April 2013

Spring 2013

Jesuit Journal 1

Jesuit Journal

“This I Believe” Essay Edition

Cover Art by Ryan Fernando ’15

Contents & Acknowledgements Keeping Chivalry Alive by Bruno Brenes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Hard Work Without Success is Truly Immoral by Duncan Cadeddu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Unconquerable by Matthew Favre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 A Law to Live by Thomas Horton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Why Worry? by Jimmy Patterson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Self-Reliant Me by Clay Phillips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 There’s Always a Reason by Chandler Stonecipher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Affliction Reveals Character by John Whelan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 To School by Austin Wallace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 To the Internet by Edward Talatala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Editor............................ Kevin Chen ’13 Assistant Editor............. Grant Uy ’14 Journal “Minion”........... Byron Song ’15 Layout & Design............ Kevin Chen ’13 Art Contributors............ Ryan Fernando ’15

Austin Benavides ’13

Dillon Smith ’14

Samuel Wyand ’15

Will Cormier ’13

Killian Womack ’14

Tony Duong ’13

Zachary Bishkin ’15

Julian Michiels ’14

James Merkel ’15

Emilio Chavez ’14

Arturo Amaro ’15 Moderator..................... Dr. Michael Degen

We at the Jesuit Journal would like to extend our gratitude toward Mrs. Tole and her class for allowing us to publish these “This I Believe” essays, which notably have QR codes linking to audio clips of the freshmen reading their essays.

We would also like to thank Ms. Hoskins and her art classes for their ten drawings displayed in this edition. In addition, we bid Ms. Hoskins farewell as she begins her retirement and thank her for her contributions to the Jesuit Journal over countless years past.

Jesuit Journal 2

Keeping Chivalry Alive

by Bruno Brenes ’16

I

believe in chivalry. Recently the phrase “chivalry is dead” has been ringing in my head, haunting me to better myself. A passion for a code of conduct that goes beyond adequate table manners and polite “thank you”s, has been instigated in my heart. I believe in living a chivalrous life, in other words a life with a calling to become better every day, respect and protect others, and show every act of kindness I can. Even acts that seem impossible, because even acts of kindness that failed have an underlying message of love.

I am inspired to become better every day by the will to make my late father proud. I know that respect especially towards women was a quality that my father strived to maintain alive in a world, in which we could respect women to a greater degree. After my father died I was raised by women, my uncle being the only real male figure to mold myself after, but he was still not a father figure. A different type of respect was earned for women as a result of my predominantly female role models such as my mom, my aunt, and my grandmother a much more strict and protective respect. After all I had become the man of the house when I was two. Since I was so young then I assumed my role once I was older. When I was seven, my mom got remarried to my stepfather, a great and chivalrous man; he provided me a male role model and a father figure.

There are boys and there are men. Real men are chivalrous. Chivalry separates the boys from the men. It elevates those who not only act like real men, men who take pride in improving the world we live in. Chivalry is very much like a chain reaction that begins with a respectful attitude and a warm smile.

Throughout the day the warm smile and respect will resonate from those who come to experience it from someone else, and might inspire the warmth that has been hiding in a person’s heart on a cold day. My hope is to recruit readers of this essay to join the knightly battle against everyday lack of respect. Our weapons? Simple acts of kindness, such as holding a door, picking up a dropped item, and returning it to its owner. With these acts I believe we can better the world a little more every day. I believe in respect; I believe in kindness; I believe in simple acts making a difference; I believe in love. I believe in chivalry.

Jesuit Journal 3

Hard Work Without Success is Truly Immoral

by Duncan Cadeddu ’16

I

n today’s world, there are people who labor backbreakingly for meager pay. There are people who do everything possible to help their families yet still fail. There are people who work hard and labor yet recieve little reward. There are people who do all in their power to help others and yet still suffer.

I have always been taught that if you work hard in life, there will always be success for you at the end of the road. If you do not, you will never do what you want to do. My mother attended John’s Hopkin’s University, as did my father. My mother studied law, my father studied medicine.

My mother is well established in her practice, and my father is well established in his. They serve as perfect examples for what a person should be and strive to achieve. However, this vision of success from hard work has wavered and there are inconsistencies.

