The

Devon Dialogue

grandparents’special edition

volume iii, issue 1 supplement | november 2011 Devon Preparatory School

Seniors Receive National Recognition for Academic Prowess

Nate Stauffer ’12, Associate Editor for News

Following in the footsteps of previous

graduating classes, members of the Class

of 2012 were honored by the National

Merit Scholarship Corporation and the

College Board for their performances on

the PSAT and AP exams. Six seniors—

Ryan Fulmer, Ryan O’Shea, Hugh

Phelan, Nate Stauffer, Adam Swift, and

Alex Teplyakov—were named National

Merit Semifinalists by the National

Merit Scholarship Corporation and

four—John Damstra, Sean Gillin,

Mac Lockard, and Nick Ragsdale—

were named Commended Students.

Meanwhile, more than a third of the

seniors were named AP Scholars by the

College Board. Eleven of them—Conrad

Damstra, John Damstra, Joe Geiger,

Dan Lewis, Mac Lockard, Ryan O’Shea,

Hugh Phelan, Matt Swatski, Adam Swift,

Alex Teplyakov, and Chase Weber—were

given the high honor of being named AP

Scholars with Distinction. Four—Ryan

Fulmer, Roshan Patel, Nick Ragsdale,

and Nate Stauffer—were named AP

Scholars with Honor; three others—Matt

Bonner, Nick van Schaijik, and Connell

White—were named AP Scholars.

Congratulations to all of the honored

seniors; as Headmaster Fr. James

Shea ’66 would say, they are all truly

gentlemen and scholars.

gentlemen and scholars Six seniors were named Semifinalists for the National Merit Scholarship; four additional were Commended.

FeaturesCome One; Come AllDevon’s annual Open House succeeds yet again.

Homeroom ShowdownMiddle School Spirit Day contests go down to the wire.

Political Scholars Speak with Robert GatesMatt Swatski ’12

Eight Devon Prep seniors recently had the opportunity to meet the former United States Secretary of Defense, Dr. Robert Gates. For the members of the AP United States Government and Politics class of Mr. Michael Collins ’68, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Devon was one of the only high schools invited by the National Constitution Center to attend a question-and-answer session with the former Secretary, only hours before he was to receive the prestigious Liberty Medal. When they arrived at the Constitution Center, five Devon seniors were asked to sit on stage with Dr. Gates and Constitution Center President David Eisner. These seniors were the only high school students on the stage. For the next ninety minutes, audience members asked Dr. Gates questions ranging from strategies in Iraq and Afghanistan to the trials of running immense bureaucracies. “This was a very candid atmosphere,” Conrad Damstra ’12 said. “Robert Gates was a key figure in the United States government, and his insights on various issues were both entertaining and enlightening.”

continued on page 2

The dialogue began with Mr. Eisner asking Dr. Gates about his experiences serving Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Dr. Gates remarked upon how little the military philosophies differed between the two. This shocked many members of the audience, given the significant differences in political rhetoric between Presidents Bush and Obama. The conversation then continued on to the topic of the future of the military. Dr. Gates suggested that the United States military should not expend all its energies on expensive, high-technology projects such as the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, but instead focus on preparation for a “range of conflicts.”

Later in the session, the theme shifted toward the relationship among the people, the press, and the military. Dr. Gates believed that most embedded reporters present an inaccurate view of the war and the military: “The problem, though, with an embedded reporter is that it’s like watching the war through a soda straw. They get a very limited perspective.” However, he later remarked, “Congress and the press are the surest guarantees of American liberty; don’t think of them as the enemy. To do so is self-defeating.” Dr. Gates concluded the segment with an opinion on the then-upcoming United Nations vote on the statehood of Palestine. He theorized that the vote

only deters the cause of peace because the Palestinian National Authority cannot control its own territory.

After Dr. Gates finished speaking, all the Devon students had the privilege to shake his hand and pose for a picture with the former Defense Secretary. For these students who have studied American history, it was exhilarating to meet such a significant political figure. John Damstra ’12 remarked, “We had an incredible opportunity to engage in a discussion with one of the most influential policy makers of the past decade. This was a great experience that not many high school students can claim to have had.” Hopefully, these future leaders can take the knowledge they gained from this experience and use it to follow in the Secretary’s footsteps.

