MAYFIELD CRIER October 2015
The
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M AY F I E L D S E N I O R S C H O O L S T U D E N T N E W S PA P E R
Can You Taste the Difference? “Finding a food Which do you prefer: packing your service that can lunch in a red Lululemon bag or trying accommodate M a y f i e l d ’s to beat the line at the food truck? needs has been difficult. This year we have a new food truck on campus and students have We can only guarantee noticed the difference. Isabella Canani, ‘18 says, “I a very small think the food truck is much more clean customer pool; and fresh tasting, but maybe we could on any one incorporate some fresh foods like fruit or day, thirty-five sixty-five MARISSA VALENZUELA, ‘16, MAKES AN EXECUTIVE DECISION TO GRAB A BITE FROM THE LUNCH TRUCK sandwiches on days other than Monday to students purchase lunch. Fresh Lunches, “On average, we provide 35-50 customers when Porta Via comes.” Green Apple, and California Fresh Food and companies need a guarantee of 85 Last year, menu options included (the last three food services that were -100 meals to make a profit.” fresh salads, fruit, french fries, and grilled approved by the students), all canceled cheese. Although the french fries were But why food trucks? Why not a service after one year because they were cafeteria? the most popular item on the food truck menu last year, they are no longer offered. losing money.” “We use food trucks because The most popular item this year they can accommodate smaller numbers Vegetarians, like Amber Flores, ‘18, have noticed the difference. “Without seems to be the tacos. Marisol DeLaCruz of customers,” says Gergen. In addition, fries there’s not much that I can buy,” she ‘17 says, “I always get the tacos but I think Gergen notes, “We do not have the space says.“Usually I’ll buy the quesadillas but they should have more options. When or the facilities to offer cafeteria service.” there’s not much variety for vegetarians I’m too busy to make my lunch, I know Although the school still has a or vegans.” I’m going to have tacos, and although relationship with Italian restaurant Porta Healthier options are available, I’m not tired of them yet, it might be Via, as the owners are parents of students but student interest needs to be better to go beyond Mexican food.” and alums, we need to provide the maintained. The school requested the It may not be as easy as it customer base in order to maintain this food trucks carry fruit and salads and sounds, however. “I have contacted service. healthy options, but the students did not every catering company who works with According to Gergen, Porta Via purchase enough of the items to keep schools in our area and have had no coming twice a week is viable, but in order the items stocked. success finding a company to work with to implement this idea, students would Michelle Gergen, Dean of us,” Gergen continued. need to prove that there will be enough Students, elaborates: customers to sustain the service. Mayfield Students Take Action
Service Fair: By: BREE BARNES
Every year, Mayfield Senior School invites non-profit organizations to speak with students about the causes they are trying to improve throughout the community. Anica West, ‘16, who is head of Campus Campus Ministry, offers a few words on the Service Fair and its significance in the Mayfield community.“ A lot of people do not realize that what we are doing here just by talking to these people and learning about their organizations. It really helps create awareness for what the nonprofit organization is trying to pursue,” said West. “For example, the food bank is trying to help the hungry, but they also work to provide backpacks and other school necessities to children who do not have these things. The service fair is a great way to learn about what is going on in the community and how you can help by volunteering.”
By: CARMEN MASCARENHAS
Pope Francis made his first trip to the United States last month, and even 2,600 miles away, we here at Mayfield were able to be a part of this historic event. From September 23-25, live footage of the Holy Father’s journey was streamed into the Commons and Pike, available throughout the whole school day. “With the today’s modern technology, it’s easy to follow his voyage, even though we’re so far away,” says Ciara Venegas, ‘16. “It feels like we are experiencing Papa Francisco’s apostolic journey with him.” His Holiness visited Washington D.C., among many stops on his four day trip, to meet with
Column Right By KRISTEN MASCARENHAS
By: ALISON CORDANO
Hope With The Pope!
