Science Fair & Spring Awards

Every year, students and faculty in the Science and Language departments gather one night to celebrate several achievements its students realizes. Science Fair winners, Language National Honor Society inductees, and Lab Assistants are all honored for their hard work. The night begins with a gathering in the church, where Mrs. Kain announces the inductees into the Latin, Spanish, and French Honor Societies, and is followed by Mrs. Bergman announcing the winners of the science fair in each subject, and concludes with the announcing of Lab Assistants. This year was no different, with the recognition of Language National Honor Inductees coming first.
There were nearly 20 inductees this year, an impressive number, with the majority coming from the Spanish department; The remaining few were split equally between French and Latin. Becoming a member of this prestigious club is very difficult, as one must maintain a 94 or above for 8 quarters in a row. This impressive feat is something our Language director, Mrs. Kain, is very proud of. “It’s difficult to obtain the grades to stay in, and it’s a continued commitment because you agree to tutor kids who need help in languages. I’m very proud of our inductees.”
After, the winners of the science fair are announced. There were over forty winners this years, as there are five subjects, with three winners in each subject as well as honorable mentions. In Honors Chemistry, students individually created a project based on a pre approved subject by Mrs. Bergman. The first place winner in Honors Chemistry was Noelle Ventura, who did a “Comparison of the Solar Energy Generated by Monocrystalline and Polycrystalline Solar Panels”. In Physics, students were required to apply their knowledge of mechanical physical concepts. The first place winners in Physics were Sean Culley, Peter Jurlina, and PJ Keegan, with their project “Fling Kings Trebuchet”. In Forensic Science, Students were required to recreate a crime scene using accurate evidential science. The winners this year were Megan Maloney, Lynelle Scanlon, and Courtney Schmitt with their project “The Barn Blaze”. Lynelle Scanlon shared some of her emotions when learning she won the science fair, “We put a lot of effort into this project, but managed to have fun the entire time. We wanted to make sure our project was unique and we put forth a lot of effort. It is really rewarding to see my hardwork pay off.” In Anatomy, groups of students were assigned to recreate animals from skeletons, and the winners were Grace Armstrong and Bridget Burrus with “The Easter Bunny.” Lastly for Engineering, students were instructed to design and build a verification system for basic engineering principles. The winner this year were Jake Rowholt and Tim Theobald, who created a personalized 3D medical cast. This year, the robotics classes also created projects, but they were not judged at the fair. Mrs. Bergman was very pleased with this year’s science fair, noting how smoothly it ran despite the addition of two entirely new subjects. “The projects turned out great! I was really happy that we expanded the scope of the Science Fair with Engineering and Robotics.”.  

 

by Alex Phipps ’17

How to Prepare for the AP Exams

With May rapidly approaching, AP exams are getting closer and closer. Students have
been working hard and studying all year to pass the exam, but some of these extra tips and
tricks can help get you one step closer to that 5!

#1: Make sure to study for the month leading up to the exam! Every AP class is filled
with a lot of information throughout the course of the year, so remembering everything without studying is practically impossible. Reviewing chapters or sections at a time can be helpful and aid you in understanding major themes and continuities. Using study books, like the Barron’s series, is a major review resource and even supplies you with practice tests to get you prepared for testing day.

#2: Take practice exams! Whether from a review book or in class with a teacher, practice
tests get you ready for the big day. The more tests you take, the better prepared you are for the real thing. You develop your skills, gain new knowledge, and get used to the format of the test. Practicing essays and timing each section is also a major bonus!

#3: Gather together all of the materials you need on the night before! If you’re taking a
math or science exam, remember a calculator for the harder problems! Get out your sharpened number 2 pencils the night before, and pack a few snacks, a water, and tissues if you’re not feeling too well. The morning of the exam, you’re not going to want to scramble to find a few broken pencils and a dead calculator.

#4: Get a good night sleep before the exam, and eat breakfast! AP tests are very long
and draining, having a lot of energy on exam day is a necessity to make it through the test.
Don’t cram all your studying into one night, go to bed early the night before and eat something with protein the morning of. Eggs are always a good choice!

