by Aeden Alexander, Sports Editor

St. John Bosco welcomes Mr. A.J. LaMonda to the community, a teacher of anatomy and physiology as well as an assistant baseball coach.

Q. What college did you attend and what did you study?

A. I attended Loyola Marymount University, and I studied anatomy, physiology and biology.

Q.  Who is your favorite athlete and why?

A. My favorite athlete is Bo Jackson, who is the greatest athlete of all time. Just go watch highlights; the man was a monster in the NFL and MLB

Q. What schools did you coach and teach at before Bosco?

A. I started coaching at the Webb School, then got a job coaching at Servite and then I got a job at Orange Lutheran, where I was a science teacher and coach.

Q.  Why did you choose to teach anatomy and physiology?

A. It’s what I got my degree in, and I love how it relates to athletics. Thank you to St John Bosco for giving me my favorite subject to teach!

Q. What is your favorite type of food?

A. My favorites are home cooked meals, preferably on the barbecue!

Q.  Morning or Night person and why?

A. I am a morning person. I love the morning because it’s much more quiet and peaceful and makes me feel like I’m not wasting my day.

Q. For how long have you been teaching and coaching?

A. This is my fifth year teaching and eleventh year coaching (ten in the Trinity League).

Q.  Did you play any other sports outside of baseball that you loved and wish you continued?

A. I played football and basketball, but my love was volleyball

Q. How long did you play baseball and what was your favorite memory?

A. I played baseball from age three until I retired at 24. My favorite memory was hitting a grand slam in the first inning of the WCC Championship Game vs Pepperdine. The crowd went crazy and it was exhilarating, unfortunately we lost the game, but I usually keep that part out of the story.

Q. What are your favorite sports teams?

A. My favorite college team is the Florida State Seminoles, and my favorite professional team is the Los Angeles Angels.

Q. Where were you born and grew up?

A. I was born and raised in Orange, California.

Q. Do you like coaching or teaching more and why?

A. That’s a trick question. The simple answer is both, but they each have their advantages. Coaching is amazing because it’s the sport I grew up playing. Teaching is amazing because you get to know the students/people on a different level. You see how they interact with their peers and you can connect with them on different levels

Q. What’s your least favorite thing about both coaching a sport and teaching?

A. My least favorite part of coaching is Picture Day (easy), and my least favorite thing about teaching is grading (haha!).

Q. With your free time outside of coaching and teaching, what do you like to do?

A. Free Time? What’s that? If I have any, I enjoy spending as much time as I can with my almost four-year-old daughter

Q. What made you choose to come to St. John Bosco and what excites you the most about it?

A. I have known Coach Barbara for almost 18 years, and he has been a very close friend. He helped inform me of a science position that was open and here I am. What excites me is getting to teach, coach and make a difference in the lives of these young men.

Q. What was your preparation like coming into a new school and coaching job?

A. Preparation was a little difficult, as I accepted the teaching position at the end of summer. But getting used to new technology, learning platforms, etc. Coaching just making sure what my role is and doing it to the best of my ability.

Q. What position did you play and why?

A. I played everywhere. I went wherever the team and my coaches wanted me. My favorite position was shortstop and centerfield.

Q. What’s your favorite thing about teaching and coaching?

A. My favorite thing about teaching and coaching is the atmosphere, the competition, the knowledge and the passion.

Q. Growing up, who was your role model?

A. My father was my role model.

Q. What are your goals for this upcoming school year?

A. I’d like to strengthen my faith, become more knowledgeable and continue my professional development on and off the field.

Q. Who is your favorite movie or TV show?

A. I am a huge movie guy so this is tough, but it would have to be Field of Dreams.

by Eric Torres, Editor-in-Chief

St. John Bosco welcomes back alumnus Mr. Ruben Solorza, a 2012 CIF Champion in cross country and member of the class of 2013.

Q. Where are you from, and what schools did you go to for elementary/middle school?

A. I am from Whittier, California. I attended St. Bruno’s Elementary, in Whittier, from Kindergarten all the way to 8th grade. 

Q. Did you play any sports or do any extracurriculars in high school?

A. I tried out wrestling for one season (yikes), and then ran cross country and track for three years after that. I occasionally helped out with The Brave newspaper as well.