October 2015
MAYFIELD STUDENTS TAKE ON SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES Photo: Bella Gaspar
President Barack Obama and address Congress. In his speech, Pope Francis, the fearless leader of 1.2 billion Catholics, openly discussed issues of immigration, abortion, globalization, and the environment. “I think that the Pope’s address to Congress is fascinating to track, and it’s also groundbreaking,” said Elizabeth Nail, ’18, who was especially looking forward to the Pontiff’s anticipated speech. “Francis is the first Pope to do this, and that’s neat.” The first pope to visit the United States was Pope Paul IV, in 1965, who stayed for one day. The second papal visit was made fourteen years later by Pope John Paul II, whose weeklong visit took him to Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Des Moines, and Washington. He later returned on multiple occasions during his 27-year papacy.
Pope Benedict XVI came once, in 2008, and was slated to come in 2015, before he retired. Unlike previous papal trips, the Pope Francis is making a point to visit low income schools and attend the annual World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia. “He understands the people and respects their needs,” says Maureen Lewis, ‘18. “He’s made it his mission to be an advocate for the poor, which is really refreshing.” Pope Francis’ visit has caught the attention of all Catholics and nonCatholics alike. Although this is a critical time in politics with the upcoming presidential election, Pope Francis touched on many controversial subjects, yet somehow managed to gain the respect of Washington’s leaders and capture America’s attention. One thing we know for sure: this refreshingly honest pope surely did give America hope!
I sat down to talk to Ms. Angela Howell, Director of Development, about the history and evolution of the Mayfield Senior School uniform.
Dress, was a white, knee-length frock. Girls were required to wear polished saddle shoes everyday. Students in P.E. and sports had to wear white dresses to all practices and events.
1940’s and 1950’s- Mayfield’s daily uniform was a brown blazer and checkered skirt down to the ankles. Additionally, the formal uniform, called Concert
By the 1960’sstudents had the option to wear concert dress on nonconcert dress days as well. The blazers lost their lapels, and perhaps the biggest signs of the times: skirt hems rose to knee-length. Seniors designed and wore class sweaters. 1970’s splashed some color on the campus when Pinfeather dresses were introduced in pink, blue, and yellow--a tradition similar to the blue dresses we wear today. 1980’s- Athletics saw significant changes: The sports uniform was officially changed to respective team uniforms. In addition, girls were first allowed to wear shorts to P.E. practices. 1990’s- Mayfield’s official brown and white colors made it difficult to find P.E. uniforms, so Ms. Howell, then athletic director, introduced red and white to the school spirit colors and the new gym uniforms also contained red and white. Kelly green sweaters and khaki pants were introduced, but were short-lived. 2000’s- Our popular red plaid skirt was finally introduced. The formal blazer was changed back to a lapel front. The pinfeather dresses in multiple colors were discontinued. The P.E. uniforms evolved to more comfortable athletic shorts and t-shirts. What do you think of the uniform now? Are there any parts of the uniform in Mayfield’s history you wish were still around today?
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MAYFIELD CRIER October 2015
Note from the
Editors-in-Chief CAMI ARBOLES and KRISTEN MASCARENHAS
Is it truly October? We can practically smell the pumpkin pie and hear the laughter of trick-or-treaters. Freshmen have finally begun to settle in and find classrooms. Sophomores are busy joining clubs and organizations. Juniors have their noses in books, preparing for those beloved standardized tests. And seniors are rushing to fill out those college applications. Then again, it’s October. Shouldn’t you have it figured out by now? Not really. The pursuit of success -- success in school, on the field, in the studio, at home -- is a pursuit wrought with imperfections. You mess up on a math quiz. You invest too much time in Twitter and too little time in the intricacies of the American Revolution. You say the wrong thing at the wrong time to the wrong person and long for verbal mouthwash. But mistakes are glorious things; without them, we never learn, grow, or discover.