#5: Relax! You’ve been studying the entire year, you know the information, and you’re
going to do fine. Never psych yourself out, just take a deep breath and answer what you know.

St. Rose students have historically done well on AP exams and, by following these tips,
that won’t be any different this year!

By Jill Barry ’17

Baseball Update

So far this spring, the St. Rose Varsity Baseball Team has dominated the Shore Conference. Through long hours of hard work and dedication to the sport, the boys determination is paying off! The team is coached by Rich Lanko, assisted by Owen Stewart and the pitching coach is Coach Pinkert.

Each member of the team, player or coach, has put an important effort into building the team’s perfect, undefeated 9 – 0 record. With a reason including this winning streak, the team’s strengthened through their offense. According to senior captain, Brendan Hueth, “We have the capability to put up a lot of runs, and on the defensive side, we can count on our strong pitchers.”

As the season continues the boys baseball team will be facing more challenges that could threaten their perfect season. “We are playing Lacey this Thursday [4/27/17] and we are playing in the Monmouth County Tournament this weekend where we will see more talented teams we’ve never seen before such as Shore and Marlboro,” stated by junior, Will Gannon. This boys are preparing to put their best foot forward against the challenges.

The boys are anxious and excited about their healthy, well-matched competition they will soon to be challenged with. Leadership and friendship are two highly valued attributes to the team. Junior, John Crowley, enthusiastically explains how well the team works together. “We are all best friends for life and we all have the same goals of winning championships this season.” The team has also displayed outstanding ways to overcome mistakes and negative energy in order to win. “We build up on our mistakes by picking each other up and telling one another to move on and make the next play.” This positive attitude spoken by John is part of what makes the team a whole. John plays a big role on the baseball team who also speaks highly of his teammates, “Our team has perseverance, confidence, and swag; we use these to our ability.”

Impressively, the three captains of the team will be continuing their academic and baseball careers in college. Displaying how much the sport means to each of them, Brendan Hueth will be playing at St. Joes University, Joey Volpe will be playing at Dickinson College, and Brandon Mology will be continuing playing at Dominican College. With half the season underway, the Boys Varsity Baseball Team will certainly be continuing an impressive season no matter the outcome.

By MK O’Malley ’17

Softball Update

Spring has arrived, and the Saint Rose softball team has started a new, exciting season!
The girls have been practicing every day at the Saint Rose Athletic Fields, on Hurley Pond Road in Wall. The team is led by head coach Sean Bayha, and assistant coaches Tina Bogdanski, and Saint Rose guidance counselor, Mr. Sauuer. The team had a successful win over Ranney High School, and is looking forward to playing more games as the season progresses. The Saint Rose girls will face off today, April 25th, against Point Beach and are hoping for a successful game. They will also be versing Asbury Park in a double header this Wednsday, April 26, at the Saint Rose fields. Make sure to go out and support the team!

This season the team consists of twelve players and is lead by seniors Jill Barry, shortstop,
Bryn Onoshko, centerfield, Kate Thompson, third base, and Bridget Thompson, first base. The pitcher for the team is freshman, Molly Moore, who is having a great first season on the Saint Rose team. For this season, the girls are focusing on sharpening their skills and bonding as a team. The girls are focusing on coming together as a team to win games and have an overall successful season.

When asked what their personal goal for the season was, senior, Bridget Thompson
replied, “My goal is to improve individually and as a team.”. The girls, especially the seniors, are excited to continue improving as the season continues and play against more talented teams. When Saint Rose senior, Jill Barry, was asked what she would miss most about her experience playing softball at Saint Rose, she answered, “I think I’ll miss a lot of things, but mostly I will miss the people and the genuine fun I had playing on the team. I made a lot of great memories, and I hope that incoming Saint Rose students continue to enjoy being on the team as much as I did.”. Overall, the Saint Rose softball team continues to improve and enjoy themselves at the start of the new season. The girls have a great team bond, and are looking forward to more exhilarating games and practices.

