The Campanile Mount Saint Joseph Academy Volume LIII, Number 1 february 2016 Mounties dance all night “For the Kids” Mini-THON Committee: l. to r. Caroline Free ’16, Jade Killion ’18, Olivia Bocklet ’17, Caroline Kardish ’17, Emma Diebold ’16, Maddie Ferrero ’16, Hannah Tubman ’16, Emily Pensabene ’17, Grace Gelone ’17, Abby Schwenger ’18, Annie Princivalle ’18, Katie Zimmerman ’16 and Elena Christen ’17 By Meredith Mayes ’17 and Ava the opportunity to lead and or- Rooney and dodge ball, were in- spoke of her own experience with gettable night. Sophomore Jade Self ’17 chestrate one of Mount’s most stant hits, but nothing compared childhood cancer. Killion said, “Mini-THON is a exciting nights. to the excitement on the dance “I think for a lot of people that night I will remember forever. On Friday, Jan. 15, over 250 “Mini-THON has been my fa- floor. When the 2:30 a.m. rave participated it was interesting to Just knowing that every dollar Mount students participated vorite experience at Mount and hour hit, all signs of exhaustion see that what they were doing for we raised helped bring pediat- in the 3rd annual Mini-Thon, has helped me grow not only as a disappeared as the lights went twelve hours was going towards ric cancer researchers one inch a twelve-hour dance marathon leader but also as a person,” said out and glow sticks were illumi- helping people like me and my closer to finding a cure makes my to raise awareness for pediatric Tubman. nated. friends,” said Bocklet. “It really blistered feet worthwhile.” cancer. Students arrived at 8:00 p.m. The most touching moment put a face on the cause and per- When the magical night came Co-chairs, senior Hannah Tub- and were ready to stay up all of the night came when differ- sonalized it.” to a close, all in attendance were man and junior Emily Pensabene night “for the kids.” New games, ent stories of pediatric cancer For all in attendance, this thrilled to see that the Mount said they were honored to have such as pin the mustache on Mr. were told. Junior Olivia Bocklet year’s Mini-THON was an unfor- community raised over $32,000. Catherine Zakrzewski ’11 reports live from Silicon Valley By Ava Self ’17 and I need to spend more time executives who visit her office, they were available in stores. I Before graduating from college, understanding it myself before I such as Aaron Levie, founder of have had the opportunity to visit Zakrzewski took an internship With assignments ranging try to explain it.” the file sharing website Box. In some exciting places, from the at the Chicago Sun-Times. At the from interviewing entrepreneurs Along with her extensive re- addition to her interviews, Za- Google headquarters where engi- Times, Zakrzewski worked the and venture capitalists in Silicon search, Zakrzewski conducts in- krzewski attends conferences that neers ride around on rainbow bi- homicide beat. Valley to testing the latest tech- terviews with entrepreneurs who feature many famous tech speak- cycles to the Pixar Studios where “Writing those stories and nology, Cat Zakrzewski ’11 can meeting with families who lost attest that for her, there is no such loved ones to gun violence dras- thing as a typical day at the office. tically impacted my world view.” Zakrzewski, a recent gradu- Zakrzewski also had the ate of Northwestern University chance to spend time in Wash- and former Campanile Editor in ington, D.C., when she worked Chief, works as a venture capi- at the Boston Globe. Working at talist reporter for the Wall Street the Globe allowed Zakrzewski Journal and Dow Jones in San to attend the Presidential Medal Francisco. Her assignments in- of Freedom event at the White clude covering venture capital, House, where honorees included the seed money provided to help Meryl Streep and Ethel Kennedy. fund an emerging company, par- Once she graduated from ticularly as it pertains to technol- Northwestern, Zakrzewski’s in- ogy startups, and political deci- terest in writing about technol- sions that affect tech companies. ogy led her to her current job in Zakrzewski reports on how this California. type of investment is given and Zakrzewski said, “I am really its effects on companies working lucky to be working at an orga- on cyber security, artificial intel- nization with so many intelligent, ligence, virtual reality and con- accomplished and driven report- sumer technology. ers. I learn so much just by being To be able to relay this infor- in this newsroom and hearing mation accurately to her readers, other reporters frame questions Zakrzewski devotes much of her Cat Zakrzewski conducts an interview with security software founder John McAfee. and develop story ideas.” time to researching these special- Zakrzewski is appreciative