Monthly Archives: September 2019

Sports: Impact Of CIF Rule Change Varies Among Bosco Sports

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by Timothy Levine, Executive Editor, and Isaiah Holm

With the 2019-2020 school year in full swing, there comes a new set of athletic seasons for St. John Bosco, but this year there will be one big change that comes from the California Interscholastic Federation, CIF. 

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In a unanimous vote, the CIF Federated Council approved a new rule that starting this year will ban California teams from playing high schools around the country that don’t compete in their state championship playoffs. This rule will have a huge impact on certain sports at St. John Bosco and affect California athletics as a whole.

CIF has some clear reasoning behind this rule, which includes their belief in the balance of academics and athletics. These schools are allowed to recruit and promote their athletics in ways that schools under CIF are simply unable to. Monty McDermott, the Director of Athletics at St. John Bosco, believes that these academies can sometimes barely be recognized as academic institutions.

“They do not have any transfer rules, academics are not their first priority, they are boarding schools. It is probably not a good idea to play those types of schools if you can even call them high schools,” said Mr. McDermott.

CIF believes that these schools go against their “mission as an organization” and are inherently detrimental for athletics in schools, according to the Los Angeles Times. While this rule seems to allow for a fairer playing field, it also eliminates certain matchups that garnered much attention, such as the Mater Dei vs. IMG Academy game from last year’s football season. However, matchups against teams like IMG Academy may not be positive for schools like St. John Bosco. McDermott believes that this allows IMG to recruit and take players from their program.

“There has actually been a case where they have tried to take a few of our kids, and there are no rules against it. They can call our kids on the phone, they can come to their living room, they can say, ‘hey come out to IMG; we will give you whatever whatever whatever.’ So when you play them, you give them a free recruiting trip to recruit your players,” said Mr. McDermott.

Outside of these big matchups, it affects many sports at St. John Bosco and their respective schedules. One sport that is impacted by this rule is basketball. Basketball is a prominent sport at St. John Bosco, and the team has participated against prep schools in the past. Basketball is one of the largest sports in California as well, and head coach Matt Dunn believes that the rule will affect California basketball as a whole through certain scheduling conflicts.

“I think the biggest change is tournaments we can participate in, because we can not participate in any tournaments that [prep schools] are playing in, so I think some of the bigger events it makes it harder to play in,” said Coach Dunn.

However, Coach Dunn believes that showcases will play a bigger role in basketball going forward, due to its selection of specific games.

“In a showcase, it’s not as big of a deal because we can play in the same showcase they are in, just not against them,” said Coach Dunn.

When asked about how it would affect Bosco basketball directly, Coach Dunn is unconcerned, as he believes it will bring no significant changes for them.

“I don’t think so, not really. I mean, I’m sure it does in some ways that there are schools that aren’t going to come to events that we play in that they normally would, but otherwise it doesn’t affect us,” said Coach Dunn.

While it may not have an impact on Bosco basketball’s schedule, Coach Dunn is mixed on his overall opinions of the rule, as he has experienced losing a player to one of these prep schools and believes their recruiting abilities make it unfair for CIF schools.

“I do like the rule, but obviously we also enjoy competing against the very best so losing that chance it’s not a great thing, but overall I’m not a big fan of playing against guys that are trying to take your players,” said Coach Dunn.

Another sport that is impacted by this rule is wrestling, another winter sport and a successful one for St. John Bosco. However, head coach Jeff Anderson believes that it will not have a huge impact on wrestling as a whole in California, but just for those teams at the top that try to compete against these elite prep schools.

“As a whole, most teams in California are not going to be directly affected by the change.  The rule is a problem though for teams that want to compete against some of the best teams in the nation,” said Coach Anderson.

Bosco wrestling strives to be a top team in the state of California and for the past eight years has competed at the Ironman Invitational, arguably the most competitive in-season tournament in the country. However, with the rule change, Bosco will no longer be able to attend this prestigious event.

“It has a negative effect on our schedule. We are one of those programs that want to compete at the highest level. Because of the rule, we are no longer able to compete at the Walsh Ironman, arguably the best tournament in the nation,” said Coach Anderson.