I know from experience that an imbalance can be reached with this concept: that working hard does not always lead to success in life. Clear examples of this lie in South Africa. I visited there in Christmas of 2011. Part of our trip included visiting a township of Cape Town, a shanty town or slum outside of the city and its suburbs. Here, thousands of people lived in shacks made of plywood or wooden foil. They lacked running water, and their government provided a meager amount of electricity just to say that they help the people who live there. On one of our days in Cape Town, we took a tour of one of these townships. The children work hard and suffer through the hardships of living in such places. They do not, however, go on to do great things in life, and are forced to do what their parents do: labor in the townships to do little more than survive. Despite all of this labor and hard work, the people of this area still are not successful in life.

The situation of these people could be compared to slavery. Slavery is a time when a person labors very hard for little or no pay. In historical United States, slaves worked great plantations in hopes of one day being free. In places such as the African township that I visited with my family, the people labored to make their own food and still starved. Just as in historical American slavery, these people labored day-to-day in hopes of one day being free of poverty and being successful.

Although most people can work hard and then become successful, there are those few who do but do not achieve greatness. Everyone deserves a chance at success in life, and any factors that inhibit this should be abolished or not taken into consideration. This, I believe.

Jesuit Journal 4

Artwork by Austin Benavides ’13

Artwork by Dillon Smith ’14 Jesuit Journal 5

Unconquerable

by Matthew Favre ’16

“M

y head is bloody, but unbowed.” This excerpt from Invictus, Latin for “unconquerable,” reflects the entire motif of the poem. Speaking about the will of humans, this poem is one of the greats in the entire history of literature. Its greatness is not only a result of its author’s prowess as a poet, but also a result of its ringing truth.

This past summer, my family and I went on a vacation to San Pedro, Belize, where we partook in all sorts of tropical activities -- snorkeling, fishing, zip-lining, you name it. In a time where our biggest problems were when someone forgot his water bottle or sun screen, my perspective of the human spirit changed.

In a car ride to one of our many, various activities, we passed a neighborhood soccer field. When I say field I mean a gigantic concrete slab with weeds growing up through the large, abundant cracks and a ratty goal missing a net on one side. Our tour guide told us that every neighborhood has a field, the life support of these poor communities. There happened to be a pick-up game going as we passed by, and I watched with curiosity and awe like a kid in a candy shop. There were boys joyfully playing the “beautiful game” on this not-so-beautiful field, boys younger than me, boys without shoes, boys with dirty, torn clothes. As I watched them sprint back and forth across the pitch, I admired the sheer happiness that playing this game brought them. While their heads may not have been bloody, their feet definitely were, but the thought of pain seemed to float away from their minds, as they refused to let anything take that game, that moment, that happiness, away from them. Those boys showed that they refused to let their harrowing situation get the best of them, and instead conquered and made the best of it. Not only did they show their physical strength, being able to play in such horrible circumstances, but they showed their spiritual strength.

They showed courage and perseverance and bravery. They showed that their spirits were unconquerable and that they would not let anything tell them otherwise.

On the way home from our tourist activity, my inner Argus thoroughly scanned the pitch through the Belizean night in a futile attempt to find the kids again. They probably had called it quits after I had passed, and I made another revelation. The human spirit is unconquerable, and the only thing that can destroy it is itself. When people are truly conquered, whether it be because of a bully or a bad test grade, the true cause of the loss is when a person gives up.

Learning from this, I believe that all of us are unconquerable, and that to truly escape our problems, we need not give up, but instead keep running on. After all, if we keep chasing the ball, we will eventually score a goal.

Jesuit Journal 6

Artwork by Tony Duong ’13

Artwork by Samuel Wyand ’15 Jesuit Journal 7

Artwork by Will Cormier ’13

Artwork by Killian Womack ’14

Jesuit Journal 8

A Law to Live

by Thomas Horton ’16

N

ewton’s third law, which states that “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction,” conjures for most people memories of trying to stay awake through a soporific lecture in science class. For me though, it’s my way of thinking, my maxim, my “golden rule”. In my Catholic family, the Ten Commandments have been life guidelines. But when God handed Moses those tablets, I think God would have saved some time if he just wrote that for every action, consequences swing back at us. And whether these consequences are good or bad, we’d better be prepared to sleep in the bed we’ve made for ourselves. I’d love to tell you that you that I can bounce a coin off of the bed I’ve made, literally and figuratively. But let’s be realistic, and I know everyone on the planet has had this drilled into their heads, nobody’s perfect.

Years ago I was playing basketball at the community center with my brother and his friend.

