BISHOP MONTGOMERY HIGH SCHOOL
Knightlife DECEMBER 9, 2016 XLXVII • ISSUE 3
Tips to Ace your Finals Above: Ethan Roberts ‘18, Ellie Gutierrez ‘18, and Lyanna Garcia ‘18 have mixed emotions about their upcoming final exams.
Written by Matt Alcedo and Erin Hall The Vikings called it Ragnarok, the Christians named it the Revelation, prophets around the world declared it to be the End of Times; we call it Finals Week. That’s right, it’s that time of the year again, and we don’t mean the season of thanks, gifts, and jolly ol’ Santa Claus, but the season of all-nighters, 2 a.m. coffee runs, and the great feeling of being stressed out. What a time it is to be alive. But don’t worry freshmen and anyone else new to finals; they aren’t as hard as everyone says
they are, typically. Here are some tips that can help you get through Finals Week without losing your grade or your sanity: 1. Study whenever you have the chance, but don’t overwork yourself. Just progressively keep adding on to what you’re studying day by day. 2. Don’t stress over finals. That’s one of the biggest mistakes everyone tends to make because they feel as if their grade is on the line. You know all the information because you’ve learned it all before; as Junior
Riley Parker puts it, “It’s just a second round.” 3. Set goals for the final, but be realistic. Use a final grade calculator, like RogerHub, to determine what grade you will need to get the grade you want. This can help you budget your time wisely; if you only need a 60% on a final to get an A, spend less time studying for it than the final you need a 98% to get a B. And if you need a 179% on your final to get an A in the class… make your goal to a B or pray for a lot of extra credit. 4. Get the supplies you need before the morning of the final. The lastminute rush to buy scantrons and track down a pencil can be stress-
ful. Avoid the pain of this stress by buying scantrons the week before the final and getting everything you’ll need for finals day (scantrons, pencils, paper, calculator, food, etc.) ready the night before. 5. Use study guides your teachers give you. This may seem obvious, but who knows the final better than the teacher who made it? AND Be confident. You’ve studied for hours, finished the study guides, and (somewhat) listened during class all semester. Keep telling yourself that you can and will ace it!
Cornucopia of Concordia Projects Written by Devin Brown, Haya Rabadi, Audrey Egekeze For the past 50 years, Bishop Montgomery’s Concordia Club has had a legacy of helping those in need. From knitting blankets for various shelters and local hospitals such as Little Company of Mary and Torrance Memorial to facilitating the annual Pennies for Patients campaign, Concordia has made it their mission to reach out and help anyone in need. This year, the club celebrated their 50th anniversary to serving those in need around the Bishop Montgomery community and beyond. To commemorate this, Mr. Hong designed special Concordia sweatshirts. However, the club’s tremendous efforts have only grown throughout these 50 years. As part of their 2016 Christmas service project, members of Concordia were able to “adopt” orphans living at
the Casa Hogar de Niñas Santa Maria de Guadalupe orphanage located in San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora Mexico. This year was a special year for the orphanage - though it had previously only catered to girls, 25 boys were introduced to the orphanage’s community in addition to the 45 girls already situated in the orphanage. Most of these boys were siblings to the girls that the orphanage did not wish to separate. Care packages created for these orphans consisted of necessities such as shoes, socks, pajamas, a sweatshirt, and various toiletries. Over Thanksgiving break, volunteers of the Covenant House delivered the Bishop students’ gifts to the young orphans in Mexico. When asked about her experience, sophomore Jillian Lim reflected, “It was really fun putting Christ-
mas gifts together for the children in the orphanage especially since I knew these gifts would be of good use to them.” This project has been a cornerstone in Concordia’s annual projects for three years. Concordia has become an active participant in various other service projects as well, with every member dedicated towards helping out the community and those in need. Not only does Concordia help out at the annual Mother’s Club luncheon, but they also manage to involve all fellow Bishop Montgomery Knights in their service projects, such as the well-loved annual stuffed animal and children’s book drive for the USC Violence Intervention Program and school supply collections for students in Ensenada, Mexico. In addition to USC, Concordia members have extended their aid to another outside organization, Dress a Girl Around the World. For two years, BMHS Concordia students, along with volunteers such as the Galdamez family, have donated
5430 TORRANCE BOULEVARD, TORRANCE, CA 90503 • WWW.BMHS-LA.ORG
Above: Ms. Libbon and Concordia members donated clothing, toiletries, and gifts to an orphanage in Mexico.
fabrics and made dresses for needy girls around the world, totaling an incredible amount of over 500 dresses. As Bishop Knights, Concordia members proudly represent what it means to be Christcentered individuals who acknowledge their capabilities to reflect a positive influence on others.
