The St. John Bosco High School sailing team has been improving and gaining recognition this season, earning top finishes in their last two races.
Photo by @boscosailing via Instagram
Currently operating out of the Long Beach Yacht Club, the team recently claimed victory in their latest regatta, with Kaya Marley and Elizabeth Nash finishing first, and team captain Jack Snow and Tanner Swagger coming in a close second.
Preparing for these events requires discipline, determination and a positive outlook.
“I prepare for an event by making sure our boat is ready and that I am mentally and physically ready,” said Snow. “If you go in having a bad mentality, then you will have bad results.”
Jack, who has witnessed the team grow from a humble beginning into a fully-sponsored program, expressed pride in the progress made over the years.
“We first started off as a very low-budget team, and now, we have a bunch of sponsors,” he said. “The team has grown; our results keep improving; and our coaching staff has been improved significantly.”
However, recent news has put the team on a new course, as they were informed that they can no longer continue as a co-ed team. Moving forward, St. John Bosco and St. Joseph High Schools will have to form separate teams.
Freshman sailor Elizabeth Nash, one of the latest additions from St. Joseph, is optimistic about the future, even with the impending split.
“We have a lot of new girls from [St. Joseph’s] with sailing experience, which will help expand the team even after I graduate,” Nash explained. “It’s a great feeling to be part of something that’s constantly growing.”
For Snow, this season is about setting a standard of resilience and passion that will inspire future sailors.
“I want to push the team to strive [to be] better and to keep going even when it gets hard,” he said
As the season progresses and the team faces new challenges, St. John Bosco Sailing remains focused on its journey forward.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, a regular powerhouse in the regular season, left their mark on the 2024 MLB Postseason, finishing as World Series Champions.
Photo by Yahoo Sports
From the beginning of the offseason, it was evident that the Dodgers were going to be something special this year, signing two-way superstar free-agent, Shohei Ohtani, and Japanese pitching prodigy, Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
The Dodgers finished the regular season with an outstanding 98-64 record and clinched their twelfth consecutive postseason playoff appearance. Backed by a whopping $241 million payroll, it was certain that the Dodgers were going to make some noise in the Fall.
Although the Dodgers were highly favored, they were short-staffed. Key pitchers like Clayton Kershaw, Tony Gonsolin, Tyler Glasnow and Bobby Miller were absent, meaning that their dangerous lineup was going to have to produce runs from batters one through nine.
Their postseason run began with a 2022 National League Division Series (NLDS) rematch against the San Diego Padres. The Padres won the matchup that year, but the Dodgers were going to make sure the outcome was different this year.
The Padres weren’t going down without a fight. After the Dodgers took game one, the Padres bounced back and won two straight, giving them a 2-1 series lead. One loss from elimination, the Dodgers refused to let the moment get too big for them, winning the next two games to advance to the National League Championship Series (NLCS) against the New York Mets.
The NLCS was yet another rematch for the Dodgers. The last time these two teams faced each other in the playoffs was in the 2015 NLDS, which the Mets won in five games. The Mets, who had recently upset the Phillies, were on a hot streak, despite being postseason underdogs.
The Mets certainly gave the Dodgers a run for their money, but the Dodgers offense was too strong. They managed to tally 52 runs throughout the entire series. Despite lacking depth, the Dodgers bullpen came through and held the Mets, who have the highest payroll in the majors, down. In a series-clinching game six, the Dodgers put up ten runs, sending the Mets back home and advancing to the World Series.
The World Series couldn’t have been a better match-up, a clash of titans between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees. Game one did not disappoint. In the bottom of the tenth, down 3-2, Freddie Freeman hit a walk-off grand slam to give the Dodgers a 1-0 series lead, setting the tone for the series.
The Dodgers would take the next two games thanks to stellar performances by Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernandez, Tommy Edman, Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers’ pitching staff, as they took a commanding 3-0 series lead and found themselves on the brink of what could have been a rare sweep. The last time this happened was when the San Francisco Giants swept the Detroit Tigers back in the 2012 World Series. But the Yankees weren’t going to let that happen at Yankee Stadium. Their bats came alive with an 11-4 victory in game four.
Finding themselves down five runs early in game 5, it was thought by many that the Dodgers just wanted to come back to Los Angeles to win it all in their own stadium. But the offense came alive in the fifth inning with the help of some lackluster New York defense, putting up five runs against Yankees ace, Gerrit Cole. The Dodgers would then put up two more insurance runs, as Dodgers’ reliever Blake Treinen put the Yankees’ bats to sleep.
