The Explorer, Oct. 2011 (Spirit Week and Homecoming)

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Moreau Catholic High School

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27170 Mission Blvd Hayward CA 94544

Vol. 44. Issue 2. October 2011

Penny wars bring hope for students and patients

By Matthew Ramson Staff Writer

Only at Moreau could having a dollar be a bad thing. But there’s nothing bad about rasing $2,291.05 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

“This year’s Penny Wars was dedicated to Pennies for Patients, and the funding goes toward the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society,” ASB vice president Amanda Ang said.

“This was a perfect way to help these cancer patients,” Coronel said. We want to do anything that will help those in need.”

“Healthy competition between classes really unites each class and we’re all coming together for a common goal to beat each other,” ASB President Marcus Coronel said.

“In my opinion, it’s a really easy way for classes to earn up to 200 points, and all the proceeds go toward a good cause!

The classes can still be competitive and someone is able to benefit from it,” Ang said.

Spirit Week 2011

Moreau’s annual Spirit Week charity fundraiser returned this year with a similar look. The jars were outside of the library for a week, and freshmen flocked to deposit as many pennies as possible.

The upperclassmen held back, in traditional fashion, trying to make it look like there wasn’t any participation. Of course, everyone knew they were just waiting until the last day for a mass cash-in and last minute sabotage.

Here’s the way things work: Pennies are worth one point.

At the same time, nickels, dimes, quarters, and all other money is negative points (a nickel would be minus 5 points, a dime worth minus 10, and so on). The class with the most pennies at the end of the week gets 200 Spirit Week points, last place getting 100 points for participation.

“You know what they say, ‘Every penny counts!’ And it does in spirit week. Sometimes the smallest things can make a big difference,” Coronel said.

Scores & Results Skit & Dance Reviews Homecoming Dance: We Own the Night Homecoming Game vs. John Swett

Spirit Week: It’s just one little change, don’t Swett it Editor In-Chief

news iPhone 4S pg. 7

It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt. At least that’s how members of the Moreau community felt about classes’ skits in past years.

For several years, the main focus of all spirit week skits has been to make fun of other classes. This form of entertainment has become a sort of “tradition” during Spirit Week.

“After last year’s performances, a lot of the staff noticed a change in atmosphere during performances, because the skits were more focused on bashing other classes than building class spirit,” senior class senator Andrew Salvatin said.

Assistant Principal of Campus Life Katie Teekell also noticed a change in the demeanor of students and teachers because of this so called tradition, and questioned the need

opinions Facebook Changes pg. 4

to keep it. After discussing this issue with student government, they came to the conclusion that there were no valid reasons to continue making fun of other classes.

“While class competition is part of the fun, there really is no part of bashing on other students that fulfills the mission of Spirit Week,” Teekell said.

In the past, feelings have been hurt, friendships have been ruined, and the themes of unity and family have been all but forgotten because of a few ill-advised punch lines.

“Some jokes were taken too far.

It’s funny to poke fun at the other classes, but the jokes were becoming just insults,” junior co-curricular commissioner Kristen Leahy said.

» Rule Change Page 12

sports Player Highlights pg. 18

Photos courtesy of DARREL NIELSEN

By Athenie Galvez

Senior Carlos Cueva and the John Swett gang were the target of the senior class.

entertainment features Halloween Costumes pg. 15

Spirit Week pgs. 8-12

OPINIONS

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Any age, any time

October 2011

Cyberbullying

a 21st century reality

By Elissa Joseph

Staff Writer

By Elise Reyes

Staff Writer

Being dressed in costumes. Ringing doorbells endlessly.

Knowing all the houses in your neighborhood that give the best candy. Coming home and sorting candy on the kitchen counter.

These experiences are what make up our childhood memories of Halloween, but have we out grown these traditions?

“You’re never too old to trick or treat. There is no age limit to having fun,” junior Jasmine Grewal said.

Trick or treating gives people the opportunity to be creative, use their imaginations, and just spend time with friends and family. Sounds like a wonderful, mind expanding, quality holiday to me.

So what, we’re in high school. Is there an unwritten rule that I’m unaware of? Is there a rule book for Halloween?

Does it somewhere state that people above the age of twelve should not enjoy and participate fully in Halloween?

“It’s easier for a little kid because they’re cute and everyone wants to give them candy,” senior Anees Khan said.

Now it’s reasonable that a person passing out candy might suspect a big giant person in a costume walking around with a pumpkin bucket asking for candy of being a little weird.

But that’s what Halloween is all about. Come on guys.

Step outside your comfort zones. Wear your full body costume complete with the mask and ask for your candy with pride.

Is that the problem? Perhaps it has gotten more difficult now that we’re older. I would argue however, that with age comes experience.

We may no longer be as “cute” as that six year old in

THE EXPLORER Editor-In-Chief Athenie Galvez News Editor Arianna Cruz Opinions Editor Josie Jayme Features Editor Dana McCall Entertainment Editor Karra Gardin

Photos and Images courtesy of Google Images.

Adviser: Dave Baptist

Sports Editor Johnathan Vivet Copy Editors Seth Borneman Dana McCall Health Editors Matthew Comandante

Statement of Purpose The Explorer is an open forum committed to honest and fair coverage of news and information for the students of Moreau Catholic High School and its community.

Students produce the newspaper and make primary decisions, making every effort to distribute a high-quality publication.

the princess costume but I am convinced we have other Halloween tricks up our sleeves. The kinds of tricks you learn after years and years of searching your neighborhood for the best candy.

“I’d rather go to a Halloween party with my friends than go trick or treating,” senior Melissa Daos said.

This response was one that I received a lot when I asked upperclassmen about going to a party versus trick or treating with friends. Maybe we’re all just too busy doing other things.

As we grow older things do start to change. It just pains me to say that maybe a majority of us have merely outgrown the tradition of trick or treating and Halloween altogether.

If this is true then I have to wonder what will be next.

What other traditions will we miss out on and allow to pass by? Hopefully not Birthdays and Christmas!

Staff Writers Anton Cardenas Jaipal Kaur Matthew Ramson Elise Reyes Dana McCall Michael Tacchella Katy Carscadden Kathy Parra Elissa Joseph

Letters to the Editors Policy: -Letters must be signed. Anonymous letters will not be printed.

-Letters will be printed as is except in the case of obscenity, libel, personal attack, or excessive length.

-The Explorer will edit minor grammar/ spelling mistakes without altering content.

Facebook. Twitter. Tumblr.

These three social networking sites have more than a few things in common.

They are places in which we can connect and chat with friends, share photos, and express our thoughts.

These sites also share an unlikely and negative trait: they make it easy for those to target others, otherwise known as cyberbullying.

Cyberbullying gives bullies an easier way to target their victims. These bullies, more often than not, usually choose to hide behind anonymous masks.

They feel powerful and that they can do and say anything without boundaries.

They don’t think before they speak, and they just let the hate flow through their fingertips. The internet allows them to say horrible, hurtful things to others that they normally would never say out loud or in person.

It gives them a way to “confront” others without physically getting involved. It gives them false courage to be bold and hurt the feelings of others. It’s quite sickening.

I am strongly against cyberbullying. I have been a victim of rude, hateful, and ignorant comments that people normally would have never said to my face.

I know what it’s like to have people bashing your appearance, beliefs, actions, and who you are as a person.

I know what it’s like to have people aimlessly trying to bring your self-esteem down.

I know what it’s like to be verbally attacked by someone who will stop at what seems like nothing to make you feel less than what you’re worth. “You’re fat and ugly.” “You need to lose weight.” “Nobody cares about you or what you have to say so shut up.”