Everybody’s been there; the once semiserious game has regressed into everyone just shooting trick shots. A balcony stood behind the half-sized court. Who could resist? We began to lob shots from the top, backing up, sending more basketballs banking against the backboard. My shot soared, flying into...the smoke detector. Nothing happened. “Whew, what a-” SCREEEEEEEEEECH!! The fire alarm went off. My brother scrambled for his phone, handing it to me, his grim face a funeral. My mind was racing, looking for any excuse. I couldn’t blame someone else, I couldn’t run, I couldn’t anything.

Right here is where my entire thought process changed. Sure, I couldn’t do anything, but even if I could have, I shouldn’t have, I wouldn’t have. I needed to accept my mistake, and face the equal and opposite reaction to my stupidity. I called my mom, voice shaking, tears falling as I explained what happened.

As we began the endless quarter mile odyssey home, I resigned to my future life as a delinquent. My mind was a train wreck. At home I awaited my punishment like a knowingly guilty prisoner awaiting his sentence. I walked into my dad’s office. He wasn’t even mad, just calmly made his suggestion, “We’ll go down to the fire department, and you’ll apologize.”

There it was, Newton’s cradle swinging right back at me, straight into my gut. Getting out of the car, I trudged up to the building, and saw one of the firemen. I mumbled my apology. “Oh, you were that call?” I prepared for the worst. “Don’t beat yourself up, just be more careful. It’s dangerous clearing the way on busy roads to come put out a fire, understand?” That was it? Atlas took the world back off of my shoulders. Relief washed over me. We finished our conversation, I thanked him, and we walked away. That day, I learned that I believe in taking responsibility. For every action there is a consequence, and for every consequence there is a person who has to deal with it. This, I believe.

Jesuit Journal 9

Why Worry?

by Jimmy Patterson ’16

A

long time ago, before cars and computers and healthcare and the world economy and global warming and Watergate, there were human beings just like us.

These people were the same people that exist today, except that they lived in a different time. They had many less things than we do today, but we both shared something in common: worry. Apprehension, anxiety, misery, uncertainty pounded the otherwise cheerful people. Their lives were less than they could be. The problem was (and still is), they could ditch these horrible feelings and move on with their lives. It is entirely possible for a person to leave these feelings of angst and foreboding by the wayside and live a normal life because he can just stop over thinking unnecessarily worrisome things. Around the eighth century, Hindu prince and philosopher Shantideva wrote, “If you can solve your problem, then what is the use of worrying? If you can’t, then what is the use of worrying?”

Has it ever been hard to keep yourself from picturing what the worst case scenario of a situation will be? It always seems that the less I worry, the more there is to worry about. I never have had a hard time imagining a crowd’s laughter after I forget which song I was playing halfway through a recital. I can always hear the critical voices after a class speech goes 3 minutes short. But, in actuality, the world isn’t quite as horrible as some cynical people make it up to be. I never have forgotten my piano piece halfway through a recital, and no one dared speak critically at a Catholic school where I gave the class’s shortest speech in the history of class speeches. The worst case scenario never happened; it’s useless to spend your time worrying about things.

Time is valuable. There is some limit on the span of one person’s life, and our earth is big enough that not everything that can be done will be done by one person.

Worrying about things that don’t matter will only hinder the small amount of time each of us are given. Even worrying about things that do matter will only hurt us because worrying accomplishes nothing. In this world where everything is ranked based on what a person has done, worrying is worth nothing. In this world where the only way to survive is to work hard and improve, worrying is outright harmful.

I realized I don’t need to worry about the worst case scenario. Worthlessly worrying about insignificant incidences is interfering with my life. Dr. Ana Monnar gave insightful reasoning when she said, “Whatever is going to happen is going to happen, whether we worry or not.” If worrying is harmful, and worrying accomplishes nothing, and worrying is unnecessary, and people need things that aren’t harmful and things that accomplish tasks and are necessary, why should you worry? This I believe.

Jesuit Journal 10

Artwork by Tony Duong ’13

Artwork by Zachary Bishkin ’15

Jesuit Journal 11

The Self-Reliant Me

by Clay Phillips ’16

T

his, I believe: the only person you can absolutely depend on is yourself. These words hold a supreme position on the list of what I believe to be true. Just reading the statement brings out of me an unyielding sensation of definitiveness; I know, no matter what, that I will always have myself to fall back on. This belief of mine is not built upon a plethora of instances empathetic with it, but rather a simple epiphany in geometry class.

