Monthly Archives: November 2020

Sports: The Los Angeles Dodgers’ Free-Agent Wishlist

by Aeden Alexander

As the MLB offseason is rapidly approaching, the World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers have a plethora of options going forward. Despite winning the championship with relative ease, the Dodgers still have ways they’d like to improve, and have the luxury of affording some of the top free agents of the 2020 Free Agency Class.

The Defending World Series Champions Los Angeles Dodgers look to make moves this offseason, bring back players, as well as add some new players to the roster.

The Dodgers have a big decision to make this offseason in bringing back major role players or going all out to hopefully sign major players to hopefully bring back-to-back titles to the city of Los Angeles. These are the top ten free-agents the Dodgers may target. 

(1.) Trevor Bauer RHP

WARWinsLossERAGGSSVIPSOWHIP
20202.7541.7311110731000.795
Career17.575643.902051951119012791.265

Trevor Bauer is the number one pitcher coming off the 2020 season with an impressive year winning NL Cy Young and leading his Cincinnati Reds to the playoffs. Bauer’s been a successful pitcher his entire career and continues to dominate. He would fit very well into the Dodgers Organization as he went to UCLA and the Dodgers need pitching.

(2.) Justin Turner 3B

WARABHHRBARRBISBOBPSLGOPSOPS+
20201.3150464.30726231.400.460.860135
Career29.335211029124.29250449535.369.469.838128

The Dodgers veteran third basemen reached the end of his contract with LA this year, and even though he might not have had a MVP type year, he still showed up in the playoffs and played a major role in helping the Dodgers win the World Series. For the Dodgers to have the chance to win again this year they need to keep their offense together and this was a big battery to that lineup.

(3.) Liam Hendricks RHP

WAR WLERAGGSSVIPSOWHIP
20201.4311.782401425.1370.671
Career4.819274.103444440516.15261.278

LA must keep their offense, but throughout the entire playoffs as well in just recent years, the pitching specifically the bullpen has been lacking and losing games for them. Liam Hendricks from Oakland would be the perfect reliever for the Dodgers as he is coming off his best year to date and would be able to take over the bullpen and help win games like he did with the Athletics.

(4.) Brad Hand LHP

WARWLERAGGSSVIPSOWHIP
20200.7212.052301622.0290.773
Career726433.6539643105608.26241.235

Brad Hand is an All-star caliber relief pitcher from the Indians and would be able to supply the left-handed shut down type pitching the Dodgers need. All year LA had a great start to games and would lose in the last few innings and the power Hand brings to the games would be able to finish those games strong and limit those playoff stressful games.

(5.) Charlie Morton RHP

WARWLERAGGSSVIPSOWHIP
20200.2224.7499038421.395
Career893994.0825925801439.112761.334

Charlie Morton is one of the top pitching free-agents this year and would fit well behind Kershaw in the starting rotation. He had a decent year this year but will be expecting a comeback year from him and hopefully looking like his dominant self again. The Dodgers chances of pursuing him are unlikely but would blend well with the organization.

(6.) Joc Pederson OF

WARABHHRBARRBISBOBPSLGOPSOPS+
2020-0.4121237.19021161.285.397.68184
Career10.42153496130.23034530317.336.470.806116

Joc Pederson this past year might not have stuck out in the stats sheet, but came up big time in the playoffs for the Dodgers and would be a great person to resign. Perderson is able to be that cheaper role player the Dodgers wouldn’t need to spend an arm and a leg on but still produce for them. LA has one of the highest salaries this upcoming season and need to be smart with their role players because they need a quality over quantity type mindset.

(7.) Kirby Yates RHP

WARWLERAGGSSVIPSOWHIP
2020-0.30112.466024.182.538
Career4.612173.54291057282.14001.148

Kirby Yates coming off a rough year would be a perfect budget piece for LA. Brings the intensity year after year proving his worth and would fit well with the Dodger bullpen.Showed to be one of San Diego’s reliable guys and would be perfect on a veteran deal for the Dodgers.