By Alex Hambsch ’17

Sneak Peek at the Science Fair

Calling all creators, innovators, and explorers – be sure to get a sneak peek at this year’s Science Fair, bigger and better than ever! This Science Fair will be the largest to date, with about 125 projects competing to win. Honors Chemistry, Physics, Anatomy and Physiology, Forensic Science, Engineering and Robotics classes will all be participating, each with their own requirements and creative minds. Anatomy and Physiology classes have begun group projects of skeletal rearticulations of different species for their Science Fair reveal, and Physics classes have projects with a mechanical theme. Robotics has gone more futuristic, creating operating robots, while the Forensic Science classes have created “Scene of the Crime Depictions,” which take the Science Fair into new and intriguing routes.

Mrs. Bergman shared the process of picking a winner for the Science Fair at St. Rose by stating, “The winners of the St. Rose Science Fair are determined based on the requirements for each subject, but the faculty votes based on the rubric provided to the students, and the student presentations.” There is a first, second and third place, and Honorable Mention awards are to be handed out as well.

Ms. Steppe, who teaches Forensic Science here at St. Rose, provided details as to what the students in Forensics are required to create for the Science Fair. The students are making original mini crime scenes, but they are also creating an original story to go along with their crime scenes. Ms. Steppe shared her excitement for this year’s science fair, stating, “These ‘Dollhouse’ crime scenes have had many creative and original settings and stories, and Mrs. Keegan and I are looking forward to seeing this year’s contenders!”

Good luck to all competitors, and make sure you check out the 17th annual Science Fair here at SRHS!

By Sydney Daniel ’17

Women’s and Men’s March Madness Recap

You would have to be living under a rock to not notice the absolute basketball
pandemonium that occurred last month; March Madness. The annual Women’s Men’s
NCAA Basketball Championship Tournament surpassed all expectations while leaving some
in tears of sadness and others tears of joy. The South Carolina Gamecocks were the
awarded the women’s trophy after beating Mississippi State Bulldogs and the North
Carolina were crowned the men’s champions after beating the Gonzaga Bulldogs; we all
know who were crowned the Queens and Kings of College Basketball but lets recap on how
they got there.

In the Men’s tournament, The Tar Heels who were seeded number one in the
Southern Region, zipping through the first three games winning easily against Texas
Southern (103-64), Arkansas (72-65), and Butler (92-80); North faced their first challenge in
the Elite Eight versus the University of Kentucky. The game was fought tooth and nail and
the suspense did not stop until the final whistle only winning by two points the final score
being 75-73; UK’s Edrice Adebayo and De’Aaron Fox had 13 points a piece but it was not
enough to stifle Justin Jackson (who had a game high 19 points) and the UNC troupe. The
score being tied up at 73 points UNC’s Luke Maye made the biggest shot of his life with .3
seconds left on the clock to seal the win for North Carolina sending them to the final four.
In the semifinals North Carolina battled with the Oregon Ducks and barely evaded a defeat
winning by 1 point 77-76, with the seconds on the clock dwindling and the most dominant
player of the game Kennedy Meeks who had a massive double-double of 25 points and 14
rebounds and missed both foul shots and (an injured) then Joel Berry got another offensive
rebound and also missed both foul shots luckily the time ran out when the ball landed in
the Oregon player’s hand. In the final game most of the referee’s calls were highly
questionable and made the game hard to watch, in the second half alone 27 fouls were
called and instead of being a high paced game it turned into a free throw contest with the
Tar Heels coming out triumphant beating the Bulldogs 71-65, Joel Berry was the leading
scorer with 22 points.