These are only some variations of what I’ve personally dealt with. There have been times when those words hurt and there have also been times when I let those words affect me and lower my self-confidence, however, I’ve learned to not take those words personally.

There will always be people who will spot your flaws and find things that they believe are “wrong” with you.

In this technology driven society, teenagers are faced with horrible things like this everyday online.

Tumblr gives users the option to enable the “anonymous” message feature. Formspring, another website, also gives users the choice to ask/answer anonymous messages.

Ultimately, it’s how teenagers choose to deal with and overcome these awful and unfortunate situations.

“The way I think people should handle cyber bullying is by not taking what is said to them to heart, and not letting that faze them,” senior Diego Chicas said.

If you are an avid social networking user, you cannot escape cyberbullying. It’s found everywhere you turn and it’s not something that will automatically disappear.

Though there is no set solution for cyberbullying, there are many ways to avoid and overcome the unnecessary things people say.

“Be careful of what you say. The more you put yourself out there, the more you’re going to get back.

People that are more active online are the people that are the recipients of cyberbullying,” Assistant Principal Mike Aquino ‘91 said, “Looking out for each other is also a key part of it.

Make sure that you’re careful with your information and make sure your friends are clear with distributing information.”

What a person says behind a computer screen should not bring you down or get the best of you.

In fact, it should only make you stronger. Never mind what others opinions of you are.

People can only say so much. It’s what you do, how you act, and who you are that define you as a person.

Photos and Images courtesy of Google Images.

OPINIONS

October 2011

3

By Jatin Kumar Staff Writer

Obama-lights

*

Jan 20, 2009 Barack Obama is inagurated as president of the United States of America.

Jan 22, 2009 * Barack Obama an-

nounces the closure of Guantanamo Bay. June 26, 2009 Obama intorduces a stimulus known as “Cash For Clunkers,” an attempt to jumpstart the economy.

*

Dec 22, 2010 Obama repeals the controversial Don’t Ask Don’t Tell law.

*

Four years ago, he walked peacefully up to a podium as countless people chanted his name; his demeanor was calm as many watched with burning anticipation while he addressed a roaring crowd of millions that change had finally come to America.

I was a freshman sitting in my theology class as we watched Barack Obama get sworn into the most powerful position in the world. Looking back on these four years, how has Obama performed as our president?

“He is a very powerful and inspirational leader that changed America. He also is a very strong leader who has huge ideas. He really changed America with his ideals of ‘hope’ and a ‘change’ and with that Obama changed my perspective about the government and what it stands for,” senior Alexandra Chan said.

Obama’s unique ideas were a great factor of his 2008 presidential election. The “huge” ideas Chan mentioned has not been supported by his opponents, rather the political divide has grown wider.

Obama’s regulations and actions have come under fire from many media outlets. Furthermore, public support has decreased.

But is realistic to expect postive outcomes, given the amount of problems, in just one term?

“For the full effect of the Obama policy to be established, he would need another term to fulfill all of his statements. Obama care, Clash for Clunkers and many other of his programs all need to trickle in on his next term as president, because most of these plans need more that 4-5 years,” senior Daron True said.

Obama’s health plan, Obama care, was a great attempt in the field of health care, where thousands were granted the benefits of health care, however there were more negative reproductions than positive, still it was a good thought. His notable “Clash for Clunkers” program, later changed to Car Allowance Rebate System (C.A.R.S) was also a success in motivating the economy. The program helped car owners to turn in approximately 400,000 non eco-efficient cars, in exchange for a sum of money that allowed them to purchase newer fuel-efficient vehicles.

Photos Courtesy of FlickR Images

Obama: reviewing his first term as president

Barack Obama, President of the United States, has had a great impact on the lives of Americans everywhere. His impact not only was evident in America but across the world as well.

Obama has been criticized for not bringing both major political parties together. Obama is dealing with a Republican-controlled house and has been having a very tough time convincing both sides that his plans address the concerns of both parties.

And as critics note the many downturns of Obama’s term as president, I will always look up to him as a great leader who has inspired many of our youths not to give up, but to go forward in life no matter who or where you came from.

Ultimately Obama will not be remembered for his ideals of hope and change, but rather he will be judged on his handling of the political and economic matters confronting the nation today. He can’t be blamed for the problems he inherited, but he will be remembered by the results of his actions.

Eating green: literally A vegan perspective

By Ashley Berry Staff Writer

Photos Courtesy of FlickR Images and PETA

It can be a lot less challenging for them because they usually have others in their family who do not eat meat.

Senior Karthik Gudipati has been a vegetarian all his life and does not see anything hard about not eating meat. Many people feel their friends will tempt them to eat meat.

“I have gotten used to eating around people who eat meat,” Gudipati said.

Besides the health benefits, there are other rewards to being a vegetarian.

You will be standing up to animal slaughterhouses by choosing not to eat their products.

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, “raising animals for food creates 18% of global greenhouse gases. ” If more people were vegetarians, less animals would have to be raised for meat purposes, which lowers the amount of greenhouse gases significantly.

Taking it step by step is your best option if you are having a hard time. Start by not eating a certain type of animal or not eating burgers or hot dogs. Every time you cut something out of your diet, replace it with something else.

Becoming a vegetarian is the best thing that could ever happen to someone and it changed my life for the better. No matter the reason for making this choice, be it to help animals, better your health, or for the environment, it will make you feel rejuvenated. Changing what goes into your mouth can positively change your life and the world.

Here is a salad, a very common vegan choice of food. Packed with loads of protien, calcium and several other nutrients, salads are a game changer when it comes to staying healthy and fit.

Photo by Jatin Kumar/ The Explorer

Have you ever considered cutting meat out of your diet?

What’s stopping you?

There are plenty benefits of becoming a vegetarian. Many students at Moreau have already taken the supposedly difficult plunge and have stopped eating meat.

Some of the top health benefits include lower body mass indexes and conservation of your body’s water.

There is also less saturated fat, cholesterol, and contaminants that can be found in a lot of meat and fish products.

As long as you make sure to replace the vitamins you used to get from meat, you will feel a lot better.

“How much better you feel totally outweighs any difficulties you may have at the start,” Angela Doty said.

Many fear making this huge decision will be too much of a drastic change.

Even though going out to eat fast food or going to a restaurant can be hard at times, most places now have many options for vegetarians.

“I personally view it as too much of a hassle to make a sincere effort to change my lifestyle,” senior Jeffrey Venable said.

Being a vegetarian does not mean you will be forced to eat nasty food or food that is “too healthy.” Most of the time people are eating meatless meals without even noticing it.

The French fries, candy bars, and burritos many eat for lunch are indeed vegetarian. The school also offers healthier alternatives like salad, veggie dogs, yogurt, fruit, and other non-meat choices.

Some people do it for religious and/or cultural reasons.

Karthik Gudapati, explains the benefits of eating vegeterian foods and how it has affected his life

OPINIONS

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Facebook: More like Stalkbook?

October 2011

By Josie Jayme Staff Writer

Feed is for. On the other hand, it makes people powerless to conceal their information.

Like always, people should be conscious of the content that is posted online, since now, more than ever, one little click immediately makes your thoughts public. Keep in mind of the things you say and the context they’re in because you never know who will be looking at it.

As Catipon said, “If you don’t want something to be seen, then why post it?”

Photos courtesy of http://www.google.com

In recent months, Facebook has been continually revamping its website to make its social networking more user-friendly. A few changes have been miniscule, such as being able to “like” comments.

The biggest change of all was issued only a few weeks ago. The upper right corner of Facebook’s main page is now home to a tiny box with a whole lot of power. I’ve named it the “Stalk Box”.