(8.) James Paxton LHP

WARWLERAGGSSVIPSOWHIP
2020-0.4116.6555020.1261.475
Career12.957333.581361360753.18291.213

James Paxton is a left handed pitcher from New York, coming off a decent year, LA would have to pay a hefty price for this lefty but would be worth it. Would be a lead lefty in the pen and would follow up nice to one of the many flamethrowers the Dodgers have.

(.9) Kike Hernandez Utility

WARABHHRBARRBISBOBPSLGOPSOPS+
20200.9139325.23020200.270.410.68083
Career10.2179143071.24025022727.313.425.73898

Kike’s return to LA would be perfect for the Dodgers because he provides that utility aspect that if anyone gets hurt he can fill in. As well as played a major role in the playoffs smashing two big time homeruns when they really needed it. Would come back for cheap and should be a must for the Dodgers.

(10.) Masahiro Tanaka RHP

WARWLERAGGSSVIPSOWHIP
20200.7333.561010048441.667
Career17.578463.7417417301054.19911.130

The right hander from the Yankees has had a successful career so far. As the Dodgers might need to pay a big price for Tanaka it wouldn’t be a surprise for LA to pull this off. The only problem would be money because Tanaka would need a high salary and the Dodgers don’t have that after many big signings in the past years.

Around Bosco: The Season Of Benevolenza Is Upon Us!

by Ryan Tavera

St John Bosco’s Season of Benevolenza highlights the importance of giving from ourselves to others especially in the time of solidarity and confusion the event calls out to our Bosco Braves in order to contribute to our community. 

The Season of Benevolenza has always been a staple event in St John Bosco High School’s history, as it marks our time to give back to the larger community and make an impact in other’s lives. The specific drives that Bosco does annually are the Food Drive and Toy drive. 

“Giving is always important but recognizing that there are particular times of the year we should focus on these things and around Thanksgiving and Christmas it represents a good opportunity and recognizing that it’s really about giving. It’s giving of ourselves to other people like our family and to our larger community,” said Christian Service Coordinator John Weinandy. 

During these hard times, it is stressed as a student body and religious institute that we exercise compassion and a helping hand to others who are apart of our community, as the Season of Benevolenza acts as a beacon of strength and unity and to inspire others to help one another. 

More importantly, it is necessary that we recognize the gifts we are blessed with when considering giving to others, we should take these gifts and count our blessings in order to contribute to something bigger than ourselves.  

“I think it’s our way of reaching out to the larger community and give the gifts that we have to other people, there’s a lot of gifts that Bosco students have talent, a lot of abilities but being able to give of themselves and paying attention to other people,” said Mr.Weinandy 

Despite our unfortunate circumstances due to Covid-19 and the seemingly never-ending quarantine that students, parents, and faculty members alike have felt over the past several months, it has not discouraged our student body one bit, as it only pressures them to devise more creative ways for students to interact with the events. 

“It’s just calling us to be a little more creative in our outreach to get students involved. We still have drop boxes at school and in the lobby, in case students want to donate we know it’s tougher but were doing the best we can,” said Mr. Weinandy. 

The Season of Benevolenza signifies the sense of unity and brotherhood among the student body. Bosco has always been committed to this idea of togetherness and Covid-19 is our community’s biggest test. Donation boxes will still be available throughout the school so that students will still be able to make contributions that will impact the City of Bellflower 

“I really want the Bosco community to see the impact that they can have I want to make it more visible so that they can know the impact they’re having on others despite online learning,” said Mr. Weinandy. 

No matter the size of the contribution or what item you choose to give, all donations are equally important and have an impact on the City of Bellflower, all donations are greatly appreciated.

As a brotherhood and community, we must come together and give not because we are convinced to, rather because we believe in our school’s mission and perseverance as a whole. 

