June 2  . . . Last day of exams — then summer begins!  And that’s a wrap for mccaravan.org and “Everyday Epics” for this year.  Faithful readers can look for new content beginning the week of August 20 when the Caravan staff returns from summer break.  Until them, #30!

May 30 . . . Five juniors are vying for the position of Student Council President:  Josiah Ash, Jack Bracewell, Bryce Pezel, Zac Styka, and Jalen Weathers.   Voting will take place during the Theology final exams.

Today is the last day of regular classes – Exams for Per A,B,C will be given on Wednesday; Per D and E on Thursday; Per F and G on Friday.

May 25 . . . As the academic year nears its conclusion, the Class of 2020 gathers this afternoon in a prayerful conclusion to “Freshman First” activities.  Fr. Jim Lewis, O.Carm, will celebrate Mass for the freshmen in the school chapel.

May 24 . . . Today,  the Class of 2017 gathered for graduation practice at Rockefeller Chapel, in preparation for Sunday’s 3 PM commencement ceremony. After practice, they all came back to Carmel for the senior barbecue hosted by the MC Father’s Club and alumni dads.

May 23 . . .Several MC students recently were recognized for achievement in the History Fair:  junior Anthony Morales received the Business and Economics History Award with a monetary prize of $150 for his documentary “The Southeast Side of Chicago: From the Steel-Producing Capitol of the World to An Economic Ruin of the Post-Industrial Revolution.” His classmate Jordan Patterson received the Timuel Black Award for African-American History with a monetary prize of $150 for his Exhibit entitled “How History Repeats Itself.”

Five other juniors received book awards for their work in various categories of the History Fair competition:  Edward Carter & Ryan Foley were recognized for their exhibits; Zachary Pasciak & Zac Styka for their research papers; and
Kendall Nichols for his documentary  Congratulations to all!

May 18 . . . Good luck to the junior class as it embarks on the annual “Caravan Day” scavenger hunt through downtown Chicago.  They’ll be looking for Carmel alums with whom to take selfies for extra points in the competition.  Meanwhile, on campus, seniors are wrapping up their third and final day of exams. Best of luck to the Class of 2017!

May 17 . . . Last night, thirty-five juniors and four seniors were inducted into the Elysian Chapter of the National Honor Society.  Former NHS vice-president Vince Morgan ’11 – currently a first year med student at the University of Chicago – spoke to the inductees about making the most of their high school years in preparation for the challenges they will face after they graduate. Light refreshments were served after the ceremony. Congrats to all the newly inducted!

Today, the 23 freshmen who received the Barda Leadership Award gathered for an appreciation breakfast with Mr. Don Barry, several other members of the Class of ’63, and members of the Barda family.

May 11 . . . The second annual senior “breakfast barbecue” took place in the parking lot this morning and was a very big success! Shout out Jake William and David Rosario for cooking the burgers, hotdogs, and the occasional pork chop. Festivities included beanbags (or corn hole if you’re from any other state), tons of food, and music.

May 9 . . . Seniors have just a few more chances to enjoy the tasty treats of the school cafeteria.  What’ll it be today, boys?  This writer is a big fan of the pasta with alfredo and chicken tenders; the cookies are pretty good (especially paired with chocolate milk); and you can’t beat the fries (a different version every day)!  Get ’em while you can.

May 8 . . . More AP tests today, so let’s keep those students in mind. Seniors:  be sure to keep up with all of your work and finish strong! Only a couple more days of your high school career! We have no school on Friday because of reaching our Walkathon goals.

May 5 . . . Due to the student body’s hard work in meeting the Walkathon fundraising incentives, half-day Fridays in May begin today!  Classes will conclude at 12:15, and the Caravan will get an early start to the weekend.

Tonight at 6 PM, over 550 alumni will gather in the Convocation Center for the annual Alumni Banquet.  Congratulations to the 25th and 50th anniversary classes who will be recognized, as well as to Mrs. Mary Jo Pienton who will be named an “Honorary Alumna” in recognition of her many years of service to the school.

