Veritas Shield December 2012 by Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy

Merry Christmas!

Veritas Shield December 14, 2012 l

See page 6

Volume 18, Number 3 l Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, 440 St. Katherine Dr., La Canada Flintridge, California 91011

Semester Exams Schedule Tuesday, Dec. 18 Science 8:30-10:00 a.m. Religion 10:30 a.m.-Noon Wednesday, Dec. 19 Math 8:30-10:00 a.m. English 10:30 a.m.-Noon Thursday, Dec. 20 Social Studies 8:30-10:00 a.m. Foreign Lang. 10:30 a.m.-Noon

Last-minute tips for Xmas finals

GIRLPOWER Office ladies Violet (Nichola Marick) and Judy (Jenny Jordan), confront their sexist boss (Dante Fregoso) (left), while Doralee (Gracie Raymond) won the audience over with her hilarious fantasy scene (above). Photos by Scott Groller

ot only do we have to put in extra time at the gym after the big Thanksgiving meal, go Christmas shopping for grandma and keep up with school work, but the time has also come to study for finals. “It feels bittersweet around Christmastime. I love the joy that comes along with the season, but I also feel pressured because finals are always in the back of my mind,” said Juliana Smith ’14. For most, Noel is for family, friends and presents, but for Tologs it’s flashcards, reviewing notes and groveling for last-minute extra credit. “I always finish my semester extra credit like the week before finals. I procrastinate, but I end up doing it to help my grade before the exams,” Chastity Sun ’15 said. Smith starts studying for finals during Thanksgiving break. An A+ student, she studies using flash-cards and gets extra help. “I would recommend others [to] use flashcards, notes and the teacher’s help to their advantage. I feel like I can study thoroughly and I definitely feel prepared for finals,” she said. Sun uses guides made by her teachers to help maintain her 4.0. Continued on page 14

INDEX News Briefs ..........................2 Smart phone comparisons.....3 Op-Ed Black Friday is changing...5 Inconsiderate drivers .........5 Limericks...........................8-9 Frosh religion is popular.....10 Winter fashion trends..........10 Sports ............................15-16 Athletes commit...............15 Soccer ranked #15 ...........16

Fall musical 9 to 5 keeps audience entertained T

By Judy Lee, Entertainment Editor

he musical 9 to 5 received well-deserved plaudits as leads Jenny Jordan ’13, Nichola Marick ’13 and Gracie Raymond ’13, all of whom appeared for four years in school productions, illustrated their lives as working women with a sexist boss. The show was so popular that Friday and Saturday nights’ tickets were all sold out, which likely meant that people who went on Wednesday and Thursday gave positive feedback to the musical. The quality of the show didn’t decrease when one of the boys who was cast quit just a month

before the show. Fortunately, Sam Walcoff, brother of Sydney Walcoff ’13, joined the cast to play Dwayne. Jordan, who played new staffer Judy, surprised the audience when she sang “Get Out and Stay Out” to her ex-husband Dick, played by Dylan Hankins. Her solo highlighted the show as she expelled her ex-husband, showing off singing skills that caused jaws to drop. “It was a perfect way to end the show and her voice gave me actual goose bumps,” said Raleigh Scharre ’14.

Raymond got into her character so well that you wouldn’t think it was a play but real life. One of her most impressive numbers was “Cowgirl’s Revenge” in the fantasy scene. “I liked the song she sang while she plotted to kill the boss,” said Sarah Lund ’14. “It was hilarious when she jumped on the boss’s back.” Marick never failed to bring laughter to the audience each time she appeared on the stage. One of her best scenes was the fantasy in which Marick, in a snow-white costume surrounded by animals, planned to kill her boss.

“It was really funny when she kidnapped her boss and took control,” said Adrienne Ashworth ’14. “That part was super empowering.” Besides giving a great show, Marick reacted smartly to misspoken lines by the actors. “Instead of saying ‘my girls’ to expect a violent reaction from the women, Dante (who played Hart) spoke the line ‘my employees,’” said dancer Nelly Irwin ’13. “But Nichola shouted out ‘my employees!’ to show she was insulted like they were supposed to be and that smoothed the show all the way to the end,” said Irwin..

Mock election reflects national popular vote By Sierra deSousa Co-Editor

resident Barack Obama won the recent presidential election by a close margin over Gov. Mitt Romney, a result that mirrored FSHA’s mock election in Room 21 on Nov. 6. The president won the popular vote by 51% (62,606,067 votes) to Mitt Romney’s 48% (59,130,715), but Obama won the Electoral College by a landslide with 332 votes to Romney’s 206 (candidates need 270 to win). Statistics show that Obama had the support of the majority of women and minority groups while 88% of Romney’s voters were white. Voter participation nationwide, which dropped to 58% from

64% in 2008, echoed the mock election, with a little over 200 Tologs filling out a ballot. The lack of participation may in part be due to minimal advertisement of the election on campus. “I thought the school election was a great idea.” said Amanda Perez ‘14. “I would have liked to vote, but I didn’t even know it was going on until after the results were announced.” Those students who did vote were excited to get involved in the election. “It’s good for the girls to know what is going on in their country. As Americans, nothing is more important than understanding and appreciating democracy,” said Mrs. Katie Sadler. “The turnout was not much, but it was a start.” Some juniors were asked to

WINNER OF TWO ELECTIONS President Obama won both the FSHA mock election and the real presidential election last month. Talkingpointsmemo.com photo vacate their parking spaces for local La Cañada residents on the hill to cast their vote in the Administration Building. “We have had the campus

open for registered voters as long as I have been working here, 38 years,” said Mrs. Sadler. “It’s a good location because the students aren’t disturbed.”

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Veritas Shield

News Briefs “I thought the newspaper was really fun,” said junior Alissa Aguilar. “It was interesting to find articles that had actually been written over 100 years ago.” Mr. Cramer, a former journalist, plans to continue doing the activity with future classes. “I think it went very well because it was a creative way to have students understand the issues our country was going through as it started the war. The great thing about FSHA is that the students really embrace things that help them learn,” said Mr. Cramer. —Dani Chavez

East Coast college tour planned CUT & PASTE U.S. History students (clockwise from top left) Lali Oriz, Melissa Schwaigerlehner, Caroline Lowe and Devin Aubert design the front page of a newspaper using stories from over 100 years ago. Photo by A. Cramer

History classes create Civil War newspaper

tudents in Mr. Andrew Cramer’s U.S. History class used articles from the 1850s to create their own front page newspapers. Students reporting for the Chicago Tribune found articles that represented the North and were against slavery, while those writing for the Richmond Examiner reported for slavery in the South. The students were assigned to a paper via a color poker chip picked out of a bag; red poker chips represented the North, while blue symbolized the South. Each newspaper staff included an editor, a cartoonist and three reporters.

he annual East Coast college tour will take place from April 1-6, 2013; Ms. Candy Navarro, director of college counseling, will chaperone. The tour, which is sponsored by Campus Excursions, will cost $2,200, which includes airfare, ground transportation and hotel accommodations. Students will visit various colleges in Boston, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington D.C. The college counseling department is also planning a West Coast college tour that will take place in June; students will visit schools in Washington, Oregon and

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December 14, 2012

northern California. Senior Sophie Wellen said, “Going on the East Coast trip was really helpful. The majority of the colleges I decided to apply to on the East Coast are because of the trip.” —Dana Fee

Math teacher Bauer to walk down the aisle

ath teacher Ms. Beth Bauer is engaged. “We have been together for about three and a half years,” said Ms. Bauer of her fiMs. Bauer and fiancé ancé Matthew Matt Capocci. Photo Capocci. courtesy B. Bauer The couple met at a friend’s prom-themed party and quickly bonded over their shared love for candy and board games. Ms. Bauer was not expecting the proposal. They were in Santa Barbara on a three-hour hike when he popped the question. “[The] hike was supposed to have a beautiful waterfall at the end, but when we got to the end, where Matt planned to propose, the waterfall was dry. So, we ended up sitting on the beach that night in Santa Barbara, and he asked me while we were there,” Ms. Bauer said. They plan on having a small wedding in La Crescenta in June. —Melissa Schwaigerlehner

