Mr. Nicholas Allington has recently joined the Notre Dame communi-ty as a Network Ad-ministrator. He attend-ed Notre Dame High

School as well as GST BOCES for tech-nology training. He is a huge fan of fit-ness, owning his own business and maintaining blogs regarding health. He also enjoys outdoor activities such as hunting and fishing. When asked about his thoughts on Notre Dame he said, “The beginning of the year has been great! I love being able to come back and work with all the staff and students. I look forward to making the rest of the year a great one!”

Welcome, Mr. Allington. – Andy Wichtowski

Mr. Jeff Carr is one of the newest additions to the math depart-ment. He is the 7th and 8th Grade Math teacher and the senior

statistics teacher. Previously, Mr. Carr has worked as a middle school math teacher in the Addison Central School District and the Whitney Point Central School District. He is an graduate of Grove City College and has received his Master’s in engineering at Virginia Tech and his Master’s in teaching at Bing-hamton University.

When asked about his first impres-sions of Notre Dame, Mr. Carr com-mented on how impressed he was that the students were so focused and inter-ested in learning. He also appreciates how friendly the staff and faculty are.

Mr. Carr is excited to get to know the students and faculty. But he is also ex-cited to participate in school activities and to be a part of the Notre Dame com-munity.

Mr. Carr has expressed that the big-gest takeaway for his students this school year should be a newfound ap-preciation for mathematics and that he, and all of the other teachers, are always there to help out and truly care about each student’s education. Welcome, Mr. Carr! – Madeleine Meier

Mrs. Sarah Caruso is a new addition to our Science Depart-ment, where she teach-es one section of Re-gents Biology and

three sections of Regents Chemistry. She grew up in Corning, NY, and at-tended the University of Rochester for both her Bachelor’s Degree in Chemis-try and Psychology and her Master’s Degree in Teaching, Curriculum, and Change in Adolescent Chemistry. She has worked 12 years in public schools and has taught a variety of levels of chemistry in New York, North Carolina, and Massachusetts. Mrs. Caruso is hap-py to be back in the area with her hus-band, two young boys, and crazy dog. Welcome, Mrs. Caruso!

Mrs. Melissa Devon is the new 7th and 8th grade English teacher. She loves sports and loves to see kids play-ing sports. You may

know her mom, Ms. Thorne. Mrs. Dev-

on has two daughters whom she loves, but her prized possession is her dog Luke. Though Mrs. Devon is new to the school she is definitely not new to the neighborhood. She loves to see all of our special activities. She also loves to tell stories. A little-known fact about Mrs. Devon is that she was a basketter in elementary school. She is a wonderful teacher and I hope she has a good year. Welcome, Mrs. Devon! – Alexandria Naylor

We welcome Mrs. Krista Easton as the new Vocal Music Teacher in our Music Department! Here is a short interview with

Mrs. Easton: Q: What is it like at a new school? A: Well, I have been a music teach-

er in public schools for 20 years. This is my first private school job, so there are a lot of things different, but everything that is different is also good.

Q: Did you always want to be a mu-sic teacher?

A: Well, when I was in kindergarten and in first grade I went to Catholic school and I wanted to be a nun, believe it or not! Then I wanted to be a vet and then I wanted to be on Broadway as a star and then I wanted to be a music teacher. I love it because I get to sing songs and play games every day, and someone pays me to do that and that's awesome!

Q: What college did you go to and what was it like?

A: Well, I have been to college (Con nued on page 3)

October, 2016 Vol. LXII, No. I

NEW FACULTY JOIN ND COMMUNITY

Maryleaf, October 2016    Page 2 

 

Mackenzie Maloney

I don’t know about you, but some-thing happens to me when fall

hits. It could be because I’m still on the school year schedule instead of the cal-endar year, or that the crisp fresh air fuels an energy in me, or simply be-cause hot apple cider and all things pumpkin bring me pure joy. Fall is like a new beginning. The change in the weather, the change of the leaves and the change of wardrobe is such an excit-ing time of year.