For seniors, prom is tomorrow at Navy Pier.  Seniors must arrive by 7:30, and bring a school ID for check-in.  Then let’s dance the night away!

May 4 . . . Good luck to The Caravan’s own Zachary Pasciak, as he heads down to Springfield to compete in the Illinois State History Fair exposition along with Ryan Foley, Jordan Patterson, Zac Styka, and Anthony Morales!

May 3 . . . Halfway to Friday!

Busy day at MC.  The entire junior class is taking the ACT on campus, while AP exams continue in the Student Center for many seniors.  In addition, Mr. Hawk’s English I class travels to the Lyric Opera today for a performance of “My Fair Lady.”

May 2 . . . AP testing continues today, with the computer science and physics exams being administered in the Student Center.  The Kevin Kennelly Scholars breakfast also took place this morning.

School lets out for the summer (for underclassmen) exactly one month from today!  Finish the year strong, Caravan!

May 1 . . . As we rapidly approach the end of the year, the school community can celebrate reaching the Walkathon goal of $72,000!  Thanks to all who did their part, warm-weather dress code begins today; half-day Fridays start this week; and Friday, May 12 will be a free day to celebrate our success.  Thanks to all who continue to support Mount Carmel!

April 27 . . . With the Walkathon tomorrow, Mount Carmel President Ned Hughes offered the following challenge to seniors via a PA announcement from Mr. McGarry: he will match any and all donations to senior fundraising accounts which are made today.  Seniors and everyone supporting them – be sure to get your money in today to support the future of Mount Carmel!

April 25 . . . Today is the last Walkathon assembly, so students who have met their donation goals should be ready to win some awesome prizes. For anyone who has not met his goal yet, remember what’s at stake:  warm weather dress code, half-day Fridays and a free day (which means no school) – so keep on getting donations!

April 24 . . . Welcome back from Spring Break!  As seniors, we’ll need to keep up the hard work for the last couple weeks and finish strong. It’s a busy week with the last Walkathon assembly on Tuesday, then Walkathon on Friday and Fight Night on Saturday.

Apr 5 . . . Tomorrow, the Caravan journalists will embark on their annual field trip to Tribune Tower to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of a major metropolitan news operation.  In addition to visiting the Tribune, the class will cab over to the Chicago Sun Times to take a look at the Tribune’s competition.  The day will conclude with a bite to eat at the famous Billy Goat Tavern on lower Michigan Avenue.

Because of the special day tomorrow, the news staff will be out of the office.  We’ll be back on Friday!  Dueces!

Apr 3 . . . Happy Monday!

Tomorrow will be a half day at school, with College Readiness Standards testing (CRS) taking place for the freshmen, and sophomores.  This practice ACT exam is designed as an opportunity for students to prepare for the actual ACT during junior/senior year.  The senior class will spend the morning exploring various career paths with a group of alumni speakers during “Career Day.” Juniors have the day off in anticipation of taking the ACT test as a class later this month.

The Carmelite Board of Members also will be on campus today and tomorrow, interviewing faculty and students about how well our school is fulfilling its mission as a Carmelite school.  Please give them your best welcome!

Mar 31 . . . Happy last of March! Today I want to give a shout out to the Mock Trial team which will compete in the Howlett Cup, an invitation only tournament that takes place today and tomorrow. Good luck guys!

On Saturday, the Special Olympics Volleyball tournament will be played in the Cacciatore Athletic Center all day. Come by to watch these athletes play for their chance at medals!

Mar 30 . . . Just a normal Thursday here at MC. There is a Black Heritage Forum today and Studiums 104 and 109 will be in attendance. In Chicago, the weather for the next week or so is looking like non-stop rain. So, to the spring athletes, don’t worry — you’ll get all those games rescheduled . . . hopefully . . .

