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Volume 41, Issue 6 The Voice of the Redskins May 23, 2003

Cardinal Gibbons High School

“The class of 2003 is about

to go out and conquer the world.

We hope we’ve provided them

with the tools they need and that

their energy and enthusiasm will

carry them to significant heights.

We rejoice in all their accomplish-

ments,” said Sr. Janet.

The 40th senior class will

be graduating Saturday morning at

War Memorial Auditorium. The

homily will be given by Fr.

Charles Newburn. The Valedicto-

rian, Greg Roberts and the Saluta-

torian, Laura Findlan, will also ad-

dress the class.

All of the 261 seniors are

prepared to move on to their next

challenge, whatever it may be. The

top ten seniors scholastically, actu-

ally 11 this year due to a tie, in al-

phabetical order are Brooke Ad-

ams, Ashley Bomarito, Eric

Christiansen, Kathryn Farland,

Danny Fernandez, Laura Findlan,

Casey Gaskins, Nora Kern, Daniel

Martinez, Matt Remm and Greg

Roberts. CGHS congratulates

these students on their outstanding

achievement.

Mr. Kevin Owens had this

to say about the graduates: “The

senior class has a cornucopia of

talents and personalities. They

have left an enduring mark during

their time at Gibbons, and we wish

them well on their future endeav-

ors.”

Top students scholastically: (Back row, left to right) Eric Christiansen, Dan Martinez,

Casey Gaskins, Nora Kern, Matt Remm and Greg Roberts. Front row: Laura Findlan,

Brooke Adams, Danny Fernandez, Ashley Bomarito and Kathryn Farland

Farewell to the Class of 2003

In this Issue...

Senior Awards

News

Faculty/Staff News

Alumni News

2-7

8-15

15-17

17-18

Insight staff

Opinion

Sports

Entertainment

18

19

20-24

25-28

Tennis Team Wins State Titles

Tennis story page 22

Monsignor Kelly

announced the appoint-

ment of Mr. Paul Ott

as principal.

Story page 9

May 23, 2003

2 Insight

Top of the class: Roberts and Findlan

Class of 2003

Feature

The graduating class of

2003 could not have asked for a

better valedictorian. Greg Roberts

has surpassed the standards of

simply maintaining a high GPA.

Not only is he an impressive stu-

dent, he is also an exceptional per-

son who has, through all his in-

spiring accomplishments, re-

mained entirely too modest.

Academically, Greg will

be graduating with an impressive

4.903 GPA by the end of his sen-

ior year, with an SAT score of

1540 and an ACT score of 35.

Throughout his high school career,

he has excelled in advanced place-

ment and honors classes.

“I think I got it right on the

first try,” said Greg when asked if

he had any regrets during high

school. “I just tried to be a well-

rounded person by playing sports,

getting involved in the school, and

challenging myself in the class-

room.”

Greg found a release in

sports. He took pride in playing

both football and basketball as

well as running track. His per-

formance as an athlete is reflected

in his long list of successes: the

Brian Piccolo Scholar Athlete

Award, Miami Herald All-

Broward Football Team Honor-

able Mention, Westminster Acad-

emy’s Holiday Classic All-

Tournament Scholastic Player

award and his avid participation in

the Senior Athletic Club.

As far as getting involved

was concerned, Greg did it all. He

participated in over six separate

school organizations. Student

Leadership presented him with an

achievement award for introducing

a new service project through the

Christ Church Feeding Ministry.

In addition to this project, he was

involved with community service

projects, such as the Boys and

Girls Club, Habitat for Humanity

and the Ann Storck Center.

In his opinion his involve-

ment in the school was encouraged

by the faculty’s style of teaching.

“They make their classes a lot of

fun and get to know you on a more

personal level,” explained Greg.

Mr. Owens, Greg’s AP

Composition teacher, described

Greg as, “a rare academic gem

with tons of potential. It has been

a privilege teaching a pupil whom

I consider one of the most talented

I have encountered during my edu-

cational career.”

Greg explained that the tal-

ent, which Mr. Owens is referring

to, is due to the support and en-

couragement of his family. “My

parents are the most important fac-

tors in my life.”

And Greg has returned that

love with hard work and dedica-

tion. This hard work enabled him

to receive acceptance letters from

all eight of the schools to which he

applied, including Princeton, Cor-

nell, Duke, Notre Dame, Virginia

and Vanderbilt.

Vanderbilt has the honor of

accepting Greg into their class of

2007. There our valedictorian in-

tends to major in either history,

anthropology, or international

politics with a minor in French

and Russian. From there he plans

to attend graduate school and then

possibly work for the government

in the Foreign Service or CIA.

The graduating class of

2003 has an outstanding person as

its valedictorian. We wish Greg

continued good luck in the future!

Valedictorian

Gregory Roberts

By Kristen Nelson

May 23, 2003

Insight 3

Class of 2003

The salutatorian of the

Class of 2003 is also a step above

the rest. Laura Findlan has spent

her entire high school career ex-

hibiting what it takes to succeed.

She will be graduating with a 4.78

GPA, an SAT score of 1590 and

an ACT score of 30.

Like our valedictorian,

Laura is deserving of this honor,

not only for her academic ability

but also for her awards, accom-

plishments and outstanding char-

acter. She has accepted over

twenty-one different awards

throughout her high school career

spanning a multitude of areas from

books to sports.

From an academic aspect,

Laura has earned honor roll all

four years, the AP Scholar with

Honor award and Academic Ex-

cellence awards. She has also

been involved in community ser-

vice as the Youth Group co-

founder, working at the Christ

Church Feeding Ministry and as a

CCD teacher’s aide.

The athletic part of Laura’s

high school experience seems to

touch closest to home. She ran

track and participated in softball.

“I think one of my outstanding ac-

complishments is to have been

named a Scholar Athlete in Cross

Country because it shows that I

am a well rounded person.” Laura

also took the time to reach out to

other athletes in the CGHS family

by taking on the position of wres-

tling manager and scorekeeper.

Her inspiration in life is

her family, especially her two

older brothers, and her friends.

“My family always taught me to

work hard and be the best that I

could be in everything I do, and

I’ve also had great friends that

supported me and encouraged me

to do so,” she explained. These

people act as positive influences in

her life, which she describes as her

basis for success.

She also attributes her suc-

cess to the strength of the Cardinal

Gibbons family. “Both the teach-

ers and the curriculum made the

classes memorable,” said Laura.

Mr. Owens, her AP Com-

position teacher, explains that,

“Laura is blessed with academic

ability and charisma. The Univer-

sity of North Carolina is lucky to

have such a special talent in their

incoming freshman class.”

Laura took the salutatorian

award by only one one-hundredth

of a point. The third in rank is

Nora Kern, a good friend of

Laura’s. Laura said, “Although

Greg, Nora and I were all at the

top of our class for four years,

only Greg was named valedicto-

rian, and I salutatorian. I would

like to recognize Nora Kern, who

has always been an inspiration and

a good friend to me. She is ex-

tremely intelligent and hard work-

ing, and I believe she is just as de-

serving of this recognition as I

am.” Laura is going to the Uni-

versity of North Carolina in

Chapel Hill in the fall. She would

like to major in business and mar-

keting and eventually pursue a ca-

reer in advertising.

We wish Laura only the

best in the future!

Salutatorian

Laura Findlan

Top of the class continued from page 2

Feature

Congratulations

to these

outstanding

students!

It is interesting to

note that both Greg Roberts

and Laura Findlan went to

St. Coleman’s School.

They graduated from there

with Greg as the Valedicto-

rian and Laura as the Salu-

tatorian.

Let’s hope that their

success follows them

throughout their college ca-

reer.

May 23, 2003

4 Insight

Academic Awards

The Academic Awards are given by each department to senior students who have demonstrated out-

standing performance in that content area. This year’s recipients are the following:

Drama

Lindsey LouVierre English

Julianne Curran and Emily Klee

Language: French-Meghan Remm

Spanish-Javier Martin

Insight

Sports Editor-Shannon DeFries

Excelsior Editor-Leslie Roper

Technology Editor-Jessica Rust

Science

Noelle Rose and Brian Wagner

Music

Julien Cantelm and Lisa Lindsey

Mathematics

Eric Christiansen

Visual Arts

Michael Kurdek and Christina Maffia

Social Science

Nora Kern and Matthew Remm

Class of 2003

Awards

CGHS congratulates all

of these fine students.

May 23, 2003

Insight 5

National Merit Scholars

By Ashley Hewlett

Earlier this year, senior Greg Roberts was

named as a National Merit Scholarship Semi-finalist.

Just a few weeks ago he was notified that he had

moved on to the next level as a National Merit

Scholarship Finalist. This is an amazing accomplish-

ment. He is ranked in the top 1% of all high school

students nationally.