In the ninth inning, Manager Dave Roberts decided to turn to Walker Buehler, who had an extremely rough year after coming back from Tommy John Surgery. After retiring two, former Dodger Alex Verdugo stepped up to the plate, representing the final out. Buehler was determined to close the game out. After not even knowing whether or not he was going to make the postseason lineup, there he was getting the final three outs of the World Series.
As the final out was recorded, the city of Los Angeles erupted in cheers and fireworks, as the Dodgers came out on top as the 2024 World Series Champions.
The Dodgers lived up to all the hype this season, and with this being their second World Series win in the past four years, there is still much more in store for this dominant Dodgers dynasty.
St. John Bosco High School welcomes a new teacher and coach, Mr. Kellyn Carlson, to lead the Entrepreneur Pathway and teach students crucial business lessons, as well as to serve as an assistant water polo coach.
Photo by Nicholas Valenzuela
Q: Where did you grow up?
A: I grew up in Tacoma, WA.
Q: What was your best subject when you were in school?
A: History. I like to learn from the past to be prepared for the future.
Q: Where did you go to school to get your degree?
A: The University of Washington and California State University, Long Beach. I have a B.A. in Political Science from UW and an M.A. in Sports Management as well as a Teaching Credential from CSULB.
Q: What jobs did you do before teaching at Bosco?
A: A lot. I started in the family business, Aqua Quip. I stocked shelves and cleaned, fixed and built pools and spas all the way to managing the logistics of the service department. I had many sales jobs at biotech that taught me that I am not a salesperson. I also had coaching jobs here at Bosco many years ago and spent time at Orange Lutheran and Millikan as a teacher and coach.
Q: Why did you decide to pursue a future in teaching?
A: During the pandemic, I lost my job like many other people and got back into coaching, that led me to realize that making a difference in people’s lives made me feel like I did when playing sports, and no matter how many hours I spent coaching or teaching, I never felt like I was working. When you love what you do, it’s not work.
Q: What is your favorite sports team?
A: Washington Husky Football might be my all-time favorite and Liverpool FC, as well.
Q: If you could have lunch with one person from history, who would it be and why?
A: Marcus Aurelius, Emperor of Rome. The stoic philosophy he learned from Epictetus and other ancient Greek philosophers is something that I am using to make myself a better person every day. I find it fascinating how those philosophies helped him rule over one of the greatest empires in history.
Q: What is your favorite band or musical artist and song, and why?
A: Tough question. I think it depends on my mood. I love Bob Marley and his message, but at the same time, I think my musical evolution into jazz has me listening more and more to Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, John Coltrane and other jazz legends. I grew up in the Grunge Era of Seattle music, so I always like a little bit of Pearl Jam, Nirvana and other 90’s era music.
Q: What’s your favorite cuisine, and what is your favorite dish from that cuisine?
A: Again, it depends on my mood, but I always go back to my northwest roots of seafood. I love oysters, clams, salmon, halibut and really anything from the sea mixed with fresh vegetables and a little rice.
Q: If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
A: I would like to visit Eastern Europe and attend professional water polo games in Hungary, Croatia and Montenegro. Water polo is huge there, and I have never had the opportunity to visit that part of Europe and see the sport where it is most loved.
Q: What is the advice you would like to give to students in your class?
A: To be open to learning and not miss the great opportunities they have here at Bosco. It is an important time in your life, and you have a faculty that is passionate about helping you. Take this big step forward into the adult you want to become.
Q: If you could start a business, what would it be?
A: A small community pub. Pub is short for public place where people gather to talk, share stories, play music and connect. I like food, people, and talking, and would love to do it all while making a living.
Q: How much can you bench?
A: Today, not as much as I used to that is for sure. I couldn’t tell you. I think if memory is correct I was somewhere around 235-250 lbs. at one point, so not very much.
Q: What’s something that you learned from a hard experience?
A: When times are rough, those closest to you will be there for you without question. That is why keeping great relationships and honesty are so important.
Q: What sports do you coach and why?
A: Water polo and swimming. I try to pass what I know on to others and help others go as far as they can. I like seeing athletes achieve more than they thought was possible.
Q: Do you prefer coffee or tea, and how do you make it?
A: I like my coffee black, but don’t mind having a cup of tea either.