Tologs meet others on first Mix It Up Day

he lunch special was friendship on Nov. 5, a day when students were assigned to eat in different areas around the school with other students from different grades for “Mix it Up Day.” “Mix it Up Day,” celebrated in schools across the nation on Oct. 30, was held a week later on the hill in order to include the seniors who were on Kairos. Teaching Tolerance, an organization dedicated to reducing prejudice and spreading tolerance in the classroom, created the day a decade ago to eliminate cliques and social boundaries in social situations. Junior Dani Chavez organized the day with assistance from freshman religion teacher Mrs. Kelly Tramontin. Chavez provided each student with a different colored ribbon, a seating assignment and a series of conversation starters to help them interact. I really enjoyed it,” said freshman Bryce Bakewell. “It was really fun getting out there and having to socialize with people outside my class and get to know upperclassmen that I can look up to.” Kylie Yates, also a freshman, said, “it was cool having lunch with all the juniors,. I found out that I had a lot in commonwith some of them.” Junior Kacey Benson said the day was “such a great experience. I would love to participate next year…I’m now really close friends with Devyn [Bakewell] and Danny [Azari] in the freshman class. ” While the day had obstacles, including ASB and club meetings that took away from student participation, overall it was successful. “I loved Dani’s enthusiasm in wanting to bring all students together,” said Assistant Principal Katy Sadler. “It’s all about community here and our ladies are the best.” —Dani Chavez

Features Tell your parents which smartphone you want for Xmas

December 14, 2012

Page 3

By Judy Lee, Entertainment Editor

s we sing carols, decorate our conifers and look forward to Christmas Eve, some of us might expect to get a smart phone under the evergreen, but the iPhone 5 is not the only iPhone 5

$199.99 (16GB) $399.99 (64GB)

ince the iPhone 5 hit the market in October, Apple has received both support and criticism from buyers. Despite the fact that the Apple application iOS 6 map is widely disapproved of because its images do not match real road conditions, one positive is that the iPhone 5 responds even faster than the 4S. An improved Siri in iPhone 5 now answers more questions properly and operates more efficiently. One interesting Apple application is “Find My Phone,” which tracks the exact location of the owner’s phone via an Internet connection. A new camera technology in the phone is that users can now take pictures while videotaping.

choice. A YouTuber may want a hu-ge-screen Samsung Galaxy phone, while a self-obsessed person may hold a Sony Xperia with its 12megapixel camera; an anxious businessman

HTC Window 8X

Sony Xperia Ion

$99.99 (8GB) $199.99 (16GB)

$99.99 (16GB)

TC Window, another competitive phone in the market, has a perfect-fit design so that users feel comfortable holding the phone next to their ears. Because the company excels in camera technology, the HTC Window has an ultrawide angle lense which can automatically focus and swiftly deal with underexposure. The HTC ImageChip feature allows users to choose each photo’s color while the HTC ImageSense feature prevents shaking when videotaping. Users can also personalize the screen. While Apple fails in providing a good map, the internal GPS, HTC Car, may be a better choice for travelers.

‘Everything is faster, however the downside to the iPhone 5 is that Apple took away YouTube and Google maps. I would say if you already have an iPhone 4 you don’t really need a 5.’

—Rachel Tan ’14

ony Xperia has the greatest technology in making pictures with its 12-megapixel camera. Although the Xperia itself doesn’t have as much space as others for storage, Sony gives every user 50 GB of free online space to save documents and pictures. A novel feature is that users can unlock their phones simply through face-unlock. Sony’s advantage in electric also allows users to watch their photos on TV by connecting it to a phone.

may need an iPhone to be his 24-hour secretary, a run-everything-at-once multitasker an HTC, and of course, a destructive person will want a Nokia.

Samsung Galaxy Siii

Nokia Lumia 920

$299 (32GB)

$99.99 (32GB)

he Samsung Galaxy, which is equally as popular as the iPhone, has the biggest screen among smart phones, allowing users to see more easily and watch videos while surfing the Internet. S-Voice is an exciting feature that is similar to iPhone’s Siri. A new smart feature is that users can change a text into a call by raising the phone up to his or her ears. The feature Smart Stay maintains the display as long as users are looking at it.

A phone is not likely to be perfect when it first appears on the market, so the best option is to wait until after it has been out for a while so that consumers can see other users’ reactions to the phone and buy an improved version. Photos courtesy of apple.com, nokia.com, htc.com, samsung.com, sony.com

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Grad scores media internships By Sydney Acosta, Staff Writer

arrie Dilluvio only attends college three days a week. It may seem like a dream come true, but since her 2009 graduation from the hill, Dilluvio has spent her weekdays, weekends and summers interning, all while first attending PCC and then UC Irvine. Dilluvio was first bitten by the journalism bug while on a tour of the CNN Center and continued to pursue her passion as campus ministry editor of the CARRIE DILLUVIO Veritas Shield. Her internships have ranged from working at the public relations firm Levine Communication Offices and reporting for the San Juan Capistrano Patch to hunting down stories for ABC7. Currently she writes pop culture news for Ryan Seacrest’s website, her favorite internship to date. Dilluvio, who will graduate in March, believes she secured the internships by “working hard and being confident.” She advises her fellow Tologs that “anyone who is dedicated to their dreams can achieve them.”

t is clear that Nokia’s smart phone still needs improvement because it has nothing special to persuade people to buy it, and it is no cheaper than other smart phones. Also, although its system can operate multiple applications, it is much heavier than other smart phones. However, Nokia and Apple are the only two companies that try to be environmentally friendly by using recyclable materials.

lthough each phone company has unique features, it is important for buyers to note that Apple still has the most applications.

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Opinion

Veritas Shield

Gift cards: A flawless choice

orgot to get a gift for your best friend’s Christmas exchange? Luckily, a gift card is only a five-minute-waitin-line away at the supermarket. Vons, Ralphs and Pavillions sell gift cards for other places including Nordstroms or Forever 21, which makes buying a present quick and painless. Gift cards are user-friendly. American Express and Visa offer gift cards ranging from $25 to $3,000 which are accepted at any place that takes credit cards. This proves more valuable than a board game or clothes and gives the person a chance to buy what they actually want, like and need. Despite the argument that gift cards are tacky, they are in fact very personal. While at first the idea of giving a little plastic rectangle filled with money doesn’t sound like the most heartfelt gift, there is no reason it shouldn’t be. American Express offers personalized gift cards that include custom messages and photos. “I got a gift card last year from my aunt from Starbucks that said ‘Merry Christmas Maddie’ on it,” said freshman Maddie Dawn. “I use it all the time and I refill it

Pro Con

when it gets empty. It’s one of my favorite gifts.” Gift cards are also insured and can be replaced. For many stores the card can be registered online, providing insurance and a new card with equal value if the original is lost or stolen. Without a receipt, stores like H&M and Barnes & Noble will not allow returns, making the gift received invaluable and useless. “Last Christmas my grandmother bought me $100 worth of clothing from Urban Outfitters,” said junior Sydnie Johnson. “None of the clothes fit and she didn’t include a receipt so I ended up just giving them away to my friends. I would have felt a lot better if she would have just given me a gift card and not wasted her money on things I couldn’t use.” A gift card may not be the best present for anniversaries or a parent’s birthday, but for last minute gifts and to avoid money being wasted, a gift card is a great present for any Christmas gift exchange, birthday party, or even for the winner of the Young Writers’ Society limerick contest! —Dani Chavez

December 14, 2012

Gift cards? How about no.

aving trouble buying a present for that distant-relative-who-you’veseen-only-once-but-is-staying-over-forChristmas? Here’s a great tip: gift cards are definitely out of the question. There are many reasons not to give in to a piece of hard plastic and pretend that it’s an actual present. Gift cards are insincere, sterile and boring. Not surprisingly, the donor of a gift card can expect nothing more than a polite “thank you” in return. Gift vouchers also present restrictions and limitations, such as expiration dates, no protection against loss and fraud, administrative fees, and the obvious: the receiver can only use his or her gift card in designated stores. A gift card shows that the giver either has no clue about the receiver or just doesn’t have the time to put in the effort. Purchasing one is quick and painless: all you have to do is stop off at a local grocery store on the way to a party. But giving a gift should be neither quick nor painless, but rather a thoughtful consideration about what may mean something to the receiver. Most people would rather receive any

gift than merely a card because a dorky present at least shows a personal touch. Simply include the gift receipt so that the receiver has the option to exchange it. “I’ve gotten gift cards to Justice and Toys ‘R’ Us that I’m never going to use,” says freshman Kira Matsuno. “I don’t mind gift cards but I think it’s more exciting to get presents.” How simple can buying a present get? Try gifting a “movie basket” instead of a gift card. The basket is a personal and fun present for anyone: just throw in a box of microwave popcorn, soda, candy, a blanket and, of course, a movie, into a basket tied with a big ribbon. A “cookie mix in a jar” is a perfect last-minute gift as it is easy to assemble and all components can be found in a regular kitchen. Simply layer different ingredients, such as flour, chocolate chips and sugar, into a glass jar and cover the top with patterned fabric. Complete the gift by labeling the instructions on the jar. With many personal, homey ideas like these, there’s simply no excuse to waste your money on gift cards this Christmas. —Terra Cheung

Editorial

Teachers should tell students when they get uniform infractions I

t is not uncommon for a student to casually glance at the detention list and be surprised to see her name. She then asks Sister Donna what she did wrong and is usually told that she has three uniform infractions. Shocked, the Tolog then vaguely recalls times when she forget her dress uniform or wore a college sweatshirt, but can never remember being told she was written up. Teachers need to tell students when they write them up for infractions. If teachers don’t, those students who have misinterpreted the rules may continue to get unexpected detentions. Mrs. Karen Thompson tries to make sure to tell her

students when they get an infraction, so they know exactly what they did wrong and what will happen as a result. After a month of journalism, most of her students are in class with the full uniform on. It may be easier to write up a student without confronting her, but a student who must disrobe of her illegal sweatshirt and actually talk to her teacher is less likely to become a repeat offender. Many seniors spend time trying to figure out why they were written up; most don’t even remember wearing the wrong uniform. It wasn’t until a class meeting at the beginning of this year that seniors were told that

Not exactly what I had in mind when I said I’d like to be informed of infractions

sweaters that are not FSHA sweaters—even if they are in FSHA colors—are not allowed. For three years on the hill, most seniors never understood this and went on innocently violating the rules. “It just frustrates me,” said senior Natalia Zamudio. “If I don’t know the rules, then I don’t know how to follow them. It seems pretty oppressive to me that an institution can silently punish someone and not tell them what they did wrong.” Of course the easiest way to avoid this issue is to wear the uniform.