When asked about his overall thoughts on the rule, Coach Anderson understands CIF’s motives behind the rule and their good intentions. However, he believes that the rule should be amended for wrestling as many schools are still following national and state guidelines, but simply choose not to compete in the state tournament.

“It indiscriminately targets schools that are not a member of their respective state organization by choice, but are still sanctioned and accredited by their state’s governing bodies. A lot of prep schools fall into this category. They are sanctioned and abide by all the National Federation of rules for wrestling, but CIF is presenting it as they can do whatever they want,” said Coach Anderson.

While CIF may have had good intentions with this rule, the reality is not as black and white, as different sports are affected differently by this rule and some are hurt more than others.

Sports: Cross Country Season Update

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by Ryan Tavera

The Cross Country team has set big goals for this year and are training their hardest to make them a reality, with head coach Tim McIntosh leading the team the runner’s hopes are high for the upcoming season. 

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Brittany Murray, Press Telegram/SCNG

2018s Cross Country team performed very well, placing second in the league. Head coach Tim McIntosh hopes to repeat the success they had last year and go beyond what is expected from the team.

“High expectations for this year, felt last year was very young they really developed a lot in track and this year our goals we want to win the league and get up on that podium at CIF and State,” said Coach McIntosh.

The Cross Country team has high expectations for the upcoming season, every runner is preparing themselves for the upcoming season both as a team and individually.

“Goal for the season to work together as a team, we had trouble getting the team together, we were always just scared, this year we really matured and we just got to work together and push those hard days and run for each other,” remarked Senior Alex Frias

2019s Cross Country team feels very confident to be number one this season, the team believes they have really tied everything together and are prepared for what lies ahead.

“We’ve really matured last year was a bigging stepping stone for us and this year we really put the pieces together and I feel like we’re ready to roll,” said Senior Alex Frias

The team believes they have never felt better, the bond between each player not only as teammates but as friends seems to be what will really take this team to the next level, every player pushing each other to be the best they can.

“Our greatest strength is our brotherhood, whether its the last guy on the team we’re always just running together and pushing ourselves to the best of our ability,” said Alex Frias.

With expectations high and goals set to be the best, it is all up to the team to train as hard as they can and stay both physically and mentally strong for the upcoming season. Each runner must fully apply themselves in the sport and fix their mentality to be the best. Junior JT Mcoy understands the mental aspect and realizes it is the most important part of the sport.

“Its definitely the mental game, when you’re in a race and everything hurts, it’s that mental part to keep pushing yourself and get over it,”

Physically the team is putting in work Monday through Saturday arriving at school at 5:45 am to make sure they are on top of the competition and in shape to compete. The team is doing double practices to make sure they get the most out of a day.

“It can be mentally tiring anybody can improve in running but to make it in the big leagues the milage is tough your body gets tired,” said Coach McIntosh

The Cross Country Team is made up of many talented runners, only three seniors and the rest being Juniors and sophomores, many are returning runners who want to quench their thirst for the first place title, these runners are willing to put in the time for the victory. The work ethic is definitely there for these runners, Coach McIntosh is excited for what has to come, he believes that with this year’s team they are more fit than ever to be number one.

Regarding big events coming up for the team this Friday, September, 27th is a Trinity league meet, then the team comes back again in November and does it again, they have a big race in Clovis and two meets in Fresno.

A+E: “Lend Me A Tenor” Play Preview

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by Travien Sears, Assistant Arts and Entertainment Editor

The St. Joseph High School 5 Sisters Theatre Company will be putting out their 2019 Fall play, Ken Ludwig’s Lend Me A Tenor, an intended pun on “Lend me a tenner” (a ten dollar bill), which was the title of Ludwig’s first Broadway production. The play was a nominee for 9 Tony Awards and wound up winning 3 and has since been adapted as a musical.

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“This is one of the most absolute comedic plays that I know of,” said Mr. Van Deventer, the Visual and Performing Arts and Theatre Director at St. Joseph High School.