Q: If you were on a stranded island and could only bring one item, what would you bring?
A: The book Meditations by Marcus Aurelius to remind me that I am so lucky and privileged to have every day on that island.
Q: If you found out you had 48 hours to live, what would you do with it?
A: Spend as much time with my family as possible. I am very lucky to have an amazing family where generations are connected so deeply and help each other with no questions asked.
Q: If you could go back in time and talk to your younger self, what would you say?
A: I would tell myself that the journey is unexpected, not what you think it will be, and that the experiences will lead you to happiness and doing what you’re meant to do.
Q: What motivates you to work hard?
A: The desire to do things right and an innate sense that I always want to do it better than someone else. I am very competitive and that drives me to always be better than I was today.
Q: What’s your proudest accomplishment?
A: Having the opportunity to travel overseas after college and continue to play water polo in Australia and win their National Water Polo League Championship.
Detested St. John Bosco villain, Mr. McGueber, planned on creating an army using bio-enhanced pumpkins to cause mischief on October 31st.
Mr. McGueber was up to his old antics of trying to take over the world. This time, he ditched actual world domination, shifting his focus toward taking over Halloween.
“Look, world domination hasn’t really worked out in the past,” said Mr. McGueber. “[Doing something smaller] is nice for a change.”
Using pumpkins he stole from Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm in Wheatland, California, Mr. McGueber bio-enhanced them and built a full-on army.
“I had to steal [the pumpkins]! No one was even guarding the place,” said Mr. McGueber. “So, you can blame [Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm] when I take over Halloween.”
He brought the pumpkins to life using unethical practices before he tried to use them to cause trouble on Halloween, primarily by stealing candy from defenseless elementary school students.
“Think about it this way. Why should I go out of my way to buy candy from the store when I could just steal it from little kids?” said Mr. McGueber. “If I could dominate Halloween, then it means I’ll be able to dominate the world, right?”
Despite Mr. McGueber’s utterly ridiculous statements, some students found ways to stay calm during this extremely dire situation.
“If Mr. McGueber couldn’t take over a high school, I doubt he could take over Halloween,” said senior Roman Galindo. “I accidentally hit one of his pumpkin monsters with my bicycle.”
Students saw many holes in Mr. McGueber’s Halloween domination plan. The biggest problem was how the bio-enhanced technology failed to make the pumpkins look scary.
“I thought Mr. McGueber would carve faces so the weird pumpkin monsters would look intimidating but he didn’t,” said senior Jose Sedano. “He really didn’t. It’s very hard to be scared of blank-faced pumpkins with a metal stick ramming themselves into the walls every 3 seconds.”
Mr. McGueber seemed to know about these holes in his domination plan.
“Look, Squaddle usually checks my plans before I do them. But he was on vacation in the Netherlands for a couple of days so it was all up to me,” said Mr. McGueber. “Trying to ruin a holiday is much harder than ruining the world because I am very lazy.”
Although his constant complaints of how hard his plan was, he was still incredibly delusional about the plausibility of his plan.
He planned to take over St. John Bosco again using his newfound non-FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved pumpkin army. Unfortunately, he had too much confidence in his plans—his super evil attack being countered by stairs and his own pumpkins rebelling against him.
“I thought the bio-enhanced pumpkins would at least have arms and legs. But no. They’re just pumpkins that roll around over people’s toes,” said senior Marco Uribe. “They couldn’t even make it past the front office doors.”
Mr. McGueber expressed some disappointment and anger in this foiled plan.
“It’s not my fault that this plan didn’t come to fruition. These unethical practices aren’t cheap, you know,” said Mr. McGueber. “It’s also not like I am going to get arrested for this. What cop is going to believe that people were attacked by pumpkins?”
On Halloween night, Mr. McGueber had barely any pumpkin monsters for his crusade.
“Look, my plan was ruined. Now, I have to steal something boring like Halloween decorations to pay off my debts,” said Mr. McGueber. “Best believe that this will not hinder my crime spree at all.”
Mr. McGueber was promptly arrested after making these statements—not because of the attack, but his failure to show up for jury duty. This solidified the halting of his plans for holiday domination. Two days later, however, he was released from jail—back on the streets of Bellflower to cause more mischief and try, once more, to achieve world domination.
Halfway through semester one and with final grades getting closer, students should be prepared— with work ethic being a large part of having academic success. But what is work ethic, and what are some ways to improve it?