Mar 29 . . . If you have not seen it, check out the article in this week’s New World about Rudy Melchiorre and his amazing fundraising for St. Baldrick’s (copies available in the School Office).  Also, today at MC, students finally are adapting to the new lunch system (making purchases with ID cards) which is running without problem.

Mar 28 . . . Today kicks-off the annual Walkathon with an assembly during Studium. Students have individual on-line fundraising pages set-up to invite donations toward the overall goal of raising $72,000. If we reach this goal, we earn a full day off in May. If we reach 90% of this goal, then say “hello” to half day Fridays! So students:  be sure to share your link with family and friends.

Mar 27 . . . Happy Monday Men of 6410! In comparison to earlier this month, which featured Junior Impact Week and Spirit Week, this last week of March should be pretty normal.  However, there will be a special assembly on Tuesday to kick-off the Walkathon.

The Mothers’ Club Fashion Show took place yesterday at Georgio’s Banquet in Orland Park, with more than 400 guests.  Faculty members Mr. Mark Antonietti, Mr. Tom Eisenbraun, Mr. Jeff Enright, Mr. Brian Hurry, Mr. David Lenti, Mr. Patrick McGarry, along with MC President Mr. Ned Hughes and Fr. Peter McGarry participated in the show.

Mar 24 . . . On this beautiful Friday, the freshmen class went to see the drama club’s production of  Elijah, which has been showcased at school for the last several weeks.

I am also excited to be the first to announce that the Caravan will be starting a new column!  This “updater” will provide brief daily reports and scores from the previous day’s activities in each spring sport.  You can find these updates in the sports section of our website.

Have a good weekend, Caravan!  Make sure to go outside and enjoy this weather!

Mar 23 . . . Congrats to the lacrosse team, which opened its season last Saturday with a 13-5 win over Huntley.  They battle again tonight against Carl Sandburg High School at Andrew High School in Tinley Park.  The baseball squad also squares off against Kenwood tonight at 4:15 at Carey Field.  Come out to show your support!

Mar 22 . . . Apologies for the lack of posts over the last few days.  The Caravan staff was busy preparing for a visit to the South Side YMCA, which took place yesterday.  A story regarding our visit will be published soon in the “Know Your Neighborhood” section of The Caravan.

The cafeteria is now accepting credit or debit purchases through http://my mealtime.com.  Create a free account today to get started!  Students will be able to present their school IDs to access their accounts on the my mealtime.com site.

Mar 17 . . . Happy Saint Patty’s Day!

As we wrap up Spirit Week, the Saint Baldrick’s assembly will take place at the end of the day today.  Thanks to all who stepped up to raise money and volunteered to have their heads shaved!  Also, the Kevin Hansen Green Jacket will be awarded to a Mount Carmel faculty member at the conclusion of the assembly.

Thanks to all who made these last few days possible.  I definitely enjoyed my last Spirit Week!

Mar 16 . . . After enjoying some tasty treats (chicken wings, sloppy joes, ice cream sundaes, etc.) at the “Taste of MC” yesterday, Spirit Week continues with floor hockey competition between all four classes at the end of the day.  The winning class will play against the faculty team at the conclusion of the assembly. Enjoy, and continue to rep your red, white, and blue colors today!

Mar 15 . . . After surviving a blizzard yesterday, classes are back in session for Wednesday.  The “Taste of MC” will be held through all three lunches today.  Students have the opportunity to buy lunch and participate in games and activities hosted by various MC clubs and organizations.  Tickets are $1.00 each, so come with cash and enjoy!

Mar 13….Despite the frigid temperatures and snow storm on this Monday morning, the school spirit hasn’t diminished one bit, as today marks the start of “Spirit Week.”

Monday’s afternoon activity features handball competition between the classes. The winning class earns points that are tallied up until the end of the week. Good luck to all classes, and let’s have a great week!