Its miniature news feed shows what friends are doing on Facebook in real-time.

But what makes this different from the main news feed? This Stalk Box refreshes itself automatically, providing instant updates onto exactly what friends are doing.

When one’s cursor lands anywhere inside the Stalk Box, another box appears, transitioning from a simple notification to the post or picture in its entirety. This happens to any wall posts, even those on non-friends’ walls.

This new feature allows users to learn things about anyone, including people they don’t even know. It’s now easier than ever to “stalk” someone in one’s spare time.

First of all, I’m not the kind of person that will tell you who you can and cannot be friends with, but I don’t enjoy seeing a ton of random names appear on my news feed.

Secondly, this change has made it easier for Facebook users to get into other people’s business. Privacy settings allocate what content can be seen to different groups of people, but the Stalk Box overrides that. If your cursor accidentally lands somewhere in that box, there’s a possibility that somewhat private information could be revealed.

“I think this change is not violating someone’s privacy because whoever post something people will obviously see it.” Senior Janessa Catipon said.

The Stalk Box is both useless and powerful. Nobody really needs to know what people are doing in real time; that’s what the regular News

Reliance on Technology-Why are we so dependent?

ByJatin Kumar Staff Writer

tion. It seems that nowadays we are like slaves to the point of devices of voice modulation, and singers cannot seem to find a real voice, rather than a synthetic tune.

Auto-correct devices was originally a technology to promote writing fluency. However now since our writing depends on it, the whole point of auto-corrects seems to be nullified to a point of dependency.

So my message to all the people out there who use computers and rely on spell-check and other auto-correcting devices: For one day, try to turn off auto correct and go solo without the help of your electronic aid, and see a whole new world.

Photo by Jaipal Kaur/ The Explorer

Have you ever typed a whole paragraph without making a single mistake? Probably not.

Back in the day, before computers enriched our lives, it seemed that spelling and grammar mattered on everything. If you misspelled even one word, or even wrote one sentence wrong, the whole meaning of a passage would be misinterpreted.

With today’s technology-dependent world, it seems as if computer users are increasingly neglecting the basics of grammar and spelling.

Spell-check has become a given, and without spell-check and other autocorrect devices we would not be able to write as well.

Have you ever thought about why we are so dependent on technology?

“Our dependency of technology has disabled us to articulate ourselves in grammar and writing, without spell check we would not be as of efficient writers as we are today,” Junior Dhanika Halili said.

As Halili mentioned, it seems that our reliance on technology has affected our daily reading and writing abilities.

Senior Vishaljit Singh thinks that technology has misguided many people in the field of writing, and he brought up another area where technology seems to override traditional methods.

“Singers and songwriters are using auto-correct devices, such as AutoTune and pitch correcting software. It seems that they aren’t as talented at singing as their predecessors,” Singh said.

In this era, many auto-correcting devices are taking over our abilities to think and perform the way we used to do. For example, take the notion of auto pitching software that allows singers to enhance their voice and correct vocal mistakes. The whole aspect of auto-tune becoming the new voice of singers today sound cool, but the originality and the genuine voice talent is lost. Singers today are vocally dependent on the technological enhancement of their voices.

Really? Are you seriously going to let the computer do the singing for you? What happened to the good old days? Take singers like T-Pain and Bill Withers, two singers from completely different eras. They are great singers and songwriters in their own genre, but in my opinion, only one of them really sings, and hopefully we all know the answer to that ques-

Senior Stefanie Saflor (above) is one of the many students at Moreau who utilizes laptops in their everyday lives.

October 2011

NEWS

5

Halloween Around the World By: Elissa Joseph Staff Writer

Photo courtesy of Flickr.com

Halloween dates back over two thousand years to Ireland where people celebrated the end of summer and the beginning of winter.

On the evening of October 31, an ancient Celtic festival called Samhain was celebrated. It was believed that ghosts of the dead returned to Earth. Later this was blended with All Saints Day, a day to remember all of the Saints who did not have a specific day of remembrance. The night before was known as All Hallows Eve, which eventually came to be known as Halloween.

Halloween came to the United States when the Irish emigrated to America. It is a holiday that is celebrated in many places throughout the world.

In England children don’t traditionally trick or treat but instead go to different houses collecting money for the poor. This is called Sole Caking. Children also make “punkies,” which are large beets with patterns cut into them.They also go from house to house singing the Punkie Night Song.

Halloween has become popular in many Italian cities. During the day children dress up in costumes, but in the evening adults attend special costume parties at restaurants and night clubs.

Venice is famous for its “ghost walks.”

For a different twist in Mexico, Latin America, and Spain people participate in the Halloween celebration of El Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead.

People get calacas- wooden skull masks- and dance in honor of their deceased relatives. In the home, family members honor their deceased with offerings which consist of photos, breads, traditional foods, flowers, and toys.

The Chinese celebrate Halloween a little differently. During Teng Chieh people offer food, water, and light lanterns to guide the spirits.

In Hong Kong at the Disneyland park, one can see Halloween celebrated in a very unique way.

The star attraction is the headless horsemen who wanders the park in search of the person who stole Traditional Mexican Dia de los Muertos costume.

>> See Halloween on p. 12

Helping the Community: The CST and AP Statistics way By: Kathy Parra Staff Writer

Pictures provided by Christine Kosmicki

“Ok, class, we are going on a field trip!”

Don’t you just love it when a teacher tells you that your class will be going somewhere and missing school?

On September 25, students from the AP Statistics and CST classes visited Tennyson High School, Dig Deep Farms, City Slickers Farm, Mandela Marketplace, Hayward Community Garden, and Phat Beets.

They partnered up to study “Food Justice,” poverty, and their impact on health and nutrition. “We wanted students to discover the impact environments have on food choices. We started the year asking the question, ‘what is a food desert? And where are the highest obesity rates across the USA?’” AP Statistics teacher, Barbara Mangiardi, said.

Speakers from Tennyson High School, Phat Beets, and Mandela Markets came to Moreau and provided information about certain programs. “The programs taught students to focus on their dietary choices, the benefits of organic gardening, and also providing healthy food choices for areas close to Moreau such as Cherryland and West Oakland,” Mangiardi said.

“My group went to Dig Deep Farms, which is run by the sheriff. The organization gives jobs to former offenders of the law. It was a second chance for offenders to get back on their feet,” junior Clint Evangelista said.

This trip was a really great learning experience for these classes. “It was a great connection for students to see how youths are making a difference,” Mangiardi said.

More classes seem interested in going, “Mr. Tobler’s Green Engineering students will be joining the Students from both CST and AP Stat classes in action recently, making their community a better place. conversation second semester,” CST teacher, Amy Armstrong, who coordinated the field trip, said.

This trip motivated Moreau students to begin a partnership with St. Clement to build a school garden.

The CST and AP Statistics classes learned a lot from this trip, and had a fun time while learning. “At Dig Deep Farms we helped plant some of the vegetables. It was very hands-on and engaging,” Evangelista said.

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NEWS

Earning the Rite: Students gather as one to be released into the world

October 2011

By Matthew Ramson Staff Writer

Moving on can be a hard thing to do. Sometimes you have to earn your passage, especially in high school.

Moreau’s seniors had the opportunity to attend the inaugural Senior Rite of Passage Mass at Oakland’s Cathedral of Christ the Light on October 4.

The event was held to remind seniors that they can always rely on their faith and beliefs, even in the toughest of circumstances, and to unify the diocesan schools as one community.