Autumn brings numerous festivities that make it my favorite season. From apple picking to pumpkin carving, you will never be bored. Autumn is one of the most packed holiday seasons. There's the back to school rush, Hallow-een, Thanksgiving and of course Christ-mas. But it's not just full of regular hol-idays. These are all very involved, fam-ily centered holidays. This is a season to be thankful, and to be surrounded by the people you love. It's a perfect time

to change up your decorations, add or-ange, red and yellow colors and pull out the spice scented candles. It’s the time to think over the past year, what you've been through, the memories you've made together and to look forward to a new and exciting year. Another reason I love the holidays is for the food. There is nothing like a good old fash-ioned pumpkin pie or a grand turkey

feast. Autumn is not only the best time of year, out of all four seasons, but it's also the most scenic and beautiful if you love being outdoors. It's all about fami-ly, food and creating memories.

Another great fall attribute is the weather. With cooler temperatures roll-ing in, saying goodbye to summer and hello to fall is not a hard thing to do. It's a great time to break out the jackets, coats, boots, scarves and hats in prepa-ration for the change in season. It's the season of hot cocoa and bonfires. This season creates a sense of comfort, warmth and reflection. It gives us the excuse to cuddle up in big warm blan-kets and be lazy, not to mention the fact that fall is when Netflix reloads with new shows and movies.

Fall is here, people! So embrace that cool weather and dust off those Uggs because the best season of the year is finally here!

FALL: The Greatest Season of Them All EDITORIAL & STUDENT OPINION AUTUMN

Student Opinion

What are your favorite fall festivities?

Nick Viselli: “I enjoy playing fantasy football and Thanksgiving, because I get to spend time with family. I also enjoy carving pumpkins and going to haunted houses with my friends.”

Ethan Dunham: “Hunting and football. What picture of me are you going to use?”

Brooke Rorie: “I like haunted houses because it’s a good place to go out with friends, and find out which of them are scaredy cats.”

Kara Woglom: “My favorite fall festivity is apple picking because I like to see the trees changing color and I enjoy the cool weather. Also, it’s a fun activity to do with friends or family.”

Kevin Bayne

Thanks to the incoming freshmen and rising seniors, the school was filled with new spirit and the pep rally was as exciting as ever. In this year’s spirit week, eve-ryone showed their Notre Dame pride. With America Day, there was a flood of Trump supporters and cow-boys. Even though there was no football game, our MCs Taylor Rorie and Derek Stark got the school hyped up with energy. They got the crowd pumped up on Juju On That Beat, blindfolded dodgeball and the first year varsity football players’ haircuts.

The homecoming court consisted of Ally Wichtow-ski, Katie Ronsivalle, Julia Mustico, and Cheyenne White, escorted respectively by Nick Velasquez, Paco Rilloraza, Derrick Stark, and Brian Anderson. Since there was no football game, the homecoming queen was crowned at the boys soccer game against Athens. Though they all looked amazing, Ally Wichtowski won homecoming queen. To add to the excitement, the boys soccer team prevailed, winning the tough game 2-1. Overall, a great week to be a Crusader!

Spirit Week is Big Success

Page 3    MARYLEAF, October 2016 

 

twice: first I went to the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York and the piano got me in. Then I taught for about 15 years and went back to school and went to the Crane School of Music at Potsdam.

Q: What are your plans for the fu-ture of the chorus group?

A: This year is very exciting be-cause some of the plans are already in play. We have been invited to be a part of the National Youth Chorus at Carne-gie Hall in New York City this spring, so we get to spend 4 days in New York City and rehearse with a world re-nowned conductor, and sing on the stage with other singers from around the country. Other plans are to make every singer better, 7 grade up to 12, and get everyone feeling chorus is fun and not scary. - Ireland Munley

Mrs. Lori Favela grew up in Endwell and has just recently moved back to the area. Other than here, in New York, Mrs.

Favela most recently lived in Houston, Texas, but she is so glad to be "home". She has been teaching English for 25 years and has previously been a school administrator as well. She is so thrilled to be back in the classroom! As a total, Mrs. Favela had been teaching for 27 years. Here at Notre Dame, Mrs. Favela teaches British Literature and is the English as a New Language (ENL) teacher for the international students from China. She said she had wanted to be a teacher since the 8th grade, when her English teacher told her she'd make a great one herself. It's all she's wanted to do since then! Mrs. Favela says she really feels at home here in the ND community. She went to a Catholic school in Endicott, NY and Notre Dame is not much different. She says it's such a blessing to be able to teach such moti-

