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Stuart Hall High School | Schools of the Sacred Heart, San Francisco | Volume VIII, Issue I | October 2012
the round table
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a forum for students
editors@shhsroundtable.com
Table of Contents School News
Four School Blessing...........................................3 Freshman Roundup............................................7 SHHS Hosts Carnival.........................................9 Murals in the Hall.............................................10
Sports
Knights vs. Anderson Valley...............................6
Special Features
MDA Camp.........................................................4 Start of he NFL Season.....................................5 Modern Pentathlon.............................................8 Giants Roundup................................................11
Front cover photo by Sergio Vasquez Back cover photos by Michael Campos, Sergio Vasquez and Lori Saltveit
Staff and Publication Information Editor Liam Lynch Copy Editor Austin Woo
Layout and Website Editor Zack Hammer
Staff Connor Abbott John Cannell Lucas Chan Stephen Everest Zack Hammer James Hernandez
stuart hall high school
Corrections the round table goes to great lengths to ensure that all material is accurate, timely, and factual. However, errors sometimes occur. If you notice a factual mistake, please send an e-mail to lori.saltveit@sacredsf.org with “Reader Discovers Error!� in the subject line.
Liam Lynch Declan McBride Will Paulsen Maxwell Phillipps Omid Ravanfar Austin Woo Demetri Sakellaropoulos
Faculty Moderator Mrs. Saltveit member
Online content: Please visit the online round table at: http://roundtable.sacredsf.org/
the round table | Founded 2005 by Nick Dietz, Corey Linehan, Tom Pardini, Joey Plonsker, Ms. Sarah Slonaker
editors’ corner When I started my round table experience last year, I walked into the newspaper meeting room with a sense of resignation, because I wasn’t really sure I wanted to be there, and subconsiously not sure that I could write for the student newspaper. Mrs. Saltveit had the whole staff sit down at the meeting table to discuss the opening of the new year. By the time she got around to explaining how to write articles, I was already yawning. When she started calling people’s names, I perked up from my mid-class nap, wondering what she was asking them to do. I looked up at the board, and on it were article topics. The thing I noticed most was that all of the topics were really interesting, stuff that people would actually want to read like when the new MacBook was coming out, or a review of the latest blockbuster movie, instead of the kind of stories you get on the morning news about traffic, weather, and crime rates. It was all very intriguing to me as I stared at the multitudes of topics. “Liam.” I looked up from the board at Mrs. Saltveit, “Huh?” “Liam, which topic would you like to write an article on?” And that was the moment I knew that I wasn’t going to be slacking off at all that year, in fact I would be enjoying my time in the round table program. Now, as the new Editor in Chief, I look back on my time as a reporter as a time I thoroughly enjoyed and will probably remember and cherish for the rest of my life, because hey, when are you ever going to get a chance to work for a real newspaper again? -Liam Lynch, Editor in Chief
school news
Four School Blessing
by Matthew Jung ‘16
Why this year’s blessing is special. Every year, all four schools gather for the 4-School Blessing in the Herbert Gym. “This year’s blessing was unique as we have a different head of school and the word boundaries wasn’t mentioned.” said Junior Connor Abbott. The 4-School Blessing is always a memorable event as it is one of two times when all four schools are together each year. This year’s blessing was extra special as it marked the 125th anniversary of the Schools of the Sacred Heart being present in San Francisco. It was also the first time all 4 schools were together to celebrate motto, ‘Cor Unum’ meaning one heart.
The blessing began with student body presidents’ speeches centered on Cor Unum, which brought the Schools of the Sacred Heart together. After the speeches, the four schools blessing was led by Barbara Dawson, the U.S. Provincial for the Schools of the Sacred Heart. To commemorate the 125th anniversary student body goverment members formed the number 125 and all Photo by Heather Cenzer|| round table four schools sang “Happy Birthday.” The blessing ended with a 4 school picture in front of the Flood Mansion building, and birthday cupcakes were given to all students. “The cupcakes were great.” said Freshman Zack Hammer.
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special features
MDA Camp
by Declan McBride ‘13
The most rewarding, yet taxing, summer service experience.