Moreau was accompanied by the other Catholic high schools in the Oakland Diocese. Among attendees were De La Salle, Holy Names, Carondelet, St. Joseph’s Notre Dame, St. Mary’s (Berkeley), St. Elizabeth’s (SF), and of course, Bishop O’Dowd.

“It was a once in a lifetime kind of thing,” ASB Vice President Amanda Ang said. “I wanted to feel a sense of community with the rest of Oakland diocese.”

The mass was preceded by a mixer activity, forcing seniors to break away from their schools and try to connect with their diocesan brothers and sisters.

“Some peopled seemed shy, but I was also able to learn about other schools from those that were willing to talk,” Senior Co-Curricular Commissioner Sofia Aguirre said.

“I got to meet a lot of new people and make friends through common hobbies and interests,” senior Jade Santos said.

The event acted as more of a promotion ceremony than a school mass, like we have at Moreau. Students were given small trinkets, a special coin and a “Class of 2012” keychain, as reminders that they are now the role models of their school communities.

After the mass, the cathedral hosted a small college fair, featuring twenty-four Catholic colleges and universities. The larger schools represented included USF and Xavier University.

“I did try to look around,” Santos said. “None of the colleges really caught my eye, but I’m glad we were given the opportunity to see them.”

Some seniors even used the college fair time to socialize with their new friends from the icebreaker activity.

“I didn’t really look around because the colleges there weren’t of my interest aside from USF. I used college fair time to meet other people from other schools,” Aguirre said.

Whether you attended the mass or not, there’s one lesson all seniors can gain from that was brought up during the service: this is the end of your high school career. Savor it and enjoy every single moment of it.

“I looked forward to seeing other seniors and just share the excitement of senior year,” Santos said.

A look into the future: Moreau hosts annual alumni career day

By Jaipal Kaur

Photo Courtesey of Christine Kosmicki

Being in high school we all must have thought once or twice about what we want to do in the future.

On October 18, 2011, Moreau Catholic held its annual alumni career day during morning collaboration. Guest speakers included Stephanie Williams ’74- Author/Entrepreneur, Catalina Quijano ’89- Gaming Industry/Business, Christina Hernandez- Economist/ International Business, Savannah Perez ’04- Cosmetologist, and Tania Nunez ’97Architect.

“Career day is an opportunity for students to hear about what our Alumni career day representives gather for a group picture.

alumni are doing in their careers and the impact of a Moreau education,” Alumni Relations Director Dani Lorta said.

The speakers talked Students ponder their future career paths. about their experiences along with answering many questions and giving the students tips that will help them in their career paths.

“It’s a long road, it’s not as romantic as people play it up to be but it’s [also] a fun road,” said Nunez, who is currently an architect with AEDIS Architecture and Planning. “Be very selective in what school you go to, and really take advantage of being in school and learning what the teachers have to teach you.”

Senior Nathan Timbang, who listened to Nunez, learned about the life of an architect.

Photo Courtesey of Christine Kosmicki

Staff Writer

» Career Day Page 12

NEWS

October 2011

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iPhone: New & Improved The iphone 4S is here, complete with many new features.

By: Dana Mccall Staff Writer

The date? October 14, 2011.

The place? Any of the nation’s 245 Apple Stores.

The event? The release of the iPhone 4S. The fifth incarnation of Apple’s iPhone, dubbed the 4S, is an updated version of the previous model the iPhone 4. Sporting the exact same exterior design, the new phone’s major claim to fame is its new features.

The most exciting new tool is Siri, a voiceactivated personal assistant. Simply ask Siri a question, and it will provide answers gathered from various Internet resources. Siri can also send messages, make calls, and schedule events.

The iPhone 4S also comes with a more powerful processor, allowing for “two times more power and up to seven times faster graphics”, according to Apple. A better camera and expanded video capabilities round out the new features available only to the new device. iOS 5, the new iPhone operating system, was made available to all iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad users. Including a Notification Center,

iMessage, Reminders, Twitter integration, and photo editing features, it’s claimed to be “the world’s most advanced mobile operating system”. As of October 17, over 25 million devices are using iOS 5.

On October 14, the day of the 4S’s release, hundreds of people in the Bay Area alone flocked to Apple stores to obtain the phone. In the next three days, an estimated four million 4S’s were sold.

With the death of Apple’s founder, Steve Jobs, coming only nine days before the release, it’s no surprise that so many people turned out in Jobs’ memory. Preorders for the phone numbered over 1 million.

Freshman Alyssa Brown was one of those who pre-ordered the phone. “My dad preordered it just to avoid waiting in line,” Brown said.

Fresh Faces at Moreau

Eigth graders get a taste of what it’s like to be a student.

Jaipal Kaur Staff writer Being in middle school, the choice where to go to high school can be an important one.

During the month of October, Moreau hosted thirteen different Catholic middle schools from around the Bay Area, giving 368 eighth graders a chance to see what Moreau Catholic has to offer.

“Our school tours are basically a twohour program where we introduce eighthgraders to Moreau Catholic--the community, academics--and we introduce them to some of our students through our Link Crew presentations,” Director of Admissions and Communications Belinda Sandoval said.

During the tour, students were exposed to a few things they will see everyday at Moreau.

“We introduced a new portion which is an engineering challenge,” Sandoval said.

Through the tour, the students got to watch a student-movie and build a tower out of postit notes. “The idea with that activity is to introduce them to our small classes, and our hands on learning environment,” Sandoval said.

The goal of these tours is to bring in future Mariners. The objective is for the students to get a clear perspective of how things operate at this school.

“It’s their first entry and introduction to this school,” librarian Susan Geiger said.”While the shadow program is really

important for individual students to understand what it’s like at Moreau, the school tours give the impetus to actually sign up for the shadow program.”

A lot of people work towards making these school tours successful; different people worked towards making these school tours successful.

“The majority of the preparation falls on Ms. Bevilacqua and Ms. Sandoval who work very hard in the summer and right at the start of school to plan these tours,” Site Services Director Tom Alcott said.

Our very own Link Crew leaders also have a part in which they try to connect with the students. They talk about their experiences at Moreau Catholic and also get to interact with the eighth graders as they take them on a tour around the whole school.

“We can sit with some of the 8th graders and talk to them in the cafeteria, of course, while they try our famous fries,” Link Crew leader Stefanie Saflor said. “It shows them that an everyday aspect of going to high school, such as lunch, can be fun as well.”

Hopefully some of you actually got to talk to these fresh faces that visited Moreau.

“My favorite thing is knowing that they are excited to be prospective Mariners,” Link Crew leader Natalie Tierney said.

Shabnum Hamidi, a junior, ordered her iPhone a few days after the release. “So far, I love it, because it’s such an upgrade from my old phone,” Hamidi said.

But do teenagers really need such advanced phones?

In a survey of 96 Moreau students, 37% of them reported owning an iPhone. In addition, 88% of students reported that their parents pay for their cell phone bill. With iPhone data plans being, at minimum, around $30, having an iPhone, or any smartphone for that matter, can place a significant financial burden on a family.

But for some, the monetary issue is dwarfed by the need to be connected. “I think most teenagers benefit from iPhones, just to be updated.

We always want to know what’s going on,” said Hamidi.

FEATURES

8

October 2011

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Decorations Skit Dance Dressup Dressup Dressup Dressup Dressup Freshmen

68

45

67

90

94

352.5

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521.5

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60

65

87

80

89

392.5

790.5

508

Juniors

75

63

75

81

99

448

792.5

500.5

Seniors

80

77

87

79

95

467

863

597

SECOND PLACE JUNIORS 4164.5 3832.5 FIRST PLACE SENIORS SUPER FROSH BROS. BRAWL

SENIOR SOCK HOP

From marching in the halls Monday morning to “sleeping” during a spirit check, the senior class brought an unrivaled amount of energy to Spirit Week. Through many sleepless nights and practice upon practice, the senior class’ dedication and commitment were unmistakably evident.