(Con nued from page 1)

(Con nued on page 5)

Suh, dude. What is this? -New to the system Dude Suh! Life is so hard here in a first world country at a private high school so I am here to let ya’ll know about this new advice column living here in this fine, Pulitzer prize-award winning publication entitled da MaryLeaf. This column is all about the major problems facing us oppressed youth. Dude, suh? I can help with any-thing, need an idea for a cute Insta-gram caption? I got you. Ever have any problems with not having an ideal fol-lowers to following ratio because you want to stay cool, just ask and I will help. Wanna know the dopest way to cram all that knowledge in your head the night before your midterm? Noth-

ing but green bruh, I gotchu. You, the students, are working hard; any ques-tions, fears, relationshizzle advice, whatever your clever little minds can think of can be found here. And if you gotta question, there’s a fine looking box up in dat house of knowledge on the second floor (AKA the Library) calling your name. And btw, I’m like Planet Fitness here, no judgment zone. But for your sake, everything’s anony-mous too— no names, no problems. So let me help ya’ll out. I know life isn’t all chicken and gravy, but this kosher advice column is here to remind you, it’s pretty good.

Stay lit, Suh Dude

NEW FACULTY/NEW COLUMN FEATURE

Suh, Dude?

Regina George

The Shadow of the Bear by Regina Doman is a modern fantasy novel that follows the story of two sisters, Blanche and Rose Brier. Their lives are turned upside-down when a strange boy appears at their house one night led in by their mother. The boy goes by the name of “Bear” and as the two be-come closer to him they find them-selves entangled in a mystery that they never could have imagined. It is an action-packed book but at the same time contains religious themes that are masterfully mixed into the novel.

As I said, this book contains some religious viewpoints that made it very enjoyable for a devout Christian like myself; however, if you do not enjoy religious themes or such, then you may not find the book as enjoyable. The book does not try to force religion on you, it just has some sprinkling of im-portant themes in it which may turn some away.

Of course, it also has the fairy tale theme. This novel was inspired by the fairy tale of Snow White and Rose Red and follows the original Grimm fairy

tale pretty closely. At the beginning of each chapter there is a small excerpt from the original tale that relates to what happens in the chapter. At times, though, I found that it almost ridicu-lous how closely the two relate. It seems the author sometimes tries a lit-tle too hard to make the novel connect to the original, which can be annoying. But if you can overlook that, you will find that the novel is very well done.

Overall, I loved the book; it is one of my favorites. There is actually an entire series following these characters, and others as well. One is able to enjoy the first book without having to read the others, though, for the ending gives closure to the story. That’s what I like about the series: it doesn’t force you to continue, leaving the first book on a cliff hanger. Instead it gives you the option as to whether or not you wish to continue.

If this book has sparked your inter-est there is a copy in the library if you wish to give it a try. I highly recom-mend it for anyone who is a fan of fairy tales, action, or is just looking for a new book to read.

Book Review - The Shadow of the Bear

Maryleaf, October 2016    Page 4 

 

Sully Patrick Brown

Sully is a drama film, directed by Clint Eastwood, that chronicles the true events of how an airplane pilot named Captain Chesley Sullenberger saved the lives of every passenger on his plane and how his heroic actions were scruti-nized following the incident. After a flock of birds destroys the engine of his aircraft a few minutes after takeoff, Sul-lenberger miraculously lands the plane in the Hudson River without any casu-alties. Tom Hanks, who plays the role of Sullenberger, offers an exemplary performance and portrays the struggles his character experiences following his heroic actions. His performance is the foundation for the success of the movie and drives the plot forward. His acting

skills are so great that he gets the audi-ence to empathize with Sullenberger’s mental struggles, such as PTSD. If you are interested in watching an interesting and inspiring movie, I strongly suggest Sully. Grade: A-

Snowden Connor Bayne

This movie is about a man who learns some of the inner secrets of the govern-ment, but not without a cost. Actually, we have already met Snowden in Laura Poitras’s documentary Citizen Four, in which he turns his life upside down by giving thousands of classified govern-ment documents to a journalist. In Snowden, Edwards is burdened with his

own personal security, his girlfriend’s safety, and protection from the govern-ment he used to work for, after he leaks information the government considered harmful. One of these relating to com-puter webcams, which Snowden reveals can be turned on by the government without users knowing. Snowden digs deeper into the idea of privacy invasion; his inner turmoil on whether to expose sensitive documents clearly takes its toll on him. After he does reveal the secrets he discovered, his normal life is over, but let’s face it, he never had one in the first place. This drama is full of unex-pected twists and turns that easily entice the viewer. Definitely recommend this movie for anyone who has questioned the intentions of the NSA. Overall rating: B+

FEATURE FILM REVIEWS

Film Reviews

Sully & Snowden Trivia:

The real Chesley Sullenberger was present at the studio. He supported the movie and helped it to reflect reality.

