BISHOP MONTGOMERY HIGH SCHOOL
Knightlife February 3, 2017 XLXVII • ISSUE 4
New Year, New You!
Above: Katalina Lomibao ‘19 plans on sticking with all her New Year’s resolutions.
Written by Madison Reynolds, Harrison Cook Photographed by Melanie Morales So it’s around that time where everyone is making (or breaking) their New Year’s Resolutions. It’s a time for renewal and self-improvement. Whether you decided to eat healthier and work out or study harder and sleep more, all resolutions have their merit. However, many people seem to have the problem of keeping these promises. Those donuts at break and buzzfeed videos while studying can be too tempting to resist! But, fear not-- we are here to help you out! So here you go: How to Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions in 4 Steps! Step One: Write it Down This step is the easiest because
you’ve practically already done it. Take your resolutions and write them on a piece of paper, in your phone, or on a word document. Basically, just make a concrete list of what you want to change in 2017. It’s so easy to alter your resolutions to make them easier, give up on them, or just forget them completely. This way, all of them are in one place for you to have on record. You know exactly what you want and can’t lose track. If you want to take this one step further, you can give the list (or exchange lists) with a friend. By doing this, you have an accountability partner who can make sure you don’t cheat, and vice versa.
Step Two: Define Your Goals For example, if you want to exercise often, then make a schedule of when and what you want to do when you work out. Having abstract ideas as resolutions will fall apart relatively quickly. By just wanting something without planning ways to get it done, it’s nearly impossible to see results. Step Three: Check-In Every month, or maybe even every week, take some time to reflect on how you are doing. If everything is working, keep it up and maybe even reward yourself! However, if you find yourself slipping up and failing to accomplish your goals, take some time to reassess, find out what went
wrong, and fix it. If nothing in particular went wrong, then think about changing your mindset and pushing yourself to work harder. Step Four: Make it a Habit Some of the best athletes and coaches around the world preach that “practice makes perfect.” This is the same mindset necessary to become truly successful with keeping and perfecting your New Year’s Resolutions. It’s not always about seeing fast results, but more about self-discovery and realizing how much you are willing to work in order to improve yourself and your general quality of life.
FUTURE KNIGHTs: BISHOP’s NEWEST EDITIONS Written by Theresa Sitter, Olivia Thompson saying, “Since Ms. Rudder didn’t On November 9, 2016, Mr. share the baby’s name with us beMcGoldrick and his wife welcomed fore she went on maternity leave, I into the world their son, Reaves was so anxious to hear what it would Xavier McGoldrick at 2:00 am. Albe! I love the name ‘Alice Jane,’ and though they were filled with joy and I really think it suits Ms. Rudder’s excitement at their newest family style.” member, raising a baby can be a lot Mr. McGoldrick and Ms. Rudof work. Mr. McGoldrick said, “my Above: Mr. McGoldrick’s baby boy, Reaves Xavier McGoldrick, Ms. der are not the only Bishop teachwife is a saint because she lets me Rudder’s baby girl, Alice Jane Rudder, and Ms. Featherstone’s new baby, ers to have exciting baby news! sleep at night when the baby wakes Dino Ryder Felix join the Bishop family. Ms. Featherstone, the girls’ varsity up.” The McGoldrick family and the Bishop students and staff are happy volleyball head coach, is expecting a new addition to her own family. Ms. for baby Reaves and look forward Featherstone and her husband were Ms. Featherstone’s son will definitely gomery, congratulations! to seeing him in a Bishop uniform in grow up to be a stellar athlete under married last year, and now ardently the future. the guidance of his mother. Both her *at the time this article was written, await the arrival of their baby boy. On January 11, 2017 the players and students wish her all the Ms. Featherstone had her baby, Ms. Featherstone’s years of coachBishop community celebrated as Dino Ryder Felix, on January 29th at ing Bishop girls’ volleyball have been best in this next joyous chapter in Ms. Rudder announced the birth of her and her family’s life. 4:21pm. her second child, Alice Jane Rudder. very promising, as the team reached The entire Bishop community the quarterfinals this past season. Weighing 4 pounds and 13 ounces, has the utmost respect for these The volleyball girls are all eagerly the baby had a healthy and safe anticipating adding a new member to amazing teachers. Their ability to delivery around 5:27 pm that day. balance parenthood and instructing their team once their coach’s son is Excited for the new addition to her has not gone unnoticed or forgotten. born. Junior Julia Yaccarino, a varfamily, Ms. Rudder’s students, juThere is no doubt in any student’s sity volleyball player, expresses the niors and seniors in AP English, are mind that they will not only continue especially eager to hear stories from excitement the team feels about Ms. to make a difference for their stuFeatherstone’s future as a mother, their teacher and see slideshows of dents and players, but impact their “She is a great coach and we’re all pictures of her newborn baby girl. own children in the most wonderful looking forward to seeing her be a Senior Alexis Mendoza comments of ways. From all of Bishop Montgreat mom.” The team expects that on first hearing the baby’s name 5430 TORRANCE BOULEVARD, TORRANCE, CA 90503 • WWW.BMHS-LA.ORG