Q. What are some things you wish you could have done differently in high school, and why?

A. I wish I would have developed better study habits early on. This would have helped me perform better as well, but I guess that’s all part of growing up. 

Q. What was your favorite memory of high school?

A. My favorite high school memory was winning the 2012 State Championship for Cross Country with my team. It was an amazing experience.

Q. Are you currently involved in any clubs or sports here at St. John Bosco, and if so, which ones and why?

A. I am the assistant coach for Cross Country and track. I’m also looking forward to helping out in the garden (shoutout to Mr. Corkhill).

Q. Where did you go to college, when did you graduate, and what was your major?

A. I went to Whittier College and was a double major in Environmental Science and Psychology. I graduated in 2017.

Q. What was your favorite memory of college?

A. My favorite college memory was getting to compete at the national level for NCAA in cross country. I enjoyed traveling with the team to different cities. Also, studying abroad in Denmark with great people was a lot of fun.

Q. Were you involved in any organizations in college, and if so, what?

A. Aside from cross country and track I was a part of the sustainability club and the culture center. In the cultural center, we put on a lot of events for different cultures. The food was great too.

Q. What brought you back to St. John Bosco and what excites you the most about teaching here?

A. This place is a second home to me, and everyone here is like my family. Of course, there are rough days, but I always leave this place each day feeling good about myself and the day. I love that I get to teach what I am passionate about and feel very thankful for this opportunity. It is the perfect place for me to learn and improve in my teaching career.

Q. What subject do you teach, where have you taught before St. John Bosco, and how long have you been teaching?

A. I teach Environmental Science as well as the AP course. Before Bosco, I taught two years at the elementary level in the Los Angeles Unified School District. I have gone from helping kindergarten kids open milk cartons to well… still helping kids open milk cartons here at Bosco.

Q. Why teach environmental science, and how did you discover that this is what you wanted to do?

A. I love that it can be very hands on and engaging with fun labs and visuals. I also find it very relevant to our everyday lives. Growing up, my family loved the outdoors and we were always exploring the country. I have to thank my family for planting the seeds of interest there.

Q. What is your favorite part of being both a coach and a teacher, and why?

A. I love that I can really get to know the student body as a whole now. I feel I am a full member of this community again, and it’s exciting. I am still adjusting to being called “Mr. Solorza.” That will take some time.

Q. Do you enjoy traveling, and what is your favorite place that you have traveled to?

A. Absolutely! I am always always planning something. It is hard to say, but when I went to Hawaii for school in college, it was an amazing experience. We got to visit many great landmarks and stayed in a five-star hotel one night, which I will never forget. It also started my coffee addiction when we visited a coffee plantation.

Q. Where is one place you’ve never been to but want to go to, and why?

A. I have to pick two: Germany for the Berlin Marathon and for the history of the country, and Switzerland for the Alps! I have always wanted to go down one of those sleds on the mountains; it looks fun.

Q. What are some of your hobbies, and why do you enjoy doing them?

A. I love fishing and camping. I have been going with my family since I was very little. I also enjoy playing pickup sports games. I am always down for competition and often meetup with my alumni group for sports days.

Q. Do you enjoy sports, and if so, what are your favorite sports and sports teams?

A. I watch them all, but my favorite sports teams are the Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Eagles, Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Lakers, USA men’s soccer and Bayern Munich. I also enjoy playing fantasy football.

Q. What types of music do you like, and who are some of your favorite music artists or bands?

A. I listen to a lot of different types thanks to my parents. Favorites would be The Beatles, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Queen, Blink-182 and Sam Cooke. Basically, if you tell me to listen to something I am going to check it out and most likely enjoy it.

Q. What is your favorite food or restaurant?

A. I like anything barbecue. Also, my favorite post race meal was a classic burger, fries, and coke.

Q. What is your favorite holiday and why?

A. My favorite holiday is Christmas. I love when everything is decorated and Christmas music. I definitely will be decorating my classroom when the holidays come around.

Q. Do you have any pets, and if not, what pet would you like to have?

A. I have a dog and a turtle. The turtle just goes about his business every day and eats. However, I have always wanted a chameleon.