Photo by Michael Bartelt, The Brave News Faculty Advisor
Work ethic is an extremely important skill to have in school, yet not everyone inherently has a good one, according to Elizabeth Hunt, the Dean of Academics, World Languages Instructor, Sophomore Class Moderator and Key Club Moderator for St. John Bosco High School.
But to form a good work ethic, you need to know what work ethic is. According to Ms. Hunt, work ethic is the integrity and perseverance within someone that enables them to do your work to the best of your ability.
This doesn’t mean work ethic can’t be learned. Integrity and perseverance are skills, and like all skills, it requires practice.
“Work ethic is something that you can learn,” Ms. Hunt said. “It’s not always something that’s innate in us.”
According to Ms. Hunt, work ethic also requires a positive perspective to cultivate it. Though, this can be difficult when you’re faced with multiple deadlines all at once.
“It’s very easy to get overwhelmed [when] you know everything you have to do,” said Ms. Hunt. “You need to break it down [and] set deadlines for yourself ahead of time so you can approach it little by little.”
There are a variety of ways to approach this. Ms. Hunt suggests using a calendar or reminders on your phone. Everyone is different and they should use whatever method works for them.
Another avenue to form a growth mindset and good work ethic is peer tutoring.
Kelly Blakeman, SJB’s Mathematics Department Chair, Mathematics Instructor, and Math Honors Society Moderator shares how the math peer tutoring program at SJB can help grow a good work ethic.
“I have a few students who come in for [peer tutoring] just as a space to work and do their homework, and if they have a question they’ll ask the peer tutors for help,” said Ms. Blakeman.
An environment without distractions allows students to focus solely on their work, with peer tutoring programs at SJB providing this space for students.
Peer tutoring also helps new students entering high school to adjust to Bosco, meet new people ranging from freshmen to seniors and cultivate their work ethic early on.
“[Peer Tutoring] encourages newer students to come in and [learn] from experienced students closer [to their] age,” said Ms. Blakeman.
A senior tutor here at SJB, Gerald Leyva, who is a part of the Spanish and Math Honors Society as well as the Onori Society, shares how he’s seen peer tutoring help students improve their work ethic.
“I feel peer tutoring can be helpful to keep people on top of their work,” Gerald said. “In my experience, a lot of students have been able to learn better time management skills, tips on how to get their work done in a more efficient manner and other tactics to not fall behind.”
Peer tutoring can help students form a good work ethic, and there are many other advantages that come with peer tutoring that help students further create a good work ethic.
Freshman student, Rowan Brown, shares exactly how peer tutoring has helped him consistently have a good work ethic.
“Going to peer tutoring, if you have a hard time with procrastination, can really help. It also allows you to be in a space without all these distractions.” Said Rowan.
Having a good work ethic is vital to the growth of the mind since it alleviates stress and anxiety from deadlines.
“It’s just hard to keep yourself emotionally stable when the [work] is overwhelming you,” said Rowan. “Sometimes I can get emotionally overwhelmed, especially if I have a lot of [work] to do. Procrastination is a really big [cause] of that.”
Senior student, Kashim-As’Ad Kashim, or As’Ad, shares how his growth in work ethic due to peer tutoring has helped him in his academics.
“I [had] a grade D in Algebra 2 during junior year, and by the end of the semester one, [I] ended with a grade B [because] of peer tutoring and I was doing my work before the [deadline].” Said As’Ad.
Work ethic can be learned and is essential to reduce stress from school assignments, with peer tutoring being able to help instill work ethic into struggling students, according to Ms. Hunt.
“Work ethic is a set of values that push you to do the job to the best of your ability,” Ms. Hunt said. “Somebody who has a good work ethic is going to have less stress, less anxiety and is probably going to [ascend] as opposed to somebody who is doing the bare minimum.”
St. John Bosco contains many peer tutoring programs. Mr. Michael Bartelt is the Onori Society Faculty Advisor; Ms. Kelly Blakeman is the Math Honor Society Moderator; and Ms. Cindy Rayas is the Spanish Honors Society Moderator. You can find their contact information in SJB’s directory for inquiries regarding academic support.
The schedule for peer tutoring is also included in the “Week Ahead” email sent to parents and students each weekend.
The Theater Company of St. John Bosco High School presented their first play of the year, a mysterious and emotional journey of memories captured in photographs, Kodachrome.