My instructor yet again assigned another group presentation, to my dismay. Group projects, in my case, are overwhelmingly unfair and hardly ever turn out to be a “group” effort. After completing the assumed notion of delegating a portion to each member, it hit me: they weren’t going to fully complete what was allotted to them, if at all. Instead, they would just leave all the work for me to toil over at the last minute like they always do.

Despite this, I decided that I liked this better anyways if they did do their part as expected, it probably wouldn’t be the way I would have done it. It’s like my infinitely wise mom once told me: “If you want something done right, do it yourself”. Just as I expected and as many can relate to, none of my group members rose to the occasion, yet I had honored my newfound belief, prepared for the worst, and trusted my gut. Everything turned out just fine.

If you give them the chance, people will let you down. This is inevitable. It is a horribly morbid thought, but the human race is an imperfect one and it is bound to happen at some point in life. People are not unwavering, people are not steadfast. Trust is merely an illusion. Sure, I can trust that my geometry classmates will pull their weight, but how am I going to be sure of this? How will I know that they are going to fully complete what they had “promised”, that they are going to do it correctly, that it will turn out just the way I had envisioned it? The truth is, I won’t know. I won’t know until it is over with, until all the cards are dealt, but by then it will be too late. Yes, I hope for the best and remain optimistic and willing to trust others until given a good reason not to, and sure, a little assistance is necessary in life, and more often than not, people will come through, but this will only get you so far. A strong, independent, self assured person always has a backup plan, a lifeline, an alternative, and this alternative is entirely of his own doing. In the end, it is you who makes your own decisions, not anybody else, and depending on yourself is the only way to be positive that you are strong enough not to rely on others in times of distress and that you won’t get hurt by anyone but yourself.

Jesuit Journal 12

Artwork by Julian Michiels ’14

Artwork by Tony Duong ’15

Jesuit Journal 13

Artwork by James Merkel ’15

Artwork by Emilio Chavez ’14

Jesuit Journal 14

There’s Always a Reason

by Chandler Stonecipher ’16

I

believe that everything happens in life for a specific reason. Believe me, I have questioned the truth of this statement as many times as the groundhog has seen his shadow, which unfortunately has been too many times. However, I eventually always figure out the reason and believe that the statement is true again. Most people don’t know that a reason exists at all. In fact, some people looking for the reason are polar bears in the jungle. They are lost. Others might not even like the reason, but nevertheless the reason is there. Sometimes, you have to stop looking and just wait for the reason to appear. I know we have all had that “Why me?” moment at some point or another in our lives. The key is not worrying about it, but embracing whatever is happening. I found a better explanation for this in a quote that says: “Someday everything will make perfect sense. So for now, laugh at the confusion, smile through the tears and keep reminding yourself that everything happens for a reason.”

My family has moved around a lot because of my dad’s work. Each time that we moved, I’ve had to reestablish my social, academic, and athletic foundation in the city. Each new city seemed to suffocate me with new challenges. Then, just as I start to feel comfortable with my new city, we pack up and move again. I move, I get comfortable, I move again. That seemed to be the process that I repeated over and over again. Moving around so much definitely was not easy growing up. I saw each new city as a new burden or a new challenge, but now, looking back, I should have seen each new city as a new opportunity. Going into each situation, I had a bad attitude. You could say I was a bit of a Debby’s Downer. The bad attitude led to me not embracing the possibilities.Not embracing the possibilities led to making the situation even harder, which had me questioning the reason for it even more. I’d sarcastically mope “Great. I have to start all over with a new house, a new school, new friends, and new sports teams. “ I should have positively stated “I get to experience a new house, learn at a new school, meet new people, and play with new coaches and teammates!” Had I taken this approach, I could have found out that evasive reason much quicker. At each new city, I honestly did have a great experience meeting all the new people and living in new places. I made great friends at each and every stop during my childhood. In the long run, each new city made me a better person by preparing me for any new situations that I might have to face. So next time that something unusual happens to you, remember that everything happens for a reason. This, I believe.

