By Dan MooreEditor-in-Chief

Those who enter room 116 and 117, particularly those who entered them prior to this year, may have noticed that the two chemistry and physics classrooms have been completely renovated.

The road to renovation has been long, however, from a simple desire to make improvements to the results that we see today.

The project started about three years ago when the Rita administration decided something needed to be done about the chemistry and physics laboratories. They were old and worn-out, with acid-stained countertops and a distinctive and offensive odor.

Rita Principal, Mrs. Sally Deenihan said, “We wanted top-notch facilities to match our top-notch students and top-notch teachers.”

Therefore, a committee was formed to put together state-of-the-art new laboratories. The committee started its work on a philosophical note, asking, “Just what is ‘state-of-the-art?’”

TO ANSWER THIS question, the committee made appointments to tour the new and remodeled labs of other local high schools.

“One of the key places in this search,” Mrs. Deenihan said, “was Nequa Valley. We were given a tour of their labs as well as recommendations from their science department chairman, which gave us ideas for our own labs.”

After the research portion of the task was done, the committee organized several fundraisers and received grants to pay for the project. The final decision to actually go through with the renovations was made last January.

Following the decision, a team of contractors and plumbers was hired to perform the construction. Work began toward the beginning of summer vacation and concluded a few days into this new academic year.

Several features of the new laboratories include rear vents, new water; gas; and electricity lines, a new fume hood, new emergency showers and eye-wash stations, new equipment storage drawers, and all new cabinetry.

The old floor tiles made from asbestos were also properly removed and replaced with new, asbestos-free tiles.

Mrs. Susan Krystof, Rita chemistry teacher and occupant of one of these new classroom laboratories, is extremely satisfied with the new facilities.

“IT’S NOW MUCH easier for me to supervise the students from the front of the room during laboratory assignments with the huge bars that ran across the counters gone. Safety in general has improved,” she said.

“I also like that the trough-style faucets are gone, so there won’t be as much splashing or spilling. It also makes inventory easier, so science teachers who don’t have a lab in their classroom can find things more simply,” said Mrs. Krystof.

She believes the new facilities will allow her to improve the results of her existing experiments, and possibly allow her to assign organic chemistry labs in the future.

“We wanted to provide a place in which our students will be able to learn,” Mrs. Deenihan emphasized, “not just a beautiful room to display and not allow anyone into! We want a space that is both usable and durable. I think we have accomplished that task.”

Rita has plans to make similar renovations to the biology laboratories located on the lower level in the future.

The Ritan

In this Issue

Rita unveils state-of-the-art labsA Student Publication of

Saint Rita of Casica High School7740 South Western Avenue

Chicago, Illinois 60620

Volume Eighty. Number One. www.� eRitan.com Monday, October 6, 2008

International program expands to Australia

Page 7Where the 2008 Presidential candidates stand on the issues

Photo coutesy of abcnews.com

Page 12Varsity Mustang FootballBegins 2008 Season Undefeated

Photo courtesy of Advancement O� ce

By Dave SchraderAssistant Editor

Its initial conception took place less than two years ago, however, in those couple of years Rita’s International Pro-gram has grown from a simple idea to a program involving students from several different countries.

Last year Rita organized its fi rst ever foreign exchange, welcoming male and female students from the Emilie Wustenfeld Gymnasium in Hamburg, Germany to experi-ence culture in Chicago.

IN JUNE THE exchange was completed when a group of Rita students traveled to Germany to learn German cul-ture with the same young men and women who had been with them at the school earlier in the year.

The Rita students who traveled to Hamburg had an inter-esting time assimilating into the German culture.

They visited a number of different locations including:

the Airbus Plant, which produces over half of the world’s jetliners, a few museums, and even a concentration camp.

While another exchange involving German students is anticipated in the future, a meeting President Fr. Tom Mc-Carthy, OSA, had with other Augustinian school offi cials during the second semester of last year has led to a current exchange plan with an Australian school.

DURING THE MONTH of October Rita will be host-ing several students who attend a fellow all-boy Augustin-ian school located in Sydney, Australia.

Just as the German students did last year, the Austra-lian students will live with Rita families and study in Rita classrooms three days a week. On the days the visitors are not in the classroom, they will be traveling to various Chicago destinations to learn more about the culture found in the United States.

While the Australian exchange has just begun plans for future exchanges are already underway as Rita is also

looking into a possible exchange with another Augustin-ian school in Ireland.

The International Program has also expanded to include more than exchanges. Rita currently has an international student enrolled for the entire academic year. Pablo Car-dosa from Germany is a current Rita junior.

Originally from Argentina, Pablo immigrated to Germa-ny so his father could play soccer for the professional team in Hamburg, Germany.

HIS PARENTS WANTED him to study in the United States, so they contacted Mr. Lichtenfi eld of the Chicago/Hamburg Sister Cities Committee, and he recommended Rita.

Mrs. Jodi McLawhorn, Director of the International Pro-gram, is working hard to expand the program.

She hopes every year we can exchange with a school from a different country so Rita students and faculty to broaden their horizons and experience new cultures.

Pages 2-5Rita community welcomesnew faculty and sta� members

Page 6Rita students share their views

Page 8Rita upgrades school technology

Pages 9-11Rita Mustang activities and sportskick in to full gear for 2008-2009

Photo by Al SmithCHEMISTRY TEACHER MRS. Susan Krystof displays her new scale workstations. The chemistry and physics labratories were recently reno-vated and will help Rita students improve the results of experiments.

Photo by Al SmithSOPHOMORE KEVIN KOSMAN (right) fi lls a granulated cylinder in a new trough-less sink to complete a chemistry experiment with his classmates. These sinks reduce the amount of splashing and spillage that used to occur.

Alumni brothers return to work at RitaBy Luke Konrath & Craig Sabath

Sophomore & Freshman Writers

Mr. Josh Blaszak, a graduate from the class of ’02, while not entirely new to the faculty, begins his fi rst full year of teaching at Rita.

He began teaching mathematics at Rita last January when he took over for Mrs. Katie Palmer, who went on a maternity leave to stay home for the second semester with her newborn son.

Although Mrs. Palmer has returned this year, there has proven to be plenty of room for both, and Mr. Blaszak is currently teach-ing Algebra 1, Algebra 2 and Precalculus.

Mr. Blaszak grew up in Chicago, attend-ing St. Bede Elementary School and then Rita. As a Rita student he was involved in numerous activities, including The Ritan.

Upon graduation from high school, he went on to attend another Augustin-ian school, Merrimack College in North Andover, Massachusetts. While at Mer-rimack, Mr. Blaszak was the president of his class and was involved in many other student organizations.

In May 2006 he received his B.A. in mathematics and a minor in secondary education.

Following college, Mr. Blaszak spent a year living as an Augustinian Volunteer in Philadelphia. During this year, he served as a computer teacher for kindergarten through 8th grade and was the coordinator of a non-profi t organization that provided health care and educational support to low-income individuals.

It was while he was living back in Mas-sachusetts as a student teacher last fall that

Mr. Blaszak received a phone call from Ri-ta’s Principal, Mrs. Sally Deenihan, about a teaching position the school had available.

“I was not expecting the call from Mrs. Deenihan, and while I told her I had to think about it, from the minute she told me about the opening I knew I wanted to re-turn to Rita,” said Mr. Blaszak.

In the opening Mass of the new school year Mr. Blaszak was the guest alumni speaker and spoke of his journey since his days as a student, emphasizing how much Rita and the Augustinians have impacted his life and role as a teacher.

He said, “I wanted to teach in order to be able to help other people. In the nine months since I have been back here, I have come to believe I am doing what I am re-ally supposed to do.”

In addition to teaching Mr. Blaszak is the new moderator of The Ritan, modera-tor of the Math Team, and plans to assist with student council, campus ministry, and other activities.

Mr. Zach Blaszak, a ’00 Rita graduate, is the school’s new athletic trainer and As-sistant Athletic Director.

Mr. Blaszak grew up in Chicago in the St. Bede neighborhood where he attended grammar school.

While a student at Rita, he was very ac-tive, including being a member of the foot-ball team, manager for the basketball team, and vice president of student council.

In fact it was because of his involvement at Rita that Mr. Blaszak decided to go into the sports medicine fi eld and become an athletic trainer.

While a student, he worked with the ath-

letic trainer whom was at Rita during that period and felt he could do more for stu-dents.

“I strived to become a better athletic trainer than the one I experienced having as a student athlete,” said Mr. Blaszak.

He went on to attend Merrimack College, an Augustinian college, located in North Andover, Massachusetts where he received a B.S. in sports medicine.

After graduating from Merrimack, Mr. Blaszak went on to receive his master’s degree from Western Michigan University and became a certifi ed athletic trainer.

For the past two years, he lived in the town of Bourne on Cape Cod, Massachu-setts and was the athletic trainer at Brain-tree High School in Braintree, Massachu-

setts located just south of Boston.“While I enjoyed living and working in

Massachusetts, moving back to Chicago offered a great opportunity for me to return to Rita, and to be closer to my family,” said Mr. Blaszak.

His wife, Mrs. Vicki Blaszak, Director of Campus Ministry, whom he married in July, and his younger brother Mr. Josh Blaszak, mathematics teacher, join Mr. Blaszak on the Rita faculty.

When not spending time with Rita athlet-ics, Mr. Blaszak enjoys golfi ng and watch-ing sports.

“I look forward to my time here at Rita. I enjoyed being a student here and, so far, I really like being a part of the faculty,” he said.

Photos by Al SmithRITA GRADUATES AND brothers Mr. Josh Blaszak ’02 (left) and Mr. Zach Blaszak ’00 (right) have come back to Rita as faculty members. Mr. Josh Blaszak is a mathematics teacher and Mr. Zach Blaszak is the new Assistant Athletic Director and Athletic Trainer.