Q. What are your favorite movies and TV shows?

A. My favorite shows are The Office, Ted Lasso and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. My favorite movies are The Dark Knight, The Other Guys and Rudy.

by Diego Santizo, Sports Editor

In what seemed impossible at the time, the senior count went up from thirteen to forty-two in the dying minutes of the deadline to allow a Kairos to successfully take place, and all the credit goes to Mr. Torre for making it happen!

The deadline to sign up for Kairos was on April 14th at 11:59 PM. There needed to be at least twenty-five people signed up for Kairos in order for the retreat to take place. It was 8:00 PM and there were only thirteen people signed up. The events that would follow would be what everyone called a “miracle”.

Mr. Torre would end up texting most – if not all – the senior class on Google Chat promoting the event and giving financial assistance to anyone who needed it. After a series of texts and texts, he fell asleep hoping for the best. When he woke up the following morning, it was 6:00 AM and the deadline was over. He hesitantly checked to see if Kairos would be a go and to his surprise the new amount of seniors who signed up for Kairos were up to forty-two! It was indeed a miracle!

Current St. John Bosco Interim Principal Mr. Jaramillo praised Mr. Torre’s miracle-working skills, as Mr. Torre showcased his true Salesian spirit.

“Only Mr. Torre can pull of a miracle equivalent to the miracle of Christmas as he pulled of the miracle of the pandemic with Kairos successfully taking place. Only he has the energy to bring us together in a time like this so he truly is the Kairos miracle maker,” said Mr. Jaramillo

Mr. Torre’s passion and motivation were the x-factors as twenty-nine seniors signed up for Kairos in the dying hours of the deadline day and he credits two sources.

“The first source was my own experience in Kairos as a faculty/staff member and my experience was made by people’s shoulders who I stand on and if it wasn’t for people like Mr. Jaramillo, Ms. Tracy, and Ms. Day who began the Kairos program here at Bosco then my experience wouldn’t of happened,” said Torre.

Mr. Torre credited his second source to the students, and he pointed out that if it wasn’t for their desires to share their stories to their fellow classmates, then his passion and motivation for hosting a Kairos would have been absent during the dying hours of the deadline.

Bosco’s 2021 Youth Delegate Pedro Ochoa was grateful for the opportunity as he was 1 of the 6 student leaders who took part in Kairos 51.

“Kairos meant a lot to me, especially for it being my first time leading it. This miraculous kairos showed that anything is possible. Mr. Torre is a person that always puts others in front of himself and it showed during the whole process of planning and successfully pulling off this event. This Kairos proved it as he dedicated so much time for the senior class even though there was a major possibility that it may not happen at all,” said Ochoa.

A few days later, COVID-19 testing took place on campus, and the following day, Kairos was a go! Seniors spent 3 days and 2 nights isolated with one another enjoying a nice distraction from everything that was happening to them outside the designated area. Those 3 days were described by many seniors as “life changing”.

Bosco senior and Kairos participant, Anthony Mejia, could not be more satisfied with the experience and life-changing opportunities he was able to experience.

“It’s definitely a life changing experience that you’ll remember for the rest of your life and really makes you grow closer with your Bosco brothers,” said Anthony.

Kairos not only leaves an impact on current participants, but also on alumni and current leaders. Key Club President and Kairos student leader Hector Andrade had a good way of describing Mr. Torre’s heroics, as he was able to join the retreat as a leader.

“Mr Torre best put it, ‘We were a QB who was always scrambling since the 1st quarter, every play.’ But at the end of the day we got the win. Mr Torre’s dedication and love towards Kairos is the reason why he’s such an influential part of bosco, he pulled through adversity all for this 2021 senior class and I am very thankful,” said Hector.

The praise of Mr. Torre doesn’t only start and end with the students as the faculty and staff were just as impressed as the seniors were with Mr. Torre’s heroics.

Mr. Salmingo points out the work Mr. Torre had to do, that not many people know of, and how little praise Mr. Torre gest for it.

“Behind the scenes there is so much that has to be taken care off that people forget and the participants never notice due to how good the presentation of Kairos turned out to be so I gave huge kudos to Mr. Torre for taking care of the ugly and turning it into something beautiful,” said Mr. Salmingo.