NEW YEAR
2017: YEAR OF THE ROOSTER Written by Nicole Barragan Paper cut-out by Xiu Ju Wang
Above: (Translation of the Chinese words) Good Luck, Good Fortune as one wishes, Blessing, Happiness One of the most popular and well-known Chinese holidays is the Chinese New Year, celebrated by Chinese people as well as some Americans. Most Americans probably know which year of the Chinese zodiac they were born in and which year it currently is. However, there are many differences between the Chinese New Year and the New Year most of the world celebrates, and others may not know of all of the history and connections between the two holidays. This year the Chinese New Year falls on Saturday, January 28. The date of the Chinese New Year is different each year because the Chinese calendar and holidays are based on changes of the moon rather than the sun like the Christian New Year. A lunar month is shorter than a solar month by about two days, so an extra month is added every few years to catch up to the solar calendar, which is why Chinese New Year is different each year. According to Chinese legends, the beginning of Chinese New Year was originated with a fight against a beast called the Year who lived in the sea. Every New Year’s Eve, the Year would come out and harm people, animals, and buildings. People later found out that the Year feared the color red, fire, and loud sounds, which is why people today celebrate with fireworks, hang
Sir Port’s SUPPORT Dear Sir Port, January’s almost over, and I’m already worried about the rest of the year! I’m starting to fall behind on some of my resolutions and don’t want another 2016 to happen. How do I use this new year to make a new me? New Years’ resolutions are always a little tough to keep up with. If an individual goal ends up being too big of a commitment, try expanding it to something broader that you could work at in smaller steps. If you wanted to go to the gym every week but that’s turning out to be too much, aim to just be more fit and healthy in general. Take the stairs instead of the escalator; eat a big banana instead of the whole tub of ice cream; watch Netflix and heat in the sauna instead of chill. If you wanted to read a book every week but couldn’t stick to it, aim to read more in general. Actually read assigned reading instead of not reading it; read the terms and conditions before you click the box next to “I have read and accept to the terms and conditions,” and read the label of every bottle in your shower. The great thing about making resolutions broader is you get a lot of extra benefits by the end of the year - instead of now knowing the lessons and ideas of 52 unique books, now you know when your warranty expires, and all 500 of the unpronounceable chemicals you’re putting in your hair.
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lanterns, and implement many red elements in the celebration, such as the red envelopes with money given to family. It is unclear when the Chinese first started celebrating the New Year, but it is normally said that it stems from the end of the year religious ceremony during the Shang Dynasty of China. Since there are many different regions of China, there are many different ways that people celebrate the New Year. However, there are a few standard and typical traditions that most Chinese families include while celebrating. A few days before the New Year, people will completely clean the house and everything in it to signify leaving the old and welcoming the new. In the past when bathing wasn’t common, people would take one to welcome the year. After cleaning, people decorate the house to welcome the year with many red decorations. Some popular decorations include upside down fu, dui lian, lanterns, year paint, papercutting, and door gods. The New Year’s Eve dinner at home is an important dinner for the Chinese, and it is a time to reunite with family members who live away from home. During the dinner, the dishes served are dependant on the family’s preferences, but usually fish and dumplings are served because both dishes signify prosperity, and because dumplings are the most important dish in northern China. The Shou Sui, or “after the New Year’s Eve dinner,” is the tradition of staying up all night until midnight to receive the new year with fireworks, another element of the New Year celebration. Similar to the legend, the fireworks are used to ward off evil, and it is said that the person who launches the first firework of the new year will have good luck. One well-known part of the traditions are the red envelopes given to young children by adults and the elderly. The packet contains an amount of money ranging from one to a few thousand Chinese Yuan. The people believed that the money in the envelope would keep the children healthy, suppress evil, and give them a long life. On New Year’s Day, people will either stay at home or visit friends and older relatives. In the following days, ceremonies honoring the gods and the ancestors take place. On the last of the fifteen days of celebration, the same day of the first full moon, the Yuan Xiao festival takes place. Also called the Lantern festival, the day is dedicated to hanging numerous lanterns, solving puzzles, eating rice balls named after the festival, and being with family. The Chinese New Year is much more significant than simply a day to ring in the new year. It involves many long-held traditions and multiple days of celebration before and after the actual day of the new year. However, these customs have been upheld for thousands of years, and keeping them is important to many Chinese families, not to mention that it’s a joyous time of celebrating with those you love and plenty of food.