VERITAS

SHIELD

Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy 440 St. Katherine Drive La Canada-Flintridge, California 91011 (626) 685-8300; Fax: (626) 685-8305 E-mail: kthompson@fsha.org

Veritas Shield is published most months of the academic year for the students of Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy by the FSHA journalism class. Editorial opinions and comments are those of the staff or of contributors and do not necessarily represent the position of FSHA. We welcome all letters to the editors and opinion articles. All letters must be in good taste and signed. We reserve the right to edit for space. We also welcome freelance submissions. Advertising: Veritas Shield gladly accepts display and classified advertising. For rates and publication dates, contact advertising manager Kelly Dow or Mrs. Karen Thompson, moderator. Subscriptions: Annual subscription rate for first class delivery of every issue to your residence or place of business in the U.S. is $15. Co-Editor...............................................................Terra Cheung Co-Editor.............................................................Sierra deSousa Opinion Editor...................................................Monica Amestoy Entertainment Editor.....................................................Judy Lee Campus Ministry Editor..........................................Abby Durkan Op-Ed Editor.......................................................DeeDee Durkan How-To Columnist ...............................Melissa Schwaigerlehner Culture Editor ........................................................Maureen Cen Advertising Manager..............................................Mindy Huang Circulation Manager............................................ Sydney Acosta Moderator.................................................Mrs. Karen Thompson

By Ingrid Allen

Staff Writers: Dana Budzyn, Rebecca I. Cálix, Dani Chavez, Dana Fee, Yessenia Galicia, Carra Liwanag, Jessie Lorrimer, India Zietsman Cartoonist: Ingrid Allen

December 14, 2012

Op-Ed

Veritas Shield

Page 5

What gets me‘all riled up’ behind the steering wheel By Sierra deSousa

s a new driver, I understand not only why adults spew strings of profanities at others but I also realize the risk of careless maneuvers on the road. I’ve discovered that there are three types of drivers: the infuriatingly cautious who live in fear of the speeding maniacs, the speeding maniacs who consider the infuriatingly cautious a curse, and the “normal” drivers who strive to avoid the two former groups; I consider myself part of the latter. For most, driving is a method of transportation, a means to get from one place to another in the most efficient way possible. So why did Mr. Cut-in-front-of-me-and-slowdown switch into the fast lane if he had no intention of increasing his speed of 40 miles an hour, and why is the hotshot with a phone illegally pressed to his ear turning right while indicating left? The automobile is now considered a place for downtime, a location for busy workers with a packed schedule to “kill their commute” by catching up on phone calls, belting out to 102.7, or eating a protein bar to make up for a missed meal. We’ve all seen the vicious super-mom multitaskers in their gas-guzzling SUVs who juggle their iPhone, Venti-Skinny-Vanilla-Latte, mascara wand and the wheel, while adjusting the backseat heating to satisfy the rugrats screaming demands from behind. “I cannot stand it when I see people doing five different things while behind the wheel,” fumed junior Marina Hrovat. “When you’re driving, your hands need to be free and you need to be 100% focused on the road.” Everyone who drives or has been a passenger has experienced road rage or

inconsiderate driving. Driving is not safe, and it is made even more dangerous by people who purposely carry out frustrating, potentially risky maneuvers. I’m talking to you, who drifts in and out of the lane causing people on the other side of the road to swerve out of your way. And you, who swings out of your parking space without looking into your rearview mirror. And you, who takes the left turn at 75 miles an hour even though I have right of way and I know you saw me coming, forcing me to slam on my breaks and causing the person behind to careen into me. We have all experienced the impatient troublemaker riding our bumper when they could easily switch lanes and go around us. “Tailgating drives me crazy!” raged junior Katherine Villegas. “These people should be grateful that I am preventing them from speeding and getting in an accident.” And let’s not forget the aggressive bully who does not simply overtake the slowpoke and move on, but rather makes a lewd gesture and stands on his horn; these inconsiderate drivers are just as bad as those they’re throwing a tantrum over. Other evidence of road rage is when a driver speeds up to stop a car from changing into “their lane” as soon as the indicator light is activated. Newsflash buddy: you don’t own the road, and you’re consciously doing something that may cause an accident. We all have a universal understanding on the hill about getting stuck behind the gardener or construction vehicle all the way up to school. “What bugs me the most is when a car is moving painfully slowly and there’s a long line of cars behind him, but the driver still does not pull over. It’s just rude,” said Kelly O’Conner ’14. Continued on page 14

What has been happening to Black Friday? By DeeDee Durkan

fter a relaxing Thanksgiving meal spent with friends and family, most people start pondering about the next holiday break, where they will travel or what they’ll receive for Christmas. But Black Friday has always been my favorite post-turkey event because it not only provides insane sales and deals, but also kicks off all of my holiday season shopping. And even though I have always looked forward to this day, last month the whole tradition of Black Friday was rudely interrupted by Thanksgiving itself. Although this year I participated in Black Friday shopping (when else can you find 100% cashmere sweaters for $40?) I was disappointed to find out many retailers taunted shoppers by opening their doors at extremely early hours like 5 a.m. or worse—midnight the night before. Retailers know that the time they open their doors isn’t the actual time people

arrive; rather, customers wait outside pushing and shoving for hours to make sure they are the ones who get the best deals, disregarding everyone else and everything around them. Violence also seems to have started escalating over the years, requiring police assistance. People are arrested, injured or even hospitalized. This year two people in Florida were shot over a quarrel about a parking spot which tops last year for weirdness when a woman pepper-sprayed other customers to get an advantage. Black Friday has morphed into Grey Friday, Black Thursday, Cyber Black Friday, Cyber Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, defeating the whole purpose of one day of a shopping phenomenon. With more days of crazy sales comes even crazier people. I don’t want to give up on the tradition of Black Friday but I definitely realize what was once created to be a fun, exciting sale has transformed into something dark and even risky.

So you’re too cool for school dances? Think again! By DeeDee Durkan

aybe it’s just me, but the anticipation of going to a school dance always makes me excited to walk into the school gym, which invariably is transformed from its usual drab to a magical place. The opportunity to don a gorgeous dress and curl my hair is something that I have loved since freshman year. Many teenagers, however, don’t like attending school dances because they don’t realize what they are missing out on. Here are 10 reasons why students should go to school dances: 1. A school dance, especially Winter Formal, is a great excuse to buy that stunning dress you always pass by at the mall but can never convince your parents that you will have somewhere to wear it. You can also try bolder make-up, like false eyelashes, or debut a new hair style that you don’t wear on a daily basis, like a fun up-do or curls. 2. Dances are a great place to hang out with friends and just have an amusing time dancing and laughing, even at the expense of the D.J who repeats the same songs or attempts to rap. You can also have a group dinner beforehand and take photos with your friends and dates at someone’s house to kick off the night. 3. Dance pictures are great for your scrapbooks! You can never have enough of those awkwardly posed formal photos or those adorable ones with all of your friends going down the stairs. When you grow up and see the invitation from a dance, it will be a great flashback and perhaps have you reaching for the phone to call an old friend. 4. You get to build memories with your family during these events. Every year, for every dance, my mom has done my makeup. We always have fun telling stories while

we get ready and laugh so hard that she often messes up and we have to start over. All moms like hosting your friends and being the paparazzi, and as much as all girls pretend they don’t want their photo taken, they always do. 5. What would you be doing that’s really better? I know a lot of girls who don’t go to dances but spend much of the night asking those there to send pictures and text details. Why not just come? 6. Everyone will be talking about it the Monday after. You’ll have to hear countless stories and see pictures about an evening that you chose not to attend and you’ll have to make up excuses about why you didn’t feel like going. 7. What if you don’t have a date? Ask someone who has gone both stag and with a date, I know you can have fun either way. It’s all up to you how much fun you have and, trust me, a lot of your friends won’t have dates either. 8. If you do have a date and are intimated by introducing him to the Sisters or the vice principal, don’t be! It only takes a few minutes to get through it all and what’s the worst that could happen? 9. The annual yearbook dance is open to many schools and you can meet a bunch of new people who don’t go to FSHA. They also have fun themes such as this year’s Wild Wild West dance that will have you digging in your closet for your old cowboy boots and hats. Yee-haw! 10. If you go and don’t have fun, then you don’t have to go again but at least you won’t regret not having tried it once. But for people who didn’t go and wish they had, there is no turning back time to relive the night you missed.