It was his great scores on his PSAT’s that ac-

tually got him into the National Merit Scholarship

running. With all of his hard work it is not a surprise

that Greg is ranked number one in the senior class

and has the honor of being valedictorian.

After all of Greg’s accomplishments at Car-

dinal Gibbons, he has stayed humble. Greg said, “ I

believe that achievements are the result of my belief

that you should make the most of the talent you’ve

been given." After Greg graduates, he will be attend-

ing Vanderbilt University in the fall.

Three other students were also recognized as

National Merit Scholarship Commended students.

These students are in the top 4% nationally. They

are Nora Kern, Laura Findlan and Matt Remm. Nora

and Matt will be attending the University of Florida,

and Laura will be going to the University of North

Carolina in the fall.

CGHS congratulates them all.

Buen trabajo!

Danny Fernandez is not

only one of the top ten seniors of

the class of 2003, he is a National

Hispanic Recognition Program

Finalist. This award is given to a

Hispanic senior with a high PSAT

score. This fall Danny will attend

New York University, where he

will study acting. Congratulations

Danny!

Awards

Greg Roberts, Nora Kern, Laura Findlan and Matt Remm

Knights in shining

armor

By Ashley Ruiz-Margenot

Silver Knight nominees

Brandon Scibilia and Danny Fer-

nandez (pictured left) received a

Silver Knight Award and an Hon-

orable Mention at The Herald- El

Nuevo Herald 2003 Silver Knight

Awards on May 6th. Brandon

won for the Science category and

Danny received an honorable

mention in the Drama category.

The Silver Knight Award

recognizes only 15 Broward

County high school seniors who

excel in and out of the classroom.

To be a Silver Knight nominee is

a great honor, but to win is an out-

standing accomplishment.

Brandon received a Silver

Knight statuette, $1,500, a round

trip ticket to anywhere in the con-

tinental United States, and a

medal to wear at graduation.

Danny received $500 and an en-

graved plaque. The awards cere-

mony will be broadcast on

WLRN- Channel 17 at 7:30 p.m.

on May 24. It will also be broad-

cast at 6:30 on June 14 on UPN-

Channel 33. Congratulations to

Danny and Brandon!

Brandon Scibilia will be

attending FAU in the fall.

Class of 2003

May 23, 2003

6 Insight

Making a Difference

By Ashley Prchal

Congratulations to the elite

group of students that completed a

total of 250+ community service

hours. At graduation these 85 stu-

dents will each wear a gold cord

which signifies their abundant ser-

vice hours. These students took

the opportunity to give something

back to our community.

Most of the students who

will receive the gold cord per-

formed many more than their re-

quired service hours. Mary

McLane completed 1,062 service

hours. She said, “I mainly com-

pleted the 250+ service hours to

prove to myself that it was possi-

ble. It may seem impossible to

complete 250+ service hours, but

as long as you stay active in clubs

and encourage yourself, then you

will not believe how fast you are

able to earn the hours.”

Danielle Avantino com-

mented, “It doesn’t bother me to

take 1 to 2 hours a week to help

out at a breakfast at church or

usher a mass. Simple family tradi-

tions like going to church every

Sunday, can get you easy and con-

venient community service hours.”

Each student gave a variety

of reasons as incentives to com-

plete their outstanding num-

ber of service hours.

“I felt it was neces-

sary to go above and beyond

to display my gratitude for

all the support that my com-

munity has given to my

friends and me. I wanted to

reach out to the community

and make a difference,” said

Daniel Martinez. There are

numerous places in the com-

munity that are delighted to

see teenagers commit hours

to help and serve. Daniel

worked with young children.

“I have gained a greater sense of

responsibility and improved my

communication skills and patience

with others,” continued Daniel.

The time and effort that

someone puts into the community

is reciprocated through the won-

derful experiences and the numer-

ous lessons learned.

Pinnacle prowess

By Ashley Ruiz-Margenot

In the academic world, the

majority of honors are given to

those with the highest GPA, or the

best athletic ability. The Pinnacle

Award breaks the mold because it

is given to students who excel in

one or more areas such as commu-

nity service, citizenship, and stu-

dent activities. The Pinnacle

Award also rewards character

traits like perseverance, dedica-

tion, and a good attitude.

Cardinal Gibbons is proud

to have three Pinnacle Award re-

cipients: Erika Fay, Matt Lear, and

A.J. Belt. They received their

award at a luncheon on May 8 at

the Signature Grande. This award

was presented by the Broward

County Nonpublic School Asso-

ciation.

Erika Fay is dedicated to

music, community service, and

leadership. She is president of the

Key Club and is known to her

teachers and friends as a depend-

able person.

Matt Lear is a self-

motivated student who aspires to

be a doctor. He is held in high es-

teem by his peers and teachers. He

volunteers regularly at Holy Cross

Hospital and is currently em-

ployed as an operating room clini-

cal assistant there.

A.J. Belt is no newcomer

to the Pinnacle Award. He re-

ceived it in eighth grade while at-

tending St. Marks. He is a Renais-

sance man, excelling in athletics,

academics, and leadership. A.J.

also dedicates time to his commu-

nity and his school.

Erica Fay, AJ Belt and Matt Lear

Awards

A few of the top community service students:

(Back row, left to right) Casey Kleiman, Julianne

Curran, Mary McLane, Chris Serge: (Front row)

Danielle Avantino, Jennifer Pillitteri, Kristen

Wolczanski and Amanda Hermesch

Class of 2003

May 23, 2003

Insight 7

Awards

Horatio Alger Scholar

On May 5th, at a banquet at the Dol-

phin Training Center, Jessica Rust received a

$2,500 scholarship. She was one of only two

Horatio Alger scholars in Florida. There are

only 100 selected, two from each state, for

this award.

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Tho-

mas was the spokesperson for the event. The

award sponsored by the Horatio Alger Asso-

ciation of Distinguished Americans, chaired

by Wayne Huizenga, is given as a tribute to

determination and hard work.

Congratulations to Jessica, who will be attending Florida At-

lantic University in the fall.

Ford Salute to

Education Scholars

Five seniors were selected

to each receive a $1,000 scholar-

ship from Ford Salute to Educa-

tion. These awards are given to stu-

dents who demonstrate leadership

and excellence in their particular

field.

On May 29th, at the Radis-

son Mart Plaza Hotel, the following

students will be honored: Laura

Findlan-Foreign Language, Shan-

non DeFries-Athletics, Charles

Blyth-Math, Casey Gaskins-

Natural Science, and Dan Marti-

nez-Leadership/Service.

In the fall Laura will be at-

tending University of North Caro-

lina, Shannon-Catholic University

of America, Charles-Vanderbilt,

Casey and Dan-University of Flor-

ida.

Best of luck to these tal-

ented students.

Cardinal Gibbons is very

proud to have 7 of the top scholar-

athletes in the county. They are

the following: Greg Roberts-

Basketball, Charles Blyth and

Laura Findlan-Cross Country,

Joelle Schwenk-Tennis, Kathryn

Farland and Casey Gaskins-

Volleyball, and Eric Christiansen-

Wrestling.

The students had to not

only be great athletes but also

maintain a high GPA. The nomi-

nees sent their resumes to the

BCAA (Broward County Athletic

Association) scholar-athlete com-

mittee. This committee selected

one scholar-athlete for each sport

and in each division in the county.

The county is divided into two di-

visions, North and South. CGHS

is in the North division.

The BCAA committee

held a banquet to honor these

scholar-athletes on April 28, at

Signature Grande.

Greg Roberts won the

Frank Till, Broward County Su-

perintendent Award which in-

cludes a $1000 scholarship

CGHS congratulates its

scholar-athletes!

Greg Roberts, Eric Christiansen, Charles Blyth, Laura Findlan, Kathryn

Farland and Casey Gaskins are pictured at the banquet.

Outstanding scholar-athletes

Class of 2003

May 23, 2003

8 Insight

Labor omnia vincit

Work conquers all

On Monday, March 10,

2003, 58 of our Latin scholars

joined 127,000 others from all

over the world in taking the Na-

tional Latin Exam. Mr. Richard

Burke, the Latin teacher, is ex-

tremely pleased to announce that

36 of the CGHS students received

honor awards including medals

and certificates.

“The students were just

FANTASTIC!” said Mr. Burke.

This is a very impressive

showing and all of the students are

to be congratulated.