NEW FACULTY AND STAFFPage 2 October 6, 2008

Two new academic positions created at RitaBy Cesar Morales

Freshman Writer

Two new positions were recently created at Rita to bring great academic support and success to the students and faculty.

Ms. Eileen Sullivan is Rita’s Assistant Principal for Faculty and Curriculum Development.

This assistant principal position will provide teachers with guidance, resources, and feedback that will strength-en the curriculum and services offered to every Rita stu-dent.

Ms. Sullivan grew up in Niles and received a bachelor’s degree in physical education and health from Quincy University.

She later went on to Truman State University, where she was a graduate assistant and the coach of softball and basketball, to earn her fi rst master’s degree in athletic ad-ministration. She received a second master’s degree in educational administration from Dominican University.

Prior to joining the Rita faculty Ms. Sullivan worked at fellow Augustinian high school Providence Catholic. At Providence she was the director of studies and moderator for the high school’s “Habitat for Humanity” chapter.

Ms. Sullivan has also taught health, physical education, and English in Chicago and at a school in Texas. She has also served as a guidance councilor in Harlem, New York.

When Ms. Sullivan saw a position was available at Rita, she knew she wanted to work here. She jumped at the op-portunity to be interviewed by the administration.

In addition to her responsibilities with faculty and cur-riculum development, Ms. Sullivan will be moderator of the lacrosse program. She will be assisting the coach-ing staff by overseeing all of the operations related to the program.

“I really like the caring and supportive atmosphere that is present here at St. Rita,” said Ms. Sullivan.

Mr. Rich Kurek has been hired as the director of Rita’s new Villanova Academic Study Center.

A ’99 Rita graduate, Mr. Kurek grew up in St. Mary Star of the Sea parish and later attended Valparaiso Uni-versity and received his master’s degree from DePaul University.

Before returning to Rita as a faculty member, he taught for a year in Lockport and two years in Joliet.

As director of the study center, Mr. Kurek works with students on their academics during their TDT periods and organizes tutoring after school. Aside from his work in the study center, he is also teaching the reading courses offered at Rita.

“I wanted to come and work at St. Rita because I love the Rita family and tradition. I have always wanted to work here,” said Mr. Kurek.

“What I like most about working here is the fact that the administration and staff are friendly and supportive. I

also like that students show the desire to learn,” he said.The Villanova Academic Study Center is located in the

library and is designed to help students who are strug-gling academically.

The center will give students, who struggle with classes, have individualized education plans, or just need extra as-sistance in a class, the resources they need and deserve.

“I want everyone to know about the after school tutor-ing that is available,” said Mr. Kurek.

Students are able to receive extra assistance every day after school by either Mr. Kurek himself or members of the National Honor Society.

Photo by Al SmithMS. EILEEN SULLIVAN is the new Assistant Principal for Faculty and Curriculum Development. She will be working with teachers to provide students the very best.

Photo by Marcus DysonMR. RICH KUREK ’99 returns to Rita as the Direc-tor of the Villanova Academic Study Center. The study center has been created to assist with student academics.

October 6, 2008 NEW FACULTY AND STAFF Page 3

Rita welcomes new additions to Campus MinistryBy Bob Carroll

Sophomore Writer

Spirituality is one of the key elements of every student’s experience at Rita. Help-ing guide Rita Men on their faith journeys are several new faces that have joined the Rita family this year in the campus minis-try department.

Mrs. Vicki Blaszak is Rita’s new Direc-tor of Campus Ministry.

As director, Mrs. Blaszak will be oversee-ing every aspect of the offi ce, from school liturgies to the R.O.S.E. Hours service pro-gram. She will also be coordinating the Kairos retreats, which now fall under the umbrella of Campus Ministry.

Married to her husband, Mr. Zach Blaszak, Rita’s new Assistant Athletic Director and athletic trainer, she has been connected to the St. Rita family for years as he is a ’00 Rita graduate.

Mrs. Blaszak grew up in the town of Bourne on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where she attended public elementary school and later Bishop Stang High School.

She went on to attend an Augustinian school to receive her degree in Religious Studies and Psychology at Merrimack Col-lege in North Andover, Massachusetts.

While at Merrimack Mrs. Blaszak was involved in many activities closely related to her new duties at St. Rita. She was an active participant in Merrimack campus ministry, taking part in the service learning program, alternative spring break trips, and retreat program.

Mrs. Blaszak went on to volunteer for a year in San Diego, California as part of the Augustinian Volunteers.

“I became an Augustinian Volunteer be-cause I was unsure of what career fi eld I wanted to enter. However, I had many friends who became AVs and had very positive experiences helping others,” said Mrs. Blaszak.

“I felt as though volunteering would help me fi nd what I was good at while simul-taneously doing all the things I like to do. I ended up being able to travel, see new places, and most of all help many people,” she said.

One experience that Mrs. Blaszak fi nds most memorable of her time in San Diego was work she took part in at a homeless shelter.

As she had hoped, Mrs. Blaszak discov-ered what she wanted to do following her volunteer year and began studies at Bos-ton College to earn her master’s in pastoral ministry.

Upon receiving her graduate degree she began work as a campus minister, coordi-nating liturgies, retreats, and service proj-ects at Central Catholic High School lo-cated in Lawrence, Massachusetts.

When the opportunity presented itself for her and her husband to move to Chi-cago and both work at Rita, Mrs. Blaszak was excited at the possibility.

“My favorite aspect about Rita is the Au-gustinian tradition. I enjoy the nice, com-fortable feeling of the school, the extended, close-knit community and the large amount of student involvement in many aspects of the school,” said Mrs. Blaszak.

She used similar positive feedback when describing living in Chicago.

“I have met many new faces each day. I also now get to spend some time with my husband’s side of the family that lives in Illinois,” she said.

Being very social, she enjoys spending time with friends and family outside of the school building.

She has been cited by many Rita men as using the term “wicked” often, a term that Mrs. Blaszak explained is something used very commonly in the New England area in place of “very.”

Ms. Meghan Fitzgerald is one of two Augustinian Volunteers who will be serv-ing Rita students this year.

Ms. Fitz, as students call her, grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and attended James Mad-ison University.

When choosing her position with the Au-gustinian Volunteers, Ms. Fitz was provid-ed with many options, but thought a minis-try at Rita would be the best for her.

She will assist in many aspects of cam-pus ministry this year, including helping to coordinate the R.O.S.E. Hours service program, plan liturgies, and work with the Knights of Augustine.

In addition to working with campus min-istry and being the assistant coach of the sophomore soccer team, Ms. Fitz will be

facilitating a group of freshmen students during their Tuesday and Wednesday morning mentoring sessions, which is ded-icated to discussing pressures experienced by teenaged males.

“I hope to help make this a very success-ful year for the mentoring program and guide the students into becoming more mature, respectful, and responsible young men,” said Ms. Fitz.

When not at Rita, Ms. Fitz is getting the most of her time in Chicago, getting to know the area and her Augustinian Volun-teer roommates.

Mr. Andrew Smialek, a recent ’08 Rita graduate, has returned as a part-time offi ce assistant in campus ministry.

He grew up in the West Lawn neighbor-hood attending St. Mary Star of the Sea El-ementary School and experienced success throughout his time as a Rita student. Cur-rently, Mr. Smialek is a freshman at DeP-aul University.

As a high school student he was an active member of his class, spending a great deal of time participating in campus ministry programs.

The opportunity to return as a staff mem-ber was presented shortly after his gradu-ation when President Fr. Tom McCarthy, OSA, called asking if Mr. Smialek would be willing to assist in the campus ministry offi ce.

“I answered yes to Fr. Tom’s request be-cause of the family atmosphere. I wanted to give back what has been given to me. Helping out those who helped me, experi-encing yet again all that this place has to

offer,” said Mr. Smialek. “This chance was a surefi re way for me

to express true Unitas, the unity of com-ing back home and doing what I love to do, helping others in campus ministry. This has always been my favorite part of the entire school,” he said.

Outside of Rita, Mr. Smialek is enjoy-ing his college year by hanging out with friends and following the Chicago Bears and the Fighting Mustangs football teams.

Mr. Joe Toomey is another Augustinian Volunteer who will be serving at Rita this year.

Mr. Toomey grew up in Denver, Colo-rado and attended college at St. Louis Uni-versity.

Graduating this past May, Mr. Toomey was focused on serving as a volunteer and was fi rst introduced to the Augustinian Volunteers by a friend. However, he al-most joined a volunteer program under the Jesuits until he felt the Augustinians better fi t his personality.

Mr. Toomey will be working in the ac-tivities offi ce, assisting Activities Director Br. Gary Hresil, OSA. In addition, he will be helping in campus ministry, moderating the freshmen student council, and coaching the fl ag football and swim teams.

He likes that the Rita family is a loving atmosphere with tradition.

“The kids are great!” said Mr. Toomey.Similar to Ms. Fitz, he is enjoying his

time in Chicago, and he ends up spend-ing time away from Rita following sports, playing the guitar, and attending various concerts.

By Luke KonrathSophomore Writer

Mrs. Mary Albrecht is also new to Rita, teaching Theology 1 and 2.

She joins the faculty after spending several years at Seton Academy in South Holland where she taught and was the Assistant Dean of Students alongside another Rita newcomer, Mr. Brian Gilbert.

A graduate of Seton Academy herself, as a high school student she was involved in student govern-ment, yearbook, and tennis.

Following high school graduation, Mrs. Albrecht went on to attend college at Saint Mary’s of Notre Dame and furthered her higher education with a year of study in Ireland and a graduate degree from Valparaiso

University.Life as a teacher is something Mrs. Albrecht truly en-

joys and was aware she wanted from a very early age.“I love teaching; I decided I wanted to become a

teacher when I was in grammar school. I always helped my peers and others to do well. I love learning and education,” she said.

