team has done little to disap-point. With a winning record, the freshmen have experi-enced great success through their efforts.

The Mustangs have been relying heavily on the pitching of Eddie DeLaRiva; Evan Bloomfi eld; and Jack Konrath, the fi elding speed of Mike Zunica; TJ Andrews; and Luke Oosterbaan, and the hitting of players such as Will McNa-mera; Max Kuracar; Billy Pink; and TJ Verdun.

IN THE FIRST game of the season, the Mustangs faced tough competition against Br. Rice. The Rita fresh-

men were eager and ready to be victorious over the Cru-saders once and for all.

So far this year the Mustangs had gone 1-1 against Br. Rice, losing in football but winning in basketball for their freshmen-level match-ups. Rita ended up having no trou-ble putting away the Crusaders 7-4.

THE SEASON CONTINUED looking good as the young Mustangs went on to defeat other teams, including St. Laurence, Oak Lawn, St. Ignatius, Stagg, and DeLa-Salle. After crushing Marist 11-1, Rita stood undefeated.

However, the Mustangs faced their fi rst loss of the sea-son when they went up against Fenwick. Great pitching gave Fenwick a 5-0 win over Rita.

After facing the fi rst loss of their season, the Mustangs

quickly rebounded to get back into a winning routine. While there have been two additional losses for the Mus-tangs this season, they have been winning overall. The freshmen B team has also been posting a winning record.

“We have great chemistry as a team,” said Jack Kon-rath.

“I think we have a good shot at winning the confer-ence,” he went on to add.

As the season winds down the freshmen appear de-termined to win their conference championship. This determination and the skills these freshmen have been demonstrating gives a great outlook as to what the future may hold as these players advance to the sophomore and varsity levels.

Photo by David HuangJUNIOR SHANE CONLON is about to trip up an unsuspecting batter with a nasty change-up. While on the mound, Conlon and his great efforts have helped achieve successful wins for the Mustangs.

Photo by David HuangJUNIOR MARK PAYTON lays down a bunt as he works to help the Mustangs advance. So far Rita’s Varsity Mustangs have had success and lived up to many preseason expec-tations. The team looks forward to continued success as they begin their playoff run.