“We have realized that we are in the same boat, all of us fragile and disoriented, but at the same time important and needed, all of us called to row together, each of us in need of comforting the other,” said Pope Francis.  

In the tough times 2020 has brought upon the world, those words ring true for many, and are words to reflect on as the Season of Benevolenza commences.

Sports: More Than A Year After Their ComeBack Win Over “The Team In Red”, Bosco Football Is Set To Return In January

by Diego Santizo, Sports Editor

The best High School Football team in the nation will open up the season at home on January 8th against Northern California Powerhouse De La Salle.

St. John Bosco Braves Edward Riley (51) and teammate middle linebacker Ma’a Gaoteote (10) stop De La Salle Spartans quarterback Dorian Hale (10) during the first half of the 2019 CIF Open Division State Football Championship game at Cerritos College in Norwalk, Calif. on Saturday December 14, 2019. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)

When it was announced this week that De La Salle High will travel to Bellflower on Jan. 8 to open its unusual season against the St. John Bosco Braves, it was just the latest unique aspect to the 2020 high school football season, which won’t take place until 2021.

The national high school football powerhouses made the announcement Wednesday, about 10 months after they met for the state’s Open Division title, which resulted in a St. John Bosco victory.

The two all-boys parochial schools met in the CIF State Open Division championship game last December, when Bosco won its third state title game win over the Spartans since 2013. This will be the first time two teams who met in a CIF Championship Football Final had a rematch in the opening game of the following season.

Currently, the CIF has set up one weekend of games (April 17) after section championships in order to presumably play regional title games, but not for state championships. That would eliminate the possibility of De La Salle and Bosco playing later in the season. 

When the teams met in December for the Open Division state championship, Bosco’s DJ Uiagalelei threw for 398 yards and four touchdowns and ran for 64 yards and a touchdown as he lead his team to a 49-28 victory.

Bosco must replace the 6-foot-5, 245-pound quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei, now at Clemson, but return many of the state’s top senior recruits, including receiver Beaux Collins (No. 8 state ranking, Clemson commit), Guard Maximus Gibbs (No. 64, USC), Linebacker Andrew Simpson (No. 91, Kentucky), while also bringing in Cornerback Kamren Blanton (No. 87, UNLV), formerly from Long Beach Poly. Collins plans to graduate in December and enroll early to Clemson, so he will likely miss the game and season, but should help other Bosco receivers prepare for the game.

Sophomore Pierce Clarkson and Junior Katin Houser, a transfer from Liberty (Henderson, Nev.), will attempt to take the place of Quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei, the 2019 co-National Player of the Year, who accounted for 477 yards and five touchdowns in the win over De La Salle in December and played a key role in the Braves’ National Championship season in 2019.

Each school had scheduled a high-profile, out-of-state game to open its original 2019 slate. Bosco had been set to travel to Ohio while the Concord, California De La Salle Spartans team was going to play against North Shore in Houston. Both games were cancelled out of courtesy for today’s daily norm, COVID-19. 

All of the excitement around the announcement of this early season showdown is tempered by the realization that the COVID-19 situation means nothing is certain.

Much must happen for the game and season to take place. The California Interscholastic Federation, the state’s governing body of prep sports, plans to jam three traditional seasons into a January-June window, but counties have to first reopen and allow sports.

California is one of 15 states to push fall sports to 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic, leading to reworked schedules. It will be the first time the Braves and Spartans have met in the regular season.

Bay Area teams have been cleared to work out (with social distancing) since late Spring, while the Braves have been doing daily workouts (also with social distancing) since the Summer.

Local and state health and government officials will have the final say if high school sports can resume on that schedule. The DLS-SJB game is slated for Friday evening, Jan. 8, at 7 p.m. at Panish Family Stadium. That time is subject to change for television.

Go Braves!