Mar 9 . . . Spirit Week starts Monday.  Here are the themes and activities for each day: Monday is “class color day” and features the handball tournament. Tuesday is “Tropical day” (break out those bad Hawaiian shirts) with a basketball tournament. Wednesday is “Jersey day” and Taste of MC, featuring a food eating competition.  Thursday is “Patriot day” and includes floor hockey. Finally, Friday is the annual celebration of St. Baldrick’s and the Spring Pep Rally, so wear some green and support those who will have their heads shaved raising funds for pediatric cancer research.

Mar 8 . . . Happy Wednesday everyone. Only two more days until Friday!  Junior Impact is going very well:  check out the photos and videos on the Mount Carmel Twitter page for updates. Next week is Spirit Week.   Students should be sure to take a look at the themes for the week.

Mar 6 . . . With Monday gearing up for Junior Impact Week, the rest of the students who will have teachers missing are ready for sub assignments and a lot of work. Believe it or not, but you do have to continue to work even if your teachers are out, students. Let us keep the juniors and many faculty members in our prayers as they spend the week working very hard for those who need.

Mar 6

With Monday gearing up for Junior Impact Week, the rest of the students who will have teachers missing are ready for sub assignments and a lot of work. Believe it or not, but you do have to continue to work even if your teachers are out, students. Let us keep the juniors and many faculty members in our prayers as they spend the week working very hard for those who need.

Mar 3 . . . TGIF, Caravan Nation!

Today, we welcome back former staff writers Matthew McKay and Ryan Noonan!  While they were visiting Mount Carmel today on spring break from college, we were fortunate enough to listen to their wisdom and advice about journalism at the college level.  Matt already has published a number of stories for the Augustana Observer, while Ryan has taken journalism classes at Western Michigan and hopes to write for the Western Herald starting next year.    We wish them both the best of luck in the rest of their college experiences.

Mar 2 . . . Students were “woken up” by the fire alarm going off this morning during Per E.  Thankfully, it was just a scheduled drill and the practice went smoothly!

Also, good luck to MC Swim Coach Tina Grunauer as she embarks on a new career opportunity.  We will miss you!

Mar 1 . . . Today marks the first day of Lent.  After Mass this morning, students’ foreheads were marked with ashes in the form of the cross.  Also, in keeping with Lenten practice, the school cafeteria will not be serving meat today.

Students, remember to pledge $5 for this weekend’s Polar Plunge (raising funds for Special Olympics).  Those who donate will have the opportunity to wear jeans tomorrow!

Feb 28 . . . It’s officially Trimester III!  We’re in the home stretch of the year, men!  Remember to follow your new schedule on a Tuesday rotation for classes today.  Also try to not lose focus as we near the end of the school year.  Keep working all the way until the end.  Don’t give up now!

Feb 21 . . . It’s Tuesday of trimester exam week, and already I have studied an unholy amount for my Pre-Calc test. Now it’s time to shift focus to the darn AP Spanish test. What’s not to love about basically answering an English exam in – wait for it – Spanish? Also in the distance on Friday is my AP Lit test,  so yeah . . . that will be fun. But enough about my finals; this is what the week will look like for all of us: Wednesday exams are for Periods A, B, and C – and remember – no late start! Thursday’s exam are for Periods D and E, and then on Friday we conclude with Periods F and G. Be sure to turn in all of your work and keep studying!

Feb 15 . . . We’re halfway through the week!  Hang in there, Men of Carmel!

Today, we welcome the AdvancED Accreditation Team as they begin their two day visit to Mount Carmel.  We hope you enjoy your time on campus, and please feel free to make yourselves at home!

FYI, Trimester II exams start one week from today.  Study up!

Feb 14 . . . Happy Valentine’s Day, Caravan!

Several students made MC proud over the weekend.  Congrats to senior Justin Fekete, who made school history by placing second in state speech sectionals.  He will advance to the state finals for the second time in three years!  Way to lead the way!

