Jordan Brown ‘19

Starting off the season ranked #10 in the nation, the Bishop McNamara girls’ basketball team has been having quite a successful season this year. Coached by Frank Oliver, the girls currently hold the rank of #3 in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference and #5 in the state of Maryland, according to MaxPreps. On February 13, the girls defeated the #2 ranked team in the nation, Paul VI, 63-58. With two key players leading the helm, Jakia Brown-Turner and Aliyah Matharu, both scoring over 1,000 points, the team has depth to compliment the team’s two stars. Although the team is doing well there has not been a huge turnout in terms of fans support at the games. You would think the school community would come out and support the girls’ basketball team. A team that actually has been having success year after year. Credit to Coach Oliver with pulling in transfers and recruits from everywhere. But the amount of fans at the girls games do not compare to everyone who shows up to the boy’s games. When students were asked if they had been to a women’s basketball game this year, they would quickly answer no, but when the question was if students had attended boys’ basketball games, the answer would be “definitely” and “of course!” The question is why? Are the girls’ games too late? Are they not as interesting as the boys? Is it simply because the players are girls? Why is the McNamara community not supporting our women’s basketball team?

The varsity girls basketball games begin before the varsity boys games, so the time can not be the problem. This season, Jakia Brown-Turner scored a career high of 45 points against Monsignor Scanlan, so it is not that the girls are not interesting. The girls are capable of putting up huge scoring outputs. The girls team currently holds twice as many conference wins as the boys. So, what is the real reason people do not go to their games as much as they do the boys? Steven Scott II said, “Not to be sexist, but [girl’s basketball games] don’t interest me. I want to see dunks, jump out the bleachers yelling, saying bang time!” Yes, it is a very rare to none case to see a dunk in a high school girls basketball game. A team with players that are able to dunk does not define how well they work together on the court as chemistry becomes a problem. Camryn Royster believes “The boys might be good individually, but that does not contribute to how they play as a team. The girls play together more than the boys do. They deserve more hype, not only because of their rankings, but because they are good as a whole, individually and as a team.” Based on how our school community hypes up the players on the boys basketball team, you would not think their team results this season would be what they are now. For some reason, the team that is ranked #49 in the state of Maryland is receiving more attention than the team ranked #47 in the nation.

Some complained their reasoning for not attending was the competitiveness in the game. “Even when you are watching the girls demolish somebody, you want to see a game with a come back, so it is competitive. But when there is a game where you are blowing them out all four quarters, you lose interest. If you are beating a team and they come back, the game becomes more interesting to watch,” which is fair, as the girls beat Archbishop Carroll by 99-29. “The scores at the boys games are closer, so the game will be more exciting than seeing the girls blow out a team by 80 points.” Wanting to see a game where both teams compete, rather than watching the boys team lose to Dematha by 34 points is understandable.

Despite the school fan base, the head coach, Frank Oliver, is confident in his young, versatile team and their hard work paying off to earn them a WCAC championship. “Our goal is to win a championship. We have a great team and if we win the championship, it will change the culture of the school. People will start to believe, come to the games, and support the girls. Everybody gets behind a winner. If we win the championship this year, I think there will be more interest in the girls team. We do have a lot of support though, people I do appreciate, dedicated, die hard fans. I think if we deliver a championship we will have the bleachers packed every game.” Right now, the girls’ basketball team is not focused on the fans in the stands, but the goal of a WCAC championship. The fans will come later. Like Coach Oliver said, “Everybody gets behind a winner.”

Be sure to support the girls as the WCAC playoffs begin, with our Lady Mustangs playing Saturday, February 24th at Dematha Catholic High School in the quarterfinals against Good Counsel.

Taylor Pennington 19′

Freshman year can either be a really challenging year or more of an easy chapter of your life. Either way, it’s a new experience filled with fun and entertainment, with memories to last a lifetime. With these simple steps, you’ll have a fantastic year in no time!

1. Ask Questions: At certain points in class, you might feel overwhelmed. Just remember that at the end of the day you survived. Although in that current moment you might get anxiety and want to walk out the class, all you have to do is breathe and ask some questions about the topics you are unfamiliar with. After you ask a couple of questions, I promise you that you’ll be just that much closer to acing the test.
2. Stay Open-Minded: This tip can go for anything. Stay open-minded about people you meet because they likely could be your future friends. Stay open-minded about different clubs and school activities because chances are if you go you’ll have a very fun time. If you stay open-minded and try new things then you’ll definitely make some exciting memories or dive into a new experience.
3. Stay organized: Staying Organized is the key to having a successful school year. When you’re organized you’ll be much more prepared for assignments which in turn will make you ready for assessments. You won’t be able to get anything done successfully without being organized.
4. Stay focused: Being focused will help you to achieve your goals and be in time for certain deadlines you may have. This tip also includes completing your homework the day it was assigned. When you do that you’ll feel so much more prepared and less stressed.
5. Have fun: This is the most important tip. You should have fun in all aspects of the year. Spend time with your friends and participate in activities also show tons of school spirit.