Page 6

Christmas

Veritas Shield

December 14, 2012

Breaking News for Tologs: Santa Clause is not coming to town By Dana Budzyn, Staff Writer

ied to every childhood Santa Clause experience was the day when Tologs found out the sad truth: their parents were Santa. My parents were so elaborate in cleaning up every oat we had piled onto the lawn for the reindeer that I never suspected anyone but Santa could have done the task. I also found out that the play structure I thought fit into Santa’s giant and magical bag had been built at 4 in the morning. Due to their incredible hard work, I believed in Santa until the sixth grade; I didn’t have the slightest clue it was them. I was pleased to discover I wasn’t the only Tolog who cried. Seniors Jenna Gulich and Miranda Saldivar also wept when they found out Santa wasn’t real when they were 9 years old at St. Therese Elementary School in Alhambra. Madeline Wirthlin ’14 was told that her parents were Santa when she was 8 years old. “Even though I know now that Santa doesn’t exist, he will always be in my heart. He helped me stay nice throughout the years I was growing up and has and will always be the most magical part of my Christmas,” she said.

Indeed, parents worked hard to convince their children Santa exists and some encouraged their daughters to put out different gifts for Santa. Lindsay Stauffer ‘13 left carrots outside for “the neglected reindeer” and milk and cookies out for the fat Santa, while classmate Melene Agakanian put out chips, yogurt and bottles of beer. Senior Emily Sharp’s parents stepped into the ash of the fireplace and made footprints around the house. Her family continues the Santa Clause tradition to this day. Tologs discovered that their parents were Santa in several ways: 1. Students suspected it all along; acting as Sherlock Holmes, they observed the similarities in the wrapping paper and/or compared the handwriting of their parents to that of Santa’s. 2. Older siblings spoiled the surprise. 3. A know-it-all classmate made fun of the kids who still believed. 4. Parents had to break the news themselves. No matter how sad or indifferent each Tolog’s discovery day was, all agreed the Christmas Spirit lives on in their house and they will absolutely carry on the Santa Clause tradition with their own children.

Christmas, other traditions around the world By Maureen Cen Culture Editor

Christmas around the world Christmas, a federal holiday in America since 1870, celebrates the birth of Christ, but other countries have different ways of celebrating the season. In America, people exchange gifts, decorate Christmas trees, attend church services, share meals with family, and of course, children await Santa Claus to bring them presents. But an American of Hispanic heritage may have her own traditions. “My whole family usually gathers together to make tamales on Christmas Day,” said Lorena Robles Alvarez ’14, a boarder from Mexico. In India, only the Christians celebrate the season. “We attend a service late on Christmas Eve. Many usually attend church only twice a year, on Christmas and Easter,” said Jane Chetty ’15, whose family is originally from India but now resides in Hong Kong. In South Korea, people celebrate Christmas in much the same way as Americans, but instead of exchanging gifts, a popular present is cash.

“I like to receive money from the elders because I can buy things I like,” said Rachel Koo ’14, a boarder from Seoul in South Korea.

International dining etiquette In most European countries, people eat continental style; they hold forks in their left hands and knives in their right, and the knife remains in the right hand while eating. In America, people also eat with forks and knives, but after one piece of food is cut, the knife is placed at the top right corner of the plate, and only an upturned fork is used. Religious people usually pray before eating, similar to in America and Canada. However, in Asian areas, such as China and South Korea, people eat with chopsticks. In China, the oldest or most senior person starts the eating process. In Korea, where children say thank you to their moms before eating, the eldest ones are served first. Unique Greeting What is the first thing you will do when you meet people? There are tons of different ways for people around the world to say “Hi.” “Americans like to shake hands,

hug or ask ‘How are you?’ when they meet,” said Ally Clapp ’14. Tologs often are seen hugging each other in the hallway. In Thailand, people do not normally say “good morning,” “good afternoon,” or “good night.” Rather, they greet each other with the word “sawadee.” Instead of shaking hands, they put their palms together in a prayer-like gesture and bow slightly, which is the way Thai show politeness to others. Anyone can begin the greeting, called wai. “The wai is also a common way to express gratitude or apologize,” said Inne Ounsathitporn ’14, who is from Thailand. A bow is the traditional greeting in South Korea; usually the younger ones bow to those of higher status; the bow means “pleased to meet you” in English. “The elders do not bow to the youth; only the young people bow to the seniors. It is the way we show respect to parents and teachers in Korea,” said Koo. Bowing is a gesture of respect in most Asian areas and in many Asian schools, it’s customary to stand and bow from the wasit while saying “good morning” or “good afternoon” before class to the teachers.

KROQ hosts 23rd annual Christmas concert By Dani Chavez Staff Writer

ver 21 bands performed this past weekend for alternative-rock radio station KROQ’s 23rd Annual Almost Acoustic Christmas. The two-night concert was held at the Gibson Amphitheatre. Headlining Saturday night was Linkin Park performing for the last time before touring Australia in 2013. Closing Sunday night was The Killers, a band formed in 2001 that will be on tour this upcoming year for their most recent album Battle Born. The event sold out within 30

minutes when tickets went on sale Nov. 16. In order to buy tickets, consumers had to be a member of KROQ’s fan club and receive the exclusive on sale password sent earlier that week via email. “[I] tried to get tickets for both nights the second they went on sale,” said one listener on the radio station’s website. “After five attempts…I got…to see that all the tickets were already sold.” A luckier listener wrote, “This year will be my fifth year attending, I can’t wait.” Doors opened both nights at 3 p.m. with the first band performing at 5 p.m. for over 6,000 people. Gwen Stefani shocked view-

ers on Saturday performing with husband Gavin Rossdale and band Bush’s single “Glycerine.” Stefani returned with her band No Doubt as Sunday’s surprise guest performing a 45 minute set. “Both nights were amazing,” said concert goer Julian Mitchell, a junior at CVHS. “It was the greatest weekend of my life.” Aside from some technical difficulties on Sunday, the event went without any major setbacks and with fans wanting more. “You leave a fan of new bands, slightly nostalgic, and full of Christmas magic,” Alvarez said. “It is truly my favorite part of the year. This year is just another one for the record books.“

What triggers your Xmas spirit? Now that December 25 is almost a reality, it’s getting harder and harder to ignore the holidays. It seems like everyone is ready to celebrate with hot chocolate and blinking lights. Veritas Shield asked several in the Tolog community what triggers their Christmas spirit. —Abby Durkan “The second my sister makes peppermint bark, I instantly feel the spirit of Christmas.” —DeeDee Durkan ‘14 “The beginning of advent and preparing for it.” —Principal Sister Celeste Dee Dee Durkan

“Christmas trees and hot chocolate.” —Clara Gross ‘16 “In my past life, when I lived in New England, it was the first snow and now it’s the Christmas lights.” —VP Mrs. Sherrie Singer

Sister Celeste

“I love to decorate the Christmas tree with my mom.” —Amanda Perez ‘14 “Listening to Christmas carols on the radio and putting up decorations in my house.” —Mr. Olympio D’Mello

Clara Gross

“Just being with my family and putting decorations around the house.” —Tara Kawai-Daniels ‘13 “Being with my family and seeing the family from out of town.” —Heather Sonner ‘14 “The cold weather, fresh air and Christmas tree shopping.” —Chastity Sun ‘15

Sherrie Singer

Amanda Perez

“Peppermint mochas, the winter sunrises, cool weather and watching Sister Celeste enjoy the Hallmark Channel gets me into the Christmas spirit. I anticipate the joy of Christmas morning, spending time with my sweet baboo on his birthday and preparing for advent.” —Sister Donna Marie Nicholas

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Tonight!