She currently lives in Indiana with her husband Mark, whom she recently married in June.

Mrs. Albrecht gives credit to her great uncles and grandfather as part of the reason for choosing to be-come a teacher the school, as they were all Rita gradu-ates.

Besides the students she has encountered so far in the classroom, Mrs. Albrecht also enjoys attending the football games.

Mrs. Albrecht joins� eology Divsion

Photo by Al Smith

Photo by Al SmithTHOSE STUDENTS WHO stop by the Campus Ministry Offi ce this year are bound to run into a new face or two. Mr. Andrew Smi-alek, Mrs. Vicki Blaszak, Mr. Joe Toomey, and Mrs. Meghan Fitzgerald (from left to right) have joined the Rita community working in various capacities in Campus Ministry. All serve a common goal: to help strengthen the spiritual journey of the students who attend Rita.

Two new Spanish teachers join facultyBy Luke Konrath & Craig Sabath

Sophomore & Freshman Writers

Ms. Socorro Yanez is one of Rita’s two new Spanish teachers.

Spanish is actually Ms. Yanez’s fi rst lan-guage and it was during her years in gram-mar school that she learned the English language.

Growing up in the southwest suburbs of Chicago, Ms. Yanez was an active member of her high school’s National Honors Soci-ety, Spanish Honors Society, and Foreign Language Club.

She went on to attend DePaul University in Chicago for college where she recieved her bachelors degree in secondary educa-tion.

Ms. Yanez began here career at Kelly High School, also in Chicago. She now in a part of the Rita community teaching Spanish 1 and 2.

Through her teaching, she hopes to pre-pare her students for the changing Ameri-can society in which Spanish is becoming very useful.

“In order to learn a language, you must be immersed in the culture of the language,” she said.

To engage the students in such learning, Ms. Yanez hopes to bring her students on fi eld trips demonstrating situations where the Spanish language would be practical.

In addition to her teaching duties, she is assisting with the Hispanic Club and hopes to start a Rita chapter of the Spanish Hon-ors Society.

Mr. Justin Fisk is another one of Rita’s new Spanish teachers.

He is teaching Spanish 2, Spanish 3 and AP Spanish 4.

Mr. Fisk is from New Mexico and Mary-land and attended the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Fisk has always enjoyed literature, and through that enjoyment he stumbled upon his interest of the Spanish language.

After studying the language, he used his knowledge to train with the United States Foreign Service, our nation’s principal dip-lomatic arm.

After teaching for several years in Mary-land, it was during spring break last year that his wife of 4 years brought him to Chi-cago. This trip later led him to apply for an

opening on the Rita faculty.Mr. Fisk looks forward to the year ahead,

and he hopes this is only the beginning of a long future with Rita.

Photos by Al SmithTHE FOREIGN LANGUAGE department at Rita welcomed two new Spanish teachers this year. Ms. Socorro Yanez (left) and Mr. Justin Fisk (right) together will be covering all the Spanish courses offered at Rita. Both look forward to experiencing the Rita tradition.

NEW FACULTY AND STAFFPage 4 October 6, 2008

Former teachers make their way back to RitaBy Manuel Yu

Senior Writer

Fr. Jerry Van Overbeek, OSA, is returning to Rita af-ter being away on other assignments for nine years.

He is one of the new ministers of hospitality and the as-sistant chaplain to President Fr. Tom McCarthy, OSA.

Fr. Jerry is no stranger to Rita. Prior to his most recent ministries, he taught Theology 3 and 4 from ’81 to ’99 at both the old and new Rita campuses.

“For the past 9 years I’ve been serving in Chicago as a hospital chaplain and a parish priest,” said Fr. Jerry.

Fr. Jerry himself is a Rita grad and received a B.A. in philosophy from Villanova University and a master’s de-gree in spirituality from the University of San Francisco.

Before he was ever a member of the Rita faculty, he taught Latin and theology at Austin High School and Miriam High School.

Fr. Jerry has also taught several summer school courses at fi ve universities throughout the country, including the University of San Francisco, Georgetown University, and Boston College.

“I love traveling and have a real passion for teaching,” said Fr. Jerry.

“My favorite part about teaching and coming back to

St. Rita this year are the students. Teaching in the best thing I’ve ever done in my life and I’ve always learned more from my students than I taught them,” he said.

To this day Fr. Jerry has remained good friends with some individuals he fi rst encountered as students.

Fr. Jerry’s return to Rita follows his offer to serve as the new hospitality greeter at the main entrance. In addi-tion, he will be providing additional assistance to the Rita community with chaplain priest ministry.

He described his return as a happy one, saying, “I never really wanted to leave in the fi rst place.”

Many things have changed in the past nine years, but Fr. Jerry pointed out that the physical improvements are not the only things that have taken place.

“St. Rita has become a much more professional, com-fortable and happy environment,” he said.

Fr. Jerry hopes to get to know as many students as pos-sible this year in the halls, at sporting events, and other social events he plans to attend.

“From the time I left in ’99 I have always wanted to re-turn. My years at St. Rita as a teacher were the best times of my life,” he said.

Mr. Don Krystof has also returned to Rita after many years away.

For the past 20 years, he has been teaching chemistry and mathematics at Evergreen Park High School. This year Mr. Krystof is teaching physics and chemistry at Rita, just as he did from ’81-’88.

He holds a B.S. in chemistry and mathematics from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

While Mr. Krystof has been away from the Rita class-room for years, the Krystof name is not unfamiliar to students as he is married to Rita’s legendary chemistry teacher, Mrs. Susan Krystof.

Mr. and Mrs. Krystof have three children. Their two sons are both Rita graduates.

“Our sons ended up attending Rita and I really like the school. I always wanted to get back if I had the chance,” said Mr. Krystof.

He credits his decision to return due to the opportunity presenting itself.

“They needed someone for the teaching position and the timing was right,” he said.

Since the last time he taught at Rita, he has noticed many changes. However, he believes the school has maintained tradition.

“I am happy to see that Rita has kept its same sense of tradition,” said Mr. Krystof.

Photo by Marcus DysonMR. DON KRYSTOF returns to teach physics and chemistry at Rita. Mr. Krystof used to teach at Rita in the ’80’s, but for the past 20 years taught at Evergreen Park High School. He always wanted to return to Rita and its glad it has kept the same sense of tradition.

Photo by Al SmithFR. JERRY VAN OVERBEEK, OSA , returns to Rita after almost nine years away. He is one of two new hospitality greeters working at the main entrance of the school. In addi-tion to welcoming students and visitors to the school, Fr. Jerry will be assisting a chaplain.

October 6, 2008 NEW FACULTY AND STAFF Page 5

Rita welcomes several new faces to faculty and sta� By Luke Konrath & Craig Sabath

Sophomore & Freshman Writers

Mrs. Nikki Rutlin, originally from Glasgow, Scotland, is Rita’s new French teacher. She currently teaches all lev-els of French.

At the age of 11, Mrs. Rutlin began learning French as her second language. Following her graduation from high school in Glasgow she moved to Bordeaux, France at age 17.

Mrs. Rutlin studied French while in school. However, during her eight-month stay in Bordeaux while studying at the International School of Bordeaux, she also worked in a clothing store where she enriched her knowledge of the French language, as well as learned much about the French culture.

After living in France, Mrs. Rutlin spent six months in Germany at an international language college followed by two months in Italy, during which time she also continued her studies in both German and Italian. She went on to further study both of these languages at an international university and in other future schooling.

With knowledge of two additional languages, she re-turned to Scotland and attended the University of Glasgow for two years. Then after another year in France, this time in Paris, Mrs. Rutlin completed her fourth and fi fth year of higher education and graduated from the University of Glasgow in Scotland.

Following her graduation, she worked as an interpreter for a year and then returned to school for another year to complete her teaching qualifi cations.

Mrs. Rutlin began her teaching career at Our Lady of St. Patrick in Glasgow. After a year she spotted an advertise-ment online for an available teaching position at the Brit-ish School of Chicago, leading her to move to the United States, specifi cally the Chicago area.

She spent two years teaching at the British School, and once again noticed an advertisement online, this time for a teaching position at Rita.

“I wanted to work in an American high school, and also the American educational system,” said Mrs. Rutlin.

In addition to teaching French, Mrs. Rutlin is getting involved in athletics and other extracurricular activities. She plans to work with the drama club and start a French club.

Married just this past July, Mrs. Rutlin is happy and en-joying the many new changes in her life.

“I feel very welcome here at St. Rita. Everyone is very helpful and there is a real sense of community here,” she said.

Mr. Brian Gilbert, a native of Griffi th, Indiana, is a new computer science, history, and government and law teacher.

Mr. Gilbert graduated from Indiana University with a de-gree in secondary education and a minor in history.

Unlike some teachers, he does not credit a particular teacher in his past as inspiring him to teach. Rather, Mr. Gilbert simply described his decision to become a teacher by saying, “I just liked the idea.”

Prior to teaching at Rita, Mr. Gilbert taught at Seton Academy where he worked with fellow newcomer Mrs. Mary Albrecht and was the Dean of Students.

He explained that part of the reason he chose to leave Seton and come to Rita was his interest in being a part of a school with more tradition.

When not teaching or spending time on the football fi eld as an assistant freshmen football coach, Mr. Gilbert en-joys being with his wife Marlys and following Penn State

football.“Growing up in Indiana, I hated Notre Dame,” said Mr.

Gilbert.“I wanted a team that wasn’t Notre Dame that still had

tradition and played hard nosed football though. That’s how I became a Penn State fan.”