On the women’s side, South Carolina’s tournament was looking grim the beginning when
their 6’4 senior center Alaina Coates (who averaged a double double of 13 points and 10
2
rebounds) was sidelined for the entire tournament with an ankle injury; but that only
fueled the Gamecocks and made them more determined to win it all. South Carolina was
also a number one seed so they were fortunate enough to have their first two games at
home, they defeated by 50 points UNC Asheville with a dominant score of 90-40. In the
second round South Carolina was tested by number eight seed Arizona State, the
Gamecocks were down by double digits in the fourth quarter but Kaela Davis (who had 20
points) led the fourth quarter comeback and A’ja Wilson’s late game putback and free
throws cemented the win. South Carolina blew out the Cinderella team, the 12th seeded
Quinnipiac University 100-58; the Gamecocks went on a 16-0 run in the beginning of the
game and never gave up their lead, Kaela Davis was highest scorer of the game with 28
points but her teammate A’ja was close behind with 24 points respectfully. In the Elite Eight
the Cocks versed the Seminoles in a battle of the fittest, the Cocks came out on top winning
by a tiny margin, the final score being 71-64 once again led by Kaela Davis’ 23 points. The
big win against FSU propelled them into their first Final Four since 2015, the Cocks were so
close to their goal they were not going home without the trophy, and that is exactly what
they did against Stanford University besting them 62-53. The stage was set in Dallas, Texas
and the National Championship matchup was the South Carolina Gamecocks facing up
against the red hot Mississippi Bulldogs (who just beat the UCONN Huskies who had
previously won the last 4 National Championships and won 111 consecutive games); the
game had a slow start but the Gamecocks held the lead most of the way and were
champions at the end of buzzer capturing their first National Championship ever.

By : Alexandria Pendergrass ’17

Rave Reviews for Me and My Girl

On April 6th, 7th, and 8th, the St. Rose spring musical, Me and My Girl, took place at
the Jersey Shore Arts Center in Ocean Grove. There were four performances, three in the
evening and one special matinee performance on Saturday. The cast consisted of St. Rose
students from various grade levels, and the play was directed by Mrs. Kain, who was assisted
by student directors Alyssa D’Amico and Titus Hood. Other notable crew members include
musical director Mr. Krajcik, choreographer Michael Penna, technical director Mrs. Bedford,
costumer Mrs. Fallon, stage crew director Mr. Appleyard and makeup artist Ms. Carton. The
entire ensemble made this production one of the most successful musicals yet in St. Rose
performance history.

The musical Me and My Girl is a British comedy that takes place during the 1930s and
focuses on an unrefined man named Bill, played by senior Matt Guinco, who learns that he is
the fourteenth heir to the Earl of Hareford. In order to inherit the title, junior Alec Kuncken and senior Maggie Baker’s characters Sir John and the Duchess, must approve of Bill, and they feel that eventually he will be suitable enough to receive the inheritance. However, they strongly dislike Bill’s girlfriend Sally, portrayed by senior Victoria Cancro, but Bill insists that he will not take the title if Sally is not his girl. Ultimately, the play follows Bill’s journey to becoming heir as he and Sally prove that their love upstages the expectations of others.
St. Rose’s student performers truly wowed the audience with their incredible talent. Matt
Guinco played a fantastic Bill, fully diving into character, and Victoria Cancro’s epitome of Sally’s witty persona added a colorful element to the show. Maggie Baker’s powerful presence on stage complimented Alec Kuncken’s portrayal of Sir John while Annie DiMurro and Dillion Groh gave spectacular performances. Along with the leads, the ensemble cast had remarkable performances with fabulous singing and dancing. When asked what her favorite part of the show was, senior Julia Swanson replied, “I loved the whole show, but I really enjoyed how each actor really got into character. Also, the singing was amazing!” Each performance was absolutely sensational.
This year, the spring musical cast included seven seniors, making Me and My Girl a
sentimental way to end their time with the St. Rose drama department. Each individual has
dedicated hours upon hours of their hard work and dedication to the show, as well as to other productions of the last four years. At the end of the busy weekend, senior lead Matt Guinco said, “Although I am ready to move on to performing in college, leaving the St. Rose Drama Club is definitely bittersweet. To everyone, Mrs. Kain, Mr. Penna, and Mr. Krajcik, in addition to our amazing cast and crew, I could not have asked for a better group of people to do my last show at St. Rose with. Thank you!”

Overall, the spring production of Me and My Girl was a smash hit! The combined efforts
and hard work of the cast and the crew truly paid off. The weekend was extremely successful
and was a wonderful experience for both the audience and the ensemble.

By Caroline Lowry ’17, Staff Writer

Highlight on the Leads: Me and My Girl

The Saint Rose High School presentation of the musical, Me and My Girl is quickly
approaching. The show will be performed on April 6th,7th, and 8th, and the cast is anxiously
anticipating performing for their family, friends, and fellow students! Although there are a
plethora of people dedicated to making this production a success, there is a small group of
students who must practice more in order to captivate the audience. These students are those who will be playing the lead roles in Me and My Girl. There are six lead roles in this production, and each lead actor is gearing up to put on a fantastic show.