Photo by Megan Nash, Director of Marketing and Communications
Bosco’s production of Kodachrome, originally written by Adam Szymkowicz, was directed by the Director of Theater Production, Mr. Martin Lang. Kodachrome is a comedy about nostalgia and romance, a deep and mature story.
In the director’s note, Mr. Lang explains how this story was a large departure from what is usually seen by the Bosco Theater Company and the challenges that it presented the team.
“This story is a very mature work and presented a challenge for our young people because many of the emotions and feelings that they are being asked to portray they have not yet experienced in their own lives,” wrote Mr. Lang.
The story follows Suzanne, The Photographer, played by St. Joseph’s senior Daniela Campos, who narrates the lives and romances of the people in the town of Colchester, as she struggles to say her own goodbyes to her husband Charlie, The Hardware Store Owner, played by Bosco senior Noah Wayner.
The general motif and theme around the production was very unique. The play revolved around The Photographer’s hobby of taking photos. As such, the camera was used regularly in the story, both throughout the play itself and even before starts.
At the beginning of the production, The Photographer took photos of some of the audience members, and even a photo of the entire audience toward the end. This did such a great job of incorporating the audience into the story and making them truly immersed in what’s being told.
The Photographer, however, truly excels in acting in her role. Some may remember Daniela Campos from her previous roles as Susan in Attack! Of The Killer Man From the Sun! or Bielke in Fiddler on the Roof. Things are different this time around, as she was acting now as the main character and narrator, speaking the most amount of lines in the entire show.
Photo by @sj.theatrearts via Instagram
“Being the lead role has been more challenging for me than past roles,” said Daniela. “I have so much dialogue in the show and I’m onstage for every scene, not to mention my character endures a lot mentally throughout the show, so at times it can be very tiring.”
Despite the tough hills to climb, Daniela pulled through and gave an awesome performance. She made for a great “tour guide” and did well introducing and explaining everyone and everything in the story. She also nailed the emotional moments, creating a fun character to listen to but also embodying a persona that the audience could resonate with on a deeper level.
“It’s been a real growing experience for me as an actor,” said Daniela.
Daniela wasn’t the only stand out performer. Earl, The Gravedigger, played by Bosco sophomore Jacob Alexander Perez, was another great character.
This was Jacob’s first acting role with St. Joseph’s and St. John Bosco, and he did not disappoint. He played a very humorous role and certainly didn’t fail to make the audience laugh with his personality. The way he interacted with different characters was fun to watch.
However, when the emotion needed to be put on, he fabulously pulled off a seriousness that greatly complimented his whimsical side.
“Tapping into my emotional side for the first time was a bit challenging, but I was able to pull it off,” said Jacob.
One more wonderful performance was by St. Joseph’s freshman Jamie Valdoria in her role of The Young Woman. She played a young woman who jumps into an engagement with her boyfriend and freaks out throughout the process.
Jamie successfully portrayed this anxiety ridden personality really well and makes her character a very funny whenever she’s on stage.
“Everyone has been working so hard the past few weeks to put on such a great show. The overall feeling has been very welcoming and supportive,” said Jamie.
The stage design for this production was intriguing. The sides were covered with picture frames with digital screens in them and in the center was a projector.
Throughout the play, whenever The Photographer took photos of the characters, those images showed up on the stage. Additionally, the images changed to reflect the environment the characters were in, which was a really creative way to add to the motif of the camera.
Overall, Bosco’s production of Kodachrome was very funny, but also very deep beneath the surface. This emotional story couldn’t have been truly brought to life without the work of the performers and everyone else at the Bosco Theater Company.
Hispanic Heritage Month, which began last month on the 15th, reflects centuries of history in South and Central America—history that continues to be told through the experiences of St. John Bosco students in the present day.
The celebration started in September to commemorate the independence of various Central and South American countries. The first day, September 15th, remembers the signing of the Act of Independence of Central America in 1821, which led to the declaration of Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica as independent countries.
The following day remembers Mexican independence leader Miguel Hidalgo, who on September 16, 1810 launched the Mexican independence movement.
Other significant events take place throughout the month as well, like the Chilean celebrations of independence that start on September 18th, or perhaps most recognizable to most Americans, Columbus Day, known as “The Day of the Race” to Hispanics.
While this historical significance is important to acknowledge, it is also very important to see how these historical events and celebrations have changed local communities.