New Year, Old You... Comic by Anna Quast
SPORTS
TIS’ THE SEASON FOR A KNIGHT BALL Written by Alec Rupp
This year’s girls’ and boys’ varsity basketball teams have been doing well early on in their seasons. The boys have 18 wins and 2 losses as of their game on January 20th, while the girls have 14 wins and 6 loses as of their game on January 19th. Currently in the season, the league games are underway. On January 13th, the boys’ basketball team played Serra, where our team crushed the opponent by a score of 70 - 31. The boys’ varsity team consists of seniors Connor Cole, Jordan Schakel, and Ethan Thompson, juniors Daniel Matheney, Cyrus Johnson, David Singleton, Nick Sullivan, Fletcher Tynen, and Jalen Washington, and sophomores Jordan Archie, Will Crawford, Gianni Hunt, Nick Schrader, and Josh Vasquez. With the season still young, it is important to remember to support our basketball teams, especially to support our soon to be graduating seniors. The girls’ varsity team includes seniors Jessica Malazarte, Alexis Heaney, Asia Anderson, and Brooke Murray; juniors Samantha Isozaki, Raniyah Reynolds, and Sophia Carroll; sophomore Kayla Padilla; and
freshmen Cyan Dyke and Nicole Hayase. With much excitement surrounding both teams, it is safe to say that all their games will be very entertaining to watch. Excitingly, the boys’ varsity had an out-of-state game in Massachusetts on January 16th against Montverde Academy, which was a very close game, but ended in a loss of 73-67. The girls’ varsity has also had many exciting games so far this season, for example their games against Cantwell-Sacred Heart on January 10th and St. Anthony on January 17th. The girls’ varsity has definitely started out the new year strong with 4 wins and 1 loss so far in league, making for an exciting season. The boys’ team has also started out well with 6 wins and 1 loss in league. With so many exceptional players on both teams, I highly recommend that you take the time to watch one of their fantastic games not only to be entertained, but to cheer on your fellow classmates!
WHERE IN BISHOP?
Above: Jessica Malazarte takes in the ball for a bucket and a foul.
Above: David Singleton drives in to score a lay-up against Serra on January 13th.
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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 “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!
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Above: Congratulations to the winners from the last issue: Kathryn Graz ‘17, Margarita Herrera ‘17, and Eloise Belandres ‘19. They won a snack bar voucher for guessing the correct places. The locations from our last issue were: Mrs. Moureau’s classroom 306, The sign outside of 306, and TMH.