Mr. Salmingo has a good point when mentioning the “behind the scenes” action because Mr. Torre’s hectic schedule consisted of calling the retreat center back and forth multiple times, making arrangements to visit the retreat center himself to see if the seniors would like it, helping the student leaders with their talks, planning every second of Kairos from the bus trip there to the events that took place and those were just a few of the many tasks he dealt with all in the span of one week.

Bosco counselor, Ms. Yesenia Moreno, decided to add Kairos to her “to-do” list for the future as a result of watching how passionate Mr. Torre and the students were for Kairos.

“I really congratulate Mr. Torre for doing what he did because if I were to do that it would for sure leave me feeling overwhelmed so I give huge kudos to Mr. Torre for doing anything and everything he could in order for the seniors to have a memorable experience,” Ms. Moreno said.

The praise didn’t stop there as the 2021 Kairos Alumni Director Mr. Alvidrez believes the biggest factor in Kairos taking place was when Mr. Torre jumped in during the senior meeting to promote the event.

“If it were anyone else or someone who wasn’t as enthusiastic as Mr. Torre is who jumped in at the meeting I don’t think the miracle ever would’ve taken place,” said Mr. Alvidrez.

Mr. Torre’s hard work truly paid off as seniors did indeed have a memorable experience and current senior and wrestler Jasper Centeno was just one of many who were ecstatic about their time there.

“Kairos was truly once in a lifetime experience. I am more than grateful for the many lessons I learned and for having a new perspective of my faith. Before Kairos I was really disconnected with my faith but thanks to Kairos I am happy to say my connection has been revived,” said Jasper.

ASB President John Udabe is just one of many other happy participants who is proud to see what Mr. Torre was able to accomplish.

“I was so glad I could go on Kairos this year and that it was even able to happen. I think it was a perfect way to begin wrapping up my senior year at Bosco and help me grow closer to my classmates before we graduated,” said John.

The senior class thanks Mr. Torre for everything he did as they now have memories they won’t forget anytime soon. There is no one on campus who can be as proud as Mr. Torre to arrange an event in a matter of hours and showcase what a Salesian educator is capable of accomplishing.

by Joshua Hernandez, Editor-in-Chief

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic posing a threat to justice movements and protests everywhere, Bosco Senior Benjamin Zepeda has been involved with the National Temporary Protected Status (TPS) Alliance, which seeks permanent residency in the United States for over 400,000 TPS beneficiaries. 

Throughout the past few months, Zepeda has shuffled between states on the east coast, being primarily in Washington, D.C., where he has urged Congress and President Joe Biden to grant permanent residency to TPS beneficiaries nationally. 

While it has certainly not been an easy road for Zepeda throughout the past few months, it is for a cause that is much greater than him. Despite being away from home in California and having to miss out on a traditional Senior year experience due to his activism, it is a challenge he has been more than willing to take on headfirst. 

“I am still completing my final year of highschool; and in the midst of this global pandemic but I decided to take on this challenge to support the TPS Alliance because I could not just sit back knowing just how crucial this moment is for our struggle,” said Zepeda. 

The primary reason why he has been fighting so hard alongside the National TPS Alliance is actually quite simple; Ben himself is a son of TPS holders from El Salvador. While the four years of the Trump Administration posed a serious threat to Ben and his family’s status of residency in the United States, the National TPS Alliance – and Ben – are hopeful that calls for permanent residency will be heard by the new Biden Administration. 

“Since 2018, I have been a plaintiff in the Ramos case, a lawsuit which has battled the Trump Administration in the 9th circuit court of appeals for the past four years of the administration’s racist and anti-immigrant attacks,” said Zepeda. 

However, the impact of the National TPS Alliance has not just stopped at advocating for permanent residence of TPS beneficiaries; the organization also fronted efforts to get out the vote in the Georgia runoff elections in January. The importance of electing officials who would hopefully be more open to permanent residency was a priority for Zepeda and the National TPS Alliance, who see it as a gateway to greener pastures for current TPS beneficiaries whose status of residency is only temporary. 

“We understood just how important it was to use the TPS community’s collective power, which we have built throughout the years to make an impact in this last crucial election season,” said Zepeda. 

The dedication of the National TPS Alliance, as well as Zepeda, did not just stop at rhetoric, activism and physical protesting. On March 19th, all members of the National TPS Alliance began a hunger strike while in Washington, D.C. in order to bring more attention to their efforts of obtaining permanent residency statues. 