This has been seen in a variety of ways at Bosco. Mr. Eduardo “Lalo” Díaz, a current social studies instructor for Bosco juniors, joined the school last year. Coming from Mexico City, his background has made him see the impact that Hispanic culture and contributions have made to the United States.
“The U.S. educational system hasn’t recognized us or given us our place in the history or development of our country,” said Mr. Díaz. “Celebrating our contributions to the development of our country, our city and the state of California is important so that we broaden the love that our people have for México.”
Mr. Díaz believes that Hispanic-American students—not just at Bosco, but elsewhere—live within two juxtaposed environments. At home, they might exclusively speak Spanish, which is something they might not do while at school. In his view, we should all be proud of our backgrounds—and should maintain and keep these cultures in mind, lest they be forgotten.
“We want to keep these traditions,” said Mr. Díaz.
As a teacher of US history, he also believes in the importance of recognizing Hispanic contributions to this nation.
“By teaching [students] United States history, I must include events that show us [Latinos] as people who have contributed to American development,” said Mr. Díaz. “The United States didn’t get to where it has without the help of many cultures.”
He believes that it is important for everyone to know about the influence of cultures present within the United States, as it is important to keep these cultures alive.
Ms. Cindy Rayas has also seen the significance of Hispanic Heritage Month at Bosco. As the World Languages Department Chair, the Moderator of the Spanish Honors Society and a Spanish teacher for sophomores and juniors, she interacts with a large portion of Bosco’s Hispanic students.
She notes the ways that Hispanic culture has made many proud here at Bosco. Many of the other cultures, she believes, are diverse, with their own selection of cultures and traditions.
“[Hispanic] culture is rich in many aspects. It makes me feel proud, as well as the language. Each country has its own traditions,” Ms. Rayas said.
She also recognizes the connection that Hispanic cultures have with religion—something central to students’ educations at Bosco. Oftentimes, these ideas are completely intertwined with each other.
As a Spanish teacher, she has also noticed specific trends amongst each of her classes. She emphasizes the importance of learning Spanish culture alongside the Spanish language.
“The students who speak Spanish at home have a more ingrained culture,” said Ms. Rayas. “I tell them: everything is connected, especially when it comes to language.”
She notes that it is very important for Hispanic students to respect their own culture and to not feel like they cannot embrace their Hispanic heritage because they don’t speak Spanish as much as they would hope.
“If they don’t respect their culture or language, others won’t respect us,” said Ms. Rayas. “Therefore, it is important to tell them to respect their culture and to respect who they are.”
In future years, Ms. Rayas plans to help with special events relating to the celebration of Hispanic culture, including a potential celebration for Our Lady of Guadalupe, as well as various potlucks. These, she hopes, will lead to the promotion of Hispanic culture on campus, encouraging students to be proud of their cultures.
“[I want them] to feel proud of who they are and of where their parents came from. We were born here in the United States, but we must remember that our beginnings come from Latin America,” said Ms. Rayas. “We must always carry that with pride.”
Imagine standing with your St. John Bosco brothers and St. Joseph sisters under the Friday night lights, singing, dancing and cheering on your Braves going to battle on the field.
Photo by Jet Walls
The culture of Bosco Football games has evolved significantly throughout the years. Though the game day experience is in many ways unmatched – from the tailgating to the state-of-the-art Panish Family Stadium – the Tribe student section used to be more fervent in its support.
It used to be the place to be on a Friday night: a game defending our home stadium against an opponent in a clash of titans on the field.
Alumnus and theology instructor, Mr. JP Garcia-Esparza, reflects fondly on to his experience as a student coming to games on campus.
Mr. Garcia-Esparza’s favorite game day memory with his Bosco brothers and St. Joseph’s sisters was during his freshman year when the team beat the “Team in Red” at home. The student section rushed the field to celebrate their win with the team and even joined them in prayer on the field.
Back then students would get way more hyped for game day. Some even showed up in paint and costumes.
“The student section is a representation of our school,” said Mr. Garcia-Esparza
The student sections need to be bigger, louder and more enthusiastic. We need all the students to come support the boys on the field. The Bosco Football players urge the students to come out and support them at games. They love to see their classmates in the stands supporting them with passion.
“It’s great to have the support of fellow students, but once the game begins, everything seems to become tunnel vision and the outside noise isn’t so loud coming from a defensive view point. Once a big play is made defensively and you can hear the crowd and student section react loudly, it’s definitely a turning point and momentum changer for sure,” said senior linebacker Cole Clifton. “The Tribe experience is one of a kind in big games, and the support is always there and needed during big moments.”