Mr. Van Deventer, who says that he chose this comedy because the theatre students have been asking him to do a comedy, wanted to put out a play that didn’t have too much of deep meaning. He wanted to put out a play that brought laughter and joy among the crowd as well as among the cast.

“[This play] is extremely hilarious and in the times that we are living in, people especially need a good laugh,” Mr. Van Deventer said.

There is also a few Bosco students on the cast list and one of these students, Parker Deaton, who plays Tito Merelli, a world-famous Italian opera tenor singer who is known as ll Stupendo, had some influence on the selection of this play.

“I didn’t tell [Mr. Van Deventer] that I wanted this you know what, I did talk to [Mr. Van Deventer] at the end of last semester and basically told him that all the shows I’ve ever done with St. Joseph’s have been like really serious, so I told [Mr. Van Deventer] that I wanted to do a really funny comedy,” said Parker.

“The cast in general is pretty excited, but also kinda nervous, which is essentially every show. Overall, we’re just excited to perform it come opening night,” Parker added.

The cast list is a small one consisting of only three St. John Bosco High School students and eight St. Joseph High School students, a total of only eleven performers.

Despite a small cast list, the play is guaranteed to be hilarious and to give the audience a good laugh. A breath of fresh air is one way to describe this play, and you won’t be disappointed with the talents that the students will bring.

Opening Night for the play will be Friday October 11th, 2019; 7:30 PM at St. Joseph High School, in the Multi Purpose Room turned Black Box Theatre.

Other performances include:

Saturday October 12th, 2019, 7:30 PM

Thursday October 17th, 2019, Social Media Night, 7:30PM

Friday October 18th, 2019, 3:30PM and 7:30PM

Saturday October 19th, 2019, 7:30, Closing Night

Be sure to go and watch this hilarious comedy and support your fellow St. John Bosco Braves and St. Joseph Jesters!

A+E: Big Brother’s Twenty-Year Reign Atop the Reality Game Show World

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by Aharon Colon, Arts and Entertainment Editor

As season 21 of Big Brother quickly comes to a close, it’s worth looking at the long-standing pop cultural significance of the groundbreaking reality show. 

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If you do not know what Big Brother is, allow me to explain.

Big Brother is a reality game show that is also treated as a social experiment, where producers put at least 16 random people in a house to compete for half a million dollars. Not only do they have to win challenges to gain immunity from being voted out or gain power ups, but they also have to survive mentally and play the social side of the game. What this means is that they have to have good relationships with the people around them in order to not be on the wrong side of the house vote, where one could be “evicted” from the house. The main goal is to be the last one standing.

There is so much thought that is put into this show that it is second to none. From the creativity of the games to how the show is run, no reality game show is like the genre’s godfather.

Contestants are recorded 24/7 by a vast array of live cameras throughout the show’s house, hence the name Big Brother (a nod to the surveillance state in George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984), and cannot have access to the outside world. They do not even see producers or anyone who works on the show, it is only them and the game.

Due to this, the cast is always worn down, images of adults crying like babies, injuries and mental breakdowns are all expected to happen the moment the game starts. No one is safe and no one can be trusted.

The house is also of importance, too. Despite the colorful themes and very nice decor, the house is usually the battlefield for the mental part of the game.

This is where the contestants cook food, get to know each other and share secrets to their trusted allies. Whatever happens in the house always trickles over into the games, where the stakes get higher as the weeks go on.

So, what makes this show important?

First, it is crazy to think that a show like this has been going on for 21 seasons. First airing on July 5, 2000, BB, as it is known for short, has great relationship with CBS. Racking up the ratings is not a problem, and even though this generation might not be into it as much, the show has genuinely good content despite it being a reality game show.

Not only that, but the show has a dedicated fan base. Just like the show The Bachelor, there are super fans and historians on this show documenting its every move and every season. The core of this fan base tends to be in between “45 to 50 years old,” according to an article by the BBC.