Br. Jim Magnan, OFM is one of the two new faces that greet those who enter the school.

As a hospitality minister, Br. Jim offers a friendly wel-come to visitors, as well as to all students and faculty as they walk through the main entrance.

Born in Greendale, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee, Br. Jim is a Capuchin Franciscan who studied at St. Lau-rence Seminary.

Br. Jim explained his calling to be a brother as a gradual process beginning in his junior year of high school.

“I was writing a term paper on vocations. Afterwards, I made inquiries into several religious orders,” he said.

“I was particularly interested in the Franciscans because of their work with the poor. I believed I would excel in helping the poor because I had a background as a nurse,” said Br. Jim.

Br. Jim has helped individuals in many capacities over the years including the 20 years in which he served as the chaplain for Mercy Hospital. He also worked on an ambu-lance in Wisconsin for 5 years and served as a missionary in Central America for 6 years.

Br. Jim’s relationship with Rita came about through his friendship with Br. Gary Hresil, OSA, Rita’s Director of Activities.

When a fl ood damaged Br. Jim’s apartment in the Bridgeport neighborhood, Br. Gary and his fellow Augus-tinians invited him to live in the St. Rita Monastery for four months.

When he found a new apartment across from St. Gabriel Parish in the Canaryville neighborhood, Br. Jim’s time at the monastery ended. However, he could not stay away from Rita for too long, and when a position opened up to be a minister of hospitality, he jumped on the opportunity.

In addition to greeting those who come in the main en-trance, Br. Jim is assisting Br. Gary in the Mustang Store and Activities Offi ce.

Miss Vivian Oliva joined the Rita family this past May as Administrative

Assistant to President Fr. Tom McCarthy, OSA.Miss Oliva grew up in the Pullman area attending St. An-

thony Grammar School and Elizabeth Seton High School. She went on to study abroad at Emaus University where she obtained her BA in Business.

Miss Oliva is the mother of two, a 17-year-old daughter who is currently a senior at Marist and a 21-year-old son who is a graduate of St. Laurence High School and is now a sophomore in college.

With over 18 years of experience in the human resource fi eld, her most recent job prior to Rita was working 11 years as an HR associate at a social service agency helping individuals with developmental disabilities.

“Having basically grown up in a private school atmo-sphere and a strong Catholic upbringing, I have always wanted to work in a Catholic School where I still feel very comfortable, so when the opportunity came up to work at Rita I jumped at the chance,” said Miss Oliva.

As administrative assistant to Fr. Tom, her main responsibilities are to assist him in any and all organizational and clerical needs that his many presi-dential duties require.

Her talents are party planning and decorating. She is an award winning

Christmas decorator whose work for the past 10 has been seen by many at several well known Downtown Chicago Retailers, suburban malls and

businesses.Ms. Nancy Brandes is the new sophomore counseling

intern at Rita.Growing up in the northwest suburb of Streamwood,

Ms. Brandes attended St. Edward’s Central Catholic High School in Elgin. She received a BA in marketing from Columbia College Chicago.

She is currently a student at DePaul University work-ing on a master’s in human services and counseling and works part-time as a legal secretary for a small law fi rm in Skokie.

Ms. Brandes came upon her position at Rita after meet-ing Mr. Tony Miranda, sophomore counselor and theology teacher, in a class at DePaul. Mr. Miranda introduced her to Mr. Wes Benak, Director of Guidance, who informed her of an internship position.

She is currently counseling those sophomore Rita stu-dents whose last names beginning with P-Z.

“I believe my goal is to help students with any issue that may be impacting their academic success,” said Ms. Brandes.

“I love the staff and students at St. Rita. I love every-one’s dedication to the school, it is a really pleasant work environment,” she said.

When not at Rita, her other job, or working on her de-gree Ms. Brandes loves fi lm. She dreams of becoming a screenwriter, and she named “The Godfather” as her fa-vorite movie.

Photo by Al SmithSTUDENTS AND VISITORS who enter through Rita’s main entrance may now encounter Br. Jim Magnan, OFM. Br. Jim is one of two new hospitality greeters at Rita.

Photo by Al SmithRITA STUDENTS WHO take French now have Mrs. Nikki Rutlin. Mrs. Rut-lin, who is originally from Scotland, feels a real sense of community at Rita.

Photo by Al SmithMR. BRIAN GILBERT joins the Rita faculty as a new computer science, history, and government and law teacher. He is also getting involved outside the classroom as an assistant football coach.

When most people think of Africa and wars, they think of Darfur. While not really a war, (the term genocide has been thrown around a lot), it still has something pertaining to what we are talking about. It is the new thing, the story that everybody latches onto and grieves over.

I am in no way trying to belittle the struggle that is taking place there; certainly our hearts must go out to them, as it is a tragedy. However, the only problem is that nobody is focusing on the looming disaster that could happen with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The public interest is probably for good reason, too. Con-sidering that the country was named Zaire until 1997, and the fact that it is in the middle of Africa, why should we care what goes on there?

Their wars do not pertain to us as long as they don’t at-tack our powerful allies or us. Sadly, this is true. We cannot intervene every time fights break out between countries.

We can, and should, intervene when supplies we need are in jeopardy and when China threatens U.S. interests. The DRC produces over 60% of the world’s cobalt, which is used in things like missiles and jet engines.

THE DRC ALSO has over 80% of the world’s known coltan supply, a key component in the high-tech industry. Everything from defense computers to cell phones (and even a couple VCRs) uses coltan. The most important one, though, is the DRC’s uranium deposits and China’s ability to make things go boom with uranium.

The other countries in the “Great Lakes region” of Africa (Burundi, Uganda, and Rwanda) are our allies. They have been attacking and stealing these resources from the DRC as a means to help build their economy. While we do condemn them for doing this, we also profit. China has built up the DRC’s army and they are now attacking back, stopping all forces from stealing their minerals.

But what’s the point of all this? To put it simply, even in our best fighting years we could never dream of defeating China in a war now.

With 1.2 billion people, we could honestly kill half of their population without losing a single man and they would still outnumber us 2:1. It’s unfathomable to think that we could defeat a country that is ready and willing to send most of its citizens to be a POW. That’s a POW that we would need to spend all our money housing and feeding lest we breach the Geneva Convention.

IF THE DRC were to invade any of the other Great Lakes countries, it appears that China might give them full support and a blank check. It has been stated they want to amass a global empire, and the middle of Africa has a lot of supplies and riches to start. Not to mention that the other countries are our allies and we could find ourselves in real trouble on a decision. Should we take the wait-and-see approach or risk losing a war that’s nearly impossible to win?

Again, why care? We should because of the fact that we could face a war with one of the highest death tolls in man-kind.

We make bigger weapons to deter the use of others using big weapons. However, when one uses said weapons, then we face the consequences.

Think of Hiroshima then imagine bigger versions of that in bigger cities. The death toll would rise in the millions, maybe hundreds of millions. That devastation dwarfs any-thing the world has ever seen.

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 Kyel WhiteSenior Writer

Have you ever thought about build-ing a human-powered flying machine and then launching it from a 30-foot tall ramp over a body of water?

Then get ready for the next “Red Bull Flugtag Challenge.”

The first Flugtag (which means “flying day” in German) competition took place in Austria in 1991. Since then, over 35 Flugtag competitions have been held around the world from Ireland to San Francisco, attracting over 300,000 onlookers.

This year’s competitions were held in Portland, OR, Tampa Bay, FL, and at Chicago’s very own North Avenue Beach..

AT FLUGTAG Chicago 2008, 28 teams of wannabe pilots flew their crafts over (and mostly into) Lake Michigan to an audience of 75,000 delighted spectators.

While these outrageous machines are primarily judged on their distance, the creators don’t expect their machines to actually fly, so creativity and showmanship are a major part of the machine’s overall appeal.

Inventors not only put together a craft that is unique – they dress in matching, equally outrageous costumes.

Although there are no creative limitations, there are a few rules and regulations: the machine must be totally human-powered, less than 30 feet wide, and weigh less than 450 lbs. (pilot included).

One of this year’s teams was the Cactus Smurfs, whose home hangar is in Chicago. Their crew of four was cov-

ered in blue body paint in celebration of the famous car-toon characters’ 50th anniversary.

Also competing were third place winners Pie in the Sky, whose design honored Chicago’s famous deep-dish pizza, and Chicago’s own New Style Flyers soared into second place wearing baseball bobble heads and carrying bats sa-luting their favorite team.

This year’s grand prize went to the Crustacean Avengers, whose aircraft soared 120 ft. before plunging into Lake Michigan.

The Avengers performed a skit based on a lobster’s re-venge on the angry Swedish chef’s attempt to boil him on “The Muppet Show”.

The U.S. record of 155 feet was set last year in Nashville. Do you think you can beat it?

Have you ever thought to launch a human-powered flying machine?

EditorialCrisis in the Congo

What’s That?

� 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 of at the Mel SchreierRitan O� ce located in the academic wing on the northwest end of the second � oor, submitted via email to editors@theritan.com or given to Mr. Josh Blaszak in Room 206.

Editors-in-Chief: Marty Malone and Dan MooreAssistant Editor: Dave Schrader

Sta� Writers: Jorge Barba, Luke Bentley, Brian Boyd, Bob Carroll, Joe Cahill, Luke Konrath, Cesar Morales, John Murphy, Sean Nolan, Craig Sabath, Al Smith, Alex Summerfelt, Ricky Valadez, Adam Vargas, Kyel White, and Manuel Yu

Photographers: Matt Bokowski, Marcus Dyson,David Huang, and Al Smith

Artists: Matt Gooseherst and Warren Higginbothan

Moderator: Mr. Josh Blaszak

The following question was recently asked of several classes of Rita students. Below are some of their responses.The race for the presidency is in full swing. The November election is pitting the Republicans and McCain against the Democrats and Obama. Many people are getting tired of the fi ghting between the two parties. If you could form your own political party, what would it be about? What would you call it?