Robert Gatescontinued from page 1

The AP US Government and Politics class with former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates

Fighting Sleep, Helping OthersKevin Fulmer ’13

From the night of October 14 into the morning after, students of Devon Prep valiantly staved off the urge to sleep. Why, one might ask? The 122 boys were participating in Devon’s annual Up For A Cause. Over the course of the night, they were able to raise $23,280 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. This admirable event was made possible by members of the Christian Action Program and their moderator, Mrs. Elizabeth Eshleman.

As the students filed into the gym, they brought with them high spirits and mounds of food, more than enough to last them the entire night. They instantly took to basketball and board games. Some of the excited participants were careful to ration their energy sparingly over the twelve hours. However, it proved to be a challenge doing so, especially with all the competitive tournaments taking place. Such tournaments included three-on-three basketball, soccer, handball, and the much anticipated

grade-versus-grade dodgeball. During the games, speakers pumped upbeat music into the gym to keep up the adrenaline levels.

The night would not have been complete without special visits from various guests. Fr. James Shea ’66, Fr. Javier Renteria, Mr. Steven Lukens, Mrs. Laura Mondon and even some returning graduates stopped by, joining chaperones Mr. Larry Iezzi and Ms. Barbara Medina. To top the night—now morning—off, a variety of gift cards were raffled away to the sleepy students. With the money raised and a large number of students giving up their time and sleep, it was a good night spent for a better cause. Mrs. Eshleman stated, “It’s great that a majority of the kids participate each year and help others. I’m really proud of them for doing it every year.” Overall, Up For A Cause was, as usual, a grand success.

Open Arms,Open House

John Damstra ’12

Each year, around the first week of October, Devon

has its annual Open House. During this event, many

of Devon’s finest give tours to prospective students and

their families. This year’s event was highly successful

for many reasons. More than one hundred prospective

students attended the Open House and took tours. As

Devon’s Director of Admissions, Mr. Patrick Parsons,

said, “One positive aspect was that many of the

prospective students were either fifth or eighth graders,

which is important because these students are the ones

most likely to enroll.”

Among the many highlights of the Open House

were two spirited information sessions with speakers

such as faculty members Mr. Mark Aquilante ’94,

Mr. Barry Brazunas, our headmaster Fr. James Shea

’66 and assistant headmaster Mr. Larry Iezzi, Mrs.

Kathryn Kampman and alumnus Mr. Michael Dokas

’08. All of the speakers passionately and succinctly

summarized the reasons why a Devon Prep education

is so special, such as small class sizes, the Catholic

environment, and a supportive network of peers.

Another exciting aspect of the event was the activity

tables in the gymnasium. Students were impressed

by the scope of the extracurricular activities offered

at Devon on display, from the new Solar Car Club and

Environmental Society to mainstays such as the Devon

Theater Society and The Devon Dialogue. Another first

this year was the inclusion of an activities fair the

following day, where current Devon students had the

ability to explore the clubs the same way prospective

students did.

Ultimately, the Open House is more than just a simple

sales pitch. Every year many students and graduates

volunteer, not because they have to, but because

they really are excited about the unique community

and experience Devon has to offer. This enthusiasm,

coupled with informative and lively presentations by

the faculty, always leads to an impressive event, and

this year’s was no exception.

Will Culbertson ’14 represents the Chess Club during the Open House.

Tidal Waveof Generosity

Landon Farnsworth ’15Joe Bilotti ’14

Every year, Devon Prep holds its long-standing

Harvest Tide Food Drive before Thanksgiving, and this

year was no exception. Devon collected food for St.

Elizabeth’s Community Center in North Philadelphia.

Devon’s own Christian Action Program ran the drive,

collecting canned goods, other non-perishable food,

and frozen turkeys. The whole school worked tirelessly

to ensure that the families in North Philadelphia will

be able to enjoy a wholesome Thanksgiving dinner with

their families.