This following is mainly fueled by access to 24/7 live feeds via CBS All Access, where views can watch the contestants’ every move and see what they are doing at all times of the day and night. Not only can viewers tune in that way, but voting and “fantasy leagues” all take place as well. Due to this, fans gain more connection to the contestants, thus making them more inclined to watch and see how they do every week.

St. John Bosco religion teacher Mr. Ed Torre has a son, Grant Torre, who actually interned on the show. Due to his contract, some of the information expressed in the interview cannot be published here. However, he did share why he felt the show has had such widespread, consistent success.

“When it boils down to it, Big Brother is a social experiment above all. What happens when you put 16 different people in a house for almost 100 days with no contact with the outside world? How do communities form? How do alliances form? How do targets emerge?” he said.

Coming from a different perspective, Grant explained Big Brother’s psychological aspect perfectly, conveying how these contestants are put in a less than desirable situation and expected to thrive in it.

“Like Lord of the Flies, a book that explores this a long time ago, or a lot of reality shows now, or even the state of American politics, I think Big Brother does a good job of being a microcosm of society,” he said.

Simply put: no show does it like BB.

This season is no different, and the drama and action has continued. The backstabs, fallen allies and all the mental breakdowns that have defined the show to this point are all present in the current season, and it’s almost time to crown a winner. The show has reached episode 39 with only three contestants remaining.

Watch this show from start to finish on Spectrum On Demand or CBS All Access.

News/OP-ED: Dangerous Rise In Vaping Has Caused Eight Deaths

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by Joshua Lucero

There have been a reported 450 possible medical cases related to use of nicotine Electronic-cigarettes, or E-cigs, as well as black market cannabis vaping, including as many as eight deaths, across 33 states, including newly reported deaths in California, Indiana and Minnesota.

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The main causes of these cases are certain lung illnesses that have been connected to vaping in the last three months.

“Doctors say the illnesses resemble an inhalation injury, with the body apparently reacting to a caustic substance that someone breathed in,” according to Fox News.

According to Jacob Bordoovsky, an epidemiologist at Washington University School of Medicine, this means chemical additives are altering either cannabis cartridges, particularly those that were obtained from black market trade, or E-nicotine cartridges with synthetic chemicals like vitamin E acetate.

It is important to note: these incidents have been tied to BOTH the use of nicotine and cannabis devices, especially those obtained by underage users illegally. The primary reason behind these sudden deaths are the number of black-market cannabis cartridges and nicotine devices being sold from outside suppliers, rather than regulated government-issued distributors.

Currently, eight people have died from related lung failure, and this number will, unfortunately, likely be on the rise. There is no current way to stop this phenomenon from happening from a legal standpoint. Though there are supposed regulations to stop vapes getting in the hands of underage youth, the majority of the time this epidemic impacts youth that have recently become of legal smoking age.

The youth have been the main victims because of legalization issues. Currently, cannabis is legal in California, Alaska, Nevada, Organ, Washington, Colorado, Michigan, Massachusetts, Vermont and Maine. Many of these states have up-to-code products that go through regulations. The main incidents are teens from other states who have made cannabis illegal, but illness can still happen from legal dispensaries.

However, it’s the black market boom that is most significant, where illegal distributors load cannabis cartridges with dangerous additives, like synthetic vitamin E acetate and other chemicals, which are similar to paint thinner. The main victims of these issues are usually around the age of 19. 

There is no way to completely eradicate this issue as a society without more accountability among distributors and government regulators, but as a school, Vice Principal Mr. Adan Jaramillo hopes to take steps in the right direction and allow students to understand all of the information surrounding these products “to formally educate the students and show why this is bad, to show what the effects on the body,” according to Mr. Jaramillo.

He believes the issues faced with the youth vaping should not be an immediate suspension or expulsion, but there should be a way to make the student understand why this is a serious health risk. Only in circumstances “when students have vaped or distributed with another person on campus” does Mr. Jaramillo believe suspension would be necessary.

Students are taking notice of their at-risk exposure to cannabis and nicotine from information outlets, such as Instagram, Twitter and others. Students have been exposed to the E-cig trend for quite some time now, but the only thing that has worked on stopping this issue is the exact facts that have been propagated over social media. 