“On March 19th, just one day after the House passed the American Dream and Promise Act – legislation which would grant an immediate pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, DACA and TPS Holders – the TPS Alliance initiated a Hunger Strike led by TPS families in order to put constant pressure on legislators and ensure that immediate action is taken for our families. I have been in solidarity with hunger strikers arriving from many of our committees across the country and working alongside the campaign’s organizers with social media and technical support,” said Zepeda. 

On President Biden’s 100th day in office, the National TPS Alliance’s hunger strike ended. Despite not receiving any action from the Biden Administration in its first 100 days, the National TPS Alliance vows to continue fighting for the change they want to see from the administration as well as Congress. 

While the National TPS Alliance is optimistic that the new Biden Administration and Democrat-controlled Congress would be more open to granting permanent residency statues, the lack of clarity from the Biden Administration has been frustrating for the Alliance thus far. 

“On April 19th, we were expecting a final decision from the Biden administration on our lawsuit. Instead we were given the news that they asked for yet another 60 days to continue investigating the conditions of our countries of origin. What we are asking for isn’t something unreasonable, the conditions of these TPS countries have not changed since they were first designated TPS. Natural disasters, ongoing political crises, and the global COVID-19 pandemic is still creating conditions which have forced many to migrate towards the United States,” said Zepeda. 

In the spirit of what it means to be a Bosco man, Ben has been fighting the good fight away from home for a cause that is much bigger than him. While he recognizes the good work he has done on behalf of TPS beneficiaries nationally and alongside the National TPS Alliance, there is also a deep recognition that the work is far from over. As a matter of fact, it might be just beginning.

“After four years of uncertainty of my family’s future, the people in power finally now have all the necessary tools to deliver justice for our communities,” said Zepeda. 

The times the world lives in are tumultuous, to say the least. Yet, while no significant or adequate change has been seen by Zepeda and the National TPS Alliance, there is more hope for action in the future. After struggles with the previous administration, but more so after the past grueling few months, change has been hard to come by, but hope may very well be on the horizon for TPS beneficiaries in the United States, thanks in large part to Zepeda’s sacrifices. 

by Pedro Ochoa

In the Catholic Church, the month of May is traditionally dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. In order to honor the Blessed Mother, the Bosco community celebrates Marian Day, this year, on May 7th. 

The tradition of dedicating the month of May to Our Lady is centuries old, dating back at least 700 years. The reason for dedicating May to Our Lady is associated with the particular season of the year. May is certainly known for its springtime beauty. It brings to mind the idea of promise and hope, of new life.

This connection between May and motherhood led Christians to adopt May as the month of Our Lady, the Mother of God and Our Heavenly Mother. She brought life into the world by giving birth to her son, Jesus, who brought about a new spring.

May is normally part of the Easter season, the period of fifty days which lasts from Easter to Pentecost. During this time we celebrate the Lord’s Resurrection from the dead, a celebration which culminates with his Ascension to the Father and the sending of the Holy Spirit to the Church on Pentecost. It is a fitting time to dedicate to the Blessed Virgin Mary; to recall her intense joy over her Son’s Resurrection and the comfort and guidance she gave to the Apostles during this difficult period.

Marian day is a special time for Bosco Braves. It is a time of reflection and for the community. Marian day truly resembles the Bosco Oratory. It reflects a Home, School, Church, and Playground. 

Home: This day is where the Bosco Braves can make Bosco, their home, while also being guided by Our Blessed Mother. 

School: Even though this day is a time of bonding, there are still classes during the day. The periods are cut short to make the day go by fast.

Church: On this day, the Bosco community gathers together for a liturgy. In this liturgy, Mary is offered and crowned with flowers to represent beauty. 

Playground: After classes and mass, the Bosco brothers have hours to themselves where they can strengthen their brotherhood. During this time, there are multiple activities, where some of them include jumpers. 

The Blessed Virgin Mary offered the disciples her prayers, motherly care, and witness. She continues to offer us her motherly love and intercession. During this month of May, let us rediscover her maternal role in each of our lives. Let us offer our spiritual mother our sincere prayers, that just as she aided the first Apostles with her prayers, she may also guide and intercede for us in our journey of faith. Let us learn from her how to love and trust God completely and how to be faithful witnesses of the risen Lord.

by John Udabe

Per tradition at St. John Bosco, it has been customary for the homecoming court to be composed only of students from St. Joseph’s High School and the Winter Formal Court to be made up of students only from Bosco. Yet due to the unique circumstances of this year, this year’s homecoming court featured students from both Bosco and St. Josephs.