News/Op-Ed: Oregon Becomes The First State To Decriminalize Hard Drug Use In The United States

by Zachary Gardiner

Last Wednesday, possession of small amounts of drugs like heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine will no longer be punishable by jail time in Oregon, instead people will receive something similar to a traffic ticket

The passage of the measure makes Oregon, which in 1973 became the first state to decriminalize marijuana possession, a pioneer in America in trying the same with extremely harmful drugs. The measure takes effect 30 days after Tuesday’s election, but the punishment changes don’t take effect until Feb. 1. 

By favoring rehabilitation over incarceration, the measure prevents recovering drug users from being stigmatized by employers, lenders and landlords for years, and gives them the ability to pull themselves out of a cycle of drug-related criminality. 

Under the measure, people who possess larger quantities of illicit drugs could still face misdemeanor  chargers and felony charges would apply to people who are alleged to possess enough drugs to sell. 

Some proponents of decriminalizing drug addiction warn that Oregon’s ballot measure tears down an intricate system of getting people addiction treatment, replacing it with what they call a blunt instrument. Opponents of the measure said what passed Tuesday doesn’t address long-standing issues surrounding access to treatment. 

Mike Marshall, co-founder and director of Oregon Recovers, said the measure threatens to replace addiction treatment infrastructure with a system that compels people to get assessments, but not actual treatment. He accused Measure 110’s marketing campaign of misleading Oregonians about weakened safeguards with regard to teenage drug use.

“The net effect of it is to take away a pathway to treatment for a bunch of people in Oregon,” Marshall said, emphasizing that it was a way for ballot supporters to win decriminalization, “locking people up because they’re addicted to substances is not a place you want to go to, but in the moment it’s interrupting their use and it’s getting them a pathway to treatment.”

In an effect to revolutionize the social stigma of drug use around the world, Oregon is close to becoming an influential hub in transforming normally considered “taboo” topics into the norm.

As many criticize Oregon, the possibility for a different point of view in the topic of drug abuse will stay a relevant topic in the coming years as a response to this measure.

SPORTS: Former Brave Aaron Pico Competes Thursday Night Against John De Jesus

by: Andrew Fierro

Aaron Pico who is currently 6-3 and on a two-fight win streak fights on Thursday Night for the Bellator organization in the featherweight weight class.

Aaron Pico started off his Bellator career with a 4-1 record finishing all of his fights inside one round using his high level striking and wrestling. 

Though his hot streak came to a halt when he crossed paths with Henry Corrales who finished him in the first round. The fight started off well for Pico as he dropped him with a punch at the beginning of the fight, though instead of taking it to the ground he let him back up which proved costly in the end. 

After that loss, he faced criticism for not using his high-level wrestling enough in the fight and many believed he would have won the fight had he chose to use it more. After that fight, he was matched up against Adam Borics where he would lose in the second round. After not using wrestling at all in his previous fight, he seemed to use the wrestling too much which became a disadvantage and led to a TKO loss in the second round.

Though after these two losses he has to seem to find the perfect combination of both his high level striking and his high-level wrestling and ground game to fight his best fight. He has fought twice since his second loss in a row and has one both of these fights. He used both his striking and wrestling in both of these fights to gain the advantage over both of his opponents. 

In his first fight, he fought opponent Daniel Carey who he was able to finish with a knockout in the second round. In this fight, he was able to mix wrestling and boxing together almost seamlessly and dominated his opponent in the first round being in control for the majority of the round. Going into the second round his opponent was so worried about his wrestling that it left open the opportunity for Pico to strike which he capitalized on and got the finish. 

In his second fight, he fought opponent Chris Hatley Jr. who he finished with a submission in the first round.  This was one of if not Aaron Pico’s best performances so far in his career scoring a takedown early in the first round and easily transitioning to the rear-naked choke. He used his strong wrestling and strong jiu-jitsu to take control of his opponent and dominate him into submission.