In the past years, there has been a rise in E-cigarette users.  These devices are constructed in many different ways, with the market currently holding around 460 different e-cigarette brands. These devices are constructed to look like cigars, pipes, traditional vape pens or even USB-like devices.

However, they all contain some of the common effects of nicotine addiction. Without nicotine, people would not be smoking any tobacco products today. In tobacco products, there are countless chemicals that are orchestrated in the process of making these E-juice products. Some of these products that are flavored with “cinnamon, vanilla and cherry flavors react with propylene glycol, the main ingredient in many vape juices, to create entirely new chemicals,” according to a study published in the Journal of Nicotine and Tobacco Research.

This means that these flavoring additives, even those not found in black market products like vitamin E acetate, have a possibility to irritate lungs over the long-term. As such, doctors caution consumers to stop using electronic devices altogether, unless they are being used to wean addicts off traditional cigarettes.

Sports: Bosco vs. Mililani Preview (HI)

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by Hunter Richardson, Assistant Sports Editor

Bosco football flies across the Pacific to take on Mililani of Hawaii in Bosco’s first true road test before the beginning of Trinity League play.

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This week the Braves are playing the second half of a “home and home” series against one of the top teams in Hawaii in Mililani. Last year the Braves defeated the Trojans by a score of 52-14 in a game where the Trojans started fast, but the Braves ended up dominating using their size and speed.

Coach Negro’s team seeks to replicate last year’s success against the Trojans with a solid performance in the “Aloha State” before they get a bye week prior to the start of league play.

The Braves have had a dominant start to the season in the non-league games with a 4-0 record and a plus-128 point differential. Bosco football has made an early statement this season for being the top team in the country alongside league rival Mater Dei.

They look to add another win against a good out-of-state opponent in the undefeated Mililani Trojans. Bosco football’s case for top team in the nation depends not just on winning football games but how good they look doing it against these top teams. It is important for Bosco not to have a let down in Hawaii this week before the opening of Trinity League play where all eyes will be set on the eventual match-up between the Braves and the Mater Dei Monarchs.

Last week, the Braves got a good look at league opponents in the Trinity League vs USA event, and their opponents likewise got to see the Braves pull out a fourth consecutive win against the Falcons of Our Lady of Good Counsel from Maryland by a score of 31-8. Bosco lead throughout the whole game with the defense holding the Falcons to very few yards on offense.

The Falcons from Maryland came into this game ready to play, as early on their defense held the Braves at bay for most of the first half with the halftime score of 14-0 in favor of the Braves.  As predicted the Braves ended up wearing down the Falcons defense and dominated the second half on the ground, rushing for a total of 199 yards as a team.

Quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei led the first half charge on offense throwing two touchdowns giving the Braves their 14-0 lead at half. Uiagalelei added on a second half touchdown giving him three on the game and nearly 300 overall yards through the air once again.

The defensive side of the ball which was dominated by the Braves senior defensive tackle Kobe Pepe was the player of the game with 14 tackles and two sacks.

The Braves look to duplicate dominance once again against Mililani in Hawaii tonight and finish non-league play undefeated at 5-0.

Sports: Bosco vs. Our Lady of Good Counsel (MD) Preview

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by Hunter Richardson, Assistant Sport Editor

The Braves return home this week as they invite another top cross-country opponent in the Falcons of Our Lady Of Good Counsel from Maryland.

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Bosco football, led by head coach Jason Negro, look to take down another top 25 team this week in Our Lady of Good Counsel, who boasts a stout defense only giving up a combined seven points in their first two games of the season. The Falcons who are 2-0 on the season come in attempting to be the first team to knock off the Braves at home at Panish Family Stadium.

This will be the toughest opponent for the Braves this season so far as they look to continue their hot start to the season coming into this game at 3-0. The Braves have dominated the opposition so far this season, outscoring their opponents by a combined score of 140-35, and they will seek to continue this trend against the Falcons.