“This year may have been the most stressful, hectic, and insane spirit week ever, but it was absolutely the best week of the school year and I’m going to carry the memory with me forever,” said senior Brittney Nguyen.

“Hard work pays off,” said Adam Sagapolu, and the scores are there to prove it. With a near-perfect 597/600 on dance, and the highest score out of the four classes on skit, the seniors’ dominance was proven.

“We definitely went all-out for everything, and I’m proud that we went out with a bang,” said Rachel Velasco.

“We’ve wanted this for years; it’s about time we got it,” said Brenden Espanola.

And they did. The senior class scored the highest amount of points, and thus won Spirit Week.

“It was our last time to show the school how amazing we really are.

We came together and made sure this week and our performances were unforgettable. We did it and we blew everyone away,” said Jade Santos.

It’s a wrap © 2012

Photos courtesy of Darrell Nielsen, Brenden Espanola, and Narciso Matthew Bernardo.

Being the newest Mariners, the freshman class wasn’t sure what to expect for Spirit Week.

“I expected Spirit Week to be a lot of preparation and work,” skit chairman Antoinette Acosta said.

The class had to work to overcome a few speed bumps while creating the skit.

Thankfully, the class moderators, James Hannon and Tony Rodriguez, were there to provide the class with support and ideas.

“The mission statement was [the moderators’] idea, and without it, we probably wouldn’t have had such a powerful message,” Vivian Tran said.

The freshman class practiced during collaboration and on weekends, but found themselves having a hard time perfecting their skit.

“At first, nothing was going as planned. But during our last rehearsal we all challenged ourselves to concentrate,” Meghan Momand said.

That last rehearsal paid off, as the freshman class scored second highest in skit.

The class is determined to do even better next year and has learned a lot from this year’s Spirit Week.

“We had nothing but positive feedback from the upperclassman.

I imagined everyone ‘hating’ on us because we’re freshman, but they made us feel so much better about ourselves,” Tran said.

FEATURES

October 2011

Spirit Spirit Spirit Flag Check 1 Check 2 Check 3

Penny Wars

11

HC HC Promo Poster T-Shirt Sales Game Dance

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87

50

187

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150

193

91

25

175

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200

182

175

300

100

197

96.5

75

180

195

198

186

100

200

150

209

92.5

100

THIRD PLACE SOPHOMORES 3655.5 3691 FOURTH PLACE FRESHMEN STONE AGE SOPHOMORES

With last year’s second place finish, the class of 2014 had high expectations going into Spirit Week.

“My main expectation was that we would use Spirit Week as an opportunity to bring us closer and build on last year’s success,” class moderator Jaime Fernandez said.

Senator Jenna Gomez agreed, but said that their strong finish last year didn’t necessarily guarantee them a top spot this year. “I had high expectations for sure, but I knew we couldn’t get carried away just because we got second place last year.”

With high hopes, the sophomores approached Spirit Week with more confidence and competitiveness, ready to compete. “[There was] better communication and organization,” Fernandez said. “The class officers were really on top of getting everyone together and keeping to a timeline.”

Senator Samantha Garcia is proud of the way her class handled adversity and overcame obstacles. “Even when we came across problems, we found a way to get through them. I think my class did a great job cooperating with one another.”

“We worked hard and came a long way. I know for a fact that we became a stronger and more unified class, and we’ll grow from our failures to become successful. I love my class and I couldn’t have asked for a better one to work with,” Gomez said.

SUPERJUNIORS

Coming off two consecutive last-place finishes, the junior class was restless and eager for their turn to shine. With such high spirits, the possibilities were endless.

“My expectation for my class is honestly just for us to do the best that we can. We’ve been trying to get as much class participation as possible, so I hope that our class is excited about being involved,” said vice president Lisa Machado.

“This year our class bonded a lot and became more of a family, as opposed to other years,” said co-curricular commissioner Kristen Leahy.

This family of “superheroes” awed everyone on Monday with their skit and dance.

“I think my class met our expectations for spirit week more than I thought. We did so well in skit and dance,” said senator Rigo Carvajal.

With such an amazing performance, the juniors were very much surprised with the scores that ended up on the board. A last-place finish in dance and third-place in skit shocked the entire class.

“Even though our scores were lower than we expected, we realized that they are just scores and don’t define our hard work,” said president Bryan Quibol.

“I think the class has done better than they have done before. There was such unity amongst the class,” said moderator Philip Wilder.

October 2011

FEATURES

Spirit W e e Speci k 2011 al E dition

9

Features

10

We Own the Night

By Katy Carscadden

Homecoming Court

Homecoming King & Queen:

Ming Chung & Krissy Segismundo Senior Prince and Princess:

Andrew Herce & Amanda Ang

Aaron Acosta & Ashley Nepomuceno Junior Prince & Princess:

Gabe Schrag & Sydney Cariel

Sophomore Prince & Princess:

Jack Alexander & Krystal Orteza

Freshman Prince & Princess:

Lauren Roxas & Desiree Santos All photos courtesy of Narcisco Bernardo

Varsity Homecoming Game vs. John Swett

By Athenie Galvez In this year’s matchup with the John Swett Indians, Moreau prevailed with astounding victories with varsity winning 42 – 14 and Junior Varsity winning 50 – 16. Before the game, song and rally squad pleased the crowd with a show stopping performance. At halftime, he Homecoming court, led by seniors Krissy Segismundo and Ming Chung, were presented in a sailboat and paraded around the field for all to see. The Mariner football teams and Homecoming court represented Moreau well and reminded us why we’re proud to be Mariners.

October 2011

NEWS

12

October 2011

FACULTY SKIT

» Rule change from Page 1

“It was the best faculty skit I’ve seen in my four years at Moreau.”

- senior Lupita Gonzalez

Staff Writer

Photo courtesy Darrell Nielsen

“The faculty skit was so creative and they did an amazing job!”

- senior Karina Sanchez “It was swag” – junior Anna Martin

“Only at our school would the teachers say ‘cool story bro,’ and throw pancakes at each other.” - senior Stephanie Ho

The senior class stole the show with their witty jokes about John Swett.

“It seemed like Spirit Week was becoming less about getting the school excited for the Homecoming game, and more about bashing on the other classes,” Leahy said.

Like Leahy, ASB senate leader Ashley Nepomuceno saw that the goal of Spirit Week was to mock and ridicule the other classes for an entire week.

“We were competing to see who could make the best insults,” Nepomuceno said.

By Matt Ramson

The onset of any change can be difficult to cope with, but senior co-curricular commissioner Richard L’Heureux thinks that this change, although a major one, was one for the benefit of the school as a whole.

“Spirit Week is supposed to be about coming together as a class, but at the same time, using the good-hearted competition between the classes to come together as a school,” L’Heureux said.

“If they were to compete with the classes, I think they’d win.”

- senior Annie Javier

“I was ecstatic to see Mr. Rangchi’s surprise zombie-ninja performance.”

- senior Jonathan King “Pancakes + zombies, with some T-Rod breakdancing = win.”

- senior Jocelyn Crittendon

Photo courtesy Darrell Nielsen

“I thought the faculty skit this year was better than in years past. A+!” – junior Larry Maya

The sophomore voice actors perform on the first day of Spirit Week.

» Halloween from Page 5

Halloween came to the United States when the Irish immigrated to America. It is however, also celebrated in many places throughout the world.