Silver Maxima Cum Laude: (Left to

right) Kyle McLemore, Lilia Pivova-

rova, and Miroslav Brzobohaty

Latin I

Magna Cum Laude: (Left to right, back

row) Austin Taylor, Victoria Bujalski,

and Carrie Wartmann, Front row:

Corina Olivares and Lucas Paladino

Cum Laude: (Left to right, back row)

Justin Wright, Daniel Burkitt and Ale x-

ander Lawrence, Front row: James

Lugo, and Angelica Silberstein (Absent

from photo Megan Moran)

Silver Maxima Cum Laude: (Left to

right, back row) Geoff Bomarito, Andy

Haas, Charles Goodman, Tim Ironman,

Front row: Emily Ross, Amanda Sacino,

and Tracy Benton

News

Mr. Burke with Christina Nguyen the

Gold Summa Cum Laude winner

Magna Cum Laude: (Left to right, back

row) Caitlin Buchanan, Dominic Klein-

henz, Patrick Bond, Front row: William

Ward, Allison Pazandak, and Katherine

Sulenski

Cum Laude: (Left to right, back row)

Megan O’Connor, Tara Khalil, Taylor

Spectorsky, Jamie Shubert, Jackie Bates,

Front row: Chris Chiefor, Matt Innes,

and Cameron Cromartie

Latin II

Senatus Populusque Romanus

May 23, 2003

Insight 9

Movin’ on up

By Vincent Balsamo and Taylor O’Brien

Sitting in their classes with

15 minutes left before the week-

end, the students of Cardinal Gib-

bons High School were caught by

surprise when the announcements

came on 10 minutes earlier than

usual. Not only did they come on

early but there was an unusual

voice. It was Monsignor Kelly. He

said he had an important an-

nouncement to make; the an-

nouncement notified the CGHS

community that Mr. Paul Ott was

appointed principal on April 4,

2003.

Mr. Ott, who has been as-

sistant principal of Cardinal Gib-

bons for the past 9 years, is the

perfect man for the job. He is ex-

perienced and loves what he does.

"I am very pleased. It’s a

larger responsibility and a greater

challenge," Mr. Ott said about his

new promotion.

One thing Mr. Ott loves to

do is walk (or drive) around cam-

pus. “My main interest is being

with the students and teachers.

Operating behind a desk is not my

view of operating a school. But I

will do what is necessary for the

job.”

Finding a principal that the

students like is rare these days.

But according to sophomores Tho-

mas Alexander and Tommy Nolan

that’s not the case.

"Mr. Ott is perfect. He is

nice, funny, and understanding. He

is always there when you need

something and always knows the

right thing to say. I am happy that

he is principal," Nolan said.

Thomas Alexander added,

"I think he is a great principal and

administrator. He is very fair,

smart and is a great person with a

good outlook on life. Also I think

he deserved the job since he has so

much experience being the assis-

tant principal."

A sign above the door in

Mr. Ott’s office reads, "A caring

teacher is remembered a lifetime."

Not only does this apply to most

teachers here at Gibbons, but also

to Mr. Ott himself.

Teacher, disciplinarian,

mentor, and friend, Mr. Ott is like

a parent here at Gibbons. He is

proud of our school and students,

and we are just as proud of him.

Mr. Ott is signing his new contract.

Welcome back

Msgr. Kelly

Over 33 years ago Msgr.

Vincent T. Kelly began his teach-

ing career as a religion teacher in

both the “Boys’” and “Girls’ Di-

visions” of Cardinal Gibbons High

School. Since that time he has

been a champion of Catholic edu-

cation, not only in South Florida,

but also throughout the nation. He

has held many positions both

within the Archdiocese of Miami

and as a highly respected civic

leader in Broward County.

Among other duties he is Pastor of

St. John the Baptist Church, Vicar

of Education for the Archdiocese,

and Supervising Principal of St.

Thomas Aquinas High School.

At the request of

Archbishop Favalora, Msgr. Kelly

has agreed to continue the work he

began this year at CGHS in the po-

sition of pastor/Supervising Princi-

pal. This is in addition to all of the

duties and responsibilities he cur-

rently holds.

In announcing this deci-

sion, Br. Richard J. De Maria,

CFC, said, “I know that Cardinal

Gibbons will benefit greatly from

the wisdom that Msgr. Kelly

brings to this role.”

Mr. Paul D. Ott, Principal,

and Sr. Marie Schramko, OSF,

Assistant Principal, expressed

their appreciation to Msgr. Kelly

for his assistance during this past

school year and look forward to

working together as a team for the

2003-2004 school year.

Monsignor Vincent Kelly

News

May 23, 2003

10 Insight

Spanish Honor

Society

By Kris Orofino and Kelly Ring

The Spanish Honor Society

has had a very busy year. They re-

cently had their third annual field

trip to a local dance studio for

Salsa and Merengue lessons. The

students learned very quickly and

everyone enjoyed themselves. For

their spring fundraising event, the

members contributed bath and

beauty products to single moms at

Sheridan House. Mrs. DiDonato

once again was very pleased and

proud of her students for all they

contributed. Members Justine

Keenan, Alexis Conill, and Kelley

Ring participated in the Relay for

Life.

The culmination of this

spring’s events was the induction

ceremony of the new members.

Father Charles Newburn inducted

the seventeen new members, who

showed leadership, character, and

service, in the Chapel of the Holy

Family on April 30. They each re-

ceived red carnations and certifi-

cates acknowledging their mem-

bership into the Pan American

Chapter of the Spanish Honor So-

ciety.

Mrs. DiDonato would like

to thank all of the faculty and staff

who attended the ceremony as

well as Mrs. Skee’s 3rd hour com-

puter class for their help with the

program.

Salsa lesson– Ana Marie Caputo and

Brittan Furness

New inductees: (back to front) Nina

Pinnella, Kari Swiderski and Cristina

Zitoli

Ashley Bomarito, president, is lighting

the “leadership” candle.

Walk for lives

By Ashley Hewlett

The annual Cancer Walk

was held on April 12 at Pompano

Beach High School. It started at

6:00pm on Friday night and ended

Saturday at noon. The Cancer

Walk commenced with an opening

ceremony. At the ceremony cancer

survivors spoke about their own

struggles with the disease. After

this the walking began. For the

rest of the night Gibbons’ volun-

teers took turns walking around

the football field to raise money.

While everyone was taking turns

walking laps, there were also ac-

tivities going on. The activities

varied from car races, to hula-

hoop contests, to live karaoke, and

a showing of a Harry Potter

movie.

There were thirteen teams

that contributed to the Cancer

Walk. Cardinal Gibbons’ team

consisted of 120 people. At the

end of the night Gibbons raised six

thousand dollars. And all together

the Cancer Walk raised thirty-five

thousand dollars. All of this

money was donated to the Ameri-

can Cancer Society for victims and

research. The night was a com-

plete success.

" Cardinal Gibbons made a

big difference with the fight

against cancer, and I am very

proud," commented Mr. Cubas.

He hopes that the Cancer

Walk gets larger each year and

that Gibbons keeps contributing so

greatly to this deserving cause.

News

May 23, 2003

Insight 11

News

By Taylor O’Brien

The new members of the

National Honor Society were in-

ducted at a special ceremony on

Thursday, May 8, in the Gibbons

Chapel. Sister Marie Schramko,

Mr. Paul Ott and Father Alonso all

participated in the ceremony.

The NHS officers Presi-

dent, Greg Roberts, Vice Presi-

dent, Mary McLane, Secretary,

Laura Findlan and Treasurer,

Chelsea Lesky helped with the

candle lighting ceremony and dis-

tributing the certificates to the new

inductees.

“I’m very pleased with the

newly selected members. They

represent the best of Cardinal Gib-

bons in the areas of scholarship,

leadership, character and service.

There were many good applicants

who were not selected due to the

number allowed in the group; I

hope these people reapply next

year,” said moderator, Mrs.

Sharon Parr.

Congratulations to all who

were inducted!

The following are the Na-

tional Honor Societies new

inductees:

Seniors:

A.J. Belt

Lindsay Momyer

Juniors:

Lindsey Belt

Ryan Bing

Heather Castle

Alexis Conill

Jenna Denning

Brian Dunne

Meghan Ewing

Brittan Furness

Wesley Hill

Justine Keenan

Jillian Krickovich

Lucia Lapaz

Amy Lee

Katherine McGrath

Ashley Meiners

Samantha Noderer

Colin O’Neill

Daniel Ott

Harry Patel

Gina Pettineo

Brooke Phelps

Nina Pinnella

Jenna Ravine

Kelly Ring

Jose Rodriguez

Emily Ryan

Rebecca Sabates

Kerry Slattery

Mikel Solupe

Callie Tomasso

Alex Wakshinsky

Jennifer Welding

Corrections:

In the April issue of Insight a picture caption in the article “ Wrestling

Takes It All” incorrectly identified Jorge Badia. The picture was of

Armand Algarin .

The printer also cut off the last sentences of “A Rising Star” Alessa

Ocampo was named Showcase Artist of the Year at the Big Time Tal-

ent Show. Congratulations Alessa!

We regret these errors.