The offense will have their work cut out for them as they are going against a defense of the Falcons that have dominated their first two opponents on that side of the ball. The offensive line of the Braves have a large task ahead of them to keep this defense of the Falcons at bay and give the high-octane offense and skill players of the Braves a chance to get in space and use their speed to take control of this game.

The Braves defense can help their offense by wearing down the Falcons and keeping them off the field, giving the offense of the Braves the ability to control the game and have the ball the majority of the time.

The Braves continued their hot streak of blowouts with their rout of the Liberty Patriots by a score of 49-7 as part of the 2019 Polynesian Football Classic.

The Braves offense came into this game clicking on all cylinders coming off a 56-point performance against Don Bosco Prep. The Braves continued off of that performance, as they had no problem making big plays on offense against this Liberty defense.

Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei threw for five touchdowns and nearly 300 yards. Uiagalelei found his favorable matchup in junior wide receiver Beaux Collins, throwing four of his five touchdown passes to Collins. Collins has also racked up 178 receiving yards in this game, showing his big play making ability by completely leaving the Liberty defensive backs in the dust. Uiagalelei also added on a rushing touchdown to give him six total on the day.

The offense of the Braves was able to get the running game going as well, mainly through sophomore, “Speedy” Rayshon Luke, tallying 92 of the 124 rushing yards and adding on a touchdown of his own in the process. Luke’s big outing in this game is promising, as the young sophomore running back trio of the Braves, which includes Luke, Jabari Bates and Michael Hayes, continues to improve each week in the wake of the full return of senior Nathaniel Jones.

The Braves offense up and down dominated Liberty’s defense totaling 414 overall yards on a little over 17 yards per play.

The defensive front seven has been key for the Braves. This was no different against the Liberty offense, who could not get anything going due to the Braves powerful defense. Liberty totaled less than 250 yards, while the Braves defense also showed their big play making ability, forcing two turnovers from the Patriots. Senior Linebacker Danny Lockhart once again led the team in tackles this week with nine, with one of those being a sack.

The Braves special teams unit has also been steady through its last two games including this one, as senior wide receiver and kicker Logan Loya went 7 for 7 on his PAT attempts, staying perfect on the season in that category.

The Braves look to keep their undefeated season alive tonight against Our Lady of Good Counsel from Maryland. Don’t anticipate a barn burner; the Braves will dominate again in week four.

Final Score:  Braves 42 – Our Lady of Good Counsel 7

Sports: NFL Week One Review

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by Lucas Garrison, Sports Editor

Football is back, baby, and in a big way! In the AFC, the Patriots looked unstoppable, and in the NFC, the Cowboys showed themselves to be a real Super Bowl contender, with their quarterback Dak Prescott proving he deserves to be a top three paid quarterback in this league.

Those were the two teams that stuck out in week one as the best in their conferences, respectively. However, there are several other teams to be on the lookout.

The Baltimore Ravens are stronger than last year. The Jacksonville Jaguars did not need to pay for Nick Foles, and the Steelers will struggle without the “Killer B’s.”

The Jags lost former Super Bower champion Eagles quarterback Nick Foles until at least week eleven, but back-up Gardner Minshew still went out and had a solid stat line: two touchdowns on 275 yards passing with an 88% completion rate. As long as the Jags can continue to have solid production from their defense, running back Leonard Fournette and back-up quarterback Minshew, I fully expect this team to return to the glory of 2017.

As far as the Ravens go, don’t buy into the week one hype right away. Yes, Lamar Jackson was able to put on a show, but he still has a lot to prove. Remember this, the Ravens played a horrible team in the Miami Dolphins. Now, this is not to say that the Ravens will not contend for an AFC North title. However, the Ravens will struggle when they face “real” teams season. For example, the Ravens the next three weeks will face the Chiefs, Browns and Steelers. Check in after the first month of the season, and then we will be able to take a real look at the Ravens.

As for the Steelers, who were the victims of the Patriots convincing week one performance, where do I start?

I truly do not know what to make of this team. The Steelers looked out of touch from the second they took the field in Foxborough Sunday to the second the arrived back into Pittsburgh early Monday morning. Quarterback Ben Roethlisburger had the sole highlight of the night, which came in his postgame interview.