Career Day had an opportunity to learn about the myriad of interesting, creative and inspired careers that are available to them,” Lorta said.

THE SPEAKERS: + Stephanie Williams ‘74 An alumni speaker presents about her chosen career.

“I learned all the basic concepts from starting off and then getting really into the architectural business. To my surprise, being an architect doesn’t require a great knowledge span of math or artistry. It’s all about being good with working with other people, creativity and computers,” Timbang said.

Another helpful tip was given by Quijano, as she talked about her work in the video game industry.

“You also have to be okay to handle criticism, be able to learn from that, and not let your ego get in the way,” Quijano said, who is a Localization Project Manager for Ubisoft, Inc. “You want to be confident but to be open to ideas/opinions.”

Senior Joseph Culaton learned that in the video game industry, you have to put in effort to get a good output.

The students that took part in most likely got something out of the experience that will help them better shape their future.

“I hope that the students who participated in Alumni

Jaipal Kaur/Explorer

No matter where it is celebrated however, Halloween is still often dedicated to remembering those who have died. It is also a day for having fun with family and friends.

Photo courtesy Flickr.com

Photos courtesy Darrell Nielsen

» Career day from Page 6

Jaipal Kaur/Explorer

his head.

Halloween is newer in Japan where people like to masquerade.

Costumes such as, anime and ninja characters are the most popular.

Today Halloween is a holiday celebrated by more than 68.6% of Americans in the United States, according to the 2011 NRF survey.

“It was cute, well done, and the cherry on top came with Mrs. Kyle and Mr. Morneau running in at the end. It was truly memorable.”

- senior Andrew Salvatin

Students sit at attention listening during Alumni Career Day.

Author of Sanctuary and Mad Lavender

+ Catalina Quijano ‘89 Localization Project Manager @ Ubisoft, Inc. + Christina Hernandez Manager of the Women’s Action to Gain Economic Security (WAGES) + Savannah Perez ‘04 Cosmetologist @ Atelier Aveda in San Jose + Tania Nuñez ‘97 Architect with AEDIS Architecture and Planning

HEALTH

October 2011

13

Jolly ranchers, candy corn, and chocolate oh my!

By Matthew Comandante Health Editor

“Trick or Treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat.”

Around the time of Halloween, these words can be heard by many as trick or treaters roam the streets looking for candy. During Halloween, a person’s sweet tooth is magnified to the highest degree.

According to the U.S. Census, a person consumes about 25 pounds of candy each year with a majority of it coming from Halloween. So does this festive holiday really affect how much more we eat? Well for some students at Moreau, this seems to be true.

“I usually just eat candy around Halloween after I trick or treat with my family,” said senior Marbella Mejia.

Like many other students, Mejia goes trick-or-treating around her neighborhood. And like other trick or treaters, she always hopes to get her favorite candy.

“My favorite are Mike and Ike’s,” said junior Jacob Boos. “I eat a lot of it when my parents buy candy for trick or treaters.”

With candy at their fingertips, it’s no surprise that students eat more of it. But in what way does this candy affect their teeth?

The myth about Halloween is that too much candy leads to a mouth full of cavities. Well not quite.

Cavities are caused by bacteria that forms on our teeth. The bacteria feeds on tiny bits of food left in our mouth after eating. The cavities that you get could easily be from the pasta dinner you just ate, and not from Halloween candy.

“I don’t have any cavities from candy. I just have them from eating other foods,” said sophomore Danielle Vargas.

Now this does not mean you should eat more candy. Instead, it might be easier just to eat candy in smaller increments and not all at once. If you have smaller portions then you’re better off. Keeping track of how much candy you eat will be better for you, and your teeth.

Yaaaawwwnning

By Karanvir Singh Health Editor

You are sitting in class, and your mind is wandering. The teacher just continues to talk and you have no clue about what they are saying. Suddenly, you feel this tingle forming inside your throat, turning into that huge burst of air: a yawn. The next thing you know, a teacher is telling you to wake yourself up.

“If a student is feeling sleepy in class, they should stand up and stretch without disturbing others,” social studies teacher Robert Parker said.

We have this tendency to yawn in class, and many teachers don’t like it.

Often, that yawning leads to long naps during class.

“I’ve fallen asleep in class and my teacher didn’t notice,” senior Danielle Issa said. “I was so sneaky I slept for 25 minutes.”

However, does yawning really mean that you are sleepy? This assumption has become the norm in society. Yawning means you’re tired, and being tired means you need more oxygen.

“The first thing I do is open the windows, to let in some oxygen, if the classroom is stuffy,” Spanish teacher Ana Patterson said.

The truth is that yawning is not always a sign of boredom or being tired.

It can originate from just thinking about it.

“I always yawn when I see someone else yawn,” sophomore Kiana Otts said.

You may actually start yawning while reading this very article. But why do students yawn in class when no one is talking about it? The most recent theory suggests that the body stimulates yawning to cool off the brain.

“I didn’t know that, I thought it just meant that I was tired,” senior Kassandra Mangoba said.

It is this common stereotype that leads to teachers getting upset with students about yawning. Next time you get in trouble for that, tell the teacher you’re not even sleepy. They just need to open up a window.

Photos by Flickr

How to make your hair beautiful, just like in commercials

By Arianna Cruz News Editor

We all want the beautiful, healthy, luscious hair that is in commercials, but the fact of the matter is it is never going to happen. There are ways to keep your hair healthy, so we are here to help you with that.

Brushing Techniques: If you brush your hair before you shower, it removes the dirt from your hair making it easier to wash.

Brush your hair after it dries! If you brush it while it is wet, it will get damaged easily.

Drying and styling: Go natural! When you get out of the shower, let your hair dry naturally, this will bring moisture to your hair.

Try to avoid using hair dryers, curling irons and straighteners everyday, by doing this, you will not have as many dead and split ends. If you do end up curling, straightening or blow drying your hair everyday, be sure to use hair products that will protect your hair.

Did you know?

There are 100,000 hairs on your head? And we shed 80-100 of them

A&E

Mariners in the Hall 14

What do you keep in your backpack?

Jesus Arechiga ‘13

The Bible

Brett Betchart ‘14

Food

Gaming vs. grading

Emilio Galaviz ‘12

Headphones

October 2011

By Katy Carscadden Staff Writer

Mariah O’Rourke ‘15

Lunchbox

Christine Anschutz ‘13

Mints Photo courtesy of Google Images

VS

By Michael Tacchella Staff Writer You’ve finally beaten the last level. Those hours of gameplay that had you screaming in frustration at your TV or computer don’t matter anymore, you beat the game.

“It’s bittersweet beating the last level of a game I’ve been playing for awhile. I feel good for finishing the game but in a way I feel disappointed that it’s over, especially if I really enjoyed the game,” junior Michael Evangelista said.

Sure, a lot of us gamers anticipate the release of a new game we want to buy but have we ever really considered whether or not our purchase was worth it? The juicy hours of playing may seem fun at the time but do we really gain anything from it?

An experiment done by Robert Weis and Brittany Cerankosky has shown that many students who involve themselves with video games tend to fall behind on a lot of their schoolwork. That may be true, but it depends on how wisely we’re able to manage our free time after school.

“As with many things in life, video games are perfectly fine in moderation,” math teacher Michael Tobler said.

However, the fall and winter months are probably notoriously the worst when it comes to report cards. This is because these months are the months when companies choose to release many of their games they can sell for the holidays.

These games are usually the more popular games such as the new annual Call of Duty release in November. They release these games because they know people will drop whatever they are doing whether it’s schoolwork or, heaven forbid, a paying job just to play.