Jesuit Journal 15

Affliction Reveals Character

by John Whelan ’16

I

have grown up in a fortunate household my entire life. My parents have sheltered me from affliction like an umbrella against the rain, but that doesn’t mean a few drops have never hit me. It’s not the umbrella’s fault that you get wet, sometimes it just happens. Sometimes you get caught in a storm and there is nothing your umbrella can do to keep you dry. But I believe that in those moments of affliction is where we learn the most about others and ourselves. In the spring of 2011 a monsoon hit my family.

My grandfather, whom we all knew affectionately as Poppops, was taken to the hospital. He lived for another six months; which consisted of two separate hospital stays, all while contracting a plethora of diseases. Most of which he contracted in the hospital while sick with a different disease.

During the last months of Poppops’s life I learned a lot about the men in my family. Everyone handled the event differently. I for one bottled up all of my emotions. I only cried once the entire time. During the funeral reception, I suddenly and uncontrollably burst into tears, popping the cap on a years worth of emotion.

Poppops was always a kind and loving man during his life. Nothing proved this to me more than during his last two months on earth. Every visit he would repeatedly tell each person that he loved him or her. Even at times when it was best for him to rest and not speak he would still insist on making sure that we all knew that he loved us. He realized that his time was running short, and he made certain that anything that needed to be said would not go unsaid.

Most of all I learned about my dad. My dad has many talents, one of which is his way with words.

He has always been a great speaker no matter the venue, whether it is a toast, a speech, a business deal, or just everyday life. This is why he was the one to give Poppops’s eulogy. My dad probably did one of the greatest things you can do for a person. With the eulogy my dad fully encapsulated his dad as a father, a husband, a grandfather, as a human being. Not only that, but it also gave a sense of closure to all of the people who loved Poppops. This is a service I hope one day I will have the strength to fulfill for him and that someone will be able to do for me. This event has given me much admiration and respect for my father.

Affliction, however unfortunate, is an inevitable event in our lives. Sometimes our umbrellas can protect us from the storm affliction brings. Unfortunately we don’t always have our umbrellas there when a storm hits, and that’s when affliction affects our lives the most. In spite of the damage and loss we experience with affliction, it is a time where we as humans show our true character. This, I believe.

Jesuit Journal 16

Artwork by Arturo Amaro ’15

Jesuit Journal 17

To School an imitation of Edgar Allen Poe’s “To Science: A Sonnet”

by Austin Wallace ’15 School! Who hath hindered my teeming sum of thought!

Ensnared by these walls, confined to solitude and yet My inner talents and interests aggregate, then clot.

Fighting for freedom, faced with death, leaving me to fret, Intermittently, I wistfully gaze outside its monumental grasp, Pondering upon where my thoughts could take me.

Perchance to endeavors beyond school’s hindering clasp.

Nonetheless here I lie, left to mope most would agree, However, within the evanescent season of summer My constricted thoughts are ostensibly free.

The crooked institution instills a feeling of glummer Suppressing true emotions our eyes may never see School, unbeknownst to most victims, commits a wicked crime, Stealing my most precious resource; to School, a thief of time.

To the Internet an imitation of Edgar Allen Poe’s “To Science: A Sonnet”

by Edward Talatala ’15 Internet. True son of science art thou Whose omnipotence guides us with knowledge Yet you let negatives in to your life.

Why do you take the lives of Tumblrs, Redditers, or Facebookers.?

Reaper, whose cloak is hidden How should we love thee? And deem thee wise?

You are filled with many lies and deceit.

You take the lives of social networkers.

And the souls gamers you steal.

Your selfishness drains all teenagers and college students Yet our society needs you, needs Google Your amount of goodness matches your evil.

Why must you let thieves into your system?

Stealing the lives of normal people and even yourself.

Jesuit Journal 18

We want your submissions!

We strive to highlight the creative talents of Jesuit students, whether in the form of drawings, paintings, short stories, poems, essays, photography, recipes, or any other type of artistic expression.

To do that, though, we need your submissions. We accept all school-appropriate creative works, regardless of topic, from all current Jesuit students. These do not have to be from a Jesuit art class, nor do they have to be new. Anything you have made or will make would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your consideration.

We hope to see one of your creations published in a future edition.

Please contact any of the following people with submissions.

Kevin Chen ’13 · 13042@jcpstudents.org Grant Uy ’14 · 14452@jcpstudents.org Byron Song ’15 · 15309@jcpstudents.org Dr. Michael Degen · mdegen@jesuitcp.org

Jesuit Journal 19

Jesuit Journal 20

Artwork by Arturo Amaro ’15