This year’s court was made up of two juniors and three seniors from each school. The king and queen were revealed at Bosco’s senior and homecoming night football game. For St. Joseph’s, senior Allison Gomez was crowned queen, and Bosco’s very own, senior James Pearce was crowned as king.

James was quite surprised first when he was nominated to the court and then later when he was announced as king. And with the signature James-style humour, he made sure to note the mispronunciation of his name at the homecoming game:

“Contrary to popular belief, though, I, James Pearce, was never crowned king. The announcer actually pronounced the name correctly, and James Parce was actually homecoming king. I was just the first person to step forward so they gave me the crown,” he said.

James was also a member of the winter formal court in early 2020 as a Junior.

“Formal court last year was super fun. I got to play my melodica in front of the SJ student body, wear a crown, and wear a cool sash. That’s all you can really ask for,” James said.

For the past four years, James Pearce has been one of the most active members within the Bosco community. His involvement and esteem around campus made him the ideal candidate for this year’s homecoming king.

One of his most prominent roles includes his positions within ASB. He has been a member of ASB for the entirety of his time at Bosco, and now sits on the Executive Board as Vice President. During his time on the Executive Board, as well as other class boards, he has assisted in leading the school by helping plan multiple events and by contributing to discussions to improve student life.

Speaking on his role on ASB, James said, “I wanted to be on [ASB] just to be a greater part of the school community and implement change and make decisions that I thought would benefit the school community.”

If there is one word that describes James, it is consistency. Whether it is consistency on ASB, within the classroom, or with different extracurricular activities, he continually follows through on anything that he starts.

Take tennis, for example. James has been playing tennis for over a decade. When he got to Bosco, he was thrilled to be a part of the tennis team. An early standout on the team, he is now the captain. Each year, he was excited to meet a new group of team members to bond with.

“I really like Bosco tennis because I was able to challenge myself playing against some very competitive teams in the Trinity League while I was still able to teach and mentor the guys on the team, especially as captain this year,” James said.

With the season not yet over, James hopes to finish the year off strong.

James has enjoyed his time at St. John Bosco. He recalls one of his favorite moments.

“My favorite memory at Bosco has been when I drove my friends around one night after a gig. I had bass boosted music bumping in my car as we drove through a crisp winter night and ate Chick-fil-a in my car. There have been many nights like this at Bosco for me, and every one of them has been memorable in their own way.”

For James, moments like these define his Bosco experience. 

“I feel the Bosco brotherhood for me has always been defined by going out to eat after a night of something crazy happening, just sitting down with your best friends soaking in the moment,” said James. 

James is pretty busy outside of Bosco as well. He is the Vice President of a youth advisory council of a community service group known as PKG, which is a nonprofit organization that connects teenagers with meaningful community projects. He specialized in the tech committee and even helped the nonprofit operate during COVID.

“I’ve seen the nonprofit go from a small group of kids and expand to where we now have different groups where we contribute to different parts of the nonprofit as a whole,” James said.

Along with this impressive community service, James also has been teaching piano to kids over the past two years.

“It’s really meaningful for me to see them get inspired in piano and music in the same way that I did when I first started taking piano lessons. I hope not just to teach them piano, but give them a skill they can take throughout the rest of their lives,” said James.

In his free time, James stays busy practicing piano, watching YouTube or Twitch, or playing video games. He has recently started sketching a little, and said he has gotten a little bit better. From the looks of it, James pretty much does everything.

James has a bright future ahead of him. He plans on attending UC Berkeley and will study computer science and music. He is looking forward to his future in college and his career afterwards.

“Ultimately, I hope to just not have to worry about money in the future and be able to live freely and artistically,” James said.

James Pearce is a well respected and highly admired member of the community. His fun personality is cherished by everyone who knows him, and he has gone above and beyond in everything he has done. He has left a long lasting legacy while at Bosco, and he was a perfect fit as the 2021 homecoming king.