Now going into this next fight against John De Jesus he is of some of the most impressive wins of his career and is the strongest looking fighter he has been so far. Though that doesn’t mean that this fight will be an easy victory seeing that his opponent is on a 3 fight win streak and is just off of an impressive decision win over Vladyslav Parubchenko at Bellator 244. This fight will be a fun and interesting fight and one of the most significant fights in young Aaron Pico’s career. Tune in on November 12th, at 12:45 pm PST. 

Sports: Controversy Arises As Disagreements On The NBA’s Return Date Continue

by Ryan Dwyer

Despite the 2019-2020 NBA season having just ended on October 11th after the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Miami Heat in six games to win the NBA Championship, Commissioner Adam Silver and league officials have released a tentative start date of December 22nd for the 2020-2021 NBA Season, sparking disagreements amongst players over the condensed offseason.

A basketball court is shown at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex in Kissimmee, Fla., Tuesday, July 21, 2020. The NBA’s marketing motto for the restart of the season at Walt Disney World is “Whole New Game,” and in many respects, that’s very true. (AP Photo/Tim Reynolds)

After the conclusion of the 2019-2020 NBA Season, the league immediately sought out to find a date for the start of the new season. Although it may seem logical to wait until the start of 2021 to begin the new season, the NBA is still a business and the longer they wait is the more money they lose. So far it is widely known that the league plans on restarting between December 22nd and December 25th.

Although it has not been said directly by big name players in the league, there is certainly a very big possibility that players such as LeBron James may sit out for the first month of play.

Many players and fans alike believe that merely two and a half months break in between the conclusion of the season and the beginning of a new season is too little of time to give the players for rest and preparedness.

Teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat especially will need extended periods of time to prepare for the new season as they were the last two teams participating in the playoffs as they were competing for the championship.

Many fans and players alike are pushing for the new season to begin no earlier than Martin Luther King Jr Day – January 21st – so as to give the teams who were in the playoffs a well needed break.

Players need time to relax and spend time with their families after having spent months away from them in the Orlando bubble. On top of that, it takes time for players to get back in shape once they’ve had that period of rest. Getting in game ready condition is certainly not an easy task, and it for sure does not take a short period of time, as it requires countless hours of working out and practice over a span of a few months.

According to SB Nation’s Silver Screen and Roll, if the NBA and NBA Player’s Association agree on the tentative start date of December 22nd – which they are expected to – training camp for all teams will begin on December 1st.

In the presumption that the two sides agree to the planned start date, that would leave the two teams who played in the NBA Finals – the Lakers and Heat – with only 51 days between Game Six of the NBA Finals and day one of training camp.

As SB Nation’s Silver Screen and Roll notes as well, the 2019 NBA Champion Toronto Raptors had exactly 100 days between their final playoff game and the start of training camp for what is now last season.

Furthermore, a team like the New York Knicks – who were not good enough to qualify for the Orlando bubble – played their last game on March 11th of this year, which gives them just about nine months of rest compared to a team like the Lakers, who will have just under two months of rest by the start of training camp.

As a result of the shortened offseason this year, players might very well come into the new season out of shape and unconditioned. This may result in a much sloppier and slower style of play in the beginning of the new season.

Although it may seem like the league is trying to minimize its losses for this upcoming season which is partially the case, it is widely known that the Commissioner of the NBA, Adam Silver, is very well liked amongst players and team management alike. So, it should be expected that all NBA players and coaches will come around to the planned start date and reach a consensus that it is the best option for the league.

The respect for Commissioner Silver might play a part in negotiations being taken more seriously between the players and ownership. If negotiations persist, then it is very possible that the NBA could be looking at as much of a month’s difference between potential start dates for the new season, with players preferring more rest, preparation, and family time, with owners thinking about the financial straits of a later start date.