Ben, when asked, “How do you feel about [Antonio Brown] joining these [the Patriots]?” Ben’s answer: “Whatever.”

This statement comes after Ben had continuously tried to apologize for the way Antonio Brown felt he was treated in his final days with the Steelers. My overall analysis on the Steelers is that they have a weak Secondary and a coaching staff and front office that will be in full panic mode after this week 1 loss and throughout the season. If the Steelers want any shot of becoming an AFC North champion, let alone returning to the playoffs, they will need to put the past behind them and just play football.

 

Around Bosco: Welcome New Band Director, Mr. Ramon Villanueva!

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by Travien Sears, Assistant Arts and Entertainment Editor

The school year has begun and many students have noticed a new face around campus, our newly hired instrumental Music Director Mr. Ramon Villanueva. Coming to Bosco from our brother Salesian school, Don Bosco Technical Institute, he has big goals in mind for our music program as a whole.

IMG_1320.jpegMr. Villanueva, a French Horn player, has had some amazing experiences in his over 20-year musical career, from traveling to China, South Korea (twice), performing in Carnegie Hall, recording music for movies, and performing with pop artists in concerts. He is excited to share, encourage and inspire the next generation of musicians and students to work hard and to aim high.

Not only is he working with our students as an educator, but he’s also currently growing upon his own previous collegiate degrees by pursuing another Masters Degree, this time however, instead of being in Music Performance, this degree is one called Musicology. Musicology, literally meaning, the study of music is a somewhat broad subject, however Mr. Villanueva has a focus and passion in Latin American art music. This is a very different emphasis and study than the Western Art Music that is studied by musicians here in America as well as in Northern Europe. He also found a passion for ethnomusicology, which isn’t a focus of study in Western or Latin American art but pretty much encompasses all music as well as the researching of music so that the musicians are able to break down the music of which they are playing.

“[I want] to allow students to feel that they have a place where they can have another creative outlet aside from everything else offered at the school,” Mr. Villanueva said.

One of Mr. Villanueva’s main goals is to give a way for his students to shine creatively. He wants to add more groups to help with that goal. Currently we have the SJB Braves Marching Band & Color Guard, the Wind Ensemble, Liturgical Band & Choir, Jazz Band, Indoor Winter Drumline, Indoor Winter Guard , Percussion Ensemble as well as the beginning and intermediate band classes.

A new group that Mr. Villanueva is excited to add in the near future is a Pure Digital Music Class. This class would entail producing beats and understanding the concept of the music in what we hear in a lot of the songs on the radio in rap, hip-hop and pop(ular) music. Another very important part of Program Growth is “injecting some new blood [and] getting students excited for what we are going to be adding,” Mr. Villanueva said.

Another way that Mr. Villanueva plans on growing the interest and the numbers of the program is by introducing new music to the Marching Band, as well as maintaining and improving upon the traditional charts and standards that have been kept and played in the past. By changing this aspect, he can improve the program so that students don’t get discouraged from doing another group just because they aren’t interested in doing the marching band.

“[I also] want there to be a greater diversity so that people see that we do more than just one thing here,” Mr. Villanueva said.

So far, the Marching Band has put out a few new tunes at the football games and is currently focusing on the ideals of quality over quantity. They’ve put out some new chart-toppers like: “Turn Me On” by David Guetta and “California Love” by Tupac featuring Dr. Dre.

The future goals and possibilities for the Marching Band and Color Guard, according to Mr. Villanueva, include but are not limited to exploring the competitive aspect in greater depth than the program has in the past few years, including competitive parades and traveling to all the football games. This includes trips like Mililani, Hawaii, which the band will unfortunately not be able to attend due to some major logistical details that were way too tricky to work out at the last minute. This can set up the culture where they are on the forefront and have this presence around campus, and part of that will be supporting the athletic teams in various ways.