Look for this years’ issues of Insight on our website: www.cghsfl.org

Excelsior

To the Editors Leslie

Roper and Jessica Rust and

everyone who worked on the

2003 yearbook, you are to be

congratulated. Under the su-

pervision of Penny Minich,

you all did an outstanding job.

The book was dedi-

cated to Father Pala. He

would certainly have been

proud of this edition.

Heather Castle is receiving her NHS

certificate from Mr. Ott.

Mary McLane is placing a candle during

the candle lighting ceremony.

NHS: Inducts new members

May 23, 2003

12 Insight

The United States

Achievement Academy announced

May 9 that freshman, Michelle

Suppe, has been named a United

States National Award Winner in

English. This award is a prestig-

ious honor very few students can

ever hope to attain. In fact, the

Academy recognizes fewer than

10% of all American high school

students. Michelle Suppe was

nominated for this national award

by Mrs. Hanke, a Freshman Lit-

erature teacher.

Michelle Suppe will appear

in the United States Achievement

Academy Official Yearbook,

which is published nationally.

"Recognizing and support-

ing our youth is more important

than ever before in America's his-

tory. Certainly, United States

Achievement Academy winners

should be congratulated and ap-

preciated for their dedication to

excellence and achievement," said

Dr. George Stevens, Executive Di-

rector of the United States

Achievement Academy.

The Academy selects

USAA winners upon the exclusive

recommendation of teachers,

coaches, counselors, and other

qualified sponsors and upon the

Standards of Selection set forth by

the Academy. The criteria for se-

lection are a student's academic

performance, interest and aptitude,

leadership qualities, dependability,

and recommendation from a

teacher or director.

Congratulations, Michelle,

and keep up the great work.

Freshman student wins national English award

By Ashley Prchal

High school is all about ac-

cessing the many opportunities

that are available to teens. Junior

Eric Detuscan saw an opportunity

and applied for a chance to be one

of 18 Senate Pages in Tallahas-

see.

A student may apply for this

position as Eric did through Sena-

tor Campbell's office or the House

of Representatives in Tallahassee.

This prestigious opportu-

nity is only awarded to .001% of

students who apply. Their charac-

ter and recommendations are

evaluated for acceptance. The stu-

dent must also be planning to pur-

sue a serious business degree.

Once an application is received, it

is reviewed. Students are selected

from the U.S. as well as some

countries abroad.

"Eric learned about history in

the classroom and was able to see

it in action in Tallahassee," said

Mr. Detuscan, Eric’s father.

His duties as Page con-

sisted of handing out documents

and delivering messages to sena-

tors. "It was a good learning ex-

perience to know how the govern-

ment works," commented Eric.

The attire was formal, and

Eric was required to wear a coat

and a tie. His agenda consisted of

working from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

April 21 through April 25. He

was later sent a stipend for his ex-

penses. Eric is interested in a

business profession and the legis-

lative process. "I would recom-

mend this experience to someone

who is interested in politics," said

Eric.

Mr. Frank Talerico, Eric’s

history teacher, was pleased to

hear of Eric’s participation in Tal-

lahassee. He said, “Eric is a pleas-

ure to have in class. He is a good

contributor to discussions; he

shares many intelligent ideas.”

We wish Eric continued

good luck.

Making an educated choice

Eric is

standing in

front of the

Capitol in

Tallahassee.

News

May 23, 2003

Insight 13

Reel Fun

By Shannon DeFries

The CGHS Fishing Club

has 58 active members this year

with Mr. Davis at its helm as club

moderator. The students get to-

gether to do service projects and

fish using their own boats.

Several members boarded

the Flamingo Drift Boat on March

21, to catch fish and have some

fun. It was their first drift trip this

year. They also participated in a

Fort Lauderdale Beach and Intra-

coastal Waterway cleanup in May

and plan to go on a fishing trip in

the Keys later in the year.

The Rotarians have

some ballpark fun

By Brittany Woehler

On April 9, the baseball

field was the site of the annual

Scholarship Softball Game be-

tween the Rotary Interact Club and

its sponsor the Rotary Club Inter-

national. This was an opportunity

for Rotary Club members to cele-

brate their successful year with a

barbecue and softball game.

Members of the Cardinal

Gibbons club are involved with

service projects presented to them

by their sponsors. The Rotary

Club is a professional international

group which desires to serve the

needs of the community as well as

citizens of the world.

Left to right:Drew Martin, Ryan Alfieri,

Nick Tansey, Peter Magnani and Steve

McMullan in the dugout

Festival at sea

By Kristen Nelson

Recently,

the CGHS Music

Department em-

barked on a whim-

sical adventure

across the ocean.

Eighty-three stu-

dents, under the

direction of Mr.

Mengersen, par-

ticipated in the

Festival at Sea.

They journeyed

on the Carnival

Fascination for a

4-day cruise.

The students performed in competition on

board as well as entertained the natives in the tropics

off the ship. The instrumental and vocal divisions of

the Music Department competed against Varina

High School from Richmond, Virginia on board the

ship. The chorus and concert band sparkled and won

the silver medal. Our talented jazz band came home

with the gold! And although the winter guard at-

tended but did not compete, they performed an out-

standing display of spins, twirls and dances in Ram-

son Square in the Bahamas.

Mr. Mengerson said, “Congratulations to all

the music performers for outstanding behavior as

well as performances!” CGHS would also like to

congratulate and thank them for doing an excellent

job of representing our school.

Mr. Mengersen seen giving Sister

Marie the trophies and medals the

Music Department won. (At right)

The students aboard the ship

News

May 23, 2003

14 Insight

This publication is printed by Print Dynamics 1721 North Federal Hwy. (954-563-0775)

Europe:

An Exceptional Experience

By Kristen Nelson

During the week of April

16 through April 26 approximately

seventy students from Cardinal

Gibbons’ senior class participated

in an adventure throughout

Europe. The students, accompa-

nied by 10 chaperones, toured

Austria, Germany and the Czech

Republic. The trip turned out to

be a learning experience on many

levels.

The itinerary consisted of

two days in Salzburg, Austria, two

days in Vienna, Austria, three days

in Prague, Czech Republic and

two days in Munich, Germany.

Over all, Prague was voted the fa-

vorite by many. Both students and

teachers survived jam-packed days

of educational tours and learning

experiences that spanned from the

concentration camps of Dachau to

learning to navigate the subway

system. They dodged pickpock-

ets, marveled at Glockenspiels and

ate a cuisine that was unique to

say the least.

Aside from the excessive

intake of knowledge, the element

that was most apparent and sur-

prising was the instant unity of the

group. Living together and deal-

ing with 69 other people for a

large span of time forced a bond

among the group that ultimately

resulted in an enjoyable experi-

ence. Many will take that experi-

ence with them forever. From the

plane ride there to the last few tor-

turous hours before the touchdown

in Miami everyone came together

as a group. And as the senior year

closes, many people can graduate

with a strong sense of satisfaction

that they lived out their senior year

to the fullest and ultimately made

several incredible memories. For

the most part the trip served as a

sufficient educational opportunity;

however, many students described

it as the experience of a lifetime. .

The idea of Cardinal Gib-

bons being a family is frequently

referred to throughout the course

of a CGHS day. The Europe trip

allowed the family connection to

be put to the test, and the unity can

now be fully appreciated.

Some advice to the future

CGHS seniors, don’t miss the op-

portunity to embark on the trip.

The knowledge and friendships

that result from it can never be

matched or replaced.

Grad Night

By Taylor O'Brien

On May 2, high school

seniors gathered together for an

exclusive, all-night party in the

Magic Kingdom Park featuring

live music from Default and

Mario.

"We had unlimited access

to all the rides! We didn't have to

wait in line for hours like you nor-

mally do when you go to Disney

World," said Lindsay Momyer,

senior.

There were dance floors

with DJ's, Disney character greet-

ings, and shopping. Seniors also

got a free mug with a choice of

dessert and soda, and a free photo-

graph to take home.

The night was a total blast

and came to an end around 4:30 in

the morning. Cardinal Gibbons

seniors returned home at 9 A.M

the following Saturday morning.

Attention Student

Leadership:

The teachers and staff

would like to thank the Stu-

dent Leadership members

and their moderator, Mrs.

Hanke, for their thoughtful

gift. The Appreciation Snack

Pack was very “sweet” of

you.

Jeff King is seen enjoying the food in

Prague.

News

May 23, 2003

Insight 15

Cardinal Gibbons High

School will be bidding farewell

this year not only to the seniors,

but also to two of our library me-

dia specialists. Unfortunately,

Mrs. Jane Totte and Mrs. Laura

Hinshaw will be retiring from Gib-

bons this year.

Jane Totte has served as

Media Specialist at CGHS for nine

years; she began as a volunteer ten

years ago. She has developed in-

service programs for the faculty

and online courses for staff and

students.