Mayfield Crier Editorial Staff
Co-Editors-in-Chief: Cami Arboles and Kristen Mascarenhas Op Ed Editor: Bree Barnes Athletics Editor: Bella Gaspar Faculty Advisor: Kimberly Gomez Reporters: Kemi Ashing-Giwa Brooke Brody Alison Cordano Charmaine Dalisay Carmen Mascarenhas Caitlin Lee Katerina Plascencia Elizabeth Nail Isabella Vinci Julia Nail Annie Tighe Mikayla O’Reggio Emily Pearson Laura Searcy Photographers: Christine Geng Kerri Low Amanda McGloin The Mayfield Crier is a forum for student expression, written by students for the benefit of the Mayfield Senior School community. Our goal is to report relevant issues to the best of our ability. Mayfield Senior School of the Holy Child Jesus 500 Bellefontaine Street, Pasadena, California
Without mistakes, the pursuit of success becomes a vast and barren terrain, homogeneous in texture and boringly perfect. James Joyce says our “errors” are the “portal to discovery.” Ophelia in Hamlet tells us, “We know what we are, but know not what we may be.” And then, of course, Beyonce tells us we wake up “flawless.” But for the time being, consider your flaws and your mistakes intrinsically you. In fact, the mistakes you make will carve out a better you. We encourage you to make mistakes in October and learn from them. Now is the perfect time to enter a “portal of discovery,” a channel to learning and growth. Remember, you are not your mistakes, rather, you are what you learn from your mistakes. Study harder for your math quiz. Neglect Twitter for a second while you hit the books. Think before you speak, and be thoughtful in your deeds. Spread the joy of fall!
Cubs on a Winning Path
CROSS COUNTRY: JV and Varsity cross country
teams travelled to San Francisco to compete in the Westmoor and the Stanford invitationals, respectively. At Westmoor, the JV team won the race with Sierra Morin ‘17 leading the entire time. At Stanford, the Varsity team finished 2nd to Santa Cruz (93/91). Overall, the Cubs finished 7th out of divisions 1 through 5! GOLF: The golf team continued its winning streak by defeating Chadwick (226-339) and Westridge (239-304) last week. They remain undefeated in their league with four CIF qualifying scores. TENNIS: The Varsity team broke record by defeating Poly (10-8) and Westridge (14-4) for the first time since 2009! JV also beat Chadwick (15-3). VOLLEYBALL: All levels of volleyball played against St. Lucy’s on September 24. Although the Frosh and JV teams lost, Varsity played a tough match against St. Lucy’s winning 3-2. The Varsity team is currently undefeated and 4-0 in league.
Spotlight on the Arts BY: ANNIE TIGHE AN INSPIRING NEW ADDITION TO OUR FACULTY IS DENISE LEITNER, THE DANCE CONSERVATORY TEACHER.
Denise Leitner is currently a teacher at a dance studio in Hollywood called EDGE Per forming Arts Center. She was born and raised in Los Angeles, California and began dance training at age three. For the record, Leitner is not only a phenomenal dancer and instructor, but she is also is also a professional dance photographer. Recently, Leitner has been conducting photo shoots with the dance students around Mayfield, with hopes to edit the photographs and post them in the dance studio for inspiration. “It has been an amazing month beginning my adventure at Mayfield,” said Leitner of her experience thus far. “I just love working with the dancers.”
read in class, she better understands the story. “I think that it’s cool to see how other people perceive the story, when we’re discussing it in class.” “In school, I talk about theme, tone, and symbolism,” said Suzanne Serki, an English teacher at Mayfield. “We read about subjects I hope they will find interesting.” Students are then assigned to write essays on the books they have read. Most individuals seem to participate in recreational reading for just that -recreation. Rather than intensively studying the text and pondering over possible examples of symbolism and foreshadowing, students read for enjoyment, taking a break from schoolwork instead of contemplating the meaning of every detail. The popular method is to simply read books straight through and bask in the warm glow of a nice plot.