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Entertainment
Movie BuzZ Puzzle Created by Stephanie Trelease and Caroline Cusolito
Across 6. This movie set in the 1950s landed Viola Davis a Golden Globe 10. Thirteen years after the original, this heartwarming follow-up movie was a must-sea 13. Based on a play by Tarell Alvin McCraney, this movie traces the life of an African-American man in Miami 14. Emma Watson will return to her French roots in this upcoming live action Disney classic 15. This new musical romance swept the Golden Globes and is expected to win big at the Oscars Down 1. The highly-anticipated eighth episode of Star Wars has been given this title 2. This based-on-a-true story movie highlighted the triumphs of African-American women working at NASA 3. Split saw the return of this acclaimed director 4. Natalie Portman shined in this historical biopic 5. The Harry Potter universe found a new hero in Eddie Redmayne’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them character 7. This much-hyped villainous flick disappointed many viewers 8. Ryan Reynolds charmed his way into audience’s hearts with this superhero comedy 9. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s score propelled this Hawaiian heroine on her ocean adventure 11. Judy Hopps hopped her way into the Disney record books with this heartwarming animated tale 12. A new chapter in an iconic franchise featured new characters with nostalgic themes
Film Me In: New Movies Written by Sarah Oppenheim and Annaliese Rupp A long time ago in a galaxy not so far away the world was introduced to Star Wars. Now the world is introduced to a new story that takes place in the Star Wars universe, but it is not about Luke Skywalker. It is called Rogue One, and it is about a girl called Jyn Erso, whose father works for the evil Galactic Empire. She sets out with the heroic Rebel Alliance to try to find out about the new “super weapon” the Empire is constructing. This new weapon, the Death Star, has the ability to destroy an entire planet. Jyn hopes to find a weakness in the Death Star which will allow the Rebel Alliance to destroy the weapon before it destroys all freedom and hope from the galaxy. The fantastic story takes place between the Star Wars movies The Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, and it helps connect the two. Rogue One ends almost exactly where A New Hope begins and explains the nineteen year time lapse between the films. While there are some classic characters returning, there are also some amazing new characters including: Jyn, the girl with hope; Cassian Andor, the rebellion pilot who teams up with Jyn; and K-2SO, the sarcastic droid and Cassian’s shipmate. Though some hard-core Star Wars fans may have a bad feeling about this, the movie promises to be a great one. Critics rate it an 8.5 out of 10, which is the same rating that The Force Awakens received. With an amazing plot, new and old characters, and high critic ratings, Rogue One is a fantastic film that is sure to become just as beloved as the original Star Wars. An entirely new movie that pays homage to films of the past is
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La La Land, a movie featuring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. The talented director and writer of the film is Damien Chazelle. It is a romance, comedy, and musical all put into one! In the movie, a barista named Mia dreams of becoming an actress despite many failed auditions. She meets Sebastian, is a jazz pianist who longs to own a jazz club. Both normal people with enormous dreams, they develop a special connection with each other. Mia is determined to pursue her acting career, so she starts to write a one-woman stage play. Sebastian joins with Keith, played by John Legend, to bring back jazz in today’s modern world. However, with their own great aspirations, it is difficult to not have conflict between these two characters. The music and dancing in the film is amazing, and many people call it “magical.” It was nominated for seven awards at the Golden Globes. The popular movie won all of them, making it the most successful film ever at the Golden Globes. Interestingly, Ryan Gosling had to learn how to play the piano for his character in the movie. John Legend, a singer and pianist, stars in the film and had to learn how to play the guitar. The New York Times wisely states, “The real tension in La La Land is between ambition and love, and perhaps the most up-to-date thing about it is the way it explores that ancient conflict.” Now, the film is nominated for a historic fourteen Oscars and is expected to win big.
Sports
Meeting the Goal: BMHS Soccer Written by Arabella Stadvec and Steven Alvarado
The season for Bishop Montgomery Boys’ and Girls’ Soccer had quite a rainy start. With days of rain and flooded fields, some of the first home games for Bishop were rained out, cancelled, and moved to another date. However, the rainy weather has not stopped the Knights from heading on the field, and Girls’ and Boys’ soccer has still been able to come out with some wins. Girls’ Varsity have had a tough and close season, coming out with an overtime win against St. Anthony with a winning goal from Junior Erin Atkinson during overtime. The girls proudly left the field with a 2-1 win. Girls’ Varsity has also played La Salle and St. Joseph’s, falling to each team by only two goals. “We came out strong at the beginning of the season and hope to end the same way,” said senior Rebecca O’Connor. With a few games left, the girls hope to continue playing well together and finish the season on a positive note. Girls JV soccer has had an awesome season and have gone undefeated in their league. The girls improved from the beginning of the pre season and through league. The team has a very strong dynamic and are all committed to playing well and having a successful season. “The season is going well, we have a very good team dynamic and ev-
eryone works well together,” said sophomore Kennedy Dierks. With an undefeated record, the JV girls still have a few tough games remaining, but they are remaining positive and working hard at practice to make sure they end the season on a good note. The girls have defeated St. Anthony’s, La Salle, and St. Joseph’s, and they hope to finish the season undefeated and league champs. Boys Varsity soccer has had a pretty consistent season with some wins and some losses. With a 6-6 season and only 1 tie, there is still more to be expected in the upcoming games. But they have to push strong because the playoffs are only a few games away! “The team is doing well and is showing improvement from last year. We are working towards playoffs and everyone is committed and excited to see what will happen,” mused junior Markus Radd. The next home game will be on the first day of February, so make sure you go and support our Knights! Boys’ Junior Varsity soccer team has seen an improvement within their team chemistry throughout the season. They started out their season with a win and a loss, but morale went low after their second game with a 4-0 score. Nevertheless, they managed to stay headstrong and brought
a 2-2 tied game to the table. “We are doing pretty good for what we were doing in the beginning of the season,” said freshman David Williams. As the JV team works harder to strengthen themselves, they are getting a taste of what it is to be playing for their school. Just keep in mind that playing on a team is a responsibility that has to be shared with your teammates,
and with it all the possible outcomes. Help them win and support our school!