Page 6 October 6, 2008STUDENT VIEWS

Photo Courtesy of fl ickr.comSPECTATORS WATCH AS the “Red Bull Flugtag Challenge” takes place at Chicago’s Navy pier. The competition put amateur inventors’ human-powered fl ying machines to the test.

Cesar Morales, freshman: My party would be about unity and peace. It would always go against war and care about terrorism and global warming.

Brandon Johnson, sophomore: I would try to help the middle class and try to lower taxes. It would be simi-lar to the Republican party and would help people in other countries that don’t have the same opportunities we have. It would be call the Greatian Party.

Quinn Mitchell, sophomore: It would be about real problems like lowering insurance costs. My party would work to getting oil back under $70 a barrel.

Nick Robles, junior: My political party would focus on the economy. I would choose a group of highly educated and relatively young people to prove that we, as young individuals of the future, can make a difference. We would fo-cus on the economy because it is at an all-time low. People are not spending money and are losing their homes. The stock markets are losing money, and as well all know, it costs money to make money. Once there is a state of balance, we can work forward towards bigger problems because as of now “Money Makes the World Go Round.”

MITCHELL ROBLES

JOHNSONMORALES

Abortion: Opposes abortion in all cases except when the life of the mother is at risk Embryonic stem cell research: Does not support on the grounds that it takes hu-man life, but supports research of stem cells taken from sources other than the human embryo

Economy: Has criticized Obama’s pro-

posed tax increases and Windfall Profi ts Tax on oil companies, wants to heavily reduce wasteful government spending

War in Iraq: Supports Bush Administra-tion’s policies in Iraq, but is concerned that it will increase foreign energy depen-dence; has also said that she would like “an exit plan in place.”

War in Afghanistan: Gov. Palin has not yet addressed the war in Afghanistan in her campaign

Gun control: Strongly supports 2nd amendment; supports instituting gun safety education programs for children

Immigration: Gov. Palin has not yet ad-dressed immigration in her campaign

Same-sex marriage: Supported Alaska constitutional ban on gay marriage, but also vetoed a bill that would deny state-covered health and retirement benefi ts to same-sex partners of state employees, cit-ing it as unconstitutional

Energy policy: Strong proponent of en-ergy independence; supports drilling of crude oil and development of alternative fuels such as natural gas

Abortion: Pro-life, except in cases of rape, incest, or threat to the life of the mother

Embryonic stem cell research: Sup-ports, believes it has potential to cure hor-rible diseases

Economy: Favors making Bush tax cuts permanent in addition to eliminating Alternative Minimum Tax to help mid-income families; wants to create a com-mission to investigate Wall Street

War in Iraq: Favors continuing combat operations until Iraq is stable; believes he would be able to bring troops home victo-

rious by the end of his term; supports on-going American military presence in Iraq similar to those in Japan, South Korea, and Germany once combat has ceased

War in Afghanistan: Believes more troops (ca. 15,000) must be sent to make combat operations more successful

Gun control: Supports 2nd amendment

Immigration: Supports securing the bor-ders fi rst and then allowing gradual citi-zenship programs for an estimated 12-20 million illegal immigrants; supports cre-ation of temporary guest worker visa pro-gram with an optional path to citizenship

Same-sex marriage: Believes that mar-riage can only be between a man and a woman, voted for barring federal govern-ment from recognizing same-sex mar-riages; says that same-sex couples ought to, however, be able to enter legal agree-ments

Energy policy: Wants to end U.S. depen-dence on foreign oil by beginning off-shore drilling and using more renewable fuel sources such as ethanol

Abortion: Pro-choice in all cases, sup-ports partial-birth abortions

Embryonic stem cell research: Sup-ports; was a co-sponsor of 2005 Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act Economy: Favors tax cuts for low-income and mid-dle-class families and repeal of tax cuts for richest one percent of tax payers; fa-vors increasing capital gains taxes from 15% to 20% for families whose income is over $250,000

War in Iraq: Has opposed since the be-ginning; would focus on bringing troops

home as quickly as possible at a rate of one to two brigades a month, bring-ing all troops home by summer of 2010

War in Afghanistan: Considers very important effort; favors sending approxi-mately 7,000 additional troops

Gun control: Supported a ban of all sales for semi-automatic fi rearms while a state legislator; supports individual right to bear arms, but believes it’s subject to “common sense regulation;” supports na-tional law prohibiting practice of carrying a concealed fi rearm

Immigration: Supports a guest worker program as well as a path to citizenship for illegal aliens currently living in the borders; does not support revoking privi-leges such as a driver’s license for illegal immigrants

Same-sex marriage: Voted against Fed-eral Marriage Amendment which would have defi ned marriage as a union between one man and one woman; supports civil unions that would carry equal legal stand-ing to marriage for same-sex couples

Energy policy: Wants to reduce overall oil consumption; wants to use more hy-brid and electric cars; does not support off-shore drilling; supports windfall tax on oil companies

Abortion: Pro-choice; does not support partial-birth abortions

Embryonic stem cell research: Sup-ports both its practice and funding

Economy: Opposes Bush administra-tion tax cuts; believes that key to im-proving economy is confronting expen-sive health care and energy costs

War in Iraq: Was one of the stron-gest proponents in favor of deposing Saddam Hussein on the grounds that he possessed dangerous weapons; voted in favor of 2003 invasion of Iraq; has since said that he regrets that decision and agrees with Obama’s withdrawal plan

War in Afghanistan: Sen. Biden has not yet addressed the war in Afghani-stan in his campaign

Gun control: Highly in favor of assault weapons ban; voted to ban semi-auto-matic forearm ownership to citizens

Immigration: Supports securing of borders and guest worker program; sup-ports path to citizenship; supports pro-viding illegal aliens with social security

Same-sex marriage: Voted against constitutional ban on gay marriage; Supports civil unions that would give same legal status as marriage

Energy policy: Says top priority is solving energy crisis; supports govern-ment funding to fi nd new energy sourc-es

By Dan Moore & Adam Vargas Editor-In-Chief & Senior Writer

As incumbent President George W. Bush will finish his second term this January, the American people are preparing to elect a new president to office.

Modern political campaigning, how-ever, sometimes makes it difficult to understand exactly where candidates stand on the issue.

We here at The Ritan have decided to provide the stances on some preva-

lent issues of the two major party Presidential Candidates, Democratic Sen. Barack Obama and Republican Sen. John McCain, as well as their running mates, Sen. Joe Biden and Gov. Sarah Palin.

2008 Presidential candidates take their stances

Sen. Barack Obama Sen. John McCain

Gov. Sarah PalinSen. Joe Biden

All information on the candidates’ political positions courtesy ofwww.OnTheIssues.orghttp://biden.senate.gov/issueshttp://mccain.senate.gov/issueshttp://obama.senate.gov/issues

Page 7October 6, 2008 ELECTION 2008

By Marty Malone Editor-in-Chief

Servers, SMART Boards, and Edline enhancements are not the only upgrades in the works.

Currently, when a person visits www.stritahs.com he or she will find a jumble of links, some pictures, and a wide variety of fonts and colors.

It seems as good as any other typical high school web-site. However, Rita strives for excellence in all things, which is why a new website is about to be launched.

Mr. Javier Solorio II, Rita’s Director of Graphic De-sign, said the idea for the new site came about back in December of 2007.

“WE DECIDED THAT in order for the new website to meet our expectations, the infrastructure would need to be remodeled, including new software and hosting pro-vider,” said Mr. Solorio.

Mr. Solorio, as an avid technology user himself, felt the current system was not good enough for the needs of the website. He wanted to design a site with the flexibility

to expand with future standards and technologies of web development.

Gone will be unnecessary links – some of which bring visitors to material that is outdated by two years – and a page size that scrolls down endlessly.

THE NEW SITE will have a user-friendly interface, and will include a web specification standard unique to St. Rita (meaning a standard set of typography, layout, and color themes which will be used throughout the web-site). These styles will also connect with print materials, i.e. recruitment brochures and posters.

“We started drafting our ideas by reflecting upon our core values and establishing three main objectives for the new website, to inform, recruit, and advertise,” said Mr. Solorio.

The new site will better inform students, faculty, and parents of news concerning our school, with the result of fostering the online community.

The site will also be geared towards recruiting 7th and 8th graders to St. Rita. Finally, the site will advertise up-coming events, such as Winterfest, the Alumni Banquet,

and the Mother/Son Dance. “I hope the new site will have the feel of a university

website, where the audience is not only students and staff of the school, but also prospective students, alumni, par-ents and family, media, and the public at large” said Mr. Adam McGrath, Rita’s Director of Public Relations.

Site visitors can expect to point their browsers to www.stritahs.com and see a new website on Thursday, October 9, 2008. Countdown 10:09:08 has begun.

By Marty Malone Editor-in-Chief

Rita has recently implemented many forms of new technology and has also up-dated its existing technology.

Rita now has five SMART Boards© cur-rently being installed, which are interactive presentation boards.

Students in Rita’s French classes with Mrs. Nikki Rutlin are already aware of the advanced technology that comes with the instructional use of a SMART Board.

Mr. Paul Harrington, Rita’s Director of Technology, recently demonstrated the ca-pabilities of SMART Board technology.

With a SMART Board, teachers can pres-ent notes by writing directly on the board or by using a special wireless stylus. The stylus allows the functionality of being able write notes on the board located at the front of the classroom while standing anywhere in the room.