CHRISTMAS
Chirstmas Question Corner
Sir Port’s
Support
Written by Madison Reynolds 1. What’s your favorite Christmas song? Name: Korey Harmon Grade: 12 Answer: “All I Want for Christmas” by Mariah Carey 2. What’s your favorite Christmas movie? Name: Caitlin Foley Grade: 11 Answer: Frosty the Snowman 3. What’s your favorite activity to do during the Christmas season? Name: Brandon Murray Grade: 9 Answer: Spending time with family
Dear Sir Port, Christmas is coming up fast, and I still haven’t gotten a gift for my best friend! I have no idea what to get them, and I need something soon. Santa hasn’t written me back yet, and I need help quick! Santa’s probably busy making big cuts and getting swole, and he’s ready to run all over the globe come Christmas Eve (not to mention make room for all the cookies and milk), so you’ve come to the right place! An easy, but thoughtful, gift is to make a basket full of things your friend would like, so you have a lot of small, neat stuff that’s easy to pick out instead of having to worry about finding one big thing. You probably have a good idea of what your friend likes and is interested in, so look around with that in mind. Do they like clothes? Instead of getting them a nice big expensive sweater, drop some cloth samples in their basket. Do they like dogs? Instead of going through all the trouble to get an actual dog, buy them some dog-scented things so their house can at least smell like they own a dog. Do they like video games? Instead of buying them a whole game that’s hardly portable, write down an app recommendation and put it in the basket! They ask it, you basket. When the Christmas tree lights up and the wrapping paper comes off, I’m sure your friend will just appreciate the fact that you care about them enough to get them a gift at all.
4. What do you want for Christmas this year? Name: Fletcher Tynen Grade: 11 Answer: Jordan 4’s 5. What’s the best Christmas gift you’ve ever received? Name: Daniel Matheney Grade: 10 Answer: Playstation 3 6. What’s the best Christmas present you’ve ever given? Name: Lauren Turner Grade: 10 Answer: A Giant Bean Bag 7. Who’s your favorite Reindeer? Name: Johnny Brunac Grade: 12 Answer: Prancer 8. If you had to be one Christmas-themed character, who would you be? Name: Daisy Rodriguez Grade: 9 Answer: An elf
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Word List: MARIAHCAREY BEANBAG
Knightlife pg.2
FROSTY PRANCER
FAMILY ELF
JORDANS
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CHRISTMAS
Unearthing Kwanzaa Written by Harrison Cook
What is Kwanzaa? This question seems to pop up a lot this time of year. I often hear people joking around about ugly Hanukkah sweaters or celebrating Kwanzaa, but no one seems to know what Kwanzaa is or what it’s about. So, I decided to do a little research and hopefully we all can come away from this article with more understanding of the holiday of Kwanzaa, its origins, and its traditions. While other holidays this time of year are thousands of years old, Kwanzaa finds its roots in the 1960s. Its creator, Mualana Karenga, is a professor of African-American studies and created the holiday as a celebration of African-American culture and history. As Karenga studied Swahili, he named his new holiday after the phrase “matunda ya kwanza,” which translates to “first fruits of the harvest.” The holiday itself lasts seven days and each day centers around seven symbols. The first symbol is Mazao, which represents the crops and symbolizes the rewards reaped from labor. The second is Mkeka, or the mat. This is a symbol for the base of the culture and history for which the holiday celebrates. Next is Kinara, which is a candle holder that is a symbol of the ancestors of African-Americans from Africa. After the Kinara is Mishumaa Saba, which are the candles them-
selves. These represent the seven pillars of values (Nguzo Saba) that people are urged to adhere to. Next is Kikombe cha Umoja (The Unity Cup) which is a representation of the lifestyle that emphasizes the value unity, the basis of all other values. Finally is the Zawadi, which are the gifts. The Zawadi is the physical manifestation of all the work that parents put in and the commitment that the children make and uphold. These seven days of symbols take place between December 26th to January 1st. Some traditions include decorations inspired by African Art and cloth. Ceremonies with drumming and recitations of the African Pledge are also not uncommon. Although not the most popular holiday, a 2004 survey reports that up to 4.7 million people celebrate Kwanzaa worldwide. Maybe this year you can be among them.
All I Want for Christmas is News Illustrated by Anna Quast
A Wonderful Christmas Time Written by Alec Rupp Illustrated by Cindy Peng
*Research and information for this article were taken from these sources: http://web.archive.org/ web/20041118072528/http://www.nrf. com/content/default.asp?folder=press/ holiday&file=HolidayRegion1004.htm http://www.officialkwanzaawebsite. org/7principles.shtml http://web.archive.org/web/20091220052310/ http://www.buffalonews.com/260/story/897568.html
With Christmas just around the corner, people are beginning to decorate their homes with festive lights. KOST 103.5 continues to play their endless barrage of Christmas tunes, and though they may drive some insane, everyone will eventually be in the winter spirit. Christmas traditions come in many varieties, from senior Angelo Pasco’s “usual dinner with fam,” to the baking of cultural desserts, as is the case of sophomore Annaliese Rupp, who “bakes Baklava with her family during the holidays.” No matter how the Christmas season is spent, almost all can agree that it’s a time to grow close with each other and our families so that we can share the greatest gift of all love. With jolly old Saint Nick coming around to deliver presents this year and corporations taking advantage to make as much money possible, the tradition of gift giving becomes the norm for the season. This custom of gift giving comes from the time of Jesus’s birth when the Three Wise Men came to give gifts to the baby in the manger, which were frankincense (a
perfume used for Jewish worship), gold, and myrrh (a perfume used to make dead bodies smell nice). Although our gift giving is far less symbolic of the stories of the new king’s coming and his eventual suffering for mankind, our gifts are meant to show how much we care for each other. I hope that this year you all get the chance to spend time with your family through your own traditions. Happy Holidays!