Also, big ups to the wrestling team, who will be sending eight young men to the state finals, and to Charlie Pasciak and Noah Jepson, who took home medals for scoring six out of the possible seven points at the state chess tournament in Peoria.  Go Caravan!

Feb 10 . . . Happy Friday, Men of Carmel!

What’s with all the hair-directed music in the hallways today?  Can we expect some hair-raising news before the day concludes?

In other news, good luck to Caravan wrestlers Colton Drousias, Colby Lopez, Rehan Uribe, Kaleb Guzior, David Devine, Kendall Coleman, Yahya Thomas, Dillon Hoey, Jack Mulay, David Riojas, David Benoit, Emanuel Terrell, Danny Sanchez, and Jeremy Cooper – all competing in state sectionals this weekend.  Pin ’em to the mat (no pun intended)!

Have a good weekend, everyone!

Feb 9 . . . Happy Thursday, Caravan Nation!

Jack is still away on retreat, so I’m back again with another epic for the day!

Good luck to chess legends Tom Dart, Taifa Mugadili, Chimezie Obah, Charlie Pasciak, Eric Ramirez, and Abdel Raoul in representing MC at the state tournament in Peoria tomorrow!  Remember:  EVERY move counts.  Make us all proud!

I was never very good at chess (*sigh*).

Feb 8 . . . Hey all!  Conor Langs here!  I’ll be taking Jack’s spot as the epic writer for a couple days, so bear with me!

Today, an important meeting took place between student council representatives and the School Leadership Team regarding discipline policies.  Reports are that it was a productive discussion, and all participants look to make more progress over the coming days.

Feb 7 . . . Today I leave for Kairos, a three day religious retreat that many of you may know about. So for the time being I will pass on the Everyday Epics responsibility to my friend and co-editor, Conor Langs. Please pray for me and my  classmates as we embark on this journey.  I will see you all Monday!

Feb 1 . . . The Diversity Dinner was very successful last night, as members of the sponsoring organizations –  ROOTS and Multi Cultural Club – had to scramble to locate more tables and chairs to seat everyone. Food options ranged from jerk chicken to red rice to cabbage with potatoes. The focus of this trimester’s dinner was the opportunities and challenge of diversity in our school and communities. The panelists were Mr. Lorenzo Nunez, seniors Emmanuel Terrell and Taifa Mugadili, and Officer Frangella, an MC parent and instructor for the Chicago Police Academy, all of whom offered insights on the evening’s theme.

Jan 30 . . . The Mount Carmel Speech team had a good weekend placing 9th out of 21 teams at an IHSA event. Justin Fekete ’17 took fifth place in Impromptu Speaking, Farouk Kudaisi ’17 came in second place in Poetry, and Aiden Varela ’18 took first place for Prose.  Also this week: Tuesday is the next Diversity Dinner sponsored by the ROOTS and Multicultural Clubs. Be sure to talk to Mr. Perkins or Mrs. Wheeler to reserve your spot.

Jan 27 . . . Sophomore Impact Week comes to an end today. Sophomores will spend one final day at various service sites and will return to school to end the week in prayer at a class liturgy.  .  .  . Also in the news this week:  MC swimming has won its last two meets against St. Rita and Notre Dame by a whopping total of 136 to 50. Be sure to come out and support all Caravan teams this winter!

Jan 24 . . . Sophomore Impact Week got underway today, and all MC sophomores will be working hard at a variety of service sites focused on hunger and poverty. They will be going to local food pantries, large organizations like Feed my Starving Children, and other social service agencies like Share Your Soles. Please keep the sophomores and everyone they are helping in your prayers this week.

Jan 23 . . . Good and bad news today.  12 weeks to Spring Break. Four weeks to finals. 12 weeks seems like forever. At least we still have four full weeks to get our grades up and to finish the trimester strong. But we only have one day off during this time and it is President’s Day. Oh man…

Jan 19 . . . The makeup high school placement test is this Saturday at 8:00 a.m. at Mount Carmel. If you missed the test last Saturday or did not take it at another Catholic high school, please come to Mount Carmel if you are an eighth grade male student.

