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St. Gregory’s Academy Rugby – Pennsylvania State Champions

20
May 2012
By

The boys after winning state.

Congratulations to the boys of St. Gregory’s Academy on their State Championship victory.  

The Highlanders beat St. Joseph Prep 24 to 18 today in order to clinch the title of State Champions.  Their journey to the final is incredible, especially to think that a school of 60 boys from a variety of backgrounds (none were recruited to play Rugby) could become the state champions!  In order to make it to the finals, SGA had to go up against a really tough team, Burrell, from Pittsburg.  They were supposed to play another team, and St. Joseph’s Prep would have had to play Burrell, but the fates did not allow this.  But as one alumni said, beating Burrell (winning just barely: 34-31) has made the victory all the more sweet.  The boys had an amazing season.  They went undefeated, and scored a staggering 319 points while only letting 15 points get scored against them!  They had a total of 47 trys in only 6 games.  The lads have had quite an extraordinary season and State Championship is a fitting close to this our last year as St. Gregory’s Academy.  I hope to see the Rugby program continue at the new school, Gregory the Great Academy, and hopefully it is under Mr. van Beek, who has done such an excellent job with the program this year and in his entire tenure at the school.

Non nobis Domine, Domine,

Non nobis Domine,

Sed nomini, sed nomini,

Tuo da gloriam.

Our Lady, Queen of Victory, pray for us!

Category: EPRU, Highlanders, It Is What It Is, Rugby, St. Gregory's Academy  Leave a Comment  Tags:

Chips

19
May 2012
By

This is dedicated to Silly.

I overheard my students talking about something which caught my ear (like the the eye of the wedding guest is caught by the Ancient Mariner).  They were saying the word “chips” over and over again in a sort of soft voice.  “Chips, chips, chips…”  As I heard this auspicious sound, almost as if an incantation, I went about inquiring as to why they were saying “chips.”  One spritely seventh grader said that they were talking about Susie Creamcheese’s poem.  She explained how Susie Creamcheese had written a poem called “Chips.”  I ran and begged Susie Creamcheese to donate to me a copy of her poem–you see I was so enthralled by the sound of “chips, chips, chips,” and the very next day she procured it for me.

When I got the poem, written out in hand on a piece of notebook paper, I read it so fast that I nearly missed it.  And so I re-read it, this time getting more out of it. On the third read I began to pick up on various schemes, the use of ghost meter, and even the esoteric stresses and enjambments.  The poem revealed to me its philosophical and existential bent: it lead me through the universal and particular nature of “chips.”  I must share it with you!

Chips: by Susie Creamcheese

Chips

Cruchy and Salty

you can dip them in any dip

chips, chips, chips

O, they are really good

there are many types:

Doritos, Lays, tortilla, corn

chips – Yum!

Notice the use of enjambment in line 7.  It serves to link ‘corn’ (this particular ‘type’) to its larger context of ‘chips.’  In the last line of the poem the simple monosyllabic word “Yum” captures the essence of chips.  The beginning of the poem begins with the invocation of the muse of “Chips.”  We are then brought from universal ‘chips’ to the particular “Doritos, Lays, tortilla, corn.”  The body of the poem seeks to bring the reader to a greater understanding and joy in chips.  It expresses their versatility (they can be dipped in any dip).  The line that uses repetition of “chips, chips, chips” is onomatopoetically mirroring the sound of crunching chips.  Finally the next line offers an existential affirmation of the goodness of chips.

This is truly a remarkable poem written by Susie Creamcheese, a 7th grader.  I hope that you can find some of the nuances and intricacies of the poem (there are many).  If you see anything please share it!

Peace and Love, Truth and Euclid,

-Peter Hilaire

Category: chips, existentialism, It Is What It Is, Poems About Chips, Susie Creamcheese  Leave a Comment  Tags: ,

The Destruction of Chartres Cathedral

18
May 2012
By

This really upset me.  They have decided recently to “restore” Chartres Cathedral. However, what this means is that they have been removing the grime from the last 8 centuries, but also painting over the stones and guilding the bosses and the capitals of the columns have been painted a brilliant white (this is not Gothic as we have come to know it).  This has been the deconstruction of the mystery and allure of Chartres Cathedral, which made it the most enthralling and enchanting of Cathedrals in the world.  It is the white-washing of Chartres’ maturity.  Henry Adams would be outraged!  See in this photo the difference of before and after.

THE-OLD-AND-NEW-INTERIOR-OF-CHARTRES-CATHEDRAL.-COURTESY-FR.-RAY-BLAKE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s an article you can read as well on this recent decision made by the puritanical iconoclastic elite.

https://www.spectator.co.uk/arts-and-culture/featured/7836868/restoration-tragedy.thtml

Alasdair Palmer questions the ill-conceived makeover of Chartres cathedral which robs us of the sense of passing time that is part of its fascination and mystery

If you, like me, are also upset by this and want to do something about it, please sign this petition. Let’s bring this project to a halt before it’s too late.



Category: Art, beauty, Catholics, Chartres, It Is What It Is  Leave a Comment  Tags: , , ,
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