Above: Rebecca O’Connor ‘17 dribbles the ball past her defender.
ATHLETE OF THE MONTH:
Ethan Thompson Written by Camile Petroni Photographed by Julija Garunkstis
Congrats to Ethan Thompson for being chosen as Knightlife’s January Athlete of the Month! Ethan continues to carry the BMHS Knights Varsity Basketball team as one of the senior captains and leading scorers. Here is an insightful Q&A with Bishop’s lead player. Q: How long have you played basketball? A: Since third grade. Q:What are you looking forward to this basketball season? A: Home playoff games because lots of students come to the games. It’s always fun so see them come out and support. Q: Do you think the team will continue to do well this season? A: We have a really good team with great players, and I think that we are still trying to improve and get better everyday. Q: Do you plan on becoming professional? A: I would like to if possible. Q: Are you looking forward to playing in college? A: I am very excited to play at Oregon State. It will be lit! Q: How do think the team will do after you graduate? A: I think they will continue to do well because of the great coaching staff and good players that will continue to play on the team. Left: Athlete of the Month Ethan Thompson drains the perfect shot.
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Entertainment
Mariah Carries Us Into 2017 Written by Haya Rabadi and Devin Brown Photographed by Mariana Madrigal Mariah Carey- the well respected pop star of the 1990s whose legacy is still growing today. Winning five out of thirty-four Grammy nominations over the years and selling more than 200 million records worldwide, it is no wonder she is one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Carey has eighteen number-one singles in the U.S., more than any other solo artist, and is famed for her fiveoctave vocal range and whistle register. Her most successful single of the 2000s was “We Belong Together,” the same song she performed during her New Year’s’ Eve lip syncing disaster. Carey performed in Times Square on ABC’s “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin Eve with Ryan Seacrest” and was the final pre-midnight act for the show. She kicked off her performance with her own rendition of Auld Lang Syne, but she was visibly flustered when she couldn’t hear backup vocals, and Carey’s struggle continued in her song “Emotions,” as she failed to reach notes and sync the lyrics with the music. In an effort to save her performance, Carey proceeded to take off her faulty earpiece that didn’t allow her to hear the music, but she then couldn’t hear the music over the boisterous
crowd. Mariah Carey, mid-song, attempted to explain to the audience that there was not a proper sound check before her performance. The final blow, however, was Carey giving up during her “We Belong Together.” As she attempted to sing, a recording played behind her, proving Carey was indeed lip synch-
ing, and she left the stage defeated. Carey’s reps rushed to salvage her tarnished reputation, claiming that the show’s producers knew her mic pack was not working and purposefully did not fix technical problems in order to score higher ratings. Mariah and her people also stated that after Mariah told the stage managers
Above: Seniors Alexa Roberts, Kara Montilla, and Jamie Figueroa react to Mariah Carey’s New Years Eve Performance with shock and amazement.