 

 

Mr. Villanueva also talked about his plans to sustain and build upon the legacy of Mr. Eugene Fabiero, Bosco’s prior full-time band director who passed away in February of this last school year. Someone who had an enormous impact on the music program here as well as on the school community at large.

“Honoring the music that he incorporated in the Marching Band [because] what ends up happening with a departure, there’s always a shift, and for me, we have to honor what he did, but implement what I do and I have to somehow adopt what he did and make it my own. It’s impossible to step and fill someone’s shoes because every person’s mind is unique. I also plan on working with local middle schools to see how they feed into the school and also helping grow the program that way,” Mr. Villanueva said.

The Assistant Music Director, Mr. Christian Fuentes, someone who works the closest to Mr. Villanueva, has a great impression about our new band director,

“I really appreciate his vision for the music program as an alumnus of the program, as well as someone who has been on staff as Assistant Band Director and Front Ensemble Caption Head for the Indoor Drumline Program going on 8 years now, and him and I work very well together in my opinion,” Mr. Fuentes said. “I believe that he’s a great addition to our music program.”

Around campus, everyone is excited and ready to see what is to come with this new look band, and Mr. Villanueva is excited to deliver.

“This is definitely one of the high points of my musical career getting to direct the program, getting to bring my perspective and my background in music to the school and helping students thrive, not just as musicians, [which is important, but] that’s just one of the bonuses, but ultimately creating great people, kind people, people who care. For me, that’s a number one,” Mr. Villanueva said.

News/Op-ed: Wide Field Narrowing Ahead of Third Democratic Debate

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by Tim Levine, Executive Editor

While we are over a year away from the 2020 election and still a few months from the primaries, the Democratic race for the nominee is already beginning to pick up steam. Tonight ten candidates will face off on ABC for the third Democratic presidential primary debate.

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These candidates include front runner Joe Biden, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senator Bernie Sanders, Senator Kamala Harris, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, entrepreneur Andrew Yang, Senator Cory Booker, Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke, Senator Amy Klobuchar, and Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro. Although there are another ten candidates still running, with the August 28th polling deadline, the remaining ten candidates have missed the cutoff.

With the crowded stage of ten candidates going on one night, the debate will last for three hours and only include an opening statement, one minute and 15 seconds will be allotted for responding to questions from moderators, and 45 seconds for further follow-up questions and rebuttals.

Following the CNN Town Hall on climate change, the issue should become a leading one in this upcoming debate. While each candidate’s views are fairly similar, there are some key differences when it comes to specific plans, like the use of nuclear energy as an example.

The destruction that Hurricane Dorian has caused recently should also come to the forefront as a topic for the candidates to discuss as well. Other issues that should continue to be debated are healthcare, immigration and gun control. While candidates have discussed these issues in previous debates, the ever-increasing coverage of ICE raids in immigration and the increase in mass shootings should give these issues continued relevance.

The debate should also continue to reflect party divisions between more moderate democrats, such as Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and Pete Buttigieg, to more progressive candidates Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. The moderate vs. progressive theme should become more prominent when Warren and Biden clash specifically, as the one and two candidates in the poll, they have never been on the same debate stage until now.

Candidates, such as Yang, Booker, Klobuchar, O’Rourke and Castro, polling in the 1 to 3 percent range, have a huge opportunity at this debate and one that they have to take advantage of in order to break out and push their polling numbers.

One candidate in particular who is looking to break from this pack is Andrew Yang, a tech entrepreneur who has been gaining momentum online with his innovative ideas on automation and his universal basic income plan. Andrew Yang should plan to become more vocal in this debate, as he has experienced the least amount of talking time even though he is polling in sixth place. Yang may also go after Bernie Sanders, as he has publicly opposed the idea of Yang’s “Freedom Dividend,” a plan for a twelve thousand dollar Universal Basic Income (UBI) for all Americans, and instead is pushing for a Federal Jobs Guarantee program.

This debate should also paint a clearer picture of the race going forward and be a sign for the other ten candidates to dropout. While Tom Steyer and Tulsi Gabbard are one poll away from the October debates, other candidates should realize they can’t gain momentum without this critical media attention.

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