IN ADDITION, ALL notes written on the board can be saved in a manner simi-lar to other computer documents for fu-ture viewing. This feature may come in useful when a teacher wants to reference past notes in a current lesson or provide students who missed a class with the notes they would have received on the day they were absent.

Note giving is only the beginning of what these boards can offer, though. A classroom computer can be controlled directly from the board allowing teach-ers to access the Internet directly in front on the entire class, give slide presenta-tions, take part in interactive learning activities, and use other computer soft-ware that enhances the material being taught in the classroom.

“The SMART Board keeps our class interesting,” said freshman Aldreon Ellis. “Going up to the board and writ-ing on it is very fun.”

WHILE MRS. RUTLIN’S board was the first to be installed, other rooms will soon be equipped with this same SMART Board technology.

Mr. Josh Blaszak, mathematics teacher and occupant of room 206, and Mr. Tony Sosnowski, social studies teacher and occupant of 113, were awarded this new technology as part of a recent grant application process. Both identified specific plans as to how they will incor-porate the use of a SMART Board into their curriculum.

The two newly renovated science labo-ratories will also have SMART Boards in the near future.

Mr. Harrington, Mr. Blaszak, and Mr. Sosnowski recently attended the 1st An-

nual Illinois SMART Board User’s Con-ference where various methods of using this technology in classroom lessons were presented and discussed.

“I FIRST BEGAN using SMART Boards when I was in college, and they re-ally add to the learning experience,” said Mr. Blaszak.

“The capabilities of these boards allow so much more to go on in an everyday class-room lesson. Teachers are able to add the technology that students are so accustom to these days into their classroom routines. As a result students become more engaged in what is going on,” he said.

Rita has also been undergoing several software upgrades this year.

The school’s online grade reporting web-site, Edline, has a few newly updated fea-tures.

Many of the main upgrades are mostly cosmetic. Rita users will find the homep-age has a new glossy icon along with a login window.

Upon logging in, while users will find the same main student page as last year, there are some updates general users will not see. These feature upgrades are primarily enhancements for teachers to use for their students.

Teachers now have the ability to add on-line quizzes to their class pages, as well as have a portal allowing students to upload

typed homework to the site, which will given the teacher the ability to grade pa-pers online.

Rita students should be looking forward to the incorporation of these new features throughout the year as teachers implement them following user training.

Edline enhancements are not the only new updates for teachers this year on the technology front. All faculty and staff now have a new updated e-mail system.

THE NEW WEB based system will allow faculty and staff to have better e-mail correspondence between each other as well as with parents, students and other Rita af-filiates.

In addition, Mr. Harrington decided to change over Rita’s computer network soft-ware from a Novell server to a Microsoft server.

“We switched over to Microsoft because many other companies’ software products are made to run on a Microsoft server. It’s the network standard,” said Mr. Har-rington.

The new server will be able to grow with Rita’s needs. A problem that often oc-curs is that within a couple months after purchasing technology, that technology becomes obsolete. However, Microsoft continuously adds updates to its software every month so Rita will be able to stay current well into the future.

Rita stays current on technological frontPage 8 TECHNOLOGY

Photo by Al SmithMRS. NIKKI RUTLIN uses the new SMART Board recently installed in her classroom to en-hance a lesson on telling time in one of her French 1 classes. Mrs. Rutlin is one of 5 teachers who will be incorporating the use of SMART Board technology in their curriculum and instruction.

October 6, 2008

Photo by Al SmithSTUDENTS IN MRS. RUTLIN’S class learn interactively by using the room’s new SMART Board. Freshmen Eddie Czerwien (left) and Branden Collins (right) are two of the students benifi ting from these boards. Many students say the boards make lessons more interesting.

COUNTDOWN

10:09:08

New Rita website ready to launch

Marching Mustangs help set the tone

October 6, 2008 MUSTANG ACTIVITIES Page 9

Swinging Mustangs chip away at seasonBy Brian Boyd

Senior Writer

Rita’s Mustang golf team is off to a solid start, posting a 2-4 record while posting impressive individual scores.

Led by senior captain Jack Delaney, the Mustangs have beaten St. Laurence and Guerin Prep by substantial margins.

“We really played well at both match-es, conservatively, but well” said Jack Delaney.

Due to inclement weather, the team has only been in 6 matches, with the losses coming to Providence Catholic, Brother Rice, Marist, and St. Ignatius.

The outstanding golfers this year have been Jack Delaney, junior Tanner Pan-nozo, senior Dave Fashingbauer, and se-nior Josh Clemens.

Jack Delaney posted a 36 at Cog Hill on the front 9 holes against Ignatius. Even more impressively, he shot a 79 at the Balmoral Woods tournament, plac-ing 7th out of 126.

Although facing some adversity this season, the team keeps an optimistic out-look.

“No matter how well or poorly we play, it’s something to do on the weekdays to keep busy, and most importantly, it’s re-ally fun. We’ve got great coaches and teammates, and hopefully the younger guys will come around for the post-sea-son tournaments” said senior Jack Gol-drick.

By Kyel WhiteSenior Writer

It is evident by this year’s theme – ‘St. Rita, A Bond That Never Breaks’ – that the Rita family feels closer than ever.

“No one has a better family atmosphere than us here at St. Rita,” said senior Martin Hopkins, Student Government President.

The theme for the school year, which is chosen annually by the incoming student government offi cers, was thought up based on the bond this year’s newly elected offi cials feel is exception-ally strong at Rita.

“We believe that the bond at St. Rita is ever-lasting because when you graduate you will al-ways be family,” said Hopkins.

“Many students have made best friends here that will last a lifetime,” he said.

When describing just how the theme is going to be demonstrated this year, Director of Activi-ties and Moderator for Student Government Br. Gary Hresil, OSA, said “We’ll just have to wait and see.”

“It’s going to be everybody getting involved and committing to the Mustang in whatever way we can,” he said.

Plans are currently underway for the new year by student gov-ernment and they are hoping to make this a year of new ideas and change.

“We have some new things planned for both Homecoming and Pride Week this year,” said Bro. Gary, “but we’re not going to announce them yet.”

However, Hopkins did share that student government is cur-rently working on producing a monthly newscast that will sum-marize the events and highlights from the month and that student government is welcoming ideas and suggestions for this year’s activities.

“We are trying to get more people involved, and are open to anyone’s ideas,” said Hopkins.

Student Government prepares for the year

Photo by David HuangTHE MARCHING MUSTANGS help to set the tone of Rita’s student pride. The band has been busy practicing, playing at football games and hosting the Annual Mustang Stampede. This year band students are even devoting their lunch and TDT time to practice.

Photo courtesy of Advancement Offi ceNEWLY ELECTED STUDENT Government Offi cers were recently inducted. Back row (from left): Pat McCarthy, Jack O’Connor, Dan Harney, Dylan Dineen, Martin Hopkins, and Dave Marciano. Middle row: Matt McGowan, Marty Kor-das, Tim Ladd, and Dan Connolly. Front Row: Dan McGrath, Liam Hopkins, Principal Sally Deenihan, President Fr. Tom McCarthy, OSA, and Dan Potempa.

Photo courtesy of Advancement Offi ceRITA FANS CHEER on their varsity Mustangs at the Rita vs. Mt. Carmel football game. The student section led the packed stadium, giving support that helped motivated the team to bring down the Mt. Carmel Caravan. Student Government hopes to have a success-ful year with the involvement of the entire student body. The government offi cers hope to get as many students involved as possible.

2008-2008Student Government O� cers

PresidentMartin Hopkins

Vice PresidentDave Marciano

Senior RepresentativesDylan DineenDan Harney

Pat McCarthyJack O’Connor

Junior RepresentativesDan ConnollyMarty Kordas

Tim LaddMatt McGowan

Sophomore RepresentativesLiam Hopkins

Ryan McGowanDan McGrathDan Potempa

� e Freshmen Class O� cers will be elect-ed in October and will be reported in the next issue of � e Ritan.

Varsity soccer looking for breakout gameBy Luke Bentley

Senior Writer

Rita’s varsity soccer team started out the season as usual: with high standards.

With two previous successful seasons under their belt, this year’s team expects nothing less.

Second-year head coach, Antonio Godi-nez, has set goal high saying, “We need to improve on our communication as a team and on our soccer IQ.”

When asked about the playoffs and how far he thinks the team will advance, he said, “I would like to see us fi nish strong as we go into the regionals. I think last year’s team looked past our fi rst game too much. This year we have to prepare for the fi rst round and take it one game at a time.”

The Mustangs started out their season in the Windy City Ram Classic, which was partially hosted here at Rita.

THEIR FIRST TEST came when they played against a strong Kennedy High School team. The Mustangs were defeated 2-0 but showed a strong effort.

Rita played two more games in the tour-nament, losing to Argo 5-1 and then beat-ing Tinley Park 3-2.

The road to victory did not get any easier as they faced three strong teams in a row: Lincoln Way North, Marian Catholic, and Illiana Christian, respectively. In all three

games the Mustangs came up short but showed strong efforts in each.

As conference play rolled around, the Mustangs, two-time defenders of the Chi-cago Catholic League White Champion-ship, were hungry for a win.

Coach Godinez commented on the Mus-tangs trying to three-peat as conference champs, saying, “Every team will come out strong against us, but we are capable of winning it.”

THE MUSTANGS’S FIRST confer-ence match was against neighborhood rival St. Laurence High School.

The Mustangs came out strong and took an early 1-0 lead. The Laurence Vikings tied it up 1-1 several minutes later. Before the end of the half, senior captain Kyle Do-nahue hit a free kick in to give the Mus-tangs a 2-1 lead at half.

The Vikings struck a late comeback to tie the game up at two apiece. The excitement grew as the game went into overtime. In the second overtime, the Vikings scored on a late header in the box to give Laurence a 3-2 victory.