It’s Award Season! Written by Jackie Pistole and Matthew Alcedo
The Golden Globes, the celebration of acting and producing, is a celebration of the arts. Within the walls that held such an event was were not only what some would consider the greatest actors, actresses, and directors of this modern era, but also the stories of mankind, the stories that brought us to our feet clapping, rocked us to our emotional core, or simply showed us a world beyond the likes of which we never dreamt possible. Stories like the struggles of a kid in Miami or of a couple hoping to make a name in the glamour of Hollywood offered us a way out of the gritty reality that we sometimes live in and step into a world of lofty fantasies that, while it may not last, allows us to see the possibilities and think of new ones. These masters of the arts, although commonly stereotyped as egotistical and narcissistic, come alive not only through their works, but also in the way they react when it comes to award shows like this, showing that they indeed may be actually human after all. 2016’s Golden Globes
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awards took place on January 8, hosted by Jimmy Fallon. Among the most prominent winners was the musical La La Land, receiving an astounding seven nominations and seven wins. The movie features stars Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, who portray the charming love story between an actress and jazz pianist. Both Stone and Gosling received “Best Actress, Actor in a Musical or Comedy” for their stellar performances, to add to La La Land’s five other awards, including “Best Comedy or Musical Motion Picture” and “Best Director.” Many hope that La La Land’s astounding success prefigures its future success at the Oscars, for which it has been nominated for 14 Academy awards. More notable mentions of the Golden Globes include Moonlight, which took “Best Motion Picture, Drama,” Casey Affleck of Manchester by the Sea, who won “Best Performance by an Actor,” Zootopia’s “Best Motion Picture, Animated,” and “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role,” awarded to Viola Davis for
her astounding role in Fences. The 89th Academy Awards are set for February 26, showcasing a grand array of nominations. Nominated for “Actor in a Leading Role,” are Casey Affleck of Manchester by the Sea, Andrew Garfield from Hacksaw Ridge, marking his first Academy Award nomination, Viggo Mortensen for his role in Captain Fantastic, Ryan Gosling in La La Land, and Denzel Washington for his part in Fences. For the females, Natalie Portman in Jackie, Ruth Negga in Loving, Isabelle Huppert from Elle, Meryl Streep from Florence Foster Jenkins, marking her 20th nomination in the Academy Awards, and
that her ear piece was not working, they told her that it would be fine once she was on stage. Dick Clark Production countered back that that they would never compromise an artist’s success and name. Despite the controversy arising from Mariah’s lip synching, many argue that it is not unforgivable that artists lip sync during such large events in cold climates - in fact, it’s justified. Often singers cannot sing at low temperatures due to the risk of damaging their voice, so Mariah Carey was not wrong in lip syncing her performance, as it was most likely an attempt to save her vocal capacity. Senior Sami Gutierrez even agrees that “although the performance was a flop, she’s still iconic and relevant in 2017 since she influenced today’s well known pop stars!” So maybe Mariah Carey did not give her greatest performance, but she still is a huge star who managed to garner publicity, albeit not the most positive but publicity nevertheless. Overall, it can be agreed that Mariah Carey sure knew how to end 2016 with a bang.
Emma Stone of La La Land, all took nominations for “Actress in a Leading Role.” Nominated for “Best Picture” are Arrival, Fences, Hacksaw Ridge, Hell or High Water, Hidden Figures, La La Land, Lion, Moonlight, and Manchester by the Sea. Time Magazine conducted a survey, and the majority of the public expects La La Land to receive “Best Picture,” followed by Moonlight and Manchester by the Sea. Casey Affleck is expected to win “Best Actor,” while Natalie Portman is anticipated to receive “Best Actress.” Whether the results will mirror those of the Golden Globes, one can only wait to see the Oscars to find out! Above: Alex Tobias ‘17 is a big fan of “La La Land” and all the great songs and dances in the movie.
CURRENT EVENTS
The Inauguration of America’s 45th President, Donald Trump Written by Anjelika Esteban
As we all know, with a new year comes new changes. On Friday, January 20, the Inauguration of our 45th president took place in the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington D.C. Despite the downcast weather of that particular day, a decent amount of people were gathered at National Mall, one of the country’s highly regarded parks that houses the Washington Monument. Besides the crowds of people waiting in raincoats and underneath umbrellas in anticipation for the ceremony to begin, to add to the excitement were the arrivals of former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush and their wives Hillary Clinton (also one of last year’s presidential candidates) and Laura Bush as well as Trump’s very own children: Ivanka, Tiffany, Eric, Donald Jr., and ten year old Barron. As arrangements for the event were being made, musical performances were done by the National Cathedral Choir of Washington D.C., the U.S. Marine Corps Band, the Missouri State University Chorale, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and Jackie Evancho, the runner-up of the fifth season of America’s Got Talent back in 2010. Prior to watching the Inaugural ceremony, I’ve personally never witnessed or remember seeing any of the inaugurations of the nation’s