Laura Hinshaw has been a

Technical Assistant for five years

after she retired from Christ

Church School as a computer

teacher and Technology Director.

She has been a helping hand and

assistant to teachers, administra-

tors and students alike. Both

women also have children who are

Gibbons’ alumni. Mrs. Totte’s

son, Rob, graduated in ’97 and

Mrs. Hinshaw’s daughter, Amy,

graduated in ’94.

“I will miss their expertise

and positive influence. They will

continue to work on special pro-

jects as needed, so we will see

them again!” said Mrs. Lansdale,

Library Director.

Everyone wishes them well

in their retirement.

Media Specialists

retiring

By Kristen Nelson

Clapping to perfection

By Kirk Kissner

Many students lack the ability to avoid inter-

ruption and concentrate while in class or while doing

homework. To remedy that situation Cardinal Gib-

bons High School recently hosted the Interactive

Metronome training program.

Interactive Metronome is an interactive

rhythm-based program designed to improve your fo-

cus and concentration. This program comes with the

highest recommendations. Area high schools such as

St. Thomas and Pine Crest utilize this program. Cer-

tain studies have shown an increase in concentration

while driving after taking this course..

Gibbons hosted the program this March. The

program consisted of 12 training sessions, each one

was one hour long. With two groups, one morning,

one afternoon, more than 50 students and a few

teachers participated.

The whole goal of the program is to listen to

the metronome beat and trigger the sensor on the

beat. A computer is used to combine an audio beat

with visual clues that tell a student when to trigger

the sensor. Sensors can be configured to be used

with both hands, a single hand, and even your toes

and heels. A rating is given based on the average

amount of milliseconds off the beat one performs

over the exercise. Lengths for the exercises can vary

from fifty-four beats to two thousand. Most students

begin with an average of 100 or more milliseconds

off. Most participants finish with an above average

rating of 20 milliseconds before or after the metro-

nome.

Sophomore Taylor Tegreeny recommends

the program saying, “It’s for you if you’re having

trouble concentrating and would like to improve

your sport’s ability.” If you missed out on this, the

program will be offered again next year.

(Left to right) Taylor Tegreeny and Kirk Kissner are with

instructor Sharon Skee using the Interactive Metronome.

Faculty/Staff News:

News

Jane Totte and Laura Hinshaw

May 23, 2003

16 Insight

Off to Africa

By Ashley Hewlett

Last June immediately af-

ter everyone was out of school for

summer break, Tim Davis em-

barked on a very exciting journey.

Mr. Davis, who is the economics

teacher at Cardinal Gibbons, went

on a 26 hour plane ride to Africa.

With an eight day vacation hunt-

ing wild prey in Africa, he felt the

plane ride was well worth it.

Mr. Davis traveled with his

father and fourteen other father-

son duos. The two have been hunt-

ing together since Mr. Davis was

six years old. But the game was a

little bit fiercer in Africa. Mr.

Davis’s excellent hunting skills

proved to be a big help. He killed

seven extremely dangerous ani-

mals: a greater kudu, a gemsbok, a

nyla, a blue wildebeest, two wart-

hogs, and an impala.

The first question on your

mind now might be, “What did he

do with all that meat?” They ate

some, brought some home, but

gave most of it to the natives in

camp. For some of them that was

the only meat that they would get

all year.

Even though the trip was

mainly spent hunting, they still

made time for shopping. They

went into local villages and bought

things, such as iron wood sculp-

tures, masks, ostrich eggs, and dif-

ferent cloths.

The trip to Africa was an

amazing experience, but had its

hardships. A common misconcep-

tion about Africa is that it is al-

ways hot; Africa can also be bru-

tally cold. While he was there the

temperatures dropped down into

the thirties at night.

Mr. Davis said, "Africa is

considered the dark continent, be-

cause of its harsh terrain. It seems

that every tree, bush and plant is

covered in thorns, but this unfor-

giving environment produces

some of the most beautiful and

unique animals that the world has

ever seen."

His trip was so amazing

that he even wrote an article about

the experience that was published

in a magazine called African Sa-

fari. Mr. Davis said, “We never

knew what we were going to see.

And at night in the African dark-

ness the sounds were amazing. We

could hear the lions, the leopards,

the hyenas laughing and the nerv-

ous bamboos. It was enough to

make the hair on the back of your

neck stand up."

With all of that excitement

he still felt the best part of the trip

was sharing it with his father.

“If you go be prepared for

it to become additive,” he cau-

tioned. In fact, Mr. Davis had such

a great time during his trip to Af-

rica, that he and his father are

planning on going back in 2004.

Say it isn’t so

By Ashley Ruiz-Margenot

When Ms. Alyssa Kennedy

told her Drama students through

tears that she would not be return-

ing next school year, they shed

tears of their own. Ms. Kennedy

will move to North Carolina this

summer because her fiance Brian

has been offered a professor’s job

at the University of North Caro-

lina.

Ms. Kennedy is coordina-

tor of the Drama Department, and

a freshman and sophomore relig-

ion teacher. She has not only di-

rected four plays and numerous

showcases, she has touched the

lives of her students, and they

have touched hers.

“ Gibbons has been a home

away from home for me since I

was a student here myself. I’ll

miss these kids and all the faculty

and staff more than you could pos-

sibly know,” she said. Her stu-

dents will miss her too.

Lindsey LouVierre, presi-

dent of ITS troupe 6362, said,

“Ms. Kennedy was the first friend

I made in high school. Her talents

and incredible teaching ability in-

spired me, and have changed my

life. I will miss her, and I wish her

luck in all that she chooses to do.”

News

May 23, 2003

Insight 17

Alumnus working

for Air Force

award

By Kris Orofino

As the Auxiliary of the

United States Air Force, the Civil

Air Patrol (CAP) prides itself on

its members and the work they do.

The program focuses on its youth

leadership program, its aerospace

education programs, and its work

in emergency services. One fine

example of a CAP member is for-

mer CGHS student, Theodore

Spanos.

Theo has been a member

of the program since 1996 and has

worked undauntedly in advancing

through the program. Now, he is a

candidate for the youth program’s

highest achievement, the Spaatz

award.

This is a very prestigious

award which fewer than 1,500

members have achieved in the

past 50 years. It requires the com-

pletion of a comprehensive test

that goes over aerospace topics,

military and group leadership, and

CAP knowledge. The test is timed

and closed book. He must also

face a US Air Force review board.

Currently, Theo is a junior

in Embry Riddle Aeronautical

University in Daytona Beach. He

also serves an internship at NASA

at the Kennedy Space Center as

part of his studies for aerospace

engineering.

All of us at Insight wish

him the best of luck in his studies

and in reaching his goal of win-

ning the Spaatz Award.

New beginnings

Mr. Anthony Cinelli, who

teaches Physics, Physical Science

and Marine Biology, has an-

nounced that he will not be return-

ing next year. Since the birth of

his second son this April, he and

his wife would like to be closer to

family. They are moving to Palm

Coast Florida, which is between

Daytona and St. Augustine.

He appreciates all the sup-

port he has received in his two

years at Gibbons. “Cardinal Gib-

bons is a special place. I leave

with a heavy heart and many won-

derful memories,” said Mr.

Cinelli.

CGHS will miss him, and

we wish him the best of luck.

This is Mr. Cinelli’s new son, Martin

Angelo Cinelli, better known as Mac. He

was born April 22. He was 6 pounds 11

ounces, 19.25 inche. He is doing well.

Alumni News:

Megan Dane, Class of

1999 graduated from Tulane Uni-

versity on May 17, 2003 with both

her Bachelor and Master Degrees

in English Literature. Megan was

able to earn both in 4 years thanks

to her AP credits from Gibbons.

Megan was commissioned as an

Ensign in the United States Navy

on May 17 and will begin her ca-

reer onboard the USS Bulkley in

Norfork, VA on June 10. Her

mother has asked us to keep her in

our thoughts and prayers.

In loving memory

By Ashley Prchal

Many will miss best

friends and Cardinal Gibbons

graduates, Travis Doyle ‘00 and

Jimmy McKee ‘01. They im-

pacted the lives of countless

friends, and companions. They

will never be forgotten. May they

rest in peace.

News

May 23, 2003

18 Insight

PTF Dinner Auction

By Mary Werle

The Great Escape…Destination: New

York was the theme of the 12th Annual Cardinal

Gibbons Auction sponsored by the school’s PTF.

The festivities were held at the Westin Hotel with

over 300 guests in attendance.

The reception area of the hotel lobby, the si-

lent auction room and the main dining room were

beautifully transformed into scenes of New York,

complete with a lighted replica of the skyline, the

Brooklyn Bridge, street signs and yellow taxis.

With so many items to bid on in the silent

auction, there was definitely something for everyone.