of ized topics. “I read all the time, are starting new companies and ers. At these events, she has been artists are working on the next the opportunities she has had so and I spend a good amount of creating innovative technology. backstage with everyone from ‘Toy Story,’” said Zakrzewski. far and looks forward to those time speaking with people who “I really enjoy meeting with Carly Fiorina to Snoop Dogg. Zakrzewski asserts that her ca- to come, saying, “Working as a have much more expertise than I passionate founders who have a Writing about technology reer in journalism has granted her journalist has allowed me to meet do,” said Zakrzewski. Some top- personal connection to the prob- startups has afforded Zakrzewski many different experiences that exciting people, have access to in- ics, however, require more inves- lem they are trying to solve.” She many chances to experience new otherwise would not have been teresting events and most impor- tigation than others do. recently met with PayPal founder gadgets before they hit the mar- possible. tantly, learn something new each “I probably spend more time Max Levchin, who is now work- ket. Through her job, she has been day at work.” researching a cyber security com- ing on two emerging companies. “I’ve flown drones, played able to live in various parts of pany than a consumer tech com- Zakrzewski has also had the around with virtual reality gog- the country and to see the world pany. That area is more technical, opportunity to meet company gles and tested speakers before from the perspectives of others. Mount News page 2 the campanile February 2016 Laura Pacheco ’11 saves the life of 3-year-old boy Alumna Laura Pacheco kisses and poses with Mario Lopez when they met for the first time in December 2014, after both of their operations. By Callie Shinkle ’17 gans. In addition, the disorder It turned out that Pacheco was endured an exhaustive four-hour That’s all because of Laura.” destroys blood-producing cells a 100 percent match, which, ac- physical exam and an operation to Hubbird also says that she One swab of a former Mount- in the bone marrow, making the cording to the Gift of Life Bone withdraw the bone marrow from plans to take Mario to Pacheco’s ie’s cheek recently saved a three- disease fatal within months if not Marrow Foundation, has a one in her hipbone. However, she says, graduation in June and hopes to year-old boy’s life. treated. nine million chance of happen- “I wasn’t concerned about how I remain in touch with Pacheco. In December 2014, Laura Pa- Pacheco found out about the ing. Despite her busy schedule was feeling. I wanted everything She says, “Words cannot express checo ’11, Mount alum and Union Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foun- as a member of Union College’s to work out for the little boy.” how grateful we are. She gave us College senior, donated bone dation, the organization through field hockey and lacrosse teams, On January 17, Pacheco fi- a lifetime with him” marrow to Mario Lopez, a toddler which she was matched with Lo- a leader in her sorority and a full- nally met Mario and his family Pacheco says that donating and suffering from a genetic disorder pez, during a donor drive on her time college student who had just at a Gift of Life Bone Marrow meeting Lopaz has truly changed called familial hemophagocytic college campus in April 2013. returned from studying abroad in Foundation event in Boca Rotan, her life. She comments, “To me, lymphohistiocytosis. Soon after Pacheco agreed to give Bali, Indonesia, Pacheco immedi- Florida. Mario’s mother, Rebecca the little boy is my hero. He’s just The disorder causes Mario’s a sample of tissue in her cheek, ately agreed to donate, telling The Hubbird told The Daily Gazette, taught me to put life into perspec- immune system to produce too she forgot about registering as a Sun Sentinel, “It didn’t interrupt “He responded to her right away. tive and makes me think differ- many activated immune cells, donor until July 2014, when she my life. If I could donate again At first they told us he might be ently than I have in the past.” leading to damage of the liver and was told that she was a potential tomorrow I would.” in a wheelchair the rest of his spleen and the enlargement of or- match for young Lopez. In order to donate, Pacheco life. But then he started crawling. Robotics course offers Firebirds THE CAMPANILE 120 West Wissahickon Avenue opportunity for team development Flourtown, PA 19031 By Sydney Stockmal ’17 season, hone our skills, and just their proficiency through experi- learn a whole lot more than we mentation and regulation from The Robotics course, set to run can by just going through a build different proctors.