Lindsey Bayes 21′

“How does Mass benefit me as a student? Why must I attend Mass if I’m not Catholic?” Not everyone here at Bishop McNamara is Catholic, but we all come together once a month, as a community to be in the presence of Christ. Why is Mass important, you ask? Mr. Paul O’Brien, theology teacher said, “It’s crucial to our Catholic identity. If the central prayer at action is not a part of what we are doing here, then what are we doing here?” This perfectly summed up the reasons for everyone’s attendance and participation at Mass. We go to a Catholic school. Why are we here if we are not willing to participate in Catholic practices? Whether a student is Catholic, Christian, Muslim, or non-Christian, they may benefit from Mass in some way. Anastazio Caballero ‘21, said, “It opens our eyes to a different point of view and a different style of our faith.” This is another great reason behind the required attendance at Mass. Some students do not attend Mass to be in the presence of Christ, but instead, to witness a different style of prayer.

When asked, several faculty members stated that the point of Mass is to bring everyone together as a community to pray, but if students who feel uncomfortable in Mass are required to attend, how are we building community? Most students have shown their support in the required attendance of Mass, but there are some who do not feel comfortable in Mass because of their different religious backgrounds. It could be a lack of understanding, a commitment to their own personal faith, or the feeling of being an outsider. What if we could all come together to pray in a nondenominational way? Mr. Brower, Dean of Students stated, “I would like to see more opportunities for us to have an ecumenical prayer.” If one educator is open to this idea, perhaps there are more. Imagine a peaceful place where we could all express our own individual religious beliefs. Not everyone has a religious identity, but we all may benefit from religious expression.

There are so many wonderful opportunities here at Bishop McNamara, you might overlook the fact that Mass is a requirement. Especially, if you are not familiar with the Catholic faith. Everyone must acknowledge that Mass is required and it is a safe place where you may find family, pray with friends, and build your relationships with God.

Zane Mosby 20′

Bishop McNamara’s brand new 4.5 million dollar student center is the latest edition to the growing list of changes at the school. The student center is dedicated to the late Andy Mona class of 82. The cafeteria official opened to students, faculty, and staff on Friday, September 8th. On Thursday, September 14th space was officially dedicated by Cardinal Wuerl. The event was significant for the school having an esteemed member of the archdioceses of Washington come for mass and a special ceremony, along with NBC 4 news covering the cafeteria earlier in the day.

The Mona center began construction halfway through last school year in January, lunch was held in the fine arts gym. Many students are happy to be back in a proper a proper cafeteria, not to say that the news ones haven’t developed problems. An apparent problem that has already arisen is the lines. Due to the new P.R.I.M.E. Time schedule the entire student body can occupy the cafeteria at once creating long lines that seem to last the entire period. The administration has suggested that students should wait to go to lunch later to combat this. Senior students have also been voicing their complaints that there is not a proper senior lounge area like the previous cafeteria.

The long-awaited Andy Mona center is here and of to a great start. Students and faculty are enjoying the new space so far.

Cayla Cade 19′

Prime Time was very hectic during the first week but now students are starting to become adapted to the new change. They have more time to eat and do homework, unlike last year. Anna Irwin ‘20 states, “It’s easier to take my time to eat lunch”. Last year, students felt as if they were being rushed. The lunch period is more organized than the past years.

A few teachers, such as Mr.Vazzana feels as if the day makes more sense. They like having a break. However, some do feel as if their students are sleepier and the same students are constantly missing their class because of their sports. Teachers have a duty, whether it is the first half or second half of PRIMETIME. They might help out in the resource center, Andy Mona center, lead the freshmen Anchor group or have hallway duty. PRIMETIME is more of a college scene, according to Mr. Vazzana. Several students believe that there should be more office hours for teachers. Since that has been a problem a lot of people eat during that time at once.

Many students think that it’s best to divide the time we eat by upperclassmen and lowerclassmen. Other students stated that they wish we still had a bell to dismiss us to go back to class. While a couple of students feel as if the bells were unnecessary. Sometimes it’s hard to keep up with the time. There is always room for improvement and feedback. Mr. Vazzana thinks it is best if the students were put in focus groups and discuss their feedback every quarter. As everyone knows, there are a lot of places where you can eat such as the Andy Mona center, Fine Arts building, or the bleachers. A lot of the students think it is best to bring lunch because of the long lines and a lot of the students like Brianna Davis ‘19, think it would be better if the microwaves were put on the other side of the cafeteria, away from the lunch line. Overall, Prime Time has been a great addition to our school.

Spencer Anderson 18′

(12 Ways to Better Handle Stress in College)

College. What a term of paranoia and constant stress for those just entering the 12th grade. Seniors in high school often feel pressured to apply to colleges and even in some cases, they feel rushed to get an application in. Students and counselors across McNamara were interviewed and all of their responses beat around the same bush. Students deemed the college application process stressful and fast-paced, whereas the counselors feel the same tension and anxiety just as the students. Although some counselors see it more as busy rather than a hassle, as one counselor stated: “I feel the highs and all the lows of each student when they are accepted and or if they are denied”. It is safe to say college is a stressful process for the upcoming class of 18’ but it can all be a much smoother process with the help of counselors, teachers, and administrative staff. It will be interesting to see how things shake up this 2017-2018 school year but the Mustangs are destined for nothing but success!