Golf outings, restaurants, trips, hotel accommoda-

tions, decorative items for the home, health and

beauty baskets, and much more were available for

the highest bidder.

After a delicious, sit-down dinner, the auc-

tioneer began the bidding for the live auction items.

Among the more popular items was an 8 week old

yellow lab puppy, a trip to New York, a ride in the

Good Year Blimp, gourmet dinner packages, and the

ever-popular student parking spot at Cardinal Gib-

bons.

After everything was tallied, the Auction

raised the record-setting amount of $123,000, which

will be put into the building fund for the 2nd story ad-

dition to C Building. The PTF wishes to thank all of

our families and donors for their help in making this

year’s auction the success it was.

Susan Belt, auction co-chair, Paul Ott, Principal, Patty

Echarte, auction co-chair, Susan Gallo, PTF President are seen

enjoying the evening.

Insight Staff:

Dedicated to providing a deeper vision of scholasic, spiritual and social activities

News Editor: Kristen Nelson

News Writers: Suzanne Hill, Taylor O’Brien,

Ashley Prchal, Ashley Hewlett, Kris Orofino

Entertainment Editors: Ashley Ruiz-Margenot

and Brittany Woehler

Sports Editor: Shannon DeFries

Photographers: Chelsea Ropes, Mr. Robert Beale,

Mrs. Laura Hinshaw, Emily Klee

Contributing Writers: Vincent Balsamo, Kirk

Kissner, Kelly Ring, Jenna Denning, Amanda

Sharkevich, Mrs. Mary Werle

Adviser: Mrs. Rita Loewe

Established November 1962

Insight staff (Back row, left to right): Ashley Hewlett,

Brittany Woehler; (Front) Taylor O’Brien (Northern

Kentucky University), Shannon DeFries (Catholic Uni-

versity of America), Kristen Nelson (Rutgers), Ashley

Prchal; (Absent for picture): Suzanne Hill (American

University), Kris Orofino and Ashley Ruiz-Margenot

News

The senior Insight staff will be moving on to college.

May 23, 2003

Insight 19

Melissa Anderson: “Don’t have any re-

grets because you can’t take back what

you did or didn’t do. Have fun!”

Ben Neff: “Stand out on your own.

March to your own beat.”

Noelle Rose: “Don’t let the things that

other people say to or about you bother

you. Just know you are the better per-

son for not saying them at all.”

Brian Wagner: “Make as many friends as

you can here. And spend as many times

with them as you can because these years

go by fast.”

Andrea Grosser: “If you have lost

money or possessions, you have lost

nothing. If you have lost honor, you’ve

lost a lot. But if you’ve lost friendship,

you have lost the world!”

Seniors give some advice to the underclassmen:

Danielle Avantino: “Friends are your

chosen family, choose wisely.”

Zak Kiser: “Live your life the way you

want it, not the way you think someone

else does!”

Opinion

Student Government:

The Class of 2003 would

like to thank all of the teachers at

Gibbons. The hard work and dedi-

cation that they have demon-

strated over the past four years is

appreciated. Thanks also to all the

coaches, moderators, and staff

who have worked with us in ath-

letics, academics, and extracur-

ricular activities.

I would especially like to

thank the students of Cardinal

Gibbons who have supported all

the activities throughout the year.

Their spirit and enthusiasm have

made this year a memorable one.

Through unity and liveli-

ness, the Class of 2003 has set an

example for the classes in the

years to come. Congratulations to

my fellow graduates for every-

thing you’ve accomplished in

your high school career and good

luck with future endeavors.

Thanks for all of the friendships

and memories.

We all wish the best to the

underclassmen. May their remain-

ing years at Gibbons be good

ones. Adam Dick, President

Student Government (Back row, left

to right): President, Adam Dick, and

Board Members: Peter Magnani,

Kristen Nelson, Andrea Grosser and

Emily Klee

May 23, 2003

20 Insight

Sports

Dig this

By Shannon DeFries

Boys’ Volleyball finished its

season this year 19-7 with some

amazing performances. They

were District Runner-up, and split

with number one ranked district

rival Northeast during the regular

season. The Skins won the silver

division at the Bishop Moore

Tournament in Orlando and won

their own Redskin Jungle Queen

Invitational this year defeating

Edgewater (Orlando) in the finals.

Defeating St. Thomas twice this

season was also a nice perk to a

successful year.

The Redskins' season came to

a close Saturday, April 26 in the

District Final against rival North-

east Hurricanes 12-15, 15-10, 15-

17. The Skins battled but just

couldn't hang on to their lead in

the final match. Key performers

made it an exciting contest. Mark

Van Zweiten had 22 kills, eight

blocks and seven digs, Brett Ryan

had 15 kills, 10 service points and

six digs, and A.J. Belt dominated

the middle with 9 blocks, 15 kills,

9 service points, and five digs.

Senior A.J. Belt was named to

the Miami Herald's 1st Team and

finished the season with 208 kills,

90 blocks, 112 digs, and 121 ser-

vice points. Mark Van Zweiten

(sophomore), was also recognized

by the Sun-Sentinel and named 1st

Team All-County. He accumu-

lated 285 kills, 55 blocks, 117

digs, 117 service points, and 63

aces. Setter, Mike Haan

(sophomore) had 552 assists this

season along with tremendous

play from sophomores Brett Ryan

and Matt Williams, and junior,

Alexi Echarte.

This year's squad was

young and had great depth. Coach

Marcy Meyer commented, " We're

already looking forward to next

year. We have 12 returning play-

ers who will be working hard in

the off-season to prepare for

2004… and who will be ready for

the challenge!"

Congratulations on a great sea-

son and best of luck next year!

It runs in the

family

By Ashley Prchal

Sophomores Mike Haan

and Brett Ryan have been on the

Gibbons’ varsity volleyball team

for two years. Both students are

following in their fathers’ foot-

steps. Their fathers also played

volleyball together and passed

their devotion to the game down to

their sons.

Brett and Mike played in-

door volleyball at Sunrise Middle

in 7th and 8th grades. Brett com-

mented, “We are always playing

together at the beach or at our

friends court. We also used to play

tournaments.” Both their fathers

practice with their sons to help

prepare them for their games.

Mike’s father played all

four years of high school. His

mom and sister also play the sport.

“I like the beach and that’s where I

play the most,” stated Mike.

Brett’s father didn’t begin to play

volleyball until he was in his early

20’s, but Brett’s and Mike’s dads

were beach volleyball partners for

many years. Mike said, “They

were the best in Florida!” Mike

hopes to follow his father’s deci-

sion to play volleyball in college.

Brett’s father played pro-

fessionally and introduced Brett to

the game. Brett said, “I have been

around the sport all my life. I

choose to play because it’s a really

fun game. Our dads were partners

for over 10 years through the 80’s

and 90’s. They received the Team

of the Decade award for Florida in

the 80’s.”

Presently, Brett and Mike

are focused on high school volley-

ball, and they hope to help Gib-

bons win at least one state title in

the next 3 years.

Brett Ryan and Mike Haan

Brett’s dad (left) and Mike’s dad are pic-

tured at the 1988 Beach Volleyball tour-

nament.

May 23, 2003

Insight 21

By Jenna Denning

While most other students

were hitting the beach during

Easter Vacation, the track team

was competing in the District

Tournament. Several members

qualified for the Regional meet.

The girls’ team advanced 9 ath-

letes. Qualifying in multi events

were junior Jen Stark, who is Dis-

trict champ in the triple jump and

junior Meghan Ewing, a hurdler,

who is District champ in pole

vaulting. Also qualifying in pole

vaulting were Sarah Slagle and

Jackie Davis. The relay team of

Jenna Denning, Molly Militello,

Chelsea Ropes and Jen Stark took

3rd place and Bridget Blyth quali-

fied for Regionals with a 4th place

finish in the 800.

Sadel Watterson is the

boys’ District champ in pole-

vaulting, so he and teammate

Steve Lujan, who placed second,

were able to compete at Regionals.

Steve Hurley also qualified in the

shot put.

Regionals was held on

May 2, 2003, at Dwyer High

School in Palm Beach Gardens.

Three pole vaulters qualified for

State: Sadel Watterson with a

jump of 12’ 6”; Meghan Ewing

with a jump of 9’ 6”, and Jackie

Davis at 8’ 6”.

The State competition was

held on May 10 at the University

of Florida. Meghan came in an im-

pressive second place at State with

a vault of 10’ 6”. Both Jackie and

Sadel came in 11th in the State.

Congratulations to all on a

successful season!

Sports

Lady Reds end softball season

By Shannon DeFries

The Lady Redskins softball team finished up

its season this past April. The team had a very chal-

lenging season with a considerably young roster in-

cluding nine freshmen and four sophomores. The

team improved tremendously every single game.

Some of this year's highlights were the Lady Redskin

Invitational where the Skins defeated Westminster

Academy and class 3A rival Archbishop McCarthy.