Jan 18 . . . Wednesday late starts are a blessing for most students; but not for me. I was here at 6:50 for our first lacrosse morning workout of the year. Who doesn’t enjoy sprints and weight lifting as the sun comes up over Mount Carmel?

Jan 17 . . . A little past midway this year and whoever said senior year wasn’t hard is a liar. It is hard and I am very tired and when is graduation? But I am enjoying my time as all seniors should. I am excited to be thinking about where I’ll eventually turn up for college. Hey, Future Jack, when you read this in about two months, you will know where you’re going to college. Sweet!

Jan 10 . . . This week, the Admissions Office is preparing for the Mount Carmel Placement Test for incoming freshman. On January 14, this Saturday, eighth grade boys will take the test beginning at 8 AM. Thinking back to 8th grade, it was an exciting time for me and it certainly will be for the boys taking their first step in becoming a man of Carmel.

Jan 9 . . . Welcome back everyone! Hopefully your break was very relaxing and you spent time with family and friends. All I know is that my sleep schedule has taken a hit and I am not liking waking up at 6:50 again. So when you see the students who yawn and look dazed in the hallways, remember they have to readjust again.  But with CRS on Thursday and MLK day on Monday (the 16th) our first week/weekend is a pretty easy one.

Dec 16 . . . So MC students enjoyed the “freezing arctic cold day” on Thursday – and given the projected temps for next Sunday-Monday, there’s hope there could be another.  I enjoyed sleeping late, then split the rest of the day between  online assignments and just lounging around the house.  From what I hear from classmates, my day was pretty typical.

Dec 14 . . . Word in halls is that the hoped-for “snow day” may turn to a “freezing arctic cold day.” The students don’t care what it is called – as long as there is a possibility of sleeping in tomorrow, we are all for it. In other news, students have figured out that yes, it is cold outside if you don’t wear a coat on the walk in from the parking lot. And no, two hoodies-  or one hoodie and and a pull over – do not equal a proper coat, you South Siders.

Dec 12 . . . Christmas break is looming in the distance, but doesn’t start this year until December 22.  Until then, all we can do is hope for a snow day or another blast of the polar vortex.  I spent last night looking in my emails for that “Snow Day” email but nothing came. Hopefully if the weather conditions are right, Mr. Stimler will do all of Mount Carmel a favor one of these days.

Nov 30 . . . As a senior I pride myself on driving to school in my own car and parking in a good spot. But all good things must come to a very sad, sad end as my car is in the shop because someone (cough, cough, my brother, cough) drives it carelessly.  So now I have to ride to school with a junior. The rides are cramped with freshmen who, in my opinion, could walk to school (haha – not really) or at least take the bus (this I think is reasonable). The lesson? Enjoy and be thankful for your car because you never now when you may have to go back to riding with underclassmen.

Nov 22 . . . Today Mount Carmel students delivered over 3600 cans to Maple – Morgan Park Food Pantry. Mr. Matt McGuire and his Studium 004 donated the most cans and earned the privilege of participating in the delivery process during the school day. As today is the last day of school before break, the Caravan staff want to wish you a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

Nov 21 . . . Thanksgiving break is almost here.  With just two days of school this week the student body is humming with excitement. Watching TV and football, eating a lot, sleeping a lot, and not doing homework for a couple days. what’s not to love?

Nov 18 . . . Friday is the best day of the week for students. Football enjoyed a day off on yesterday and today we get to wear our grammar school jerseys to practice. Next week is a short week – only Monday and Tuesday – and then we go on break. I know how I will be spending my holiday. Resting and eating? Nope! Football practices start again Monday and lead into the Prep Bowl Championship on Friday. Happy Turkey Week!