However, studies show it’s not all that bad we play video games. Video games help stimulate the mind in ways that improve our abilities to focus and to process a lot of information in a short period of time. A lot of people play video games for various personal reasons as well. “[Video games] help me release stress from my daily life and they allow me to do something I enjoy,” senior Leonard Lacap said.

Of course, too many hours playing aren’t really going to benefit us much, but at least our brains aren’t rotting like our parents told us they were when we played for too long.

Albums to look out for this fall season

By Kathy Parra Staff Writer

October Albums

November Albums Photo courtesy of Google Images

Photo courtesy of Google Images

Fastlife: Joe Jonas’ first solo album will leave you in awe.

Take Care: With the release date confusion, Drake has finally decided to release his album on November 15.

Blue Slide Park: Mac Miller is expected to release his album on November 8; keep on the look out for him.

Mylo Xyloto: Personally I don’t listen to Coldplay’s music, but with their unique album name, I’m sure you’re going to want to check this album out.

Photo courtesy of Google Images

Photo courtesy of Google Images

A&E

October 2011

15

1 1 0 2 f o s e um

t s o c t s e B

Senior Pamela Tuazon is the swan queen.

Freshman Jed Dones playing as Mr. Game and Watch.

Science teacher Enrique Henriquez dresses up as his annual gorilla with an evil clown spin.

Junior Charles Ibalio gets ready for a fight as deadpool.

By Karra Gardin & Kathy Parra A & E editor and Staff Writer

Senior Andrew Salvatin brews up some rain while senior Jana Lee gets ready for stormy weather.

Photos courtesy of Michael Tacchella

Country music does you good

By Arianna Cruz News Editor

Country Music. Any thoughts?

Probably the same thing as senior Alex Ellis thinks, “change the station or song to something more tolerable.”

When most people think of country music they are usually under the impression that it is someone sitting on their porch playing a banjo.

“They think of rednecks in tractors that shoot guns and square dance, just as some people think that rap fans are all gangsters and drug dealers that disrespect women,” senior Clayton Raber said.

“The fact that there are so many people that disregard country music without even trying it makes me sad,” senior Jessica Marin said. “I wish that they would just try it to see how it amazing it really is.”

No, this not just your ordinary music appreciation article, it is the appreciation of Country Music, a genre of music that gets less attention then Rap, Hip-hop, or even Rock.

“All music should have someone’s respect, each artist puts their time and soul into songs,” junior Remy Puou said.

The meaning behind the songs each have insight, it should not matter whether it is country or rock or rap music. The story is being told through a person’s perspective on their own life, some with deeper meaning than others, but still each have significance.

“Country has more depth than the newer hip-hop, which is mostly about money, cars, and girls, but older/underground rap is very similar to country because they both tell stories,” Raber said.

“Most of the (country) music just talks about going through life as

an average person, with real problems or parts of life that are small but you can enjoy,” senior James Mendoza said.

Everyone sees music differently, but you should not base your prior judgements on it if you have never given it a shot. All music wants to be heard, but it is up to you to tune in and listen.

SPORTS

16

Looking into the future of Mariner Basketball

By Jonathan Vivet

October 2011

Hoops gearing up for upcoming 2011-2012 season “All Coach Knight knows how to do it win. He won’t tolerate any losing attitudes from his players.”

Deryck Ylanan

Photo Courtesy Seth Borneman

of the program has changed, we no longer tolerate losing, but more importantly, we no longer tolerate giving up.”

With new attitudes taking hold of the squad, it seems that only opportunity lays in wait for the 2011-2012 team.

“We expect to make playoffs and go far. We moved from division three to division four this year … and it looks wide open for us to take,” Ylanan said.

Photo Courtesy Seth Borneman

Sports Editor Playoffs.

That’s where the 2010-2011 basketball season ended for the Mariner squad. In his first year at Moreau, Frank Knight looked to challenge perennial powers Castro Valley and Bishop O’Dowd, offering the spark needed for a 16-11 inaugural season.

Many players have been participating in an off season training program to build upon the success they’ve already had.

“Workouts and conditioning during the offseason have been taken to a whole new level,” senior Daron True said, “As a team we’ve been putting in work on the track, in the weight room, and running hills around Moreau.”

Seen as a very integral part of the rising program, there has been a good turnout for the strength and conditioning training sessions.

“These off season workouts play a really big role in preparing the team for what the 2011-2012 has in store for us,” junior Edgar Surya said.

With a new season looming in the near future comes a new set of challenges, many of which the Mariner squad must work on before the season to stay successful “We’re more undersized than last years [team],” senior Joseph Calub said, “so we are getting prepared by running more … to get in better shape. We’ve also been hit“All Coach Knight knows how to do it win. He won’t tolerate any losing attitudes from his players,” ting the weight a lot more than last year so we can [make up] for our size.”

The philosophy upon which the team has been built around has quickly changed during Knight’s short, yet influential tenure as coach.

“All Coach Knight knows how to do it win. He won’t tolerate any losing attitudes from his players,” senior Deryck Ylanan said, “since he’s come, the whole outlook

Colin Suarez and Deryck Ylanan at a recent workout

Varsity hoopers believe it is the off-season conditioning program that will translate into more wins.

Winter Sports: thoughts about the 2011 season

By Elise Reyes Staff Writer

Boys’ Soccer Clayton Raber

Thoughts on the upcoming season: “I’m really excited for this season becase we have a lot of seniors and many kids returning. This year, we should actually win more games and possibly beat O’Dowd or CV.

Girls’ Soccer Katie Pruneda

Differences from last season’s team and this season’s team: “We have veterans and more seniors this year than I [can] remember, that means we’ve played together before and know each other’s game by now.”

Differences from last season’s team and this season’s team: “The seniors are gone and we’ve lost some great players. It’s different each year, but our overall goal is consistent: go to NCS!” Key things to focus on: “[We] definitely [need to] make the freshmen feel wlecome. They’re a part of our team now, so we want them to blend as seamlessly as possible.”

Key things to focus on: “Scoring. We don’t do much of that so it would be nice for a change.

Other than that, just teamwork and being in shape.”

Boys’ Basketball Deryck Ylanan

Thoughts on the upcoming season: “I think we’ll be very successful ... with the hard work we’re putting in and getting better everyday, the turn out should be exactly what we expect; to go further than we did last year.”

Differences from last season’s team and this season’s team: “We have eight [returning players] so we should be all right. Our size isn’t as big as it was last year, but I think we’re faster and a lot more focused on being a team.”

Key things to focus on: “We just need to make sure we come into every game knowing we can win. We need to know if [that] if we go down, we go down swingining and giving it everything we’ve got. Focusing on TEAM instead of ME will take us very far this year.”

Thoughts on the upcoming season: “It’ll be interesting to see. I’m not too sure what to expect.

We always come together as a team and dominate, so I expect our work ethic to be taken to a whole other level.”

Girls’ Basketball Krissy Segismundo

Thoughts on the upcoming season: “[It’s] going to be a tough one. We lost two main scorers, and two of our players are out due to injury. It’ll be a challenge all season long, but I know the team’s up for it!”

Differences from last season’s team and this season’s team: “The only difference this year is our personel. Some players will have to fill some big shoes.”

Key things to focus on: “We are going to focus on our plays and execution. We’ll need all five players on the court to be on the same page and focused in order to be successful.”

October 2011

SPORTS

17

Moreau cross country takes ohana to Hawaii Katy Carscadden Staff Writer

Photo courtesy of Ben Jackson

A select crew of Moreau cross country runners recently embarked on a five day journey. Their mission?

Fly to Hawaii and race in the Iolani invitational.