It’s a Friday night. Naturally, the average teenage girl goes home, carefully selects an outfit for the night’s proceedings, applies the necessary facial products and cosmetics, and hightails it out for a girl’s night out… or, in the particular instance of Friday, September 25th, hightails it to Mayfield Senior School for an unforgettable night with dad. This year’s theme called for fatherdaughter duos to dress up as their favorite characters from storybooks. Among one of the most popular dress-up options was Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf.
CONGRATULATIONS CUBS! LET’S CONTINUE THE WINNING STREAK!
Leitner has many refreshing outlooks and exciting changes in store for the Dance Conservatory. But one essential value remains at the heart of her craft: joy. “My plan for this year is to continue to find joy. I welcome joyous moments in the dance studio, and I hope students have a meaningful and heartfelt time,” said Leitner. “It is our sacred space to create, move and grow in the beautiful art form of dance. Moving in space is a gift.” Some events coming up in the dance schedule include a per formance at All Arts Night on October 17th, and the Choreographer ’s Ball in February, where upperclassmen have the opportunity to showcase their original choreography talents. Both events will present a great opportunity to witness the hard work and talent of Leitner and the Dance Conservatory.
Are you Guilty of Reading for Pleasure? Everybody has their own opinion on reading. Some people derive enjoyment from the effort and read as much as they possibly can, while others only pick up a magazine or newspaper from time to time. Readers can also have their personal favorite genres, which can range wildly in style and message. Some people prefer historical fiction and some favor romantic novels, while others may better appreciate biographies or poetry. Just as there are different kinds of literature, some might say there are also alternate environments for reading. Caitlin Lee, a sophomore at Mayfield, believes so. “I think that books we read for school just have a bad connotation because it’s just people forcing you to read something you don’t like,” she commented. Lee notes that through careful study of books
BY: CAMI ARBOLES
By: BELLA GASPAR
OpEd The Call of the Cub
By: ELIZABETH NAIL
Father Daughter Night
Readers seek simple pleasure, and it appears that for many, in-depth reflection upon a book does not constitute that aim. As freshman Sarine KouchayanGiaverdi, ‘19 concisely remarked, “I don’t like most classical books because they’re boring.” Students who agreed with her enjoy books with relatable characters. This expectation , they say, is not usually fulfilled in books read for school. There seems to be a clear divide between reading as a means of diversion and reading for educational purposes. Students, on the whole, seem to better appreciate books that they choose for themselves to read.This is likely because they know their immediate individual tastes. However, some girls recognize the value of the scrutiny of the text read in class, drawing connections, and writing about it. Either way, Mayfield Librarian, Ann Pibel is getting a lot of traffic!
“It was a night to remember,” said ASB President Claire Courtney, ‘16. “I got to see a whole new side to Mayfield girls, especially with getting to see their relationships with their dads and their willingness to dress up.” The night commenced with dinner and mingling, accompanied by bounce housestyle air hockey game on Pergola. Father’s and daughters had their portraits taken by Bronson Photography in Strub Hall. “The dads and daughters really coordinated with their costumes and dancing,” said Physics teacher Dr. Ariane McKiernan, who chaperoned the event. “The extent of the involvement was so sweet. The energy of it was fun, and people were relaxed. It was neat to see my students there and meet their dads.” The great hallmark of the evening was the dance-off, where father-daughter duos battled it out in Cornelia’s Courtyard. The competition got especially heated with crowd favorite tunes ranging from Earth, Wind, and Fire to Beyoncé. “It was better than the 21st night of September,” said Madeleine Coppersmith, ‘16, playing on the words of a certain popular song at the dance-off. “It was amazing to be there with my sister and we had fun in the dance-off,” said Alix Winschel, ‘16. “It was special to be there with both my dad and my sister for our last year at Mayfield together. And I think we made a great group of the three blind mice.” If you missed this year’s father-daughter chaos, be sure to catch the event next year. Word on the street is it that it rivals prom in awesomeness.