November 16 . . . Today is a sad day for the Journalism Class, as we lost “Everyday Epics” blogger Emmanuel Terrell due to a scheduling conflict. So the baton will be passed to me and Conor Langs, and we hope to not disappoint.

So, dear reader:  you may be asking:  what news today? Well, they opened up the third floor classrooms on Tuesday, and needless to say they will offer incredible new learning opportunities.

And on top of that, the 3rd floor water fountain has an automatic water bottle filter!

I love the future.

November 8 . . . Take your pick, Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton, a subject which has the school more divided than the Cubs and Sox. Most of the senior class is able to vote today and we’ll see if their vote matters.

November 3 . . . 108 years of silence and God brought the thunder in the 10 inning, heart-pounding game last night, where the Cubs ended the curse. Being a Cubs fan on the South Side of Chicago is quite dangerous, but today Cubs fans can walk with their heads held high because they ended the reign of 2005. Fly the W!!!

November 2 . . . Today we celebrate diversity at our annual Diversity Dinner – a feast of many cultures as students bring dishes that embody their heritage – a vibrant display of the diversity that runs through Mount Carmel’s veins.

October 31 . . . I apologize for my absence and lack of posts over the last several days.  I was on Kairos retreat, and still am, as students affectionately say, “Kai-High.” I was very excited to return to school for the Dia de los Muertos and Halloween festivities. Vibrantly colored sugar skulls are scattered around the school, and there is also a shrine to pay respects to deceased loved ones and friends. The costumes are very scarce; the only spooky thing around Mount Carmel today is that  trimester exams are scheduled for next week. Happy Halloween!

October 25 . . . Today some seniors depart on the four day spiritual journey of Kairos – a journey that is meant to happen on “God’s time,” during which they will have no contact with the outside world. If only they could share their stories of epiphanies and revelations, of brotherhood and bonding.  But that would spoil the experience for others who’ve yet to go.

October 24 . . . This is the week when the first of three Senior Kairos retreats takes place. For seniors, Kairos is a time of reflection and finding how God is working in your life and in the lives of their peers, but the details are kept pretty “hush hush” and classified. The guys that go on these retreats usually come back with a lot of inside jokes and seem to have been “transformed,” which often lead others to wonder if they’ve been brainwashed. So to all the seniors going on the trip, have fun and enjoy the company of your Carmel brothers.

October 18 . . . The first day back after a long weekend is always a rough day. A lot of tired eyes and yawning as the students came through the door this morning, and with today’s STEM field trip, some classes seem almost empty. The seniors are not required to come to class tomorrow – Wednesday, due to PSAT testing for underclassmen. Did some of those seniors take an extra day to make it a 5-day “fall break”?

October 14 . . . Nothing better than being on the cusp of a three day weekend.  Everything tastes better, the colors are brighter, but what really captured my attention was the soup of the day:  stuffed pepper soup.  I don’t know if this soup is brand new on the cafeteria menu or if I just never had the pleasure of tasting it before, but it sure put a skip in my step and a song in my heart. My oh my, this Friday could not be better.

October 13 . . . Student wifi has more crashes than student drivers. As of this year Mount Carmel has finally moved the whole student body into the 21st century by allowing us to use technology devices in class. This was one of the best ideas since buffalo mac-and-cheese, but the student wifi could be much better. With the potential for about 625 students and another 80 faculty and staff on wifi at the same time, one could understand why it  sometimes struggles to carry the weight of the Caravan.

October 11 . . . They gave me my own column, so what to talk about?

Monday was Mount Carmel’s annual shadow day, a time for prospective students to experience the life of a Mount Carmel man. It can get a little chaotic with all the extra boys, who are just as lost as some students, floating around the halls.  At least we get a break from tests or quizzes, and free lunch, if you host a shadow.

163 shadows! (Peter Pan – who just wanted to “catch his shadow” – would have loved it):  the future of the Caravan tagging along with our current student body.

Post-script: stay tuned for the next installment of “Everyday Epics of Emmanuel.”

….