However, at times, Brave and Jester students have taken for granted the great product on the field and how our community has a unique opportunity to galvanize itself around that greatness.
“[The student section] can be at times underwhelming,” said St. Joseph’s senior cheerleader Jolynn Hallum.
Jolynn wants all her Jester’s sisters and Bosco brothers to come to the game and just go for it when cheering and hyping up the rest of the crowd. Your actions in the stands can even help motivate the cheerleaders in hyping up the rest of the stadium.
“Sometimes [cheering] is harder if it’s a low energy crowd,” Jolynn said.
If you can make an upcoming game, you are highly encouraged to come out to support your brothers with great energy, as they chase their aspirations of winning a third national championship for Bosco and pursuing their individual goals of earning college scholarships.
“You can never count out the heart of a Brave, ” Mr. Garcia-Esparza said.
The Bosco Braves take on the Santa Margarita Eagles tonight at 7pm for the Homecoming game at Panish Family Stadium.
St. John Bosco High School welcomes new biology and environmental science instructor, Mr. Albert Soliguen, who wants to utilize his wisdom and experience to help Bosco Braves realize their potentials.
Photo by Jesus Biag
Q: Where did you grow up?
A: I primarily grew up in the city of Long Beach and Garden Grove.
Q: What high school and college did you graduate from, and what was your field of study?
A: I graduated from Garden Grove High School and from California State University, Fullerton with my Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees of Science in Kinesiology. I also got my single subject teaching credential in biology from National University.
Q: What inspired you to become a teacher?
A: I believe what mostly inspired me to become a teacher is my own experiences as a student in the classroom. I didn’t particularly have the best student experience, but I had great mentors and teachers who supported me and highlighted my potential which transformed me into the person I am today. Ultimately, this is what drove me to pay it forward to those in need, just as the people who have been there for me.
Q: What did you do before teaching at Bosco? Did you teach somewhere else, or do something completely different?
A: Before teaching at Bosco, I was a longtime coach for the sport of volleyball for over 10 years. I worked for Santa Ana College for over eight years with Public Safety in Health and Wellness with several different fire department agencies across Southern California.
Q: What makes Bosco different from any other school you’ve taught at before?
A: What separates Bosco from other schools is the culture, students and staff. The students are what make this campus truly alive and vibrant. The level of prestige in the classroom and the amount of knowledge, kindness and care from the staff is incomparable.
Q: What do you love the most about being a teacher?
A: What I love most about teaching is the relationships you build with students, parents and the community over time. To see their growth personally and professionally is rewarding and gratifying.
Q: How is your classroom experience different from other teachers in the Science Department?
A: I believe my classroom is different from other science teachers because I share my own experiences to students that are related to the content. I always make an effort to bring some relevance of the content to students to make it more relatable to their lives.
Q: When you aren’t teaching and lesson planning, what do you like to do in your free time?
A: During my free time, I like to spend it with my wife and my two-year-old daughter.
Q: What is your favorite book, movie and TV show?
A: My favorite book is Dune; my favorite movie is The Crow (1994); and my TV show that I currently like is Culinary Class Wars on Netflix.
Q: Where is the most interesting place you’ve traveled?
A: The most interesting place I’ve traveled is the Philippines.
Q: What is your favorite genre of music?
A: My favorite genre of music is Hip-Hop.
Q: What are your favorite sports and sports teams?
A: My favorite sports are football, basketball and volleyball. My favorite teams are all from the Bay Area: the San Francisco 49ers and the Golden State Warriors.
Q: When you were in school, what activities did you participate in?
A: When I was in school, I was a part of Hip-Hop club and I played basketball and volleyball.
Q: Do you have any pets? If so, what kind and what are their names?
A: I have one dog that I rescued that is a Border Terrier. His name is Koda.
Q: What’s your go-to comfort food or favorite meal to cook?
A: My favorite comfort food is sushi. My favorite meals to cook are BBQ and steak.
Q: How did your family and culture mold the person you are today?
A: My family and culture is very important to me because they have been the biggest support group in all the things I’ve done. They have been there with me through the highs and lows, and the one thing that has never changed was their love and support.
Q: What’s your favorite thing about your Filipino culture?