pg.3 Knightlife
Campus Life
The Most Crazy Time of the Year Written by Nicole Barragan & Jackie Pistole Photographed by: Julija Garunkstis
Crazytown, the most recent Drama Lab production, was an experience like no other. Written by Jonathan Rand, the play narrates the news report of Crazytown, a town where everything is weird and awry. With one citizen in threat of jail time for being too nice and a very heated debate between candidates for elementary school class president, the town is full of wacky scenarios. Crazytown was directed by Mr. Bitto, and while this was his first time directing a Drama Lab production, he felt up for and excited about the challenge. With a little over a month to pull together, this production wasn’t as lengthy as other Drama Lab plays, as this was a shorter play with less time to rehearse. Since the commitment wasn’t too demanding, Crazytown featured many students who had never participated in a Drama
Lab production before due to nervousness or not having enough time in their busy schedules. Even though the prospect of memorizing lines and cues for a play in less than a month seemed daunting to everyone involved, the rehearsals flew by, and all of the actors and crew did a fantastic job. Jacen Castillo ‘18, who worked as Crazytown’s assistant stage manager alongside of Julija Garunkstis ‘18, described his experience as “memorable.” Jacen, who has always been onstage for Drama Lab’s productions, took charge of this play and led the largely inexperienced cast into creating a hilarious and successful performance. He proudly praises his “cast, crew, and tech for all their hard work” and claims “Mr. Bitto’s debut was an amazing accomplishment.” Angelina Herrera ‘19 stated, “The cast and crew were so welcoming and enthusiastic. Because of the overall wacky demeanor of the show, they were unafraid to be their own, weird selves around each other. The show had its ups and downs, but at the end of the day, we put on a fun production that we were all proud of.”
Where in Bishop?
Photographed by Julija Garunkstis
Where in Bishop were these three photos taken? The first three students who can correctly identify the classroom or area of each photo will receive a voucher to the Snack Bar for free food! Bring your answers to Mr. Hong in room 205. Be sure to search for these special objects to win Knightlife’s first ever edition of “Where in Bishop?” *Knightlife staff and faculty members are ineligible for this contest. Do not disrupt any classes to look for these items. Special thanks to Mr. McGoldrick for suggesting this contest!
#1
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Left: Ryanna Ginger ‘17 and John Haddad ‘17 entertain the audience with their acting skills.
The Knightlife newspaper is published by the Knightlife club of Bishop Montgomery High School, 5430 Torrance Blvd., Torrance, CA 90503. Opinions expressed in this paper do not reflect those of Bishop Montgomery High School. Knightlife 2016-2017 Board Editors-in-Chief: Stephanie Trelease & Caroline Cusolito Vice Presidents: Jackie Pistole & Erin Hall Photography Executives: Simon Tran & Jenna Yu (art) Treasurers: Audrey Egekeze Secretary: Theresa Sitter This Issue: Staff Writers: Matt Alcedo, Steven Alvarado, Nicole Barragan, Devin Brown, David Carroll, Harrison Cook, Caroline Cusolito, Jayden Davis, Audrey Egekeze, Anjelika Esteban, Erin Hall, Lana Katnich, Caroline Kim, Skyler Lamar, Liliana Linan, Sarah Oppenheim, Riley Parker, Angelo Pasco, Camille Petroni, Jackie Pistole, Anna Quast, Haya Rabadi, Madison Reynolds, Alec Rupp, Annaliese Rupp, Theresa Sitter, Arabella Stadvec, Olivia Thompson, Katelyn Tomanek, Stephanie Trelease, Zandra Tsao, Ricky Xu Staff Photographers: Angela Alexander, Steven Alvarado, Chloe An, Johnny Brunac, David Carroll, Alexis Cervantes, Harrison Cook, Julija Garunkstis, Libby Hadnett, Jada Harris, Lana Katnich, Caroline Kim, Skyler Lamar, Liliana Linan, Brady Liu, Mariana Madrigal, Cindy Peng, Camille Petroni, Jackie Pistole, Ruth Santos, Katelyn Tomanek, Simon Tran, Zandra Tsao, Jenna Yu, Staff Advertisers: Angela Alexander, Harrison Cook, Ruth Santos, Ricky Xu Staff Interviewers: Devin Brown, Jayden Davis, Caroline Kim, Liliana Linan, Mariana Madrigal, Madison Reynolds, Haya Rabadi, Theresa Sitter, Katelyn Tomanek, Ricky Xu Peer Editors: Theresa Sitter (1-2), Angelo Pasco (3-4) Graphic Designers: Caroline Cusolito (1-2), Stephanie Trelease (3-4) Advisor: Mr. Hong Proofreaders: Mr. Marafino, Ms. Vigon- Morffi Publisher: Ms. Libbon *Please contact jhong@bmhs-la.org if you would like to advertise in our monthly newspaper.
Knightlife pg.4