The main lead role in the play is Bill, an unrefined, ordinary man who finds out he is the
lost heir and can become the Earl. Bill will be played by St. Rose senior, Matt Guinco. Giunco
will be joined by fellow seniors Victoria Cancro and Maggie Baker, who will portray Sally, Bill’s girlfriend, and the Duchess, respectively. Alec Kuncken, junior, will be playing the lead role of Sir John. Another lead role is a woman named Jacqueline who tries to marry Bill, and who will be played by junior, Annie DiMurro. And lastly, St. Rose sophomore, Dillon Groh, will be playing Jacqueline’s oblivious fiance, Gerald.

All of the actors and actresses that will be portraying the lead roles in the production are
extremely excited to perform. When asked why they would enjoy playing the lead they were cast in senior, Maggie Baker said “I am excited to play this role because I like the character and it will be my last role in a St. Rose production.” Victoria Cancro said that her favorite thing about her role in the play was her “character’s funny and witty personality”. When senior Matt Guinco was asked how this production affected him as a person, he responded, “We all got really close as a cast and it is one of my favorite, and last, memories made at saint rose high school.”. Once the play ends, seniors Maggie, Victoria, and Matt will be moving on from the St. Rose stage and hope to continue performing in musical theatre in college. Annie DiMurro, Alec Kuncken, and Dillon Groh look forward to continuing their theatre careers at St. Rose and will miss the seniors who will graduate in June. Come out and see the amazing lead roles and rest of the cast put on an enticing, successful show in Me and My Girl!

By Alex Hambsch ’17, Staff Writer

Highlight on Director and Student Directors of Me and My Girl

The St. Rose Spring Musical is almost here, and after months of preparation, hard work,
and practice, the students are ready to put on the highly-anticipated production of Me and My Girl. However, behind the scenes, the director and student directors have been working
tirelessly to make sure the play is at its best in time for the performances. This year, director
Mrs. Kain is assisted by seniors Titus Hood and Alyssa D’Amico, who have been apart of
previous St. Rose productions. This team of directors is using its talent and efforts off stage to make this a successful musical.

Mrs. Kain has been apart of the St. Rose drama department since 1997! She originally
only occasionally assisted with the spring musicals, but has always directed the fall productions.

In 2005, the principal at the time asked her if she would consider directing full time and has
been director of the spring musical ever since. When asked what she was most excited for
about Me and My Girl, she answered, “We have an extremely talented group of performers this year, with a particularly strong ensemble cast. We are blessed with a very dedicated stage, sound and lighting crew. I am very excited for all involved, as I believe this may be one of the best musicals that we have ever done.” Including this production, Mrs. Kain has now directed thirteen spring musicals and over twenty fall dramas.

The first student director, Titus Hood, has been involved with the spring musical for two
years and is no stranger to stage direction. Last year, he worked on stage crew, helping to move props and change sets. Now, his responsibilities slightly change for this show. He contributes by aiding with stage directions, prop position and placement, and blocking scenes. When asked why he signed up to be student director, Titus answered, “I wanted more responsibility with the play and wanted to lead from a different position.” He also adds that he is most excited to see the production all come together in the end.

Alyssa D’Amico is the second student director for Me and My Girl and is enjoying her
role off stage. In the previous production of Singin’ in the Rain, she was apart of the ensemble  cast. This year she wanted an interesting perspective of the play as well as a unique experience. She also loves the cast, saying that they are family and enjoys working with each and every member. As student director, her responsibilities include helping with musical cues, keeping the cast quiet backstage, and moving the sets and props. She is excited to be apart of the show in a new manner and looks forward to seeing her friends perform on stage.

Overall, Mrs. Kain, Titus, and Alyssa are working hard to put together a wonderful
production. With lots of experience, a positive attitude, and strong leadership, the directors are true assets to the musical. The directing team, the cast, and the St. Rose community is looking forward to seeing all of the efforts pay off within the next couple of weeks!

By Caroline Lowry ’17, Staff Writer