Photo courtesy of MDA Camp||round table
The New Orleans trip back in junior year was tough. We painted houses, up-kept homes, and even replaced light bulbs. Up until August of 2012 I thought that was the most service intensive thing I could tackle. I was dead wrong. Imagine the summer camps when you were young; swimming, games, pranks, etc. It was every five through fourteen-year-old kids dream for a week over summer. That’s exactly what it’s like at MDA (Muscular Dystrophy Association) Camp, except I wasn’t a camper. Ohno. Meet Odin. He’s the kid to my left in that picture. Odin likes dressing up, Legos, and violent M-rated video games. The thing that is so powerful about the featured photo is that I don’t see Odin’s wheelchair anymore. I just see a normal 14-year-old kid who makes a few too many inappropriate jokes that sometimes go over my head. Not seeing the chair anymore was the biggest thing I learned at MDA camp. To not just look at Odin and see a kid in a wheelchair, but to see a friend that I quickly made in the the round table | page 4
short span of a week. Now, in no way am I saying that Odin was easy. I was a first year counselor, and one of the youngest counselors there. Yet, I was matched up with Odin who couldn’t move his legs, and could barely operate his arms. This was tough, and at first it was extremely stressful. I would be woken up in the early morning to take him to the bathroom and constantly throughout the week he would crack jokes at me that were extremely inappropriate. One morning it hit me though. The camp had some bikers come in from a nearby town to take the kids on rides. Odin was one of the first people in line, and I saw him bouncing around in his seat ready to go around in circles in the motorcycle’s sidecar. The bikers lifted him up and put him in the sidecar and his face lit up as the bike took off. When I saw that, I suddenly understood my true purpose for being there. That week wasn’t about me; I wasn’t there for community service hours. Heck, I wasn’t even there so I could put this entire experience on my college application. I was there to make sure Odin had the best week of his entire year, and that next year
he’d be equally as pumped up to come back. The camp wasn’t all hard work and no fun. It was definitely one of the most enlightening and fun weeks of the summer. Everyone in the photo, Odin, and I were in “Boxcar” cabin, the most notorious cabin for prank-ing (and getting pranked) at MDA camp. Sometimes we would steal a couch (we did it three times actually). Sometimes we would steal a flag, and sometimes we would come back from a long day of activities, sweaty and tired, and find all of our stuff covered in shaving cream, silly string, and caution tape. Even though I was only there for a week, I have a year’s worth of stories. If you’re looking for a great time, a challenging service opportunity, and a friendship that you’ll never forget, sign up for MDA camp next year. I can’t recommend it enough.
special features
Start of the NFL Season
by Omid Ravanfar ‘16
Things to expect this year.
Photo courtesy of boston.com||round table The start of the NFL season began on September 5th and every team has entered with questions and expectations such as: How will the Patriots respond after their Superbowl loss last year? Will the Eagles have a better season after the disappointing season last year? And how will the top rookies, like Luck and Griffin III, produce in their first year? We’ll see some answers to these questions by week 4 or 5 of the season, but for now here’s what to expect. The 49’ers, Texans, Giants, and Ravens have arguably the best defenses in the league, and as many people know, “Defense wins games.” Even though this might be true, a great team should be able to play well on both sides of the ball. Look at these teams with great defenses, but do they all have a great offense? Sure, the Texans had some injury problems and expect to make a decent run this year, and the Niners have made some key additions to their offense in the off-season, but what about the Giants and Ravens? They haven’t made any key
additions to their offense and it seems like they’re not planning to make one soon. The question now becomes can defense win championships? That is a question that both of these teams will try to answer “yes” to this year. So far what we can see is nothing short of what we expected, the Giants lost thanks to poor defense while the Niners, Ravens and Texans each take a win in week 1. Another thing to look out for this season is how the players assigned to new teams will do. For the players like Terrell Owens, Randy Moss, and Brandon Marshall, it’ll be interesting to see how they fit in with their new teams. As it showed a few years for both Owens and Moss, changing teams doesn’t always turn out well. Alongside these big names, Larry Fitzgerald, Andre Johnson, Calvin Johnson, Roddy White, and Steve Smith are expected to be the top receivers of the league, but their teams aren’t expected to go very far in the postseason. At the start of a player’s career, he often times says he wantas to be the best and want
to win a Superbowl. More often than not that player only accomplishes one of these goals and not the other. We can see that only one of these five players has won a Superbowl. It’s a tough and tricky league and that’s why only a handful of players have actually completed all of their goals by the end of their careers. Every NFL season holds a lot for every player, for if any team has a bad season, their jobs and careers could possibly be in danger.