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Campus Ministry

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December 14, 2012

Sophomores learn about four meanings of ‘love’ in retreat

By Abby Durkan

Campus Ministry Editor

he sophomore retreat was all about love, not just romantic love, but also for family, friends, God and humanity. Campus Minister Mrs. Kelly Dawson said the retreat provided “the opportunity to talk about a very important Christian writer,” C. S. Lewis, who wrote The Four Loves. The novel, which inspired the retreat, is based on the Greek words for love: agape, philia, eros and storge. LIFE’r Claire Sigler ’14 said “the sophomores really enjoyed the retreat and seemed into the topic of the four loves.” The LIFE’rs introduced each type of love with a video clip. For the love of God

LOVE IS IN THE AIR Sophomores listen to Mrs. Kelly Dawson talk about agape, philia, eros and storge, all of which mean “love” in Greek. Photo by A. Rost

and humanity, they played a video about L’Arche, a community of people with and without mental disabilities who live and work together. A clip called “Hollywood says ‘I love you’” showed romantic love, while the revealing of a pregnancy depicted familial love. “I didn’t know there were so many different types of love before experiencing this retreat,” said Jane Chetty ‘15. Mrs. Dawson said the retreat was well received and may even permanently replace the “respect” retreat because respect is often “sterilized,” meaning that people sometimes interpret it as “just not being mean to someone.” Love, on the other hand, is more than not being mean to someone; it is respecting and genuinely caring about another person.

Frosh love religion HSPT tutoring at Loyola humbles FSHA students By Rebecca I. Cálix, Staff Writer

rs. Kelly Tramontin has brought the joy of religion into the hearts and minds of Tolog freshmen. “Religion is my favorite class because Mrs. Tramontin teaches us in ways that we all understand,” said Jenna Tran. As in years before, Mrs. Tramontin continues to use movies during her lessons. “We just finished learning about The Exodus,” said Jamie Helburg. “We watched The Prince of Egypt and it helped us see the story of Moses leading the Israelites to the Promised Land in a way that we would understand.” Strongly impacting freshman religion are the Mac computers. “The new laptops are a great success for my classes this year,” said Mrs. Tramontin. In a recent Veritas Shield survey of freshmen, most girls agreed the laptops help create the fun learning atmosphere in Room 35. “Our textbook is in our laptop,” said Helburg. “We take notes on them, as well as our tests and quizzes.” Mrs. Tramontin has also set up a blog for each class where some homework assignments are due. “In our blog we are given a topic that Mrs. Tramontin wants us to reflect about,” explained Mary Laurance. “Our tests are usually the same too where we reflect about a topic we are given.” Another assignment has each girl creating an iMovie based on a topic. So far, the girls have made a movie for the oral tradition part of their lesson, as well as on the Bible, God and Gandhi. A new activity that Mrs. Tramontin has incorporated into her curriculum is Girlfriend Theology, which includes reflecting on a story read aloud by Mrs. Tramontin. Each girl opens her heart, ears and mind to listen to each other’s thoughts about life. The survey showed that Girlfriend Theology was most girls’ favorite part of class. “It’s relaxing and really bonds our class together,” said Sydney Gonzalez, “as well as with Mrs. Tramontin.”

By Abby Durkan

Campus Ministry Editor

oyola High School invited Tologs to tutor underpriveleged eighth grade boys and girls who are looking to take the HSPT, a standardized

preparation, shared test taking tips, encouraged the eighth graders and tried to be good role models during tutoring sessions in both November and December. Campus Minister Ms. Kelley Dawson said that the trips were unique because the tutors “acted as people the kids could

to be taken into consideration by each school’s admissions department. Rachel Hanks ‘14 said the tutoring “wasn’t too hard since I was with other FSHA girls and we worked together teaching the kids.” Freshman Caroline McCreary, who has

CLASS IS IN SESSION Tologs at Loyola do their best to help eighth graders prepare for this fall’s HSPT. Photo by K. Dawson

test required to apply to most Catholic high schools in the Los Angeles area. Tologs and students from Malborough, Marymount and Loyola gave HSPT

become.” The HSPT assesses language, reading comprehension and mathematics. The test, given in the fall, is sent to high schools

never tutored before, said the tutoring was “a little scary at first but the group [she] worked with was very cooperative and were great listeners.”

What is the advent season? By Abby Durkan, Campus Ministry Editor

lthough we all know what Christmas is, some don’t know about Advent. Advent is a the Christian season, which consists of the four Sundays before Christmas that focuses on the pleasure found in waiting for Jesus. It is not a time for rushing, shopping or stressing over little things. This year Advent started on Dec. 2. Junior religion teacher Mr. Evan McGrath says the season “helps people focus on the true meaning of Christmas by preparing for Jesus’s message of peace for all people and the realization of God’s love.” We can see the Advent season’s influence in Mass every Sunday leading up to Christmas. Each week the priest lights a candle in the Advent wreath, made of bent evergreen branches with purple, pink and white candles. The purple candles are lit on the first and second weeks of Advent; the pink candle represents the Joyous Sunday, the third week, which focuses on the pleasure in waiting. The white candle, which is optional, is lit on Christmas day.

Mr. McGrath notes that “the focus of Advent is to not get caught up in the materialistic, gift-giving, partyattending season.” To give the juniors an Advent reality check, he played a video from www. bustedhalo.com called “Advent in Two Minutes,” during Junior religion class. He encourages the rest of the school to watch it too. Abigail Goad ’14 says that Advent is “for spending time with my family. My favorite part is lighting the Advent wreath with my little brother.”

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Sophomore Cálix is a vocal talent By India Zietsman, Staff Writer

hile sophomore Rebecca Cálix awes Tologs with her beautiful voice as she sings solos with the FSHA choir during Masses, we are not the only people she has impressed. Cálix first sang in a choir when she was in first grade. The auditions for Crown City Children’s Chorus were at her elementary school, Saint Monica Academy, where Stephen Grimm began the choir. Cálix was exposed to a more dedicated atmosphere by singing with a choir, which inspired her to pursue her talent. “I realized how much I loved singing after my first solo with Crown City,” said Cálix. Cálix was also a member of her church choir that performed at the Hollywood Bowl for an Easter Sunrise Service when she was in second grade. She then became the cantor for the St. Therese Middle School choir and took third place in sixth grade and first place for music in eighth grade for the Ramona Challenge. Cálix auditioned and was accepted into the renowned Colburn Concert Choir as an eighth grader. Cálix has performed with Colburn at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion for the past two Christmases in shows which aired on PBS; the Greek Theater for a Halloween

performance; the Beverley Hilton for the United Smiles Foundation; the California Club for a Christmas performance and for the Chorale Christmas program in Burbank. Cálix is also a member of a band that she created with eight of her friends. They performed at the Manhattan Center in New York for a Saint Patrick’s Day Gala and at the M Resort and Casino in Las Vegas for a federation promoting world peace. “It makes me feel really happy to perform at charity events because our singing spreads the word about the cause and brings more people to help and support the charity,” said Cálix. She enjoys working at little girls’ princess parties where she dresses up like a princess, sings and teaches them songs. Despite her vast experience performing, she admits that she was nervous the first time she sang at FSHA. “I was not sure if my fellow Tologs would like my singing but I don’t get nervous anymore. When I sing here [now], I feel at home,” said Cálix. Tologs have been talking about Cálix’s voice ever since she sang her first solo during a Mass last year. “Her voice is amazing! If she had a concert, I would go!” said junior Sarah Vargas.

SINGING SENSATION Rebecca Cálix ‘15 will sing with the Colburn Concert Choir on PBS at 4 p.m. on Dec. 24. Photo courtesy R. Cálix

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Discovering the library’s history in pages from the past By Carra Liwanag Staff Writer

tudents often go to the library to check out history books, but some of the books in the school’s library have quite an interesting history themselves. Indeed, after a little snooping, one book was unearthed that was checked out by a student over 60 years ago. The book, titled “Stories of the Great Operas,” was checked out by alumna Nancy Welch on April 30, 1948, when she was a Tolog about six decades ago. There are no computerized records for older books, of course, but most have a library card that shows who checked which book and when. The library was established in 1931 in the administration building, but in the early 1950s, when the high school building was constructed, the books were moved into the space where the library stands now. Librarian Mrs. Nora Murphy goes through all of the books at least twice a year, throwing away ones with outdated information or that are in poor condition. The books that survive the purge

are usually classic literature, such as Shakespeare, because the words written in the 1903 school copy of “Hamlet” are the same as those written by Shakespeare over 400 years ago. Other discoveries in the library included a check written in 1977 to Nally’s Uniforms, a former uniform supplier of FSHA. The check was used as a bookmark by Margaret Yung ’78 and left there for 35 years. Mrs. Murphy contacted Yung and plans to send the check back to her at her residence in Hong Kong. Books in the library may also offer insight as to how people thought and acted many years ago. For instance, a 1946 teenage etiquette book titled “Your Manners are Showing,” shows the vast difference between how teens six decades ago acted compared to teenagers now. The book contained many absurd rules, such as girls should not order their own food and drinks, but should instead tell their dates what they want and have the male order; or, if there is a public event where a date is needed and two boys ask

MORE THAN BOOKS ON HISTORY The bookshelves of the FSHA library contain the history of the library itself. Photo by Carra Liwanag

the girl to attend, she must go with the one who asked first, regardless if she wanted to go with the second boy more. Mrs. Murphy also found books that contained racist remarks, not an unusual phenomenon in the pre-Civil War era. “The White Sister” by F. Marion Crawford may not be a familiar title, but its library card shows that it was quite popular in the mid-20th century, with over 35 people checking it out between the years of 1948 and 1952. Crawford’s book is a classic romance about a woman whose lover, a soldier, was supposedly killed

in war, so she decides to become a nun. Soon, however, after she takes her vows, her boyfriend shows up alive and well, wanting to continue where they left off. To take you on a historical expedition through the library shelves, see Mrs. Murphy. She’ll point you in the right direction. SAY PLEASE The front cover of the 1946 etiquette book “Your Manners Are Showing.” Photo by Carra Liwanag

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What’s in and what’s out for the coming winter

BAGGY STYLE Big baggy sweaters are good for layering on cool fall days. You can get these from Forever 21 stores.