In past years, the drive has been extremely successful.

Last year, the school was able to donate more than

five thousand canned goods and fifty turkeys to St.

Elizabeth’s. In these difficult economic times, it is

increasingly challenging for needy families to enjoy

traditional Thanksgiving dinners. It is a testament to the

generosity of the entire Devon family that the school has

donated so charitably for so many years.

Editorial Board

Editor-in-Chief: Ryan O’Shea ’12Deputy Editor-in-Chief: Joe Geiger ’12Photography Editor: Mac Lockard ’12

Faculty Moderators: Mr. Larry Theuer Mrs. Elizabeth Eshleman

Assistant Photography Editor: Roshan Patel ’12 Associate Editor for News: Nate Stauffer ’12 Associate Editor for Editorials & Entertainment:

Matt Kramer ’12 Associate Editor for Sports: Sam Nardi ’12 Associate Editor for Interviews & Polls:

Nick van Schaijik ’12

Special thanks to Fr. Shea for his tireless assistance and guidance

Fighting for Bragging RightsMax van Schaijik ’16

Finally, after three postponements, the day that

the whole Middle School had been looking forward

to had come. Devon Prep’s Middle School Spirit Day

was an action-packed event with some very surprising

outcomes. Spirit Day has always been one of the

highlights of the Devon Middle School experience,

but this year’s event proved exceptional even by those

lofty standards. It had it all: suspense, disappointment,

jubilation, and the overcoming of class rivalries between

the competing teams.

Notable performances included Josh Lee ’16, who

valiantly stuffed his face with doughnuts until he’d

clinched the doughnut-eating victory for the second

year in a row, and 6A, which achieved first place in

football for the first time in Devon’s history, and another

eighth grader, who courageously continued playing

kickball, winning four points for his homeroom, even

after suffering a severe injury to his arm. These were the

stand-outs, but they were by no means the only people

who deserve praise. Everybody put his best on the field.

The most heart-warming story of the day came during

the tug-of-war matches. The score was set in such a way

that in the final round between 8B and 7B, 8B had no

hope of winning overall, but their tug-of-war victory

would actually secure the overall victory for 8A. There

is a deep-rooted and long lasting rivalry between the

two eighth grade homerooms, so most people assumed

that 8B would lose on purpose, so that the 7B would win

the Field Day trophy. Instead, they pulled through—

literally—and ended up running the victory lap with

8A. Despite the fact that they had placed third, 8B was

given just as much credit to the overall victory as 8A,

and all grudges were forgotten in the general glow of

Devon sports glory. The entire Middle School thanks

Mr. Barry Brazunas and Mr. Mark Aquilante ’94 for their

monumental organizational efforts.

Devon Journalists Honored in Candlelight Ceremony

Conrad Damstra ’12

Promising members of the Devon Prep newspaper

staff attended the induction to the Devon Preparatory

School Chapter of the Quill and Scroll International

Honor Society for High School Journalists on November

17, 2011. This is the second year that the Devon Prep

Chapter recognized the achievements of the exemplary

journalists of The Devon Dialogue.

The Quill and Scroll Society was founded in 1926 at

the University of Iowa and currently has chapters in all

fifty states and in forty-five countries around the globe.

To qualify for the Devon Chapter of the Quill and

Scroll Society, students must have at least a 3.50 grade

point average for the last two semesters and must have

contributed a minimum of two articles to The Devon

Dialogue over the past year.

The induction included a candle-lighting ceremony

which illuminated the core values of The Quill and

Scroll Society: truth, learning, leadership, loyalty,

initiative, integrity, judgment, and friendship. Senior

inductees were given honor cords that they will wear

during Commencement on June 2, 2012.

John Damstra ’12 said, “I am glad to be part of Quill

and Scroll. It means a lot to be included in this echelon

of student journalists.” The society is an important

young chapter in the Devon Prep community, and

the induction was a huge success. The Dialogue

congratulates all of the inductees.