Regardless of when the season is to start, it will be an unusually short offseason compared to any other offseason that current NBA players have seen, albeit the fact that the world is living in unusually uncertain times. So because of that, players will have to find ways to adjust and adapt to this year’s shortened schedule, expedited start dates, and getting into the mental mindset that comes with playing a full NBA season.

It will be an interesting year for NBA fans and players as the circumstances are truly unfamiliar territory, but until a consensus is reached and a season is played, the only thing left for people to do is speculate on how the new season will look after playing in the bubble setting in Orlando. If one thing is for sure though, it is the fact that this year’s season will be one to remember, yet another wild ride for the NBA following an unusual, but successful, pandemic-ridden season.

Lampoon: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Online Learning

by Pedro Ochoa

If someone last year told you that we would be doing all of our classes on our bed via ZOOM, would you have believed them? Of course not. Isn’t it weird that most of the time in our physical classes, our teachers would tell us that we had to put our electronics away? And now, they ask us to open our electronics, because if we don’t, then we will get marked absent. How things have changed in 2020!

Waking up five minutes before class, in your bed, and in your pajamas is amazing right? Can you imagine being in front of a screen for more than ten hours a day? Well stop imagining it, not only are you doing this now, but most of you were doing it before the pandemic (stop shaking your head – you know I’m right).  

Online learning has a lot of positives and negatives. First and foremost, every quarter is different for everyone. There have been many students that are pulling their hair out because they are taking their hardest classes in the first quarter, while some students are sleeping and dreaming of those sheep jumping on clouds because they have free periods. I know this because I was one of those sheep dreamers first quarter, while now I am starting to grow white hairs. 

The best part of online learning has been when the teachers tell us that our mental health matters, and to put some time to ourselves, because there is so much happening in the world right now. We deserve it, after all, they say. Then they tell us not to forget that we have a paper due the next day in MLA format, while also having twenty assignments, and don’t forget that big test at the end of the week that is worth 50% of your grade. How are we supposed to make time for ourselves when we have assignments due every day at 11:59 pm? Not only the students, but also the teachers who end up grading all this stuff. 

Some people are loving life right now, while some do not. Some students have the everyday routine of sleeping for more than fourteen hours a day, including naps, while some barely sleep six. It looks like the teachers have it worse than the students. Not only do they have to grade assignments and give lectures everyday, but they also have their own families and lives that have been turned upside down. Even though most of them have gotten the hang on how to use ZOOM, it’s pretty funny when a teacher is lecturing and there is a funny background noise coming from their microphone.

Zoom is just astonishing, right? The teachers went from telling the whole class to be quiet because we were talking too much in class, to now begging for us to turn our mics on to participate. Again, how things have changed! Also, don’t you love breakout rooms? Either we get put into a room with all of our best buds and we don’t want it to end, or we get put into a room where everyone just does not know how to unmute their mic. You either get the best breakout room or the worst, no in between.  

School ID pictures are this Saturday! Great! Saturday will show how many people are really drained because of the blue light that is projected from these screens. There will be many people with huge bags under their eyes. If you don’t want these, and want to look good for your pictures, listen up. Wet a cloth with cold water and hold it under our eyes for ten minutes. Does it work? I don’t know, I just looked it up on Wikipedia. 

By the way, teachers know when you switch tabs on Schoology and even when you sign up for Chegg.com. Don’t believe me? Read the terms and conditions and don’t just click, “I accept” next time. 

Also, make sure your microphone is muted, you don’t want to be the one that gets caught watching Tik Toks because you forgot to mute your microphone. 

A+E: All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten, A Story Of Life-Long Lessons To Reflect On In A Time Of Despair

By Joaquin Medrano, Managing Editor

The Saint Joseph High School theatre department along with the Saint John Bosco theatre department presents a play about life and the simplicity of it, and the joy of every little moment, in a very extraordinary manner.

All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten is a play structured in a vignette/short story format, where a cast member interprets different roles in every scene tied into a single theme that relates to life.