“HIGH“ FASHION Hidden heels looks like regular heels, but they are hidden in sneakers. A pair of hidden heels improves posture and costs less than $100.You can get these shoes from Ebay.com. for $70.

STYLISH CHIC COATS Coats are warm and fashionable at the same time.

FAUX FUR IS IN Both H&M and Forever 21 have revived their stores with new fur additions. Take these home with you.

Here are some fashion trends that you may want to consider investing in for the cooler months ahead. By Maureen Cen, Culture Editor Baggy Sweaters If you are looking for a comfortable and stylish outfit between $25-50, then go get a baggy sweater from H&M, Forever 21 or Target. As the latest fashion obsession for this winter, baggy sweaters are popular not only for teenagers, but also middle-aged women. It is cool to wear them with jeans, leggings or skirts. Hidden Heels How can you look taller while keeping your tootsies happy? Try hidden heels, which subtly give you an extra inch or two. These heels instantly also make your legs

look longer and slimmer while improving your posture. You can wear them during the winter or at any other time. One of the best combinations with hidden heels are shorts and tights. Coats Chic winter coats are the highlight of winter. The most popular length this year is the middle of the knee. Also in fashion are coats with no fasteners, which should hang loosely on the body. Bright and neutral are the best color palettes nowadays, but black and white combinations are also in. The most chic trimmings this winter are furs and leather.

Scarves Scarves are always in fashion because they are easy to wear and add a bright accent to your outfit. They are not only practical, but also a necessary accessory for winter. “A scarf keeps me warm and also complete my outfit,” said Sarah Vargas ‘14. Scarves come in various lengths and styles, narrow or wide, short or long, and can also be used as shawls or scarf-collars. Fur scarves are a hot trend this season, but infinity scarves also remain popular. Photo courtesy of Ebay.com, Fashion Directory.com, RusClothing.com and Fashiondesignnews.com

Fufilling your winter break bucket list Knights choose Tolog queen By Sydney Acosta Staff Writer

ven though I am only 17 years old, I already have a bucket list. Inspired by the 2006 film “The Bucket List” starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, I created my own unique list of things I hope to do before I die. I believe that you can never start too early when it comes to planning what you want to do before you “kick the bucket,” and there is no better time than winter break to start your own list and cross a few items off! 1. Have a holiday movie marathon with your friends. Watch your favorites and cross off some new ones: Home Alone 1 & 2; The Santa Clause; Elf; Love Actually; Miracle on 34th Street; A Christmas Story; How the Grinch Stole Christmas; Polar

Express; The Nightmare Before Christmas; Charlie Brown Christmas; It’s a Wonderful Life; National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation 2. Actually talk with your family. Even if your relatives seem crazy and weird, the holidays are the perfect time to strike a conversation with them.

3. See some giant Christmas trees decked to the nines in holiday cheer. Americana, the Grove and Old Town Pasadena’s trees are all lit and ready to view. Or you can take a drive to Christmas Tree Lane in Altadena on Santa Rosa Avenue between Woodbury Avenue and Altadena Drive; it’s open all nights Dec. 8 through Jan. 1. 4. Go ice skating. Even though California won’t have a white Christmas, you can pretend at ice rinks. Pasadena Ice Skating Center is on 310 East Green St.,

with $9 admission and $4 skate rentals. Burbank’s Pickwick Ice on 1001 W. Riverside Dr. has an $8 admission charge and a $4 skate rental. Both locations are open to the public at least once a day, and you can check the times on http://skatepasadena.com and http://pickwickgardens.com. 5. Watch the ball drop on New Year’s Eve. NBC’s New Year’s show with Carson Daly is set in Times Square and features musical guests Drake, Blake Shelton and Jessie J. On ABC, headliner Taylor Swift will perform in Times Square on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest. 6. Go to the snow! If you’ve never seen the snow or just want a change of scenery, take advantage of the winter season. Take a drive up to Mammoth to ski or snowboard or just head up to Angeles Crest or Mt. Baldy.

Student receives an unusual Junior Ring By DeeDee Durkan Op-Ed Editor

he moment you finally receive your Junior Ring and are welcomed into the exclusive community of upperclasswomen is one you will never forget. But can you imagine the astonishment of Tolog Drew Donaldson ’14 on Nov. 7 when she opened her little black box containing not the delicate ring embellished with the Veritas Shield, but a Green Day Packers 2010 Super Bowl ring made for a

A SPECIAL RING Drew Donaldson ‘14 opened her Junior Ring box and surprisingly found this Super Bowl ring. Photo by K. Thompson

shareholder? “I was in complete disbelief! I thought my parents were pulling a prank on me because that is something they would do!” exclaimed Donaldson, who says her mom had to assure her it was not a joke. The Super Bowl ring, in 18k white gold surrounded by diamonds, costs about $5,000 according to bleacherreport.com. Despite the ring’s high value, Donaldson was thrilled to finally receive her ring earlier this month but sad to return the other one.

enior Amanda Furlong was crowned Homecoming Queen of St. Francis High School at the homecoming football game on Nov. 2 while classmate Jasmine Tauer was crowned princess. Both girls were ecstatic that they made the court. “It was such an honor and I was so excited to be chosen!” said Furlong. The court of seven girls walked down the field dressed in black accompanied by their dates. Both FSHA girls actively participate in St. Francis’ cheer HOMECOMING ROYALTY Amanda Furlong shows off and song and also are involved her crown as she is escortin other St. Francis activities, a ed by Knight Miles Montelrequirement to be on the court. ibano at the Saint Francis The girls had to go through homecoming dance. Photo an extensive tryout process courtesy Amanda Furlong that required the submission of a resume and an essay. Contestants also met with some of the St. Francis faculty and student leaders, who then ranked each contestant based on a point system. “I was shocked but very excited because this was something I had dreamed about for a long time and I was very honored,” said Tauer ’13. Both girls encourage all those who care about St. Francis High School to try out next year. —Mindy Huang

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The many benefits of being petite: Not short, just compact awesome! By Terra Cheung, Co-Editor

hey’re comfortable top shelves. On the bright in the backseat of a side, however, there are Fiat car. They are always at many benefits to being the front in group pictures. “height challenged.” They are great at hide and Smaller bodies are seek. They fit in cheaperknown to have a lower but-equally-cute children’s center of gravity, so it’s clothing. In short, no pun easier for them to balintended, being petite is ance. In other words, pretty great. they are less likely to slip Historically, society when skiing or walking tends to stereotype short on ice. This explains why people unfavorably, such short people tend to excel as labeling them with a in sports that require good “Napoleonic complex”— balance, such as gymnasbeing overly feisty and tics and figure skating. bossy to compensate for Petite girls in particular their shortness. can wear cute high heels Small people often are without embarrassing viewed with less respect their male friends, and and intellect and even reshort people generally cent scientific studies (such look younger as well. as the Gallup-Healthways “I don’t actually mind Well-Being Index study) my height,” says senior indicate that short people Tina Chao, who stands at are typically less happy 5’2”. “I love being more than taller people. These comfortable than taller typecasts are utterly unpeople on a plane or a true. small bed because I have Not all short people are more legroom than them.” aggressive and clearly are Mr. Olympio D’mello, not less competent than the sophomore religion their taller counterparts. teacher, is also proud to be In fact, there are countless “vertically challenged.” talented people who are GROWTH SPURT IN PROGRESS Terra Cheung “My height does not shorter than 5’3”, such as (5’0”), a former guard for the JV basketball team affect my work in the (believe it or not), sizes up well to FSHA’S varsity Tony award winner Kris- basketball coach and physics teacher Mr. Ty Bux- least, because most of my ten Chenoweth (4’11”) and man (6’1”) Photo by M. Amestoy students are short,” jokes music legend Prince (5’2”). Mr. D’mello, who is 5’5”. Being short is definitely “Besides, with shorter height, but then I thought, [fornot something to be ashamed of. legs, you’re closer to nature.” get] that, I’m Harry Potter.” Daniel Radcliffe, the 5’5” tiSo the next time you stare at Indeed, being short has undenitle character in the Harry Potter able disadvantages, such as being the mirror and wish you were tallmovie franchise, was quoted in towered over by middle-school er, just remember: “I’m not short, shine.yahoo.com saying, “I used children and forever relying on I’m just compact awesome!” to be self-conscious about my other people or stools to reach