past presidents. I also have never paid very close attention to politics in general, and only knew the basic facts of last year’s candidacy through social media, family members and friends, and conversations I’ve been a part of. In other words, I tried to keep an open mind. As I watched the ceremony, however, different feelings arose, and it was apparent how significant this particular event was to the country’s citizens based on the fact that those who were present were willing to dedicate a part of their day to this occasion. One of the moments that I found bittersweet was when First Lady Michelle Obama (together with incoming First Lady Melania Trump) was preparing to make her departure from the White House to the Capitol Building since it would be the last time she would be acknowledged as the current First Lady, and would be leaving the place she has called home for eight years. When all attendants arrived and were settled, the swearing-in ceremony eventually took place with Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas administering the Oath of Office to then Vice Presidentelect Mike Pence, and Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts giving the oath to Trump. I did not know beforehand that the oath of
Nintendo Switch:
Switching its Focus From Gimmicks to Quality Written by David Carroll
In October Nintendo debuted the Nintendo Switch. Nintendo’s next upcoming console will be released March 3rd. The Nintendo Switch is a tablet console hybrid similar to the WiiU, however, it can be taken anywhere, has significantly more graphical power, and has an exciting assortment of new games. The Switch has a control pad similar to that of the Wii U. According to Gamespot.com “ the Nintendo Switch sits in a ‘Nintendo Switch Dock’ that connects it to a TV. You can then lift the system out of the dock and it will ‘instantly’ transition into a portable mode. The detachable controllers that sit on either side of the Nintendo Switch are called ‘Joy-Con’ controllers.” Gamespot also details that the “Joy-Cons” can be removed and used similar to a Wii controller and Nunchuck. Additionally one “Joy-Con” can be given to two players to use in multiplayer. According to CNet.com, the Nintendo Switch will use cartridges instead of DVD roms and, according to Gamespot, it will not be backwards compatible with physical Wii U discs or 3DS cartridges. However, virtual console games have yet to be commented on. According to Nintendo’s
Switch presentation on their official website, the Switch will also support local multiplayer up to 8 switch consoles at once. Nintendo, subsequently, is also going to launch a paid subscription service to assist in online multiplayer which will also grant access to NES and SNES titles in the fashion of a rental service. For the first time Nintendo will not region lock their home console. This means that users can now import and play games that were never released outside of Japan and or never released in the USA along with setting up separate accounts for buying games on foreign E-shops, Nintendo’s virtual game store. There will be built-in support for taking screenshots of gameplay and ways of using Amiibo figurines on the console. Nintendo also revealed they will be implementing a new HD rumble feature which, instead of simply vibrating, will realistically simulate how specific objects feel in reality. In the presentation, their speaker’s analogy was that if the a Joy-Con you were holding was a water glass then you could feel the difference between putting an ice cube in the glass, putting multiple ice cubes in the glass, and pouring water into a glass. Finally, the Nin-
the Vice President-elect would be longer than that of the President’s; it was puzzling and a bit interesting at the same time. Following that was the speech given by the newly announced President—also known as the Inaugural Address—in which Trump declared that from that day forward, from the commencement of his term, he would work to ensure that the focus of America's government would return to its people, while at the same time, maintain healthy relations with all nations and their people abroad. The Inaugural ceremony officially closed with Jackie Evancho’s rendition of the National Anthem, the Star Spangled Banner. Although she had an unsteady start, Jackie was able to recover quickly, and the power and balance of her voice were made existent to those who were
actually there; she preserved the song’s integrity through simplicity. The rest of the day’s performers also displayed impressive showmanship and genuine talent. In the end, I was capable of gaining a sense of what happens during the Inauguration without even being there. It was a positive experience learning about what the meaning behind having such an occasion was, and it will be thought-provoking to see how the succeeding ceremony would be like four years from now.