After the incredible experience of the Saint John Bosco fall production of Coherence, Saint Joseph High School followed with their own production, a different outlook into a brighter and cheerful interpretation of everything going on around the world.

As the talented students in the show have been preparing for weeks, for a “production that could have met Cecil B. DeMille’s approval,” everyone from the tech crew to every castmate cannot wait for everyone to enjoy the show.

“One interesting moment I’ve encountered was trying to figure out how we were going to produce the show with COVID going on,” said Saint Joseph senior and theatre veteran Lola Powell, “[But] we need theatre in a moment like this for people to have a good laugh an just a place to escape, even for a few hours, and leave everything on hold for that moment.”

Kindergarten, normally called by the cast and directors, is more than a play of different stories with different morals to reflect on life. Kindergarten is an experience, live-streamed from Saint Joseph High School every single day, with stories that relate to the actors, and show the beauty of theatre in an extremely fascinating way.

Not only does the story reflect on everything going on around in 2020, but also allows for extremely crucial ideas that can transcend society, no matter what the year is.

Everyone in the cast and crew has enjoyed the experience, including the challenges that COVID gave the actors, even in a world where the art form is depleting.

“It has been truly a pleasure and an honor to work with Mr. V, his positive attitude radiates off of him and transfers to everyone around him,” said Bosco junior and first-time actor Gian Noble, “This production has really been a blast and I feel as if my castmates and I are like a family now.”

Theatre becomes more than an experience for people, theatre becomes a passion and a second family for many, and in times where that definition is extremely vague, Kindergarten allowed for a community to be fostered around everyone who was a part of it.

No matter if you believe in the art form or not, All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten is a one in a lifetime opportunity to not only see the talent of Saint John Bosco and Saint Joseph students at its finest but also be able to take away a greater and deeper message forever.

Both first-time actors and returning actors have enjoyed the experience, they thank Kindergarten for all that they learned and the greater message of unity, life, and how quick it all is to miss any incredible moments such as this show.

Performances for the show start tomorrow, Thursday, November 12th, and continue on Friday, November 13th, Thursday, November 19th, and end Friday, November 20th. All performances start at 7:30 PM and information for tickets can be accessed through this link.

The cast and crew of All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten are excited to deliver this show to everyone who wants to experience a life-changing opportunity.

A+E: The Mystery Behind The Tragic Death Of King Von

By Aydn Morris

26 years old Dayvon Bennet, better known as King Von, a prominent Chicago rapper, died after being in the middle of a fatal shooting in Atlanta, Georgia.

King Von's manager refutes Asian Doll's claims about the late rapper's last  words - REVOLT

Before fame, Von became involved in criminal activities that led to his first time in jail when he was 16 years old. Then in 2014, he was accused of shooting and killing another person but then was found innocent which led him to start rapping.

Lil Durk signed King Von to his record label, Only the Family label, which is famously known as OTF. Von then made his first hit single Crazy Story which put him on the map in the rap community. He made many hit singles and albums and certified himself as a mainstream rapper. 

Before his death King Von dropped his album Welcome to O’Block on October 30,2020. He had features with all of his friends, including Polo G. This album might be the last album King Von drops unless he has unreleased music with his record deal. 

King Von also had people he never got along with in the rap industry. Von never got along with Quando Rondo another famous rapper but was from Savannah, Georgia, who many suspect that he was part of the shooting. 

According to ABC7Chicago , “Timmothy Leeks faces a felony murder charge in the death of Dayvon Bennett, also known as King Von.” Timothy Leeks is associated with Quando Rondo and was with him and some other friends that were apart of the shooting.

The shooting was Friday morning at around 3:20 am. There is video footage showing Quando and Von fighting in the street but it doesn’t show either of them shooting at each other and actually shows Quando trying to help Von into the car. 

The police still haven’t figured out who were the 3 other victims in the shooting, but according to USA Today, “They are trying to figure out who was struck by gunfire and if any were shot by cops that were involved.”