December 14, 2012

Bad drivers

Continued from page 5

Tologs shared other annoying pet peeves about obnoxious drivers. “I don’t understand people who roll their windows down and blast their music,” said Hrovat. “Did you ever consider that I don’t like your music?” Junior Amanda Perez said that drivers who honk for no reason, such as at a red light or in bumper-to-bumper traffic, “need to take a chill pill because they’re just making a bad situation even worse.” Inconsiderate driving even extends to a packed parking lot where there is a long line of cars waiting for a space. “Everyone gets excited when they see a lady walking to her car, and then she just sits there for ten minutes thinking that the world revolves around her, oblivious to the cars waiting for her space,” said Villegas. We tend to make excuses for the elderly man who may not be in possession of all of his faculties or the youthful girl who looks like a first-timer, but poor driving is not only annoying to those who have to meet a deadline, but it is also a hazard to everyone involved. My mum always tells me, “Never get behind the wheel when you’re all riled up.” For whatever reason, whether you had a fight with your boyfriend or a bad day at school or work, you must get into the car with a clear head. A clouded mind can drive you to speed, slow down, or take on dangerous maneuvers, all of which pose a threat to yourself and others around you. Yes, it may be annoying to wait behind the person going—gasp!— below the speed limit, but you know what’s worse? Cutting off that person, speeding off ahead, and possibly getting in a fatal accident. And yes, it may hurt your pride to pull over and allow the menace riding your bumper to pass you, but someone has to be the bigger person. Most people do not consider the countless possible forms of immediate death that can come from careless driving. Somehow, in our desperation to get from one place to another, we forget about the value of life and endanger not only ourselves, but those who have the misfortune of being on the road at the same time. So put safety first, and take driving for what it is: a serious risk.

Study Tips

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“I think teachers’ study guides are the best way to study. They list all the material that will be on the test and gives the student an idea of the format,” she said. Some teachers understand finals pressure enough to cut their students some slack before the big pre-Christmas tests. “I make sure that I don’t assign too much before finals. I think it’s important to focus on the final exam rather than material that we can learn next semester,” said Mr. Mike Thornton, who teaches World History, Government and History & Politics in Film. —Melissa Schwaigerlehner

       

         Get ready for the Parents’ Guild        

Prom Dress Collection

 

In front of the high school building during

Late January and February 2013 Exact dates to be announced Donate your unneeded dresses to the “Cherished Memories” project of the Salvation Army to benefit homeless teens in Pasadena. YOU can make a difference! YOU can make a memory!

 

Sports

December 14, 2012

Veritas Shield

Page 15

Varsity basketball strong out of the gate with new head coach Mr. Ty Buxman By Yessenia Galicia, Staff Writer

fter starting this pre-season by taking home a third place trophy from the San Gabriel Valley Tournament at San Marino High School over Thanksgiving, varsity basketball will not have a problem overcoming last year’s overall record of 8-18. At press time, the team boasted a 7-3 pre-season record. Captain Melene Agakanian’13 said “this season is going to be a good season. Even though we lost good players, we gained good players too, so it balances the team out.” Guiding the team in pre-season greatness is new varsity coach Mr.Ty Buxman, who coached JV basketball for the last four years. “One of the important things of being the new head coach is getting the culture of the program and seeing how the players act on and off the court,” said Mr. Buxman. Only 10 out of the 26 girls who went to try-outs made the varsity team. The next pre-season game is at home on Dec. 20 against St. Monica Catholic High School.

JV b’ball ready to improve By Carra Liwanag, Staff Writer

ith nine freshmen, four returning players and two new coaches, junior varsity basketball is ready to leave last year’s unsatisfying season behind and start anew. Coaches Richard Maynes and Miguel Enciso are certainly helping the team reach their fullest potential reflected in the current preseason record of 4-2. “I predict that we are going to win a majority of the games; however the Mission League is one of the hardest leagues out there,” said Coach Maynes. Coach Maynes has a lot of experience coaching girls’ basketball, from elementary all the way to the college level. The coach described his and coach Enciso’s strategy of starting with the fundamentals of basketball and then having the rest fall into play. “We really have the essence of team and everyone on it is an amazing athlete, before everything else,” stated Coach Maynes. Team member Natalie Majich ’15 echoed Coach Maynes sentiment and states, “I hope we really give it our all and grow closer as a team so that we have a successful season.” The team’s first league game is home on Jan. 8 at 5:30 p.m. against Bishop Alemany.

JV Basketball Roster Danielle Azari ‘16 Madalyn D’Alfonso ‘16 Christina Dupas ‘16 Lacie Fradet ‘16 Katherine Krappman ‘16 Mary Laurance ‘16 Anna Lopez ‘15

Hollis MacVaugh ‘16 Natalie Majich ‘15 Kristian Mathews ‘16 Elizabeth Whan ‘15 Jessica Wirthlin ‘16 Crystal Wu ‘15

V. Basketball Roster Melene Agakanian ‘13 Dana Budzyn ‘13 Elizabeth DiPietro ‘14 Kelly Fradet ‘16 Juliet Hook ‘13 Casey Johnson ‘16 Melissa Leavens ‘14 Sarah Lund ‘14 Jenna Tran ‘16 Madeline Wirthlin ‘14

WORDS OF ADVICE Coach Ty Buxman talks strategy with his players. Photo by Lali Ortiz

New water polo coach building a team that will be difficult to beat By India Zietsman

Staff Writer

ew coach Carlos Ponce has worked with the water polo team since September with the goal of building a team that is difficult to beat, and one in which the girls love to play the game. Ponce graduated from Bishop Alemany High School and came back to coach his alma mater’s JV boys’ water polo team after spending two years at Santa Monica Junior College. From 200510 he worked as the aquatics program director at John Burrows High School. Coach Ponce believes that this year’s team will do well as long as they believe in each other, work hard and learn from their mistakes. “The girls are willing to work to succeed. I want to teach them and open a door

for them but it has been their decision to work hard for what they want,” he said. “We have only just started and that’s the best thing about it. We never stop learning and we aim to get better every practice and every game until the end of the season.” The girls scrimmage at every practice but pause after plays to discuss what they did wrong, what they did right and what they have to work on. “Scrimmaging during practices gives us a clearer idea of what each individual player has the ability to do and how we can work together during games. It allows us to practice plays that we will use against other teams,” said Elizabeth Hinckley ’14. The team is 3-3 in pre-league games “We have only just started and that’s the best thing about it. We never stop learning and we aim to get better every practice and every game until the end of the

Water Polo Roster Devin Aubert ‘14 Madeline Dulcich ‘16 Mary Farley ‘16 Sydney Flynn ‘13 Kelsey Gorman ‘13 Elizabeth Hinckley ‘14 Presley Maron ‘14 Julia Melehani ‘16 Monica Montes ‘16 Allison Pieroni ‘16 Anna Porter ‘13 Hannah Rouret-Valencia ‘16 Hannah Walleck ‘13 Athena Williams ‘13 Elektra Williams ‘16

season,” said Coach Ponce. The first league game will be against Bishop Alemany High School on Jan. 8 at FSHA.

Tolog athletes commit to a variety of universities By Dana Budzyn, Staff Writer

everal athletes are looking forward to continuing their sports careers in college. So far eight seniors have committed to play soccer at a wide range of universities, exceeding last year’s recruitment total, while two more Tologs have committed for softball. Senior soccer player Sarah Teegarden is committed to Wake Forest University as a center midfielder while Savannah Viola will play for University of New Mexico as an outside midfielder/forward. Hailey James will play forward/midfielder at Cal Poly Pomona and teammate Krista Meaglia signed as a midfielder for Northeastern University. Center midfielder Claire Kostelnik has committed to St. Mary’s College of Maryland and defender Kendall Sandoval signed with University of Nevada Las Vegas. Miranda Saldivar will be a center midfield attacker at Swarthmore College. U.S. national team member Kayla

Mills, who was recruited as a sophomore, will fight on as a forward at USC. Softball player Kelly Jacobs will chase down fly balls in center field for Loyola Marymount University. Sumner Hanula will take on the challenge of playing two sports in college. She will be defending on the soccer field and catching softballs in the outfield at Wellesley College in Maryland. People often assume committed athletes can relax in school, but that perception is not always reality. “The pressure of college only increases when you commit because the school expects you to perform and meet their standards. Preparing for the transition is very intimidating and difficult to balance as a teenager,” said Teegarden. Teegarden added that playing soccer in college can appear scary at times, but she looks at it as an opportunity to do something she loves while teaching herself to strive to be the best in both her athletic and academic pursuits.