Brooke Phelps and Melissa Gill were

named to the All-Tournament Team.

Freshmen, Kaitlin Galmiche pitched for

the entire season after a severe back in-

jury. She threw a perfect game this year

against Fort Lauderdale's Flying L's. The

team also took class 6A Flanagan to

twelve innings at home, one of the year's

most exciting games.

Next season's outlook is very

good. The team will be returning eight starters who

have a plethora of experience and athletic ability.

They will only be returning one senior, Captain and

extremely versatile Brook Phelps. The majority of

the squad has a great opportunity to stay together for

at least the next two years.

Senior Melissa Gill will also be continuing

her softball career attending a college in Georgia

next year on an athletic scholarship. Good luck to

the seniors and next year's team.

Track team led by pole vaulters

Sarah Slagle, Meghan Ewing, and

Jackie Davis

Jen Stark and Sadel Watterson

May 23, 2003

22 Insight

Varsity Soccer Award Winners:

1. Calasanctius Award: Paul Ortenzo

2. MVP: Luis Dangond

3. Best Defensive: Steve Rogers

4. Best Offensive: Tony Seta and Trey Gillette

5. Captain’s Award: Jon Carillo

6. Coach’s Award: Matt Gill

7. Most Improved: Brian Tighe

“Thank you for all your hard work!” said

Mr. Owens.

Tennis Teams bring home

4 more State titles

By Suzanne Hill

The Cardinal Gibbons girls’ tennis team has

done it again. They easily won their sixth consecu-

tive Class 2A State title in Tampa on May 1. In fact,

the CGHS girls were the only team at State with four

singles’ finalists. They included Joelle Schwenk,

Kayla Schwenk, Alexis Conill, and Julie Blackmore.

Joelle Schwenk and Alexis Conill also defended the

doubles title by defeating Nease High’s Sierra Poske

and Bethany Benson 6-1, 6-3.

Coach Eddie Sposa said, “Both Joelle and

Alexis played flawlessly in the final, both serving

very well and volleying very crisply.” Joelle has now

tied a 51-year-old state record held by Miami

Beach’s Susan Herr, winning three double crowns

with previous partner Lingda Yang and this year’s

doubles title with Alexis Conill. In fact, Joelle now

has 9 State gold medals: 4 team titles, 4 doubles ti-

tles and 1 singles title.

After eight straight seasons of winning the

State Championships, the boys’ tennis team finally

met its match. Gulliver Prep claimed the team title.

However, in the boys’ individual event, Joseph Jung

won the all-Broward final to claim the Class 2A

boys’ single title. Joseph Jung, dropping only 3

games in three matches, defeated Josh Brauser of

Pine Crest 6-2, 7-6, (7-4) and clenched the Class 2A

State title.

Coach Sposa said, “Joseph played really

well, proving what a great player he is.” Joseph also

teamed with his younger brother, Michael, to take

the doubles title as they defeated Gulliver Prep’s

Rory Heggi and Robert McNally 6-4, 6-3.

Congratulations to both teams on another

fabulous season.

Coach Eddie Sposa, Afton Rastatter, Kayla Schwenk, Julie

Blackmore, Alexis Conill, Joelle Schwenk, Georgia Beale, Mi-

chael Jung and Joseph Jung. (Front) Quinn Gleeson and Megan

Troast

CGHS will miss the graduating seniors and wish them luck

in college next year: Joseph Jung-University of Alabama,

Georgia Beale-Spring Hill College, Joelle Schwenk-

University of Kentucky, and Afton Rastatter-Florida State

University.

Sports

2002-2003 Tennis Team

May 23, 2003

Insight 23

Sports

District Champs

By Amanda Sharkevich

This year’s varsity baseball

team banded together when it

counted, just in time for post-

season play. “Our record of 16-12

is not indicative of our high expec-

tations in playoff contention,” said

senior Paul Ortenzo. “We come to

play everyday.”

After a 4-2 win against na-

tionally ranked Nova, the team

went on to defeat North Lauder-

dale Academy 19-0 in the District

semi-finals and Pope John Paul in

the finals to capture their second

consecutive District title.

Gibbons hosted the Re-

gional final on May 9 against

American Heritage. The Redskins

were ahead going into the 7th in-

ning but were unable to hold the

lead. Even with tremendous sup-

port from the crowd, they lost the

game 4-3.

It was a hard loss for the

entire team, but the seniors were

hit the hardest as they walked off

the field and concluded their years

as athletes for CGHS. The Red-

skins ended the season with a re-

cord of 18-13

Four seniors, however,

have already signed baseball

scholarships with Division I uni-

versities: Jeff King – Stetson; Pete

Manso–Jacksonville; Mike

Sharkevich–Maryland; Paul

Ortenzo – Furman.

Good luck to them, and the

CGHS team next year.

Catcher Paul Ortenzo

Surfing to success

By Kristen Nelson

With brains, brawn and

braving the surf, William Zimmer-

man (a.k.a. Skeeter) contributes a

unique forte to the variety of tal-

ents at CGHS. He is a surfer, and

he is currently surfing his way to

success. Because to Skeeter, surf-

ing isn’t simply a past time, it’s a

lifestyle.

Skeeter has been surfing

for 13 years. “My family moved

to Hawaii when I was 5 years old,

and my dad taught me how to

surf,” said Skeeter.

Currently he is caught in a

whirlwind of select companies

who desire to flaunt his expertise.

Island Water Sports, Quicksilver

clothing, Byrne Surfboards, Smith

Sunglasses and OAM surf acces-

sories, all contribute to his surfing

career by sponsoring him in com-

petitions. In return, Skeeter adver-

tises their merchandise.

Sponsors are needed in or-

der for Skeeter to participate in

competitions such as the NSSA

Eastern Championships, which he

competed in April 3-6. “I was very

disappointed with my results at

Easterns. I only made it to the

quarterfinals. The waves were ter-

rible. Hopefully I’ll have better

luck at National this summer,”

Skeeter said.

He then proceeded to Ha-

waii April 7th. In Hawaii, he was

involved in local competitions and

training sessions with pro surfers

who will guide him to Nationals in

mid-June. Skeeter said that Ha-

waii was awesome. “It’s really

important for me to get out there

each winter because I only get to

surf small stuff around here.”

Despite his lack of quality

school time, he still managed to

pull off a 3.8 GPA.

Senior Skeeter Zimmerman is pictured surfing in Hawaii.

May 23, 2003

24 Insight

May 23, 2003

Insight 25

What a night!

By Ashley Ruiz-Margenot

They did it again. The arts

program of Cardinal Gibbons

churned out another amazing

Night of the Arts. In case you

missed this year’s event (shame on

you), Night of the Arts brought

drama, band, chorus, color guard,

art, and the dance team together

for one incredible night of per-

formances. It is certain to become

a permanent Gibbons’ tradition.

The Night of the Arts also

gave the audience cause for reflec-

tion. It was dedicated to the mem-

ory of Father Francis Pala, who

passed away last September. Fa-

ther Pala taught at Gibbons for 38

years and was an integral part of

the Cardinal Gibbons family. He

was the yearbook moderator and a

studio art and ceramics teacher.

To honor him, his dear

friend Joannie Hubers said the

opening blessing at Night of the

Arts. Several performances were

dedicated to his memory, includ-

ing a dance to “Find a Way to My

Heart” by Phil Collins. The Inter-

national Club also provided Span-

ish food to honor Father Pala’s

Spanish heritage.

The Color Guard kicked

off the night with “Galileo”, an in-

spiring performance that won

them second place in a recent

competition. The Drama Club con-

tributed their own inspiring per-

formances. Julia Collier sang with

great emotion, “I Just Wanna Be a

Star.” Six girls from our ITS

troupe performed “Cell Block

Tango” from the popular musical

Chicago. Sophomores Katherine

Sulenski and Mike Kutner gave us

all a preview of coming attractions

with “16 Going on 17” from the

upcoming musical The Sound of

Music.

The Music Department

sang and played their way into the

night with several upbeat tunes,

and the chorus serenaded the

crowd with their beautiful voices,

blended in perfect harmony. The

Dance Team got the adrenaline

pumping through the crowd with

several performances while the art

students made their presence

known with displays of their work

in the cafeteria.

The night was an amazing

success. It was enjoyable from be-

ginning to end. Thanks goes to

Ms. Busby and all of those who

helped organize this event.

Congratulations to all those

who participated in Night of the

Arts!

Ms. Busby, the head of the Art Depart-

ment, is standing next to a picture of

the Madonna painted by Fr. Pala.

Photographer: Julianne Curran

Enjoying the Spanish food are Melanie

Gent, Jenna Treliving , and Max

Feldman

Katherine McGrath, Rebecca Sabates

and Ashley Hansen performed their

dance in memory of Fr. Pala.