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sports
Knights vs. Anderson Valley
by Stephen Everest ‘15
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Knights get revenge after last year’s tough loss. ar
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Photo by Surgio Vasquez || round table
During the Knight’s second season in 2011, they not only improved upon their 2010 season, but they obliterated it. This year, the blossoming football program hopes to continue that trend. On Saturday, September 1st, in their first game of the new season, the Knights showed the type of growth one would hope for in a new sports program, as they avenged last year’s tough loss to Anderson Valley with a route, beating the Panthers 64-29 in a game that didn’t feel at all close from the start. The game started with a bang. On the opening kickoff and first play of the season, sophomore Ethan Hankins brought back the kick for a touchdown. He finished with 2 rushing TD’s, 3 receiving, and the kick return for a total of 6 touchdowns, and a whopping 455 total yards. He set the tone for the round table | page 6
the whole Knights offense, as they put up 64 points on a struggling Anderson Valley defense. Senior Tray’von Hicks dominated in the role of quarterback for the Knights, as he scored 3 touchdowns through the air, and 2 more on the ground, throwing for 144 yards and rushing for 143 more. Also coming up huge were cornerbacks Ron Valencia and Omid Ravanfar, who each had an interception in the game. It was Ravanfar’s first game in a Knight’s uniform, and after the interception he said, “I read the quarterbacks eyes, and when he made the throw I was right there. It was really exciting to contribute to the team in just my first game.” Such a big win gives the Knights a lot of confidence going into the season, especially after beating a strong team like Anderson Valley. A statement that athletic director John Bertken echoed by saying, “The guys played really tough, good ball, and
I think we’re at a good place to play teams well in future games.”
Game Tackles Tray’von Hicks: 11 Tackles Rodney McKinney: 9 Tackles Ethan Hankins: 8 Tackles Jimmy Mortenson: 6 Tackles Liam Campbell: 5 Tackles
Game Sacks Ethan Hankins: 1 Sack
school news
Freshman Roundup
by Demetri Sakellaropoulos ‘15
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Photo by Lori Saltveit || round table
Every year Stuart Hall brings in amazing new freshmen, and this year is no exception. In this year’s class of 2016 we have many interesting freshmen, which include amazing athletes, creative writers, fantastic musicians, passionate game designers and even a pilot. The first freshman in the photo above is Zack Hammer. Like Kevin Wong, a senior from last year, Zack is passionate about game designing and is currently creating a RPG video game, which he has not named yet. Zack came from Saint Matthews Episcopal School which is located in San Mateo. He has been enjoying his first few weeks at Stuart Hall but currently has no favorite classes.
However, Zack likes Mr. Helms, because in Zack’s words, “Mr. Helms is a boss.” When inquired about which sports he enjoyed, Zack replied, “Fencing, fencing and more fencing.” Coming from Stuart Hall for Boys, our brother school, our second freshman in this photo is Matthew Jung. Matthew likes to play soccer as well as many video games. Mathew has enjoyed his first few weeks at school. “Yes, I enjoy it here because the teachers are very friendly and the community is nice,” says Matthew. So far his favorite class is Biology. “Mr. Helms is a great teacher,” says Mathew, “I think he’s very fun to be around.” Matthew is currently playing soccer and is planning to do baseball when spring comes around. The last freshman in this photo is
John Cannell who came from Marin Primary. John is currently enjoying the tight knit community at Stuart Hall. “The teachers here are great and I enjoy all my classes” John said. Although John enjoys all his classes, his three favorite classes are History, Spanish and Theology. “I’m learning so many new things at school,” John exclaimed, “I don’t get bored as quickly anymore.” Like Morgan Law, a sophomore, John currently swims and surfs and is on the sailing team at our school. In his own words “I am at home in the water”.
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special features
Modern Pentathlon
by Zack Hammer ‘16
Modern alternative to old history. We all love watching the Olympics.