Above: Donald Trump becomes the 45th President of the United States. tendo Switch will support USB type C charging for charging with portable batteries and will support the traditional AC adaptor that is packaged with the console. Nintendo’s Switch presentation also showed off the Switch’s impressive launch lineup which includes Super Mario Odyssey which plays similar to Super Mario 64, in the idea that there is a central hub location which is used to explore vast open world sections, such as New York City, a Mexican desert, and a world made of cake each with multiple objectives. Super Mario Odyssey will release this holiday season. Next up is Dragon Quest 11, a turn based role playing game for Nintendo Switch and 3DS. Dragon Quest 11 is the first single player Dragon Quest entry on consoles since Dragon Quest 8 on the PS2 in 2005. Unlike its predecessors, Dragon Quest 11 appears to be an open world game similar to Skyrim, which will also be coming to the Nintendo Switch. The 3DS version will play like older Dragon Quest titles and will be radically different from the Switch version. Another open world game which will be releasing on the Nintendo Switch is The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild. This new installment in the Zelda series takes place in a post-apocalyptic Hyrule where Gannon destroyed the kingdom and is sealed in Hyrule Castle. You play as Link, as usual. However, the game starts when he wakes up from a futuristic hibernation capsule. This open world adventure will have
link explore a vast open world, craft his own healing items, scavenge weapons and armor from enemies, uncover forgotten memories of his past, and feature voice acting. A project by Square Enix was announced at the presentation called Project Code Name Octo Path Traveler, which is an HD pixel art game with impressive shadow and other visual effects. The 2D characters and backgrounds are tilted upright in a way reminiscent to Paper Mario. Other games shown off in the presentation were Xenoblade Chronicles 2, a new Fire Emblem game, and a new Shin Megami Tensei game, Finally there is Splatoon 2 which will launch in summer this year. This assortment of games, third party support, and general good impressions of the Nintendo Switch seem to indicate that this will be different from the launch of Nintendo’s weakly supported last generation console the Wii U, which failed to attract as many people as the Wii did due to poor marketing. Nintendo’s future looks bright. What a perfect way to usher in the New Year!
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Campus Life
Club Corner: Robotics Written by Erin Hall Photographed by Simon Tran Tuesdays and Thursdays after school, Bishop’s robotics team, the Robo Knights, meets in their tiny robotics room and work on constructing a robot from raw materials and Tetrix parts. Led by Mr. Sansalone, this group of thirteen talented sophomores, juniors, and seniors spend hours every week (and the occasional weekend) building and testing their robot for competition. Every year, the Robo Knights participate in one of the top national robotics competitions - First Tech Challenge. Every year, high schoolers from around the globe build robots to compete in a specially-designed game. This time, the FTC competition, Velocity Vortex, challenges teams to build a robot that can collect and shoot wiffle balls, lift yoga balls off the ground, and push color-coded beacons. After spending months trying many different designs,
the team settled on a design for their new robot, Qui-Gon. Like past robots the Robo Knights created, Qui-Gon is mostly composed of heavyduty aluminum pieces and electronic components. Just a little less than eighteen inches tall, Qui-Gon is the largest robot the team has ever created. The robot boasts an impressive 18:1 gear ratio, which makes the robot’s launching mechanism impressively powerful. On some weekends, the team heads to robotics competitions at different high schools. Here, up to twelve teams play FTC’s game in five different matches. These matches last three minutes, the first thirty seconds of which are in an autonomous, or pre-programmed, mode. Two drivers manually control the robot. Each round, teams form an alliance with another to compete against two different opposing teams.
Teacher Trivia Corner Interviews by Katie Tomanek & Riley Parker
Question 1: What is your favorite ice cream flavor? Question 2: What is your goal as a teacher? Question 3: Who was your childhood hero? Mr. Adams 1. I really don’t like sweets, but if I had to pick one it would be pistachio ice cream with my grandpa at the thrifty store. Or maybe Haagen Dazs Coffee. Oh wait! STRAWBERRY. I don’t have a favorite ice cream.
Mr. Nakashima 1. I like rocky road - marshmallows, chocolate. 2. That they find a joy of learning. 3. Probably my JV Basketball coach Mr. Hicks - he also was a math teacher. Mr. Farkas 1. Hazelnut or pistachio. 2. They all pass. 3. Tarzan because he was just free.
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Above: The Robo Knights prepare Qui-Gon for competition by testing it on the game field.
On January 22nd, the Robo Knights headed to L.A.C.E.S. in Los Angeles, where they did quite well, placing fourth; they ended up fifth in their league overall. The next step for the Robo Knights is competing in FTC’s Interleague Tournament in Riverside, which determines which teams will move onto the Regional level. With any luck, the team and Qui-Gon will do well enough to move on.
Above: Mr. Sansalone, Kevin O’Donnell ‘18, and Brian Arucan ‘17, make last-minute changes to the robot at competition.
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, Lydia Dawson 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: 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, Katelyn Tomanek, Simon Tran, Zandra Tsao, Jenna Yu,
2. I’m all about technology and teaching philosophy; the saturation of technology on campus and how students can learn to efficiently use the information on the internet.
Staff Advertisers: Harrison Cook, Audrey Egekeze, Ricky Xu
3. The science Giants- I used to read physics books all the time and i still do. They really inspired me.
Graphic Designers: Caroline Cusolito (1-2), Stephanie Trelease (3-4)
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)
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.