Crash landing rescue scenes were filmed at the same Hudson River location where the actual survivors were re-covered.

Ferry Captain Vincent Lombardi, who was the captain of the first ferry to reach the plane, played himself in the movie.

Oliver Stone visited the real Edward Snowden after filming wrapped and showed him a work-in-progress cut of the film.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt pledged to donate his entire salary from the film to "help facilitate the conversation" about the relationship between technology and democracy.

To make sure the screenplay was not hacked or leaked, Oliver Stone wrote the script on a single computer with no Internet connection.

Trivia from IMDB.com

Page 5    MARYLEAF, October 2016 

 

vated students at ND. We are so happy you are with us this year! Welcome, Mrs. Favela! - Emma Westcott

Mr. Michael Maxwell is happy to be a part of the Notre Dame com-munity, as he is a long-term substitute for Mrs. Leeber, who is out on

maternity leave until Thanksgiving. He is teaching ceramics, digital photog-raphy, and 7th grade studio art. Since the early 80s, Mr. Maxwell has taught a variety of students in many different places and has taught art to adults in Ithaca and at 171 Cedar Arts. He taught grades 6-12 in the Corning-Painted Post School District for almost twenty-five years and was a professor at Elmira College for seven years. In addition to visual art, Mr. Maxwell enjoys writing - short fiction, poetry, book reviews, es-says, recipes, and letters - several of which have been published in journals and anthologies. Last year, he published a book - The Part Time Shaman Hand-book: An Introduction For Beginners. Mr. Maxwell also played guitar in a rock and roll band, Regular Genius, for twenty-five years. The Art Department welcomes a talented educator! - Katie Alley

Mr. Brett Moore has joined the Notre Dame community in the science depart-ment this year. He teaches two sections

of 8th grade Science, 1 section of Re-gents Biology, and 12th grade Health. Mr. Moore graduated from Elmira Col-lege with a bachelor's degree in Biology and worked at the college as an admis-sions counselor, international student director, international student recruiter and advisor, created and ran orientation programs, and even worked with the college’s judicial board. He loves spending time with his wife and four children while traveling and being out-side hiking and going to the Finger

Lakes. He also enjoys scuba diving, auto mechanics, and Boy and Girl Scouting. When asked about is thoughts on Notre Dame he said, “Notre Dame is an amazing place. The com-mitment of the students to their studies, their co-curricular involvement, and to each other is extraordinary. The faculty is another awesome group of individu-als who are truly student-centered and always have what's best for the student in mind.” We welcome you, Mr. Moore! - Ally Wichtowski

New Notre Dame High School chemistry teacher Dr. Paul Ogutu has spent most of his adult life as a student, or a

teacher - or both. Dr. Ogutu spent years earning his PhD, but even before he earned his degree, his desire to teach motivated him to educate other schol-ars. “I have been teaching since 2003, about 13 years,” he said. “I tutored while I was in college and after college continued tutoring and teaching labs.”

Dr. Ogutu enjoys interacting with students and watching them excel. “I want to contribute to their dreams,” he said. Dr. Ogutu believes there are cer-tain things a teacher should do to be successful. “To be a teacher, you should devote your time to change the stu-dent’s attitude and help them appreciate what is being taught.”

Dr. Ogutu says the students at Notre Dame are very respectful and ready to learn. He also mentioned that he has finally come to understand the class schedule.