A: My favorite thing about Filipino culture is the food. Our culture is very generous, kind and hospitable.
Q: What’s something on your bucket list that you haven’t done yet?
A: One thing on my bucket list that I haven’t done yet is to hike the Pacific Crest Trail.
Q: Do you have a favorite quote or motto that you live by?
A: My favorite quote is “You never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.”
Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
A: The best piece of advice that I have been given was in the form of another quote: “Fear is the thief of dreams.” With that being said, it was important for me to embrace the unknown, the failures and discomfort, because in most cases, it will end up being the right choice.
Q: Knowing that, what do you think is the biggest piece of advice you could give to your students?
A: My advice to other students is to find the good in every moment, stay present and trust the process. Everything happens for a reason, but those reasons are meant to take you somewhere and to help you grow.
As the flu season begins, St. John Bosco High School has begun to install more hand sanitizer stations containing hand sanitizerthat will only kill 98.99% of all germs, instead of hand sanitizer that kills 99.99% of all germs.
Photo by Augustus Rodriguez
St. John Bosco High has received a $50,000 grant for the lackluster sanitizer from an organization called the Guild of Non-Heinous Actions (GNHA). The grant was given to the school on the condition that it doesn’t use sanitizer that kills more than 98.99% of germ.
Bosco Principal Mr. Antonelli expressed his gratitude for this grant.
“To be honest, I was a bit skeptical that the GNHA wanted to give us this money only for hand sanitizer stations,” said Mr. Antonelli. “But, a grant is a grant!”
The Guild of Non-Heinous Actions is a mysterious group that seems to focus on doing exclusively good actions in the community. Their new program, called “Schoolwide Helpers,” will help schools around the world, starting with Bosco.
The main group consists of a variety of members, led by Dr. Dictator. The group also includes members Mon-Knee, Red Delicious, Phu Punch, Rib-bit, Thee Manual and Mr. Finger.
The Guild of Non-Heinous Actions used to include notable Bosco villain Mr. McGueber, but the group later kicked him out for being evil.
“The GNHA has been on a humongous decline ever since they kicked me out of their little club they had,” said Mr. McGueber. “St. John Bosco is my territory. I am the one who installed a doomsday device in the Thunderdome.”
Despite Mr. McGueber’s constant complaints, Bosco has already figured out where to put these hand sanitizer dispensers.
“We will put 26 of our 97 hand sanitizer dispensers in the Thunderdome – all in random spots – like in the middle of the basketball court,” said Mr. Antonelli. “We will place them wherever we feel like one should be.”
Many students are weirded out by the difference subtle difference in the new sanitizer, which led them to speculate how big the difference really is.
“I personally believe it smells way better than any other hand sanitizer,” said senior Nelson Maciendo.
Some students conjured up some unique ideas on what the difference is.
“I think you can blow it up like a balloon and use it as a yoga ball,” said senior Ilan Dubon.
While students have been guessing on what the difference is the head of the Guild of Non-Heinous Actions, Dr. Dictator, stated a simple answer.
“There is no difference in either product; the chemicals are the same,” said Dr. Dictator. “It’s just our product—we get to call it whatever we want and you can’t stop us.”
Some students also are suspicious about where they even got the money in the first place.
“It came from my bank account, since I am just so rich,” said the Treasurer of The Guild of Non-Heinous Actions, Mon-Knee.
Mr. McGueber had some choice words for this supposed grant.
“I don’t even know why you need that many hand sanitizer spots. There are plenty of restrooms with sinks. It’s not like these restrooms need high maintenance,” said Mr. McGueber. “Just go in and wash your hands with soap and water. It’s basic hygiene,” said Mr. McGueber
Dr. Dictator is very confident that this grant will change the school.
“This grant is one of the best and first grants [the GNHA] have ever done,” said Dr. Dictator
“I don’t know what Mr. McGueber is complaining about, it’s not like he lives in the school,” he said. “This why he was kicked out of our group. He is not even good at being evil! How does one even do that?”
Mr. McGueber coincidentally was around the area when Dr. Dictator said that and wasn’t very happy. He is also mad about the guild’s membership requirements, believing his expulsion from the group was unfair.
“I was kicked out of the group as fast as Schoology kicks you out during an important test,” said Mr. McGueber.
Despite the backlash from Mr. McGueber, St. John Bosco is still going through with the grant and is expected to install these hand sanitizer stations over the next couple of weeks.
The Brave News 