Photo courtesy of getsymbols.com|| round table
Every four years we get to watch a symphony of sports, with world class athletes competing for solid gold medals, all from the comfort of our living rooms. Most of us enjoy watching swimming, gymnastics, running, and many of the other popular sports; however most of us don’t know about the
Comic Corner
by Jean-Luc Seltenrich ‘13
the round table | page 8
modern pentathlon, due to its little to no television coverage. In fact, the Olympic committee was debating whether to keep it as an Olympic sport this year, calling it “elitist,” and “outdated.” Its first Olympic appearance was in 1912 and, although through much contrsoversy, has been kept on continuously ever since. The sport was meant to simulate what it was like for a World War I cavalry soldier and stuck behind enemy lines. The sport is a way to evaluate whether he would or would not survive. Since the weapons of a cavalry soldier were primarily a gun and sword, this sport shows by demonstration how with accuracy and combat skills one can succeed. The athlete would also have to be able to ride a horse, run, and swim. For fencing, the competitors compete in a one-point epee bout with each another competitor, a sort of round robin. They then compete in a 200m freestyle swim. Next, they do show jumping, but it a little different than normal jumping.
Usually, the rider works with a horse that they have been training with for months, maybe years, but in the modern pentathlon, they must ride a completely new horse that they have never ridden before, increasing the challenge by quite a bit. Then, according to how well they do in the first three events, the competitors are awarded points which decide their starting positions in the final combined event of running and shooting. The distance for the running event is currently 3km cross-country race, but up until the 2000 Olympics, it was 4 km. The shooting consists of three rounds, and in each round, the shooter must successfully shoot five targets, and then they may resume running. TUp until the 2012 Olympics, shooters used air pistols that fired pellets. But a recent change was made so that the shooters now use laser pistols, which is much better for the environment. The first runner over the finish line wins the race.
school news Nothing is guaranteed but death and taxes
SHHS Hosts Carnival
by Austin Woo ‘15
First social of the year, with a secret twist!
When someone tells you that they’re going to a “social,” what are the first few images that pop into your head? These images probably involve a boring and dull get-together where friends eat ice cream and try to talk over music in little secluded groups standing near the corners or doors in the room. Sure it’s a nice time to hang out with people but is that actually fun? This year, the student council decided to take a new approach on the Convent and Stuart Hall gettogethers and socials. On Friday, August 30th 2012 Stuart Hall and Convent hosted their first social of the year known as Carnival. “The place looked pretty nice,” said James Hernandez’15, an excited
Photo by Lori Saltveit|| round table
Sophomore, “The Columbus Room was pretty different because the tables were organized and set for games; there was colored paper stringing crossing from across the rooms.” As the theme was focused on theme parks and carnivals, there were a wide range of activities, which included a fairly large jumpy house and face painting, which took place in the Courtyard. In addition to that, ring tossing, knock out, and hula hooping were held in the Columbus Room. “The games were somewhat cheesy in my opinion,” said Luchas Chan’14, a Junior, “but that’s the reason why the games worked and were fun.” As the lines for the activities filled up, so did the food stands.
Many students stood in line for the complimentary soda, cotton candy, root beer floats, popcorn, cupcakes, donuts, and fruit cakes. “The food wasn’t bad and I especially liked the cotton candy,” says Marco Barajas’15. Eventually the members of the Convent and Stuart Hall student council began walking around to distribute the food, making it easier for everyone and more enjoyable. The laughter, talking, and activities continued on until the student council began pushing the tables and games aside in the Columbus Room. When the students began to realize that Carnival was over, the lights went off out of nowhere. A strobe of blue lights flashed to the ceiling as a faint sound of music became ever increasing. It was a surprise dance! Excited and cheerful, everyone rushed back into the Columbus room, happier than ever. “I didn’t expect a dance,” said Jackson’16, “It was pretty fun and I had a good time.” At the end of the night most people were happy. They were satisfied with a fun Carnival but were even more so pleased with a secret dance. Not only were the students happy, but the student council as well. “We made one thousand and twenty five dollars,” said Patrick Wong, the Treasurer of the Student Council, “unlike last time when we lost 15$.”
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school news
Murals in the Hall
by Will Paulsen ‘14
Students add color to the blank walls.