Outside of school, Dr. Ogutu enjoys relaxing, traveling, listening to Gospel music, and reading the Bible. Welcome, Dr. Ogutu! - Evalynn Dean

This year marks Mr. Joshua Scanlon’s 20th year of teaching. He has experience in coaching track and field as well as teach-

ing physical education. Mr. Scanlon

plans to coach indoor track this winter and assist in the spring. When asked what his favorite thing is about Notre Dame is so far, he said that it is the ac-ceptance he has felt from everybody in the Notre Dame community, especially the students. When asked how Notre Dame differs from other schools he has taught at, he responded with, “I have not been here very long; however, ND, in its student body and staff members, have allowed me to feel a sense of hope, that has been 100% absent from me in the past, for the future of educa-tion.” Welcome, Mr. Scanlon!- Olivia Murray

Mrs. Toni West began teaching here at the very end of last school year. She is hap-py to return to Notre Dame once more as the

seventh and eighth grade History teach-er. Compared to her public school teaching in Virginia over her seven years of experience, Mrs. West says that Notre Dame is “much better.” She says that, so far, she loves it here. Mrs. West hopes that her students this year will be able to learn that history is not only in the past, but in the politics and cultural differences of today as well. Welcome, Mrs. West!  - Caroline Ronsivalle

Mr. Max Young is one of our new Physi-cal Education teach-ers, but he is not a stranger to Notre Dame, as he has

coached here for a while. In addition to teaching physical education here at ND, Mr. Young also coaches Girls Tennis and Boys Basketball. He graduated from SUNY Brockport and Corning Community College, and was active in soccer and golf while in college. Mr. Young has also coached Boys Basket-ball at Brockport High School, substi-tuted in public schools, and worked at Finish Line as a manager. Welcome, Mr. Young!

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NEW FACULTY FEATURE

Maryleaf, October 2016    Page 6 

 

SPORTS FALL SPORTS INTRO

Fall Sports Introduction Ally Wichtowski Andy Wichtowski Olivia Murray

W e are currently in the midst of very exciting fall sports seasons.

Our teams have had great success so far and, most importantly, are improving each time they step out on the field, courts, trails or jump into the pool.

T he varsity football team is off to a great start with a 3-1 record. Alt-

hough the team was disappointed re-garding Newfield forfeiting the Home-coming game, the easy win and extra

week has been very helpful. Senior cap-tain Derrick Stark, who is a starting running back and linebacker says, “The team is doing real well. Everyone is getting better and challenging them-selves to improve.” Although the team has suffered some minor setbacks due to injury, they look poised to make a promising post-season run, and carry on the pride and traditions of Notre Dame football.

T he modified football team is off to a slow start this season as their rec-

ord is 0-2. When asked how his team is doing, Coach Iman McKay said, “We are a small team in stature, but we are a giant team at heart. We have our work cut out for us, but at least we know our weakness-

es and how to correct them.” The team has been implementing new blocking schemes, and other things of that na-ture, in their hopes to reach victory and turn their season around.

T he Cross Country team, coached by Jeff Naylor, has had an extremely

successful season so far. As of Septem-ber 27, the boys are ranked 1st in the state and the girls are ranked 16th. Re-cently at their second home meet at town hall, both the boys and girls got first place against Edison, Spencer, and Waverly. This also happened to be sen-ior night in which they honored seniors Chase Yoder, Katie Ronsivalle, Paco Rilloraza, and Matt Karee. Chase Yoder is the leader for times for the girls and Matt Karee is the leader for the boys.

T he Varsity boys’ soccer team is back and better than ever after

bringing home the state championship

title last fall. With their current record of 10-0, the boys have high hopes for the rest of the season as they are ranked 1st in the state. Senior captain Connor Bayne said, “Coming off of an incredi-ble season, there was a lot of pressure on us as a team. With only three seniors graduating this year, our team has a bright future. This year we hope to make it to the sectional finals, and to show everyone what ND boys soccer is about.”

T he Varsity girl’s soccer team is very optimistic as the regular sea-

son comes to an end and IACs and sec-tionals approaching. Their current rec-ord is 10-2. Senior goalie and captain

Mackenzie Maloney said, “We have had some adjustments to make as we have many new and young players. However, we have great potential and we expect to achieve a similar level of success as we did in last year's season.”

T he JV boy’s soccer team had a bit of a difficult start this season due

to confusion on if they would have enough players to field a team. However, once school started they were able to gain a few extra players to make the season possible. The boys are currently 2-4 but are continuing to put forth full effort to progress as a team. Sopho-more Caleb Calucci said, “My hope for this season is to work as a team and function as a unit, we may be lacking in subs but we have potential.