Yet, classmate Hailey James “took an easier class schedule because I knew I was accepted. I felt a lot of weight off my shoulders because I didn’t have to go through that application process and write all of the essays.” Both Sandoval and Kostelnik said that although they are committed they have not taken easier classes to lighten their homework load. Sandoval wants to get into the honors college at UNLV and so she feels the pressure to get good grades, while Kostelnik remains driven to do just as well in school if not better than she had previously performed. Athletic Director Stephanie Contreras is excited to watch the recruits take the next step in athletics; .she anticipates more athletes will be recruited later this academic year. Ms. Contreras believes “FSHA will only get stronger in terms of having girls play in college in the future. We have a lot of talented athletes in our school and it seems to continue to grow each year.”

Page 16

Sports

Veritas Shield

December 14, 2012

Exercise ranks high on teachers’ agendas

V soccer ranked #15 in state By Jessie Lorrimer, Staff Writer

KEEPING IN SHAPE Mr. Andy Cramer hits the gym in the SAC about twice a week and also runs the stairs with Mrs. Kathy Desmond. Photo by K. Thompson

ven after several players graduated in June to play for Div.1 college teams, varsity soccer is currently ranked #15 in the state. “We have a seasoned defensive core,” stated new head coach Cesar Hidalgo, “and some fast, talented offensive players. We are not 18 deep as we have been in previous years. But if we can keep our best 16 healthy we will be fun to watch.” At the end of last season the Tologs were ranked #48 in the nation by ESPN Rise with a 12-5-4 overall record and 6-2-2 record in Mission League. The team struggled due to injuries last season, but this year marks the return of midfielders Krista Meaglia ‘13, who missed the entire 1112 season, and Savannah Viola ‘13, who was out for all but two league games last season due to a dislocated knee. Meaglia and Viola will be joined in the midfield by seniors Miranda Saldivar and Hailey James, according to Associate Coach Frank Pace. The team is led by Kayla Mills ’13 who will play both ends of the field. On the defensive end she will be joined by seniors Sarah Teegarden, Kendall Sandoval and Clair Kostelnik. Energizing the team is U.S. National Team U-16 forward Hannah Armenariz ’15, who last year had 11 goals and five assists. Junior Laura Thompson, who scored three league-winning goals last season, and junior Casey Basso will have to fight with freshman Lauren Savo and sophomores Sarah Vail and Katie Schinnerer for the final starting spot, said Coach Pace.

By Melissa Schwaigerlehner How-to Columnist

ot only do our fearless teachers have papers to read and tests to grade, but they also have the grueling task of getting in some time for exercise. Most Tologs have seen Academic Dean Mrs. Kathy Desmond jogging up and down the hill, occasionally accompanied by College Counselor Ms. Candy Navarro or receptionist Ms. Mandy Lem. But other faculty members keep fit in a variety of different ways. U.S. History and yearbook teacher Mr. Andrew Cramer has lost a total of 40 lbs. since arriving at FSHA 18 months ago so far through diet and, most importantly, physical activity. “I do Pilates once a week, run stairs twice a week and my own circuit of arms, abs and gluts twice a week,” he said. Mr. Cramer’s lifestyle changes have been acknowledged by many and even concerning for some. “Sister Celeste noticed, but didn’t say anything and asked ‘Andy, are you sick?’ and I just laughed,” he said. Other teachers have their own techniques to stay healthy. Along with journalism, English I and academic advising, Mrs. Karen Thompson has a steady exercise regimen other than rolling her bag down the freshman hallway.

“My husband and I have a personal trainer three times a week,” Mrs. Thompson said. “We work out for an hour each time doing a mix of core exercise, weights and cardio.” Mr. Olympio D’Mello has a full plate with sophomore religion, coaching JV tennis and getting in some time to play himself. “I play tennis at least three times a week,” he said. Sister Donna Marie Nicholas takes a moment away from the attendance desk to enjoy swimming and walking before the sun comes up. “I am trying to lose weight,” Sister Donna said, but when asked if she would coach any teams at FSHA, she replied, “Over my dead body.” Even Mr. Mike Thornton segues from history and his story about John Barrymore believing Shirley Temple was a 30-year-old midget to enjoy the great outdoors. “I swim and play golf,” he said, boasting/ admitting to a handicap of -----. Busy librarian Mrs. Nora Murphy stays fit by walking, mat Pilates and being a new mom. She ensures she exercise, “whenever my baby allows me to.” So cut your teacher some slack if they haven’t graded your tests yet, because they clearly need to stay at the top of their game.

JV soccer starts off season with a 6-0 win PREPPING FOR THE SEASON USC-bound Kayla Mills ‘13 (right) works with her partner on mastering ball skills. Mills will play both sides of the field. Photo by K. Thompson

Junior Dani Garcia will be the goalie after a two-year JV career where she chalked up 19 shutouts and posted a 0.61 GAA. “We got to transition our team last year,” said Coach Pace. “Kids like Sandoval, James, Saldivar and Kostelnik stepped into starting roles and demonstrated just how deep this squad is. Now they are a year older and ready for the battles of Mission League.” Practice began on Oct. 14; the team had its first preseason game away on Dec. 4 against Maranatha, which it won 5-0. “We have an awesome group of players with a lot of talent,” said Sandoval. “We want a memorable year, which means winning league and working toward winning another CIF title.” “In terms of switching coaches,” she continued, “we miss Frank and Kathy [Desmond], but Cesar is such a great coach. He has so much experience and knowledge of the game to bring to the soccer program here at FSHA.” League begins in January, which is when the team captains will be chosen. The team’s first league game will be against Bishop Alemany at Occidental College on Jan. 4, but the Tologs will participate in the annual FSHA Los Tacos Tournament Dec. 27-28.

Varsity Soccer Roster

Hanna Armendariz ‘15 Casey Basso ‘14 Danielle Garcia ‘14 Hailey James ‘13 Claire Kostelnik ‘13 Krista Meaglia ‘13 Kayla Mills ‘13 Miranda Saldivar ‘13

Kendall Sandova l ‘13 Lauren Savo ‘16 Kaitlyn Schinnerer ‘15 Sarah Teegarden ‘13 Laura Thompson ‘14 Sarah Vail ‘15 Savannah Viola ‘13

By Dana Fee

JV Soccer Roster

Staff Writer

V soccer hopes to improve upon last year’s stats of 6-6-4 with new coach Melissa Warner, a former goalkeeper at Occidental College. The girls began practicing Nov. 5 and won their first preseason game against Maranatha 6-0 on Dec. 4. “This group of girls is very promising! We’re holding ourselves to high standards and hope and plan to do very well this year. I’m confident in the team as a whole and believe that our star players will change throughout the year,” said Coach Warner. Team captains are Miranda Spears ’15 and Samantha Brown ’16.

Emily Beeve ‘16 Riley Benjamin ‘16 Samantha Brown ‘16 Alyssa Carter ‘16 Marissa Dickey ‘16 Juliana Gallegos ‘15 Sydney Gonzalez ‘16 Alejandra Gurrola ‘16 Dylan Harrow ‘16 Nicole Linden ‘16

“Great defensive and offensive players joined this year. Our coach is really good and works with the team and individual players. We’re going for an undefeated season,” said Spears. “We are doing very well, especially for this being a whole

Kira Matsuno ‘16 Caroline McCreary ‘16 Tiffany Menendez ‘16 Vanessa Ocon ‘16 Lindsey Pierson ‘16 McKenna Sandoval ‘16 Miranda Spears ‘15 Heather Turcios ‘16 Cristina Venneri ‘16

new team put together. I hope that over this season we can continue to get better and grow closer with each other both on and off the field,” said Brown. The next game is at home on Dec. 15 at 11 a.m. against Valencia.

Fall Sports Wrap Up

lthough cross country placed 13th at CIF finals, where senior Gabby Fitzpatrick was the fastest Tolog, the team did not make it to state finals as hoped. Other varsity teams however, did make it to post-season play this year. Tennis made CIF playoffs for the first time since 2002 after placing 3rd in Mission League, but lost 0-15 to University High in the first round.

Volleyball, which placed 3rd in league, came back to the playoffs after a year-long absence but was defeated 2-3 by Valencia High School in the first round. Golf did not make it to league team finals, but junior Katie Hartwig participated in individual finals, where she placed 6th among 14 golfers. —Judy Lee