Senior Rita Captain, Larry Damico, com-mented on the game, “We played great, we came out strong and took control right away, but it just wasn’t our night.”

Larry commented on the future of the season saying, “I will be happy if everyone

comes out and plays hard every game.”After the battle at Laurence, the Mus-

tangs traveled the next day to tiny but mighty Morgan Park Academy.

The Mustangs couldn’t keep up with the Class A state-qualifi ers as they lost 4-0.

SINCE THE MORGAN Park match-up the Mustangs have gone on to suffer three more defeats against DeLaSalle 4-0, Marist 3-0 and Latin 3-0. However, Rita was vic-torious over Bishop McNamara 3-1 with goals made by senior John Starcevich, ju-

nior Matt Carlson and junior Marty Healy.The Mustangs also beat St. Francis De-

Sales 6-1, with four goals scored by Kyle Donahue, one by Matthew Carlson, and one by junior Martin Martinez.

With several more conference games to go, the Mustangs are still waiting for that breakout game to turn around the season.

Coach Godinez said, “We still haven’t played up to our full potential. I think as a whole, we still have a couple more steps to take.”

Photo by Matthew BokowskiSENIOR CAPTAIN LARRY Damico (left) prepares to bring the ball back into play. While the varsity Mustangs have suffered some defeats, they have also had their share of victories. The team hopes to fi nd its breakout game and end it season successfully.

MUSTANG SPORTSPage 10 October 6, 2008

Sophomore soccer has one of best starts in team historyBy Luke Bentley

Senior Writer

The Mustang sophomore soccer team has gotten off to one of its best starts in Rita history.

The team’s season record is 4-2-4 (wins, losses, ties) overall and 2-1-0 in the Chicago Catholic League and ap-pears it will hold very strong for the rest of the season.

The Rita Mustangs defeated Marian Catholic and St. Laurence and tied Lincoln Way West, Lincoln Way North, and Illiana Christian.

Coach Mike Carlson is very pleased with the team’s success so far.

“WE HAVE A strong freshman class to lead St. Rita in the future. They are very mature and gel really well,” said Coach Carlson.

The commitment and character was demonstrated early on in the season when they were meeting as a team in Rita’s chapel to prior to their fi rst game. Coach Carlson described how all 17 of the team players showed up be-fore it was necessary.

The sophomore Mus-tangs look to capture the CCL White Champion-ship with the help of lead-ing goal scorers, freshmen Stan Sojka and Mark Mur-phy, and under the leader-ship of sophomore captain Luke LeBeau.

The Mustangs also plan to participate in the sec-ond ever Chicago Catholic Sophomore Cup, which was started by Coach Carl-son.Coach Carlson comment-ed on the players and the season so far, saying, “The players are motivated and focused to the task at hand.”

Photo by Al SmithFRESHMEN ANDY HAYWOOD (left) and TJ Andrews (middle) attempt to make a goal for the sophomore Mustangs as freshman John Nowobilski (back) looks on. The team is off to one of its best starts in Rita history. The team hopes to capture the CCL White Championship.

Rita cross country team has common goal of sectionalsBy Alex Summerfelt

Sophomore Writer

Catching a glimpse of Rita’s Cross Country team, headed by Coach Mike Brennan, it is visible the team has invested a great deal of time.

The team has started their year with a bang, and all members are gradually trying to improve their times.

Coach Brennan said, “We are making positive strides. We have a long way to go, but we’re work-ing hard to get where we want to be.”

He was impressed when 19 of the Mustang’s runners fi nished their fi rst meet with personal best times.

MANY TEAM MEMBERS attribute this suc-cess to running track during the spring season and continuing to run independently in the off-season.

In addition to new leadership under Coach Bren-nan, who became head coach this season, the pro-gram has gained many new members growing im-mensely from only 12 team members last year to a whopping 28 this year.

Most of the new runners are freshmen and sopho-mores, so the future of the program appears posi-tive.

ALL OF THIS year’s team members, regardless of age, have a common goal: reaching sectionals. The Mustangs haven’t qualifi ed in over 12 years, so this is a big goal.

One distinguishing characteristic of this year’s team is an incredible sense of unity.

Freshman Albert Alfano stated, “I might be a freshman on varsity, but I still have the same re-sponsibilities as a senior. It’s been a great experi-ence meeting new friends, and I have learned a ton from the upperclassmen.”

Senior Pat Makisch is setting the bar extremely high for his last year on the team, as he said, “I want to reach sectionals. If we keep working we’ll get there. Also, by the end of this year, I’m break-ing the 18-minute mark.”

Hopes are high around Rita for this year’s Mus-tangs. Spectators are advised to keep an eye open a very successful season.

By Joe CahillSenior Writer

Rita hockey is back in gear as the Mustangs recently opened their season competing in The Great 8 Tournament.

The Mustangs went 4-1 in the tournament and ended up taking home the championship.

Their fi rst opponent was Fen-wick who Rita defeated 7-3. Next up was Nequa Valley who fell to the Mustangs in a score of 5-2.

WITH TWO victories the Mustangs were on a roll, but a game later in the day proved to be harder fi ght for the team as they took on Barrington. While the team played hard and scored two goals it wasn’t enough hold back Barrington who scored six of their own to beat Rita 6-2.

A defeat could not keep Rita down for long though, as the Mustangs came back to take down

Prairie Ridge 5-3. This victory paved the way to a place in the championship, which would offer a re-match against Barrington.

THIS TIME RITA made key plays that offered a great game and a win when it counted. The fi nal score was 4-3.

Senior Chris Cimoch was named the MVP of the tournament with 5 goals and 11 assists.

The Mustangs also recently played in the Bartlett Tournament. They went 2-1 beating Fremd 4-2 and Cary Grove 5-2. However, they did suffer a 7-3 loss to York.

Head Coach Craig Ferguson, said “The goals will come if we do the simple things right”

While it is still very early in the season the outlook looks posi-tive for the defending Kennedy Cup Champions as the team also started its regular season in the hit league with a victory beating Prairie Ridge 6-1.

Hockey back in gear

2 Cool 4 Skool

Sophomores su� er heartbreaking defeat

October 6, 2008 MUSTANG FOOTBALL Page 11

By Warren HigginbothanSenior Artist

Freshmen Mustangs bring on the winsBy Ricky Valdez

Freshman Writer

Four games left! Four more weeks of football and Rita’s freshmen football team is off to an undefeated start.

The season opened with a 40-8 victory over Lincoln-Way Central and continued strong as the Mustangs took on DeLa-Salle, Leo, Mt. Carmel and Providence Catholic.

Against De LaSalle the Mustangs came out strong scoring on their fi rst drive, and stopping the offensive line of DeLaSalle Meteors.

The team fi nished the fi rst half with a great run by Max Kurucar, one of the Mustang’s captains and completed the game with a 33-8 win over the Meteors.

WEEK THREE OF the season put the Mustangs against the Leo Lions and the offense was led to victory by Chris Stoeberl who helped put up 40 points to Leo’s 8. The defense was able to hold Leo back with the help of 2 interceptions by Zack Soria.

As the Mustangs moved on to their biggest rival, the Mt. Carmel Caravan, the team had to retain its focus.

The match-up began with a strong de-fense and possession of the ball by Rita. The fi rst drive ended in a Rita touchdown scored by Russell Williams.

THE ENTIRE GAME was dominated by the defense, and was kept strong by the offense. The offense put up 7 touch-downs, while the defense allow the most points it gave up all season, 14.

“In the 21 years I have been coaching Rita freshmen, we have never beat Mt. Carmel this bad,” said head coach Jack Quinn.

This winning streak has continued as the Mustangs racked up another victory against the visiting Providence Catholic Celtics in week fi ve.

The team and its coaches hope to con-tinue the success that has been experi-enced thus far in the season, but know they must continue to work hard.

“We are doing great, but there’s al-ways time for improvement,” said one of the team captains.

Assistant Coach Jay Standring de-scribed a key element to the team’s fu-ture game plan by saying, “We must stop the run.”

By John MurphyFreshman Writer

Heartbreaker. This is one word that can be used to describe the Mustangs’ sopho-more football team loss to the Caravan of rival Mt. Carmel.

The game began with the Mustangs win-ning the opening coin toss and choosing to receive. After a short return by running back Travis Starks the Mustangs offense headed onto the fi eld, but spent very little time out as they quickly punted the ball back to the Caravan.

MT. CARMEL PUSHED the ball into Mustang territory down to the one yard line and eventually scoring.

With possession of the ball once again, Rita was more productive forcing the Mt. Carmel Caravan deeper and deeper toward its own goal line. The drive was capped off by a Brendan Cloney handoff to Tra-vis Starks for a big gain and a Mustangs’ touchdown.

The next few drives by both teams were offensive struggles, all of which ended in punts, but the Mustangs were determined to put points on the scoreboard.

WITH LITTLE TIME left in the fi rst half, quarterback Brendan Cloney threw a touchdown pass to Mitch Saffold who made a great catch despite a pass interfer-ence penalty against Carmel. The fi rst half ended with the Mustangs leading the Cara-van 14-7.

Late in the third quarter the Caravan tied the game on a short run by their running back.

Despite a fumble by Cloney the Mus-tangs managed to get the ball back with a turnover of their own. With 5 minutes and 41 seconds left in the fourth quarter Jake Pikowski intercepted a Carmel pass and the Mustangs just needed to score in order to win the game.

After a lengthy Rita offensive drive the Mustangs brought their kicking team out onto the fi eld with 16 seconds left and the

score tied. Kicker Dan Potempa attempted a 40 yard fi eld goal that would have given Rita the lead and victory, but while the kick had the distance, it sailed just wide and sent the game into overtime.

Rita once again won the coin toss to be-gin overtime this time choosing to defend fi rst.