On the morning of the race, the team woke up early, ate a light breakfast, and headed to Kaulua Ranch with a few goals in mind for their race.

“The competitive goals were to represent Moreau well by placing decently,” Coach Enrique Henriquez said.

The team reached their goal by having two seniors, Brandon Smith and Yvett Navarro, place in the top ten

The Cross Country team gathers for a photo after their race on Oahu, Hawaii

out of 100 runners in their races, but it wasn’t easy.

“Not knowing what to expect made it tough. So competing and seeing how we did was even better because it showed us being fit and ready for the overall season,” Henriquez said.

The major obstacles that the team didn’t expect were that famous Hawaiian weather and working with a new course.

“I was not used to the humidity and we barely had enough time to go over the course so I felt like I wasn’t prepared enough,” junior Carl Basbas said. “I didn’t know how much further I had until the finish of race which made it challenging.”

The race was a very important part of the trip, but the real impact took place off the course.

The squad enjoyed a jam-packed four-day itinerary that emphasized recreation and bonding as much as it did competition.The team bonded by going on hikes, tours of Pearl Harbor, took a dinner cruise, and many trips to the beach.

The team was lucky enough to relax and eat at senior Avery Balasbas’ grandparents house. The house is connected to a private beach, so while some were eating lunch, others were able to build sand castles and go boogie boarding.

“My absolute favorite part was going to the beach at Avery’s house. I remember when I first saw the water... I was in heaven!” Basbas said.

“My favorite part of the trip was going to a luau on a dinner cruise. It was a great way to celebrate all of our hard work from the race and I had a blast dancing with my team,” sophomore Kelsey Lowe said.

Photo Couresy of Ben Jackson

Julian Chicoine ‘13 strides to the finish line during the Iolani invitational.

All the activities that the team took part in turned them into a family and prepared them for the upcoming season.

“Going to Hawaii brought me closer to everyone on the team and it was a great way to start the season,” Balasbas said.

Five reasons why you should watch hockey Anton Cardenas Staff Writer

Excitement. Speed. Crushing hits. Hearts beating at an unhealthy rate on and off the ice.

This is why you should watch the sport of hockey. The pace of the game and the enthusiasm of the fans are unmatched in professional sport. Simply, hockey is not a sport for the weak, and the following is a list of reasons why you should be watching.

5) The Physical Toughness You have to be able to endure being blasted into the boards and having an open ice hit come in your direction while at center ice. You have to be willing to put your body in front of fast moving pucks to block shots.

You should accept that you could lose teeth or end up with broken bones as a result. You also have to be prepared for the chance that you could get a high stick right near your eye.

It’s not that hockey players are out to deliberately injure others in the majority of cases; it’s just a part of the game. It also adds something that most sports do not.

Fighting is not tolerated in the NFL, for example, and NBA players aren’t known to challenge opponents to a fistfight at center court. The physical element of hockey gets fans and players even more involved in the game.

4) Fast paced and never boring Do you ever feel like the NFL stops for everything, whether it’s a touchdown, a fumble or the quarterback’s need to tie his shoe? Or what about the MLB, where there isn’t a time limit to a game and it can feel like an inning is taking hours to complete?

Hockey is one of the fastest-paced games around. It’s divided into three 20-minute periods, and the periods usually fly by.

Players are racing up ice with blazing speed and firing shots that can go up to 100 miles an hour.

You can’t exactly take your time in hockey. For me, that translates into a preoccupation with getting to a game on time so I don’t miss a minute of the action. If you love asking yourself “Where did the time go?” you will love hockey 3) GOALS GOALS GOALS The best part of any game is when your team scores a goal. The red light goes on, and at least 15,000 people jump out of their seats to scream and yell and wave pompoms or rally towels.

The goal blasts, and you can feel the electric energy all around you, as fans go nuts and the players on the ice celebrate with each other. All the fans find themselves clapping and chanting along to a goal song.

Some teams even add extra effects such as sirens or spotlights to make the celebration even more exciting, like the Washington Capitals or the Chicago Blackhawks. It sure beats just standing up and clapping, doesn’t it?

2) The Playoffs Everything is bigger in the playoffs. The players seem to be taller, faster, and stronger. Hits are harder. Saves are more spectacular. Goals have never been so important.

Defeats are crushing, but victories are ever so sweet. Old rivalries will be revisited, (Boston versus Montreal, Sharks versus Ducks, Canucks versus Blackhawks), and new ones will be formed.

Every time the puck drops, every guy on the ice will be playing like it’s his last game. Every player on every team wants to win, and he wants to win badly. But in the end of the two months or grueling playoff hockey, only one team will be left standing.

1) Passion NHL fans are some of the most passionate around. They will travel near and far to see their teams play. They will pay more for tickets than they ever dreamed of because it means seeing a Stanley Cup playoff game.

They deck themselves out from head to toe in team colors and will camp out hours in advance for tickets. For some, no matter how bad their team is, they will never stop coming to games (kudos to Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Islanders fans).

When they experience heartbreak, they can follow it up with a reason why they are proud of their team. They know they are a minority among other sports fans, but they like it that way. The fans are the biggest reason why hockey is the best.

SPORTS

18

October 2011

Fall’s Featured Mariner Athletes

Parth Radia ‘13

Ian Roxas ‘13

Varsity Soccer

Varsity Football

Varsity Song

Jocelyn Maroun ‘12

Varsity Basketball

Grayson Granzella ‘14

Sydney Cariel ‘13 Varsity Volleyball

Remy Puou ‘13

J.V. Football

Varsity Cheer

Varsity Football

Shane Glover ‘12

Winter Preview

Ricky Gonzalez ‘12

Football Moving Forward Mariners make serious case for NCS berth in 2011

By Seth Borneman Features Editor

“Good job guys”, “Way to compete”, “We’ll get ‘em next time”.

Such sayings are all too familiar to the Moreau Varsity football program.

During the 2010 season, the varsity mariners won six of their ten contests, also tying one game.

For the first time in several years the mariners were strongly considered for NCS Division III playoffs. However a Campolindo (Moraga, CA) Cougar team advanced instead with only five wins, on the merits of schedule difficulty.

To prevent a repeat this season the Mariners scheduled more challenging games for the preseason.

The mariners have been able to thrash several teams during this season, the offense has been able to score an impressive average of 36.4 points per game

Which shows massive improvement over our 2008 season where Moreau scored an average of only 8.4 points per game.

“Our leaders, especially the lineman, have given use new-found sense of confidence on the field” senior Zachary Martin said

Another advantage for the mariners is that, due to a smaller enrollment in comparison to recent years, Moreau is categorized as a Division IV team by NCS.

This season the mariners took down BSAL opponent the St. Patrick-St. Vincent Bruins 62-38, one of last years top ranked Division IV teams.

As many of us know Moreau Athletics are moving to the Mission Valley Athletic League, which means that many of the teams we play during the season will no longer be competitors moving forward.

Junior Malcolm Solomon issues a bonecrushing hit to a SPSV HS Running Back

“I think it [being our last year in the BSAL] gives us the motivation to make this season the best one this school has ever seen, since it’s the last time we’ll ever be able to play these schools” senior Francis Delfino said.

This motivation along with the overwhelming support from the Moreau community will aid the Mariners in their quest for playoffs.

A playoff berth this year would create astounding momentum for a possible playoff run in the 2012 season when they move back to Division III.

“Being in Division IV is nice because it allows us to compete with more of the catholic schools in the area.” senior Zachary DeCastro said.

The Mariners are poised to participate in the NCS playoffs, the last games few are always crucial for any team regardless of their record.