There still isn’t much information about the shooting that has surfaced to many sources, but The Georgia Bureau of Investigations have investigated officers and the police have suspected up to 5 people for the shootout. Many hoping that justice may be reached one day.

Life Of A Brave: Due To Covid-19, Bosco Students Have Had To Adapt To A New Quarter System, Creating A Divide In The Community Over Learning Preference

by Nicholas Neoman

The Bosco community is experiencing a divide over the rapid change of quarters this semester, sparking dialogue on whether a quarter system is beneficial or detrimental to both students and faculty during online learning.

Teachers, as well as some students, feel the pinch of a quick turnaround. For a multitude of reasons, they believe that the three day break between quarters one and two was far too short. 

When Mrs. Michele Dolphin, a teacher for the Biomedical Pathway and Chemistry, was asked about the single-day grading period, she responded with a sentiment many other Bosco teachers may share as well.

“I ended up not meeting that deadline and so I asked for an extension because it was just impossible, I felt really stressed and overwhelmed,” Mrs. Dolphin said.

Mrs. Dolphin represents the general consensus of many teachers at Bosco. Teachers like Dolphin finished administering their finals Thursday afternoon and were expected to grade them by the end of the following day. The tight pinch between academic quarters forced teachers into a frenzy, grading at an alarming rate. Teachers were expected to grade finals within a day and start teaching their next classes a few days later. Much of the teaching staff would have benefited greatly from an elongated break to grade finals and relax before they set out to teach a new set of courses.

Noah Citek, a Junior in the Sports-Medicine Pathway, responded similarly when asked about his view on the short grace period.

“It was a weird pace to be at because you ramped up [for finals] and then you’re back starting new classes again,” Citek said.

While teachers were experiencing an overwhelming pressure to grade finals in a matter of hours, some students felt overexhaustion from the quick break between quarter one and two. After cramming every ounce of information obtained from a quickly paced quarter and pushing through finals, they were expected to regain their momentum at the start of the new quarter in a matter of days. Students and teachers alike were experiencing an increasing amount of frustration from the dismal period of time granted between quarters.

However, counselors and some students felt the quick turnaround was optimal for success during online school.

Mr. Omar Delgado, a counselor and father of two Braves, holds a sentiment in which he feels as if students benefit from a short break.

“I feel some students don’t really want a long break because then they get out of their rhythm or their routine,” Mr Delgado said.

From the experience of a seasoned college counselor, Delgado believes that the best way for students to keep their momentum is through this short break. After seeing many classes of students graduate and move on to college, from his perspective the short break benefits students. It allows them to maintain whatever tools for success as they embark on their next set of classes and challenges.

Xavier Gonzalez, a Junior in the Computer-Science Pathway, is a student who shares Mr. Delgado’s belief.

“I liked the short break because it kept me in the momentum for school and it kept my work ethic. The short break gave me enough time to recover from finals while still being capable of jumping back into the next quarter,” said Gonzalez.

Unlike other students, Gonzalez feels that he was able to produce his best work as a result of this short break. After finishing four classes, Gonzalez had an overall positive experience in preserving his study habits and methods for success via the lessened time off. Gonzalez represents a faction of the student body who benefited from the quick period between quarters. He believes that any more time would have slowed him down in trying to gain a new routine for his next classes.

The Bosco community is divided in terms of their views on the quarter system. While some responded positively to the short breaks and found that they were able to study better and do well in the next Quarter, others felt the stress and exhaustion of the quick days off. This proves how diverse the Bosco community is educationally. As Bosco houses many who are very different in how they learn, it is key to remember how difficult it is to create a system that benefits everyone.

However people feel about this quarter system, the general mood within Bosco is that the return to campus would work wonders for learning. While online learning looks to remain the future of Bosco, people from both sides of this issue would agree that the quarter breaks would be better if in-person learning resumed.

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