On fourth and goal, Carmel’s quarter-back threw a pass to the end zone where his receiver came down putting Carmel ahead permanently.

WITH RITA UP on offense, the team tried three times, unsuccessfully, to score. As was the case with the Caravan Rita went for the end zone on fourth and goal, but instead of scoring the Mustangs’ en-countered an interception in the end zone, thus ending the game.

As the Caravan celebrated its overtime victory, the Mustangs kept their compo-sure, accepting the loss with true sports-manship and looked to the future games of the season.

By Sean NolanSophomore Writer

The sophomore football team is now 4-1 after a close game against Providence Catholic, which ended with a Mustang victory of 13-9.

The Mustangs’ season started 3-0 with impres-sion wins over Lincoln Way Central, DeLaSalle and St. Laurence.

However, Rita’s next game proved more diffi -cult, ending in a devastating loss after a hard fi ght against Mt. Carmel. (See John Murphy’s com-plete coverage of the Rita vs. Mt. Carmel game.)

From recent comments made by team running back Travis Starks, as well as those made by cap-tains Ryan McGowan, Dan Potempa, Tommy Hitz, and Brendan Cloney, it is clear the team’s expectations for the season have not been met yet.

ALL AGREE THAT with a little more enthu-siasm and a few less mistakes Rita’s sophomore team can be great.

The Mustangs’ expectations for the rest of the season are to win their next few games and hope-fully play in the Chicago Catholic League Con-ference Championships.

“Although individually they all have a common goal, and that is to be brought up to the varsity team for the State Playoffs; these players are im-proving each and every game and hope to con-tinue growing by gaining more faith in each other and striving for the best,” said head coach Brian O’Sullivan.

“THEY HAVE IMPROVED every game and if they learn from their mistakes each week, then they should be in the running for the Conference Championship,” said Coach O’Sullivan.

While this year has begun successfully for the sophomore Mus-tangs, in their eyes they can only play better. Mistakes seem to be the main reason for the team’s moderate season. The team is fi lled with a great deal of talent and lots of potential.

There are only a few weeks left in the Mustangs’ regular season, and as they move forward they hope to move past any challenges they have faced and build upon the successes they have experi-enced thus far.

Sophomores start season 4-1

Photo by David HuangBRIAN LURQUIN (#71), Dan Potempa (#45), Matt Mullen (#25), as well as other sophomore Mustangs pave the way for quarterback Brendan Cloney (#14). The team began 4-1 and hopes to build on their success, putting challenges behind them.

Page 12 October 6, 2008MUSTANG FOOTBALL

By Brian BoydSenior Writer

In collaboration with Joe CahillSenior Writer

There are two main indicators of fall Rita: the start of the new academic term and the return of Rita football.

After anxiously anticipat-ing the season all summer, the Mustangs are back with a bang. Off to an undefeated 5-0 start, the Mustangs are dominating both aspects of the game.

Led by its captains, seniors Dave Marciano, Dan O’Neill, Martin Hopkins, and Tom Rohan, and the backfield of seniors Dan Dispensa and Larry Garrett, the Mustangs have experienced a hot start.

After enduring triples in swel-tering heat, the Mustangs opened their season Labor Day Weekend in the Kirk Herbstreit Ohio-USA Challenge against Lakota West of Ohio.

WITH A SCORE of 0-0 at halftime, Rita put up 28 points in the second half while holding off the Lakota West offense, and finished the game starting their season off on the with a 28-21 victory.

Dan O’Neill was named the Burger King “King of the Game,” pulling in six catches for 108 yards and a score.

After the long trip home, the Mustangs played their home opener against Chicago Catholic League rival DeLaSalle.

The game was all Mustangs from start to finish, as the defense was dominant and made big plays. Dave Marciano returned an interception and a punt for a touchdown, and was the catalyst in the 35-7 rout of DeLaSalle.

DAN DISPENSA ALSO ran the ball extremely well, adding two touchdown runs, and Larry Garret threw one touchdown to junior Kyle Jachim.

The following week, Rita trav-eled to Gately Stadium where they took on the Leo Lions with-out taking a moment to look ahead their upcoming pairing against rival Mt. Carmel.

Despite unrelenting rain and swamp-like conditions, the Mustangs continued their unre-lenting offensive attack and shut-down defense.

Rita shut down a 9-minute-long Leo drive in the first quarter, and never looked back.

Persevering through the rain,

Larry Garrett threw two touch-down passes, and sophomore running back Johwon Akui added two touchdowns along with a junior Luke Turner 31 touch-down scamper.

The Mustangs took down the Lions with a final 45-6 victory, allowing them to begin prepara-tions for their yearly showdown with the Caravan of Mt. Carmel.

An record crowd estimated to be over 12,000 packed into Doyle Stadium Friday, September 19th to watch what can arguably be named the biggest rivalry in the state of Illinois.

With heavy media coverage and screaming Mustang faithful, Rita came ready to play.

On the first drive of the game, quarterback Larry Garret scram-bled for 31 yards, quickly fol-lowed by a 37 touchdown run by Jahwon Akui. The Caravan answered with an 80-yard touch-down drive, but the Mustangs were quick to retaliate, and did not relent for the rest of the half.

LESS THAN A minute later, Dan Dispensa broke free for a second effort 50 year touchdown run.

With the score 14-7, the Mustangs held the Caravan scoreless for the remainder of the first half, while tacking on 14 more points before the end of the half with a trick play that set up a Dave Marciano touchdown and then a strike through the air by Larry Garrett to junior Kyle Jachim.

The Caravan answered back with two touchdowns in the second half, but Dan Dispensa sucked the life out of them with a 5-yard touchdown run near the end of the third quarter.

That was all the defense need-ed, as senior Jerry Ponio picked off a Mt. Carmel quarterback Jordan Lynch pass in the fourth quarter (all with a broken wrist!), and that was it.

The defensive line dominated, constantly putting hits on Lynch, and linebacker Martin Hopkins led the team with 11 tackles.

The offensive line, led by seniors Dan Harney, Mike Martin, Matt Munizzi, Jordan Sodipo, and Kevin McCormack, were the MVPs of this game, cre-ating huge holes and giving quar-

terback Larry Garrett adequate time to throw.

With the Mustangs playing this well, they are slated for success in the state playoffs, and now have the inside track to a CCL Blue title.

“We’ve played really well, but our best football is yet to come,” said Dan O’Neill.

“Larry’s been playing great, the defense is absolutely lights out, and our offensive line is doing great.”

Behind head coach Todd Kuska, the Mustangs appear to be having another spectacular year. However, the team is aware there is still a lot of work to be done and they must remain focused.

AFTER THE physically and emotionally draining win ver-sus Mt. Carmel, the CCL Blue leading Mustangs looked to stay sharp and in first place (5-0, 2-0) versus the top ten state ranked Providence Catholic Celtics.

On a chilly Friday night at Providence, the Mustang offense got off to a slow start, but the stellar defense held their ground as they have in past weeks.

Trailing with one minute and fifty seconds left on the clock for the first half, the Mustangs drove an astounding 97 yards to tie it

up at 7 with a Dave Marciano touchdown.

“That drive, especially the long pass from Larry [Garrett] to [Dan] Dispensa, gave us a huge confidence boost heading into the locker room” said senior fullback Jack O’Connor.

SIMILAR TO THE first half, the second half of the game was dominated by defense, seeing as the only points scored in the first 22 minutes of the half were on a Celtics field goal to make it 10-7.

With the ball on the 21 yard line with less than two minutes left, the Mustang offense went to work. With Larry Garrett directing the offense towards the Providence goal line, he finally connected in the end zone with Dan Dispensa for a seven yard score with 19 seconds left.

Senior safety Erik Rickert had a huge night with two interceptions and six tackles.

“This was the toughest game so far, tougher than Carmel. We showed a ton of character on that last drive” said Dan O’Neill.

The Mustangs defense was absolutely lights out, limiting Providence to 75 total yards of offense and stalling potentially game changing drives.

Varsity football begins season undefeated

Photo by David HuangTHE ST. RITA and Mt. Carmel teams stare each other down as they pre-pared to square off in the most highly anticipated game of the season thus far. The Rita Mustangs went on to defeat the Mt. Carmel Caravan 35-21.

Centennial rock marks 100 years of Rita football By Dan Moore

Editor-in-ChiefInformation courtesy of Advancement O� ce

Moments before Rita’s varsity football team took the fi eld for their fi rst home game of the season on September 5, 2008 against DeLaSalle, a testament to the school’s rich football tradition was introduced.

To commemorate the milestone of 100 years of Rita football, a centennial rock has been erected in the north end zone of the Mustangs’ Doyle Stadium.

With a crowd of fans, alumni, staff and the

football team looking on, President Fr. Tom McCarthy, OSA, blessed and dedicated the rock in celebration of all past, present, and future Rita football players.

The commemoration continued as every member of the team touched the rock as they ran out onto the fi eld that night.

The rock is made of special red-and-black granite from Italy and sits on a platform made of concrete sunk four feet into the ground. This symbol of the long tradition of Rita football was generously donated by Mr. Dennis Lucas, an alumnus of the class of 1966.

Photo courtesy of Advancement Offi ceRITA PRESIDENT FR. Tom McCarthy, OSA, (left) blesses the new Centennial Rock as football captains, seniors Martin Hopkins, Dave Marciano, Tom Rohan, and Dan O’Neill (from left to right), look on. The rock marks 100 years of football tradition at Rita.

Photo courtesy of Fr. Bill McFarlane SENIOR DEFENSIVE BACK and Dave Marciano (left) skillfully evades a Lakota West player (center) who was tackled by senior run-ning back Jack O’Connor (right). The Mustangs went on to win 28-21.