Photos by Will Paulsen || round table
There are four murals scattered around Stuart Hall that represent the schools of the Sacred Heart. Ms. Hellstrom guided the students through multiple steps to create the murals. The first step they would sketch the piece in pencil on the wall. After that, they would use black paint to enhance the outlines. They would then have to pick out the appropriate colors for the mural. Next they would paint each layer one at a time. After layering the mural with paint about three more times, the murals colors become more vibrant and eye catching. The first mural is of a cherry blossom tree, which is located in the courtyard. It is a custom to allow our guests, when they come to visit to our school, to paint petals on the tree to symbolize and show that they are also part of our school’s community. Our alumni student government members and teachers who left the school, have also put petals on the tree. This blossom the round table | page 10
tree is white and has pink petals that are scattered around the branches. The tree itself is bent to symbolize the challenges faced by our community, when SHHS almost closed down. Since we succeeded in facing these problems the tree is now “blossoming”. The next mural is of Saint Philippine Duchesne. Located under the stairs, this mural shows Philippine Duchesne praying. Underneath the painting is a chair from the Academy of the Sacred Heart in Saint Charles, Missouri. The reason Phillipine is praying in the mural is because she was often found praying for her school so that they would have enough food and supplies for the community. The reason this mural is under the stairs is because at night, Phillipine would go to a little room under the stairs, at her home, to pray. The students who finished this piece are Ivan Balarin, Jean-Luc Seltenrich, Ron Valencia, Xa Conrad, Liam Lynch, Dainel Monsour as well as Ms. Hellstrom.
The third mural, at Stuart Hall High School is a picture of Madeleine Sophie Barat, is painted in red and blue, our school colors. This mural is called Gratitude in honor of the accomplishment’s that Madeleine Sophie Barat did. There were five people who worked on this, which included Ivan Balarin, Jono Otero-Caldwell, Lucas Long and Ms. Hellstrom. The last mural is of the Sacred Heart logo with an open heart with the world in the center. This mural represents the global education that we have at our school. The open heart means that everyone is open to learn from each other even though we are all over the world. The representation of the earth symbolizes all of the schools and communities around the world we have and how they are connected by the school’s of the Sacred Heart. This mural is located down in the gym on the wall across from the bleachers. The prayer on the mural is “May you act as men of integrity. May you play as men of character”. This quote on the mural is from Mr. Vasquez and it is a prayer given to the athletes to not only show and exemplify our beliefs but to also remind our players that they are representing the Stuart Hall and Sacred Heart community.
special features
Giants Roundup
by Lucas Chan ‘14
Giving the Dodgers a run for their money. already been put to work. So far, he’s been hitting a .288 batting average but Bruce Bochy is hoping to make use of Pence as much as possible. Another fan favorite is outfielder Angel Pagan. With a great batting average of .278, Pagan always delivers when needed most. Most importantly, Pagan is an excellent team player and is always the deciding factor for many defensive plays. Although another Photo courtasy of SF Giants Productions || round table fan favorite, Andres Torres, was traded for Pagan, Angel has There have been many things managed to win over the SF crowd. that have happened to the Giants Probably the biggest change in the since their 2010 World Series win SF atmosphere and game-style over the Texas Rangers. Players have come, others have left (yet Star is Tim Lincecum’s playing. Once energetic and reliable, Timmy’s Wars day manages to come every pitches this year have been year); the overall vibe of the World somewhat spotty and, at times, Champion Giants who we used to know has slowly faded away. Despite having an offseason with a year of many (many many many) injuries in 2011, the Giants have already managed to succeed the Dodgers from the NL West throne this season and have secured themselves nearly five games ahead of LA. Without a great closer like Brian Wilson, the Giants need to focus more on gaining runs early in games and keeping their lead to win. Closer, Javier Lopez, has been doing a great job this season, but still many Giants games turn into their signature “torture.” With many new additions to the Giants such as Hunter Pence and Angel Pagan, the team looks forward to a bright future. Hunter Pence was acquired from the Phillies and has
reckless. Despite the off-season, Timmy has greatly improved since opening day and is already on the road to his former self. The recent two win series against the Dodgers has greatly improved the attitudes around the dugout and the park. While slowly gaining a lead, the Giants are doing what most teams would not do in their situation: joke around. Although they are as focused on winning as any other team in the NL, the Giants have always managed to play their best when loosened up. Relief pitcher Sergio Romo is taking his TV commercials and is really having fun with his “Romo’s Promos” section. Buster Posey, who is a possible candidate for MVP this year, is usually enjoying the fan’s’ company and playing around with interviewers. Bruce Bochy added, “I’m not doing this for attention or accolades,” he said. “I’m in this to win and get to the postseason and try to win another World Series. This game isn’t about the manager. It’s about the players, and how they play the game.”
Graphic courtasy of hittingbombsinmccovey.tumblr.com|| round table
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