Come join us at our Cardinal Gibbons Appreciation Day

Last Tuesday of every month beginning May 27, 2003

Bring your student ID and receive 25% off your entire order

Tijuana Flats Burrito Company

431 South Federal Highway

Pompano Beach, Florida 954-946-0476

Entertainment

May 23, 2003

26 Insight

Gibbons’ thespians hit

Tampa

By Ashley Ruiz-Margenot

International Thespian Society troupe 6362

made their presence known at the Florida State Thes-

pian Festival at the Tampa Convention Center on

April 2-6. Twenty-seven members of the troupe at-

tended and 15 competed with scenes and songs that

won superiors at District competition in December.

In addition to watching performances, the thespians

were able to take classes such as stand-up comedy

and dance. Most of all, these budding actors were al-

lowed to be themselves and showcase their talents in

and out of the theater.

“There will never be a place where people

are not only allowed, but encouraged by fellow thes-

pians, to dance in the street other than at State,” Suz-

anne Hill, a competitor, stated.

Loosening up obviously did the competitors

some good. Ratings were as follows:

• Danny Fernandez & Julia Collier- Superior

for Duet Acting

• Elizabeth Thompson & Tanya Failla- Supe-

rior for Duet Acting

• LouVierre & Company (Lindsey LouVierre,

Katherine Mc Grath, Tammy Brennen, Julie

Drewitt, Michelle Artimez, and Jessica Lefe-

bre)- Excellent for Ensemble Musical

• Julianne O’Connor & Suzanne Hill- Good for

Duet Musical

• Casey Kleiman & David Scott- Excellent for

Duet Scene

• Frank Imparato- Superior for Publicity and

Advertising

Those who attended agreed it was an amazing

experience.

“It humbles you, seeing so many incredible

actors that are just high school students,” said

Margie Spangler, a State’s spectator. Congratula-

tions to Ms. Kennedy and troupe 6362 on this

amazing accomplishment!

(Back Row, left to right) Julia Collier, Casey Kleiman,

Javier Martin, Frank Imparato, Elizabeth Thompson,

(Front) Morgan Margolis, Lindsay LouVierre, Tanya

Failla, Suzanne Hill, Katherine DeCesare and Danny

Fernandez

Spielbergs in the

making

By Brittany Woehler

Do you like going to the

movies? Do you want be the next

Julia Roberts? Then join the Film

Making Club.

This year the club was a

great success. The president is

sophomore, Jackie Richards, key

editor is Robert Simms, and acting

supervisor is sophomore, Rachel

Wheeler. Their main achievement

this year was the DVD Yearbook

created by Visiontech and the Film

Club.

“I don't know how many of

you had the opportunity to take a

peek at the video yearbook that

was created by Bonnie Busby and

her students. It is excellent. I

couldn't turn it off! Congratula-

tions to Ms. Busby and the stu-

dents on an awesome creation!”

said Ms. Kennedy.

The Film Making Club

also made this year’s raffle promo-

tion documentary.

It’s never too late to help

out. “Next year our goals are much

higher,” Jackie said. They intend

to have a CGHS Open High

School Film Fest. Students will be

able to enter a film to be judged,

and prizes will be awarded to the

best films in their category. You

don’t have to be the next Steven

Spielberg, just willing to express

yourself through film.

The club needs actors,

writers, editors, and filmmakers.

So try something new. Maybe it

could turn into a career, instead of

just a hobby.

May 23, 2003

Insight 27

Drama Awards

By Kris Orofino

The Drama Academy

Awards will be held on June 5 at

the Coral Ridge Country Club

from 7 to 10 pm. The banquet

will feature awards in various

categories for the major produc-

tions as well as the best of the

Showcases throughout the year.

Tickets will be available

soon for $30 each. Friends and

family are encouraged to attend.

“The Academy Awards

banquet is the hottest, hippest,

most awesome event of the

year,” added Alyssa Kennedy,

the Director of Drama.

In addition to the listed

nominees, more will be posted

on the drama website as soon as

they become available. Check it

out at http://www.cghsfl.org/

drama/dramawebsite.

The hills are alive

By Brittany Woehler

The Cardinal Gibbons

Drama Department will fill the

downtown library with the Sounds

of Music, May 29 - June 1. Ms.

Kennedy and her drama kids will

present another massive produc-

tion. This musical will be stage

managed by senior Lindsey Lou-

Vierre. The Sound of Music is a

well-known Rodgers and Ham-

merstein play based on a true

story. The time is pre-World War

II, in Austria. Frauline Maria

(Katherine Scott) leaves the con-

vent and becomes a nanny for

Captain Von Trapp’s family.

Maria is a fun loving, free spirit

who loves to burst into song when

times look blue. Her personality

clashes with Capt. Von Trapp

(Dan Baron), an enforcer of the

rules, who controls his nine chil-

dren with a blow of a whistle, in-

stead of actually getting to know

them. At first, the Von Trapp

children give Maria a hard time by

playing several pranks on her, but

they soon learn to love her. The

oldest daughter, Liesel (Katherine

Sulenski), a vulnerable sixteen

year old, who doesn’t know any-

thing about reality, is dating an

older man, Rolf (Mike Kutner). He

turns out not to be what Liesel

thought he was. The Baroness

(Julia Collier) is the sophisticated,

significant other in Capt. Von

Trapp’s life. Uncle Max (Danny

Fernandez) is very enthusiastic

about the Von Trapp’s singing tal-

ents and is always encouraging

them to sing at various functions

or parties.

Plan on seeing the produc-

tion of The Sound of Music. You’ll

definitely be entertained.

Drama 2002-2003 Academy

Award Nominees:

Best Actor in Bye Bye Birdie

-Javier Martin

-Danny Fernandez

-Dan Baron

Best Actress in Bye Bye Birdie

-Elizabeth Thompson

-Julia Collier

Best Supporting Actor in Bye Bye

Birdie

-Bryan Davis

-Patrick Legendre

-Frank Imparato

Best Support Actress in Bye Bye Birdie

- Lindsey LouVierre

-Tanya Failla

-Michelle Artimez

-Katherine McGrath

Best Actor in Rumors

-Bryan Davis

-Rob Miller

-Javier Martin

-Steve Callahan

Best Actress in Rumors

-Lindsey LouVierre

-Christen Anderson

-Michelle Artimez

-Katherine McGrath

-Marjorie Spangler

-Caitlyn Hunt

Best Tech

-Allison Gawarecki

-Jahan Garassino

-Richard Crow

-Julianne O’Connor

-Rob Spurgeon

-Matt Greenly

Best Performance Showcase #1

-Chelsea Ryan, Michelle Suppe, Jennifer

Nezo

-Sarah Hammada

-Kathryn Almeida

-Monica Cavaioli

-Britney Wight

-Javier Martin

-Emily Ryan

Best Performance Showcase #3

-Natalie Kovacs & Briana Rose

-Catherine Ford

-Kaitlin Conway

-Madelaina Pratt & Jill McGarry

-Dan Baron

-Kathryn Baker

Entertainment

May 23, 2003

28 Insight

A night “Frozen in Time”

By Ashley Prchal

Prom is the magical night that every high

school student dreams of attending. May 16 was the

big night when all the girls transformed into lovely

ladies, and the boys into gentlemen. Bahia Mar Re-

sort was beautifully decorated by the junior class to

complement this year’s theme, Frozen in Time. The

event began at 7:30pm and everyone arrived in style,

whether by car or limo.

For $160, couples were able to have an ele-

gant sit down dinner followed by an array of music.

Later in the evening the Prom Court assembled to-

gether. The members of the Court were Julia Collier,

Emily Klee, Shannon Price, Tara Slominski, Jason

Becker, Justin Boruch-Dolan, Matt Dengel, and Wil-

liam Zimmerman. At the dance Emily Klee and Ja-

son Becker were crowned as the Queen and King of

the 2003 Prom. As the music played, the seniors and

their dates danced the night away.

Prom Court: (Back to front): Matt Dengel, Shannon

Price; William Zimmerman, Julia Collier; King Jason

Becker, Tara Slominski; Justin Boruch-Dolan and Queen

Emily Klee

Seniors’ favorite memories of their time at CGHS:

Cory Hickman: “. . . the spirit of the

Senior Class.”

Catherine Zito: “. . . watching the sen-

ior float fall apart, and watching the

guys try to carry it any way.”

Adam Dick: “. . . going from the quiet kid I

was freshman year to leading assemblies

senior year.”

Suzanne Hill: “. . . having the boys kiss

their mothers at the assembly.”

Jim Doody: “. . . James Argyropoulos imi-

tating Father Quinn at the assembly.”

Joelle Schwenk: “. . . winning Tennis

State Championships all 4 years.”

Class of 2003