Page 7    MARYLEAF, October 2016 

 

FALL SPORTS INTRO SPORTS

T he modified boy’s soccer team is focusing on working together as a

team and improving their skills this season. Their record is 1-3-1, but the boys remain hopeful for a few more victories.

Eighth grader Justin McCarthy said, “The season did not start as we were hoping but we have started to play harder and work better together as a team.”

A fter not having enough players to field a JV team, the modified

girls soccer team, coached by Mr. Rominger, is working hard and hold-ing their own this season. The girls are currently 3-1 and hope to remain successful throughout the rest of the season. Eighth grader Madison Watts says about the team, “I think we have

been playing very well this year, we are working as a team to score and make plays.”

V arsity Girl’s swimming is cur-rently in their fourth consecutive

season. Individually, the girls are do-ing great; multiple individuals have broken records and are constantly get-ting better by setting new personal records for themselves. Unfortunately

they have not had any victories yet due to their small size. This is not stopping them however, the girls are optimistic going into the postseason, hoping to win Class C division at the EHS Invitational. Senior Claire Czank said about the team, “Everyone does their best and when we know we can't win, we focus on improving our own times and putting everything we can into it.”

H aving 5 wins and 3 loses as of 9/27/16, the Girls tennis team

has had a very successful season! De-spite the majority of the team being first time players, the team pulled to-

gether to beat the Elmira Express in a scrimmage very early in the season, and defeated Class A Horseheads lat-er. Coach Young taught the girls the importance of training and condition-ing along with learning and perfecting

the game of tennis. Freshmen Chloe Stemerman, Maddie Wirth, and Lucy Kaffenbarger all played singles for their first year in scoring positions this year and Madeleine Meier played for her third. At the end of the season, seniors Maggie MacBlane and Chase Leonard teamed together as an un-stoppable doubles team along with Isabel Milazzo and Hannah Mahon, Brooke Rorie and Angie Liriano, Evalynn Dean and Olivia Murray, and Imani McKay and Sierra Addams.

Photo Credits: Mrs. Barkley & the Weekly Update; NDHS Swimming Facebook Page

Maryleaf, October 2016    Page 8 

 

The Senior High Student of the Month

for October is Kiran Sharma. Kiran

has a very strong work ethic. She always tries her best, and she never gives up.

Kiran's kindness and excellent attitude put a smile on everybody's face. Keep up the good work, Kiran!

The Junior High Student of the Month

for October is Alexandria Naylor. Alex can always be seen helping other students in the hallway and in the classroom. Whether it be holding the door open or helping an injured student carry his/her books to class, she is always there to lend a helping hand. Your kindness is appreciated, Alexandria! Keep up the great work!

FEATURE STUDENTS OF THE MONTH

SS TUDENTSTUDENTS OFOF THETHE MM ONTHONTH

Maryleaf VOL. LXII NO. I

OCTOBER, 2016

Members Of Columbia Scholastic Press Association Published by and for the students of Notre Dame High School, 1400 Maple Ave., Elmira, NY 14904

THE MARYLEAF is financed by the Student Activity Fee. It is printed by QUICKER PRINTER, 210 W. Gray St., Elmira, NY 14901

Editor: Mackenzie Maloney

Junior Editor: Claudia Hatef

Feature Editor: Collin Edger

Sports Editor: Ally Wichtowski

Layout Editors: Brian Anderson Cody Gonzalez

Photographer: Brian Anderson

Cartoonists: Katie Alley Cody Gonzalez

Circulation Managers: Molly Craig Harrison Shepherd

Moderator: Susan Tanner

Senior High Staff: Kathryn Alley Justin Bauco Connor Bayne Kevin Bayne Patrick Brown Catherine Craig Evalynn Dean Andrew Finnerty Regina George Katherine Hallinan Chase Leonard Peyton Maloney Madeleine Meier Olivia Murray Emma Qualey Spencer Rayne Caroline Ronsivalle Leo Scarselletta

Derek Tsang Mackenzie Webster Emma Westcott Andrew Wichtowski

Jr. High Staff

Emmalie Barkley Katherine Bruins Cody Gonzalez Emma Leonard Ireland Munley Alexandria Naylor Megan Walters